Within the hallowed halls of the digital lounge where Star Wars fans gather to dissect and debate, you’ll encounter a growing chorus of grievances about the latest entry in the galaxy-spanning narrative. “The Acolyte,” currently unfolding episodically on Disney+, finds its tale threading within the reigned tapestry of the High Republic era, a lofty millennium before Darth Vader’s heavy boots thump across Imperial corridors.

A concoction from the creative cerebellum of Leslye Headland, “The Acolyte” spotlights the seldom-explored segment of the timeline, principally via a pair of celestial siblings, Osha and Mae (portrayed with aplomb by Amandla Stenberg). Born sans carnal participation, courtesy of some witchy, Force-imbued maneuverings around enigmatic Brendok, their mysterious genesis has unsurprisingly kindled critiques emphasizing parallels to Anakin Skywalker’s virgin birth and his destined journey as the prophesied Chosen One.

Now, with the fifth episode and its cloak-dropping revelation, the chorus of canon destroyers has reached an uncomfortably loud crescendo. Mae, following a tragic separation from Osha following Brendok coven’s fiery downfall, is treading a forbidding path of vengeance. She has been dispatched to eliminate four Jedi entangled in the coven’s fall, guided by a masked figure known only as The Master. A curious counterpart, Qimir (wonderfully embodied by Manny Jacinto), has been her guiding star on this blood-soaked quest, only to be double-crossed by Mae on barren Khofar in a hasty gambit to surrender to the Jedi. However, a plot-twisting reveal that Qimir is indeed The Master, the sinister persona behind Mae’s momentous missions, understandably thrusts us into a cosmic quandary. Despite mounting evidence suggesting Qimir to be a veritable Sith Lord, I remain skeptical that Headland and her high-octane team would be so straightforward. The truth, as they say, always lies beneath the surface.

‘The Acolyte’s Lovecraftian antagonist, The Master, was veiled in ambiguity until the recent episode. With his identity hidden behind a mask and an altered voice, much was left to the imagination. Mae, although aware of his gender, was left guessing his real identity. After her family’s alarming obliteration, he had been her only guide, orienting her on a path of Jedi destruction. Yet, despite his ominous instructions, Mae disobeyed him by utilizing weaponry to dispatch her targets. On Khofar, faced with the prospect of putting an end to the Wookiee Jedi Master Kelnacca, she dared to deviate from the script. Nevertheless, The Master executed Kelnacca irregardless.

Qimir’s unveiled façade not only fortified suspicions of his Sith identity but also catalyzed one of the most electrifying lightsaber battles since the infamous duel in Revenge of the Sith. His unleashed brutality resulted in a massacre of nearly all the Jedi on Khofar, ruthlessly extinguishing Jecki (portrayed by Dafne Keen) and Yord (Charlie Barnett). “She was a child,” Master Sol decries, to which Qimir nonchalantly retorts, “You brought her here.” Insouciant about the death of innocent Jecki, Qimir proceeds to critique the Jedi’s hypocrisy and expresses his yearning for personal freedom to school a protégé unhindered. He admits his reluctance to reveal his identity and his staunch resolve to eliminate those who behold his face – Sith-esque traits, for sure. Crucially, he forewarns Sol that “the Jedi like you might call me… Sith.”

Here, the lexicon dance intriguingly sways; Qimir doesn’t assert his Sith identity, he suggests to Sol what he might consider him. Could this sly waltz around truth open a plot hole wider than the Sarlacc’s gaping maw? “The Sith have been extinct for a millennium,” asserts Ki-Adi-Mundi in the Star-Wars prequels, certainly contradicting the theory of Qimir’s Sith status considering The Phantom Menace is set just 100 years post-The Acolyte timeline. Can Qimir’s revelation slide into a potential plot hole? It’s neither; Ki-Adi-Mundi’s 1000-year-old proclamation is valid because Qimir, Shakespearean in his choice of words, is not Sith.

Headland and her writer’s brigade, in my humble opinion, are far too clever to tumble headfirst into such a glaring canon contradiction. To propose Qimir as Sith so early would, not only dislodge Ki-Adi-Mundi’s historical statement, but it almost seems like the broadcasting of spoilers from a galaxy far, far away. The remaining trio of episodes has ample opportunities to unravel their web of intricate deceits and misdirection, and the acolytes of Brendok are bound to play a pivotal role in the grand unveiling.

Tying Qimir to the Sith order too soon would be akin to prematurely pushing all proverbial chips into the pot. The coven from Brendok is far from being just a fading memory, and their grievance with Sol and the Jedi will undoubtedly shape the series’ revelations. If his Sith claims prove false, the protestations of broken canon will prove hasty and frayed, leaving Ki-Adi-Mundi’s statement proven accurate. Qimir’s precise wordplay and reference to Sith ideology suggest more of an obsessive devotee than a Sith Lord.

At the end of the day, “The Acolyte” continues to weave a captivating narrative in the illustrious and diverse Star Wars universe, available now to discerning fans on Disney+. Its mysteries run deep, and its revelations will surely shape our understanding of the galaxy’s past, one episode at a time.

Stay tuned and may the Force be with you. Always.