Episode 5 of The Acolyte commences with Osha's awakening in the dense forest, her body still reeling from the blow. Grasping her trusted Pip, she cautiously advances and comes across a tragic sight — a fallen Jedi, lifeless on the ground. In the distance, she hears the clash of lightsabers, and as she edges closer, she witnesses Smilo Ren brutally eliminating a group of Jedi. With her blaster aimed, Osha fires at the Sith, but the shot merely grazes his arm, leaving him unperturbed.
Yord's urgent voice rings out, urging her to flee. Without hesitation, she obeys, her footsteps echoing through the woods. Meanwhile, Mae sees an opportunity and swiftly steals Kelnacca's lightsaber from within the humble hut. Smilo Ren throws his own lightsaber at Osha, the blade slicing through the forest like a boomerang, but Sol appears out of nowhere, deflecting it back with a swift swing. The weapon eventually finds its way back into Smilo's grasp.
As Sol and Smilo Ren face each other, a recognition passes between them. Sol remarks, "He wields a Jedi weapon, yet he is not one of them." These words, spoken by the former personal assistant of Harvey Weinstein, Leslye Headland, add depth to the scene.
Elsewhere, Yord guides Osha back to their ship, utilizing Bazil as a distraction. Meanwhile, Mae encounters the Padawan, Jecki, and a skirmish breaks out. Unperturbed, Yord knows that Jecki, a Jedi, will prevail against Mae, who had previously slain two Jedi masters. With a budget of 180 million dollars, one wonders if a mere penny was spared for the writing team.
Yord and Osha lose Bazil once again, while Jecki manages to capture Mae due to her exceptional skills. When Smilo Ren arrives, he engages in a duel with Mae, proving superior to all the other Jedi combined. Yet, rather than finishing her off, he pursues Mae, who flees into the forest.
With torchlight shining brighter than her Pip, Osha instructs Yord to extinguish his lightsaber, fearing it will attract unwanted attention. She points the torch towards the treeline, revealing the creatures that clung to the trees in the previous episode. Despite the warning, Osha decides to keep the torch on, urging Yord to run. They dash through the trees, with Sol and Jecki catching up to Smilo Ren, who engages in a fierce battle. Tragically, Jecki falls under Smilo Ren's blade, and as his helmet is removed, the revelation is made — the master is Qimir.
Qimir throws his cloak at Sol and grabs Mae by the throat, declaring his desire for freedom to wield power as he pleases. He also seeks a pupil, given Mae's betrayal. As they speak, Yord returns, but his luck runs out as Qimir snaps his neck with a swift movement. Osha, however, manages to stun Mae with her stun gun, sending her crashing to the ground.
Sol and Qimir locked in a fierce duel, until Sol grasped his prized lightsaber. He had Qimir exactly where he desired... until Osha intervened, halting the conflict. She allowed Qimir to rise, only to have Pip perched on his back, signaling the creatures to emerge and abduct him. Initially stunned, Mae recovered and, while Sol and Osha exchanged words, she struck Sol with a stunning blow, sending him crashing to the ground.
The two Amandla Stenbergs struggled to conceal their emotions as they confronted each other. Osha accused Mae of torching the stone settlement in episode 3, yet it seemed there was more to the story. Their emotions swayed back and forth, until finally, they found comfort in each other's arms. Mae pleaded with Osha to choose her, believing that was all they had left.
In a fit of rage, Mae knocked Osha down, seizing Yord's lightsaber and pressing it perilously close to her own throat. With a resolute stroke, she sliced off a few strands of her hair. Qimir emerged unscathed from his encounter with the creatures, while Mae assumed Osha's guise. As a Jedi, she knew the art of mind reading, as Qimir had demonstrated in this episode. However, Sol remained oblivious, trusting Mae blindly, mistaking her for Osha due to her disguise. Bazil alone seemed to sense a brewing mischief.
As the episode drew to a close, Qimir stumbled upon Osha, now attired in Mae's clothing, a mysterious twist that left the viewer wondering what lay ahead.
