The Acolyte episode 4 recap: A little Extended Universe and a heck of an ending

This article contains full spoilers for Star Wars: The Acolyte episode 4, “Day.”

Last week’s episode of Star Wars: The Acolyte was set 16 years in the past to show what happened on Brendok (from a certain point of view). We jump back into the present to pick up the mystery and search for the Wookiee Jedi Master, Kelnacca.

Let’s recap The Acolyte episode 4, “Day.”

We open on the planet of Khofar with Master Kelnacca returning to his home, which is his ship built into the lush forest. He makes a meal and goes about his business. But on the walls of his home, there are spiral patterns that are similar to the markings of Mother Aniseya from episode 3, “Destiny.”

Back on Coruscant, we pick up with Padawan Jecki Lon working in saber training. Osha watches her and the other padawans. Friendly reminder: Jecki’s master, Sol, was Osha’s former master before she left the Jedi Order. The lesson ends, and Jecki goes to meet Osha.

She’s there to say goodbye to the padawan and to thank Jecki for her help in clearing Osha’s name and finding her twin sister, Mae. Jecki figured Osha would have stayed until they at least captured Mae, but Osha counters saying it’s the Jedi’s problem.

Osha flat out says she’s not a Jedi. Despite mourning the time lost from her sister, she can’t be the one who brings Mae in. She also can’t bring herself to say goodbye to her former Master Sol.

Back on Khofar, a ship lands in the wilderness and it’s Mae and her sketchy but quirky partner-in-crime Qimir. He stops Mae from running off into the forest, saying that Khofar is mostly uncharted and not even bounty hunters will step foot in the forest. However, Qimir has been here before and happened to find Kelnacca in the big scary woods that’s making screeching animal noises to find a Jedi for her Master.

Which Mae doesn’t believe as Qimir trips over his own bag.

Qimir corrects her, saying he risked his life to help Mae, not her Master. She needs him. He reminds her that Osha's being alive doesn’t change her mission; she still made some sort of deal, which involved killing a Wookiee. With that, they head out.

Back with the Jedi, Master Sol and a group of Jedi analyze footage of Mae’s previous attack. They note her skill, but her motions guide her. While she might not know the identity of her Master, she does fear whoever he is. They muse on different theories about whether this is a splinter Force order or something worse. Some of the Jedi want to blow Mae off or, in Sol’s case, note how underskilled she is.

Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh feels this is a more serious situation as Mae has already killed two Jedi Masters, Indara and Torbin, who were both on Brendok 16 years prior with Kelnacca and Sol. Vernestra thinks Mae was trained by a Jedi but doesn’t want to inform the High Council. They would then have to get the Senate involved. She wants to keep this quiet. Vernestra ends the meeting by giving the order to extract Kelnacca from Khofar.

Sol hurries after her, and Vernestra is upset that Sol never told her 16 years ago there was a chance that Mae survived. However, Sol honestly thought Mae had died. He wants to be the one who brings in Mae. Vernestra fears the bigger plan of the Master and that Mae is just the beginning.

Sol argues that Mae would surrender if she got something in return, and he has something she wants.

Back with Mae, Qimir brings up that she’s supposed to be killing these Jedi without a weapon. However, she failed to do that with Indara and with Torbin. She must kill Kelnacca with no weapon, or it’ll be a failure. She changes the subject, asking what deal he has with her master. Qimir simply says it’s not dear; he just owes her master.

Qimir says, “You know how he is. He collects people.”

Mae asks how Osha acted around Qimir in episode 2. Qimir shiftily dodges most of the question, saying that Osha was fond of Sol. These two are trying to find specific information out of the other, but neither is really budging. They reach the perimeter of the woods and head in deeper for Kelnacca.

On Coruscant, Osha and her droid Pip are getting ready to leave when Sol stops her. He wants her to join the mission. Hopefully, Osha asks if he wants her to be a Jedi again. Her mood drops when she realizes he just needs her to find Mae. He doesn’t want Mae to get hurt, and he knows that Mae’s attitude changed when she found out Osha was alive in episode 2. He believes there is good in Mae.

Osha doubles down that that Mae is a murderer. He counters that she’s still Osha’s family.

With that, Osha begrudgingly agrees.

A team has been assembled. Along with Osha and Sol, they’re rejoined by Yord Fandar, Jecki, a group of other Jedi, and a furry Tynnan tracker named Bazil (which is a species from Star Wars Legends). The Jedi land on Khofar, and they start their search with the locals.

Yord tries to pull rank on Osha since she’s just a civilian, wanting her to hand her blaster over. He doesn’t get her weapon, though, as Jecki tells the group that Kelnacca is in the forest. They give a piece of Kelnacca’s old robe to Bazil, and the group heads out across the wilderness to find the Wookiee Jedi.

On the way, Osha approaches Yord, who was her friend when she was in the Jedi Order, to ask him for a favor. If Mae won’t listen to Osha’s pleas, she wants Yord to stop Mae for her since she’s been out of the Jedi Order and not as skilled.

Yord points out that Mae has “always been her wound” and perhaps Sol wants Osha to also face herself.

It’s a race back and forth between the Jedi team and Qimir and Mae searching for Kelnacca. Bazil hesitates in the woods, saying there is something rotten in the forest. Osha touches a creature, thinking it’s a tree. The bug-like massive critter comes to life and attacks. However, Sol is quick to slice it down. The Jedi press on as it will be dark soon.

Jecki and Osha have a conversation about death and how a “true Jedi,” as Osha puts it, should just accept when beings pass into the greater Force. Death always felt unfair to her with everyone she lost on her planet. Jecki tells her, “We are not defined by what we lose. We’re defined by what we survive.” Jecki comforts Osha.

Back with the other group, Qimir is insistent that they get to Kelnacca before the sun sets. Since she has to fight a Wookiee soon, Mae wants to rest for a few minutes.

She says all of this isn’t a test but a lesson from her Master. “The final lesson.” She adds, “He says, ‘Your final lesson is one you teach yourself. You will kill a Jedi without a weapon.’” Since attacking the defenseless is against the Jedi way, Kelnacca would give up his morals if he fought Mae. However, she has no clue how to fight a Wookiee with no weapon. It’s impossible, and if she doesn’t do this, her Master will kill her.

Qimir offers to find her water while she rests so she doesn’t lose her nerve. While he’s away, she begins to take in her surroundings and make a plan.

While the Jedi are looking for their tracker, Bazil, and Qimir is getting water, both groups suddenly hear Mae shrieking for help.

They all flee towards her, but Qimir gets stuck in her trap. Mae confronts him, saying she doesn’t need this deal, this test, none of it, because her sister is alive. She is going to turn herself into Kelnacca and the Jedi Order.

Qimir warns that their Master will kill her.

She quips back he has to find her first. And she heads off to find Kelnacca.

With the Jedi, Sol seems to sense something but keeps it to himself. Now that she’s starting to feel the Force again, Osha wants to face Mae. The Force gives her more courage. Sol explains that it’s not facing Mae; it’s facing Osha’s past.

He also says that he needs to face his own past, too, and promises to explain everything once they get Mae back to their ship.

Mae arrives to Kelnacca’s place and finds Bazil, who alerts the Jedi he’s found Mae. Mae sprints inside Kelnacca’s home…

…And finds the Jedi Wookiee already dead with a still smoldering lightsaber slash to his chest.

As night falls, Mae realizes that her Master is already here.

The Jedi arrive and demand that Mae comes out. However, Sol senses something behind them. A dark figured lowers himself behind Osha. It’s Mae’s master, and he slowly approaches Osha.

He lights his red saber. The Jedi ignites their blades. Throwing Osha out of the way with the Force, the Master pushes back the Jedi.

This is where the episode 4, "Day," ends.