This short episode ends on a massive cliffhanger. It starts with Mae and Qimir landing on the arboreal planet Khofar. Qimir is apparently a man of many talents, one of which is pathfinding thru dangerous forests. Interestingly, he appears to have his own debt to the dark side master that Mae serves. Some have theorized that Qimir is indeed the dark side force user. I find this to be unlikely. Sith are notoriously vain. Whoever the Sith Lord is, they would not allow themselves to be caught up in a simple trap, nor would they look unkempt.
Master Vernestra Rwoh is playing an interesting game. She apparently has convened her own special counsel to deal with the Mae problem. It is unclear why certain Masters think the issue of Mae and Osha need not be raised to the High Counsel. The show cites politics as a convenient reason, yet I find that reason to be a nonsensical plot filler. Perhaps the reason will be revealed later. The writers could be attempting to bridge the corruption of the Republic seen 100 years later by laying the groundwork in this show. Still, I find this to be forced, contrived and unneeded. An issue this important would have been raised to the High Counsel based on all the Star Wars lore available to us.
Another puzzling aspect to this episode is the amount of Jedi sent on one mission to secure Mae and possibly safeguard Master Kelnacca. While Mae single handily defeated one Jedi Master in combat, Master Sol was more than enough to hold her at bay. In everything that we have seen in Star Wars Lore, it is rare to send more than two Jedi on a mission. At most, four are sent, even at the height of the High Republic. Eight Jedi plus a tracker are sent on this mission. This is an astounding number of Jedi to send on a mission, especially when this mission is SUPPOSED to be kept from the High Council.
This episode introduces yet another unfamiliar creature to Star Wars lore, Bazil, the Tynnan tracker. While it is perplexing that the Jedi can’t simply use the force to find Master Kelnacca, Bazil is welcome comic relief to the Jedi’s quest.
One thing about this episode rings true. I believe Master Rwoh correctly surmises that Mae’s mission is less about revenge, and more about the machinations of her so-called master. It seems that Mae appears to be second guessing her own motivations regarding her goals. Now that she knows Osha is alive, she appears to be wavering in her convictions. Perhaps her master has anticipated this. Or perhaps her master has schemed the whole situation up in order to secure both Mae and Osha together. It maybe that Mae’s master seeks to control what he/she perceives to be a force dyad.
The last four episodes will hopefully tie up all the loose threads irritating the viewers.
