By George & Josh Bate
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Acolyte – Episode 8
With last week’s flashback episode finally revealing what happened on Brendok, the stage was set for The Acolyte to conclude on a resounding note, answering questions that have lingered all season and providing a showdown between Osha and Mae. And this eighth and final episode of The Acolyte’s first season excels with its resolution of the show’s core plot and its impressive lightsaber choreography, although it stumbles with some convoluted plotting and explanation of character motives.
The episode picks up right where the season’s sixth episode left off, as Osha puts on The Stranger’s Cortosis helmet. As The Stranger initially looks on with pride, his expression changes to concern as the helmet conflicts with Osha’s mind. The Stranger’s pupil’s turn black (just like Torbin’s did in episodes 3 and 7), which suggest that Osha possesses similar powers to her mother. As the helmet is finally taken off Osha, she begins to recount a vision of the future she had in which Mae killed Sol without a weapon. Immediately, upon hearing this, we couldn’t help but think that Osha misinterpreted her vision: that it showed Osha (and not Mae) kill Sol without a weapon. This would be consistent with the direction the series has been heading in, especially after the sixth episode that showed Osha begin to question the Jedi’s pristine image.
The fact that this re-interpretation of the vision (that Osha kills Sol) eventually comes true in the episode highlights a larger issue with the series: predictability. From the initial twist that Amandla Stenberg plays twins in the show to the reveal that Qimir was The Stranger to Osha turning her back on the Jedi and Sol, The Acolyte has proceeded forward fairly predictably. It is a testament to the strength of the show’s writing, including the intrigue of its central mystery and investment we have in the characters, that this predictability largely does not impede upon enjoyment of the show. However, having some of these twists and reveals be more difficult to forecast would have helped maximize the intrigue and mystery Lesyle Headland and company were clearly aiming for.
Back to the final episode…. The Stranger identifies that Osha’s vision is a vision of the future. As Yoda explained in Revenge of the Sith, visions of the future can be a slippery slope, one that leads to the dark side. Anakin exemplified this downfall as it was visions of his wife passing that ultimately caused him to betray the Jedi and align with a dark lord of the Sith, who promised Anakin a way to avoid this vision from coming true. Again, this is further evidence that Osha will turn to the dark side (something that happens later in the episode).
Following the vision, Osha takes a page out of Anakin’s book by proclaiming to prevent the vision from coming true. She tells The Stranger that she will find Mae and stop her from killing Sol. The Stranger points out that there is just one ship on the island and that they will both go to find Mae and see which one of them finds Mae first. The Stranger’s motives here are a tad unclear. Does he want to find Mae because he wants to continue what he was aiming to do in the fifth episode and kill Mae, thus preventing her from telling the Jedi about him? Or does he want to find Mae because he still holds hope that she will be his apprentice? (he always said his main goal was to achieve the ‘power of two’). Or does he want to be alongside Osha so that he can further push her to the dark side and make her his apprentice? It is unclear which of these motives is driving The Stranger’s actions, which makes the plotting and character motivations a little murky (especially when considered in relation to similar ambiguity with Mae and Sol’s motives).
The episode then pivots to the other side of this dyad in showing the fallout of Sol telling Mae the truth about what happened on Brendok. Mae is understandably angry as she has just received confirmation that her revenge mission was justified: that the Jedi killed her mother and her family. Sol offers a surprising rebuttal here when he says, “It was right for us to intervene.” This line is surprising because it is somewhat inconsistent with the direction Sol’s character seemed to be heading in. Throughout this season, Sol has been shown to harbor immense guilt about what happened on Brendok (a guilt which was shared by Torbin and led to his suicide). But, here, we see Sol adopting a defensive stance in telling Mae that he was right to do what he did. The inconsistency of Sol’s guilt and proclamation that he was right to intervene is a bit of a head-scratcher, but, nonetheless, we see The Acolyte continuing to explore an interesting theme: that the Jedi, however well-intentioned, are not all good. George Lucas incorporated this idea into the prequel trilogy, highlighting how the Jedi’s downfall was in part due to their hubris and arrogance. Leslye Headland continues to explore such a theme in The Acolyte and, in doing so, has produced a thematically fitting companion piece to the prequels.
The conversation between Sol and Mae continues. Sol begins to tell Mae that she and Osha are not actually sisters when Mae stuns Sol and escapes his clutches. Mae manages to hijack an escape craft and flee from Sol (with the help of a devious Bazil). Like The Stranger, Bazil’s motives are a little unclear here (why does he have some allegiance to Mae? Why is he helping her escape?).
Nonetheless, what ensues is a chase sequence worthy of inclusion in any Star Wars film. Mae tries to lose Sol as she travels through a field of debris, while Sol is right on her heels. With Bazil’s help, Mae manages to escape, but, as her ship does not have a hyperdrive, her only option is to land on the nearest planet: Brendok. Mae and Sol were hovering about Brendok as Sol wanted to bring the Jedi here and show them that a vergence exists on this planet. Sol hopes that the presence of Mae and Osha will provide sufficient evidence of such a vergence to the Jedi. While a later conversation in the episode manages to expand a bit on Sol’s motives and what the vergence entailed, this plot point is carried forward by some convoluted plotting and exposition. It appears that some kind of vergence happened on Brendok (a vergence possibly started by Mother Aniseya herself or a vergence Mother Aniseya took advantage of), which led to the artificial creation of Mae and Osha. It is later explained that this vergence meant that Mae and Osha were born of the Force. While this immense power would obviously be of interest to the Jedi, it is shrouded in too much ambiguity in this episode. Understandably, not every question is answered in this finale, but more about what the vergence entailed, why Sol is so interested in a vergence, and how Osha and Mae were created would have provided greater context to the events of this episode and characters’ motivations.
Meanwhile, on Coruscant, Vernestra Rwoh has a meeting with Senator Rayencourt (played by Supergirl’s David Harewood). In episode 6, it was revealed that Rayencourt is aiming to conduct a review of the Jedi and, in episode 8, Rayencourt raises concerns about the Jedi directly to Vernestra. Rayencourt lays down some pretty legitimate criticisms of the Jedi here. “I think the Jedi are a massive system of unchecked power, posing as a religion, a delusional cult that claims to control the uncontrollable.” Rayencourt seems to be in the minority here among his fellow Senators, but nonetheless closes this conversation out with quite the line: “When you’re looking up to heroes, you don’t have to face what’s right in front of you.” Although this scene feels a bit misplaced in the grand scheme of this episode, it is a fascinating back and forth. Rebecca Henderson’s Vernestra Rwoh has a stoicism and confidence that one could interpret as arrogant. Earlier this season, she opted to withhold information from the Senate and the High Council so that she could investigate matters firsthand. She reminds us a lot of Mace Windu here. Both are obviously well-intentioned, but they possess a coldness and arrogance that the Jedi are all-good all the time.
Back with The Stranger and Osha, The Stranger tries to convince Osha to join his side and be his apprentice. Osha pushes back, although they both agree to fly together to find Mae. In what ends up being one of the series’ coolest moments follows this interaction. As Osha and The Stranger fly offworld, a dark figure watches from the shadows. A Nosferatu-esque hand comes out, following a reveal of…. Darth Plagueis! Yes, the villainous Sith lord who Palpatine speaks of in the infamous opera scene in Revenge of the Sith makes his first appearance in canon here. Backed up with brilliant, ominous music, seeing Darth Plagueis in live-action like this is nothing short of jaw-dropping. Readers of the James Luceno novel Darth Plagueis will know more about this character from Legends, but his inclusion in The Acolyte suggests that there are definitely plans to continue exploring this character in canon. If there is anything to fault about this cameo appearance, it is its placement within the broader episode. Plagueis appears approximately 12 minutes into the episode and then does not feature after that. The appearance of such a momentous character would seem to fit better at the end of the episode (like where Yoda’s eventual cameo happens). Nonetheless, Plagueis’ inclusion raises all sorts of interesting questions. Is The Stranger’s master Darth Plagueis? Does Darth Plagueis have an interest in Mae because she was created with the Force, a power Palpatine says Plagueis possessed? Answers to these questions will inevitably come down the line, but, for now, Star Wars fans can geek out at the presence of Darth Plagueis in live-action (!!!).
Mentally recovering from such a thrilling cameo appearance is difficult, but the episode progresses nonetheless. And all roads lead to the same destination: Brendok. Sol tries to find Mae (again, presumably to bring her to the Jedi and prove the existence of a vergence). Lee Jung-jae continues to prove why he was the perfect choice for Sol, as he explores the ruins of the witches’ coven with a haunted trauma behind his eyes. In the context of this solemn moment in which Sol seemingly sits with a sense of guilt, Sol’s earlier line about being justified for his intervention to ‘save’ the twins once again feels misplaced.
Sol and Mae aren’t the only ones on Brendok. The Stranger and Osha arrive, both with their distinct purposes for being here. As Osha tries to activate the elevator into the fortress of her mother’s witch coven, The Stranger finds his own way in and comes face-to-face with Sol. Presumably with the intent to kill Sol and, in turn, prevent Sol from telling his Jedi colleagues about his existence, The Stranger ignites his red lightsabers and duels with Sol. The lightsaber choreography has been nothing short of spectacular this season, and the season finale continues this trend with some truly great dueling. Leslye Headland teases the action in The Acolyte as ‘Force fu,’ a fusion of The Force and kung fu, and the duel between Sol and The Stranger is certainly that. The Matrix-esque slow-motion is simply perfect and makes these duels feel less stiff and more dynamic than most in the Star Wars franchise.
As Sol and The Stranger duel, Osha and Mae confront one another. Mae tries to tell Osha that it was Sol, not her, who killed their mother, but Osha does not believe her sister. In their conversation, it is finally revealed why Osha left the Jedi Order. She explains that her negative emotions, including hatred of Mae and grief over their mother, were so overwhelming that she could never truly become a Jedi. In a twisted sense of poetry, this means that young Mae’s goal to stop her sister from becoming a Jedi was eventually achieved (albeit with more than a few casualties along the way). Osha explaining why she left the Jedi Order provides further nuance to her character and the enduring theme of flaws in the Jedi. Osha was a vulnerable child, who experienced unspeakable loss and trauma. The Jedi should have been there to guide her and help her manage those emotions, but, instead, it seems that Osha stepped away from the Jedi because these emotions were too strong and persistent. Parallels to Anakin’s journey to the dark side are evident here as both Anakin and Osha desperately needed a form of emotional and psychological support that the Jedi refused to offer.
Trying to prevent her vision of Mae killing Sol from coming true, Osha starts to duel with Mae. It is always refreshing when Star Wars shows hand-to-hand combat, especially when the stunt team and action choreographers are working at the top of their game like they are doing in The Acolyte. One of our favorite moments of the episode occurs shortly. As Mae and Osha clash legs, the scene transitions to a similar shot of Sol and The Stranger’s lightsabers crashing. Star Wars has a tradition of some pretty neat scene transitions and this is the latest transition to impress.
Eventually, Sol manages to defeat The Stranger, destroying his lightsaber in the process. The Stranger then proceeds to remove his Cortosis helmet and once again reveal his face to Sol. Before Sol cna do anything, however, Mae appears and disarms Sol. The Stranger encourages Mae to feel her anger and strike The Stranger down, just like Palpatine did to Anakin when tempting him to kill Dooku and as Palpatine did to Anakin when encouraging Luke to kill Darth Vader.
Mae withstands The Stranger’s encouragement and throws Sol’s lightsaber away, cracking its blue kyber crystal. Mae says that she wants Sol to confess what he did on Brendok to the Senate and the Jedi and to pay for his crimes. Sol insists that he “did the right thing” again, a damning line of dialogue that hammers home an uncomfortable truth: that Sol is arguably the ‘bad guy’ of this show.
Sol goes on to explain that Mae and Osha were created using the Force, a rare power that, “in the history of the galaxy, very few” have achieved. Sol’s words mirror Palpatine’s in the opera scene in Revenge of the Sith here and suggest that Mother Aniseya was possibly one of the most powerful characters we have ever seen in Star Wars history. Sol also notes that Mae and Osha are not twins, but are the same person – a confusing plot point that remains disappointingly under-explained in the episode.
With Osha listening, Sol then confesses to the murder of Mother Aniseya. Osha is shocked and questions why Sol did not tell the Jedi and tell her what happened on Brendok. Sol mentions something about not being able to prove a vergence in the Force without Mae being alive (another confusing point here – what does that have to do with Sol not telling the truth?).
As Sol tries to explain himself, Osha grows increasingly frustrated. Right before Sol is able to proclaim his love for Osha, he begins to choke on his words (just like Krennic does when speaking to Darth Vader on Mustafar in Rogue One). Osha uses a Force choke, a notorious dark side power, to kill Sol. As she does so, she holds Sol’s broken lightsaber in her hand. A closer look at the lightsaber reveals that the blue kyber crystal is turning red. Osha is bleeding the kyber crystal here, which is a vital step in one’s journey to become a Sith. The bleeding of a kyber crystal was first mentioned in E.K. Johnston’s novel Ahsoka and was first shown in the fifth issue of Charles Soule’s Darth Vader comic series.
After killing Sol, an angry Osha ignites Sol’s lightsaber against The Stranger, who attempts to take her onto his side. One of the most striking images in recent Star Wars follows as the lightsaber Osha ignites turns from blue to red. We haven’t seen anything like this in Star Wars before, which shows how creatives can continue to expand upon what George Lucas created nearly 50 years after the original film debuted.
Elsewhere on Brendok, Vernestra Rwoh and a squad of Jedi have arrived. In arguably the episode’s most unpredictable moment, Vernestra senses the presence of her former padawan, who is revealed to be Manny Jacinto’s The Stranger. A dark past was hinted at by The Stranger in episode 6, as he described being betrayed and once being trained as a Jedi. To discover that his former master was none other than Vernestra Rwoh adds a whole different dimension to the character that originally debuted in the High Republic publishing initiative. Understandably, further exploring The Stranger’s backstory and past with Vernestra would be too much for this episode, but the tease is tantalizing and we can’t wait to find out more about their relationship.
Osha and Mae escape the area just as Vernestra and the other Jedi arrive on the scene. Mae guides Osha through the fortress, retreading the steps she took on that fateful night to escape the fire. The two eventually make it to the beautiful bunta tree on Brendok, where Osha apologizes to Mae for not believing her. The sisters (or, not sisters?) touchingly reconnect, but their moment doesn’t last long as The Stranger appears. Osha tells him that she plans to tell the Jedi about what Sol did, but The Stranger and Mae argue against this approach. Further twisting Osha to the dark side, The Stranger tells Osha that the Jedi will view her as a threat given the power that she possesses. Mae says that she will meet the same fate as their mother.
From this moment on, the scene continues in perplexing fashion. Osha tells The Stranger that, if he lets Mae go, she will train with him. Mae argues that the Jedi will use me to find you, an issue The Stranger suggests he can subvert by erasing Mae’s memory. But why does he need to do this in the place? Why can’t Mae come with Osha and train with The Stranger? Or why can’t Mae and Osha just run off together? The suggestion of erasing Mae’s memory is taken with surprising ease by Mae, who just agrees to this without so much as a question. The emotion of this scene would hit considerably harder if the logic of erasing Mae’s memory was clearly presented, but it is not. Mae and Osha embrace, with Osha saying that she will find Mae. Again though, why does Osha need to ‘find Mae’? Can’t the two just be together from here on out? The erasure of Mae’s memory feels unjustified, which, unfortunately, hinders the emotional payoff of this scene (powerfully acted by Amandla Stenberg).
A mind-wiped Mae is then found by the Jedi and taken to Coruscant, where she meets with Vernestra Rwoh. The whole mind-wipe thing has been done to mixed effect across previous films and television. Recently, it was well-executed in the conclusion of Spider-Man: No Way Home as everyone became unaware of Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Unfortunately, this is not the case here as the wiping of Mae’s mind just doesn’t feel right.
Vernestra goes on to explain to Senators that Sol was responsible for this catastrophe. She says that Sol became a rogue Jedi as he was threatened that the truth about what happened on Brendok would come out and eventually ended his own life. Does this mean that Vernestra believes Sol was Mae’s master all along? How does Vernestra explain the presence of her former padawan on Brendok just moments ago? There are more than a few unanswered questions, which collectively indicate that the conclusion of the season’s narrative was somewhat messy.
Elsewhere, Osha stands side-by-side with The Stranger as she has truly become his apprentice. This means that The Stranger achieved his primary goal of gaining a pupil and achieving the ‘power of two,’ which he spoke of earlier in the season. The two hold hands (and also a lightsaber) in a true enemies-to-lovers ending (something Reylo fans will likely enjoy).
Closing out the episode is a cameo from none other than Yoda! The Grand Master of the Jedi Order is only seen from behind, but those green ears and skin are unmistakable. Yoda’s absence in the show until this point was explained by creator Lesyle Headland, who said that she did not want to have too many characters from previous stories popping in for cameos. While Yoda’s inclusion here doesn’t come as much of a surprise (especially for those reading the High Republic books and comics, which feature Yoda), it’s still delightful to see him again. Would the Darth Plagueis cameo have fit better at the end of this episode though? Probably.
VERDICT: 8/10
The first season of The Acolyte concludes in resounding, cinematic fashion with questions answered and many more posed. Masterfully choreographed lightsaber duels are accompanied with powerful storytelling that evokes the nuance and maturity of Andor. Unfortunately, convoluted plotting surrounding the vergence in the Force on Brendok and questionable character motivations and decisions (in particular the decision to wipe Mae’s memory) mean the season’s conclusion leaves a bit to be desired. A phenomenal cameo appearance from Darth Plagueis teases what’s to come in future seasons of The Acolyte, while an appearance from Yoda delightfully caps off what has been a strong, intriguing, and thematically poignant season of Star Wars storytelling. Issues with plotting and character decisions aside, The Acolyte rounds its first season out with strong acting, cinematic visuals, powerful themes, stellar lightsaber duels, and stunning cameos, all of which make us eager for the second season of the show to be announced soon.