Well, the first season of The Acolyte has come to a close. The series takes place further back in history than any live-action part of Star Wars ever has before. At first, the plot just seemed like a good murder mystery with personal stakes and thematic resonance to the rest of the franchise. But now The Acolyte 1×08 proves that it is strongly and thrillingly connected to the rest of Star Wars. And its storytelling is what a season finale should be.
The fall and redemption of Anakin Skywalker is the crux of the Star Wars films. Even though some derided the addition of his conception through the Force, there was no denying the story’s pull. The Acolyte takes place a century before the Skywalker saga, and despite that, the show tackled that polarizing detail head-on. Twins Osha and Mae (played by Amandla Stenberg) were also created, not born, just like Anakin. The girls were made and raised by a Force cult of witches. The consequences of the Jedi’s investigation into this “vergence” in the Force followed Osha and Mae into adulthood.
After the full story of the past is revealed, The Acolyte 1×08 takes Osha and Mae to stunning places in their journeys, places that I didn’t particularly want but that I somewhat expected because they are good for the storytelling. That applies to other characters and plots as well.
“This is the source of your pain.”
When we last saw adult Osha and Mae, they were alone with each other’s Force teachers. Mae is restrained by Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) on his ship, while Osha fends off Qimir’s (Manny Jacinto) persuasions toward the Dark Side. Now we know the truth of Sol’s mistake. We know a confrontation is necessary for a resolution. And that’s exactly what happens. Everyone ends up back on Brendok, where that eventful night all those years ago took place. It is fitting that the season will end there. Osha and Mae’s childhood home feels like the right place for the life-altering changes that must come to them.
The way Osha and Mae were created means they are one consciousness in two bodies. This show has emphasized sets of oppositions in their story from the beginning, and that’s why I anticipated that their ideologies might shift until they were opposites again. Mae was the one associated with the negative emotions of the Dark Side, even when they were children, and Osha was the one who wanted to be a Jedi. Osha changes when she learns of Sol’s misdeeds. Mae wants him to confess to the Jedi Council but Osha is so upset that she Force chokes him to death. Then she agrees to train with Qimir if he lets Mae go because she thinks the Jedi will want to eliminate her power like they did her mother.
“I will destroy you if I must.”
Call me naive, but I wanted to see both twins end up on the good side. However, I know that the choices the writers made here leave open much more story potential. This ending for the season also makes sense in terms of theme. Anakin Skywalker was created the same way as Osha and Mae and he turned to the Dark Side, but then he turned back to the light in the end. I am satisfied by this story so far as a beginning to Osha’s journey. And Mae’s too. Qimir wipes Mae’s memory so the Jedi can not use her to find them. She is now a blank slate.
Besides that, there is another, more overt connection to Anakin’s fall in this episode. While conflicts are coming to a head on Brendok, no one notices a creature watching. This has to be Darth Plagueis, the Sith who taught Emperor Palpatine (aka Darth Sidious) that the Force can be manipulated to stop death. His appearance on a planet where a vergence created life from the Force can be no coincidence. Qimir says things in this episode that sound almost exactly like things Palpatine says, as well.
Galaxy politics has its place in the resolution of this season, too. A Senator wants oversight of the Jedi, so in an attempt to protect them, Master Vernestra (Rebecca Henderson) places all the blame for the whole situation on Sol. The focus on the Jedi’s shortcomings is unpleasant but, again, makes for better storytelling. After all this, the final shot of the season is Vernestra going to see another Jedi Master…and it’s Yoda! The Acolyte 1×08 leads the audience to want just one thing: more.
The Acolyte is streaming on Disney Plus.
