The penultimate episode of The Acolyte has arrived, taking us back to the past and fully revealing the pivotal events on Brendok. Let’s break it all down!
The answers we’ve been waiting for have arrived with “Choice” the seventh episode of The Acolyte, directed by Kogonada. While it seems to leave little room for the current-day storyline to get wrapped up, there’s so much goodness to enjoy here that it’s hard to worry about that right now.
As always, I’m heading directly into spoiler territory. If you haven’t had a chance to enjoy the latest episode of The Acolyte just yet, maybe come back after. In the meantime, catch up with my previous recaps here: Episode 1 & 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6.
From a Certain Point of View
“Choice” once again takes us back 16 years ago, once again showing the events that took place on Brendok between the Witch’s coven and the Jedi. The previous flashback episode, “Destiny,” was pretty much all from Osha’s perspective, limiting us in what we saw. This time around, however, we’re getting the perspective from the Jedi as well as Mae and Mother Aniseya.
All around, the additional insight paints a more complete pictures of the disaster that unfolded that night. A picture that doesn’t look all that great for Sol.
Despite covering much of the same territory, the episode does an excellent job of not simply rehashing things. While we definitely see alternate angles of certain scenes from before, for the most part we’re still getting all new details and information throughout. True to Star Wars style, however, the events on Brendok really boil down to a “certain point of view.” Namely Sol’s.
As it turns out, the Jedi weren’t actually there for the witches, and honestly didn’t even know about them. Instead, they’re on a scientific expedition to figure out why life is suddenly blooming on what was once considered a dead planet. Sol mentions to Torbin (a Padawan at this point) the idea that a “Vergence” in the Force might be the cause of it all, and something they’re trying to prove. Considering the last time (for audiences) a Jedi encountered a Vergence, we got Anakin Skywalker, the reference feels pretty signifcant.
Anyway, in their wanderings and evidence gathering, Sol accidentally spots Osha and Mae, eventually following them to their hidden fortress. The problem is, the interactions he sees, and the timing of them, don’t paint the prettiest picture of the girls’ lives. In a few ways, it’s easy to see how he gets to the conclusion the girls are being mistreated and potentially in need of help.
It still feels like a big jump to make, and one made rather quickly. He doesn’t do much more investigating before already making up his mind that the children need to be taken away. Even when more information comes his way, he’s only looking at it to confirm how he already feels, allowing his emotions/wants to color the situation before him…just as Master Indara warned.
Witchy Women
The more we see of these witches, the more I’m digging them. While we still don’t know their whole story, it’s neat to keep seeing different Force sects expanded on. Given that the Jedi specifically reference the Nightsisters (cool to see they’re a known element even during this period of time), I’m more of the opinion this coven are NOT outcasts from Dathomir.
The evidence is mostly circumstantial, but as many Force “cults” as there are, it stands to reason the Nightsisters aren’t the only witches around. Plus, the more we see of their powers, the more distinct they become (how cool is the smoke dissipation thing?!).
More importantly, this episode gives us a little bit more about the creation of the twins, Mae and Osha. As we previously discovered, they weren’t naturally created, but instead were somehow constructed from the Force by Mother Aniseya. Now we learn that what the twins have been saying all along “always one, but born as two” is meant literally.
This opens the door to some wild stuff and possibilities. This definitely explains the strong connection between the sisters and their abilities. I’m more curious to see how this might play out in the finale. Could the revelation/acceptance of this dynamic cause the twins to “merge” (in a manner of speaking) into a singular being?
What would such a thing entail? Would one personality take over the other, or would they conform into an all new person? Some heady questions going on here, and perhaps this is why manipulating life with the Force itself is considered taboo.
Regardless, it’s an intriguing addition to the lore and what we know about the Force. Something that could have repercussions down the road. I’m eager to see how it plays out!
Making The Choice
Perhaps the biggest revelation in “Choice,” is that fact Sol had to make a purposeful choice of who to save: Mae or Osha. Previously, he’d only said “I saw her fall,” but now we’re seeing it’s so much worse than that. It makes for one of the more interesting moments in Star Wars, and literally had me on my feet.
Here’s the thing, it’s HARD to see this. Yes, we can see he was struggling to save both of them, and it was either save one or let both fall. It’s not a choice I would ever envy. Here’s the thing, however, all throughout the episode…he’s specifically chosen Osha over Mae.
He consistently talks about saving Osha, even that he feels destined to be her Master, yet only refers to Mae as having a “dark mark” or being something of a troublemaker. It seems to go back to when he first spies on them under the Bunta tree, as he sees Mae trapping the “butterfly” creature. He seemingly made his decision in then that she was the “bad” one of the twins.
In that context, in only seeing what he wanted to see (as Indara warned continually), the choice he made feels just a tad less altruistic. That’s some heavy stuff right there and something Star Wars hasn’t really delved too deeply into before.
And yet, it now throws another Star Wars moment into a slightly different light. Remember how Qui-Gon had to choose between freeing Anakin or Shmi with Watto? Ultimately using the Force to influence Watto’s chance cube to ensure Anakin was the one set free?
Qui-Gon also made a specific choice to get what he wanted (also concerning a vergence centered on a child)….and we know how Anakin’s path ended. This make’s Mother Aniseya’s words “Someday, those noble intentions you all have, will destroy every Jedi in the galaxy” prophetic.
A Plethora of Bad Decisions
Ultimately, a big long series of terrible choices results in the tragedy we see at Brendok. Much of it starts with Torbin. Combined with his desire to get back to Coruscant, and Sol’s belief the children are in danger, they decide to (essetinally) storm the fortress. Mother Koril is, obviously, itching for a fight as well, which sets the stage for a confrontation that SHOULD have been avoidable.
The final straw, however, being Sol striking down Mother Aniseya. I’ve already seen a LOT of people online trying to justify this action. I get it, she turns into a big scary smoke monster, and Sol has no idea what her intentions are. That doesn’t change the fact he really shouldn’t have been there, in that position, in the first place. Imagine armed intruders walk into your house and demand you hand over your children? That’s basically what’s going on here, so it’s hard to blame Mother for having a less than stellar reaction…
We’ve seen this story all too often in real life, sadly. As police end up in the wrong house, or somewhere they shouldn’t be, and those inside react to defend themselves. Seeing a threat, the police react and we have tragedy. All the justifications don’t change the fact something terribly WRONG happened.
It’s a rough topic to cover, and seeing it presented in this space fantasy setting has brought out some…interesting takes on the issue. The reality is, regardless of Sol’s intentions, what he did, and the actions leading up to killing Mother Aniseya, were wrong. He knows this as well. You can plainly see the shame in his immediate reaction, and refusing to fight back against Koril.
What’s Next
To be honest, I wasn’t actually expecting another full flashback episode. I figured we’d pick up where we left off, with Osha donning Qimir’s cortosis helmet and having the flashbacks sprinkled in throughout the current timeline. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not necessarily complaining here. “Destiny” remains one of my favorite episodes of the season, and this only makes it better. Individually, these are easily my two favorite episodes of the season so far.
The issue, though, is it feels like we’re running out of time. There’s only one more episode left and a few loose ends left to tie up. Leslye Headland has mentioned in interviews that the season has a “definitive end.” Meaning it can lead to more stories, but we’re supposed to feel like we get a complete one here. I’m just having a hard time seeing how.
It’s been about the only problem I’ve had with The Acolyte so far (and most Star Wars live-action shows in general if I’m being honest). The pacing is just…weird. Aside from Andor, none of them have really felt like TV series. More like long movies cut up. This isn’t entirely bad, but leaves some episodes feeling too short, or just out of place in context of knowing we only have a limited amount of episodes.
Like yeah, I LOVE “Destiny” and “Choice.” They’re my favorites. But in the grand scheme of things, two full flashbacks episodes in an eight episode season, feels kind of nuts. Yes, they’re integral to the mystery at play in the show and certain character developments…But there’s a whole Sith plotline, with Osha/Mae “trapped” behind enemy lines to deal with.
Not to mention we’ve got Vernestra who’s jumping into the thick of things now. Much like I said the other week, I imagine this is all leading to a bigger showdown with EVERYONE (left alive that is) gathered. Osha can confront Sol with the full truth, while Qimir has a chance to deal with the Jedi who know about his existence. Some explosive stuff on the horizon, I just hope it’s not too much of a cliffhanger when it’s all said and done.
Tidbits
Communication – One of the things I loved about this episode, is how much it does to seed the idea of things being a misunderstanding. Sol tends to see so many things about the Witches’ coven at exactly the wrong times, leading him to believe the girls are in danger. Then there’s Mae, when she’s talking to the Jedi aboard their ship when “failing” the test.
She explains that Mother told her they need to “sacrifice themselves to achieve their destiny,” a phrase that would understandably draw some concern. But as the Recap at the start of the episode reminds us, Mother Aniseya actually says the Acension is “sacrificing A PART of yourself.” That’s a pretty dramatic difference, especially in terms of what’s taking place.
In many ways, it’s the simple misrembering of a child. An innocent slip, but one that Sol takes as further evidence of their mistreatment. Little things like that are sprinkled throughout the episode; showing a clear purpose with the story and attention to detail that stood out to me.
More Action – Once again, we get some great action sequences in this episode, thanks to a showdown between a mind-controlled Kelnacca against Torbin and Sol. Once again, I’m impressed with how the show manages to give every single character a distinct style to their fighting and it isn’t all the same kind of stuff.
With Kelnacca, you can see the more physical/imposing nature of his attacks, which you would expect from a Wookiee. Torbin has the flash and speed expected of a more youthful fighter. It’s just…so well done. Despite being over relatively quick, still provided for some stunning imagery and “holy shit” moments.
Still Alive? – What’s interesting in this episode is that we really only see Mother Aniseya as definitively being killed. Mother Koril turns into smoke and vanishes without being seen again. And the witches controlling Kelnacca are only shown to have collapsed. It’s not clear if they’re actually dead. Does this mean the Coven could still be around and active? Do they have a connection to the Sith plan?
Easter Eggs
Great Hyperspace Disaster – Indara makes mention of the “Hyperspace Disaster” that rendered Brendok uninhabitable. This event is actually what kicked off The High Republic in the first novel, Light of the Jedi.
Bonadan – When Mother Aniseya is inside Torbin’s head, she mentions he’s from Bonadan. The planet originates from the old 70s novel, Han Solo’s Revenge, and has since popped up in Knights of the Old Republic, several books, and even mentioned in the old Droids cartoon show!
Kylo Ren’s Theme – Once again, we hear Kylo Ren’s theme being played. Though this time, Qimir is nowhere around. Instead, it comes in during the fight with Kelnacca. Curious…
Shadow Powers – The Coven’s “Shadow Powers” DO Have a connection to Nightsisters…just not the ones we’ve seen in Canon. Instead, we’ve seen these powers used by the Nightsisters from Legends novel, Courtship of Princess Leia.
“Choice” brings together some of my favorite elements in Star Wars and this series so far. It’s got great action, intriguing lore, and some solid character beats I’ll be thinking about for a while. Pacing for the season overall seems to remain an issue, however. A second full episode dedicated to a flashback feels like it doesn’t leave enough time for the present day story to come to a satisfactory conclusion.
With one episode to go, I guess we’ll find out!
