Warning! The Following Contains SPOILERS from The Acolyte, Season 1, Episode 7, "Choice."
Summary The Acolyte's creator and showrunner, Leslye Headland, compares Jedi Master Sol to perhaps Star Wars' most iconic character, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Headland believes Sol's redemption ultimately relies on Osha's forgiveness. Master Sol's contrition isn't as palpable as Vader's, because Emperor Palpatine's apprentice chose to AND deliberately wipes out the Younglings, while Sol chooses to save one child over another.
Could Sol's story end in redemption like Lord Vader's did? "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate... leads to suffering." Master Yoda's words, which clearly map out a pathway to the dark side of the Force, can also be applied to Jedi Master Sol's (Lee Jung-jae) journey in The Acolyte. However, Sol is seemingly far from becoming a Sith lord at this point. In the most recent episode of the Star Wars series created by showrunner Leslye Headland, Sol kills Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith) -- albeit in what appears to be self-defense.
The Jedi later sacrifices the life of the magical Mae (Amandla Stenberg) in order to save her twin sister, Osha, from a fall that certainly could have killed the child. And in an interview with Screen Rant, Headland actually compared Sol's story to that of the tragedy of Darth Vader. Anakin Skywalker was redeemed by his son. Can Sol find the same forgiveness? Headland said (below):
"I think [Sol's redemption is] in the hands of the person harmed. That's truly what it is. Does Vader deserve redemption? Luke [Skywalker] thinks so. And we saw what Anakin did, but Luke believes that. So, I think it's in Osha's hands. To me, it's between the two of them [Mae and Osha], it's not an easy moral question for the audience to answer."
The Acolyte ActionAdventureDramaSci-Fi 2/5
Star Wars series that take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era.
Seasons 1 Studio Disney+, Lucasfilm Franchise Star Wars Number of Episodes 8 Streaming Service(s) Disney+ Directors Leslye Headland , Alex Garcia Lopez Showrunner Leslye Headland Expand Leslye Headland Reveals 'I Am Your Father' Plays Huge Part in The Acolyte Close
Showrunner Leslye Headland compares the controversial seventh episode of The Acolyte to that of Star Wars: Episode V -- The Empire Strikes Back because, as Headland points out, "It's the betrayal of the father." Even for those who haven't seen The Empire Strikes Back, most are familiar with the iconic dialogue revealing that Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker's father through pop culture references. And that cinematic touchstone plays a huge part, comparatively speaking, in the relationship between Jedi Master Sol (Jung-jae) and Osha (Stenberg). Headland said in the same sit-down:
"I mean, the show... this was always going to be the penultimate episode because it's the betrayal of the father. There's nothing bigger -- I mean, that is Star Wars. Star Wars before [The Empire Strikes Back] was a groundbreaking, thrilling, incredible, transformative, transportive, marvel of filmmaking, of groundbreaking special effects, Ralph McQuarrie, absolutely everything."
Related Acolyte Star 'Got Tripped Up' Trying to Pull Off Twins' Complicated Duality
Amandla Stenberg found herself getting "tripped up sometimes" as she tried to differentiate Osha and Mae in Episode 5, "Night."
Headland's creative efforts have resulted in many critics enjoying The Acolyte, and some even praising the show, but a large number of fans still accuse the Disney+ series of being a canon-killing contribution to that beloved galaxy far, far away. Headland continued in the same interview:
"But the thing that cinches it is 'I am your father.' That's the thing that makes it go from incredible filmmaking and escapism to probably the greatest modern fairy tale to ever be created. So, yeah. The betrayal of the father, specifically father-daughter, it's up to her."
The final episode of The Acolyte drops Tuesday, July 16 at 9 p.m. EDT on Disney+.
