The finale of “The Acolyte” doesn’t completely redeem the series, but it ends with fascinating possibilities

**Spoiler alert: Please do not read this article if you have not watched the entire season of The Acolyte.**

Well, the “War of stars” Series “The Acolyte” ended late today/last night. If you’re like us, the entire season was a mixed bag, full of thrills from action scenes and fantastic lightsaber duels, but sometimes poor in story and real surprises for what should be a mystery thriller (read our first review). But the final episode, while not entirely satisfying, was intriguing enough and arguably brought the main story full circle, but also left room for a second season. Lucasfilm decide to extend it (ratings for the series were apparently lower than even “Andor”, one of the best-received but worst-reviewed series, but it seems unlikely that Lucasfilm would not renew it).

READ MORE: Review of ‘The Acolyte’: ‘Star Wars’ mystery series tries to re-examine ideas about ‘The Phantom Menace’ – with mixed results

To summarize briefly: 100 years before the events of “dark threat” in the era of the High Republic and the focus of the series is the Jedi Knight Sol (Lee Jung-jae) investigates a series of crimes that bring him into contact with a former Padawan student Osha (Amanda Stenberg). The series begins briefly as a crime thriller. Although there were more secrets and lies to uncover, the series began by revealing its original premise at the end of the first episode – the assassin who had killed Jedis was Mae (Stenberg), the presumed twin sister of Osha.

The mysteries of the series then developed into the why of their murder motives and who exactly the stranger (Manny Jacinto) was the Sith behind Osha and Quimir (Jacinto again, posing as another person). Those secrets were soon revealed too, and then “The Acolyte” turned to why the Jedi, and Sol in particular, had lied to Osha and covered up her history in an ethically questionable, soul-destroying anti-Jedi decision they would all soon regret. As a mystery series, it wasn’t much, to be honest, but as an exploration of the roads paved with good intentions that potentially lead to hell, it was consistently promising.

Series creator, authorand director Leslye Headland first susuggested that The Acolyte was about the Sith, and that never felt quite right. Perhaps she was saying that the show was about some of the origins of the Sith that tied into The Phantom Menace, particularly how Darth Sidious was able to easily fall under the Jedi’s nose in that first prequel film.

“How did we get to a point where a Sith Lord can infiltrate the Senate and none of the Jedi notice? (What) went wrong?” she told Vanity Fair before the series aired about her initial questions and ideas for the series.

In an interview with Star Wars.com, she elaborated, explaining, “I’ve been wondering what led to this. In my Star Wars fan brain, I was thinking, ‘How did we get here?’ And why are the Jedi like this? Why do they act like this when they’re in power, and why is it that they don’t react to Anakin’s presence in the way you would expect, and what Qui-Gon Jinn says about how passionate he is about training him and bringing him into the fold.”

So that’s what “The Acolyte” was really about: the seeds that were sown for the final downfall of the Jedi, and the final episode, also called “The Acolyte,” was written by Hannah Culpepper and written by Jason Micallefcertainly drove this point home, while arguably reinforcing themes already touched on in previous episodes: reprehensible choices that haunt the soul and exact a heavy spiritual toll.

As is revealed and hinted at early in the show, Sol was responsible for the (accidental) deaths of Osha and Mae’s mother, and although Osha set the fire that burned down the Force Witches’ house and killed the entire coven, the Jedi’s aggressive actions certainly didn’t help. On top of that, they were involved in a major cover-up that, as they told themselves, was for “the greater good.” One could argue that it’s a massive show about good or slanted intentions gone awry, bad decisions, and the slippery slope of self-serving lies and not letting sleeping dogs let go, but with a massive dose of immorality.

But at its core, it was the Big Lie that seemingly shook the very foundations of the Jedi Order. So much so that it would compromise them years later, leading to more internal lies and secrets that betrayed the good they supposedly wanted to do. “The Acolyte” seems to suggest that these lies grew bigger and bigger like a domino effect, corrupting the Jedi from within. Perhaps they were so intent on protecting their reputation at all costs that they eventually lost their way and became blind to the dangers that lurked in the shadows.

In the final episode, everyone gathered again on the planet Brendok, home of the Force Witches, which Sol saw as the home of a possible Convergence of the Force that helped Mae and Osha’s mother, a Force Witch, create them without a father.

While “The Acolyte” was sloppy and repetitive in places, one of its best qualities was its ability to ratchet up the tension and show it was serious by killing off beloved characters (so many were slaughtered in that incredible fifth episode). And that’s exactly what the finale did. After a deadly confrontation between Mae, The Stranger, and Sol, including a pretty vicious lightsaber fight, an enraged Mae finally learns the truth about her mother. During a regretful confession, Sol, seemingly despondent with himself, admitted to killing the twins’ mother (he left out the detail that it was an accident, though it was his fault nonetheless). Sol’s confession also exposed his personal weaknesses and came with the unconvincing justification of “doing what was best,” and so Osha, so enraged by this revelation, used the Force to choke and kill Sol, her former master, for the first time since her exodus as a Jedi.

The real intrigue, however, probably lay in the behavior of the high-ranking Jedi Council member Vernestra Rwoh (Rebecca Henderson). If you had any doubts about her before — especially in the first few episodes, where she revealed how uptight and controlling she was — they were well founded. It turns out, for one thing, that The Stranger was Vernestra’s former Padawan who turned to the dark side. Moreover, even after learning all the morally reprehensible and reckless things the Jedi did on Brendok, this seemingly calculating Jedi didn’t learn or take a higher path. Instead, in a similar “for the greater good” maneuver, though seemingly cloaked in her own smugness, Venestra staged a second cover-up that seemed even more manipulative and underhanded than the initial whitewashing of the truth. By lying to the already suspicious Senate leaders and placing the blame for all the recently murdered Jedi on Sol, Venestra threw him under the bus, portraying his actions as those of a “renegade Jedi” and lying that he committed suicide rather than telling them the truth. Yes, she felt the pressure of the nosy Senate wanting to investigate the Jedi. Still, this arrogance, betrayal, and deception are clearly some of the dishonesties that will seemingly seep into the spiritual fabric and souls of the Jedi Order. A house built entirely on lies? That remains to be seen, but some black sheep will clearly spread lies that other Jedis might blindly accept.

Ultimately, the Stranger got what he always wanted: a true acolyte in Mae. She agreed to be taught the ways of the dark side, which hints at what might happen in season two. But the series also hinted at two big elements.

One was apparently a Sith Lord Darth P seems to be lurking in the backgroundlagueis, the Sith alluded to by Darth Sidious in the Star Wars prequels. In addition, the final moments of the series also revealed a character we all expected to see at some point: Jedi Master Yoda, to whom Venestra reports, and who seems willing to lie to him as well (or maybe not; perhaps Yoda will harbor some similar dark secrets at some point, we

What will happen to The Acolyte in season two? Well, it’s clearly going to be something different, since most of the main characters are dead and Osha has been brain-wiped by the Stranger. And since Mae will finally be training with the Stranger and Darth Plagueis is probably the real Sith Lord behind everything (as predicted here), maybe The Acolyte will be a show about the Sith after all.

What will happen to The Acolyte in season two? Well, it’s clear that the series may evolve into something completely different, with most of the main characters dead, Osha brain-wiped by the Stranger, and most of the mysteries long since solved. Also, Mae will finally train with The Stranger and Darth Plagueis, presumably the true Sith Lord behind it all (as predicted here), perhaps The Acolyte really will be a series about the Sith; we shall see).

What will happen to The Acolyte in season two? Well, it’s clearly going to go in a different direction, with most of the main characters dead and Osha being brain-wiped by the Stranger. And with Mae finally getting to train with the Stranger and Darth Plagueis, presumably the real Sith Lord behind it all (as predicted here), maybe The Acolyte will be a real show about the Sith after all.