This is a recap and review of Star Wars: The Acolyte, Season 1, Episode 7, titled “Choices.” Spoilers!

Recap: Star Wars: The Acolyte, Season 1, Episode 7, “Choices”

In “Choices,” a flashback reveals the Jedi’s search for a Force vergence on Brendock, where the witches reside. There, they discover Osha and Mae, Force-sensitive twins living in the witch’s temple. Concerned for their safety, the Jedi seek permission to take them to Coruscant, but the council disagrees. However, Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) insists on a connection with Osha, while Torbin grows increasingly uneasy. Subsequently, blood samples from the twins reveal a high Midichlorian count and a potential soul split, indicating a vergence. Torbin(Dean-Charles Chapman), convinced of danger, rushes to retrieve the twins, followed by Master Sol.

Meanwhile, the witches debate the twins’ future. Mother Aniseya wants to respect Osha’s choice to join the Jedi, but Mother Koril manipulates Mae into preventing Osha’s departure. As Torbin and Sol arrive, Mae starts a fire by burning a book, unintentionally igniting the temple due to spilled oil reaching electrical wires. Ultimately, the ensuing chaos leads to a confrontation between the Jedi and the witches, with Mother Aniseya transforming into a spectral figure.

Good intentions gone wrong

Driven by his belief that he’s protecting Osha, Sol ignites his lightsaber and strikes the apparition, only to discover in horror that it’s Mother Aniseya in corporeal form, impaled on his blade. With her dying breath, she reveals that she had intended to let Osha go, shattering Sol’s assumptions. Meanwhile, Mae rushes to her fallen mother, and Sol finally recognizes her by the mark on her head as she flees in terror.

Chaos erupts as Mother Koril launches an attack on Sol, while the other witches turn on Torbin, who fights back with his lightsaber. Overwhelmed by guilt, Sol stands frozen, unable to defend himself. In the side room, the witches seize control of Kelnacca, forcing him to attack the other Jedi. The battle intensifies, leaving Torbin scarred in the fray.

Suddenly, Master Indara bursts into the scene, tackling Kelnacca and delving into his mind to break the witches’ control. With their connection severed, the witches collapse. Indara urgently orders Sol to rescue the twins, who are trapped amidst a raging electrical fire.

Terrible Choices

Mae and Osha cling to opposite ends of a collapsing catwalk as an explosion rocks the structure. Sol desperately uses the Force to halt the collapse, but he can’t save both girls. After a heartbreaking struggle, he chooses Osha, allowing Mae to fall.

Having rescued Osha, Sol returns to the Jedi ship, where Master Indara berates them all, particularly Sol, for their actions. She suspects that attachments clouded his judgment, leading him to prioritize his desires over the twins’ well-being. To protect Osha from further trauma, they fabricate a story blaming Mae for starting the fire and the resulting deaths. Indara justifies the lie by arguing that Osha has already suffered enough loss and shouldn’t be denied her dream of becoming a Jedi.

By the end of the episode, all the missing pieces of the puzzle have fallen into place, revealing the truth behind the events that unfolded.

Review: Exciting second half of the season

This episode was a refreshing change of pace, finally granting us the perspective we’ve been missing all along. While episode three offered a limited viewpoint with significant gaps, this episode shifted to the Jedi’s perspective, delivering a complete and satisfying narrative. The improved flow and pacing made a noticeable difference, and so far, the second half of the season is a vast improvement over the first.

In my opinion, the omission of crucial information in the first half severely hindered its potential. The storytelling and pacing felt forced and inorganic. Now, however, we’re experiencing a smoother narrative flow as the story unfolds in a linear fashion.

 Jedi Lore

A central theme of the show is exploring the flaws within the Jedi Order and the events leading to their downfall between the High Republic era and the prequels. This episode finally delves into this aspect in a meaningful way. While we’ve received hints throughout the season, now we understand the underlying reasons, primarily the idea that even well-intentioned actions can have unintended negative consequences. The Jedi’s interference sometimes disrupts the natural order, a concept I find intriguing and one that effectively sets the stage for the prequels.

Furthermore, this episode is packed with lore. We encounter concepts like “vergence” and artificially created twins, references to the High Republic books and the disaster from 100 years ago, and even allusions to the Knight sisters, a group of witches in the Star Wars universe. These witches, while wild, evoke memories of the Nightsisters. We’re also treated to a Wookiee Jedi wielding a lightsaber, a sight we’ve eagerly awaited.

I’m particularly pleased that Master Indara emerged as the voice of reason among the Jedi. This is largely because I wanted to see Carrie-Anne Moss portray a badass Jedi, not a morally compromised one. However, I was disappointed by their collective decision to lie at the end.

The acting in this episode was exceptional, effectively conveying the inner turmoil and distress experienced by several characters. Overall, it was a solid episode that has me eagerly anticipating the season finale, especially with so many unanswered questions still lingering.