What really happened that night on Brendok?

In its second flashback episode, Star Wars: The Acolyte unveils the truth behind Brendok and settles in for what will likely be a hefty finale.

This episode contains spoilers for episode 7 of The Acolyte

“A hundred years ago, this planet was catalogued as lifeless because of a hyperspace disaster,” Jedi Master Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss) says to her troubled Padawan, Torbin (Dean-Charles Chapman). “Yet this planet, Brendok, is thriving.”

Through a subtle yet highly important connection to The High Republic book series, we discover what brought the Jedi to Brendok in the first place: curiosity. Beyond the understanding that the planet might have a strong pull in the Force, the Jedi Order had no knowledge of Mother Aniseya’s (Jodie Turner-Smith) coven until Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) happened upon Osha and Mae (Amandla Stenberg) arguing in the forest.

There was no hidden agenda, no ulterior motive that drove their initial actions. Rather, it was chance, mistake, choices made on a whim that caused destiny, perhaps, to pull threads of its own.

Choices

The title of this episode, “Choice,” reflects the actions of every major character we see and denotes the idea that choices, well intended as they might be, always have consequences. From Sol and Indara to Mothers Aniseya and Koril (Margarita Levieva), their choices set into action everything we’ve seen play out in this series so far.

Sol’s choice to ignore Indara’s warnings and insist on rescuing people who might not actually need rescuing.

Mother Aniseya’s choice to be a mother above a leader and let her daughter decide her own destiny.

Indara’s choice to submit an abridged version of the truth to the Order in order to protect Sol, Torbin, and even Osha herself.

Mother Koril’s choice to ignore her daughter’s wishes and instead prepare for attack.

Osha’s choice to leave her coven.

Mae’s choice to light Osha’s journal on fire.

Torbin’s choice to prioritize his wants over his duty.

No matter which way we look at them, these choices are all connected. They work together to create a future that some might say was destined to happen. Others might say it was forced.

Because what would have happened if Sol had listened to the Jedi Council and stayed away from the coven? If Osha and Mae had been allowed to complete their Ascension ceremony (the parameters of which are still unclear)? Where would the twins be now, and how powerful would their coven be, with the power of a vergence on their side?

We could play the ‘what if?’ game all day long, but I, for one, am not really interested in that. Not when one fact remains startlingly clear: Osha didn’t need the Jedi to make her feel like she didn’t belong.

Futures and Promises

Osha’s yearning for something more in life resonates throughout both her childhood and her adulthood. Where Mae was content to exist by her sister’s side forever, Osha always longed for her own space. Where other Jedi strove to let go of their pain, Osha held hers close to her heart.

Whether she was with the coven or with the Jedi, Osha clearly never found the understanding and acceptance she so desperately wanted. With its lesson on the seduction of the Dark Side, episode 6 showed us what could happen when that desire meets with openness and vulnerability. Two things the Jedi, Sol included, could not give to Osha when her time with them began with monumental lies.

What strikes me after watching “Choice,” though, is how similar Sol’s and The Stranger’s approaches to Osha’s wants are.

When initially faced with Osha’s yearning for more, both Sol and The Stranger give her the truth. Sol tells her about the Order, about the other children she could befriend and the lessons she could attend. He stokes her wonderings about life away from Brendok. Similarly (albeit in a very different manner), The Stranger lays himself bare, figuratively and literally, to Osha. He encourages her deep-rooted need to express her most honest feelings.

This connection between Sol and The Stranger is reflective of the grey area that The Acolyte seems determined to explore. What do we define as good? As bad? Who determines honesty or manipulation?

Indeed, in an interview with Collider, show runner Leslye Headland said she views The Stranger and Osha’s relationship as one of honesty rather than manipulation. Why would The Stranger need to manipulate Osha when the Jedi’s rules and secrets have paved the way for the mere truth to be his most appealing offer?

Sol failed on his promises of honesty and safety to Osha. Only time will tell where else Osha decides to place her faith. A choice necessarily made by the chaos of others’ choices.

A destiny, perhaps, shaped by her protectors’ hands every bit as much as her own.

Star Wars: The Acolyte season finale airs Tuesday, July 16^th at 9pm (EST) / 6pm (PST) on Disney+.