Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: The Acolyte episode 7.
Summary
The Acolyteepisode 7 finally gave audiences the full scope of the events onBrendok, and the reveal wasn’t quite as massive as previously hinted.The Acolyteepisode 7builds off what audiences saw in episode 3, but allows audiences not to be tied to Osha’s perspective of the events that seemingly killed her whole family. Ever sinceThe Acolyteepisode 1, there has been a lot of speculation about what actually led to the deaths of thewitches of Brendok, and honestly, it was pretty anti-climactic.
Many people, myself included, thought what the Jedi did to the witches of Brendok was much more nefarious, and borderline evil, butThe Acolyteepisode 7 just saw a series of mistakes snowball into something that ultimately led to tragedy.Master Soland Padawan Torbin’s lightsaber duel with a mind-controlledMaster Kelnaccawas quite the spectacle, but I felt myself constantly hoping for the other shoe to drop. While the events on Brendok were tragic, I feel it’s easy to see that they were a bit of a letdown and that we as the audience were looking for somethingmore.
Star Wars: The Acolyte Episode Guide - Cast Members, Biggest Takeaways & Easter Eggs
Here’s everything you need to follow along with Star Wars: The Acolyte, from references and trivia to main takeaways from each new episode.
The Jedi Weren’t Actually There To Take Mae & Osha
Finding the Twins Was an Accident
It was revealed inThe Acolyteepisode 7 that the Jedi weren’t on Brenok because of the witches of Brendok, but because they were searching for evidence ofa vergence in the Forcethat allowed the environment on Brendok to flourish after it was affected by a hyperspace disaster. In fact,the Jedi had been on Brendok for seven weeks and had no idea they weren’t the only people on the planet. It was purely an accident that Master Sol stumbled across Mae and Osha at the bunta tree.
Many thought the Jedi were on Brendok specifically to hunt the witches and take Mae and Osha from their family because they were Force-sensitive. It makes sense why showrunner Leslye Headland didn’t take this course of action with the Brendok storyline, because it would likely have meant focusing more on the origin of the witches than allowing the story to flow. However, this means thatthe Jedi’s claim that they “have a right” to test any potential Padawans is a bit of a cop-out, especially since they weren’t aware of their existence only hours prior.
Sol & Torbin Messed Up, But They Were Genuine Mistakes
Much of the blame for what happened on Brendok falls on the shoulders of Torbin and Sol.Torbin, who was only a Padawan at the time, seemed eager to go home to Coruscantand was a victim of his own selfish emotions. On the other hand,Sol, instead of stopping Torbin from entering the witches’ fortress, aided him.This eventually led to the confrontation with Mother Aniseya and her death. Sol felt a connection to Osha and wanted her to be his Padawan. The Jedi are taught to not be influenced by their emotions, often causing them to bottle them inside.
This method had disastrous effects on the Jedi, as it led to them making mistakes that ruined many lives. It’s hard to fault a young person like Torbin for having a desire to return to his home, though there is no doubt he went about it the wrong way. Sol, on the other hand, wanted to ensure the safety of Osha and Mae, though going against the Jedi Council’s orders was a mistake. We have seen Sol show restraint using his lightsaber in all other episodes ofThe AcolyteafterSol hastily pulled his weapon and killed Mother Aniseya; he learned his lesson.
It is believed that Mother Koril escaped the conflict on Brendok, but it’s unclear what happened to her afterward and if she will appear inThe Acolyte’sfinale.
What’s Going On With Osha & Mae? The Acolyte’s Twins & Backstory Explained
The Acolyte episode 3 reveals the key backstory and major history of Mae and her twin sister Osha, including the significance of their conception.
Mae Really Did Start The Fire (But Sol Should’ve Saved Her)
After watchingThe Acolyteepisode 3, I was convinced that the Jedi had something to do with the fire Mae started spreading so fast and so widely. However,The Acolyteepisode proved me and so many others wrong;it was Mae who caused the fire, though it didn’t cause the deaths of her coven.The fire did eventually cause the catwalk that Mae and Osha were on to collapse, but it was still unfair of Sol to choose based on his personal feelings and attachment to Osha.
While the Jedi may have blamed Mae in their official reports and in what they told Osha, Mae is mostly innocent in the deaths of her family.
There were so many theories circulating about Mae and the fire on Brendok, some of which had Mae being possessed by another witch like Mother Koril to start the fire, but instead, it was just a foolish decision by a young child. While the Jedi may have blamed Mae in their official reports and in what they told Osha, Mae is mostly innocent in the deaths of her family. Even though she alerted Mother Aniseya about the fire that caused Sol to draw his lightsaber,it wasn’t Mae’s fault Sol acted rashly.
Overall, there were a lot of smoke and mirrors surrounding the events on Brendok, and Headland likely wanted us to think the Jedi were worse people than they were. While it’s obvious that mistakes were made, very little amounted to what I and many other people thought would be the thing the Jedi were covering up. While there are still questions remaining about Mother Koril and how Mae eventually made it off of Brendok,The Acolytedid provide audiences with answers, even if we were underwhelmed by them.
The Acolyteepisode 7 is now streaming. The final episode premieres on Tuesday at 9 PM EST on Disney+.
The Acolyte
Cast
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
