Star Wars: The Acolyte Season 1 Episode 7 Review

This week’s Star Wars: The Acolyte™ episode challenges what we know of the tragedy on Brendok™. Did the events really play out as they did in episode 3? Well, season 1 episode 7, “Choice,” the show’s penultimate outing, paints a different picture of the proceedings.

Firstly, it shows that the Jedi aren’t entirely innocent. Secondly, we learn Mae™ didn’t maliciously start the fire; rather, it was accidental. Mother Aniseya’s™ death is more heartbreaking here, and Koril’s™ whereabouts are left to the imagination. Well, for now. Here’s hoping next week’s finale will shed light on what she’s been up to.

Episode 7 boasts fantastic fight choreography and Lightsaber™ work. I never thought we’d get a Wookiee™ Jedi in Star Wars™, so that scene with Kelnacca™ made me happy.

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Choice

We open on Brendok 16 years ago as the Jedi survey the forest. Masters Sol™, Indara™, Kelnacca, and Padawan Torbin™ hold detectors while searching for signs of a vergence — essentially, areas where the Force is most concentrated. Vergences can create life.

One night, while the Jedi feast on nuna™ legs courtesy of Kelnacca, Torbin admits he wants to return to Coruscant™. They’ve been on this mission for seven weeks and found no evidence of human life, let alone a vergence. Patience, young Padawan…

Indara explains that a century ago, Brendok was cataloged as “lifeless” due to the Great Hyperspace Disaster™ (a major event in High Republic™ literature). However, it’s thriving in other ways. Indara urges Torbin to center himself. Indara and Sol chat about Torbin the following day before splitting up to continue their search.

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Osha/Mae

Next, Sol spots Osha™ and Mae underneath the bunta tree™. He sees Mae use the Force. Sol decides to tail the girls as they reunite with Mother Koril. He signals Indara via his communication device that he’s found signs of humans on the planet. Then, he follows the trio to the entrance of the coven’s compound.

After this, Sol scales the side of the wall to gain ingress, observing undetected as Osha and Mae attend training and the witches perform spellwork. Of course, Koril senses something’s amiss but doesn’t see Sol.

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A Rescue

Later, Sol returns to his Jedi buddies to inform them of what he saw. He wants to rescue Osha and Mae, believing they’re in danger. At the very least, they should pay the coven a visit. Sure enough, we see the quartet sneak onto the elevator and surprise the coven, with Mother Aniseya giving them an understandably cold welcome.

Now, this is a scene we’ve already witnessed … for the most part. This time, we view it from Torbin’s perspective. Aniseya enters Torbin’s mind. She manipulates him, vowing to ensure he returns to Coruscant, even against his Master’s wishes. All he needs to do is say the word, and she’ll make it happen.

After Torbin returns to reality, Mother Aniseya agrees to let Osha and Mae participate in the Jedi test.

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Connection

Then, we see the Jedi on their ship. Torbin is naturally out of sorts after Aniseya flooded his mind. Sol tells Indara he felt a connection with Osha. He hopes to take her under his wing as his Padawan. He comments on the coven marking on Mae’s forehead. Who knows what the coven plans to do with her?

Indara counters that many cultures boast ceremonial markings across the galaxy — but they’re not usually due to “dark magic,” as Sol puts it. Indara encourages Sol not to confuse his feelings with Osha’s.

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Pass or Fail

Next, Osha and Mae arrive for their respective Jedi tests. Sol notices Mae intentionally trying to fail hers. He makes a note of this to Indara. Someone instructed her to fail.

Before this, though, Indara asks Mae about the marking on her forehead. Mae informs Indara and Sol about the Ascension, which will make her and Osha bona fide witches. One day, they’ll lead the coven. Indara remarks that they’re still children. That’s a lot of responsibility for two kids.

Once Mae departs, Osha enters for her test. She passes with flying colors (with a little help from Sol). Afterward, Indara orders Torbin to test the girls’ blood samples while she contacts the Jedi Council for instructions. Then, Torbin and Kelnacca can continue their fieldwork.

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A Very High M-Count

Later, Indara tells the others that the Council has rejected the idea of bringing the girls into the Jedi fold. Torbin gets the results of the twins’ blood samples, discovering that both have “a very high M-Count,” meaning they’re Force-sensitive.

Additionally, their symbionts are the same. Now, even identical twins like Mae and Osha would have variations in their symbionts. This indicates that they weren’t born but made. Only a vergence is powerful enough to create life artificially — to split a consciousness into two bodies.

Emboldened with purpose and a desire to leave Brendok, Torbin speeds away, planning on scooping up the twins to bring them back to Coruscant to be studied. Indara orders Sol to go after him.

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The Decision

Meanwhile, Osha has a difficult conversation with Aniseya, who allows her daughter to join the Jedi. Elsewhere, Koril encourages Mae to give in to her darker side and use whatever force necessary to keep Osha with the coven.

Then, Aniseya discusses her decision with the coven. The witches disagree vehemently, claiming this puts them all at risk. Osha is part of their future. However, Aniseya believes her role as a mother takes precedence over being the coven’s leader.

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Breaking In

At the same time, Mae destroys the elevator to ensure nobody enters or leaves. Sol and Torbin climb the outer wall, with the former urging the latter to fortify his mind against the witches. The two plan to rescue the twins.

Inside the compound, we see Mae inadvertently start the fire. She even tries to put it out. Meanwhile, Indara and Kelnacca fly over the compound in their ship. Elsewhere, trapped in her room by the growing fire, Osha tries to escape.

Next, Sol and Torbin run into Aniseya and Koril. The other witches stand above them, their weapons at the ready. Sol insists they’re doing what’s best for Mae and Osha. “Someday, those noble intentions you all have will destroy every Jedi in the galaxy,” Aniseya says. Oh, if this doesn’t predict the fall of the Jedi, I don’t know what does.

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Tragedy

Then, Mae appears, begging everyone to help save Osha. Tensions between Torbin and Koril boil over. Aniseya morphs into some kind of smoke creature. We see Mae also starting to transform into the same thing. Or is Aniseya trying to bring Mae inside her to protect her, merging the two? However, Sol drives his Lightsaber™ through Aniseya. Before she dies, Aniseya tells Sol she gave Osha her blessing to become a Jedi.

Driven by grief and rage, Koril tries to fight Sol and Torbin, but the two Jedi refuse to engage. So, when Kelnacca arrives, Koril transforms into the same smoke-like creature, inhabiting the Wookiee with the aid of her fellow witches. We finally get sweet Kelnacca Lightsaber™ action here.

Possessed by Koril and the coven, Kelnacca turns on his Jedi brethren. He gives Torbin the scars he develops after that night. He also gives Sol quite the workout. At the same time, we see the witches chanting, their eyes as black as night. It’s only when Indara arrives that the fighting stops. She pushes Koril out of Kelnacca as the witches collectively lose consciousness. (Or did they die?) Koril vanishes.

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Who Do You Save?

Later, Sol rushes into the compound to save the girls. We see them as they are before Mae falls. Sol stumbles upon the bodies of the witches (now we know why Koril wasn’t in this scene). Then, the pieces of the broken bridge that Osha and Mae stand on begin to sag further. Sol uses the Force to keep both girls aloft.

Unfortunately, he can’t hold them in place for much longer. So, he makes a choice — he lets Mae fall to save Osha.

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The Truth

Next, the Jedi crowd around an unconscious Osha on the ship. Torbin apologizes to Indara for disobeying her. She orders Kelnacca to send a message to Coruscant; they’re going home. Indara reminds Sol and Torbin that she warned them. Sol insists he wanted to keep the twins safe. However, his emotions got in the way.

Torbin asks Indara what they’ll tell the Council. She claims they will disclose the truth: Mae burned down the compound, and all the witches died. Well, this is the story Sol tells Mae.

Sol decides to be honest with the Council. Indara urges him to examine why he made this choice before throwing himself at the mercy of the Council. He can’t take Osha’s dream away from her. Then, Osha wakes up, crying out for her mom. Sol informs her that they’re heading for Coruscant. The girl asks what happened, and Sol responds that there was a fire.

And the rest is, as they say, history.

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