REVIEW --Star Wars: The Acolyte (DISNEY+ Exclusive TV SERIES, Episodes 1-8)

The Acolyte, also known as Star Wars: The Acolyte, is an American science fiction television series created by Leslye Headland for the streaming service Disney+. It is part of the Star Wars franchise, set at the end of the High Republic era before the events of the Skywalker Saga, and follows a Jedi investigation into a series of crimes.

Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Charlie Barnett, Dafne Keen, Rebecca Henderson, Jodie Turner-Smith, Carrie-Anne Moss, Manny Jacinto, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, Margarita Levieva, Lauren Brady, Leah Brady, Harry Trevaldwyn, and David Harewood star in the series. Headland expressed interest in working on the Star Wars franchise by the end of 2019, and was developing a new series for Lucasfilm by April 2020. The title was announced that December. Filming took place in London and at Shinfield Studios in Berkshire from October 2022 to June 2023, with location filming in Wales and Portugal.

The Acolyte premiered on Disney+ on June 4, 2024, with its first two episodes. The following six episodes are being released weekly. The series received positive reviews from critics, who praised the cast performances, action sequences, and darker tone.

Synopsis: An investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Amandla Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems…. 

Title: “Star Wars: The Acolyte” 

Category: Original live-action series 

U.S. Premiere: June 4, 2024 

Cast: Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss 

Created by: Leslye Headland 

Based on: STAR WARS by George Lucas 

Executive Producers: Leslye Headland, Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King, Jason Micallef 

Co-Executive Producers: Charmaine DeGraté, Kor Adana 

Producers: Rayne Roberts, Damian Anderson, Eileen Shim, Rob Bredow 

Co-Producers: Cameron Squires, Candice Campos 

Music by: Michael Abels 

Production Company: Lucasfilm 

X: @DisneyPlus; @starwars; @OfficialAcolyte
Instagram: @DisneyPlus; @starwars; @OfficialAcolyte
Facebook: @DisneyPlus; @starwars
TikTok: @DisneyPlus; @StarWars
Hashtag: #DisneyPlus; #TheAcolyte 

Premise

The Acolyte is set at the end of the Star Wars franchise's High Republic era, approximately 100 years before Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999). It sees a respected Jedi Master investigating a series of crimes that bring him into contact with a former Padawan learner and reveal sinister forces.

Cast and characters

Main

• Amandla Stenberg as Verosha "Osha" and Mae-ho "Mae" Aniseya

  • Lauren Brady as young Osha

  • Leah Brady as young Mae

• Lee Jung-jae as Sol

• Charlie Barnett as Yord Fandar

• Dafne Keen as Jecki Lon

• Rebecca Henderson as Vernestra Rwoh

• Jodie Turner-Smith as Mother Aniseya

• Carrie-Anne Moss as Indara

• Manny Jacinto as Qimir / The Stranger

• Dean-Charles Chapman as Torbin

• Joonas Suotamo as Kelnacca

• Margarita Levieva as Mother Koril

• Harry Trevaldwyn as Mog: A Jedi

• David Harewood as Senator Rayencourt

Guest

• Thara Schöön as Tasi Lowa

• Amy Tsang as Rane

• Abigail Thorn as Eurus

• Derek Arnold as Ki-Adi-Mundi

• Hassan Taj as Bazil

Additionally, Darth Plagueis and Jedi Master Yoda make non-speaking cameos in the final episode.

Episode SUMMARIES

*** SPOILER WARNING ***

Episode 1: "Lost / Found"

100 years before the rise of the Galactic Empire, the Galactic Republic and Jedi Order preside during a time of centuries-long peace. In a bar on the planet Ueda, Jedi Master Indara is attacked and killed by a woman wielding daggers. The bartender identifies Osha Aniseya, a former Jedi Padawan learner, as the killer. Osha, who works as a meknek doing dangerous repairs on the outside of starships, denies committing the crime when arrested by Jedi Knight Yord Fandar and his Padawan Tasi Lowa. En route to Coruscant, the galactic capital, Osha's fellow prisoners escape and leave her to crash-land on the planet Carlac. She sees a vision of her twin sister Mae, who was presumed dead in a fire that seemingly killed their family when they were young. Osha deduces that Mae is alive and the one who killed Indara. Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh sends Master Sol, Osha's former teacher, to Carlac with his current Padawan, Jecki Lon, and Yord. They find Osha, and Sol accepts her theory about Mae. Elsewhere, Mae meets with her mysterious master, who has challenged her to kill a Jedi without using a weapon.

Episode 2: "Revenge / Justice"

Mae attempts to kill Jedi Master Torbin in a temple on the planet Olega, but is prevented by his Force meditation; Torbin has been floating in silent meditation for over a decade. Vernestra sends Sol, Jecki, Yord, and Osha to investigate this attack. Mae regroups with her supplier, Qimir, who is helping her hunt the four Jedi that were stationed on her and Osha's home planet, Brendok, at the time of the fire: Indara, Torbin, Sol, and the Wookiee Kelnacca. Qimir provides Mae with a poison and warns her that she still needs to kill one of the four without a weapon. Mae offers the poison to Torbin as absolution for his past. He stops meditating and willingly takes it, dying just as the others arrive. Mae escapes, and Osha poses as her to get information from Qimir. He reveals the existence of Mae's master and her overall plan. That night, Sol confronts Mae and reveals to her that Osha is alive. Osha attempts to stun Mae but misses, and Mae escapes again. She later threatens Qimir over talking to the Jedi, but he convinces her to spare him because he has learned that Kelnacca is living on the planet Khofar.

Episode 3: "Destiny"

16 years earlier, Osha and Mae live with an all-female coven of witches on Brendok. Their mother and the coven's leader, Mother Aniseya, claims the twins do not have a father. They were carried by another witch, Mother Koril. Aniseya teaches the children that the Force, which she calls the Thread, is misused by the Jedi. They undergo a ceremony to be inducted into the coven, which Mae is excited for but Osha is not. Before Osha is inducted, the ceremony is interrupted by the four Jedi who express concern that the witches are training children. They claim the right to test the twins for their suitability to become Jedi. Aniseya asks the children to fail the test. Mae does, but Osha chooses to pass it and tells Aniseya that she wishes to become a Jedi. Angry that her sister wants to leave her, Mae locks Osha in her room and burns her diary. The fire spreads, and Sol helps Osha get to safety; they see Mae seemingly die and find the rest of the coven dead as well. The Jedi take Osha to Coruscant and Sol promises to train her as his Padawan. On Brendok, Mae is shown to have survived and started looking for Osha.

Episode 4: "Day"

Mae and Qimir begin searching for Kelnacca on Khofar, where he has isolated himself in a forest. Sol discusses Mae with several Jedi Masters who believe her master must be a fallen Jedi. They send him and Osha to apprehend Mae with a group of Jedi, including Yord and Jecki. On Khofar, they use the Tynnan tracker Bazil to begin searching for Kelnacca by following his scent. Osha's connection to the Force begins to grow again and she connects with an umbramoth, a large bug, which attacks them and is killed by Sol. Mae begins to feel that her mission to kill a Jedi without a weapon is impossible and no longer relevant to her now that she knows Osha is alive. She captures Qimir in a trap and rushes to turn herself in to Kelnacca, planning to reconnect with Osha and tell the Jedi what she knows about her master. However, she finds Kelnacca has been killed by someone using a lightsaber. The others soon arrive and surround Mae, ordering her to surrender. Before she can do anything, her master appears behind them. He activates a red lightsaber and uses the Force to attack Osha and the Jedi.

Episode 5: "Night"

The mysterious warrior kills all the Jedi except Yord, Jecki, and Sol. Sol saves Osha from the warrior and demands that he reveal his identity. The warrior claims that they have already met and then vanishes into the forest. Jecki captures Mae, but the mysterious warrior arrives to kill Mae for trying to betray him. Jecki breaks the warrior's mask before she is killed, revealing him to be Qimir. Sol arrives and questions Qimir, who says the Jedi might call him "Sith" and he now intends to kill them all to keep his existence secret. Yord ambushes Qimir but is quickly killed. Sol fights and overpowers Qimir but is stopped from killing him by Osha, who plants a light on Qimir that causes a colony of umbramoths to attack and carry him away. Mae uses Osha's stun gun on Sol so she can speak with Osha, but they end up arguing about each other's choices and Mae uses the Force to knock Osha unconscious. Mae steals Osha's clothes and poses as her sister, returning with Sol to the Jedi ship. They are followed by a suspicious Bazil. Qimir frees himself from the umbramoths and finds Osha lying unconscious in the forest.

Episode 6: "Teach / Corrupt"

Qimir takes Osha to an unknown planet where he dresses her wounds. He claims to be a former Jedi who was betrayed by his master, drawing parallels to Osha's past. She is wary of him, but eventually agrees to try on his helmet which is made from the lightsaber-blocking metal cortosis. On the Jedi ship at Khofar, interference disrupts Sol's attempts to contact the Jedi Council; a partial message about losing his whole team makes it to Coruscant. Sol asks Mae to help fix the ship's power, still believing her to be Osha, and she is attacked by Bazil. Mae overpowers him and resets the power. She tries to get Sol to tell her the truth about what happened on Brendok, but her wording reveals to him that she is not Osha. When the ship's power is restored, Sol stuns Mae and leaves with her just as Vernestra and a small band of Jedi arrive to investigate his message. They find the massacre and suspect that a fallen Jedi is responsible with the Jedi Mog suggesting that only Sol would be powerful enough to kill so many. When Mae wakes, Sol says he will tell her the truth about what happened on Brendok.

Episode 7: "Choice"

16 years earlier, the four Jedi discover the coven while investigating a potential "vergence" in the Force on Brendok, which could create life. The Jedi Council decides that the twins are too old and should be left with the coven, despite Osha's wish to become a Jedi; Koril stokes Mae's anger over Osha's decision, leading to Mae accidentally starting the fire. The results for the twins' "M-count", which shows their Force sensitivity, indicates that they were artificially created with a single consciousness split into two bodies. Torbin, eager to return to Coruscant, sees this as proof of the vergence and rushes to retrieve the girls. Sol follows and the pair confront the coven before Kelnacca and Indara arrive. Sol kills Aniseya when she attempts to use her power. The witches possess Kelnacca and use him to attack Torbin and Sol until Indara overpowers them. Sol is unable to save both Mae and Osha from the burning fortress and chooses to save Osha. As they return to Coruscant, Indara decides to blame the incident on Mae's fire and not tell the council about Sol's actions so he can train Osha as his Padawan.

Episode 8: "The Acolyte"

After having a vision of Mae apparently killing Sol without a weapon, Osha and Qimir head out to find them while being watched by Darth Plagueis. On the ship, Mae breaks free and escapes to Brendok in a capsule as she is followed by Sol; she crashes on the planet. Meanwhile, Vernestra gathers a group of Jedi to bring in Sol. On Brendok, Sol, Qimir and Osha begin searching for Mae. Inside the fortress, both parties confront and fight each other. Mae disarms Sol, but chooses to let him live so he can confess before the Council; Sol reveals that she and Osha are the same person. Learning that Sol killed her mother, Osha mercy kills him with the Force and corrupts the Kyber crystal in Sol's lightsaber; she and Mae escape together. Upon arriving, Vernestra discovers Sol's corpse. As the sisters reconcile, they are found by Qimir; Osha agrees to train with him if he lets Mae go by erasing her memory, to which the latter agrees. Back on Coruscant, Vernestra decides to cover up the recent events on Brendok by putting the blame on Sol; Vernestra reveals that Qimir was her apprentice. She later visits Jedi master Yoda to discuss everything.

The Verdict:

Going into premiere of The Acolyte, I did something that most other people DIDN'T do. I didn't watch any of the trailers after the first teaser and went into this essentially blind of no other details. I saw countless people on my social media feeds and in recommended videos over on YouTube immediately writing off this show the moment it was announced. I just can't help shaking my head at the sheer number of people who call themselves Star Wars "fans", yet immediately expose themselves for the bigots and racists that they are once a spin-off television show or new film entry doesn't cater to their beloved "white savior" narrative archetype and opt for more diversity instead. 

Before the premiere of The Acolyte even debuted on Disney+, I saw Amandla Stenberg subjected to the same amounts of bigotry and racist rants from the Star Wars community that Moses Ingram (the actress who portrayed Reva Sevander in Kenobi) received when that show arrived on the streaming platform. Amandla Stenberg's Osha and Mae were the main characters in this show, so it was to be expected, but never should it be acceptable behavior. As a man of color, I'm personally sick and tired of seeing bigotry and racist comments from the Star Wars community excused and swept under the rug by simply waving the flag of opposing "agendas" in modern media when that is purely bullshit. 

I will continue dying on the hill hoping to wake the masses up to the fact that ALL media has an "agenda" whether it is intentional or not by its creator. Every creation across all mediums has a purpose, or rather an agenda, by its creator whether to educate, inform, or convey a message of some kind. That message is most commonly open to interpretation. This is a basic theme conveyed in film theory. I wish modern society would quit acting like everything and anything that doesn't align with their personal beliefs or doesn't present anything that they personally can identify with as a personal attack to their way of life and/or ideals. 

On a weekly basis, it felt like people were just grasping at straws to find something to complain about this show, whether it be about fire existing in space (when this already a thing as far back as the original trilogy and prequels) to "lesbian space witches ruining our Star Wars". And don't let me forget to mention that group of fans who call themselves "George Lucas Star Wars purists" and label anything after the Disney acquisition of the brand not canon to his original vision, when he has supported a wealth of these ideas and already planted the seeds for them as far back as the prequel trilogy. 

Right off the bat, this series intrigued me by being set 100 years before the rise of the Galactic Empire, where the Galactic Republic and Jedi Order preside during a time of centuries-long peace. This is commonly recognized as the "High Republic Era" to hardcore Star Wars fans who are well-versed to the lore of the novelizations that Disney has deemed non-canon following their acquisition of LucasFilm and all of George Lucas' Star Wars properties in their entirety. 

The series opens with Jedi Master Indara attacked and killed by a woman wielding daggers. The bartender who witnesses the battle identifies the killer as Osha Aniseya, a former Jedi Padawan learner. The confusion quickly sets in as Osha is later shown as a harmless meknek who does starship repairs when she's arrestedby Jedi Knight Yord Fandar and Padawan Tasi Lowa. When being transported to Coruscant, Osha has a vision of her thought-to-be dead twin sister and escapes by crash landing on planet Carlac. Master Sol, Osha's former teacher, is assigned to pursue Osha with his current Padawan, Jecki Lon, and Yord. They corner and confront Osha, where Sol accepts Osha's theory about her sister without hesitation. 

Meanwhile, Mae has been taking orders from her mysterious master, who has challenged her to kill a Jedi without a weapon. She successfully kills Jedi Master Torbin to bring her Jedi assassination total to two. She is being aided by her supplier, Qimir, who provided the poison that Torbin agreed to take. Osha poses as Mae to get information from Qimir, but Mae escapes again after confronting Osha and Sol. 

Three episodes in, the show devotes an entire episode to a flashback of sorts, chronicling the events that led to the origins of Osha and Mae. They are revealed to be a part of an all-female coven of witches on Brendok. They are the children of the coven's leader, Mother Aniseya, who claims that the twins have no father. 

This ends up being one of the most divisive episodes early on, since this is an episode that is ripe with LGBTQ+ representation, but I had to laugh since this isn't anything new for anyone who is even remotely familiar with the Nightsisters in not just The Clone Wars, but in more recently in the Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order and Jedi Survivor video games with the Nightsister known as Merrin. I found it intriguing that this series doesn't distinctly identify these witches as Nightsisters, but insists on calling them "virgins" and "witches" interchangeably. 

Other fans have insisted that the twins' origin and birth is a slap in the face in what made Anakin Skywalker's birth special and unique, but I have to disagree. Even when this series concludes, we don't have a complete explanation behind the origins of the twins. They aren't the Vergence in the Force like Anakin was prophesized to be; they are a result of one and we have absolutely no idea how many children were created in this manner. I have seen comparisons of Osha and Mae's origins similar to Revan from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic video game (and its 2004 sequel) released by BioWare in 2003. I'm personally not well versed on that video game, so I'm not familiar with the character in question. Once again, this is another instance that is not a first for this franchise, but just a mere first for this continuity in live-action. I welcome the opportunity for a future Star Wars project go in-depth about this specific Vergence that caused this phenomenon in the first place. It's as intriguing as the "Calamity War" that is frequently referenced but never shown in the Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans anime or the Fall of the Mandalore that was referenced in this continuity for years before finally being shown in context in both The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian Season Three. 

Episode Three isn't the first time that this show devotes time to this flashback. This first instance is from the perspective of Osha and Mae as children. It paints a false narrative that convinces viewers that Mae was the one responsible for the death of their coven. The Jedi (Indara, Kelnacca, Torbin, and Sol) arrive to the planet Brendok where the coven has called their home and express the right to test the twins to confirm their compatibility to train to become Jedi. Aniseya asks the children to fail their tests intentionally. Mae fails it on purpose, but Osha decides to pass it and expresses the desire to Aniseya that she wishes to become a Jedi. Mae locks Osha in her room since she doesn't want to see her sister leave and starts a fire outside of her room. The fire spreads but Sol helps Osha get to safety while Mae seemingly falls to her death. With the rest of the coven found to be dead with Osha having nowhere to go, Sol promises to train her as his Padawan.

Episode Four returns back to present day where Qimir accompanies Mae on her hunt to kill Kelnacca as the next Jedi on her list of culprits for revenge. Mae gets cold feet since she found out that Osha is still alive and there's no point in continuing her path of vengeance. Osha, Sol, and his team of Jedi who have accompanied him from Coruscant are still on their trail. Mae opts to turn herself in willingly to Kelnacca and reconcile with Osha, but finds Kelnacca already dead and the Jedi surrounding her at the scene of the crime. Just when it seems like the gig is up for Mae, her master (or how promotional material refers to him as "The Stranger") shows up wielding a red lightsaber. 

I should note that Qimir is wearing a helmet and gauntlet made of the substance known as cortosis. It is an unique substance within Star Wars lore that makes its first live-action appearance in this series. Cortosis can withstand the blow of a lightsaber and briefly short out its blade. The weakness in cortosis is that it is nowhere as durable as beskar metal, the strongest metal in the galaxy, allowing it to be overloaded from prolonged energy attacks and it could be shattered from brute force strikes directed at it. Regardless of that fact, many of the best suits of Mandalorian armor utilized cortosis weave, an energy-resistant mesh composed of cortosis ore. Apart from its physical properties, cortosis could also affect a Force-sensitive's ability to use the Force, as helmets made from the material isolated the wearer's thoughts and prevented others from sensing them. 

Learn More About Cortosis vs. Beskar - "Heavy Metals: Exploring Cortosis and Beskar"

Sol overpowers Qimir, but Osha prevents Sol from killing him by attracting a swarm of umbramoths to carry him away. Mae knocks out Sol with his stun gun to talk to Mae but their differences in opinion causes Mae to knock her out and poses as her after exchanging their clothes to return with Sol to the Jedi ship. Qimir escapes his fate and finds the unconscious Osha, who he takes with him to an undisclosed planet to treat her wounds. He tells her that he was a former Jedi who was betrayed by his master while Sol is interrupted from contacting the Jedi Council by Mae. Sol manages to knock her out and restrain her, claiming that he will tell her the truth about what happened on Brendok.

Episode Seven is where the viewers get the "real" story of what really went down on Brendok in the second flashback. It's a complete rehash of the story from Episode Three, but entirely from the Jedi's perspective. This episode single-handedly sheds a new light about Sol's character. He's not the calm and collected Jedi Knight that the viewers have been led to believe up to this point. His impatience and recklessness caused this tragedy on Brendok and the Jedi covered it up to maintain their "image" of peacekeepers in the galaxy. 

Indara insists that they continue to exercise patience in their assigned investigation of a potential "vergence" in the Force on the planet, but her Padawan (Torbin) desperately wants to return home while Sol won't reliniquish his obsession over "saving" the twins from the coven. Sol's obsession goes so far as to convincing Indara in his hastiness to refrain from contacting the Jedi Council for a second opinion on the coven. 

There are some interesting notes in this version of the story. 

1. Mother Koril, Aniseya's implied girlfriend/lover, is the one who encourages Mae's anger over Osha's decision to leave to join the Jedi. I didn't notice until this episode that her alien race design is eeriely similar to the Zabrak race originating from Dathomir. If that's not another nod towards these witches being some divergence that spun off from the Nightsisters of Dathomir then that will surprise the hell out of me. 

2. Mother Aniseya preyed upon Padawan Torbin's fears and hidden desires to return home. One could interpret this invasion of his weak psyche as a manner of self-defense since the Jedi did come into their home uninvited, especially after Sol was spying on them prior to their arrival. The witches had every right to want to have an ace in the hole in terms defending themselves. 

3. The twins have an extremely high M-count, which proves that they were artificially created with a single consciousness split into two bodies. Torbin and Sol both see this as the proof that they need to return to Coruscant with to complete their mission of investigating the "vergence" in the Force and opts to take the twins by force. 

4. Last but not least, it is revealed that the ultimate casualty of Sol's impatience is Aniseya at his hands. Mae witnesses the act firsthand when Sol kills her pre-emptively when she attempts to use her powers. 

The remaining witches possess Kelnacca and he overpowers both Torbin and Sol until Indara comes in to their aid. Sol is unable to save both Mae and Osha from the fire, but opts to save Osha instead. On their way to Coruscant, Indara decides to blame the entire incident on Mae's fire and not tell the council about Sol's actions so he can train Osha as his Padawan. 

At this point of the story, I found myself liking Sol's character even more. He isn't a saint like so many Jedi are painted in this continuity and he is easily one of the most flawed Jedi to date. He isn't necessarily the villain to this story; he had good intentions but he grew accustomed to living this lie for so long that he has convinced himself that everything that he has done and continue to do was for the greater good. At this point, this story conveys the powerful message is that the greatest action one could do is take no action, despite your instincts and gut tell you to do otherwise. This was a perfect example of showing how the Jedi's high and mighty status (read: arrogance) proved to be the instrument of their downfall. 

I personally walked away from this episode thinking that there was no other appropriate resolution for this story without Sol having to answer for his actions, with his life - whether at the hands of the Aniseya twins or at the hands of Qimir. 

At the same time, he's not entirely to blame for the entire coven being wiped out, but he had a pivotal role in planting the seeds in motion for that tragedy. What should be learned here is that the Jedi aren't always right and they shouldn't be the end all, be all authority concerning and governing who or what wields the Force.

This is a point that is brought up a little too on the nose by Senator Rayencourt, portrayed by Supergirl alumni David Harewood, in the final episode. He perfectly painted the Jedi to Vanestra (another Jedi who is close friends with Sol running her own investigation) as “a massive system of unchecked power, posing as a religion — a delusional cult that claims to control the uncontrollable.”

That quote accurately describes what happened on Brendok. Sol assumed that it was God-given (oh the irony from the magical, Space Jesus comparisons the Jedi have been labeled with over the years...) right to extract these children from their home, not just for their safety but to appease his own radical sense of obligation of having a Padawan of his own. Instead of a willingness to comprehend this cult's religion and foreign customs, he paints them with brush of villainy to justify his actions since their beliefs do not align with his own. 

Back in the present, the finale follows Sol pursuing Mae after she frees herself from his restrains and crash lands on Brendok using a capsule. Osha, accompanied by Qimir, pursues them after she had a vision of Mae killing Sol without a weapon. A shadowy figure, who is believed to be Darth Plagueis, is briefly shown watching them depart from this undisclosed planet. Eventually, all of them reunite on Brendok at the site of the tragedy from 16 years ago. Osha confronts and fights Mae while Qimir engages into a duel with Sol again. Sol seems to defeat Qimir after destroying his lightsaber until Osha intervenes and steals his lightsaber before Sol could finish him off. Mae refuses to kill Sol since she wants him to alive so he could confess his crimes to the Jedi Council. Osha overhears Sol's confession and Force chokes Sol to death out of her rage, corrupting the Kyber crystal in his lightsaber in the process - transforming it from blue to red. 

I can easily see why people saw Sol's final moments as a complete 180 of his character portrayal at this point. I can see it both ways. He has been living this lie for so long that he convinced himself that what he has been doing was right and cannot see it any other way. He has been this delusional from the start, especially when he opted to save Osha instead of Mae since he knew he would have an easier chance of swaying her to his way of thinking since she was the twin who didn't see him murder Aniseya outright in front of her. Let's not forget that he has been so desperate to confront Mae on his own this entire time and keep her away from Osha this entire time. 

(Laughs) I can't help but think of Sol's actions having the same ripple effect that Officer Daniel Rigg's actions have at the end of Saw IV. It's revealed to him earlier in the film that if the final door where his friends was opened before the timer expired, they would be killed instantly. Rigg charges through the door with the same reckless abandon that he has been warned about several times throughout the film and everyone dies, despite being warned about this and the notion that people should be allowed to save themselves. Sol barges into this foreign territory and enforces his Space Jesus law around as if he and the rest of the Jedi are the sole authority of the Force in the universe and royally "shits the bed". I couldn't put that in a blunter manner if I tried. This is one story where I have absolutely no sympathy for the Jedi as one of their own made this mess and they will have to live with the consequences that cause a chain reaction throughout the timeline that follows. 

After Sol's death, the trio escape the scene upon the arrival of Vernestra and her investigation team of Jedi. Mae and Osha reconcile, but Qimir warns him of the looming presence of the Jedi in pursuit. Osha agrees to train with him on the condition that he frees Mae, but Qimir wipes Mae's memory concerning everything what happened and their whereabouts. 

When the Jedi apprehend Mae and return to Coruscant, Vernestra decides to pin the blame of events on Brendok and the murders of Torbin, Indara, and Kelnacca entirely on Sol to protect the reputation of the Jedi. Senator Rayencourt urges for a full investigation on the entire Jedi Order, but Vernestra assures the Senate that Sol's actions were those of one misguided individual and not those shared by the Jedi as a whole. Mae is brought to speak with Vernestra privately, who promises her that the Jedi will do everything in their power to make amends of Sol's actions and reveals that Qimir was once her apprentice. The final scenes of this show are interesting in their own right. Qimir and Osha have returned to the undisclosed planet to train together, hand-in-hand. This seems to encourage the hopes of many that Osha learns to embrace Qimir's flirting from Episode Six to become more than master and apprentice. 

That would be a tale for another day as the series ends with Vernestra visiting who it is safe to assume to be Jedi master Yoda to discuss this ordeal. 

Of course, we had the detractors on social media and Reddit bringing out the pitchforks and torches because it's a vocalized song instead of the pure instrumentals that the Star Wars franchise is traditionally known for. What harm is there in terms of doing something different? It was comical to me to hear people complaining about this song when it was most of the same people who wrote the show off completely before even watching it. 

Watch It or Don't Bother?

Overall, I walked away from this finale satisfied with this series. There's still a lot of unanswered questions, but that doesn't necessarily require this series to get another season. I wouldn't mind more stories in and around this time period in the timeline. I will admit that this series is one that isn't for everyone, but in terms of these Disney+ releases, I enjoyed this a lot more in terms of pacing over Kenobi, Andor (really), and The Book of Boba Fett (except for The Mandalorian-focused interlude and following episodes). (Laughs) Plus it was amusing to learn that there was someone and something out there that was ruining the universe in terms of shitting the bed royally like the Skywalker family that has dominated this franchise's narrative for several decades now.