The Acolyte: Destiny Thoughts
Leslye Headland relinquishes her direction to Kogonada for the third episode of , and we get part of the story of what happened on Brendok 16 years ago. But the tragedy is not the main focus of “Destiny,” which takes place entirely on Brendok, a planet with twin moons that align to form the logo of The Acolyte.
From a Certain Point of View
“Destiny” is an episode representation of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s iconic line to Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi.
“What I told you was true, from a certain point of view.”
In this moment, Kenobi is countering Luke’s statement that he lied to him when he said that his father, Anakin Skywalker, was dead. Kenobi insists that Anakin Skywalker died and became Darth Vader (as if that could absolve Anakin of all the horrible things he did).
“Destiny” is from Osha’s point of view. It follows the twins on the day of their Ascension ceremony and what follows after.
Osha is unsure that she wants to be a witch and subtly suggests this to Mother Aniseya, played by Jodi Turner-Smith, and Mother Koril, played by Margarita Levieva, before directly telling them. It does not help that the ceremony is interrupted by four Jedi: Master Sol, Master Kelnacca, Master Indira, and her Padawan Torbin.
The disrespect that the Jedi show trying to enact Republic law on a non-member planet to dictate how this group can raise their children is the kind of hubris that is more glaring when we get to the Prequels. However, we still need the Jedi’s point of view on this matter. They did not just stumble upon the Coven. The Jedi Order sent them to Brendok to investigate the witches.
During the early years of The High Republic, many Force religions were present. The Convocation of the Force is a leadership group composed of different Force users who call the Force by various names. However, in The Acolyte (near the end of The High Republic), the Jedi Order appears less welcoming of other Force religions.
The Coven calls the Force the Thread that ties everyone together. Aniseya tries to reinforce this tie between the sisters, but Osha pushes back against this connection.
A surprise here is the strained dynamic between Osha and Mae. From the beginning of the episode, it is clear that Osha might love Mae because she is her sister, but she does not like Mae.
Osha wants a life separate from the Coven but, specifically, from Mae. She does not share what’s in her journal with her sister (drawings of the Jedi symbol and a lightsaber). She wanders off to spend time at the Bunta tree and is irritated when Mae finds her. She tells Mae that becoming a witch is her dream, not Osha’s.
Meanwhile, Mae is content, telling Osha that everything she wants is here on Brendok. That makes Mae’s revenge tour much more understandable because she completely depended on her family to define herself. The Jedi not only took away Mae’s only family, but they also robbed her of her identity.
This revelation does more for the overall story than the twin’s creation. Osha’s belief that Mae killed their entire family is not the cause of her anger towards her sister. That started much earlier. Assuredly, we will see Mae’s point of view at some point during the season. How will Osha come across?
The last scene hints at what that could look like: Mae returns to the Bunta tree, hoping to find her sister. Perhaps “Destiny” (the first title that doesn’t play on duality) is not just the title of this episode but how Osha views her path from this tragedy.
Osha and Mae are played by real-life sisters Lauren and Leah Brady, and the two have the difficult task of carrying most of the episode. They succeed for the most part and have major assistance from Turner-Smith and Levieva. Turner-Smith’s Anesiya, in particular, mirrors the kindness and warmth that Osha must see in Sol. She seems earnest in listening to Osha and allowing her and Mae to be children while respecting their differences. But it is easy to see Koril’s perspective, and Levieva has Mae’s quick temper, and the best line in the episode and perhaps the series so far:
“I did not bring the girls into this world so we could lose them to a bunch of deranged monks.”
It’s not subtle, but it’s not entirely wrong…from a certain point of view.
The Power and Freedom of Choice
Osha wants to be a Jedi. She tells her mother that she wants to take the Jedi test, and Osha tells Mae that she does not want to lie during the test. But Master Sol speaks from his heart and tells Osha she “must have the courage to tell the truth.”
When Osha tells Aniseya that she did not lie during the Jedi test and wants to leave, knowing that she won’t see her family again, her mother tells Osha that if she wants to “pull the Thread, pull it.”
Sol’s speech does not make the Jedi’s actions in this episode right (breaking into their home and diplomatically insisting that the children take the test). However, it does give Osha a choice in the community to which she wants to belong.
The Coven wants the freedom to practice their religion without fear of persecution. The Jedi Order has the privilege of being endorsed by the galactic government of the Republic. Therefore, whether intentionally or not, they can impose their will and view of the Force on other groups. It is the Star Wars version of the non-existent separation of Church and State.
On the other hand, the Coven could have done something to warrant suspicion from the Jedi because we are missing so much context.
They Have No Father
Halfway through the episode, we learn exactly why these twins are so important. They were created by Mother Anesiya and carried by Mother Koril, apparently not for nefarious purposes but to ensure the survival of their Coven. These two women are the twins’ mothers, so the “they have no father” line has a different meaning from Shmi’s words in The Phantom Menace regarding Anakin.
Anakin’s existence comes directly from the Force, an unintended consequence of the Sith’s attempts to manipulate it.
So “Destiny” gave some answers: The Jedi were not just stationed on Brendok but were spying on the witches, though we do not know to what extent. And Torbin got his scare at some point between the test and when they rescued Osha.
But what role did the Jedi play in what happened on Brendok? Did it have anything to do with the power generator sparking early and blowing up later, supposedly “due to the fire?” Was that really Mae telling her sister that she would kill her?
And what’s with the black eyes? Is that the Coven’s version of Jedi mind control?
The tricky thing about the Rashomon Effect in storytelling is that you must buy into and be interested in the mystery because the complete picture will be revealed in future episodes.
From promotions, The Acolyte will return to the past at least one more time to provide more answers.
Originally published at http://creditsandcanon.com on June 15, 2024.
