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Exploring “From a Certain Point of View” in The Acolyte

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Exploring "From a Certain Point of View" in The Acolyte

In this passage, we follow the events leading up to a confrontation between the Jedi Order and a witch coven on Brendok. The twins, Mae and Osha, are taken by Torbin, a young Padawan, in an impulsive attempt to protect them from the witches. Sol, another Jedi, follows Torbin’s actions due to orders and personal motivations. However, things take a turn for the worse when Sol mistakes one of the girls for the other during a fire incident, leading to the death of their mother.

Star Wars has a rich history, starting with the original trilogy, of presenting different perspectives on familiar stories. Obi-Wan Kenobi initially misled Luke Skywalker about Darth Vader’s identity, claiming that Vader had killed Luke’s father, despite the revelation in “The Empire Strikes Back” that Anakin Skywalker was actually the Dark Lord. When Luke questioned Obi-Wan’s truthfulness, Obi-Wan held onto his belief that the Anakin he knew no longer existed and only the evil Vader remained. In the penultimate episode of “The Acolyte,” titled “Choice,” this theme is further developed as viewers are given various viewpoints on the same heartbreaking occurrences.

In “Choice,” viewers will be drawn back into the captivating sixteen-year-old mystery from “Destiny” through flashbacks. However, this revisit comes with notable differences. Previously in “Destiny,” Osha’s viewpoint and her coven of witches dominated the narrative, while the Jedi and her twin sister Mae were portrayed as instigators. In “Choice,” each of the four Jedi has a more complex backstory that sheds light on their reasons for making questionable decisions. The perspective shifts towards the Jedi and Mae, setting the stage for the season finale with intrigue and suspense.

In the story “Choices,” Sol discovers Force-sensitive twins hidden near the Bunta tree on Brendok, an exploration that was previously led by Osha, who had a habit of going off on her own despite the dangers. Instead of chiding Mae for aggressively using the Thread, it is now Sol who investigates life on a planet once believed to be lifeless due to a major hyperspace disaster a century ago. During his investigation, he encounters these children, who are kept hidden by a witch. When Sol follows them to their fortress, he observes the witches using the Force/Thread for hostile purposes rather than defense, sparking in him a determination (in his own view) to rescue these girls from this coven.

Despite being born as twins presumably derived from a single consciousness split into two, identical entities, Osha harbors caution towards joining the coven and embracing witchcraft. Contrarily, Mae expresses contentment with their life on Brendok and eagerly anticipates their upcoming Ascension ceremony. The coven perceives Ascension as an experience meant to confront fears and relinquish a portion of oneself for the collective benefit, which shares some similarities with Jedi philosophy.

Sol and Indara hold contrasting views regarding the witches’ unusual behaviors, with no guidance from Mae, who is still a novice. To the Jedi, Mae mistakenly quotes her mother as stating, “For everyone to give their lives in order to accomplish their fate.” Mother Aniseya insists that they have gone into hiding due to being pursued for possessing powers deemed “Dark” by some, echoing Chancellor Palpatine’s words to Anakin in “Revenge of the Sith”: “The Dark Side of the Force represents a powerful and unconventional means to access abilities that others may view as unnatural.”

As a gamer, I can tell you that in the game of “Galactic Jedi,” my character, Torbin, approaches the witches of Brendok with caution due to their apparent use of dark Force energy, reminiscent of the Nightsisters from Dathomir. We, the Jedi, were initially investigating a disturbance in the Force, similar to Qui-Gon Jinn’s discovery of Anakin Skywalker in “The Phantom Menace.” Suspicious of this powerful energy, we believed it could have been harnessed to create the mysterious twins.

According to Master Indara’s instructions, Sol accompanies Padawan Torbin, but is also motivated by a desire to save the girls from their cult against his own sense of righteousness. In earlier events, it was disclosed that Mae initiated the blaze, and Osha reportedly witnessed her sister’s malicious intent behind it. However, from Mae’s perspective, she was under immense pressure from Mother Koril to take action (despite Mother Aniseya’s warnings against violence), intending only to confine Osha in the room and destroy her sketchbook bearing a Jedi emblem. As the fire escalates, Mae rushes to her mother for assistance, but Sol, mistakenly believing Mother Aniseya to be Osha and perceiving her vanishing into dark smoke along with her daughter, panics and uses his blue lightsaber to slay the girls’ mother.

Sol was unaware that Mother Aniseya had prioritized becoming a mother over leading her coven and had allowed Osha to join the Jedi, thereby affecting the course of “Destiny.” Mae’s reason for wanting to kill the four Jedi on Brendok becomes clearer since she had only known one Jedi, who had initiated a war that led to the demise of her family as she believed.

The actions of Sol have brought about dire consequences, leaving him riddled with regret as Mother Koril and the coven assault the Jedi. In response, Torbin valiantly shields himself against their arrows wielding a golden lightsaber. The past exploits of Torbin, which included a rebellious youth, may have driven him to take the Barash Vow and succumb to Mae and Qimir’s poison. Indara and Kelnacca feel compelled to intervene as the Master urges, “We need to put an end to this before it escalates into chaos.”

During the fierce clash, Mother Koril transforms into a ominous mist, taunting the Jedi with mocking remarks. Simultaneously, the reason for Kelnacca’s torment and solitary existence becomes clear as the witches collectively harness their power to assault his mind and turn him against his fellow Force-users. Witnessing this incredible display of power, Sol and Torbin are left in awe.

On Brendok, the four Jedi faced consequences for their individual decisions that led to a tragic outcome, leaving only Osha, Mae, and possibly Mother Koril alive. Sol was forced to choose between saving one of the two children; he opted for Osha, believing she held potential as his Padawan. Indara shielded Sol from revealing the truth to the High Council, leading him to believe that Mae had started the fire and that his actions were paving the way for Osha’s Jedi training. However, recent events suggest that Osha may be susceptible to the dark side, as she was seen with Qimir in the Cortosis cave and wearing his helmet. Could uncovering Sol’s hidden past serve as the catalyst that irrevocably changes Osha’s perspective and transforms her into the enigmatic Acolyte?

We’ll have to wait and see.

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2024-07-14 18:52

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