'The Acolyte' Creator Leslye Headland Discusses The Finale
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The Acolyte is now ready to be binge-watched from beginning to end. With the final episode of its first season, fans were treated to the same great storytelling and masterful character development they expect from being part of the Star Wars franchise. One thing fans might not have been expecting was Osha continuing her journey on the dark side with The Stranger, nor a mind-wiped Mae being captured by the Jedi and then used as a pawn for Vernestra. According to Collider, The Acolyte “took bold risks by making the proverbial villains the "heroes" of the story, while painting the Jedi out to be the flawed institution that they are.”
While painting traditional villains in a hero’s light is not new, showrunner Leslye Headland has been forthcoming about how The Good Place’s Manny Jacinto brought her to rewrite episodes, and this was especially true for the first season finale. Headland recounts to Collider, “I had to rewrite that scene many times because the villain outlining his plan is so ridiculous. Really, the ultimate version of that is Heath Ledger's Joker. You're never gonna hit that, but that's the goal….I think that's what makes villains so compelling because there is that little piece of every writer in the villains, kind of pushing an idea that they have harbored within them. The villain is a great proxy for getting those feelings out.”
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With the finale, Headland’s dream had come true. After the rewrite, Jacinto expanded his range and thus was the star of “epic” lightsaber battles akin to Duel of the Fates while giving the battle its own identity. Headland stated the inspiration for these battles came from the train sequence from The Matrix and allows the audience to question who they want to root for and why. While it was already planned for Osha to become a Sith and Mae to join the Jedi, Headland’s love of classic film tropes such as the father (or father figure) being betrayed brought the death of Sol at the hands of Osha.
Leslye Headland aimed for her characters to forge their paths, be it through treachery or goodness. As Osha, The Stranger, Mae, and the rest of the characters of The Acolyte continue on their respective journeys, there are questions in the writing room as Headland and the other writers discuss how to create a greater sense of “intimacy” with the characters and their abilities. Perhaps there could be a “bleeding lightsaber.” The symbol of a Jedi and Sith’s power and strength on a separate journey would be a great and unexpected development. The Acolyte is certainly breaking new barriers and creating more dynamic storylines for the future.
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Source: Collider
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