'There Isn't One Answer to It': The Acolyte Showrunner on Episode 3 Revelation (2024)

The latest episode of The Acolyte delved into the backstory of the show's identical twins, Mae and Osha, and why they are seemingly in opposition to one another in the first two episodes. However, the third episode also contains a revelation concerning their true origin that adds an entirely new layer to the show.

In an interview with EW, showrunner Leslye Headland discussed the events that unfolded in the third episode titled, "Destiny," which explained the tragic backstory that has caused a riff between the twins. However, what will surely result in lots of debate among Star Wars fans, is what was teased as the true origin of the twins. On the planet Brendok, Mae and Osha are set to complete the witches' coven ascension ceremony, which would keep the twins on the planet for good. When the Jedi discover that there are force-wielding children on the planet, they arrive on Brendok led by Jedi Master Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss). When Indara inquires as to where their father is, Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith) says, "They have no father." Aniseya would add even more levels of intrigue in the following scene saying, "I created them," in reference to the twins.

This presents more questions than answers, but showrunner Leslye Headland is remaining coy as to what Aniseya exactly means. "If you keep watching the show, we do talk about that and explore that. I would say there isn't one answer to it," Headland says. "Some characters believe certain things, and other characters believe other things in terms of what she means by that. So you're going to have to watch and decide which side of that argument you're on." The revelation is reminiscent of Anakin Skywalker's origin in The Phantom Menace, when his mother Shmi explains to Qui-Gon Jinn that Anakin had no father. What this exactly means concerning Osha and Mae, remains unclear.

Headland Explains the Inspiration Behind the Coven

The explosive third episode provided an answer as to what exactly happened to prompt Mae's future antagonism towards the Jedi, but also introduced a new branch of force-wielding witches to the Star Wars canon. Witches have become more prevalent in the Disney Star Wars era, as recently the Nightsisters, also known as the Witches of Dathomir, popped up in Ahsoka. According to Headland, the Nightsisters were a source of inspiration for The Acolyte's story, and she wanted to add her own take on the concept. "I was very inspired by the Nightsisters storyline and the Ventress storyline on The Clone Wars when I was a budding writer," Headland said. "So when I got the chance to make a show set in the Star Wars universe, it felt like, ‘Well, of course I'm going to do my version of witches. I just am going to shoot my shot."

Headland also teased that the coven is integral to understanding Osha and Mae as characters, and that the true origin of where they come from is special. "As the characters developed, it made a lot of sense that they would be at the center of a coven," Headland said. "That the girls would be almost revealed not as children, but as the legacy of what their mother started." The fourth episode of The Acolyte will hopefully lean more into the questions presented in the third episode, and will be released on Disney+ on June 18.

All episodes of The Acolyte are available to stream on Disney+.

Source: EW

The Acolyte

Action

Adventure

Mystery

A Star Wars series that takes viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era.

Release Date

June 4, 2024

Cast

Lee Jung-jae , Jodie Turner-Smith , Amandla Stenberg , Rebecca Henderson

Main Genre

Science Fiction

Seasons

1

Franchise

Star Wars

Creator

Leslye Headland

Number of Episodes

8