Evil is rising in a galaxy far, far away, and the ending of "The Acolyte" finale paves the way for a phantom menace. The "Star Wars" show concluded its first season with an episode packed with plot, action, deaths, cameos and allusions to future events from the films.
"Star Wars" fans are buzzing about those cameos, in particular, and whether "The Acolyte" episode 8 sets up a potential second season. A lot of questions are swirling around the finale, and we do our best to answer them.
Warning: Spoilers ahead.
What happens in 'The Acolyte' finale?
Episode 7 finally revealed what went down on Brendok all those years ago. Turns out that Sol (Lee Jung-jae) killed Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith) and the Jedi inadvertently wiped out the entire coven.
In episode 8, all surviving players return to Brendok, the scene of the crime and the site of an apparent Force vergence. That includes Sol, twins Mae and Osha (Amandla Stenberg), Qimir/the Stranger (Manny Jacinto), and Master Vernestra (Rebecca Henderson) with a team of Jedi.
As Osha and Qimir depart, a mysterious figure emerges from a cave — seemingly, Qimir's dark side master (more on that below).
A lightsaber battle ensued between Sol and the Stranger, while the twins engaged in hand-to-hand combat until the Jedi team's ship arrived at the temple. Mae confronted Sol about her mother's death, with Osha secretly listening as he tried to explain and apologize. Enraged, Osha ends up suffocating her once-beloved master — killing him without a weapon, as the Stranger had wanted Mae to do.
Osha and the Stranger prepare to escape the approaching Jedi, but first, he wipes out Mae's memory so she can't give up their location.
Back on Coruscant, Vernestra covers up the entire incident by blaming Sol for the events of the past. Later, she approaches one person to discuss the matter further — a Jedi master familiar to all "Star Wars" fans.
What is the meaning of Yoda's cameo?
At the very end of the finale, Vernestra enters the room of one of the most famous Jedi of all time. Though we only see the back of his head, it's clear that it is Yoda.
“Sorry to disturb you, master. We need to talk," she says.
Yoda, of course, is alive and well during this time period. In the films, he's hundreds of years old and "The Acolyte" takes place about 100 years before "The Phantom Menace."
The tiny green Jedi master's cameo creates a bridge between the events of that movie and the show. In the film, the Jedi Council is stunned to discover that the Sith are active, having believed them extinct for more than a millennium.
Clearly, Vernestra's cover-up by blaming Sol as a rogue Jedi works. It's unclear whether she will tell Yoda the truth, as he seems just as surprised as the other council members in "Phantom Menace." Then again, he could have been acting.
Whether Yoda is part of the cover-up or not is up in the air. Maybe we'll learn more about it if "The Acolyte" gets a second season.
Is the shadowy figure in the cave Darth Plagueis?
Another cameo happened earlier in the finale that really set "Star Wars" fans into a whirl. When Qimir and Osha leave his home base of Bal'demnic to go to Brendok, a shadowy figure emerges from a cave.
While he is not identified, he is most likely Darth Plagueis, an infamous Sith Lord. The figure not only resembles Plagueis, but the timing is right for him to be there.
The story of Darth Plagueis the Wise was told by Chancellor Palpatine to Anakin Skywalker in "Revenge of the Sith." As Palpatine explained, Plagueis was obsessed with immortality and performed experiments with midi-chlorians to find a way to cheat death and also create life ... just like the coven on Brendok did with Osha and Mae. Plagueis was eventually killed by his apprentice, Darth Sidious aka Palpatine.
Plagueis' appearance in "The Acolyte" finale raises a host of questions. Is Qimir a young Palpatine? Or did Plagueis have another apprentice before Sidious. Does Qimir recruit Mae, then Osha, as his own apprentice because of the way they were created? Will they be subjected to Plagueis' experiments?
Is 'The Acolyte' getting season 2?
Disney Plus has yet to renew "The Acolyte" for a second season.
As I wrote above, the finale certainly set up a lot of questions and potential storylines to explore in season 2. While most of the Jedi main characters, like Sol, are dead, others can be introduced. Vernestra could become more of a key player, while we could learn whether Yoda has a role in her cover-up. Season 2 could follow Osha's apprenticeship in the dark side under Qimir and Plagueis, and the latter's experiments with midi-chlorians.
However, the prospects for "The Acolyte" season 2 aren't very good. Viewership has been low — very low. While Disney Plus doesn't publicize viewing data, Nielsen's tracking service indicates "The Acolyte" is the second least-watched and second lowest-rated "Star Wars" series (though the bottom show is "Andor," which can boast critical acclaim and accolades). "The Acolyte" is not as beloved as "Andor" and has been watched by fewer people than "Ahsoka," yet cost more to make.
So, I wouldn't put money on "The Acolyte" season 2.
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