The Star Wars universe is quite diverse, with several movies and shows being added to the list every now and then. While this would be great news for fans and aficionados, it’s also a point of tension as they do not want the already established storyline to be jeopardized.
Now, after Ahsoka season 1, it was The Acolyte’s turn to create some magic on the streaming service Disney+, created under the cinematic canvas of Leslye Headland, who also directed the series Russian Doll.
While initially, the series received a warm welcome from the fans, the later episodes were subject to a lot of criticism. One of them being that her series has embraced a supposedly more “woke” storyline, and queerness.
Leslye Headland defends her directorial vision for The Acolyte
In the history of Star Wars, Leslye Headland would be the first openly queer person to direct a major Star Wars project. However, due to her directing and creative vision, Headland has received a lot of criticism for some LGBTQ+ messaging in the series with Mother Aniseya and Mother Koril in focus.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the director justified her approach to filmmaking and added-
As a gay woman, I knew it would read that their sexuality is queer, but there also aren’t any men in their community. So, a closeness between the two of them would be natural. It seemed plot driven. I would say it’s really reductive to call them lesbians.
One of the main reasons for the outrage was that the Aniseya twins, Osha and Mae, were born to two mothers, Aniseya (Jodi Turner-Smith) and Koril (Margarita Levieva), whom the majority of internet commenters describe as a lesbian couple. The two mothers led an outcast coven of witches on Brendok, where they practiced their own distinct form of force (The Thread).
A narrative, though not substantiated, stated that Aniseya used her force powers to impregnate Koril with the twins to increase the ranks of the outcast coven. However, their birth had a strong Anakin Skywalker link, which could jeopardize the chosen one prophecy.
The saga of Osha and Mae on The Acolyte threatens a major Anakin Skywalker plot
In episode 3 of The Acolyte, Mother Koril and Mother Aniseya debate Osha’s decision to train as a Jedi. When Mother Aniseya insists that it was her decision, Mother Koril responds with-
And what happens if the Jedi discover how you created them?
When asked this question, mother Aniseya does not respond, hinting that there is a secret reality behind the origin of the sole children in a community of just women. However, this is not the first time the audience has witnessed a powerful force without a definite father.
In Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon Jinn questions Shmi Skywalker about Anakin’s father, and her response is unclear: “There is no father.” This was enough for the fans to believe that Anakin Skywalker was formed by the Force itself, making him the chosen one.
While the exact details of Anakin Skywalker’s birth are unknown, some theories link it to Palpatine’s Force experiments, as evidenced by Darth Vader’s vision of his pregnant mother being overshadowed by Darth Sidious (Palpatine). However, Lucasfilm publicly refuted this notion, as reported by Screen Rant, revealing that Anakin was created by the will of the Force rather than the dark side.
However, now with The Acolyte showing that Anakin was not the first force formed using unconventional ways, it opens up countless additional possibilities to be investigated in the Star Wars universe.
Watch The Acolyte currently streaming on Disney+
