The Acolyte episode 7 ending explained: "Choice"

Whew. Where do we go from here, my friends?

This week, The Acolyte took us on a walk through the horrific happenings in Brendok and while it explained some things, it still left some insanely itchy and urgent questions untouched.

But what does this ending mean? Let's break down the ending and see how things could go in the season finale next week. And, of course, SPOILER WARNING. Please continue to read at your own risk.

The Acolyte episode 7 ending explained - "Choice"

We start with our Jedi crew - Sol, Indara, Kelnacca, and Torbin - crashing the witches' party at the fortress. After some sneaky reconnaissance and Assassin’s Creed-style climbing, Sol discovers the mystical twins, Mae and Osha, being tested by Mother Anysea. Things get heated as Mother Koril sniffs out Sol’s presence and decides to go full defense mode. The Jedi break in, ready to save the twins and stop whatever spooky ritual is going down. Torbin gets mind-melded by Mother Anysea, who’s playing puppet master with his emotions. Poor Torbin’s a mess, wanting to bolt back to Coruscant. Meanwhile, Indara’s all business, demanding to test the twins.

The episode drops a bit of a bombshell - Mae and Osha aren’t just twins; they’re basically one person split into two. Their insanely high M-count, the kind that would make Emperor Palpatine sweaty with jealousy, makes them a vergence of the Force. Torbin, in a weird and seemingly-off hot-headed fashion, rushes to the fortress, thinking he’s got the key to their return to Coruscant. As the confrontations begin, Mae accidentally sets the fortress on fire, panicking like a kid who’s dropped an ice cream cone. Sol and Torbin arrive just in time for a Jedi vs. witches showdown. Sol kills Mother Anysea and Mother Koril possesses Kelnacca, turning the Wookie into a force of fury. Sol’s epic acrobatics save the day as Indara brings Kelnacca back to his senses.

Here’s where it gets super intense. Sol finds the twins trapped on separate collapsing platforms. With the fortress falling apart, he has to make an impossible choice. In a gut-wrenching moment, he surprises us all and, instead of adrenaline kicking in and giving him a hand with the Force so he could save both girls, he chooses to save just Osha, letting Mae fall to her doom. The entire coven except for Mae and Osha are dead, and it's the Jedi's fault.

Back at the Jedi ship, emotions are raw. Indara and Sol argue over how everything went sideway and how the council’s not going to be thrilled about how things went down. The Jedi decide to tell the council a cover story as the truth - Mae burned down the fortress and all the witches died. The episode ends with Osha waking up, and Sol feeding her the same lie, trying to protect her.

Speculation station - what could this mean for The Acolyte's season finale?

1. The Council’s Verdict: The Jedi Council had to have some serious questions. How did they react to the news about Mae and Osha’s true nature? Does Master Venestra know about the truth? Was she part of the council when it happened and, if so, has she been keeping the truth hidden for the last 16 years? Why are these Jedi so not very Jedi-like?

2. Osha’s Future: Considering how much she wanted to be a Jedi and how different she is from Mae, how will she cope with the truth about that night at Brendok? Will she give in to the Dark Side in anger and join Qimir? Will it do anything to her set decision not to join the Dark Side? How will she feel about Sol when she finds out he killed her mother?

3. Sol’s Struggle: Sol’s killing of Mother Anysea and his decision to save Osha over Mae are bound to haunt him to this day. Expect this to play a big part in the next episode. Will he turn? Will this consume him? Will he actually tell Osha and Mae the truth?

Looking at all those questions, next episode promises more drama, action, and emotional damage. While we can only wait for the next six days to fly by, we can only speculate on what this truth could bring to the table. Who will side with whom? Where does Qimir fit into all of this?

Find out next Tuesday, July 16th, on Disney+.