‘The Acolyte’ Cast’s Shocking Response to Episode 5 Massacre: “What Kind of Sick, Twisted Masochist Are You?”

Yesterday, ‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’ premiered its 5th episode, marking the halfway point of the series with an intensifying pace. The latest installment delivered several jolting twists: the deaths of two significant characters, Yord and Jecki Lon, brutally executed by Qimir—revealed as The Stranger, Sith Lord and master of Mae. Additionally, viewers discovered a pivotal swap between Mae and Osha, with Mae heading to Coruscant to meet Master Sol, while Osha fell into Qimir’s clutches.

Naturally, the revelation of Qimir as a Sith Lord was intended to be the episode’s climax. Actor Manny Jacinto disclosed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that he had to keep this secret for two years, misleading those close to him.

I’m the worst liar. I’ve been lying to people for the last two years — to their faces, some of them, they straight up call me out and they’re like, ‘I don’t trust what you’re saying.’ Some of them believe me. But I’ve been lying, and it gives me a lot of anxiety, having to lie to people. I mean, right now I’m tingling. Just because this is the first time that I’m actually able to talk about it

Headland commented on feedback she received during development, where some cautioned that there might be excessive fighting.

I got some feedback when we were writing and prepping the episode that said, ‘Gosh, it’s just so much fighting. Don’t you think the audience will tune out at some point? And I said, ‘No, I feel really confident that they’re going to love this.

She also detailed how she created a false sense of security by sacrificing numerous background characters on screen, only to unexpectedly kill off the main characters. Headland admitted she was surprised by what she could push the boundaries of within the typically family-friendly franchise.

That’s what I loved about starting with the red shirts. You’re kind of like, ‘Oh, he’a just going to kill a bunch of red shirts, and everybody is going to be fine and… OH MY GOD, JECKI’S DEAD! Okay, I’m listening. […] I just figured someone would stop me and nobody did. I figured someone would say, ‘This is too far!’ But they didn’t.

Amandla Stenberg, the star of the show, remarked on the cast’s reaction to Headland’s plan, stating that they were not just shocked but completely taken aback.

We were all like, ‘Leslye, the way that you take them out is so brutal! What the hell? What kind of sick, twisted masochist are you?

Dafne Keen commented that she liked that Headland actually dared to kill people:

There are so many directors in blockbuster sagas that are so scared to kill off their characters, and are so comfortable with bringing characters back to life, and all of these little writer tricks that I think are quite cheeky. And I really like that she was actually killing people. Because if you’re not making it dangerous, then why are we even here? Why are we concerned by the story? Why do we care? Leslye has such a backbone as a writer, to make you fall in love with these characters and then slaughter them all like pigs and be like, ‘Yeah, this is our villain. We’re not just saying he’s so big and scary, we’re actually showing you how big and scary he is.

What are your thoughts on the Episode 5 massacre? Share your opinions in the comments!