Star Wars: The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland explained why she chose to kill off Carrie-Anne Moss’ character in the first scene of the show.
(L-R): Director Leslye Headland and Lee Jung-jae on the set of Lucasfilm’s THE ACOLYTE, exclusively on Disney+. ©.
In an interview with Games Radar, Headland said, “From a filmmaker perspective, I just felt like with the cold open, especially with a new story, that you just have to go hard. You have to say the Jedi are going to take some Ls; you’re not going to know who the good guys and the bad guys are. And it’s going to feel very visceral.”
She continued, “Even if you already know it’s going to happen, it doesn’t have to be a big gotcha moment. It just has to be a moment where the emotional and the physical – meaning the fights – melt together. Carrie-Anne, not just being an action legend, is also a phenomenal actress. She was able to play all those beats within the fight as well as, of course, her death scene.”
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 07: Leslye Headland onstage during the Acolyte studio panel at the Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Kate Green/Getty Images for Disney)
READ: Leslye Headland Confirms ‘The Acolyte’ Is The “Gayest Star Wars,” And Claims That R2-D2 Is A Lesbian
The opening scene indeed set the tone for the show and informed viewers that it would be incredibly stupid. Amandla Stenberg’s Mae walks into a bar in a port town and confronts Moss’ Master Indara and informs her that she has unfinished business with her. She then gets into a fighting stance and tells Indarra, “Attack me with all your strength.”
The table guests that Indarra is sitting with rightfully laugh at the cringe dialogue and stupid actions of Stenberg’s Mae. Even after Indarra silences them and informs Mae she has no quarrel, Mae demands again, “Attack me, Jedi!” When Indarra informs her that “Jedi do not attack the unarmed,” Mae responds, “Yes, you do.” She then proceeds to attack all the people sitting with Indarra. It’s stupid.
Jedi Master Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss) in Lucasfilm’s THE ACOLYTE, exclusively on Disney+. ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
After Mae beats up all of Indarra’s table guests, Indarra finally decides to intervene. It’s ridiculous to think that a Jedi would just sit and watch her guests get beat up. Yet, that is what Leslye Headland and Lucasfilm did.
From there a battle ensues with Indarra never being truly challenged by Mae. Instead she attempts to figure out who trained her. At one point, she completely disarms her and even seems to recognize her. After being completely disarmed, Mae uses a Force Push to send Indarra flying into a wall. Indarra is forced to draw her lightsaber to destroy a number of knives that Mae throws at her.
Mae is then able to kill Indarra by tossing a knife at the bartender. Indarra stops it with the Force, but Mae then throws another knife at her that kills her. Again, incredibly stupid. It’s almost like Jedi powerful in the Force would be able to use their heightened reflexes and concentration to deflect an incoming knife with a lightsaber while also preventing the bartender from being stabbed.
The scene concludes with Mae about to kill the bartender, but upon seeing the bartender’s child, who was never shown at all before, she chooses not to.
Mae (Amandla Stenberg) in Lucasfilm’s THE ACOLYTE, season one, exclusively on Disney+. ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
What do you make of Headland’s explanation?
NEXT: Leslye Headland’s ‘The Acolyte’ Gets Destroyed By Viewers
