Leslye Headland, the showrunner of The Acolyte, recently said that she originally planned to reveal Manny Jacinto as the show’s Sith Lord in season 2. The Acolyte episode 5 revealed that Qimir, the seemingly harmless trader, was actually the helmeted Sith Lord with various powers and abilities known as the Stranger. It was a huge moment for the Star Wars show, and the Stranger convinced many people to begin watching The Acolyte. However, it was almost pushed back until The Acolyte season 2, and it was Manny Jacinto himself who kept the Stranger as a massive player in The Acolyte season 1.
In an interview with Inverse, Headland said that she originally wanted to keep the Stranger’s identity a secret throughout The Acolyte season 1 and only give him a small part.
This is an interesting tidbit: Originally, even up until shooting, The Stranger was not in a lot of the rest of the season. He was much more of a tee-up for a second season arc. But I saw Manny’s screen test early on in pre-production, and I just thought, ‘There will be riots in the streets if I don’t [go further]. Here we go. I guess I’m rewriting an episode.’ Manny was so impressive in every aspect.
As Headland explained, Jacinto’s performance as a Sith Lord was instantly iconic, and she luckily decided to include it in The Acolyte season 1. It’s difficult to imagine having to wait for an entire new season to be developed and released before the Stranger was unmasked, and Headland made the right decision in giving Jacinto a bigger role in The Acolyte season 1. As Headland said, the changes required a few rewrites, but they were well worth it to give The Acolyte a truly phenomenal character in its first season.
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Headland mentioned that there would have been “riots in the street” if she hadn’t given the Stranger more scenes in The Acolyte season 1, and she was likely right. Jacinto has been an instant hit with viewers, and the Stranger has added an incredible amount of darkness, complexity, intrigue, and more to The Acolyte. The Stranger is the most interesting character the show has introduced to date, and it’s hard to imagine what The Acolyte would have been without him, even after just one full episode. Headland’s original plan would likely have worked just as well, but the Stranger’s reveal was a true treat.
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Revealing Qimir as the Stranger worked supremely well in The Acolyte episode 5, but it also avoided a huge problem the show would potentially have run into if it kept the reveal for season 2. Many viewers were already correctly guessing that Qimir was The Acolyte‘s Sith Lord, and trying to hide that for an entire season could have quickly grown tiresome. Additionally, The Acolyte‘s mystery was almost too mysterious before the Stranger’s reveal. If he had been kept unidentified until season 2, there was a real risk that The Acolyte wouldn’t have answered enough of its central questions to keep viewers interested in solving them.
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Aside from the benefits to The Acolyte, Headland’s decision to rewrite some episodes to include the Stranger more highlights another thing: Manny Jacinto’s skill as an actor. After just a screen test, his performance convinced Headland to change her entire plan for the show. That’s a huge leap of faith for a showrunner as invested in their show as Headland is, but Jacinto was clearly worth it. Already, Jacinto has stunned audiences as the Stranger, and The Acolyte has benefited greatly for having him in it.
Source: Inverse
The Acolyte
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The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes – all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
- Cast
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Amandla Stenberg
, Lee Jung-jae
, Joonas Suotamo
, Charlie Barnett
, Dafne Keen
, Leah Brady
, Manny Jacinto
, Rebecca Henderson
, Carrie-Anne Moss
, Jodie Turner-Smith
, Dean-Charles Chapman
, Lauren Brady
, Anthony J. Abraham
, Thara Shöön
, Danielle Xin Yao Waterman
, Sienna Khiroya
, Jeramiah Evans
, Dan Milne
, Thomas Coombes
, Archie Singh Swali
, Nick Court
, Ed Kear
, Jumayn Hunter
, Scroobius Pip
, Abigail Thorn
, Margarita Levieva
, Amy Tsang
, Saskia Allen
, Deborah Rosan
, Tabitha Alege
, Paul Bullion
, Indra Ové
, Derek Arnold
, Lewis Young - Character(s)
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Mae
, Master Sol
, Kelnacca
, Yord Fandar
, Jecki Lon
, Little Mae
, Qimir
, Master Vernestra Rwoh
, Master Indara
, Mother Aniseya
, Master Torbin
, Padawan Torbin
, Little Osha
, Fillik
, Tasi Lowa
, Youngling
, Restrained Convict
, Convict
, Olega Urchin
, Olega Master
, Olega Padawan
, Scavenger
, Ensign Eurus
, Mother Koril
, Ensign Rane
, Scout Sarria
, Ensign Shima
, Elder Jaalyn
, Master Lakshay
, Master Holden
, Master Ki-Adi-Mundi
, Jedi Knight - Showrunner
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Leslye Headland
