On paper, in broad strokes, this makes sense. It would have been a pretty fresh idea for Star Wars to reveal that Sol was actually a desperate, obsessive kidnapper who planned the murder of the coven in order to “save” the girls. But that is not how it’s played onscreen. Instead, the show tries to have it both ways.
Sure, Sol insisted on manipulating Osha to fly to Coruscant with him. But he was just trying to keep her safe. Okay, so he murdered the twins’ mom. But it wasn’t premeditated—it all happened so fast. Yes, he let Mae fall to her doom. But what else was he supposed to do? His Force power wasn’t Force-y enough to save them both!!!
If you’re going to turn Sol upside down, turn him upside down. If you’re going to present the idea that Jedi aren’t as monastic and morally unimpeachable as they present themselves, go all the way. The episode is called “Choice,” and although Sol and the rest of the Jedi certainly make morally questionable decisions, the show goes out of its way to assure you that they’re still good people despite their hubris. It’s as if they were all but forced to make the bad choices they made because they’re too compassionate.
Sure, good people sometimes do bad things and vice versa. But wouldn’t the story be more interesting if these Jedi did truly malevolent, ugly things in the spur of the moment? When Torbin killed himself out of principle for what he did on Brendok, it suggested what he did must have been unspeakable. Turns out, he was an inexperienced kid who made some dumbass mistakes because he was homesick and mind-f*cked by witches. Indara killed the coven, but sheesh, they were trying to kill her friends.
The point is, we understand the Jedi had to make difficult decisions, but the circumstances surrounding those decisions seem to absolve the Jedi of responsibility in a wishy-washy way. How are we meant to feel about all this? Do we hate them? Do we love them? Nope. Neither of those. That’s the problem.
Scratch that: That’s a problem. Another problem is that this episode is poisoned with exposition, the same sci-fi fantasy, midi-chlorian drivel that threatened to sap all the magic out of the franchise in the Star Wars prequels. Sol claims that “nothing could be more important to the Jedi” than protecting and researching a vergence. Nothing more important? Okay, so a vergence can create life. But guess what else can? People. Isn’t the Jedi Order’s mission to keep the peace and protect people? How the hell did this “vergence” thing skip to the front of the line?
