Leslye Headland Teases an Unusual Romance in ‘The Acolyte’

Disney’s latest Star Wars project, The Acolyte, has been streaming on Disney+ since June 4, 2024. Despite facing controversies and review-bombing, it remains one of the most talked-about shows, with fans actively discussing the series and various character theories.

A significant source of the controversy is the showrunner, Leslye Headland, whose comments and reactions have sparked considerable online debate. However, the situation has started to improve following Episode 5, and it appears the series might receive better reviews before its conclusion, despite the criticism directed at Headland.

With only eight episodes in the season and two remaining, Headland seems to have exciting plans for the finale. In a recent interview with Inverse, she hinted at intriguing developments, including a potential romantic subplot in the series.

Headland’s remarks on the series and the Star Wars universe have sparked significant online discussion and show no signs of fading anytime soon. Despite a rocky start, the series has gained momentum since Episode 5 and is now among the most popular shows currently airing.

In an interview with Inverse, Headland covered various aspects of the series, including a potential romantic subplot between Osha and Qimir, which emerged unexpectedly due to the events of Episode 6.

The Internet is quietly shipping Osha and Qimir. What can we expect from their relationship now that they’re stuck together?

How do I answer this? Well…

Are you into the good girl/bad guy pairing?

I mean, enemies to lovers, baby. But I don’t even think this is “good girl against bad guy.” I think it’s more like… OK, I’ll put it this way. I always really loved the line in A New Hope when Obi-Wan says “Vader was seduced by the Dark Side.” Always loved that word, “seduced.” I can also say that I was sent one fanfic — which I’m really glad has already started — and I was absolutely surprised at how prescient it was.

Source: Inverse

But, aside from this, it seems that Headland was aware of the potential hype and ship from the very beginning:

I think I know the one that you’re talking about because I saw it on X [formerly known as Twitter], and I was like, “Already?”

Somebody sent it to me, and I also thought, “Already?” I mean, it was like Wednesday. The show had not been out 24 hours, and I read it and I was like, “OK, damn. OK!”

Listen, I’m not hugely in that world, but I do think that when people get into their own imaginations — whether they’re playing Elden Ring or they’re writing fanfic — they can come up with a lot of really, really fun stuff. People who love Star Wars really love worlds. They love living in it, they love taking their time watching it and looking at every little detail, and then dreaming about it and imagining it, and sometimes that comes out as people writing fan fiction, and sometimes it’s very smart fan fiction.

While this doesn’t provide specific details, the possibility is certainly intriguing. Do you think they would make a good pair, or would it be a poor choice to ship them together? Share your thoughts in the comments below!