Did The Acolyte Episode 5 Really Quote Jordan Peterson?
"The Acolyte" is ripping the "Star Wars" fan base apart, as the Disney+ series has been the target of review bombing and vitriolic discourse. Furthermore, the controversy probably won't die down in the wake of Season 1, Episode 5, as Qimir (Manny Jacinto) seemingly quoted the hot-button-pushing conservative pundit Jordan Peterson.
The moment occurs at the end of the episode when Qimir says, "Even in the revelation of our triumph, we see the depth of our despair." This is reminiscent of Peterson's interview on "The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett," where he said, "Wherever I go in the world people come up to me and they often have a pretty rough story to relate. It's an awful thing because you see, even in the revelation of their triumph, the initial depth of their despair." Is there a connection here? It seems that way.
Of course, this isn't the first time that the Daily Wire host has influenced fictional characters. Peterson is the real-life inspiration behind Chris Pine's character in "Don't Worry Darling," suggesting that creative types turn to him for villainous ideas. However, Jacinto has his own interpretation of Qimir's quote, and it doesn't pertain to Peterson's teachings.
Manny Jacinto's take on Qimir's words
Jordan Peterson is a polarizing figure, so having your show's villain adopt his lingo is an effective way of making some audience members root against him. That said, Manny Jacinto believes that there's more meaning behind Qimir's words than simply referencing real-life sociopolitical pundits.
"It's basically summing up everything that you thought you knew in these first episodes. Now we're going into completely different territory. Now it's a different world that we're going to introduce you to, and not just a new story, but new motivations for all of the different characters," he told Entertainment Weekly.
Everyone will have their own interpretation of Qimir's words, but the Peterson similarities are notable. Furthermore, it marks the latest instance of a villain from the galaxy far, far away embracing real-world figures. One "Ahsoka" theory argues that Baylan Skoll isn't from the "Star Wars" galaxy as he quotes people like King Louis XIV and Pablo Picasso. That said, only time will tell if Qimir is the subject of similar hot takes after "The Acolyte" has ended.