The Acolyte’s Twin Concept Falters in Debut
WhileThe Acolyteis receiving decent reviews, comparable to Ahsoka but not quite matchingThe MandalorianandAndor,I found myself unimpressed with the central premise after watching the first episode.
This isn’t a spoiler, as both a recent TV spot and an interview with the star herself revealed before the show aired that Amandla Stenberg plays force-powered twins. In an interview with The Electric Playground, she shared:
I play twins in the show. Their names are Osha and Mae, and they kind of lean towards different sides of the Force. Although that’s debatable, and hopefully, it’ll become clearer once everyone gets to see the show. Mae is on a path of revenge – she’s on a warpath. Something in their childhood separated the twins, and now Mae is seeking revenge. Osha, a mechanic who used to be part of the Jedi order but left as a padawan, is accused of the revenge taking place and must defend herself while discovering that her twin sister is still alive.”
I’m not fond of it so far. It didn’t resonate well in the first two episodes, and I’m uncertain about its future direction. However, I’ll give it more time to see if it improves.
There are several issues. The show attempts a “gotcha” moment in the first episode with Mae stalking and killing a Jedi (Carrie-Anne Moss, who hopefully will appear in flashbacks). Then we see a cheerful, innocent-seeming Osha, who is arrested for the crime. The plot quickly reveals that Osha’s presumed-dead twin sister is alive and hunting Jedi, which felt like a cheap trick.
One minor but bothersome detail is that both sisters have the same hairstyle—red braids arranged similarly (Mae’s are longer down the sides). Initially, I thought Mae might be disguising herself as Osha, but it’s revealed that Mae doesn’t even know Osha is alive. This identical hair adds to the confusion and the gimmick that Osha is mistaken for the killer. It likely also simplifies wardrobe changes during filming.
I also hope the story doesn’t head straight toward what seems predictable:
The four Jedi being stalked, including Osha's old master, might be responsible for the fire that killed their family and separated the twins. They might have left Mae to die, thinking she started the fire, while saving Osha.
Osha eventually persuades Mae to turn from the dark side, and they reunite as sisters.
Again, it’s only been two episodes, but I hope the series improves. The double premiere didn’t captivate me, and the twin concept feels forced and grating. Let’s see how it progresses.
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Paul Tassi
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I’ve been writing about video games, television, and movies for Forbes for over 10 years, and you may have seen my reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. Read More
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