Full spoilers follow for episode one of The Acolyte.
Star Wars: The Acolyte will revolutionize Lucasfilm’s legendary sci-fi franchise – that was the main takeaway from me and many other fans ahead of its Disney Plus debut. Okay, no one promised that, but when quotes like “it’ll be unlike anything you’ve seen before” were thrown around pre-release, it’s easy to see why so many of us had high expectations before the first two episodes were released. released.
Then color me disappointed The acolyte‘s first major plot twist was just thrown out in passing. Major spoilers follow for the first entry of the show, so turn back now unless you’ve seen it.
I had more than a few suspicions about one of the series’ most important revelations (I’m convinced it’s neither the first nor the last). Indeed, one of them The acolyte‘s most recent trailers spoiled this major plot twist almost two weeks before episodes one and two – titled ‘Lost/Found’ and ‘Revenge/Justice’ – aired. So spoiling the surprise for myself is partly my responsibility because I watched the trailer, but I also blame Lucasfilm and Disney for not triple checking the teaser for potential story spoilers.
But I’m losing track. The surprise in question is that Amandla Stenberg is the first actor to sign on The acolyte in December 2021, not only one character – Mae – will star in one of the confirmed 2024 Star Wars TV shows. She will also play Osha, Mae’s identical twin brother who, like her estranged sibling, was trained in the ways of the Force before turning their backs on the Jedi Order. Their reasons for this are not yet clear, but Osha is now a ‘mechanic’ currently being hired by the Galactic Trade Federation. To remind, The acolyte is set during The High Republic era of Star Wars and takes place approximately a century earlier Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menaceso the Trade Federation is still doing well at the moment.
Anyway, in episode one we are first introduced to Mae, who has traveled to Ueda to kill Jedi Master Indara, which she successfully does, setting the plot of this series in motion. We then spend much of ‘Lost/Found’ following Osha, who has been wrongly identified as Indara’s killer. No one other than Osha and Jedi Master Sol know that Osha has a twin sister, which is why she was accidentally installed as public enemy number one.
It isn’t until around the 30 minute mark that we find out that Osha and Mae are not the same person. Mae uses her Sith-based Force powers and familial bond with Osha to reach the latter, via an illusory trip down memory lane, after the prisoner transport ship Osha is on crash-lands on Carlac. It is here, using the Force-based manifestation, that Mae reveals to Osha that she is still alive, with the latter believing that she died along with the rest of the couple’s family when Mae curiously set their house on fire during their childhood stung.
The revelation will be surprising to most viewers. But for me it just didn’t have the necessary oomph to stand out as well as it should. Again, that’s probably because I already knew Stenberg was playing two characters.
The biggest problem I have with The acolyteThe game’s big spoiler, however, is when it happens. As I mentioned, not only is this storyline thrown at us just 30 minutes into “Lost/Found,” which isn’t enough time to emotionally invest in Osha and Mae’s journeys, but it’s also quite gentle in its execution of it. We should be shocked by Mae’s revelation, but for me it produces a reaction that resembles an “…oh” instead of an “Oooooooohh!”.
Amandla Stenberg is INCREDIBLE. I think Osha is my favorite character so far. And the way she switches between her and Mae?? Disturbed.June 5, 2024
I also expected this to happen much later in the story. Maybe that’s because of how I thought the plot would go, which would have gone something like this: Someone kills Jedi, so Sol teams up with his estranged former apprentice in Mae to solve the case. It isn’t until around episode three, aka the midpoint of the show, that we discover – shock horror – that Mae has a twin brother named Osha, who she has framed for these murders. Initially believing Osha to be the culprit, Sol and Mae arrest her, only for Sol (with Osha’s help) to eventually deduce that Mae is the real criminal, that she betrayed him and that she is now the Jedi temple on Coruscant to kill. more Light Side Force bearers. No, I haven’t thought much about this storyline. I came up with it on the spot. Quiet.
I suspect there will be more exciting twists in later episodes. Based on how The acolyte‘s mystery-filled story is likely to continue, it makes sense to also get the Osha/Mae reveal out of the way early. But even though I don’t want to devalue the story that creator Leslye Headland (and her fellow writers) have crafted, nor Stenberg’s brilliant performances as both characters, I can’t help but have a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that this twist could have been imbued with more intrigue and shock value.
I still have high hopes for it The acolyte and believe it will ultimately earn a spot on our list of the best Disney Plus shows. Right now, though, it’s off to an unremarkable start in the realm of mystery thrillers – and I believe that has solely to do with where the first curveball takes place. Prove me wrong, Lucasfilm.