The Acolyte’s Twin Concept Sputters In Its Debut

 

While The Acolyte is reviewing well enough, as good as Ahsoka, perhaps, but not quite as well as The Mandalorian and Andor, I came away from the episode not really liking the entire central premise.

This is not a spoiler, as both a late TV spot and an interview with the star herself confirmed this before the show even came out, that Amandla Stenberg plays force-powered twins on the show. Here’s what she said to The Electric Playground

I…don’t like it so far. I don’t think it worked well in the first two episodes, and I’m not sure how I feel about how it seems like it’s going to play out going forward, but I suppose I have to give it more of a chance.

There are a few problems with this. The show tries to pull a “gotcha” in the first episode by having Mae stalk and kill a Jedi (Carrie-Anne Moss, who better be in some flashbacks lest she not be totally wasted). Then, we see a chipper, very not-killer-seeming Osha in the next scene, who is arrested for the crime and everyone quickly puzzles out that a twin sister she thought was dead is in fact alive, and now hunting Jedi. It feels like kind of a cheap trick of an opening.

One minor thing that really bothers me, and again, seems like it’s bending over backwards to make this concept work, is that both sisters have the same hairstyle, the red braids arranged in the same way (Mae’s is longer down the sides, I suppose). As I watched, I thought “oh, maybe Mae is disguising herself as Osha on purpose” except no, it’s revealed Mae does not even know Osha is alive either. But still, same hair, adding to the confusion and the gimmick that everyone thinks Osha is the killer initially. I guess it also helps with wardrobe changes when filming…

I also hope the story isn’t making a straight line toward exactly where I think it’s going, namely:

• The four Jedi being stalked, including her old master, have some responsibility for the fire that killed their family and separated the two girls. And/or they purposefully left Mae to die, thinking she was evil for starting the fire, while saving her sister.
• Osha eventually convinces Mae to turn from the dark side so they can be sisters again (especially since so much of this is seemingly revenge for a sister she now knows is alive?).

Again, it’s just two episodes, but I do hope things get better from here, as I was not in love with the double premiere, and the twin thing feels grating and forced to me. But we’ll see how it goes.

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