I love a good flashback episode but this week’s episode did not feature the female lead at all and instead opted to tell the story of her and her twin sister as little girls without her current perspective. A bold choice for just the third episode of the series where character development is needed so the audience can get a sense of the motivations. Some shows would not have this type of episode until a little later in the season.
The opening scene shows us the different personalities of the twins. Osha more caring while dealing with an animal and Mae showing signs of sociopath tendies by trapping the butterfly like creature using the force. The two girls fight over Osha running off to be on her own and leaving Mae behind planting the seeds that Mae is dependent on Osha, always wanting to be by her side and loving being a twin while Mae just wants to be her own person.
The girls are found by Mother Quirrell and chastised for being outside the boundary while a young Master Sol looks on. As the girls return to the village with Mother Quirrell we meet Mother Aniseya. Like the twins, the mothers have different techniques when it comes to raising the girls. Mother Quirrell being the more strict of the two, Mother Aniseya is the leader of this witch coven and created the girls, Mother Quirrell carried them. We learn the girls are not “normal” and the only children on the planet.
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| “Destiny” – THE ACOLYTE, Pictured: Jodie Turner-Smith as Mother Aniseya. Photo: Lucasfilm Ltd./Disney+ ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved |
The coven prepares them for a ceremony known as the Ascension. During her sermon Mother Aniseya reveals that the The Thread (The Force) is a power the coven uses as a line of destiny that can be pulled and not used as the Jedi do. During practice Mae appears scared to use the power while Mae revels in it. The night of the Ascension, Mae completes the ceremony (receiving a white spiral mark on her forehead) but before Osha can the Jedi interrupt.
Indara, Sol, Kelnacca and Torbin arrive demanding to test the girls. Mother Aniseya shows her strength but Osha agrees to be tested. Sol wants Mae tested as well and Aniseya allows it. When alone she acts the girls to lie when being tested. Mae agrees and Osha promises to lie as well but she cannot do it; she wants to be a Jedi, she wants to travel the galaxy and meet other children.
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| “Destiny” – THE ACOLYTE, Pictured: Joonas Suotamo as Jedi Master Kelnacca. Photo: Christian Black./Disney+ ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved |
When she and Aniseya are alone she tells Osha she must make her choice and not with fear. Osha states she does not want to be a witch and Aniseya agrees to let her go. Back at her room, Mae is furious and would rather kill her sister then to let her leave; she starts a fire that destroys everything including the coven.
While trying to escape the two girls meet at the power core of the planet and are separated on two opposite sides of a collapsing catwalk. Sol is there and as the catwalk falls Sol is only able to save Osha. Presuming Mae died, Osha is brought on the Jedi ship to be taken away to train and we see Mae left alone on the planet calling for Osha but when she doesn’t appear we see Mae come to the realization that she “killed” her sister.
The episode felt a little rushed and cheesy at times with the witch coven but was good in other areas. Young Mae and Osha (Lauren Brady and Leah Brady) did a really good job with telling the story of the battling sisters. Coven witches are not a new concept to Star Wars but it was still interesting to see the Force being used in a different way than what we are used to seeing. For casual Star Wars fans hearing that witches exist may be jarring but a welcome element to this story. I am intrigued as to what Mae and Osha are and what powers they have. Looking forward to more next week.
What did you think Star Wars fans? Leave a comment and remember to connect with me on X to discuss more @jereereviews.
