Summary

• A new theory suggests The Acolyte's episode titles are subtle and deceptive.
• The episode titles clearly refer to the twins, but which twins?
• If the twins are flipped, then the episode titles have disturbing implications for the Jedi.

This article contains spoilers for The Acolyte episodes 1 and 2.The Acolyte's episode titles are a lie, hiding the true plot, and I think I've figured it out. The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland ed Lucasfilm fresh from the success of Russian Doll, earning a reputation for twisty storytelling and an "onion" approach to her narratives. Like Shrek, her plots have layers, and each episode peels away another to reveal a little more.

I recently watched Russian Doll, and I was blown away by Headland's creativity. To my delight, I spotted some early hints in the time travel adventure - the importance of a missing cat in particular - but the story still headed in directions I could never have predicted. That means I'm approaching The Acolyte as I would a true mystery, carefully looking at every hint and clue. I'm pretty confident there's a lot of misdirection going on in The Acolyte episodes 1 and 2, but I think I've just spotted the key: a subtle lie told in the episode titles themselves.

The Episode Titles Clearly Describe The Sisters

There's a duality to these episode titles

So far, two episodes of The Acolyte have been released. Both have a formulaic approach to the titles that I quite love:

• The Acolyte episode 1 - Lost / Found
• The Acolyte episode 2 - Revenge / Justice

This is clearly tapping into the dualism of Amandla Stenberg's two characters, the twins Osha and Mae. One of the twins is lost, and motivated by revenge; the other is found, and seeks justice. Given Mae is a Sith assassin, viewers can be forgiven for assuming she is the one who is lost and driven by revenge, while Osha is found by the Jedi and focused on justice. But I think that's a lie, and that these two should be flipped.

Osha Is The One Who Is Lost & Seeking Revenge

Master Sol is right about his former Padawan

Osha Aniseya is the sole survivor of a mysterious tragedy that took place on her homeworld Brendok some 16 years ago. While it's true she was apparently saved by the Jedi, Osha really can't be thought of as "found." She's a failed Padawan who left the Jedi after a decade, because she couldn't find any comfort in the Jedi Code. According to Sol, she was never able to deal with her past, meaning she would be considered "lost" by the Jedi. When The Acolyte begins, she's pursuing the dangerous life of a Meknek, scrambling around on spaceship hulls in space.

Osha is driven by a desire for vengeance, not justice.

The Acolyte episode 2 strongly suggests justice is not Osha's motivation - for all she'd claim otherwise. Rewatching the episodes, I was struck by a moment in which Sol cautioned Osha over the dangers of revenge. Later, when she attempted to fire on her sister, Osha's face twisted with rage. Osha is driven by a desire for vengeance, not justice.

Mae Is The One Who Has Been Found & Is Seeking Justice

Mae's cause is more virtuous than it seems

This is a chilling thought, because it completely reinterprets Mae's role. She is not the one who was lost; she is the one who has been found by the Sith. Even more shocking, though, this means Mae believes her quest to be a just one. She is seeking retribution for a wrong committed against her and her people 16 years ago, and there are hints in The Acolyte episodes 1 and 2 that she is right to do so.

It's there in the cold open, when Mae confronts Jedi Master Indara. "Jedi do not attack the unarmed," Indara insists, but Mae disagrees. "Yes, you do," she retorts, clearly speaking from personal experience. Later, in The Acolyte episode 2, Mae confronts Jedi Master Torbin and offers him the gift of absolution. She tells him he should either go tell the Jedi Council what he has done, or take the poison she offers. Incredibly, he chooses the latter, clearly unable and unwilling to it this unknown truth.

Mae is attempting to punish wrongdoers who are in a position of power.

The clear implication is that Osha does not know the true story of what happened on Brendok some 16 years ago - but Mae does. The Jedi being targeted by Mae - Indara, Sol, Kelnacca, and Torbin - are responsible for something horrendous, something they have hidden from the Jedi Council for 16 years. Mae is not seeking revenge, but justice; she is attempting to punish wrongdoers who are in a position of power. Her word would mean nothing if she spoke up against them, and so she works for justice in the only way she knows how.

The Acolyte Is About The Greatest Flaw Of The Jedi

Power doesn't corrupt, but it does reveal

There's an old saying that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. I don't think that's true; power doesn't corrupt, it reveals. If you want to know what a person is really like, put them in a position of power and watch what happens. At the time of The Acolyte, at the tail-end of the High Republic Era, the Jedi are essentially the ultimate power in the galaxy. They can conduct arrests without oversight, they hold their own prisoners, and they are heavily involved in galactic politics. With such power, and with little ability, personal weaknesses will surely manifest.

If I'm right, then The Acolyte is the story nobody ever expected - one that shows why a person could become a Sith for what seems to be the best motive. It's not that the villain is a hero, per se; rather, it's that Mae has a point, because she's a galactic nobody who has no other way to stand up against galactic powers. Such an approach is perfectly in keeping with George Lucas' prequel trilogy, because he deliberately chose to show a Jedi Order that is flawed rather than perfect. It's one I would be thrilled to see more of.