On a mysterious planet, the tragic journey of two sisters begins.

The Star Wars prequel series temporarily puts aside the events of its opening two episodes and takes us back 16 years to the events on Brendok that shaped the lives of twin sisters Osha and Mae.

Instead of relying on characters to feed us exposition to explain how things go to be, the whole episode is dedicated to the day when the four Jedi (subsequently hunted in the series opening) confront the twins’ mother (Jodie Turner-Smith) and request that they be tested for their Force abilities. Turner-Smith is the leader of a coven of witches with a secret to hide, hoping that they’d escaped the Jedi’s gaze.

This episode feels more like it’s treading its own path rather than relying on overtly Star Wars trappings. The twins are very good, Turner-Smith particularly effective, and while the episode purports to fill us in with what has already happened, I suspect that there’s more to the dramatic ending than meets the eye.

Verdict: A stronger episode of the show that pushes us into a new corner of the Star Wars universe. 8/10 

Nick Joy