Star Wars Tackling The Most Controversial Star Trek Episode
Episode 7 of The Acolyte revealed that the Force sensitive twins Osha and Mae were conceived as a single person who was split in two before birth by the witches of Brendok. Now a convincing fan theory suggests the coven’s plan was to use the Force to rejoin Osha and Mae into one body, at which point the woman resulting from the merging would assume leadership. If true, it means Star Wars is about to go down a similar controversial road that Star Trek: Voyager already tread with the infamous episode “Tuvix.”
The Theory
The theory is inspired largely by the markings on the foreheads of Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith) and Mae (Amandla Stenberg). Mae’s marking is on the left side of her forehead and the theory suggests if Osha’s part of the Ascension ritual had been completed, her marking would appear on the right side. Meanwhile, Aniseya’s marking is in the very center of her forehead.
If the Star Wars theory that connects to Star Trek is correct, then when the witches eventually merged Mae and Osha into a single body, whoever this newly formed woman would be, her marking–like Aniseya’s–would appear in the center of her forehead.
It suggests that Aniseya may have gone through the same process, and that it is necessary to assume leadership of the coven.
Tuvix
This Star Wars theory connects to Star Trek through the controversial figure of Tuvix (Tom Wright). In the Season 2 Star Trek: Voyager episode “Tuvix,” the wildly different characters of Neelix (Ethan Phillips) and Tuvok (Tim Russ) have a transporter mishap that merges them into the titular single being.
At first, the crew can’t figure out how to separate the two, but eventually a way is discovered. The problem is that by the time the method is conceived that can safely separate Neelix from Tuvok, Tuvix has grown to see himself as a separate individual.
To undergo a procedure that would split him into Neelix and Tuvok, Tuvix argues, would mean Tuvix would no longer exist–making the procedure the same thing as murder.
Fans Still Debate Tuvix Today
Tuvix is not alone in calling the procedure murder. Other Voyager crew protest it, including The Doctor (Robert Picardo) who agrees strongly enough with Tuvix that he refuses to perform the procedure even after Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) orders it.
Star Wars fans may soon learn just how strongly Star Trek fans feel on either side of the debate, considering the latter still–almost three decades after “Tuvix” aired–argue passionately over whether or not Janeway committed murder when she split Tuvix.
The Coven’s Actions Are More Troubling Than Janeway’s
In a way, you could argue that Star Wars fans are about to be faced with the exact opposite of what Star Trek fans confronted. Assuming the theory about the coven’s goal is correct, they already murdered their Tuvix and they’re trying to bring him back to life.
As in, by splitting Aniseya and Koril’s (Margarita Levieva) child into twins, the coven killed (or perhaps aborted, which brings up an even more controversial idea) who that single child was destined to be. Now, by planning to merge them together, they would arguably murder Osha and Mae–since they would no longer exist as separate beings–to create their new leader.
The Anti-Tuvix
What makes what’s going in Star Wars even more troubling than what happened in the Star Trek episode is the intention of the thing.
No one can argue that Tuvok and Neelix are murdered when they become Tuvix because what happens to them is an accident.
In contrast, the witches of this Star Wars series did what they did–unlike the Star Trek heroes–on purpose with their eyes open.
Of course, all of this is assumes the theory about the Ascension is correct. We’re likely to learn soon, with the finale of The Acolyte approaching.
