Warning! The following contains SPOILERS for The Acolyte episode “Night.” Stream it now with a Disney+ subscription, and read at your own risk!
The new Star Wars show The Acolyte pushed the boundaries of what we’ve seen in this franchise in terms of violence, and while everyone may be bummed out or shocked, I can’t help but feel the show dropped a wildly cheeky reference many missed. This could be because I just saw the movie, but did anyone else feel like the show channeled The Parent Trap in its closing minutes?
I took CinemaBlend’s advice recently and watched one of its best kids movies, The Parent Trap, on Disney+. Let me say first that Lindsay Lohan should’ve gotten an Oscar for that performance, but that aside, I think there’s a case to be made that this episode of The Acolyte made a nod to it in a way I can’t ignore after seeing both projects so close together.
Did The Acolyte Feature A Nod To Lindsay Lohan’s The Parent Trap During The Twin Swap Scene?
Twins swapping places isn’t a novel concept, and I’m sure anyone who watched The Parent Trap and was a twin has tried it. That said, there’s a key moment in The Acolyte that has me thinking it drew inspiration from one of the best ’90s movies on Disney+. After knocking out Osha, Mae seemingly decides to swap places with her sister to kill Jedi Master Sol. After looking at her sister, she realized she needed a big change. She then turned on her lightsaber and cut her hair short.
In The Parent Trap, Annie has to cut her long hair short to mimic Hallie and effectively fool their parents into thinking they have the right child. I don’t think Lindsay Lohan movies are canon in The High Republic era, but if we could get some official clarification on that in upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows, that would be great.
If The Acolyte Deliberately Referenced The Parent Trap, I’m Thrilled
The Acolyte made me mad after the explanation for why the Wookiee Jedi fight was cut, but if it deliberately referenced The Parent Trap, all is forgiven. I can’t think of anything cooler than the most brutal Star Wars episode I’ve ever seen in my life turning around and referencing the most iconic twin swap movie of all time. In hindsight, how can you do this story without giving a nod to the remake, especially when the twins swap places?
Of course, it’s more than fair to assume that any ties between The Acolyte and The Parent Trap are coincidental. A twin swap doesn’t work unless the two parties look identical, and changing hair is one key way to illustrate that for an audience. I’d love to ask someone involved with the show if I’m right though, and then we can talk about getting Lindsay Lohan in the Star Wars universe in The Acolyte Season 2.
The Acolyte continues to stream new episodes on Disney+ on Tuesdays starting at 9:00 p.m. ET. With only a few episodes left and the action at an all-time high, now is the time to get caught up to see what’s happening in the final few episodes.
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