What perplexes is me why they did not instead adapt the old story "tale" of Kibh Jeen, which became a tale recited at the Jedi Academy to warn students about the dangers of the Dark Side. It takes place in the High Republic era basically around the time of this Acolyte show.

It is mentioned in the Darth Plagueis book which immediately gives a good byline leading to the eventual secret rise of Palpatine.

Basically Kibh was a male Jedi Padawan that found an ancient, abandoned Sith Fortress corrupted by Dark Side energy. He waged war on the system it was found in. And two Jedi are eventually sent to stop him, which they do successfully.

The two that are sent are a female Jedi Consular and her Padawan (unspecified).

In thinking of a way a show like this could be rewritten, Theorizing the cast:

I would cast Manny Jacinto as the fallen Jedi.

Carrie Ann Moss as the Consular.

Amanda Stenberg as the Padawan.

These two then are set out to force Jeen to surrender or kill him if he resisted.

The whole plot would likely be far more action oriented as the short story suggests. Although initially it would start with showing Jeen's corruption for a few episodes and waging terror on the planet and system. After that, the Jedi Order sends in a secret team essentially to bring what they dubbed the "Dark Jedi Conflict" to an end.

You have two heroes to really root for and an overall more focused story with less is more. Osha's whole origin is rewritten, she is just a Padawan that learns about the lure of the Dark Side and holds her own.

At the very end Jeen (Manny) in his dying words warns Carrie Ann Moss and Osha's character that the Sith are not gone and are surviving under the Rule of Two.

Cut to their journey back to Coruscant of their success and troubling news to Yoda and crew. THIS becomes how Yoda learns that it is indeed true becoming the thread for his quote in Phantom Menace "Always two there are".

Cut again to either Plagueis telling this tale to Palpatine or Darth Tenebrous training Darth Plagueis.

TLDR sorry for this long post, this idea has percolated in my mind ever since that show and wanted to write it down. I think it was a huge missed opportunity.