Star Wars: Skeleton Crew episodes 1 and 2 review!

*** Full spoiler discussion of episodes 1 and 2 of Skeleton Crew are ahead, so proceed with caution. ***

The newest Star Wars series has arrived, and it’s already a fun ride.

Skeleton Crew was released on Disney+ on December 2, with the first two episodes of the series dropping at the same time. Set around the same time period as The Mandalorian, the series is about a group of kids who find themselves lost in a large galaxy, far away from home. While I was excited for the series I nonetheless entered it without many expectations – so I can safely say that I was thoroughly impressed and pleasantly surprised with just how much I enjoyed these first two episodes.

The series begins with a series of title cards (like Ahsoka and The Acolyte), telling us that this takes place in the New Republic era – but that pirates are plaguing hyperspace lanes. This opening description is relatively basic, but I think it’s a very welcome development that the recent Star Wars shows have included it as a way to help orient audiences to where in the timeline they’re at and what brief context is needed. From there, though, the series jumps full-on into the pirate theme with a pretty epic invasion of a New Republic ship. I really love just how much this show is leaning into the pirate themes while still maintaining the Star Wars feel, especially with Mick Giachinno’s score, the costume and character designs, and the settings. This series feels like a mixture of Star Wars, Amblin, and Treasure Island in a pretty refreshing way.

The pirate attack in this opening sequence is carried out by Captain Silvo’s crew, but upon finding that there is no treasure like he had promised them, a mutiny occurs. Later, we see that one of Silvo’s top men, Brutus, has taken over this gang in pursuit of treasure. I thought it was pretty obvious from the start that this Captain Silvo, whose identity is hidden behind a shiny silver mask, is actually Jude Law’s character, Jod Na Nawood. The kids meet him at the end of the second episode, imprisoned in the brig, which makes perfect sense given the mutiny. I don’t think the show is being particularly subtle about it, either, and in this way it evokes other pirate stories – like, for instance, Pirates of the Caribbean, where Captain Jack Sparrow is on the losing end of a mutiny and therefore finds himself without a ship and without a crew at the start of the story. I’m guessing that Jod (aka Captain Silvo) is in the same position: imprisoned because his crew rebelled, and eager to get his leadership back through scoring a great treasure. But, I’m guessing, at some point he’ll have to choose between the treasure and the kids, and we’ll see just how much he’s changed through this adventure.

All of that is getting ahead of ourselves, though. But I think it’s fairly certain that Silvo is Jod, and given the fact that I think it’s not too hidden, I’m guessing that the series probably won’t play it like a major secret either. Sometimes the most obvious answer is, in fact, the answer. Because of this, I think the bigger mystery in this series isn’t going to have to do with who Jod really is, but what this treasure – and this treasure planet – is all about. We jump from this pirate mutiny to the planet At Attin, which is the most Spielberg-esque Star Wars has ever been. It feels very much like earth, like Star Wars in the suburbs, and it’s surprisingly a side of the galaxy we’ve never really seen before. It all feels so normal. The planet, though, is not all that it seems. There’s something far more mysterious going on here. We had heard before that the kids got lost in the galaxy, and people wondered how that was possible. Then we heard that no one had heard of their home planet, and again, people had questions. But as typically happens, those questions get answered in time. At Attin is actually the subject of myths, legends, throughout the galaxy as being a place of ancient treasure. It seems that people don’t really believe it exists, but have heard the legends of it.

This is combined with what we know from the planet itself. The first clue that something is off is that the kids’ teacher refers to the Republic, not the New Republic, which together with the Old Republic credits found on the ship (and the fact that the showrunners have described the planet as being the “crown jewel” of the Old Republic) indicates that this planet is off the galactic grid. That’s furthered by the fact that the planet is protected by a strange energy field that hides the stars (the kids have never seen them before), with no travel in or out of allowed. My guess is that this is actually a way to cloak the planet by hiding it from any travelers that could stumble upon the sector. Plus, the planet’s suspicious work life and over-reliance on droids (including security droids) leads to the reasonable conclusion that this planet is hiding something. I think that will be one of the key mysteries developed throughout the series, and I’m really curious to learn more about what is actually happening on At Attin.

We don’t know, but neither do the main characters. These first two episodes focus almost exclusively on the four kids who make up the main cast. There’s Wim, a passionate dreamer who is eager to help people. He’s grown up with the legends of the Jedi and longs to be one, and he spends his time playing with Jedi action figures, pretending to lightsaber fight with his best friend while waiting for the bus, drawing Jedi, and reading Jedi stories at every chance he can get. In this way, he’s one of the most relatable characters ever brought to Star Wars, because he’s a picture of what a Star Wars fan looks like in the Star Wars universe. How many of us spent our childhood doing the very same things as Wim! It’s pretty fun to see the galaxy through his eyes.

His best friend, Neel, is immediately lovable and already a favorite. He’s very loyal to Wim, wants to do what is right, is kind and funny and awkward, and doesn’t want an adventure but just to go home. He is a source of great joy in this series. And also: his younger siblings watching the incredibly awkward dance scene from The Star Wars Holiday Special is all kinds of amazing, and exactly the kind of deep cut reference I love.

The two of them reluctantly meet up with two others, Fern and KB. Fern is rebellious, driven, and adventurous, and she winds up being perceived as the “captain” of the crew. She has no problem taking charge, even if she’s a bit mean in doing it. Her best friend, KB, is a brilliant girl whose cybernetic implants help her abilities. Of all four kids, I feel like we know the least about her from these first two episodes, but I’m guessing that will change as the series goes on.

Together the four kids stumble upon an ancient ship (which the LEGO set has called the Onyx Cinder), believing it to be a Jedi Temple or source of loot, and the ship takes off after it is activated. After it does, the first mate is awakened, a formidable but run-down droid named SM-33. He is incredibly loyal to his captain, whom he comes to believe is now Fern. SM-33 shows that he can more than hold his own in combat when he has to defend the kids from danger on the Borgo Prime space port when they have a run-in with pirates.

The actors have good chemistry with one another and the story does a good job of letting them be kids in the galaxy, desiring adventure but being hesitant and lost when it’s thrust upon them. All in all, I thought this was a very strong start to a series in which I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. The cast of characters in Skeleton Crew are relatable and likable, the pirate themes are fresh and familiar at the same time, the music is very well-done, the mystery of At Attin is intriguing, and we’ve just now met Jod Na Nawood. At this point, the series is poised to continue taking off, and I’m excited to see where it goes from here. But without question, it’s a very fun start to the newest Star Wars show.