*** Full spoiler discussion of episode 3 of Skeleton Crew is ahead, so proceed with caution. ***
The third episode of Skeleton Crew is here, and this show is a whole lot of fun.
Lost in the galaxy, the kids from At Attin have now met Jude Law’s Jod Na Nawood, which has led to the series becoming even stronger after an already great first two episodes. This week, we learn a lot more about “Jod”, as well as about the mystery of At Attin, as Skeleton Crew just continues to impress.
The episode picks up right where we left off last week, with the kids having befriended the stranger in the cell, who uses the Force to free them. Wim (and, by extension, Neel) is immediately trusting since he’s amazed by seeing a real life Jedi, but Fern (and, by extension, KB) are increasingly skeptical. It’s readily apparent to the viewer that there’s something suspicious about Jod, and the show wastes little time confirming what I thought was obvious from the opening scene last week: he’s actually Captain Silvo, the former leader of this pirate band who was the victim of mutiny after another failed job. I didn’t think it was all that much of a secret, and because of that I’m glad that the show didn’t really treat it like a big mystery.
In fact, not only does the episode reveal to the audience that Jod is actually Captain Silvo, but it shows the kids press him further to know the truth by the end. He doesn’t reveal the full story, but he does reveal that he’s not really a Jedi. I’m really curious to see how Wim processes this in the next episode(s), as he was so convinced – but was convinced because that’s what he wanted to believe. But Jod has still not revealed his pirate origins, or his true motivations in helping the kids – which is, of course, the treasure on At Attin (more on that in a moment). But adding to the kids’ suspicion of him is that when they arrive at Kh’ymm’s outpost and she calls him Crimson Jack. We don’t really know what his ‘real’ name is, since we’ve now heard three in the first three episodes (Silvo, Jod, and Jack), but the Crimson Jack reference is actually a deep-cut Star Wars reference. Introduced in Legends in 1977, Crimson Jack was a notable pirate boss operating in the Outer Rim who developed a significant rivalry with Han Solo during the original trilogy era. He was brought into the new canon in 2022 operating during the sequel trilogy era, as a pirate working with the First Order. I’m skeptical that this is the same person as the character in this series (they don’t look anything alike), but it’s a fun nod to other Star Wars material, and I’m wondering if there could be some kind of influence on the character in-universe.
Regardless, it’s clear that Crimson Jack is a pirate at heart who is after the hidden treasure, and I’m guessing that his character arc will take him up to a crucial point where he has to choose either the treasure or doing what is right. But on the theme of the treasure, this episode also divulged quite a bit of information about At Attin, thanks to Kh’ymm. We’d been able to piece some things together from the first two episodes, but now we have a much better picture. Kh’ymm explains that At Attin is hidden from all starmaps, by design. It was one of several worlds that was a jewel of the Old Republic, but they were all destroyed – except one. At Attin went off the grid and was cloaked from the rest of the galaxy, which is why it has faded into legend and myth. She’s able to (allegedly) piece together the location of the planet, however, using the information the kids provide her about their home.
The kids also confirm what we suspected, revealing that they really don’t know much at all about the outside galaxy. When they mentioned learning about Coruscant and Alderaan, Jod’s reaction was priceless – and when Kh’ymm mentioned they must have missed the war, they aren’t even sure what the war is. Which, on a more somber note, surely means that Wim doesn’t even know about Order 66 and what happened to the Jedi, which is going to be a tragic revelation. But it’s abundantly clear that the planet is hidden from the rest of the galaxy, as are the residents there. The opening scene of the episode showed the parents of the kids receiving a report about how their kids had crossed the barrier, and no contact is permitted with the outside galaxy. There’s something very mysterious going on here, and it seems the “Great Work” has something to do with it – with the kids even beginning to speculate in this episode what it might be about.
As if to show us one more reminder that these kids really don’t know much of anything about the galaxy, they don’t recognize the New Republic when they arrive, and they don’t see the X-Wings as friends coming to their aid. Kh’ymm contacted the New Republic with the revelation that she had spotted Crimson Jack, meaning that he’s apparently already on the radar of the new government and already a wanted criminal. But while we know that the arrival of the X-Wings is the good guys arriving to help, the kids don’t realize it. So they go right along with it, helping to escape – but only after they force Jod to tell them the truth, and establish that he’s working for them.
I thought this episode was the best of the series so far, and I am thoroughly impressed with just how good Skeleton Crew is. The chemistry of the main cast is terrific, Jude Law is naturally perfect in the role, the adventure and humor are wonderfully executed – in short, it’s a really fun Star Wars series. I love the treasure-hunting mystery galaxy-wide adventure that these kids are on, and how the story is developing. I don’t have any idea where the series will go from here, but I’m loving the characters and the overall tone. If you want a fun, lighthearted Star Wars adventure, this is all that you could ask for. Skeleton Crew is fantastic so far, and I can’t wait to see more.
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