Star Wars is in a bit of a tight spot right now. With many people losing interest in the franchise for various reasons, Lucasfilm needs something new to get old fans back in the door and grab the attention of the next generation of Star Wars fans. Lucasfilm’s answer to this problem is Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, the latest Disney+ Star Wars series that recently finished its first season. After watching the first two episodes and having some positive and negative things to say (which you can read here), has the rest of the season changed my mind? Well, after having some time to reflect on the series, it’s time to find out.
Skeleton Crew is the story of a group of kids having their first adventure in a galaxy far, far away. The group consists of the overly excited Wim, the bath-loving Neel, the headstrong Fern, and the technology-enhanced KB (she’s the best out of the four). These children live on At Attin, which looks like a stereotypical American suburb from back in the day. They are going about their daily lives with school, exams, and parents that just don’t get it. That is until they discover a strange ship buried on their planet. A little looking around and a press of a big red button later, these troublemakers are whisked away into the stars with no idea how to get back home. Can they thrive in the pirate-infested side of the galaxy, or will they end up in the brig?
I enjoyed this story for what it was, but I wouldn’t say I loved it. The story of these children on their first adventure is endearing, but it doesn’t do anything excellent. For a majority of the eight episodes, the crew are bouncing around different planets in an attempt to get home, which was fun for the first handful, but it got a bit predictable. Land on a new planet, meet a new character, get some information to continue their adventure, leave, and repeat. It’s lucky then that the final few episodes mixed this structure up (and ended up being some of my favourites), but the middle chunk of the season definitely felt formulaic at points. It also didn’t help that a lot of episodes felt like they were originally part of a film and then chopped up into episodes to fit a quota. This is more a problem with Disney+ series as a whole and not just a Skeleton Crew issue.
There were some good aspects to this plot, mainly when it comes to worldbuilding. Seeing this side of Star Wars through the eyes of children and pirates was a fresh perspective that I really enjoyed. We’re so used to having Star Wars stories centred around Jedi, bounty hunters and political unrest, so seeing how kids navigate the hostile planets was neat to see. I also enjoyed how they connected the story and characters to other parts of the Star Wars galaxy without resorting to cameos or extended flashbacks (I’m looking at you, Ahsoka and Mandalorian Season 3). Speaking of characters, they were what made the boring parts of the story work.
Leading up to the release of Skeleton Crew, a lot of people were worried about the child cast and if they would do a good job. I said as much in my first impressions, but I mentioned that at least from the first two episodes, I thought they did a decent job, and that sentiment carries over for the rest of the season. This young group does a pretty good job, and while some character development could’ve been better, it’s decent enough. Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), for example, felt like he was being set up to be the main character of the group (at least from the first two episodes). However, he is sidelined for a while before returning to the spotlight in the end. This lack of focus and need to give each character a spotlight hurts character’s development, but Wim especially. But besides that, I still found him endearing. His singular drive to find a Jedi and go on an adventure is what most of us were like at this age, and I can see kids today feeling the same. Do I think he was a bit whiney towards the end? Kinda, but he’s also basically a baby (at least had a baby face), so I gave him some leeway.
The little blue elephant Neel (Robert Timothy Smith) became a fan favourite after being revealed, and I can see why. He’s just a little guy who is hopelessly naïve (in a cute way). He doesn’t do much in the overall story and felt like he was there just to be cute, but he did have one or two cool moments, so at least it’s something.
Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) had an interesting mini-arc that was one of the better among the kids. She’s introduced as the cool member of the cast who skips school, is a rebel, and is designated the leader after they leave At Attin. The rest of the crew look to her for direction, and while she can come off as a bit bratty, she’s trying her best. This is emphasised in the moments that she drops her façade and reveals she’s just as scared as the rest of them. Her growth throughout the season was something I really appreciated.
And then there’s KB (Kyriana Kratter), the best kid character in Star Wars. She’s got cool cyber-implants, is level-headed, and is just a chill-gal, but she also has a few moments of vulnerability that people-pleasers can relate to. Her talking with Wim about her insecurities and fear of ruining friendships was something I didn’t expect from a Star Wars show, but I’m glad it was here.
The kids aren’t the only characters worth mentioning because we have space pirates, baby! Chief among them is my favourite character from the series, Jod Na Narwood (Jude Law). Having a character whose first language is lies was one of the reasons I kept watching. I loved how he would lie, get called out, and double down on the lie. His commitment to the bit was perfection. I also enjoyed how the show handled his past. Instead of giving us a flashback or episode dedicated to it, we get bits and pieces of information from Jod and others that help us put his history together. I’d love to see more of him in a potential second season or another series.
Something that Star Wars is always good at is the sets and how everything looks, with Skeleton Crew being no exception. The environments in this series were some of the better looking Star Wars locations, and there was a wide variety. Every location made an impression, from the suburban streets of At Attin to the dingy halls of the pirate hideout and even the luxurious spa planet. And then you have the ships, and more specifically, the Onyx Cinder. God, this ship just looks so cool. I already thought the ship looked dope with its rugged exterior and overall design, but when it’s revealed there’s a second layer underneath the armour, and it looks even cooler, it shot up my list of dope Star Wars ships. I hope we see the Onyx Cinder again on screen because it’s too cool for just one season (maybe in a time skip where the kids join the Resistance?)
The score from Michael Giacchino is also pretty decent, incorporating more pirate-sounding tracks into the classic Star Wars soundtrack. Some might even find similar motifs to films like The Goonies and E.T. Alas. I’ve not watched either of those two, so I can’t comment on if that’s the case. Maybe ask your older relatives if, like me, these were before your time.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew was an enjoyable watch. While it doesn’t do anything spectacular, it provides a consistently good adventure with great characters and solid visuals. At this point, who knows if there will be a second season, but hopefully, these characters can continue their journey throughout the galaxy.
Have you seen Skeleton Crew? What did you think? Who was your favourite character? Let us know in the comments where we can talk all things Skeleton Crew.
