Enter Skeleton Crew. The latest entry in the expanded Star Wars universe, this 8-episode series follows four pre-teens-Wim, Neel, Fern and KB-on their adventure after accidentally leaving their home of At Attan. Along the way, they encounter pirates desperate to steal their planet’s treasure, as well as a mysterious Force user with unclear motivations. Desperate to return to At Attan, and completely out of their element, our protagonists must make tough decisions and learn harsh truths about their planet. After all, what’s so special about At Attan, and why’s everyone after its treasure?
I loved this show. Even from Episode 1, I already knew it was something special. I know Star Wars as a franchise is risk-averse, preferring to stick with pre-established lore, but every now and then it experiments. Skeleton Crew’s one of those experiments, reclaiming Star Wars for the youth and having its world played out from their perspective. It sounds strange saying this, but that’s refreshing. It’s basically an 80’s Amblin Entertainment story in Star Wars clothes.
I’m not kidding about that last part. Aside from show-runner Jon Watts being a fan of youth storytelling, something that made him perfect for tackling Spider-Man, this show was inspired by classic kid’s movies from the 80’s, The Goonies specifically. This inspiration rears its head constantly, but I’d argue there’s a healthy amount of Treasure Island here also. It’s a story about pirates, after all! That’s not something I thought would fit well with Star Wars, but it does.
I loved this show. Even from Episode 1, I already knew it was something special. I know Star Wars as a franchise is risk-averse, preferring to stick with pre-established lore, but every now and then it experiments. Skeleton Crew’s one of those experiments, reclaiming Star Wars for the youth and having its world played out from their perspective. It sounds strange saying this, but that’s refreshing. It’s basically an 80’s Amblin Entertainment story in Star Wars clothes.
I’m not kidding about that last part. Aside from show-runner Jon Watts being a fan of youth storytelling, something that made him perfect for tackling Spider-Man, this show was inspired by classic kid’s movies from the 80’s, The Goonies specifically. This inspiration rears its head constantly, but I’d argue there’s a healthy amount of Treasure Island here also. It’s a story about pirates, after all! That’s not something I thought would fit well with Star Wars, but it does.
Arguably the emotional centre’s the four leads. Each one’s so well-actualized that you can split them into pairings, which the show does constantly, and know how they’ll interact before they do. My favourite character’s KB, the part-droid brainiac who hides behind her intellect to mask her disabilities and limitations. She reminds me of myself at that age, always retreating into entertainment and literature to distract from being unable to fit in with peers. Not only does everyone else not demean her, but she quickly becomes a valuable member of the group due to her ability to think on her feet. I admire that.
I like how the leads’ parents play a critical role too. It’s easy for children empowerment fantasies to remove the adult figures, but this one avoids doing that. After all, the protagonists are kids! They need the emotional support of parental figures, even if said figures don’t always understand or respect them. Besides, adults can be useful, despite what children sometimes believe.
Speaking of which, the antagonists being adult pirates, while somewhat cliché, is fitting. Star Wars is a franchise filled with shady rogues, so why not include pirates? It’s not like they don’t already exist in this universe, and exploring their hierarchy’s an interesting take on this trope. I also like how one of the pirates is a Force user, leading to questions about his past that get slowly answered. He’s the most morally-ambiguous character for most of the runtime, gradually becoming more evil.
I like how the leads’ parents play a critical role too. It’s easy for children empowerment fantasies to remove the adult figures, but this one avoids doing that. After all, the protagonists are kids! They need the emotional support of parental figures, even if said figures don’t always understand or respect them. Besides, adults can be useful, despite what children sometimes believe.
Speaking of which, the antagonists being adult pirates, while somewhat cliché, is fitting. Star Wars is a franchise filled with shady rogues, so why not include pirates? It’s not like they don’t already exist in this universe, and exploring their hierarchy’s an interesting take on this trope. I also like how one of the pirates is a Force user, leading to questions about his past that get slowly answered. He’s the most morally-ambiguous character for most of the runtime, gradually becoming more evil.
I could go on forever about what works. I could mention that the score from Mick Giacchino evokes a pirate-y feel. I could talk about how great the character designs and costumes are. I could even say how great it is for a Star Wars series focused around kids not to condescend them. But while all of that’s true, I think Skeleton Crew’s existence is a welcome breath of fresh air, and it deserves to be watched more.
Skeleton Crew…hasn’t been doing well ratings-wise. The reviews have been stellar, but it doesn’t seem like many people are interested. Given Star Wars diehards unfairly killed The Acolyte, leaving it on a cliffhanger, because it was different, I’m worried that this show not gaining traction will signal that fans don’t want risks. That’d be upsetting, since they’ve caved to a vocal minority before.
It's also upsetting because this show’s fantastic. It’s every bit as good as Andor, arguably more so because its pacing isn’t needlessly-slow and drawn out. But I’ve made my thoughts on Andor known, so I won’t repeat myself. Though I stand by what I said. (If you disagree, power to you.)
Skeleton Crew…hasn’t been doing well ratings-wise. The reviews have been stellar, but it doesn’t seem like many people are interested. Given Star Wars diehards unfairly killed The Acolyte, leaving it on a cliffhanger, because it was different, I’m worried that this show not gaining traction will signal that fans don’t want risks. That’d be upsetting, since they’ve caved to a vocal minority before.
It's also upsetting because this show’s fantastic. It’s every bit as good as Andor, arguably more so because its pacing isn’t needlessly-slow and drawn out. But I’ve made my thoughts on Andor known, so I won’t repeat myself. Though I stand by what I said. (If you disagree, power to you.)
I want this show to do well. And I want more unique and ambitious stories like it in the Star Wars universe. It’s not like there isn’t room for experimentation! This franchise is so rich in lore that, to paraphrase a friend, even the smaller stories have the tendency to rival The Avengers in scope and ambition. Because they really do. Skeleton Crew’s proof of that.
Please see this show. It has everything that makes Star Wars great: a good story? Check. Likeable leads? Check. Authentic stakes? Check, check, check! What more do you want?
Please see this show. It has everything that makes Star Wars great: a good story? Check. Likeable leads? Check. Authentic stakes? Check, check, check! What more do you want?