"Goonies in Star Wars."
That was pretty much the pitch for this series.
Now, at a glance that might not seem like a bad idea. After all, given the scope of the Star Wars galaxy the storytelling possibilities are endless, as the first two seasons of The Mandalorian have showed, but a great many shows that followed haven't really hit the mark...until Skeleton Crew came along.
So what exactly is this show about? Well, it centers around a kid named Wim, who has grown up in a pretty idyllic life on a planet named At Attin but much like a certain farmboy from Tatooine he yearns for an adventure beyond his usual day-to-day life, something that is shown via the action figures he plays with and the stories about Jedi that he has on his holo tablet. Naturally this gets Wim into trouble at times without him meaning to. Fortunately he has his friend Neel who is his sounding board, but the latter would much prefer to just pass the assessments at school than go on one of Wim's crazy adventure ideas.
In the midst of this we also meet Fern and her friend KB - two kids who have also grown up on At Attin but also have their own hangups. Fern just seems to want to get in trouble while KB just wants to tag along without much complaint.
Then one day Wim oversleeps - and on a day of his assessment to boot - and in trying to take a shortcut to school he discovers what he thinks is an old Jedi Temple. When Neel, Fern and KB tag along they discover it isn't a Temple but rather a crashed ship that activates once Wim touches a button, and not only does it take off but it automatically goes into hyperspace, kickstarting the series as a whole.
In no time at all the Skeleton Crew arrives at a port - along with activating a droid named SM-33 - and while the group tries to find someone who can help them find their home planet Wim finds himself in trouble with the locals when he flashes some Old Republic credits which immediately grabs the attention of some nearby pirates. Though SM-33 does try to help, the kids eventually get apprehended and while they try to come up with a plan to get the key to unlock their prison a mysterious stranger named Jod Na Nawood offers to help.
From then on the full crew is assembled and off they go. As the journey progresses the kids really get to see life beyond their corner of the Star Wars galaxy which does challenge what they thought they knew, and we the audience begin to get a sense that while Jod does have moments of being quite the charismatic/helpful rouge - from putting together a small meal for himself and the kids as well as pointing out some tidbits of the places they go to - he is still working his own angle, which is to seek out a big score which in this case is the hidden treasure on At Attin. Though other characters like an astronomer named Kh'ymm try to warn the kids not to trust Jod, they still keep pushing forward with him, especially on Wim's part. However, once they get to the planet Lanupa and learn more about the Onyx Cinder's previous captain named Tak Rennod, Jod then reveals his true colors and challenges Fern for the right of being the crew's Captain.
Though the group manages to escape, they split up over how to find the ship and throughout this they begin to learn a bit more about each other. And when KB suffers a problem with her electrical components Wim manages to come through in a pinch.
After finally reuniting, the group manages to find the Onyx Cinder but it's about to be crushed by a giant droid that seems to recycle metal. After trying everything to escape Wim makes a choice that he was told not to do in an early episode: press a certain button which was basically a last resort by Rennod. Immediately bolts fly off the ship which at first doesn't do much, but then as the ship seems to slide out of its skin it is revealed that the Onyx Cinder was covered in heavier armor to hide its true form - a sleeker ship design. After that it becomes a race against time to get back to At Attin before Jod does, which fortunately the kids still have the coordinates via Kh'ymm.
Meanwhile Jod tries to charm his way out of yet another jam only to find himself with his luck run out, and the pirate leader Brutus makes it clear that even if Jod is telling the truth about the treasure, he's still a dead man.
But even when the kids manage to save Jod from getting terminated by the pirates, he still manages to get the upper hand and incapacitate SM-33 who tries to protect Fern and her crew. And here we begin to see his entire frustration on full display.
Throughout all this it is revealed that the barrier surrounding the planet is a gas giant that simulates thunderstorms that fry any ship that gets near. As to how Tak Rennod managed to get in and out of At Attin the kids begin to realize that the Onyx Cinder is an actual At Attin ship and has something that can allow it to bypass the barrier with no problems.
In addition we finally get a little more on some of Jod's backstory. I myself had thought he was a former Jedi apprentice who survived Order 66 but it turns out Jod was just an orphaned kid who grew up on the streets trying not to starve...until a Jedi who was an Order 66 survivor found him and took him under her wing despite her own circumstances. Sadly that mentorship was short-lived as she was killed by people hunting Jedi down. While the show doesn't make clear as to whether it was Clone Troopers, Inquisitors or just simple Bounty Hunters who were responsible, the way Jude Law plays the scene more than conveys the pain the character still feels, especially since he was forced to watch his would-be Master die.
"That's the Galaxy. It's dark - with a few pinpricks of light."
When the pirates finally arrive and attack At Attin, it seems like it might be all over. But hope isn't lost for help finally arrives with help that Kh'ymm provided the kids should things go sideways with Jod - a way to contact her which they successfully do, resulting in a fantastical dogfight between X-Wings and pirate ships.
Eventually the pirates get driven out of the planet, and along with the X-Wings a Blockade Runner is spotted approaching the planet, with all the kids reunited with their families fully and Wim staring off into the direction where "the real good guys" are coming from with a renewed sense of hope.
So how is this show? Honestly, it is a breath of fresh air that I don't think Star Wars has had since Season 1 of The Mandalorian. When I first heard of this show I didn't really have an opinion, but then when I heard about how it was "Goonies in space" I was curious, though other audiences felt that it was straying from what Star Wars is. Then when I saw the first two trailers that was when I was looking forward to it more.
For starters, the story is a great balance between fun and whimsical yet adds a little more of what pirate life in the Star Wars galaxy is like, while at the same time manages to still keep to the essence of what Star Wars is.
The casting is also spot on. Each kid nails the nuances of their character and what they are about, and of course casting Jude Law as Jod was near-perfect because he brings so much of his own charm and wit to the character but also still captures that self-centeredness and aggression that comes from the pain of his past.
Last but certainly not least, the score. Mick Giachinno manages to do what his fellow contemporaries also did and still create themes that fit the Star Wars aesthetic yet adding something new to it which can be a challenge, but as Ludwig Göransson showed via his score for The Mandalorian, it can be done, and Mick does a good job as well.
While the ratings weren't as good as what they could have been, the praise for the show has been genuine across the board and if nothing else will prove that time will be kind to this series.
As to whether there will be a second season, it is anyone's guess. For me I don't think there needs to be a second season. True, there's still the question as to what becomes of At Attin now that the wider galaxy knows of the planet's existence, along with what Jod's fate will be since his plan also failed. However, the way the story was told gives a nice beginning and end to where it works as a self-contained story. Of course, if it were possible, it could continue as either a comic book series or even a young adult novel series like what the "Young Jedi Knights" books were way back when.
So even if you feel burnt out on Star Wars, give this show a chance. If nothing else, it helps tell a story in another part of the Far Away Galaxy which is still fresh and different yet can still grab the audience's attention as only Star Wars can and take them on an adventure of their lives, just like what Wim and his friends did.
And for all of Jod's pretenses, he wasn't wrong with this bit of advice:
"When you want to, you can see grand adventures even in a rotten galaxy like this."
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And some behind-the-scenes stuff!
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