How do you bring childlike wonder back to Star Wars, a franchise whose TV offerings are currently plagued with mindless fan service and unfortunate creative decisions? According to Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, the answer is quite simple: Put the focus on actual children.
The latest Star Wars series, created by Spider-Man: Homecoming director Jon Watts and writer Chris Ford, meshes the wonders of the Galaxy Far, Far Away with the daring kids and treasure-hunting shenanigans of The Goonies. The formula, while simple, works wonders. Skeleton Crew proves charming as can be, with its classic adventure story feel setting it squarely apart from other Star Wars TV offerings.
What's Skeleton Crew about?
Skeleton Crew takes place in the years following Return of the Jedi. The Empire is long gone, and piracy runs rampant across the galaxy. Thankfully, Skeleton Crew wastes no time in embracing the coolness of space pirates. The show's first episode treats us to Star Wars' take on a pirate attack, complete with laser cannon fire and massive harpoons that double as walkways for boarding an enemy ship.
From this rousing opening, we cut to the polar opposite of space pirates: well-ordered space suburbs, complete with manicured lawns, pavements, and street lamps. This is the planet At Attin, which initially seems like what you'd get if you spread a suburban American neighborhood across an entire planet. Still, there are enough sci-fi twists poking through this familiar facade to remind us that this is Star Wars. Hoverbikes are kids' rides of choice, holograms provide entertainment, and for some reason, all the adults on the planet are obsessed with completing "the Great Work."
Emphasis on adults, because At Attin's kids have other problems on their minds. Daydreamer Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers) obsesses over the Jedi, to the point that it interferes with his schoolwork, including an important test that will decide his upcoming career. His best friend Neel (Robert Timothy Smith, Dear Santa) is much more studious, but that doesn't stop him from playing Jedi with Wim — or from helping him dig up what they think might be a hidden Jedi temple. However, Wim and Neel aren't the only kids looking to break into the temple. Headstrong Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Firestarter) and her cyborg-adjacent best friend KB (Kyriana Kratter) are also on the hunt.
The two pairs meet in a prickly boys-against-girls face-off that feels ripped straight from a playground argument. It's another surprisingly relatable detail to go with At Attin's suburbs, one performed with gusto by Skeleton Crew's delightful young cast. But when the kids realize that the temple is actually a starship, and that it's taking them to destinations unknown, they'll have to work together to find their way home.
Skeleton Crew presents a charming Star Wars adventure.
As soon as Wim, Neel, Fern, and KB leave At Attin, it's clear why Skeleton Crew started them off in the suburbs. Their prior lives, characterized by structured routines and suburban mundanity, are nothing compared to the hives of scum and villainy they'll find themselves in once their starship docks in a pirate haven. Similarly, by positioning the audience in a strangely familiar environment for Star Wars, we get to experience the kids' culture shock right alongside them.
Seeing the world of Star Wars through children's eyes winds up being one of the sweetest parts of Skeleton Crew. They marvel at the universe around them as they fly through space for the first time, their faces a mirror of mine (and millions of others) as I watched A New Hope for the first time as a kid. They're simultaneously terrified and awestruck by the many space pirates they encounter, most of which are brought to life by incredible, tactile animatronics. Honestly, their reactions are fairly similar to mine when I first saw Neel, whose blue, elephant-like head immediately sent me into orbit. What can I say, I love a good Star Wars creature — and boy oh boy, are there several in Skeleton Crew.
There's also a new Force user in the mix: the mysterious Jod Na Nawood (Jude Law, The Order), who helps the kids perform a daring escape. But while Jod is the only adult in the mix — unless you're also counting droid SM-33 (voiced by Nick Frost, Black Cab) — he's certainly not here to take on the role of wise babysitter. Instead, he's a shifty wild card who plays excellently off the kids, especially starry-eyed Wim, who's prepared to idolize Jod as a Jedi, and no-nonsense Fern, who will not hesitate to stand up to him if he gets in her way.
The kids' ever-evolving relationship with Jod makes Skeleton Crew's already enjoyable journey through space even better. But it's the fact that there are no gratuitous plot tie-ins to other Star Wars shows (at least, not in the first three episodes sent to critics) that really allows Skeleton Crew to chart its own path. Without these ties, Skeleton Crew can focus on delivering what it does best: adventure, plain and simple. And wouldn't you know, it's an absolute blast.
Skeleton Crew is now streaming on Disney+.
