To be perfectly honest, I was not looking forward to Skeleton Crew at all. Typically, I am an automatic buyer of anything Star Wars. As a Hasbro Black Series collector; a new color swapped, background, nameless Mandalorian action figure? Easy sell! Top Gun with X-Wings (looking at you Patty Jenkins)? Sign me up! Yes I adore Star Wars, though that is not to say I don’t have my issues with it when they come up. That is where I’ve been for most of 2024. The Acolyte was a botched and disappointing execution of what could have been an otherwise interesting plot in a new era. The negative reception of the series by both critics and fans lead Disney, Lucasfilm, and cast to do what they do best: blame the fans. Additionally, intriguing and exciting projects (looking at you KOTOR Remake) have been put on ice or otherwise lacked any movement or official updates. These factors have led me to start to feel burned and taken advantage of by Disney, Lucasfilm, and their mishandling of Star Wars. So when Skeleton Crew was announced and the marketing campaign kicked off, I couldn’t care less. Turns out, with the first season now in the books, it’s time to enjoy a slice of humble pie.
That's right, Skeleton Crew was the adventurous breath of fresh air the franchise needed. Generally separated from the wider Star Wars goings on, the series follows a group of kids from a hidden world getting lost in space and trying to find their way home. Yes, there’s more but this isn’t a review of the story, rather we’re going to examine what makes Skeleton Crew work so damn well. Personally, what made it work at the start was my approach to it. Not the apathy - which is death, if you know you know - but I actively avoided any marketing. Normally I watch every trailer for an anticipated project. I’ll read all the articles. I’ll follow all the discourse. This time, I couldn't bring myself to do any of that. While my avoidance was sheerly out of not caring, I would recommend avoiding marketing and discourse if you can. Going into this show with fresh eyes was the best I could have done. Since that wasn’t a move made by the creatives I won’t include this into what works, but food for thought.
The first thing Skeleton Crew has going for it is the sheer vibes. Most of the supporters of this show make a point to describe it as very Goonies and Amblin inspired. This is spot on, but I would also venture to say it is very whimsical - you know, like a dewback. The whimsical feel is no doubt bolstered by performances by the child actors. While it's easy to hoist the red flags high when there are child actors involved, these kids absolutely nail their roles. They’re no doubt aided by the writing that makes them authentic, but their portrayals are genuine.
The characters are outstanding as well. As stated, the motley crew of Wim, Neel, KB, and Fern are fantastic. These kids truly felt like kids, naive and bright eyed and yearning for adventure. Jude Law’s Jod Na Nawood (aka Crimson Jack, Dash Zentin, Professor Umiam Gorelox, Jodwick Zank, or the "Mad" Captain Silvo) was, for me, a standout. He was evocative of the likes of Captain Jack Sparrow and Star Lord, even down to the wardrobe design. Where Jod’s character was truly done justice was in his backstory, or lack there of. While we get a glimpse of his origins in a few lines in the finale, I’m thankful we didn’t get another flashback episode. The series let Jod breathe for the audience and kept him a mystery, which was the right way to go in this writer’s opinion.
The production design was spot on as well. While the sequel trilogy felt very clean and separated from the lived in feel of the original trilogy. Granted, Attin did feel very “Earthy” but that is explained in the plot. Once the kids leave the Great Barrier, the galaxy returns to that lived in feel. Character design was top notch as well. As mentioned, Jod’s wardrobe of a blue shirt and long reddish coat seemed like a nod to the MCU’s Star Lord, subtly hinting that maybe Jod really is a scoundrel with a heart of gold. Jod’s mutinous first mate Brutus is a highlight of Star Wars character design, combining Blackbeard and the Shistavanen race- you know, the red eyed wolf man first seen in the Mos Eisley Cantina.
Finally, the overall theme of the show is subtle and really only makes itself known if you’re looking for it. On the surface, Skeleton Crew is a fun-filled galactic pirate adventure with kids. However, it is really about a group of children that exist in the Star Wars galaxy discovering the Star Wars galaxy for the first time. It sets itself away from the Mandalorian in that it is not influenced by what inspired Star Wars - Kurisawa and westerns - but rather opts to be influenced by what Star Wars inspired and continues to inspire in us. It begs us as a fractured fandom to return to and seek the sense of adventure so beautifully captured in the Original Trilogy. To me, this was solidified by Wim looking through a ceiling and watching X-Wings soar though the sky of his home world, a smile sneaking across his face. It’s Binary Sunset on a much smaller scale, where one of our heroes comes to terms that he’s meant for something more.
Currently, Skeleton Crew boasts an 81% Popcornmeter, Rotten Tomatoes’s audience reception metric. Frankly, Rotten Tomatoes is not my favorite indicator of whether or not a project is good or bad, but it's the best we have. Also, If you’re looking at if a project is good or bad, I urge viewers to err on the side of audience reception - rant over. This is a far cry from Acolyte’s 19% and Ahsoka’s 64%, Disney+ two most recent endeavors in the franchise. As good as Skeleton Crew is, this is cause for concern if historical analysis is anything to go by. The Last Jedi divided the fandom and left them feeling hurt by the writing. The eighth installment in the franchise was followed several months later by Solo: A Star Wars Story. Recently, Solo has been looked at more and more fondly as a serviceable movie about our favorite smuggler-turned-rebel-General, though not without its issues. The worry with Skeleton Crew is that it is currently suffering a similar fate as Solo’s debut: low viewer ship. Viewers feel burnt from the dud that was Acolyte and perhaps passed on Skeleton Crew as a result.
Granted, I neglected to engage in the hype for Skeleton Crew leading up to its release. However, the show breathes fresh air into the Star Wars franchise. The series boasts impressive ratings for a streaming show within the current context, but lacks viewership numbers. However, here’s to hoping cooler and logical minds prevail at Disney and Lucasfilm.
All episodes of Skeleton Crew are currently available for streaming on Disney+.