Skeleton Crew continues to deliver. I never would have guessed how brilliant At Attin’s separation from the rest of the galaxy would turn out.
Skeleton Crew continues to deliver, and I don’t know how it will all end! Jon Watts’ Star Wars series is close to its final episode, and ‘Zero Friends Again’ and ‘We Are Going to Be in So Much Trouble’ only build up the incredible suspense. For the record, I like the quirky naming system for each episode. The episodes are named in straight-to-the-point phrases instead of symbolic single words that only mean something to the overall story in hindsight. Since kids tend to be blunt and direct, I think it’s perfect for Skeleton Crew.
ZERO FRIENDS AGAIN
Zero Friends Again begins with the kids sliding down a shute in Tak Rennod’s treasure room (thanks to Wimm’s quick thinking). The team then tries to get their bearings after being betrayed by the duplicitous pirate Jod, who uses pirate code manipulation to switch SM-33’s allegiance from Fern to him. The despicable rogue also has his hands on a functioning lightsaber, which all fans could surmise would lead to more violence.
They are deposited at the bottom of the mountain in a sort of trash dump and have a spat and split up. Each tries to get back to the Onyx Cinder docked on the landing platform using a different method. Fern and Neel bravely climb up the mountain back to the spa resort, while KB fights with her best friend Fern and sides with Wimm, who thinks following a group of semi-sentient talking crabs is the way to go. In the short time, we learn a lot about the shy and calculating KB – how the girl had no friends (except for Fern) back on At Attin and that her cybernetic enhancements were not optional/ part of some cyberpunk chic trend. Instead, we learn that KB suffered an accident at some point in her young life, and her cybernetics are integral to her survival.
CYBERNETIC IMPLANTS
Star Wars has always been a champion of alternative lifestyles and handicaps. In a sense, KB is a character with a disability. The rules of cybernetics in the Star Wars galaxy are unclear, but previous iterations showed the person chose them. However, perhaps we see that they are usually only implanted in people with physical or mental impairments like Elon Musk’s Neuralink is becoming. It is unknown how Fern suffered such a terrible injury (perhaps hit by a hoverbus). Still, we see how vulnerable and dependent on her cybernetics she is when they start malfunctioning from the fall.
Wimm, showing his heart once again, follows KB’s instructions on how to fix her implants, and she walks him through the repairs. KB shares her insecurities with Wimm, who kindly considers her his friend. I’m starting to like this scrappy little kid, as despite his juvenile nature, he is a good and compassionate individual. Even Jod had felt compelled to help and open up to him.
TREACHEROUS PIRATES
Speaking of Jod, I reiterate how much this man is A Nexu in Bantha’s clothing. He has a goofy and cavalier attitude, much like the pirate Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean, yet the man is not to be trusted and is not above killing people to achieve his goals. When recaptured by the terrifying Shistavean pirate Brutus, he uses his wit and bluffs to convince the crew not to kill him and journey to At Attin together to rob the last Republic mint. Brutus was Jod’s first mate who mutinied on him, and honestly, this pirate exposition is also a complete mirror of Pirates of the Caribbean. Yet that is not a bad thing at all.
How the kids retrieved the Onyx Cinder closely resembled Chekhov’s Gun principle—if something is introduced in Act I, it must play a role by Act III. The method of salvation, which seemed like just a casual line from earlier episodes, was crucial. This is NOT lazy storytelling, as it was formulated expertly and inserted into the story without a seam out of place. And the result was pretty darn cool and something more at home in Star Trek than Star Wars.
JOD’S BETRAYAL
Jod betraying Brutus and regaining his captainship was also formulated very well. The means to get through Attin’s atmospheric barrier were also enjoyable. However, there is one stitch that ruins it all. While I praise this show for its excellent plot formulas and storytelling techniques, it has one central weak spot. The method of the kids regaining SM-33’s allegiance is sloppy and unimaginative, and it taints an almost perfect story sequence. I won’t go into detail in this review, but I am distraught with it, and it is far worse than Episode I‘s plot hole with Jod not escaping the brig until he met the main characters. Sometimes writers have brain farts, but I want an explanation ASAP.
VERDICT
Regardless, this has been a wild and fun ride, and while it borrows very much from Pirates of the Caribbean (which once borrowed a lot from Star Wars first!), I think it is a fun and unique story. I never would have guessed how brilliant At Attin’s separation from the rest of the galaxy would turn out. I very much want to see these characters and locations in future Star Wars projects.
The first five episodes of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew are streaming on Disney Plus now.
Max Nocerino is a regular Staff Writer for The Future of the Force. He is a passionate Star Wars fan and loves the literature of the galaxy far, far away. Follow him on Twitter where he shares his love of the Force frequently!
