Skeleton Crew: Episode 1 and 2 – Don’t Get Cocky, Kids!

Set in the time between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens (~9 years after the Battle of Yavin, and concurrent with  previous Star Wars series The Mandalorian and Ahsoka, although the exact place in this space is yet unclear, however, the opening scroll establishes:

“Since the fall of the Empire, the New Republic has maintained order. And yet, remote hyperspace routes are increasingly plagued by piracy. These pirates boldy brand their armored hulls as a sign to all ships “

This small info dump leads into the opening scene reminiscent of Episode IV, as the pirates board and attack the crew in search of New Republic credits and turn on their leader Captain Silvo, after finding the vault empty, save a single credit.

The scene shifts to At Attin, a planet surrounded by an atmospheric anomaly known as the barrier where the four kids, best friends Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), Neel (Robert Timothy Smith), and their schoolmates Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) and KB (Kyriana Kratter) live in a society that uses Old Republic credits for currency. The first episode sets up who the kids are, their relationships with each other, and how they come to discover and activate the ship that takes them past the barrier and begins their journey through the galaxy to get home. The main focus of the first episode is on Wim, a young boy infatuated with the tales of the Jedi/Sith and wanting more to his life than what At Attin has to offer, much like Luke Skywalker in A New Hope. His best friend is Neel, who provides the lighter moments for the series so far and wants to follow the rules and keep Wim out of trouble. As the episode plays out Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), who is rebellious and a great pilot, much like Han Solo, and KB (Kyriana Kratter), who seems to be an expert at machines ala Chewbacca are brought together when Fern hears Wim tell his father, that he discovered what he believes to be a Jedi Temple on the planet. Wim and Neel go to excavate the find, and they are met by Fern and KB, who are also checking it out after Fern overhears Wim talk about it to his father.

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Each of these actors have a unique voice and the interactions between them in pairs and once they are brought together feel natural and lay the groundwork for the relationships that will grow during their time together. The pilot also sets up their abilities such as riding the modified Speeder Bikes, in scenes that pay homage to the forests of Endor from Return Of The Jedi. This first episode has a number of easter eggs for long-time Star Wars fans such as the holos that Neel’s siblings are seen watching, finally bringing the Star Wars Holiday Special into canon, the stories that Wim is seen reading seem to harken back to the REBELS animated series when Kanan met the Bendu, the creature who claimed to represent the center of the Force and predicted Grand Admiral Thrawn’s defeat, and the droid who drives the kids to school, resembling the pilot from the long-running Disney ride Star Tours.

Where Episode One is an introduction to the kids and At Attin, Episode Two introduces and sets the stage for the larger adventure as the kids find themselves at a pirate space station, hoping to repair the ship and find their way back home. It is also in this episode that there is a larger mystery surrounding At Attin and its place in the New Republic and the larger Star Wars galaxy. It is in this episode that the kids learn the vastness of space and that there is more beyond The Barrier that has kept them safe, and has made At Attin’s existence a myth to the outside worlds. It is also here that the kids meet Jude Law’s character, the pirate from the first episode after they are taken to prison. In the final moments of the show, Law’s character reveals that he might have a connection to The Force, but has been waiting for this particular moment to reveal and exploit this revelation.

As for the antagonists,  not much is revealed in either episode about the pirates, on that Gunter, played by Jaleel White and the Shistavanen pirate named Brutus, who becomes the Captain after they successfully mutiny Silvo, are introduced.

There is a lot to be excited about following the first two episodes that should appeal to Star Wars fans of all ages and experience levels. The story gives just enough away about the main characters that can be expanded on throughout the run of the show, no matter how many seasons it runs, as it has established the characters, the reason they find themselves in the current situation, their relationships with one another, the larger threat that they will eventually probably have to confront, ie the pirates finding and attacking At Atlin, all the while laying the groundwork for multiple mysteries to be solved. There is also the potential to bring in characters from the animated series such as Hondo and his crew, have Jude Law’s character be Cal Kestis from the canon novel Battle Scars and video game series Fallen Order, or a way to introduce Corren Horn from the Legends novel I, Jedi, and has experience with the seedier side of the Star Wars universe.

The costume designs for the kids are great as they have their own unique style and it feels like it is something that kids their age would indeed wear. Law’s pirate costume from Episode One looks similar to that of Zeva Bliss, the leader of the Spice Runners of Kijimi over in the Star Wars: Battle of Jakku maxiseries. The music blends the classic and iconic themes along with new and unique music scores to provide an overall feeling associated with the franchise from the beginning.