Skeleton Crew is a Whimsical Star Wars Adventure with tons of possibilities

Since its announcement, star Wars fans everywhere have been curious about the new show, The Skeleton Crew. Or it is set at a normal time in between Return of the Jedi again The Force Awakens, The Skeleton Crew it seemed just like the original show the franchise had done years ago. No lightsabers, no Rebels, maybe no Imperials. Just four children, lost on a starship, in a galaxy far, far away. “Amblin Star Wars” it was always a field.

Well, now that the first two episodes of the show are out, it’s clear that the show is exactly that. A simple story set in the disconnected phase of star Wars a universe told from the perspective of brand new actors and filmmakers star Wars the whole place. As a result, it may be small in content (so far at least), but it is packed with everything you do star Wars what it is: ancient mysteries, cool ships, amazing creatures, high adventure, and much more. We are fully on board, which we think will lead to good returns.

After a cold open where we watch pirates try to rob a ship, only for the crew to rise up against their “mysterious leader,” we arrive at Attin, a seemingly dreamy, mid-level planet. It is clean. It’s quiet. Determined bystar Warsat least on the face. Here we meet Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers) and his best friend Neel (Robert Timothy Smith), two basically identical kids. They are nervous about school, they have crushes, dreams, and love and they pretend to be Jedi and fight at the bus stop.

This is one of the first examples of The Skeleton Crew we are focused on something we did not see star Wars: an outsider’s perspective. By now, almost everyone on every show knows something about the big picture—Jedi, Rebels/Resistance, Empire/First Order, etc. These children act in a vague sense, but it is not part of their life. They only know what they have been taught or read in books. And, at least in Wim’s case, he loves it. He also talks at school about wanting to be a hero when he grows up. Other than that, they are good people, normal children star Wars the universe, which just happened to be deliberately separated from it.

Wim and Neel are soon joined by Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) and KB (Kyriana Kratter), two girls who share the same sense of fun and risk-taking. And here I have to take a second to give all these child actors their due. Each one is incredibly beautiful in their own unique ways, you can’t help but love them. Wim’s incredible curiosity. Neel’s aw-shucks naivety. Fern’s confident swagger she hid from her mother. A cool, calm collection of KB. Each one is almost first rate, lovely star Wars the character and the show haven’t even started yet.

As we watch Wim and Neel go about their day, showrunners Jon Watts and Christopher Ford do everything around them to make “Star Wars” almost star Wars. Almost. RX droid driving a bus is a nod Star Tours. Fern’s bike needs a new power converter, as does Luke’s. Wim plays with action figures, a star Wars which is fundamental to our world. You don’t need to be aware of these things but, if you are, they are a plus. Then, as he has to prepare for an important test, Wim can be seen studying the history of the galaxy around him. There are Jedi, Sith, wars, ancient circles, the kind of things that are more than entertaining anywhere star Wars a follower. I wanted to stop the show to immerse myself and devour everything Win was reading. And maybe one day we will learn more about it all.

The first two episodes take place in the same way. Simple story, lots of beauty, tons Star WarGoodness sprinkled throughout, all working together in a strangely delightful alchemy. It’s fun and fun to watch all of it. We are engaged with the story, but mostly with the characters and tangentially star Wars on display. So, as the children leave Attin after finding the ship buried under the ear, we begin to ponder a number of questions. How did this ship get into Attin? What does the droid on the ship, SM-33 (Nick Frost), remember? And how will Wim’s father Wendle (Tunde Adebimpe) handle the story of him watching a ship leave the ground with his son and his friends on it and fly off into the galaxy?

That last question is for a later episode. The second episode begins when the kids finally realize that beyond the strange, forbidding barrier surrounding their planet is a big, big galaxy. SM-33 directs them to Port Borgo, a seaport for sailors, again, full of surprises. star Wars Items: Jawas, seedy bars, killer droids, etc. Most surprising, however, may be those Old Republic credits Wim’s father gave him as lunch money. That quickly becomes an unlucky calling card to everyone in the harbor that these kids are hiding something. The fact that no one believes them when they say they are from Attin is very curious and touching. And, after several exciting action sequences, especially where SM-33 saves the day, finally after two episodes we meet Jod, played by Jude Law.

Well, actually… you might remember that Law’s name was there in the first episode where he didn’t appear. Still? Well, it’s obvious, yes, he realizes almost as he speaks that Law is actually the hairy captain Silvo from the beginning of the first episode, now taken into custody by his team after their raid. But, with all the talk of spaceships and mysterious treasure planets, he decides to help the kids escape, and he’s not afraid to use the Force to do it.

I have watched the first two episodes of The Skeleton Crew twice now and while I enjoyed them the first time, the second watch left me very surprised. What’s wrong with Attin? What are all the parents doing there? What are they hiding? WTF is “Great Work?” Who is Jod/Silvo? There’s a lot more to discover here than just kids on space travel across the galaxy. That story though is brought to life by a great cast, great characters, and an exciting new perspective Star Wars, both within the program—with Wim mostly—and without it, from Watts and Ford. Together, all those ideas kick off what should be a very interesting, revealing show. One thing we think and hope will add to many more.

The first two episodes of The Skeleton Crew now on Disney+. Watch here.

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