The Jude Law-headliner promises to be a romp across galaxies far, far away for older fans and younger ones to enjoy.
Cute and fun. These are words you wouldn’t associate with anything Star Wars. Despite its merchandise-friendly characters, it can be best described with words such as sci-fi, action, adventure, and a sprawling space opera that at times can be so violent that it’s anything but kiddie.
That is, until The Skeleton Crew came along. The latest installment in the fourth biggest media franchise of all time had a two-episode premiere on Disney+ last Dec. 2. So far, it has everything you would expect from a Star Wars series but made infinitely more kid-friendly.
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Created by Christopher Ford and Jon Watts, Skeleton Crew is “yet another coming-of-age story in a franchise full of coming-of-age stories,” an article on Vulture says. I’m not complaining, though. I’m a sucker for coming-of-age stories, and I’m sure many of you are, too.
It has been described as less influenced by the original trilogy’s chosen-one narrative and more a nod to the unlikely friendship of Steven Spielberg and John Hughes. Perhaps this explains why the series feels like a breath of fresh air, a maverick in a stellar yet at times already too familiar universe.
So how did the pilot episode fare?
“E.T.” vibes, meta plot
The Star Wars franchise has become too expansive, so I thought of helping you get your bearings as to exactly where Skeleton Crew is on the ever-expanding timeline. It takes place after the Rebel Alliance overthrew the Empire, which means post–Return of the Jedi, pre–The Force Awakens, and pretty much in the same era as The Mandalorian. In the corner of the galaxy where the series is set, the New Republic is working to “maintain order,” but is still struggling with piracy.
Without revealing too much, the first episode opens in a pleasant and affluent suburb that looks so American, except it has non-human characters and creatures (I would like to have my own frog-dog, please) aplenty. The cinematography and color treatment has that cozy ‘80s, E.T., and Stranger Things vibe to it, which I like.
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Called At Attin, this seemingly ideal neighborhood is home to what would be our ragtag group of little mischiefs. There’s our main protagonist, tween Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), who is obsessed with all things Jedi. In fact, our first glimpse of him is playing with Jedi and Sith action figures (ah, so cleverly meta!). As in many kids his age, he’s incurably bored and antsy, made worse by a hyperactive imagination. He’s also quite at odds with his workaholic dad (Tunde Adebimpe), who seems to be his only caretaker.
It’s time for the career-assessment test at Wim’s school, but he isn’t even aware of it. His mind is instead filled with Jedi adventures in far-off planets. His best friend Neel (Robert Timothy Smith)—who, in my opinion, is now the second cutest character in Star Wars after Grogu—is quite his opposite. The adorable elephant-like alien boy seems like your gentle nerd who nags Wim on the responsibilities he so conveniently forgets.
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Completing our motley crew are two feisty girls: headstrong Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) and her super-smart best friend, KB (Kyriana Kratter). Our young would-be heroes start off with a strong boys-versus-girls dislike for one another, especially Wim and Fern who seem to be constantly bickering.
After oversleeping, waking up late, and missing the tram to school—on the day of the career assessment test no less—Wim takes his hover-bike, takes a shortcut through the woods, and stumbles upon what he thinks is a Jedi temple. This discovery leads to a chain of events that sees our quartet lost in space, and in a desperate bid to get back home.
A winning season premiere
The first episode ended with a loud bang, and served its purpose well. It gave us great introductions to the younger characters and raised compelling questions that make me look forward to the rest of the season. The biggest of which so far is this: Why is Wim’s admiration for the Jedi seen as uncool?
This reminds me of how the Jedi order was seen in The Acolyte. Though widely revered, these lightsaber-wielding characters aren’t always virtuous nor are they infallible. Will this be a major thread in the series, moving forward? I can’t wait to find out.
I also like how delightfully meta and self-aware the show is. Wim’s action figures resemble Luke Skywalker in white and Darth Vader in black but aren’t explicitly said to be those characters. Wim and Neel’s lightsaber fight had one of them reacting to an injured arm, which seems to reference The Empire Strikes Back without actually naming it. I’m excited for more of these Easter eggs in future episodes.
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And with Skeleton Crew being a coming-of-age story, I’m looking forward to the time when Wim metaphorically grows up and gets to put his Jedi obsession into good use. Will Jude Law’s Jod Na Nawood be Wim’s (and the other kids’) father-figure in space? Will he be the Obi-Wan to Wim’s Anakin? Star Wars fans know all too well how the franchise loves its mentor-apprentice relationships; I’m quite sure we’ll get something similar in this series.
The kids are proving themselves to be stars! They seem to be genuinely enjoying playing their roles and have great chemistry. I can’t wait to finally see Jude Law in the next episode—critics have been saying his character gives off Han Solo vibes—but I rest easy knowing the young cast members are doing a fantastic job.
Skeleton Crew couldn’t have come at a most opportune time. It’s the perfect series to watch with your family as the Christmas lights blink from the corner of your eye.
Skeleton Crew is now streaming on Disney+. Watch the trailer here:
