Star Wars: The Skeleton Crew – Episode 2 Recap & Review

Way, Way Out Past The Barrier

Episode 2 of Skeleton Crew begins with the kids emerging from hyperspace. Wim wants to press another button and leave but Fern stops him. That is, until they hear a droid approaching. This is SM-33. Get it, like Peter Pan’s Smee? Anyway, Fern decides to make herself the captain and takes charge of everything. Because of course she does.

SM-33 shows Fern how to fly, but doesn’t seem to have any knowledge of their planet, At Attin. Everyone blames Wim for them ending up in this predicament but as he leaves, Fern decides they need to go on the hunt and find someone who can help get them home.

As for Wim, he uncovers a whole bunch of pirate memorabilia, including hats, a compass and a spyglass. This is a ship with electronic equipment and scanners, just as a reminder.

Anyway, the kids show up at a spaceport, where Fern bosses the others around as they try to find answers. KB and Fern find themselves separated from the boys, and when they stumble upon a local, they seem to be pretty amused by the name of At Attin.

Wim and Neel find themselves at the bar, and, unfortunately, right in the midst of that pirate crew from the first episode. When they pay with Old Republic Credits, it’s enough to pique an interest in everyone around them. Turns out At Attin is famous in these parts as the planet that holds eternal treasure.

Just as things escalate, Fern is the one who steps up and confronts the crew. That is, until she has a gun taken off her. SM-33 jumps in and protects Fern, who is actually ready to leave the boys behind until they chirp up and she adjusts her demands.

SM-33 makes short work of everybody… until the rest of the crew shows up. Brutus is in charge here, and he throws them all into the brig. They use the ol’ Pirates of the Caribbean trick to try and get the key, which happens to be hanging on the other side of the room.

As bickering starts to break out, they soon realize they’re not alone in the cell. It turns out the old captain is here, Jod Na Nawood. He uses the Force and brings the key across, as it seems clear that he’s a Jedi… or a Sith.

The Episode Review

So if the first episode struggled to keep itself aligned with the Star Wars name, episode 2 absolutely destroys any sort of semblance of being in the same universe, and it contradicts itself constantly by doing so. Everything here points to a cyberpunk style of Peter Pan and Pirates of the Caribbean but it’s about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the face. 

We have the droid called SM-33 (as in Smee?) and even Na Nawood, which (okay it’s a stretch) could be another play on Never, Neverland. Why has the ship got a compass and a spyglass when it’s computer operated with far superior scanners? Are they actually thinking they can use a spyglass in space to spot another ship? Really?

The trouble with all of this, is that it just doesn’t feel like Star Wars, and it leans into a lack of care with the worldbuilding as nothing here feels consistent with what we’ve seen in other shows like The Mandalorian or even Ahsoka.

So we now have pirate ports but yet, why are there no bounty hunters here? Furthermore, why is Nawood using the Force to move that key at that exact time when he could have done that at any time beforehand? Is he specifically waiting for the kids?

Speaking of which, Fern establishes herself as the stoic, bossy, unlikable Mary Sue very early on but it does follow the usual Star Wars trend of making sure the boys are always useless and degraded while the women take charge, so that’s at least per the course for Disney Star Wars.

I do appreciate this is a kid’s show and yes, I’m not the target audience. But comparing this to shows and movies that are for that target audience – The Goonies, ET and the first 6 Star Wars movies – this one is a far cry from those heights.