Storytime with Rachel F Hundred

Out of the pirate pan and onto the moon

Spoiler Warning for Very Interesting, for an Astrogration Problem

The continuation of the Skeleton Crew sees the episode pack in a lot of activity in a very quick order. It’s fun, it’s engaging, and the weird relationship of Jod and the kids is very well done. My fear though is that there is just not enough story being told.

Let me start with the constructive criticism first because it is a niggling and nagging worry that there is just not enough story for an eight-episode television series arc. This worry is not without merit as I agree with the viewpoint that that Ahsoka (2023-current) and Obi-Wan (2022) might have worked better as movies rather than as television shows.

Storytelling in episodic television needs to have the overall arc, but it also needs a meaty and satisfying ‘story of the week’ even if all the threads are not wrapped up within the episode itself. Here, there are two potential stories effectively melded into one along with the subplot of the kids and Jod getting to know each other and making their deal.  

This episode could have been entirely the kids and Jod, escaping the prison, rescuing SM-33, and running from the pirate planet. Instead, this essentially forms the first act. The short second act is given over to the travel to the moon, and the third act ends up being the discussion with Kh’ymm and getting the coordinates to At Attin.

Perhaps a more involved escape was dismissed as feeling too drawn out or maybe there just wasn’t enough of a story idea for it in the writer’s room beyond getting the kids to the ship and sending Jod back for SM-33 so the kids could debate Jod. Equally, I can see that constructing a whole episode around the trip to Kh’ymm may have been challenging.

Moreover, I can see that the quicker pace of combining the two stories would be engaging to a target audience of children, who may not have the attention span of an adult. So, for all I am complaining about the lack of story, what the episode managed to do was pack a lot of information and action into a very short thirty-three minutes. This did make the episode overall a fun watch.

I love the continuing mystery of At Attin. The visit to Kh’ymm was great to get that additional mythology and worldbuilding about the planet. The nuggets of information are fabulously dropped into the scene; the only remaining treasure planet whereas the others are destroyed; the unusual lettering and lanugage which gives Kh’ymm what she needs to put the puzzle together.

Additionally, the short scene back on At Attin of the worried parents was a wonderful insight to the strangeness of the planet. Again it is restated that going beyond the barrier is illegal. There is Fara requesting an immediate audience with the ‘supervisor.’ The mystery of At Attin grows.

The other aspect of the parental meeting which was interesting was the note that KB has a medical condition. KB takes more of a centre stage in this episode. She distrusts Jod; she has the moment in the prison where she senses the approaching security drone; she stays behind to help Kh’ymm. She ultimately is the one to facedown Jod at the end. I love KB. She is definitely assuming that R2D2 ‘most sensible being in the room’ mantle. Kyriana Kratter is doing a great job.

Indeed, all the kids are doing great. There is a nice sense of them acting and behaving like children in the story rather than mini adults. Wim’s utter faith that Jod is good because he thinks of him as a Jedi, his playing with the cargo lift, Neel’s rumbling stomach, KB can’t sleep, even Fern is gleeful at shooting at the pursuing X-wings. All are nice at showing the kids as kids.

Their evolving relationship with Jod is also nicely plotted through the episode. From potential Jedi saviour to the realisation that he can make bad choices, to the reveal of him being Crimson Jack with Kh’ymm and their final deal with him. Jude Law is an excellent actor and he eats up every scene including the moment where he says that he’s just as lost and alone as the kids. He has the right mix of menacing, bewilderment, exasperation, and desperation in his dealings with the kids. I liked that he is confirmed as Captain Silvo and that they didn’t drag that out too long, but there is a new mystery in why Jod has so many names.

The action sequences of escaping both the pirate port and the moon are great. There is an tension and excitement; there is a sense of real danger. And I just love the wider world-building we got with Kh’ymm’s moon. I love it. I loved the set design of Kh’ymm’s place and I love Kh’ymm, voiced by Alia Shawkat. The owlish design was brilliant. It might have been interesting for her to have gone with the crew rather than to have been a one-shot guest, but then there are a lot of characters on the crew without adding one more.

One final shout-out for that camera shot of the kids and Jod silhouetted against the planet as they crossed the moon’s surface – that was just beautiful.

In conclusion

There is a lot to admire and enjoy in this episode of the Skeleton Crew and the series is definitely a fun watch. Would I like more story content? Yes, but I can definitely hold final judgement until we get to the end of the series to see if there is a greater plan at play with the choices made so far.

End Note: Please like, comment or share if you enjoyed this review!