Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Season 1 Episodes 1 and 2 Review: A Charming Addition to the Star Wars Universe

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Season 1 Episode 1 and 2, “This Could Be A Real Adventure/Way, Way Out Past The Barrier,” scales down Star Wars with a story as universal as any other: a kid dreaming of a more adventurous life accidentally gets what he asked for.

Yet it isn’t quite what he hoped.

Many additions to the Star Wars canon have attempted to connect every story to the franchise. This one sets itself apart by staying cleverly focused, making for an entertaining, if simplistic, coming-of-age adventure.

Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers) is the reckless thrill-seeker, his friend Neel (adorably played by Robert Timothy Smith) is the comic relief, and their companions Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) and KB (Kyriana Kratter) are the much cooler rebels.

The show takes its time, allowing the main cast of kids to actually be kids, engaging in petty squabbles and sharing terrified expressions as they realize they bit off more than they could chew.

Skeleton Crew also pays homage to Goonies and other ’80s iconic kids’ adventure films.

It would be too simplistic in less skilled hands, but the mystery slowly unravelling in the background is enough to keep even the most casual audience members engaged.

Part of the benefit of keeping the show so focused is that it communicates the stakes quickly and convincingly. Right now, all the kids want to do is go home, but they are close to a much larger plot lurking in the shadows.

More than the slightly trope-y “kids in pirate turf” storyline, a particularly intriguing aspect of the story so far is the strange mystery surrounding their home planet.

It is an off-putting suburbia that is sealed off from the rest of the galaxy by a cloudy, ominous barrier in the sky.

The kids see the stars only after leaving, and no matter who they ask for directions, their home planet At Attia is nothing more than a mythical place full of treasure. As much as the main cast is entertaining, this more sinister plotline prevents the show from being too simplistic.

Visually, the show follows most of the typical Star Wars cues, with the classic opening with text explaining the broader events of the galaxy projected onto the stars.

There is, of course, frequent use of The Volume and Star Wars properties’ go-to VFX stage, which presents beautiful landscapes but not very real-looking ones. It is an unfortunate problem in what is otherwise a very grounded show.

However, the set of the ship where the kids get stranded is well-constructed, making for good practical effects.

The perspective that Skeleton Crew is a breath of fresh air compared to how serious other series like Andor or The Acolyte have been. Going so far as to have Wim play with Jedi figurines and pretend to be a Jedi with his friend Neel, complete with the “shoom” vocalized sound effects, is so wholesome.

With this adorable fight, Wim dreams of becoming a Jedi, something beyond his cookie-cutter suburban existence. Cabot-Conyers sells this impatient yearning very well, and it gives more weight to his conflict with the other kids.

Jude Law’s character, Jod Na Nawood, only comes in at the end of Episode 2. He is the first Force user we see in the show and one of the only major connections to the broader Star Wars universe so far.

He promises to help the kids return home, but his summoning of the key to their cell so quickly begs the question of why he had not gotten out on his own already. There is more to Jod’s story.

While the first two episodes have done a decent job of establishing the plot’s stakes, it will be interesting to see how it spreads the different plotlines over only six more half-hour episodes.

Like the ill-fated The Acolyte, this show could end abruptly, so hopefully, it covers enough ground to have a satisfying finish.

Suppose it sticks with the pacing and momentum demonstrated here. In that case, Skeleton Crew will succeed as a charming addition to the Star Wars universe without getting bogged down by the obligation to add as many canon connections as possible (I’m looking at you, The Mandalorian Season 2).

So far, Skeleton Crew is a refreshing approach, plopping its main cast of kids in a vast galaxy.

Its premiere establishes the stakes and its already endearing characters effectively.

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New episodes of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew air Tuesdays at 9/8c on Disney+.

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