This evaluation accommodates full spoilers for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Season 1, Episode 4.
Who mentioned Skeleton Crew was simply Star Wars Goonies? Because this episode gives up one other beloved reference level, and – for as soon as – it’s not even from the ‘80s. In this, Skeleton Crew’s greatest episode to date, the present truly goes for one thing extra akin to Doctor Who, full with a visit to a planet with one central thematic gimmick (two factions, the Troik and the Hattan, are locked in a self-perpetuating, generation-spanning battle) and even a lesson that the characters can take residence (that actual energy is usually present in kindness and never in combating).
It helps that the episode facilities on the perfect member of the Skeleton Crew (although that’s apparently a uncommon opinion): Neel, the elephant boy. The children of the Crew stay fairly one-note, and whereas the younger actors are all doing their greatest with what they’re given, there are one or two who might nonetheless stand to be given extra. Neel will get extra on this episode, spending a while with a warrior lady named Hayna who initially takes his reluctance to hitch his mates in taking part in round with weapons as a snobbish perspective towards weapons that aren’t as large as a bus.
Hayna’s intrigued when she learns that Neel’s truly simply good and doesn’t like combating, even together with his tiny siblings. Learning about him and his homeworld not less than vegetation the thought in Hayna’s head that combating a meaningless conflict without end is form of silly – a very poignant lesson for Neel to impart, contemplating that, as we realized final week, these children don’t even know that the Galactic Civil War occurred. It took one thing like eight motion pictures earlier than anybody else in Star Wars questioned whether or not or not the entire thing was a mistake (and the conclusion that point was “no, it wasn’t”).
This all occurs on a planet known as At Achrann, which is the place the coordinates the crew received final week truly despatched them as a substitute of their homeworld of At Attin. At Achrann, it seems, is equivalent to At Attin, it’s simply been ravaged by countless wars. This switch-up reveal has the potential to be so terrifying that it’s in all probability sensible that the present doesn’t lay it on too thick. That’s to not say it doesn’t really feel unnerving, although. Locations that the youngsters acknowledge – most notably their faculty – are creepy, bombed-out ruins. What does that say about At Attin? It’s one other good hook to tug us all together with the central thriller.
That nice, spooky twist results in a few others, like the truth that SM-33 has been to this planet earlier than and that his oft-repeated utterance of the episode’s title line (“Can’t say I keep in mind no At Attin”) is a few form of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.-style reminiscence wipe set off phrase (remember that?). This bit was somewhat predictable, however Skeleton Crew correctly doesn’t linger on it as some form of unthinkable betrayal. SM-33 was all the time form of off-putting, and the crew shouldn’t have trusted him within the first place.
The shift to a form of Evil Dead-style course when 33 turns dangerous (with, seemingly, a digicam strapped to a bodily droid puppet) can also be somewhat off-putting, because it appears unusually suave for this or certainly any Star Wars present. This episode was directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Sheinert (a.ok.a. directing duo Daniels from Everything Everywhere All At Once), and even when it appears bizarre, it’s nonetheless good to get a little bit of auteur-ish aptitude in a Star Wars mission.
Also, with SM-33 turning into a nasty man, Jude Law’s Jod Na Nawood has the “I don’t belief this man” burden faraway from his shoulders and he’s free to spend the episode goofing off. He fires off a few strong gags on this episode, together with instantly surrendering to the Hattan militia and requesting that they only kill him, after which him contemplating whether or not or not there’s a variety of animal hides he’d be prepared to commerce the youngsters for. A lingering query after final week was whether or not or not it could stay enjoyable to observe him play off of the Crew, and hey, it nonetheless is!
As a matter of reality, that is all nonetheless enjoyable, and the crew is making simply sufficient progress getting residence every week that it doesn’t really feel like anybody is losing time.
