Chris Connor reviews the fifth episode of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew…
Skeleton Crew’s first four episodes have introduced us to a more light-hearted side of a galaxy far far away, full of fun and escapism that hearkens back to the Original Trilogy. Thus far we’ve encountered marauding pirates, a planet of child soldiers and much more, but we are no closer to figuring out the mystery surrounding why At Attin’s location has been kept a secret from the outside world.
The fifth episode answers some questions fans might have around this as our crew finds themselves on the luxury planet of Lanupa after a trace from famed pirate Tak Rennod of what might be hidden on their home and how to get there.
We open with the children’s parents, showing that they are perhaps not as rule abiding as they first seemed, scheming to get a message past the barrier and make sure they can reach their children. While only a small segment of the episode this shows their desperation and that the supervisor does not want any information escaping at any cost. This leads us to question what they are hiding and how it might tie into what Tak Rennod found or left there.
The main segments on Lanupa are once again an enjoyable reminder of how fun the show can be as it is an adult only planet, Jod is forced to improvise to get the children past security before running into an old crew member played by Kelly Macdonald, a surprise but welcome addition the show’s cast.
The segments involving sneaking past booby traps and trying to find loot recall Lucasfilm’s other franchise, the Indiana Jones series. Perhaps the only drawback of this episode is that it is another episode where the crew find clues about At Attin’s location but the flipside of this is how distinct the planets have been from one another and visually Skeleton Crew is one of the most impressive of all the Star Wars series to date, showing the scale of the galaxy at this point in the timeline.
With just three episodes remaining we finally have some aswers about what might lie on At Attin and the dynamic of the show has found a fine rhythm with Jude Law as Jod a particular delight, not to mention Nick Frost’s SM 33. Jod’s true allegiance continues to be a mystery, what does he seek from At Attin, and how strong in the force is he? Doubtless we will get answers to the questions that linger and hopefully the show can continue to stand on its own and not rely on other parts of the franchise.
Chris Connor
