Star Wars: Skeleton Crew episodes 1 and 2 review

This review has some spoilers for Skeleton Crew episode 1, "This Could Be A Real Adventure," and episode 2, "Way, Way Out Past The Barrier."

I know I'm biased when it comes to my thoughts on Skeleton Crew.

When all the initial shows were announced years ago, there were two that got me the most excited. As Rogue One is my favorite Star Wars movie, Andor instantly stood out, and it has since become a beloved piece in the franchise. The other show that piqued my interest was Skeleton Crew, as I was deep in the depths of wanting something new for a galaxy far, far away. Burnt out on the Skywalker family, the premise sounded exceptional, fresh, and unique. I patiently waited years until the premiere dropped on Disney+.

And I loved every single minute of these first two episodes.

Skeleton Crew isn't a perfect show, but it makes up for its few shortcomings with charm, a mystery, and delightful main characters. What this opening salvo did so well was play in the realms of nostalgia in a brand new way. This wasn't the normal kind of nostalgia we're used to with cameos or returning to Tatooine for the millionth time.

It was the nostalgia of being a kid again. Wim has action figures that he forms grand stories in his mind. While waiting for the bus, he plays Jedi with his best friend, Neel. Fern and KB ride their speeder bike through the neighborhood. Wim stays up way too late on a school night to read stories under the covers and daydreams in school. These are all things that resonate with adults, particularly many of the adults who grew up with the Amblin-era stories this series is working to invoke. I jokingly posted on my socials that I was experiencing childlike wonder while watching the show, but the sensation was no joke. Skeleton Crew made me feel like a kid again.

I always want more Fun Star Wars. With a franchise that has "wars" in the title, levity can often be far between in the realms of the live-action series. Animation has no issue with this. If I want to put on the delightful Bluey of Star Wars, Young Jedi Adventures has me there. Live-action Star Wars doesn't always hit that fun side I'm always looking for. That is until Skeleton Crew found that perfect blend of injecting fun into the harrowing pirate battles and the core mystery of the series.

Trying to figure out what exactly is happening on the planet of At Attin will be the main driving force of the show. The kids can't get home until they figure out why their planet is hidden in the first place. Why is it a pirate legend? What are the security droids that roam At Attin hiding? Why haven't the kids ever seen stars before? If the childlike fun isn't hooking you, this is the part that will keep adults coming back. I'm concerned about what will happen to Wim's father, Wendle, as he is taken to whoever the mysterious supervisor is. Fern's mother, Fara, seems to understand that not everything is as it seems on the planet if the trailers are to be believed.

The other big question I'm interested in uncovering is how will Skeleton Crew be connected to the bigger universe. This is still a Mandoverse show. While Vane makes his wonderful reappearance from The Mandalorian Season 3, he can't be the only connection to the bigger story. I do think that Skeleton Crew needs to be able to stand on its own, which it has done so far. My concern is the final episode will be nothing but setup for Dave Filoni's Mandoverse movie, which will tie all of the shows together. If Thrawn arrives on At Attin and invades to take all their money to fund his new Empire, I'll be pretty salty. So far, the showrunners have done an excellent job making something new in Star Wars while still weaving in the threads that something is happening in the bigger story. I'm awaiting to see if the execution if it will land on its two feet.

If I had any gripes, I hope that KB has more to do in future episodes. She's very much the Tech from The Bad Batch archetype of the group, but she's not as prominent as Tech was in his series. They gave her a few things to do. Overall, though, she's just sort of there. Wim, Fern, and Neel all have such big personalities that someone balancing them is needed. However, I want KB to have more to do in the coming episodes so we can find out exactly who she is.

I adored the first two episodes of Skeleton Crew. They gave me everything I've waited for since its announcement. This little nostalgic series is the right amount of fun I've wanted for so long in Star Wars, leaving me with a massive smile.