Skeleton Crew needed more Jude Law. That’s the first thing we need to say about episode 1 and 2 of the new Star Wars show on Disney+. Because it’s super cute and introduces us to a whole new world that isn’t just a perpetual continuation of the Luke Skywalker saga. It also acts as an introduction to Star Wars for kids, which Disney desperately needs to keep the Star Wars machine going for generations to come. But the show faltered in its two first episodes because all the promotional material had Jude Law front and center. And he didn’t appear until the end of episode 2, making it clear he isn’t the heart of the show.
Then there’s the kids.
I was so annoyed by Wim. And I could see what the show was trying to do. This kid in particular has lived in a secluded kind of utopian planet where dangers or Jedi adventures are just a fantasy. So all the adventure and danger that was coming towards him, he wasn’t really taking it seriously. He’s going to go on a journey where the childish wonder of the world is going to be stripped away from him. And it’s going to define his character and probably make me love him to pieces. But right now, with every button that he pushed, it felt like dumb decision after dumb decision.
Fern also followed Wim in my annoyance. She felt like a stereotype. Of course they make the supremely wealthy girl kind of tired with her life and slumming it up and doing races because she’s “not like other girls.” Some of the fights between her and Wim and Neel also felt extremely childish. But the benefit of the doubt has to be given because they are all children. The one thing that makes her different from Wim though when it comes to annoyance is that she recognizes when danger is present and becomes cautious. She told Wim not to touch the button and she also stepped up when on the ship and when at the port. She’s got good instincts and I think she and Wim could balance each other out.
As for KB and Neel, I love them. KB is definitely giving cool Asian girl vibes, which is a stereotype problem within itself that I would love to know what Asian critics think about it. She’s also curious, silly, and really smart. As for Neel, he’s a whole vibe. A lot of it is due to the fact that his character is absolutely adorable. He’s a cute little elephant alien. 10 out of 10, Disney is going to make a killing if they sell toys of Neel. Besides that, I think he finds a good balance of being curious but also cautious. If there’s anybody that I feel connected to in this adventure, it’s going to be Neel.
When it comes to the mystery of Skeleton Crew, I do think that the show has something unique in their hands. Star Wars has gotten stagnant. And this show is giving a Goonies feel to something that feels like the makings of a grand sci-fi adventure with all staples of space travel, adventure, danger, and a mystery that they can only solve. Whatever is going on with the planet that the kids are from, they’re hiding. And there’s something telling me that maybe this planet, they aren’t the good guys. Yeah it’s giving suburbia at its finest in a way that I’ve never experienced in Star Wars. But it’s plain and lacking individuality. There’s control on this planet. And I’m really curious to see what happens when these kids learn the truth about their home and when Wim’s dad Wendle realizes that whatever is going on on this planet, they’re willing to sacrifice the children to keep it hidden.
Skeleton Crew episodes 1 and 2 are now available on Disney+. New episodes drop Tuesdays at 9pm ET.
