Every time an episode of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew lands, Fantha Tracks will be giving their responses, and here are our initial gut feelings, deep dives and thoughts on episode seven of season one, ”We’re Gonna Be In So Much Trouble”. Beware of spoilerific elements in here.
Jonathan Hipkiss
Well, well, well … That was a knockout episode. For the first time in long, long time there was genuine tension in Star Wars. It felt like our heroes were in real danger and that something really terrible could happen at any moment. #
Jude Law really came into his own in this episode with an air of manic energy that kept me on the edge of my seat – he really stole the episode. This show has done a superb job of not revealing everything all at once. Keeping the mystery about Law’s character has added an air of intrigue. Sometimes we don’t need all the answers and not everybody has to be connected to somebody we know. This episode also set up what could hopefully be a fantastic finale. The exterior around At Atin looked brilliant, but the best moments of the episode came from the relationship between Jude Law and the kids.
Roll on next week.
Dan Lo
A good friend of mine once declared that if something doesn’t require a helmet, it’s probably not that fun. Given that we used to play roller hockey and ride motorcycles together, I’m not too inclined to disagree. He also dabbled in snowboarding and skateboarding, which I stayed away from. There’s a reason why I was always picked last in gym class.
My friend’s quote came to mind when Neel cheerfully said “half the time I was about to die, but that’s what a real adventure is like“, which was probably my favorite line from the penultimate episode of Skeleton Crew season one. Whether or not it was intentional, the statement did a good job of summarizing the show: The dangers are real, but the overall tone is lighthearted.
I admit that I previously thought that the Barrier was a made up gimmick to discourage folks from leaving At Attin, but it turned out to be very real. My previous comparison to The Truman Show was a bit off the mark, since the main characters all seemed to have a fairly good grasp of their reality. We still don’t know who the Supervisor is, nor why Neel’s dad never seems to be around.
For the second episode in a row, we saw SM-33 getting put out of commission. This time via a lightsaber, which seems serious but we’ve already seen IG-11 getting sort of rebuilt after a full on self-destruction. Or, look no further than poor C-3PO who has been put through the wringer in every trilogy he’s appeared in. What I didn’t understand about SM-33 is how he was able to override his programming to turn on Jod. Because Fern “called unclaimsies“? I’m sure Jod getting punched in the face would probably have garnered cheers from a theatrical audience, but in-universe it didn’t quite make sense.
Another point of confusion for me is why the safety droid didn’t seem to recognize a ship from the planet’s own fleet. I also found it odd that planet-wide protocol happens to require visiting Emissaries to report directly to the Mint, although it happened to move the story along. Then once inside the vault, of which there was one too many to be an easter egg, the safety droid seemed completely unresponsive to Jod’s bizarre interaction with the credits. Did his fake Force magnets activate the small cascade? I still don’t believe he’s a real Force user, but I’m finally convinced that he is a villian. Took me long enough.
“Hello children. Travel outside the Barrier is not permitted” was also a pretty funny line given its context. The timing and delivery had a Taika Waititi vibe to it.
Greg McLaughlin
For those of you in the Jod redemption camp, time is running short.
It was pretty amazing to see go Jod full dark side in this but what a great episode. I’m happy to see him be able to lean into his desire to gain the treasure at all costs. And Jude Law has proven he’s more than capable of showing you the many different sides of this character.
I loved finding out that the Onyx Cinder was actually a Republic mint ship. It was a great twist because it makes sense now how it was able to get through the barrier defenses that were clearly taking out other ships with relative ease.
I wonder how long did Rennod know about the operation of At Attin and the other Planets of Wonder? Considering that the Onyx Cinder was a legendary ship, and was even sung about, he must of had it for some time, all the while giving it hull upgrades and extra armaments for it’s eventual big score.
I think it’s going to be interesting to see whether or not Jod survives the series. Part of me thinks that that he’s nowhere to go perhaps, other than to sacrifice himself in order to save everyone, if in fact the Supervisor turns out to be a worse threat. He may have gone too far down the path of greed.
“Once we get back, everything will go back to the way it was.” Boy, that line from Wim has earned him the title of ‘Wim the Destroyer’ from me. He still doesn’t realize the full ramifications of pushing the button to launch the ship, but it’s hard to see how this society, no matter the protection, could ever go back to business as usual. This hinges on whether the barrier can stay up, get deactivated or just destroyed.
What happens once all the credits in the 1,139 vaults become compromised to external forces. Do the New Republic swoop in at the end to lay claim and guard the mint? Does it cause Galactic-wide inflation? Do the Imperial remnants lay some claim and this is what begins to form what will be known as the First Order? There is an opportunity here that would tie it nicely into the Mando and Grogu Movie and later Sequel Trilogy. Star Killer Base and all that First Order hardware had to get paid for by somebody.
We get the line from Jod that At Attin has been hidden for hundreds of years. It would be nice to have some of the timeline dots wrapped up in the upcoming finale, but I get the feeling that many mysteries will linger, including Jod’s backstory, what happened to Rennod, the backstories of the other Jewels of the Republic and so on. I don’t want to get too many hopes up about all of this fitting neatly into the last episode, and that’s ok. It’s been a great series so far. I just want them to stick the landing.
Paul Naylor
Well, another great episode that evoked so many memories from my childhood. The opening scene was the Skeleton Crew equivalent to the closing scene of E.T. A forest location with the desperate parents of the Onyx Cinder contingent fashioning a beacon for the kids, one – that when it left the ground – held a message of hope.
But, prior to its deployment, there is a scene reminiscent of the closing scene of Rogue One, lending heavily from the transferral of the probe from parent to parent as each is shot with a stun gun. A little less permanent than being run through with a Sith lord’s saber.
Then it’s over to the pirates. I love these pirates. Of all the space pirates we’ve had in Star Wars, these seem the most ‘piratey’. I don’t know why, they just Arrrrrrr.
And then Jod gets his revenge. In typical pirate style, killing a reasonably defenceless Brutus. With the children captured – and the probe collected – Jod watches the transmission from the parents, with the kids looking on. Following a bout of claimsies and unclaimsies (whatever the blazes that is) the children and SM-33 make there way through the seemingly inpenetrable outer layer of At-Attin. With the general concensus that the ship originated on At-Attin, hence its ability to make the perilous entry.
But what they hadn’t realised was Jod/Silvo joined them for the ride. Seeing him wield a lightsaber and silencing SM-33 with a swift decapitation was the final layer of his multi-layered persona being dropped. I think at this stage we get his true, full on character – and he’s not a nice chap at all. Threatening the kids with the weapon of a Jedi Knight in the most cowardly and sinister of ways. Well, if money is all that he loves, then that’s what he will receive… We’ll see.
He feels very much like one of the Fratelli family in The Goonies – but a lot darker in tone. Having assumed command of the ship, it is he who will land it on the planet. Meanwhile, the parents are mildly interrogated and we get to hear from The Supervisor, who announces the ships arrival in the unmistakable voice of Stephen Fry. Hugely famous in the UK, a national treasure. The thought of meeting him at a convention is somewhat amusing.
Then it was time to head over to Gringots… erm… I mean the vault of the mint, well one of 1139 – because all that money is one better than the ubiquitous 1138 in our beloved franchise. Jod literally bathes in a tumbling shower of golden credits, laughing maniacally. Jude Law gas really thrown everything into delivering a complex character. He has been quite wonderful in the role. And as the credits tumble, the parents are finally reunited with Wim, Neel, KB and Fern outside the vault. With little time for joy, Jod emerges, casts an unsympathetic glance on the gathering and ignites his blue blade. Never has the weapon seemed so evil in blue. Not even in Revenge of the Sith in the battle between Anakin/Darth Vader and Obi-Wan.
This series certainly isn’t limping across the finishing line. I for one cannot wait to see its conclusion, and maybe – just maybe – we will get to see Mr Fry in costume. What a treat that would be.
Eric Onkenhout
The fact that there is only one episode of Skeleton Crew left makes me very sad. I am absolutely loving this show, but for now, let’s rejoice in the latest episode, We’re Gonna Be In So Much Trouble. Is anyone else waiting for Jod’s aha gotcha moment? Every time he’s on screen I half expect him to lean over and tell the kids I’m kidding, I’ve got this, it’s all a part of my plan. Wink wink nod nod. A la Indy in Temple of Doom when Short Round thinks he’s still poisoned, but that hasn’t happened yet, and my hopes are fleeting.
Jod is quickly turning into one of my least-liked characters, which means Jude Law is doing a brilliant job playing his character. At the beginning of the episode, we see the parents secretly trying to launch a beacon to send a signal to their kids beyond the barrier. In a way, we can see where the kids got their adventurous sides from. Each of the parents risks being stunned by security droids for their own safety. Maybe the kids showed the parents that you don’t always have to follow the rules.
The way At Attin is concealed is genius. Brutus was fooled into thinking it was a poisonous gas giant, but Jod knew better. The only part I thought was a little too convenient was when Brutus tosses Jod in the airlock but the soldier ordered to press the button was moving in slow motion which gave Jod time to talk his way out of it…again. It’s not like Brutus was delaying, he gave the order but the guy was listening to what Jod had to say too much, I guess?
Jod gets pretty nasty towards the kids, ordering them to kneel down and keep quiet. Threatening to kill them if they didn’t comply. Does he have the guts to do anything though? He waves the lightsaber in front of the kids when they reunite with their parents near the At Attin mint. One has to wonder if one of two things will happen in the finale. Either the New Republic will arrive and arrest Jod, or Kh’ymm will arrive and save the day. Somehow? I can’t see this series ending on a down note.
The acting from the kids has been top-notch the entire series. It was good to see SM-33 take a stand against Jod and support the kids. We’re Gonna Be In So Much Trouble was another solid episode. Every episode, it seems, has touching moments, funny moments, and super frustrating ones (in a good way). It’s just been a fun ride from the start, and I hate to see it end.
Sander de Lange looks at all the reveals and easter eggs in Skeleton Crew: The Guide: Episode 7 ‘We’re Gonna be In So Much Trouble’
Hear Mark Mulcaster and Mark Newbold discuss the seventh episode on Making Tracks Reaction Crew: Skeleton Crew S1 Ep7.
Watch Brian Cameron and Paul Naylor discuss the seventh episode of Skeleton Crew on ‘Bone Voyage:’ Reviewing Episode 7 Of Disney Plus’ ‘Skeleton Crew’, part of Good Morning Tatooine, live every Sunday at 9.00pm UK time on Fantha Tracks TV.
