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 five of season one, ”You Have A Lot To Learn About Pirates”. Beware of spoilerific elements in here.
Jonathan Hipkiss
What do you get if you unashamedly mix Pirates of the Caribbean with Indiana Jones and throw them into the Star Wars universe? Well, you get the best episode of Skeleton Crew so far is what you get.
The whole episode oozed joy and fun and what a gift on Christmas afternoon to be able to watch some good old-fashioned swashbuckling fun after all the turkey and trimmings. Having the kids dress up in disguise and calling them ‘elders’ was my favourite thing this show has done so far. Wim looked exactly like Davy Jones to me!
The treasure room and booby-traps gave a sense of adventure, and of course that ending – I didn’t see coming, and I can’t wait for next week’s episode. Brilliant, brilliant stuff.
Dan Lo
I’ve been having a hard time reviewing Skeleton Crew without mentioning non-Star Wars movies. Warranted or not, I’ve previously made references to The Goonies and The Truman Show. The latest episode was no different, with obvious nods to Indiana Jones. I also had “The Wizard of Oz” written down in my notes, which took me a few moments to recall that it was in reference to “The Supervisor”. We don’t know who that is yet, but this mystery character definitely has a “man behind the curtain” vibe. My overthinking brain seems convinced that it could be Wendle, but I’m not ready to commit to that theory.
Are we surprised that Jod betrayed the kids? The character has been shifty since his debut, so the most likely answer is “not really”. Plus, I’m fairly sure he’s shattered the record for having the most names in Star Wars. I haven’t gone back to verify, but from what I can recall so far every instance of Force telekinesis has involved a metal object. We’ve already seen magnets being used to simulate Force powers in Star Wars, so that remains a possibility. As a potential side note for later, it’s worth noting that Jod did also seem genuinely hesitant to harm the kids.
A couple of minor gripes: First, we got yet another case of Star Wars adults unable to catch running kids. This time, it was a security guard at the Spa in pursuit of Jod with KB and Neel in tow. There has to be a better way of portraying daring escapes that involve kids. Secondly, the booby traps within Captain Rennod’s secret lair were all lethal unless the plot demanded otherwise. We saw a laser beam designed to decapitate, a spiked ceiling and energy beam combo, and an entryway that doubled as a refillable pool of acid. All fairly unpleasant ways to go. Yet, Wim purposely triggered a trap door as a means of escape. Why would that one happen to be harmless, let alone beneficial? Of course, I’m assuming the kids didn’t all die a gruesome death mid-season. Cue the “Written and Directed by George Lucas” meme.
One highlight of the overall show so far has been the humor, and this episode did not disappoint. SM-33 getting up off the table as if he wasn’t securely tied down made me laugh out loud. Other funny moments included Jod dodging Fern’s concubine question, SM-33’s “food for weaklings” line, and the two starfighter escorts getting abruptly blasted out of the sky by Captain Brutus’ ship.
The big piece of information we got was that At Attin was the last Old Republic Mint, courtesy of Captain Rennod’s glitchy hologram recording. Was that the case for all the other “At” planets too? It doesn’t quite explain why At Achrann appeared to be older than At Attin, as implied by the larger tree in the previous installment, nor why the layouts were the same down to the individual homes. With three more episodes left in the season, there’s surely plenty more to unravel.
Greg McLaughlin
I think this episode once again plays to its strengths by streamlining the story and not letting itself get too bogged down. The humor of Jod’s situation, with his less-than-serious partners, also resonates with any parent who’s had to take their children on vacation. As much as they have experienced already, they are who they are. Kids get hungry, love a good bouncy bed, and have a short attention span.
This might be one of the most rewatchable episodes so far, because as fast as it moves along, it is filled with a ton of pirate backstory, from SM-33, Jod and old Captain Rennod himself. It would figure that there are clues here in plain sight and are more than just throwaway lines. Just as you are trying to process all this new information, the episode does an excellent job of throwing you off-guard when Jod turns on our young crew. It was set up brilliantly and is a great contrast to all the Force ability nods throughout this instalment. We have heard it from character after character, that he is not to be trusted, and sure enough, they weren’t lying. I loved finding out that he had even more names, and our new bounty hunter, Pokkit, was a great addition to the list of those trying to hunt him down.
SM-33 had another wonderful episode. The tone of the story worked well with him lamenting what was Skull Ridge Mountain, and what is now Lanupa Resort. The struggle against the restraining bolt made for many laugh-out-loud moments.
That said, buried in all this is Wim’s moment. It’s interesting that it doesn’t come at a climax or a crucial point like Ferns in the previous episode. His comes in a lull in the beginning, which could almost be forgotten. He seemed to begin to start processing what his family meant and what still means to him. I think it’s a little overshadowed by the events of the chase for the treasure, but I thought it was an excellent scene that starts him maybe towards his emotional destination. I wonder if we’ll come back to it at a certain point and when that might be.
With so much mystery revolving around Rennod, and his less than clear appearance from the personal log, why do I have a feeling he’s still around? With his loot still very much intact, and knowing now that his concubine appears to have saved him from his mutinous crew, it tracks that he would be one of the many active players still seeking the bounty of the last Old Republic mint. One thing’s for sure; Jod got a nice upgrade to his knife, and the look he gave it said a lot. Jude Law had another fantastic episode and keeps demonstrating how much we are all better for him joining the Star Wars universe.
Paul Naylor
Well, I was originally not a huge fan of episode four, but that has grown on me. This latest chapter had no such problem – I loved the fifth instalment from the off. I could easily have seen such a planet featuring in a mid-80s Marvel comic. Indeed, it would have made a better destination for the side story featuring Finn and Rose in The Last Jedi.
I loved the Goonies feel to the episode. Well, I say Goonies – there were elements of Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings, National Treasure and Michael Bentine’s Potty Time (that last reference for UK residents of a certain age relates to the elders).
It was a fun, adrenaline-packed romp that culminated in Jod (or whoever he is) dropping his guard and perhaps revealing his true self – which if that is the case, he’s not the nice guy he acted so well as being. But perhaps the most tantalising element, as we head down the homeward straight of this surprisingly great series, is the inclusion of a lightsabre among the treasure of Tak Rennod. Wim’s attempt to wield it was in a way comical, but reinforced the power of the weapon. But, it was Jod calling the hilt to his hand using the Force and the sound of the blade igniting that made us wish episode six played right after. Now that’s not a feeling I’ve had about a Star Wars series for quite some time.
Eric Onkenhout
The only thing missing from the 5th episode of Skeleton Crew was a bottle of rum. It had betrayal, treasures, weird alien guys, and really bad holograms. You Have A Lot To Learn About Pirates really made me dislike Jod a lot more than I did. Wim needs a hug and maybe an ice cream and Fern needs to cut the tough act. Anyone who acts that tough in Star Wars is never that tough. You ole smoothie.
At the start of the episode, we see Wim’s father, Wendle, performing a job quite similar to what we see Syril Karn doing in Andor. Something boring and repetitive, but it’s not all what it seems. Wendle is covertly working with Nooma, Neel’s mother, and Fara, Fern’s mother, on getting the access codes to the Barrier. Apparently, every parent and their child’s names start with the same letter.
Tak Rennod is revealed as the previous captain of the Onyx Cinder. Jod describes Captain Rennod as the most infamous pirate the galaxy’s ever known. Sorry, they spelled Hondo wrong. Seriously, who’s more infamous than Hondo Ohnaka? For someone so infamous shouldn’t he have been mentioned before? Unless it’s all hyperbole. Then never mind.
Meanwhile, Wim steps away because this is all starting to be a little too much for him. He’s just a kid who wanted a real adventure but got more than he bargained for. Wim understandably misses his mom and dad. Very similar to what we see in Rebels when Ezra Bridger hides away on the Ghost because he misses his parents. And just like Sabine, Jod notices and tries to comfort Wim rather unsuccessfully. Jod tells Wim that old saying, “Your focus determines your reality.” Obviously, this is what Qui-Gon tells Anakin in The Phantom Menace. Does Jod know Qui-Gon Jinn? Assuming Jod is about 50, that would make him 9-10 during Episode I. The same age range as Anakin. Despite that Jod does say something worth pondering. He tells Wim to “Make your life the one you want to live.” That’s legit advice in any galaxy.
SM-33’s dry humor never gets old. And he has perfect comedic timing. I don’t get the impression he is trying to be funny which makes it funnier. The way he recalls the many names for Lanupa, where Rennod scanned the location for At Attin, and includes Lanupa after a slight pause was just perfect.
Children aren’t allowed on Lanupa so they disguise themselves as elders from the Bratric system (think really tall jawas). The kids disguised speaking gibberish was great. Yes, we’ve seen it a million times before but what makes this work is that it came unexpected. Whereas Obi-Wan sneaking Leia under his coat shouldn’t fool anyone with eyes. The way the kids were lowered to the ground instead of walking down the ramp is such a small detail but it worked so well. Add a couple more aliases to Jod’s repertoire. So far he’s known as Dash Zentin, Professor Gorelox, Silvo, Crimson Jack… I know I’m missing one.
A new alien creature called Cthallops helped lower the kids into Rennods lair where they eventually find a room full of treasure. This could easily be One-eyed Willy’s treasure or Indiana Jones. One has to wonder if/when the Amblin nods will get old after a while. When does Skeleton Crew create its own identity? If it gets a second season I could see this happening. Fleshing out the characters a bit more. Getting a little more of KB’s backstory.
In a crazy turn of events, Jod challenges Fern’s captaincy which is pretty creepy having an adult with Force powers challenge a kid to a fight. This is a new low for Jod. It felt so wrong and definitely affected my feelings towards Jod. He’s run from every problem he’s encountered. Changes his name half a dozen times, and bullies a 12-year-old girl. Fern yields to Jod, then in another jerk move, Jod orders SM-33 to arrest the kids for an attempted mutiny but the kids escape through a trapdoor. Jod then picks up the lightsaber Wim woefully tried to use against Jod and ignites it. End of episode.
Another super fun episode but now I want to see Jod get his comeuppance. Maybe all that was a ruse but it doesn’t feel that way. Jod’s a sneak. I hope I’m wrong though. And I’d like to see Fern lighten up a bit. She’s had her moment of vulnerability. She should use that experience to understand what Wim, Neel, and KB are feeling.
Sander de Lange looks at all the reveals and easter eggs in Skeleton Crew: The Guide: Episode 5 ‘You Have A Lot To Learn About Pirates’
Hear Mark Mulcaster and Mark Newbold discuss the fifth episode on Making Tracks Reaction Crew: Skeleton Crew S1 Ep5.
Watch Brian Cameron and Paul Naylor discuss the fifth episode of Skeleton Crew on ‘Bone Voyage:’ Reviewing Episode 5 Of Disney Plus’ ‘Skeleton Crew’, part of Good Morning Tatooine, live every Sunday at 9.00pm UK time on Fantha Tracks TV.
