Skeleton Crew Episode 3 Review!

Skeleton Crew aired its third episode “Very Interesting, As An Astrogation Problem” (dir. David Lowery) this week, and there were plenty of new reveals and thrilling moments!

Spoilers ahead for Episodes 1-3!

What we saw:

• Beginning on At Attin, the parents of the lost children try to reason with the planet’s security droids in an attempt to find their kids. They are told that the “Supervisor” will not see them, and the children have left the barrier in a starship – something very illegal.
• The kids break out of the prison alongside Jod Na Nawood, and while Wim is immediately enamored by their new ally, Fern doesn’t trust his story in the slightest. This trust is stretched further when Jod attempts to leave their droid behind in order to escape.
• Jod eventually relents and goes back for SM-33, but on the way, he meets a fellow pirate who confirms his identity as Captain Silvo from the pilot episode. Jod claims that he has found a way to the ultimate score through the At Attin children.
• Upon Jod’s return to the ship, the crew attempts to leave the port in a hurry despite still being physically attached to the station. They manage to evade the pirates chasing after them and blast off into hyperspace.
• The children get some much needed rest, but KB and Fern continue to poke holes in Jod’s story. SM-33 additionally interrogates the scoundrel, but the alliances remain for the moment.
• The crew lands on a distant moon to meet Jod’s old friend Kh’ymm who refers to Jod as “Crimson Jack” and calls the Republic to apprehend him.
• While awaiting the X-Wing response team, Kh’ymm asks the children about their mythical homeworld and discovers that the kids have no idea that Alderaan was destroyed or that there was any Galactic Civil War at all.
• Eventually, Kh’ymm discovers the coordinates of their planet right as the Republic fighters appear to apprehend Jod. He blasts his way out of Kh’ymm’s observatory, and Kh’ymm tells KB to call on her whenever the gang is in trouble.
• On their way off planet, Jod assigns each child to a job on the ship from pilot to gunner to hyperspace tech, and they all perform their assignments admirably - leading to another hyperspace jump towards home.

What we loved:

• Jude Law’s performance is one of the most natural introductions we’ve seen in Star Wars television. Jod/Crimson Jack/??? feels as though he has lived in this universe for years.
• The acting performances by the younger characters continue to be superb. Their transitions between action sequences and intimate character moments are effortless, and they each bring different, vibrant colors to their scenes.
• Kh’ymm’s Observatory provides an instantly iconic setting for the show. From the architecture of the building to the set dressing of the countless maps to the analogue nature of the coordinate generator, the design is so good that it’s instantly a shame that it will likely not be seen again.
• Although their appearance was short, the raw emotions wafting off of the concerned parents at the top of the episode were heartbreaking. Wendle’s tunnel vision as he tunes out everything in the world other than his worry about his son was expertly crafted and presented by David Lowery’s direction.
• The first two episodes began to hint at the mystery of At Attin, but the confirmation that the children have no idea about the Galactic Civil War was an excellent reveal. Combine that with the brutalist architecture style seen on At Attin at the beginning, and the planet almost harkens back to feelings of the Soviet Union and similar tyrannical governments.
• When Jod assigns the children their own positions aboard the Onyx Cinder, each child adopts their job with gusto and aptitude - reminiscent of Luke’s first spin as gunner of the Millennium Falcon. These are not just helpless children; they’re capable adventures, complex protagonists, and there’s no doubt that this is their story.

What’s next:

• With the coordinates obtained from Kh’ymm, it’s possible that the next episode will take us back to At Attin already! Whether they are able to enter the barrier at all, however, is another question.
• Then again, Kh’ymm could have been sending Jod on another wild goose chase, so the search for the planet may continue into next week.
• After two episodes directed by David Lowery, next week brings us a brand new director pairing with The Daniels (Everything Everywhere All at Once). Their visual style is remarkably unique, so the possibilities for off-the-wall hijinks are at an all time high.

Skeleton Crew journeys on with another remarkably strong episode. Jude Law’s effortless charisma allows him to fit perfectly within the ensemble, but the younger actors are still the stars of the show as the mystery of At Attin continues to unravel. Combine their performances with one of the most interesting settings a Star Wars show has seen thus far, and there’s no doubt that the show will keep its Rotten Tomatoes score - currently tied for the highest of any Star Wars television series.

Skeleton Crew is now streaming on Disney+ and will return next week with Episode 4 on Tuesday, December 17th!