Skeleton Crew continues to be a fascinating chapter in the Star Wars saga

After a two-episode premiere that introduced a new set of characters, a new tone for the franchise, and a unique new planet ingrained in mystery, this week's episode is all about that last aspect—namely, the mystery of At Attin and its lore repercussions. So far, Skeleton Crew has not been very interested in cameos and connections to the larger franchise. Characters talk about Jedi, but not Skywalkers or Yoda. They mention Alderaan, but not Leia. Even the At Attin mystery seems to be about something other than Palpatine's cloning experiments, which have somehow taken over the vast majority of the Star Wars TV shows, even animated ones.

After the kids strike a bargain with Jod Na Nawood to escape together (but after they make it back to their ship undetected), they force Jod to go back and rescue their droid SM, which triggers a fight that wreaks havoc on the entire spaceport. Hoping to find answers, Jod leads the kids to a friend of his, an alien who's part owl and part cat (voiced by Alia Shawkat). So far, the handling of the mystery is quite thrilling, with the right balance of exposition and new questions being raised that don't feel overwhelming or rely on prior knowledge of the franchise. You don't need to be aware of the events of the Clone Wars era or even the original trilogy to know that it is very strange that the kids seem completely unaware that there was a big war recently. 

Still, it is the specifics (and lack thereof) of the nature of At Attin and how long it's been lost that makes this a fascinating chapter in the larger Star Wars saga, particularly because we still have no idea how much (if at all) this is connected to anything—or even to what era this planet and mystery is tied to. To recap, so far Wim knows a lot about the Jedi, more than anyone in the original trilogy period would be aware of. But what's more, he knows of the Sith and fights Jedi versus Sith with his toy figures—despite the Sith supposedly being but a nearly-forgotten legend all throughout the prequel and original trilogies. Neel is aware of Alderaan, presumably as a still-intact planet, and none of the kids know of the war. But which war? So far, this is feeling more and more like the Star Wars equivalent of a Fallout Vault. They have no knowledge of what's going on outside their home, as a droid back at At Attin tells the kids' parents (who are understandably freaked out and want their kids back) that contact with the outside world is forbidden. 

Though we don’t get any full answers, we do learn that At Attin was purposely hidden as part of a group of worlds known as "The Jewels of the Old Republic, of which only At Attin remains, remembered only in rumors, children stories and pirate shanties. There’s still no word on what exactly "Old Republic" means, and how long the planet has been hidden. I'm starting to lean toward the High Republic era, if only because of the focus on stories set in that time period in recent years (between the comics, books, and also Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and The Acolyte). It makes sense that a planet passes onto legend a couple of centuries after being lost rather than it still being something people talk about.

What makes the mystery of At Attin compelling, but not overwhelming, is that it is always in service of the kids' coming-of-age story, as they realize that there is more to the galaxy than their home, that not only is there danger outside their planet but that home may not be as perfect as they think. We see this in how Neels, the one member of the crew most eager to go back, who seems to have the healthiest and most loving home life, begins to question whether there actually is something sinister in At Attin. Particularly, he starts questioning "The Great Work" that the kids' parents do. It seems every adult is either an analyst or someone working in administration, so what does such a boring, suburban planet like this need with so many analysts? Again, why are kids' entire lives decided by a single exam? The Great Work is a name given to many projects approved under Supreme Chancellor Lina Soh during the High Republic Era (like building communications relays throughout the galaxy and the Starlight Beacon space station on the Outer Rim), which could be a clue as to how long the planet has been lost for. That Neel is the one starting to consider the possibility that there's something wrong with the lives they left behind and want to return to is heartbreaking. 

Overall, director David Lowery delivers another exciting episode with heart and action, with echoes of the darkness behind the whimsy in his live-action remake of Pete's Dragon. He also does some interesting subversions and mirroring of classic Star Wars moments, like reversing the TIE Fighter attack scene from A New Hope. This time, rather than Luke proving his worth as a fighter on the Millennium Falcon as they fly away from TIE Fighters, the kids enthusiastically and cheerfully mount the turrets of their ship and shoot some X-Wing fighters after they are called to arrest Jod, a.k.a. Crimson Jack. Granted, the kids have no idea that the X-Wings are the good guys, since they don't even know about the war those ships fought in. But it is nevertheless a thrilling scene with some dark undertones that the kids might come to regret later.

At the very least, they don't seem to regret teaming up with Crimson Jack. Even after they learn that he is a grifter known by multiple names and wanted by the authorities, even after he confesses that he's no Jedi, they decide to keep him around because he's the best chance they have to go home. Still, they're not just going to blindly trust him, with KB (the episode's MVP) reminding him that he is not their friend, or even their partner, but their employee. We're definitely doing Treasure Island in space, with Jude Law's seedy pirate as Long John Silver. It's baffling that we've never had that in a Star Wars story before but also exhilarating to think of where the tale can go next.

Stray observations

• • Apologies to readers that I am only now picking up on the SM 33 being a reference to Smee from Peter Pan. That is now my favorite detail in the show.
• • Jod/Jack/Silvo tells Fern that "The Force flows through us all" when she jokes about KB also having The Force, which is a small but nice reinforcement of Ahsoka democratizing The Force (and also a hint that he was never really a Jedi).
• • It is always a joy to see an old B-1 battle droid.
• • Crimson Jack is the name of both a pirate nicknamed Redbeard by his rival Han Solo and also a canon pirate from the comics. He was the first major pirate in the franchise, which makes this an intriguing reference.