Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is a show unique to the Star Wars galaxy. This is a show focused on four kids who end up on a forgotten ship. They have to navigate their way through challenges ranging from pirates to personal limitations. The stars of the show are Wim played by Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Fern played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong, KB played by Kyriana Kratter, and Neel who is voiced by Robert Timothy Smith and acted by performance artist Kacie Borrowman. Rounding out the cast is  Jod Na Nawood played by Jude Law.

What is it about?

The series begins with the four kids living in a mundane suburban style environment which feels much like the ones found in America. These children go to school and take assessment tests. They ride what amounts to a bus to school. Things still look futuristic on their home planet of At Attin but this is a place not disturbed by the downfall of the Jedi nor the rise of the Empire. It’s protected inside a barrier which does not allow ships to enter or leave their planet.

One day the four children stumble upon an abandoned ship. Without intending to, they take off and leave through the barrier. For the rest of the series the kids try to overcome their differences, work together, and find a way home. There are many people looking to take advantage of these children. At Attin is nearly forgotten as legend in the galaxy and is rumored to have boundless treasure.

 Jod Na Nawood is an opportunistic pirate looking to make a big score. When he comes across the kids, he does his best to profit off of them.

Should you watch Star Wars: Skeleton Crew?

I don’t want to spoil too much about the series for anyone who has not seen it yet. But that’s the basic premise. I will say this series doesn’t exactly feel like Star Wars to me. It shares DNA with movies like The Goonies, E.T. or even the show Stranger Things. It’s a group of kids thrown together to try to overcome obstacles. The adults are either unhelpful, unaware, or actively trying to harm the children. But while watching you never get the sense the kids will be put in serious danger.

The show is clearly targeted to a younger audience so I will say I am not the intended demographic here. And I think that’s great, actually. There is only one other Star Wars story I can think of that truly focuses on a child and that is Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace. And that’s focused on a kid we know grows up to be one of the greatest villains in the galaxy.

While I can’t say I was thoroughly entertained here, I do think this is a good show for kids. I found it to be predictable in most instances but it has a clear sense of adventure and fun. There weren’t any “filler” episodes but there were times when the characters seemed to be shuffled from one place to another just to drive the story. But I don’t think that is something a young kid will notice.

Ultimately, if you are a Star Wars fan or you have a kid you want to introduce to Star Wars this is a good show to let them watch. I do have a caveat to that which I will get into below.

Things Skeleton Crew got right

Another thing I appreciate about the series, and wish would happen in more Star Wars shows, is an actual conclusion. If you watch the first season, you will get a full and complete story. Not that there aren’t some missing pieces or plot holes here and there but the story has a true ending. I was not frustrated as I was with ending of The Acolyte because Disney wouldn’t renew the series. I still want the end of that show. Skeleton Crew thought ahead enough to make sure we had an ending.

The kids in the series all nailed their roles here. I usually don’t like to talk to much about the performance of any child because, well, the real world sucks for kids who didn’t deliver an amazing performance in a show. But these kids were phenomenal. I fully bought into the dynamics of not just the kids characters but the way they developed their relationship over time. It is predictable how it plays out but it doesn’t make you root for these kids any less.

And one thing to call out specifically for this show is the portrayal of KB. She’s a kid in the series who had an accident and now has droid parts which help her to move and see. She’s differently abled than the rest of the kids and she has a moment where she acknowledges it. She embraces her different-ness. She doesn’t see it as a bad thing necessarily but she acknowledges both her limitations and enhancements. It was refreshing to see this in any show but especially in a Star Wars show.

Things Skeleton Crew could improve

In addition to being predictable, there were reasons the show didn’t feel like Star Wars to me. For one, this feels like a story we’ve been told before as there are so many shows and movies involving a group of kids coming together to overcome a problem. It’s pretty standard. At times it felt as if this story was meant to be told as something else but then shoved into Star Wars.

I don’t mind that but there were moments that seemed like, oh they were going for Stranger Things there or whatever. This is odd to say but it felt like I was being told a story rather than traveling to a galaxy far, far away. Since Star Wars is essentially fantasy this shouldn’t bother me but I think the mimicked suburbs just felt way too much like anywhere you can go in America.

So, to my caution for showing a kid this series first in the Star Wars cannon. I’m not sure this is a best first show for a kid. Why? Well, once they see it they are going to assume other Star Wars stories are similar. While there may be more seasons of Skeleton Crew, I doubt we’ll get another story involving kids like this one soon.

As entertaining as Jude Law was in his role, I feel like Jod Na Nawood as a character had a lot of wasted potential. He’s either a roguish pirate, or a helpful Jedi (I won’t spoil that part for you) but in the final episode he says something that makes me want to see so much more about his life. And Skeleton Crew is not the show to accomplish that. I don’t really want a spin-off show of this show but I’d read a novel about his early life.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew in Conclusion

If you like an entertaining show that is well acted, full of fun, includes a good dose of adventure but is predictable this is a good show. If you want something complex and full of the backstory of the galaxy that touches on events we’ve seen before, this is not the show for you. It’s not what I would call essential viewing for a Star Wars fan. But I do think it’s a fun entry into the Star Wars universe. I want there to be more stories told about the galaxy, even if the vibe isn’t exactly for me. I hope Disney takes notes here and doesn’t decide they need to just make more Skeleton Crew. Rather, I hope they make more kinds of Star Wars shows both geared toward kids and adults. We’ll have to see.

I don’t think most people will think the show is a waste of time but I don’t think everyone is going to love this either. But it was a worthy effort and I’d like to see more of that.

May the force be with you.

P.S. Want to see more Star Wars reviews? Check out those posts here.