Now that was the kind of episode I’ve been waiting for over this last uneven string of storytelling. Sure, it was the finale so the series was able to really pull out all the stops (and definitely blew its CGI budget), but this was a series (season?) finale that managed to pull together the remaining narrative threads (albeit some more seamlessly then others) and allow each of our characters a chance to shine on their own while still relying on the bonds forged between the four central children over the course of their adventure to help save At Attin.
Despite my worries that we weren’t going to get Jod’s origin story before the end of the series, the show delivered on that front. Would it have been more interesting to get it at a time when learning that piece of Jod’s history would allow it to percolate for us and the other characters to make Jod’s “I didn’t want anyone to get hurt!” revelation hit a bit more? Sure. Had we known his tragic origin story – watching your savior be murdered in front of you certainly could turn someone into the morally conflicted person Jod ultimately became – it might have allowed us a bit more insight into just why he kept coming back to help the children despite having multiple chances to ditch them. And it would help to explain why his quiet plea to Fern to just let him become captain was so emotionally charged – he’s been that kid, the one who doesn’t have an adult to help him navigate the world and he knows what that can do to someone. He didn’t want these kids – despite his need to essentially strip their planet of their workforce and resources – to experience that same betrayal and loss. Which also explains why he didn’t just kill Wim and Fern at the end of the episode (outside of the fact this is a children’s television series). He isn’t really a bad guy, he’s just someone who wants his piece of the pie and he’s not about to start killing kids who remind him of who he once was in order to achieve that.
But that’s precisely why I wish we had this particular revelation earlier. Sure, he could have lied a bit about the Jedi training – embellished before dropping the hammer about his Master’s murder in the finale – but that he grew up destitute and alone was something that could have enriched his character and his relationship with the kids throughout the series, while helping explain that his drive for riches was deeper than just being a pirate. It would certainly have made them more apt to trust him – and he could have easily used that to manipulate them. In the grand scheme of things this episode, it’s a minor quibble. But it was something that could have made the series stronger overall.
In terms of the other adults in the show, boy, I was not expecting them to be so . . . useless throughout the episode. Yes, I didn’t expect them to figure out that Jod was the villain, but none of them seemed willing to question why an Emissary suddenly appeared after, presumably, decades without any contact? Really?* And yes, I understand that the lack of adults seeing what the kids had discovered was central to the plot of the episode – as well as a smart commentary on how kids often believe their parents are so set in their ways that they are unable to deviate from their normal path to see the world through the eyes of their kids (and younger generations as a whole). But it was a bit odd that the whole populace wasn’t out in the streets trying to figure out just what was going on. Maybe it was also a commentary on how over reliance on technology (here, the droids) to solve our issues and guide our actions leads to complacency that can turn into a total lack of engagement with the world around us?
*With the caveat that sometimes, a show made for kids isn’t really operating on multiple levels for the adults watching, I don’t think it’s a bridge too far to also read into the adults paralysis in the face of danger some other, larger interpretations. Such as, when faced with the truth about a dire situation, people are often far too willing to simply look the other way and hope things change rather than taking action to stop them. And the refusal to open the planet’s grid even though it meant keeping the entire populace trapped with the pirates with no way out just to keep others out? Oof. That’s a pretty easy one to read into. Yes, the pirates are bad (and possibly deadly), but something worse could be out there (even though plenty of good is out there as well). The parents were a great representation of just how stagnant people can become, willing to mortgage the safety of others because they either can’t see a better way out or because they are so scared of the possibility of something worse happening they aren’t able to see that plenty of good could also come their way through change as well.
But, by far, the most successful parts of the episode were those that leaned into the central tenant of the series: childhood friendship and adventure. Watching the kids come together to save Fern, each taking on a key role not only in her rescue but also in the defense of the planet, was awesome. Form the ET homage on the hover bikes to getting to see each use a piece of knowledge they gained from their adventure to play their part in the story’s conclusion, it was so much fun to watch it all come together. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: it’s not easy to cast a set of kids in a series and get it all right. But boy did Skeleton Crew hit it out of the park with their casting here. Each actor was more than capable in their role, easily stepping into the spotlight when necessary and continuing to be a crucial supporting presence throughout. This group never relied on traditional kid tricks to keep things cute. Rather, they were able to handle the complex emotional swings needed throughout their work and still come across as natural. Not an easy feat.
So, on the whole, Skeleton Crew was a bit of a mixed bag. But it ended on a high note and I wouldn’t mind stopping by this particular corner of the galaxy again in the future. After all, finding out just how At Attin acclimates to the rest of the galaxy would be pretty interesting to see.
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Writing
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Acting
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