Lucasfilm is gifting its fans two presents this holiday season: new episodes of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew on both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. On the one hand, it’s awesome because many of us are home and able to watch. On the other hand, it’s a bit less awesome if you write about the show for work and aren’t working those days. So, that’s why this week’s recap—and next week’s—will be a day late. Our apologies.
But we like to think of those days off as a visit to the planet of Lanupa. A time and place to relax, rejuvenate, and, in the case of Skeleton Crew, search for a pirate’s lair like something straight out of The Goonies. Let’s discuss episode five, “You Have a Lot to Learn About Pirates.”
By this point, we basically know what we’re going to get on Skeleton Crew. Every week the crew goes to a new planet to find a new clue helping them get back to At Attin. And this week was no exception. After a way-too-easy turn back to the good side for droid SM-33, he reveals the location of At Attin is hidden in his old boss’s vault. His name was Captain Tak Rennod, a name that immediately sparks Jod’s fancy. According to him, Rennod was the most ruthless pirate ever, a man who killed his entire crew searching for the treasure of At Attin. In Rennod’s secret lair, located under Skull Ridge Mountain, the crew can find the way home.
SM-33 remembers Skull Ridge Mountain, located on the planet Lanupa, as a brutal place but now it’s an adults-only luxury hotel and spa. Which is super quirky in a Star Wars sense while also speaking to just how long ago Rennod’s adventure took place. Because, let’s not forget, the kids found Rennod’s ship—finally officially confirmed as the Onyx Cinder though Lego told us that months ago—buried underground on At Attin with everyone dead. We still are very curious about what happened with all of that.
After some goofy but welcome hijinks at the hotel, Jod and the crew find themselves searching the underground spas of Lanupa for Rennod’s lair. We see all manner of cool Star Wars aliens, including a very gross, very hungry Hutt. Jod also runs into a bounty hunter named Pokkit (Kelly Macdonald from Brave and Trainspotting) who knows Jod as “Dash Zentin.” That’s at least his fourth alias which, of course, just raises more red flags about the character. Pokkit calls in his bounty and Jod’s former crew, led by Brutus, are dispatched to Lanupa. And so the race begins. Will the pirates find Jod and the crew or will they find the lair?
Here’s where Skeleton Crew went full Goonies. After befriending a massive squid-type creature named Cthallops, they break through the ground and find themselves on a booby-trapped path to the treasure. You know, just like when the Goonies broke through the floor and had to follow a booby-trapped path to a treasure. Both had skeletons on the ground, both had liquid pools to traverse, both had anti-gravity spike chambers. No, wait, just Skeleton Crew had that. But nevertheless, the similarities are numerous, down to the actual treasure trove itself, which is also booby-trapped.
Like The Goonies, the group does find that treasure room and it’s chock full of cool stuff. Wim even spots a real lightsaber. Soon, they access a dataport and 33 is able to find the location of At Attin and a recording of Rennod. He’s clippy, so we don’t get to really see who he is, but the brief look seems to show a cowboy hat, giving Cad Bane vibes. Rennod’s message also reveals what, specifically, the treasure is on At Attin: the last Old Republic mint. Meaning, you can make your own money. (Also of note, the credits list Rennod’s performance coming from Colin Follenweider, who is also Jude Law’s stunt double. Could Jod be related to Rennod? We’ll see.)
That revelation changes everything for Jod. Closer to the treasure than ever before, he challenges Fern for the title of captain. She bravely tries to fight back, but his Force powers are too strong. Then, in what is set up to be one of those unforgettable Star Wars hero moments, Wim takes out the lightsaber. He’s about to fulfill every single dream and fantasy he’s ever had. But, when he ignites it, it’s upside down and it flies away. Jod tells 33 to capture the crew, but they make a quick escape, as Jod grabs the lightsaber.
Our biggest takeaway from Skeleton Crew episode five is just how much fun can be had within this story. Yes, there are some moments of pause—such as Wim being homesick and his father, back on At Attin, desperately trying to do something. But more so, we just love seeing this group traversing the galaxy, solving puzzles, getting into trouble, and slowly figuring out this mystery. The mystery of why At Attin is so hidden, what the people actually doing there, and who the heck is this pirate Force-user Jod Na Nawood? And if it means we meet new aliens and bounty hunters on exciting new planets along the way? All the better.
You can stream the first five episodes of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew on Disney+.
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