Skeleton Crew hit a bit of a slump last week with a fourth episode that nailed the sincere exchanges between characters, but not much else. Thankfully, episode 5 – directed by Beef and Thunderbolts’ Jake Schreier – has the spark of the first three and completely embraces Star Wars’ more colorful and unserious side.
Mind you, it wasn’t The Daniels’ fault that Jon Watts and Christopher Ford’s episode 4 script wasn’t quite there, but the overall direction last week felt oddly muted and rather awkward. On the other hand, ‘You Have a Lot to Learn About Pirates’ looks dashing, is really well-paced, and just feels big-screen-quality at times. If you came into Skeleton Crew looking for weekly swashbuckling adventures and zany locales, episode 5 might be the best one yet.
It’s true, however, that Skeleton Crew exhibits many of the same problems that have plagued other Disney Plus productions (and not just Star Wars ones). At this point, it seems that only Jon Favreau (The Mandalorian) is interested (or capable) of making a show that feels like a TV show versus a long, chopped-up movie. Tony Gilroy and his team certainly nailed the second approach thanks to a remarkably solid, clear-cut structure for Andor, but series like The Acolyte (now canceled because it took too long to get going) and Skeleton Crew don’t benefit from this format. Skeleton Crew really feels like it should have been a single feature-length movie.
Looking to the future, there are plenty of upcoming Star Wars games to be excited about as well as the return of Andor in 2025 and The Mandalorian & Grogu hitting cinemas in 2026. The Force really will be with us always!
Spoilers ahead for Skeleton Crew episode 5: ‘You Have a Lot to Learn About Pirates’
Where’s Captain Tak Rennod’s secret lair?
After barely surviving SM-33’s attack back on At Achrann, the skeleton crew (Jod included) have rerouted the droid’s memory chip and continue to look for answers. Soon enough, they learn more about their ship, the Onyx Cinder, and its owner, the legendary pirate captain Tak Rennod. Jod’s a big fan (probably for the wrong reasons) and this only elevates the importance of actually finding the location of At Attin and learning about its treasure.
The team’s next stop is Rennod’s secret lair, located beneath Skull Ridge Mountain, on the planet of Lanupa. It turns out that having more story time with SM-33 isn’t so bad as long as he’s not trying to murder the kids. In any case, Wim seems to have had too many adventures already, and his excitement is gradually turning into the sort of fear any normal kid of his age would feel in this situation. Seeing him go from adventurous to scared is the type of development we’re grateful to get at this point of the season, and it also allows Jude Law to show off his warmer side to keep them together… at least for now.
The veteran actor gets to hit quite the range in this episode overall; bouncing from tender to frustrated and stressed to cheeky with the astounding ease you’d expect from him. Law obviously had tons of authentic fun shooting this show, and this episode may be the greatest answer as to why he was brought into the Star Wars galaxy for this breezy story.
Is Lanupa part of the New Republic?
To fans who enjoyed the whole Canto Bight subplot in The Last Jedi, episode 5 should feel like a gift. Snowy Lanupa, or at least Skull Ridge Mountain, has been turned into a very fancy retreat built around a spa. It’s a colorful location full of rich people that truly reminds us of the most George Lucas-y bits of the Skywalker Saga, which is to say that it’s zany and unserious. Just a fun sci-fi setting full of strange aliens and defined by an aesthetic that isn’t worn-down and rusty. It’s good to visit worlds such as this one from time to time.
Children aren’t allowed into the retreat, thus we get a goofy solution in the form of Jod introducing them as cloaked Wise Elders who speak gibberish. Star Wars should be silly more often, and this show specifically shines brighter when it doubles down on that. The lady who welcomes them isn’t completely dumb though. Thankfully, credits (especially if they’re Old Republic) are the universal language of the galaxy, yet we must wonder whether the skeleton crew has any left after paying for some expensive accommodations and the woman’s silence.
Regardless, they aren’t here to have fun (bouncing on a fancy bed aside) and quickly get to work on finding the entrance to Rennod’s secret lair. At this point of the recap, it’s important to remember that Brutus and his pirates are still looking for Jod, the kids, and the Onyx Cinder, and the menace quickly moves closer to them after they run into a bounty hunter named Pokkit (played by Kelly Macdonald) that, to the surprise of no one, calls Jod by yet another different name.
The company running the spa seems to have robust security of its own, especially with Banking Clan members present, but are they enough to withstand an attack from a crew of ruthless pirates? The answer is negative, but the familiar shape of the guards’ helmets makes us wonder whether Lanupa is protected by the New Republic at this point in the timeline; it could spell trouble for everyone involved in the ruckus if they stick around for too long.
What is the treasure of At Attin?
After bumbling around for a while, having some trouble with guards, and befriending a huge alien that many would’ve expected to be a giant monster at first, the path to the lair is revealed inside an underground section of the spa. Time for some proper adventuring into old ruins!
The location has a laser trap that looks quite familiar, a proper acid pit (unlike the ones adapted into hot mud baths), and plenty of ancient skeletons of those who thought they could outsmart and steal from Rennod. Adding to the excitement, Brutus’ crew arrives, tears through the security forces, and follows the group into the underground. Skeleton Crew promised plenty of pirates and treasure-hunting, and we only wish we had gotten more scenes such as these sooner. We’re not done with Lanupa by the end of episode 5 though.
As the home team walks into Rennod’s glittering treasure room (which is abundantly booby-trapped), Mick Giacchino once again conjures up the right sort of nostalgic vibes without resorting to cheap riffs. The real treasure is At Attin’s location, of course, but it comes with the explanation of why Rennod was so interested in the secret planet: it was supposed to be the location of the last Old Republic mint. For a pirate, the only thing better than money is controlling the place that makes the money. Piece all these bits of info together and you can guess what’s up with the shadowy Supervisor. The group of worried parents might figure that whole thing out before the kids and Jod arrive though.
That said, we likely won’t be learning more about the Supervisor and their Great Plan next week despite the reveal. With three episodes left, the more pressing issue for the kids becomes leaving Lanupa alive as it’s besieged by pirates and with Jod turning on them after getting what he wanted… a lightsaber from the Old Republic days. The race to the Onyx Cinder and At Attin begins.
