TL;DR – It continues the energy of that first episode by throwing our characters right in the deep end and seeing if they can swim.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service that viewed this series.

Skeleton Crew Review –

Today, it is time to look at the second part of our two-part opener for Skeleton Crew. Our first episode very much homed in on that Goonies-In-Space vibe, which was just a charm to watch. Today, we see if that was just a first-episode glitch or if they really can make this vibe last a whole season or more.

So, to set the scene, after being accidentally flung into hyperspace on a surprise spaceship in This Could Be a Real Adventure. The new crew of Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), KB (Kyriana Kratter), and Neel (Robert Timothy Smith/ Kacie Borrowman) have to work out how to get the Onyx Cinder back home. When they wake up the robot’s first mate, SM-33 (Nick Frost/ Rob Ramsdell), all they want to do is get back home. The only problem is that the ship does not know where that is. It is also damaged, so they go to a pirate port for repairs. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

The highlight of this episode is obviously the Pirate Port of Port Borgo. I can’t quite put a finger on just what was it for me, but I got a big Farscape vibe from the outpost. I think it was the range of very adult things presented in a possible family way, the maximum number of practical and digital aliens when needed, and the fact that it is full of primarily unsavoury characters. Yes, there is also a Mos Eisley situation going on, but being set in space kind of shifts the perspective a bit. It is also helped by Mick Giacchino’s jaunty musical soundtrack that sits there with just the smallest of hints towards Pirates of the Caribbean to help seal the deal. Add in some throw-away deep-cut references to Andor and Rebels, a visual nod to Rogue One’s most famous scene, and you have yourself a party.

The narrative is what you would expect from the show. The kids arrive in a pirate port and find they are woefully unprepared, like an overly optimistic person on their rumspringa. They then cause a debacle when half the station wants to scam and/or rob them of their very lucrative credits. They learn the hard way that their optimism or stubbornness, depending on who we are talking about, will not be enough to get them out of this situation. I think all the characters needed this wake-up, and Wim probably required more than any. He reminds me where many of the characters in Star Trek Prodigy started off, but I hope they don’t take as long with their character arcs here.   

Most of this episode was just a set-up to get us to meet up with Jod Na Nawood (Jude Law) in the brig, who promptly breaks them out. It also goes a long way to raise some fascinating questions about At Attin. There was enough off about the planet last week to make you actively suspicious, but now we know that everything that the kids and we saw in the previous episode is now profoundly suspect. To the point now that I am suspicious as to when the timeline of this series is.   

In the end, do we recommend Star Wars: Skeleton Crew: Way, Way Out Past the Barrier? Yes, we do. This was a fun follow-up to the first episode that built on what we got in interesting ways. I hope the rest of the series works as well as this from here.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

Have you seen Skeleton Crew yet ?, let us know what you thought in the comments below, feel free to share this review on any of the social medias and you can follow us Here. Check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day.    

Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Skeleton Crew
Directed by – David Lowery
Written by – Christopher Ford & Jon Watts
Created by – Christopher Ford & Jon Watts
Based On – Star Wars by George Lucas
Production/Distribution Companies – Golem Creations, LucasArts & Disney+
Starring – Jude Law, Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Kyriana Kratter, Robert Timothy Smith & Nick Frost with Tunde Adebimpe, Kacie Borrowman & Rob Ramsdell and Paloma Garcia-Lee, Domonic Burgess, Alan Resnick, Marti Matulis, Fred Tatasciore, Jaleel White, Dale Soules, Stephen Oyoung & Mike Estes