This review is a little late due to real-life holiday commitments, but better late than never…
Skeleton Crew’s fifth episode arrived on Christmas Eve. Thankfully, it was much more like the first three.
SPOILER WARNING! The following contains slight spoilers for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Episode 5! Do not proceed if you wish to avoid spoilers!
MAJOR POINTS
- Our heroes found treasure but it wasn’t on At Attin
- Jod finally double-crossed the kids… Or did he?
Pre-Intro: On At Attin, Fara and Wendle concoct a plan to send a message beyond the barrier.
The heroes learn that 33’s old captain was the legendary pirate Captain Rennod, who hid all his secrets in the aptly named Skull Mountain. However, upon arriving at Skull Mountain, they find that it is now a tourist attraction. As they find their way through crowds they encounter Pokket, another acquaintance of Jod’s, who calls him yet another name.
Pokket contacts Brutus, the werewolf pirate leader, who immediately sends a squad of pirates to catch Jod. In a sequence that almost mirrors The Goonies and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the kids find their way through a series of booby traps with the pirates on their trail.
Jod seemingly kills the pirates by filling an adjacent room with acid once they reach the treasure. He then forcefully usurps the rant of Captain from Fern. Finally, he grabs a lightsaber found by Win as the episode goes to credits.
MAJOR QUESTIONS
- Did Jod really turn his back on the kids?
- Does he know how to use a lightsaber?
FINAL GRADE: A-
Last week’s show was heavy on character and light on action. This week, we were brought back to treasure hunting and trap-dodging we expect from a show about pirates. The Goonies inspiration is clear. Not just from how the episode was structured but also the the easter egg of the name Rennod. Rennod is Donner spelled backward, a tribute to the great film director Richard Donner, who directed The Goonies… along with the original 1978 Superman, the Lethal Weapon series, Ladyhawke, and about a dozen other fan-favorite films.
Jod’s apparent heel-turn was predictable, but not in a bad way. Jude Law plays the character so well that it’s believable he may have the best interests of the party in mind. While I don’t expect him to be a true good guy, I also don’t think he wants to risk slaughtering innocent children, even if he is using them to get a selfish reward.