Star Wars Skeleton Crew Episode 3: Breakdown and Easter Eggs

The third episode of Skeleton Crew continues the story of Wim, Fern, Neel, Kb, SM-33, and Jod. While a few questions are answered but mysteries arise as the kids try to return home.

Galactic Bureaucracy

Out of all the things happening in the galaxy, I would have never thought that some worried parents would be something I’d be invested in. It’s so frustrating and obvious to see that their concerns are met with classic responses from incompetent authorities.

Fara is supposedly a high-ranking employee in At Attin and yet, she’s still ignored by the so-called administrator, who is probably the person on top of the command chain. The droids are more worried about the trespassing of the barrier than finding the missing children.

The four kids already got hints of how unknown their homeworld is, but it’s clear that their own parents live in the same ignorance. At this point, I’m sure that they will start figuring that many things don’t add up.

However, since they have been deceived for more time, I have the feeling that it will be harder for the parents to accept the hard truth. I’m really curious to see what they’ll do after realizing that their planet is kept hidden from the rest of the galaxy.

A potential for disaster

Pirates were by no means enemies of Wim, Neel, Fern, and KB. The group of kids just became a small inconvenience for the pirates but they weren’t too invested in finding the truth behind the kids’ story. Obviously, that changed really quickly when they escaped with the former captain of the pirates.

With what I assume should be a big bounty on his head, Jod is going to be come a person of interest in no time. Having bounty hunters following them all over the galaxy represents a risk for them and their homeworld.

We might agree or not with the decision to hide from everyone but it’s undeniable that it saved them from conflicts like the Clone Wars or the oppression of the Galactic Empire. What is going to happen when the kids return to At Attin with a bunch of bounty hunters following their tracks?

If for any reason, the galaxy learns that the treasure world of At Attin still exists, the consequences will be devastating for the planet and its population.

It could even spark a conflict with the current New Republic government. Those two X-Wings could turn into an entire fleet and that would not even be the worst-case scenario.

Pirates, or bounty hunters would be nothing compared to the forces organizations like the Hutt Cartel or the Imperial Remnants that continuously look for more resources in their efforts to fund Project Necromancer.

Moff Gideon and the Shadow Council from S3 of The Mandalorian

I’m saying this because Skeleton Crew takes place while the events of The Mandalorian are unfolding. So it’s not too crazy to think that what I mentioned could happen.

The New Republic has proven incompetent and inefficient when defending its own systems. What’s going to happen if a seemingly independent system gets raided by every major criminal? This take is probably a bit too pessimistic, but we never truly know how everything is going to turn out.

Mutual benefit

I love that both Fern and KB never trusted Jod, despite the hints that he could be a Jedi. Even if Wim and Neel naively believed the words of the pirate captain, the two older and smarter girls were smart enough not to take the word of some random man who they found in a prison cell.

They almost immediately understand that he needs them as much as they need him and take advantage of it. Leaving SM-33 the only muscle in the group and Fern’s loyal servant would be the worst thing to happen.

For plot reasons, it was obvious that such a thing would never come to be but at least it was a good way to show that the kids already care about that old and grumpy droid.

Kh’ymm was my favorite part of the episode, this owl-like creature was genuinely trying to help the kids by calling the New Republic. Her love for knowledge was also made very apparent. A massive telescope to search and find stars or planets across the galaxy? That’s one of the coolest things I’ve seen in Star Wars.

Before leaving Kh’ymm’s moon, Fern makes a stand and gives Jod an ultimatum. No more secrets or hidden intentions (ideally), their partnership is going to benefit both parties but at least everybody is now on the same page. They get home and Jod receives a reward.

It may be the tone of the series, but despite the fact that Jod was an actual Pirate Captain, I don’t perceive any bad intentions towards any of the kids. It’s like having Jack Sparrow, you know he’s a pirate and his past is questionable, to say the least, but he’s not evil just for the sake of it.

The mystery behind At Attin

The revelation that At Attin is one of nine planets that the Republic decided to hide is nothing but fascinating. Ironically, this new knowledge only increases the mystery surrounding At Attin but at least it’s enough to convince the kids that their world is a true enigma for the rest of the galaxy.

There has to be something incredibly important on At Attin if it is one of the Republic’s jewels as Kh’ymm calls it. Thanks to the trailer, we know for a fact that there is a room full of treasures but it has to be something more than something worth a ton of money. My unfounded guess is that it has to be related to the Force or something of equivalent power/importance.

I wonder if the Supervisor is an actual person or maybe a group of powerful people. Assuming this is right, could they be colluded with someone outside of the planet? Keeping a secret like this sounds like something that demands a lot of resources. Even if they have millions of credits, they’d still rely on things that are out of their control.

It’s important to question how far the Supervisor is willing to go in order to keep the planet secret. What is going to happen to the kids and their parents when the truth is eventually revealed? At Attin could no longer be their welcoming home.

Final thoughts

Another fun and entertaining episode for sure. Kh’ymm was such a joy to watch, hoping that we get to see her in future episodes or maybe a different series.

The relationship between Jod and the kids has evolved slowly but that’s fine considering they have known each other for only two episodes. Their current distrust of each other is turning into a partnership and eventually into a friendship.

Jod and the kids arrive at the observatory

One of the things I really like about Skeleton Crew is that it is for everyone, even if they don’t know much about Star Wars. One of the bigger issues with series like Ahsoka is that to fully understand it, you must have seen many other things before, which is not easy in today’s busy world so it’s very nice to see that this is accessible for the entire family.

Easter Eggs and References

Archimides

Owls are often used as symbols of wisdom. Archimides, was an ancient Greek intellectual, and one of his fields of expertise was astronomy. Archimides from The Sword in the Stone is an owl named after this renowned thinker.

So, it makes complete sense that Kh’ymm, the owl-like creature who is an expert astronomist has her name created after Archimides.

Crimson Jack

Crimson Jack (as Jod is called in this episode) is a character who originally appeared in issue #7 of the Star Wars Marvel comics from 1978.

Most recently, Crimson Jack returned to the Star Wars canon in the Halcyon Legacy comic series from Marvel. Considering that Jod is a pirate, it’s more than fitting that he steals the name from a different pirate.

Did we win?

When looking for SM-33, Jod turns on an old B-1 Battle Droid. It asks if they won, meaning that it has probably been turned off since the Clone Wars. This doesn’t add anything to the story but it’s funny nonetheless.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Episode Breakdowns and Easter eggs

Our breakdowns for each episode of the series includes deep analysis, references and explanations to other related events in the Star Wars timeline and all events that affect the characters and the plot of the series. We also have a section with easter eggs at the end of each article.