Welcome back stinkers! I have yet another breakdown, with Skeleton Crew Episode 4! Now that we are starting to experience new directors’ visions, can the show hold up? What is the true meaning behind At Atin and the rest of these planets? If you want to hear my answer, keep watching for more.
Skeleton Crew Episode 4 Review
Now, Star Wars hasn’t had the best track record recently. The Acolyte wasn’t all that loved, neither was Mandalorian Season 3, or even Ahsoka. So, can Skeleton Crew change that for the better? I will say, I wasn’t exactly digging the beginning of the episode. I think that’s because it was a bit of a transition period going from one director to another. Of course, the last two episodes were directed by David Lowery, while Episode 4, was directed by The Daniels. The same duo that was behind the Oscar winning, Everything Everywhere all at Once. So, my perspective when the start of the episode wasn’t as great as I thought it was going to be. It had me worried for a second. I was like uh oh.
However, in the latter half of the episode, it pulled it back to the top that were the first three episodes for me. Of course, this was our first Neel centric episode. This episode made me love Neel even more! My favorite part of the episode had to be the emotion The Daniels were able to pull out of me. When SM33 had the turn, the plot twist, it was just a roller coaster of emotions. That’ll be something I get into later in the video.
Jewel Planets
Now we actually learn more about these Jewel planets in this episode. The crew lands at what seems to be At Atin, but it is actually At Achrann. So, in the last episode, Kh’ymm explains how the Old Republic created these Jewel planets, and then destroyed them, except for At Atin. However, it seems like this is one those Jewel planets. So there has to be something wrong on some end of the spectrum. So, either Kh’ymm lied to the kids, or the Old Republic lied to everybody about what really happened. Something that happens commonly in folklore is that at some point, something gets miscommunicated and the story changes over time. That could maybe have happened here.
At Achrann
So, what kind of ties in with my theory from last episode, is the society created on this planet, At Achrann. The culture on At Achrann is very different than the culture on At Atin. I’m sure we’re going to see many differences between these planets all throughout. Speaking about this one, At Achrann gives kids a higher power than they would elsewhere.
Something that I thought was smart for the writers to include, is Fern correcting the tribe’s leader, with Captain Fern. If you look at someone like Crimson Jack, they’re just going to laugh or not take the kid seriously if they say they’re the captain of the ship. But this scene really goes to show that difference in culture, with the leader not even questioning the fact that a little kid is a captain.
Hayna and Neel
We then meet Hayna, played by Hala Finley. She brings Neel up to the roof of the school, where a lot of their daily lives take place. Hayna shows Neel a huge gun possibly used for battle. It really makes me wonder where they could get a thing like this. Maybe, it’s something that the Old Republic tried to test when creating this planet, creating this society, but they ended up moving on from the planet. That question might actually benefit the moment when it’s answered. You see if these kids end up exploring other Jewel planets, and they all have some sort of out of place item, it could make the answer to that much more worth it. It could make the journey worth it. With the special writing team, Skeleton Crew has, I really can’t wait to find out.
The Kids go to Battle
Wim, Fern, Neel, and KB just about get rangled onto a battle, a battle over hides. So, what I could tell, this planet doesn’t solely focus on what tribe, it focuses on multiple factions. Or it could’ve just been a bit of a civil war, I really don’t know. As Neel is about to cross the line into battle, Jod comes out of the smoke, to save the kids from harm. This a bit of our first glimpse of what could be Jod’s character arc. Jod’s relationship with the kids has actually been more complex than I originally thought it was going to be. And I’ve just about loved what this writing team has put together.
Now this part of the episode, was what was dragging my heart all over the place. It also leaves room for plenty of speculation. That’s another thing that I’ve loved about this show so far. Each episode answers a lot of questions but then leaves the perfect number of new ones to keep us speculating and talking about it until the next episode.
More Answers More Questions
The crew make their way to the tower where they could presumably find some answers. On pillars all around the upper room, they find coordinates for of course At Achrann, then At Arissia, At Aravin, At Acoda, then Neel finds At Atin. But the coordinates were scratched out, as it is revealed that SM33 was the one that destroyed them. In a fit of rage and emotion Fern runs off due to all the stress. That actually leads into a real nice moment between Wim and Fern, that leads to her unlocking that final puzzle piece to a bit of that mystery. It was actually pretty good way to circle back to the beginning of the show, when Fern uses the same technique with her house droid. It is revealed that SM33’s old captain told him to keep shush about At Atin. And if anyone asks about it, he must eliminate them.
That’s when my heart starts to be thrown all over. It’s not only the fact that 33, who has become one of my favorite droids, is about to tear the kids, some of my favorite groups of kids in fiction, apart limb for limb. It’s then when Neel pulls 33’s attention, and I was so worried for him. I’ve just loved this mini arc that Neel went through in the span of half an hour. Bravo writers. Bravo.
Skeleton Crew Episode 4 Wrap Up
And that is going to do it for my video on Skeleton Crew Episode 4! This show has been great! I couldn’t recommend it enough! Make sure you like and subscribe for more videos like these. Check out The Big Stinker channel for my video breakdowns and reviews! So, until next time stinkers! Bye bye.