Skeleton Crew Episode 5 Review

Episode five of ‘Skeleton Crew’ helps to answer some key questions about the mysterious Captain that SM-33 has been mentioning, as well as At Attin, with a trip to the luxurious planet of Lanupa (unfortunately not for a spa) in an episode that combines familiar adventure and pirate tropes to create a more treacherous journey, ending with a betrayal that everyone should have seen coming.

Opening up the episode on At Attin, audiences see Wim and Neel’s parents come up with a plan to get a message outside the barrier, something forbidden by the supervisor. Wim’s dad is wimpy and takes a bit of convincing. This draws a clear contrast with Wim, who couldn’t be more willing to break the rules.

Unfortunately, he gets caught. Thankfully for him, Fara is able to bail him out, using clever orders to a droid not dissimilar to her daughter. In a twist of personality again, Fara advocates caution, but Wim encourages her to help him, and try to get a message out, something audiences see in the trailer.

Back on the Onyx Cinder, the kids and Jod work to revive SM-33 in his non-murderous form, leading to some funny back and forth about who is more afraid. SM-33 is turned on though, and gives some history about his master, Captain Tak Rennod, which Jod swoons over. He explains Rennod is a legend in pirate lore, and that his crew mutinied over him about At Attin. SM-33 explains Rennods’s lair is on the treacherous planet of Lanupa, but when audiences arrive, it’s been turned into a haven for the ultra rich, with Skull Ridge mountain now a spa. He has a bit of a fit when he sees this, which is rather funny.

During this, Wim falters, with him just wanting to see his parents again. Jod proves why he’s not a parent with some of the worst advice (though very-in character), before giving some that sounded almost Jedi-like, talking about attachments and so on. It’s a moment the pair bond, in their own messed up 

On Lanupa, the kids get a delightful moment to just be kids, much to Jod’s disgust. Pirates are on their way, as Jod has been reported in. Finding Rennod’s’ lair also proves a challenge, and the local guards get involved. Across the way, audiences see many aliens, but the best of them all is Cthollops, who’s just the chillest horror monster. He just wants to be told a story!

After a quick chase, everyone ends up at Rennods’s lair. It’s complete with booby traps straight out of films and franchises like ‘The Goonies’ and ‘Indiana Jones’, but with a ‘Star Wars’ twist. A particularly memorable one is the pit of acid, which only drains once something valuable is thrown in. That by the way is cash, as Rennod didn’t consider a human life valuable, but Jod also shows he has no care as he orders SM-33 to refill the pool when there are still pirates in it. Rennods’s lair is visually impressive, and it’s important to note audiences never see his face during his holo recording.

While the adventure might have gotten more dangerous for the kids last week, this week takes that threat and elevates it with a betrayal that everyone really ought to have seen coming. Everyone has been telling the kids not to trust Jod, but they’ve always stuck by him, as he’s sort of done the right thing so far, proving his good nature. In a delicious twist, Jod’s true colours come out when he finds that At Attin is a money minting planet, explaining its eternal treasure. So he challenges Fern to a duel, with her helplessly crying it’s unfair, and naturally beats her. Then he orders SM-33 to take the kids prisoner, but the kids escape.

This isn’t even it. During the duel, Wim tried to intervene with a lightsaber, only to ignite it while holding it upside-down, in a semi-comical moment. After the kids escape, Jod scoops it up, ready to use the weapon properly. He’ll now be even harder to beat.

Episode five of ‘Skeleton Crew’ is the show at its best, with its own sense of humour, pulpy aliens, traps taken right out of ‘Indiana Jones’ and more. All the characters have a moment to shine, but Jude Law as Jod steals the show as he cracks and betrays the kids.