'Skeleton Crew's Latest Episode Just Took a Jarring Turn

2 weeks ago 8

Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Episode 5.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew might have a premise steeped in escapism, but it also tackles some surprisingly mature material—not just for Star Wars but for a children-led show in general. Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), Neel (Robert Timothy Smith), and KB (Kyriana Kratter) haven't just had to deal with being lost in the galaxy, but also pirates and a planet where children are conscripted into an ongoing war. This confirms Skeleton Crew is far more than the homage to '80s-era kid adventures that Jon Watts and Christopher Ford have crafted, but the series might have taken its darkest turn yet with its latest episode, "You Have a Lot to Learn About Pirates."

During the climax of the episode, the kids and their Force-using partner, Jod Na Nawood (Jude Law), travel to Lanupa, a former pirate planet-turned luxury resort — which also holds the coordinates to the children's home, At Attin. They have to get past Lanupa's guards, pirates who are chasing a bounty on Jod's head, and a collection of booby traps to get there — but when they do, Jod turns on them and challenges Fern to a duel, even holding a knife to her throat. It's a jarring turn that once again upends both the story so far and the audience's expectation of who Jod really is.

‘Skeleton Crew’ Is Keeping Us on Our Toes With Jod

It's becoming clear that there's much more to Jod than meets the eye. When the kids first meet him in "Way, Way Out Past the Barrier," he claims to be a Jedi, but that falls apart quickly. He also has a collection of names: not only is he referred to as "Jod Na Nawood" but also "Crimson Jack" and "Captain Silvo," with the latter alias belonging to the pirate captain that Brutus (Fred Tatasciore/Steven Oyoung) betrays in Skeleton Crew's premiere episode, "This Could Be A Real Adventure." Finally, all of Jod's old "friends" — whether it's navigator Kh'ymm (Alia Shakwat) or bounty hunter Pokkit (Kelly MacDonald) — tend to sell him out the first chance they get, which only underlines his shady past.

But Jod's betrayal of the kids is shocking, especially when you consider what he did in the previous episode, "Can't Say I Remember No At Attin." When the kids are conscripted into fighting so that they can get into a library that possesses At Attin's coordinates, Jod saves their lives by making a trade. He rescues them again in the episode's closing moments when SM-33 (Nick Frost) goes haywire and threatens to kill them. Even his deal with Fern was based on an understanding: if he helped the kids get back to At Attin, he'd get a reward. Jod's betrayal not only adds another layer to the mystery surrounding him, but also showcases a good reason why nearly everyone in the galaxy wants to kill him.

Jod Isn’t the First Star Wars Character To Betray His Allies

Jod is far from the only Star Wars character who's betrayed their allies. Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels have Hondo Ohsaka (Jim Cummings) — himself a pirate — performing multiple double-crosses depending on how he profits from it. The Clone Wars also features a massive betrayal in its game-changing episode "The Wrong Jedi," as Barriss Offee (Meredith Salenger) frames Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) for the bombing of the Jedi Temple. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back most famously features the scene where Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) gives up Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) to Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) so that he can protect Cloud City.

The major throughline of these betrayals, however, is that these characters end up redeeming themselves: Barris turns her back on the Empire and helps people find safety, while Lando ends up playing a pivotal role in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi. Skeleton Crew does hint that Jod isn't the ruthless pirate people think he is; he gives Wim some handy advice about adapting to life in the galaxy, and during his duel with Fern, he repeatedly says he doesn't want to hurt her. But his betrayal is still a surprise nonetheless, and with three episodes of Skeleton Crew left, there's no telling if he'll land on the side of friend or foe.