Star Wars: Skeleton Crew - Disney +

[pengbuzz]

On 1/4/2025 at 9:11 PM, Seto Kaiba said:

Yeah, as I understand it, the official take is actually worse.

Apparently the Force in its natural state is just the light side.  The dark side is a distortion of the Force created by misusing it.  Balance is the absence of darkness...

I hate to complicate matters then, but wasn't it described (unless I'm horribly misremembering something) that order 66/Anakin ended up bringing balance to the force by eliminating most of the Jedi and evening the light/ dark ratio?

Or did I use decaf instead of regular coffee this morning? O.o

[Big s]

25 minutes ago, pengbuzz said:

I hate to complicate matters then, but wasn't it described (unless I'm horribly misremembering something) that order 66/Anakin ended up bringing balance to the force by eliminating most of the Jedi and evening the light/ dark ratio?

Or did I use decaf instead of regular coffee this morning? O.o

I thought it was supposed to have been when he made up for murdering a bunch of sand people and a whole bunch of children by dropping one guy down a hole. But then again since that one guy survived, I guess he didn’t do anything to make up for any of that and really wasn’t redeemed after all 

[Dynaman]

26 minutes ago, pengbuzz said:

I hate to complicate matters then, but wasn't it described (unless I'm horribly misremembering something) that order 66/Anakin ended up bringing balance to the force by eliminating most of the Jedi and evening the light/ dark ratio?

Or did I use decaf instead of regular coffee this morning? O.o

Well, the Jedi, even being the idiots they were portrayed as, would not have been TRYING to help that outcome along... 

[Seto Kaiba]

"We're gonna be in so much trouble" is an apt, if somewhat overdue, title for an episode of this series.

Spoiler

So we're back with the parents at the start of this one.  Apparently they're making progress with their plan to send a transmission to the kids in the hopes of helping them get home by building a bootleg radio in the woods.  They get busted before they can even turn it on by a huge group of safety droids, who stun them in quick succession when they try to run away.  Fern's mom manages to get the communicator, which is some kind of drone, working and launch it.

Back on the Onyx Cinder, Wim is pretty upset about going home because he realizes it means a return to the status quo.  The authorities will probably impound the ship, he'll have to go take his standardized test, etc.

Neel is extremely cavalier about death now... apparently a real adventure, in his book, is "being about to die half the time".  

Brutus's ship arrives at At Attin, and he immediately starts declaring it's a fake.  He really really wants to toss Jod out the airlock.  SM-33 confirms that, according to Captain Rennod, the treasure planet of At Attin was hidden inside an endless storm.

The barrier seems to be more than just for show, considering it seemingly destroys the fighter Brutus sends down to check it out.  The kids arrive just as they're getting ready (for the fourth or so time) to toss Jod out the airlock.  Jod concludes that the Onyx Cinder itself is somehow the key that'll get them to At Attin, and they immediately capture the ship in a tractor beam.

The kids immediately catch Brutus in the ship's cargo claw like it's a crane machine and try to take him hostage.  Jod somehow gets out of his handcuffs and shoots Brutus dead, before condemning him as a mutineer.  They capture the kids in short order, and Jod (now wearing his Captain Silvo helmet again) orders SM-33 to find and remove whatever lets the Onyx Cinder pass the barrier safely and transfer it to the frigate.  While he's stomping around, he finds the message from the kids parents.  I love how Jod sarcastically says "oops" when Wim's dad lectures them not to tell anyone where they're from.  Apparently the kids would've learned about At Attin's state of affairs after graduation... so whatever's going on there is more like an open secret.  

Wim tries to Leeroy Jenkins his way into retaking the ship, only to immediately get caught and made a hostage.

So, who had SM-33 is adding "rules lawyer" to his CV alongside "space pirate", "droid", and "Disney film reference"?

Spoiler

SM-33 oh-so-helpfully points out that the Pirate Code limits a pirate captain to commanding one and only one ship at a time.  When Jod usurped/reclaimed command of the frigate from Brutus, he unthinkingly relinquished ownership of the Onyx Cinder and SM-33.  The kids... shout him down and declare their own claim on the ship.

SM-33 is such a scene-stealer... best new droid since K-2SO.

Spoiler

Jod tries to lecture the kids about how "it doesn't work like that"... only to be cold-cocked by SM-33's right hand as he declares "it's close enough".

Sadly, 33's second rampage of the series is cut for time and we jump cut to poor Jod waking up on the deck of his frigate as the Onyx Cinder takes off behind him.  Jod's crew are falling over each other to yell at someone to do something.  They manage to launch a few fighters, and we get to see the huge machines that apparently keep the storm going.  

Apparently the Onyx Cinder was more special than just being legendary pirate Tak Rennod's personal ship for his last, doomed mission...

Spoiler

... it was a transport ship belonging to the mint that Tak Rennod stole and uparmored to make into a pirate ship before attempting a landing on At Attin and dying in the attempt due to a mutiny.  The defense grid is apparently content to ignore it because it registers as friendly.

There's a great visual effects moment when the Onyx Cinder finally breaks through the storm and we see At Attin sitting in the center completely undisturbed.  Just like At Achran, they get brought in on an autopilot landing.  

Just as things are looking up, Jod is revealed to have somehow gotten aboard the Onyx Cinder... and decapitates SM-33 with the lightsaber that Wim found in Tak Rennod's pirate haul.  He takes over the ship again, and discovers he can't reach anyone outside the barrier.  He has a bit of a meltdown at the kids and threatens to murder their parents.

 

Back on At Attin, we see the security droids try to lecture the kids parents... only to be cut off by the thus-far unseen Supervisor over the PA, announcing that all nonessential work is suspended because a Republic emissary is coming for a shipment.  It makes you wonder if the Supervisor is a real person, or just an automated voice over the PA as they don't seem aware that the Onyx Cinder isn't on legitimate business. 

There's another great effects shot of the Onyx Cinder landing on a concealed platform under a grassy field in the middle of town.  Apparently they converted it into a park or something due to disuse, and so we see people falling off the suddenly sloping ground as it opens without warning.

The elevator ride is quite a long one... passing some massive machines of unknown purpose and arriving at a vault door that has to be hundreds of feet across.  It's got a very Chamber of Secrets sort of vibe to it. 

I have to admit, I am definitely disappointed by the big reveal.  The great treasure of At Attin really is just...

Spoiler

... a really big bank vault full of uncirculated Old Republic credits.

Well, a bunch of really big bank vaults, actually... 1,139 of them according to the safety droid escorting hi.  Downright Scrooge McDuck-ian in scale... enough so that Jod is briefly rendered laughing mad by seeing and touching a pallet of the same low-value credits that Wim was given for lunch money at the start of the series.

It's over-the-top to the point that it feels like it's going to have to come with an ironic twist at the end.

Either Jod's going to be late to the realization that the credits are worthless now that the Old Republic is gone, or he's gonna suffer a death-by-greed and get locked in one of the vaults or crushed by a pallet of loose change.

 

The episode ends with Jod coming out of the vault and lighting the lightsaber he stole to take the kids and their parents hostage.

 

 

Very good episode.  Very action packed.  Jude Law and Nick Frost (SM-33's actor) are kind of running away with this one... but 33 always has been a scene-stealer.

It's kind of starting to feel like Jaleel White's character Gunter is an advertised extra and has no real importance to the story.

I remain convinced Skeleton Crew is going to stick the landing and finish as one of The Good Ones.

 

 

4 hours ago, pengbuzz said:

I hate to complicate matters then, but wasn't it described (unless I'm horribly misremembering something) that order 66/Anakin ended up bringing balance to the force by eliminating most of the Jedi and evening the light/ dark ratio?

Or did I use decaf instead of regular coffee this morning? O.o

That's a common joke fans make... but I don't believe that's canon.

Per Lucas, the concept of Balance in the Force meant the absence of darkness.  Anakin theoretically brought Balance to the Force when he turned back to the Light, chucked the Emperor down a pit to his death, and then died from his injuries leaving 0 dark side practitioners.  Rey technically stole his thunder there, since Palpatine somehow walked it off and came back, only to for Kylo Ren to die saving Rey and Rey to destroy Palpatine for good this time(?).

[pengbuzz]

6 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

That's a common joke fans make... but I don't believe that's canon.

Per Lucas, the concept of Balance in the Force meant the absence of darkness.  Anakin theoretically brought Balance to the Force when he turned back to the Light, chucked the Emperor down a pit to his death, and then died from his injuries leaving 0 dark side practitioners.  Rey technically stole his thunder there, since Palpatine somehow walked it off and came back, only to for Kylo Ren to die saving Rey and Rey to destroy Palpatine for good this time(?).

Ah; my mistake then. Thank you for the clarification.

*checks coffee container to see if it is decaf*

[Thom]

19 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

"We're gonna be in so much trouble" is an apt, if somewhat overdue, title for an episode of this series.

  Hide contents

So we're back with the parents at the start of this one.  Apparently they're making progress with their plan to send a transmission to the kids in the hopes of helping them get home by building a bootleg radio in the woods.  They get busted before they can even turn it on by a huge group of safety droids, who stun them in quick succession when they try to run away.  Fern's mom manages to get the communicator, which is some kind of drone, working and launch it.

Back on the Onyx Cinder, Wim is pretty upset about going home because he realizes it means a return to the status quo.  The authorities will probably impound the ship, he'll have to go take his standardized test, etc.

Neel is extremely cavalier about death now... apparently a real adventure, in his book, is "being about to die half the time".  

Brutus's ship arrives at At Attin, and he immediately starts declaring it's a fake.  He really really wants to toss Jod out the airlock.  SM-33 confirms that, according to Captain Rennod, the treasure planet of At Attin was hidden inside an endless storm.

The barrier seems to be more than just for show, considering it seemingly destroys the fighter Brutus sends down to check it out.  The kids arrive just as they're getting ready (for the fourth or so time) to toss Jod out the airlock.  Jod concludes that the Onyx Cinder itself is somehow the key that'll get them to At Attin, and they immediately capture the ship in a tractor beam.

The kids immediately catch Brutus in the ship's cargo claw like it's a crane machine and try to take him hostage.  Jod somehow gets out of his handcuffs and shoots Brutus dead, before condemning him as a mutineer.  They capture the kids in short order, and Jod (now wearing his Captain Silvo helmet again) orders SM-33 to find and remove whatever lets the Onyx Cinder pass the barrier safely and transfer it to the frigate.  While he's stomping around, he finds the message from the kids parents.  I love how Jod sarcastically says "oops" when Wim's dad lectures them not to tell anyone where they're from.  Apparently the kids would've learned about At Attin's state of affairs after graduation... so whatever's going on there is more like an open secret.  

Wim tries to Leeroy Jenkins his way into retaking the ship, only to immediately get caught and made a hostage.

So, who had SM-33 is adding "rules lawyer" to his CV alongside "space pirate", "droid", and "Disney film reference"?

  Hide contents

SM-33 oh-so-helpfully points out that the Pirate Code limits a pirate captain to commanding one and only one ship at a time.  When Jod usurped/reclaimed command of the frigate from Brutus, he unthinkingly relinquished ownership of the Onyx Cinder and SM-33.  The kids... shout him down and declare their own claim on the ship.

SM-33 is such a scene-stealer... best new droid since K-2SO.

  Hide contents

Jod tries to lecture the kids about how "it doesn't work like that"... only to be cold-cocked by SM-33's right hand as he declares "it's close enough".

Sadly, 33's second rampage of the series is cut for time and we jump cut to poor Jod waking up on the deck of his frigate as the Onyx Cinder takes off behind him.  Jod's crew are falling over each other to yell at someone to do something.  They manage to launch a few fighters, and we get to see the huge machines that apparently keep the storm going.  

Apparently the Onyx Cinder was more special than just being legendary pirate Tak Rennod's personal ship for his last, doomed mission...

  Hide contents

... it was a transport ship belonging to the mint that Tak Rennod stole and uparmored to make into a pirate ship before attempting a landing on At Attin and dying in the attempt due to a mutiny.  The defense grid is apparently content to ignore it because it registers as friendly.

There's a great visual effects moment when the Onyx Cinder finally breaks through the storm and we see At Attin sitting in the center completely undisturbed.  Just like At Achran, they get brought in on an autopilot landing.  

Just as things are looking up, Jod is revealed to have somehow gotten aboard the Onyx Cinder... and decapitates SM-33 with the lightsaber that Wim found in Tak Rennod's pirate haul.  He takes over the ship again, and discovers he can't reach anyone outside the barrier.  He has a bit of a meltdown at the kids and threatens to murder their parents.

 

Back on At Attin, we see the security droids try to lecture the kids parents... only to be cut off by the thus-far unseen Supervisor over the PA, announcing that all nonessential work is suspended because a Republic emissary is coming for a shipment.  It makes you wonder if the Supervisor is a real person, or just an automated voice over the PA as they don't seem aware that the Onyx Cinder isn't on legitimate business. 

There's another great effects shot of the Onyx Cinder landing on a concealed platform under a grassy field in the middle of town.  Apparently they converted it into a park or something due to disuse, and so we see people falling off the suddenly sloping ground as it opens without warning.

The elevator ride is quite a long one... passing some massive machines of unknown purpose and arriving at a vault door that has to be hundreds of feet across.  It's got a very Chamber of Secrets sort of vibe to it. 

I have to admit, I am definitely disappointed by the big reveal.  The great treasure of At Attin really is just...

  Hide contents

... a really big bank vault full of uncirculated Old Republic credits.

Well, a bunch of really big bank vaults, actually... 1,139 of them according to the safety droid escorting hi.  Downright Scrooge McDuck-ian in scale... enough so that Jod is briefly rendered laughing mad by seeing and touching a pallet of the same low-value credits that Wim was given for lunch money at the start of the series.

It's over-the-top to the point that it feels like it's going to have to come with an ironic twist at the end.

Either Jod's going to be late to the realization that the credits are worthless now that the Old Republic is gone, or he's gonna suffer a death-by-greed and get locked in one of the vaults or crushed by a pallet of loose change.

 

The episode ends with Jod coming out of the vault and lighting the lightsaber he stole to take the kids and their parents hostage.

 

 

Very good episode.  Very action packed.  Jude Law and Nick Frost (SM-33's actor) are kind of running away with this one... but 33 always has been a scene-stealer.

It's kind of starting to feel like Jaleel White's character Gunter is an advertised extra and has no real importance to the story.

I remain convinced Skeleton Crew is going to stick the landing and finish as one of The Good Ones.

 

 

That's a common joke fans make... but I don't believe that's canon.

Per Lucas, the concept of Balance in the Force meant the absence of darkness.  Anakin theoretically brought Balance to the Force when he turned back to the Light, chucked the Emperor down a pit to his death, and then died from his injuries leaving 0 dark side practitioners.  Rey technically stole his thunder there, since Palpatine somehow walked it off and came back, only to for Kylo Ren to die saving Rey and Rey to destroy Palpatine for good this time(?).

Actually Anakin did kill the Emperor. The one Rey killed was a clone.

As for this episode of Skeleton Crew, entertaining all the way.
 

Spoiler

I love the way they get through the 'barrier,' as the Onyx Cinder is an antique used by the Republic to visit the Mint, and possibly the other treasure worlds as well. Before they got blowed up. As for the vault, I can understand how seeing that could drive Jod 'mad' for a moment. Imagine something like Fort Knox* pumping out gold coins for who knows how many decades or centuries, and then just piling it all up because there's been no one to pick up the shipments! It looks like it's all automated, and no one told the droids to stop making the credits, hence the need for over a thousand vaults!

And they aren't worthless either. Whether made into a faceless coin or a Republic credit, they are still made from a rare metal, which is the true value of it. Now yes, if they dumped every single credit from the vaults onto the market, the market would tank, but if you control yourself and it miserly, you are literally sitting on a mountain of treasure!

One more to go and I really hope this delivers a fantastic kick.

 

 

*and yes, I know fort Knox doesn't mint coins, it's just a loose analogy.

Edited 15 hours ago by Thom

[Duke Togo]

Good episode. I'm excited to see how this ends, but it's a shame this adventure is almost over.

[Seto Kaiba]

3 hours ago, Thom said:

Actually Anakin did kill the Emperor. The one Rey killed was a clone.

As for this episode of Skeleton Crew, entertaining all the way.
 

  Reveal hidden contents

I love the way they get through the 'barrier,' as the Onyx Cinder is an antique used by the Republic to visit the Mint, and possibly the other treasure worlds as well. Before they got blowed up. As for the vault, I can understand how seeing that could drive Jod 'mad' for a moment. Imagine something like Fort Knox* pumping out gold coins for who knows how many decades or centuries, and then just piling it all up because there's been no one to pick up the shipments! It looks like it's all automated, and no one told the droids to stop making the credits, hence the need for over a thousand vaults!

And they aren't worthless either. Whether made into a faceless coin or a Republic credit, they are still made from a rare metal, which is the true value of it. Now yes, if they dumped every single credit from the vaults onto the market, the market would tank, but if you control yourself and it miserly, you are literally sitting on a mountain of treasure!

One more to go and I really hope this delivers a fantastic kick.

 

 

*and yes, I know fort Knox doesn't mint coins, it's just a loose analogy.

You sure about that?  Because The Bad Batch seems to directly contradict it, with the Republic credit being made worthless by nothing more than a decree.

[sh9000]

Bringing Mama Crab to life.

Set your calendars.

[Thom]

4 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

You sure about that?  Because The Bad Batch seems to directly contradict it, with the Republic credit being made worthless by nothing more than a decree.

Never saw the Bad Batch. But if the credits are made from a precious metal then it doesn't matter what form it's been molded into.  Gold formed into a toilet plunger is still gold.

[pengbuzz]

5 hours ago, Thom said:

Never saw the Bad Batch. But if the credits are made from a precious metal then it doesn't matter what form it's been molded into.  Gold formed into a toilet plunger is still gold.

Thom, that's a rather crappy analogy there; you'd best flush it before it clogs the conversation.

On that note: it would be best if we didn't plunge into this any further, or it could lead to a pipeline that would tank this topic. At best, it would bowl over any other discussion so far and become an utter sewer of ideas...

...and I'm running out of toilet puns here bro.

[Thom]

2 hours ago, pengbuzz said:

Thom, that's a rather crappy analogy there; you'd best flush it before it clogs the conversation.

On that note: it would be best if we didn't plunge into this any further, or it could lead to a pipeline that would tank this topic. At best, it would bowl over any other discussion so far and become an utter sewer of ideas...

...and I'm running out of toilet puns here bro.

That's good! Just give it one more flush and go around again!😁