The Skeleton Crew just came full circle in an episode full of adventure

Lucasfilm is giving away to its fans two gifts this holiday season: new episodes of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew both on Christmas Eve and New Year’s. On the one hand, this is great because many of us are at home and can watch. On the other hand, a little less is great if you write for the job show and they don’t work these days. That’s why this week’s – and next week’s – recap will be a day late. Our apologies.

But we like to think of these days off as a visit to the planet Lanupa. A time and place to rest, rejuvenate and, in the case of Skeleton Crewlook for a pirate lair as something straight out of it The Goonies. Let’s discuss episode five, “You Have Much to Learn About Pirates.”

By this point, we already know what we’re going to do Skeleton Crew. Each week the crew goes to a new planet to find a new clue to help them get back to At Attin. And this week was no exception. After an all-too-easy turn to the good side for the SM-33 droid, he reveals that At Attin’s location is hidden in his old boss’s vault. His name was Captain Tak Renaud, a name that immediately fired Jod’s imagination. According to him, Renaud was the most ruthless pirate ever, a man who killed his entire crew in search of Attin’s treasure. In Rennod’s secret lair, located beneath Skull Ridge Mountain, the crew can find their way home.

SM-33 remembers School Ridge Mountain, located on the planet Lanupa, as a brutal place, but now it’s a luxury hotel and adults-only spa. Which is super weird in a Star Wars sense while also talking about how long ago Renaud’s adventure took place. Because, let’s not forget, the kids found Renaud’s ship – finally officially confirmed as the Onyx Cinder even though Lego told us that months ago— buried underground in Attine with all the dead. We’re still very curious as to what happened to all of this.

After some silly but welcome shenanigans at the hotel, Jod and crew find themselves searching for Renaud’s lair in the underground springs of Lanupa. We see all kinds of cool stuff Star Wars aliens, including a very rude, very hungry Hutt. Jod also encounters a bounty hunter named Pokit (Kelly MacDonald of brave and Trainspotting), who knows Jod as “Dash Zentin”. This is at least his fourth alias, which of course only raises more red flags for the character. Pokkit calls his prize and the former Jod crew, led by Brutus, is sent to Lanupa. And so the race begins. Will the pirates find Jod and crew or will they find the lair?

Here’s where Skeleton Crew went full Goonies. After befriending a massive squid-type creature named Cthallops, they break through the ground and find themselves on a mined path to the treasure. You know, just like when the Goonies broke through the floor and had to follow a mined path to a treasure. Both had skeletons on the ground, both had pools of liquid to cross, and both had spiked anti-gravity chambers. No, wait, simple Skeleton Crew had this. But even so, the similarities are numerous, right down to the treasure itself, which is also trapped.

like The Gooniesthe group does find this treasure room and it’s full of cool stuff. Wim even spots a real lightsaber. Soon they have access to a data port and 33 manages to find the location of At Attin and a record of Rennod. He’s husky, so we don’t really see who he is, but the brief glimpse seems to show a cowboy hat, giving a Cad Bane vibe. Renaud’s message also reveals exactly what the treasure in Athens is: the last mint of the Old Republic. Which means you can make your own money. (It should also be noted that the credits show Rennod’s performance coming from Colin Follenweider, who is also Jude Law’s understudy. Could Jod be related to Rennod? We’ll see.)

This revelation changes everything for Jod. Closer to the treasure than ever before, he challenges Fern for the title of captain. She bravely tries to fight back, but his powers are too strong. Then, in what is set to be one of those unforgettable ones Star Wars hero moments, Wim pulls out the lightsaber. He is about to fulfill every single dream and fantasy he has ever had. But when he ignites it, it is upside down and flies away. Jod tells the 33 to capture the crew, but they manage to escape as Jod grabs the lightsaber.

Our biggest takeaway from Skeleton Crew episode five is how much fun can be had in this story. Yes, there are some moments of pause – like Wim feeling homesick and his father, back in Athens, desperately trying to do something. But more than that, we just love seeing this group roam the galaxy, solving puzzles, getting into trouble, and slowly unraveling this mystery. The mystery of why Atin is so hidden, what do the people actually do there, and who the hell is this pirate using the Force of Jodh Na Nawood? And if that means we’ll meet new aliens and bounty hunters on exciting new planets along the way? So much better.

You can stream the first five episodes of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew on Disney+.

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