This article contains spoiler for “Skeleton Crew” episode 5.
The fifth episode of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Lucasfilm’s latest offering on Disney+, brings the kids and her alleged Jedi protector Jod Nawood (Jude Law) to the planet Lanupa in search of the coordinates of their homeworld At Attin. The episode title “There’s a Lot to Learn About Pirates” is indeed apt, as the kids and their naivety get in their way, sending them into cliffhanger-like trouble as the episode progresses, but we get one a little ahead of ourselves. Lanupa is an ancient world with many names according to SM-33 (Nick Frost) – “The Battle World” or “The Demon’s Rest”. It was the old secret underground lair of the legendary pirate Tak Rennod, and it turned out that the ship the children stole was Captain Rennod’s, the Onyx Cinder. If they get to his secret underground lair on Lanupa, they should be able to obtain At Attin’s coordinates, but since so much time has passed between Rennod’s time and the present, their search is essentially archaeological in nature. A health and beauty spa and hot springs resort has sprung up on the site where the hideout was built, and the Skeleton crew must find clues to get beneath the resort and get what they’re looking for. All the while they are pursued by pirates, bounty hunters, local security forces and anyone else who looks at them cross-eyed. If it sounds like a scenario from a Steven Spielberg film, that’s because it basically is.
The shared DNA of Indiana Jones and Star Wars
The Indiana Jones franchise was the brainchild of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, so that’s no surprise the action/adventure series would share DNA with “Star Wars,” But “Skeleton Crew” is – arguably – the first overtly adventurous piece of “Star Wars” media we’ve had since 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker.” This episode ramps up the sense of adventure even further and adds the element of archaeology, putting it firmly in the territory of everyone’s favorite rogue archaeologist. As the kids search for signs of Tak Rennod’s old base in the modern spa, they feel like Indiana Jones is searching the library in search of the Grail Knight’s tomb in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, combining modern uses of space looking for older uses. The use of archeology and artifact hunting in “Star Wars” isn’t a new way to pay homage to “Indiana Jones,” but it’s certainly welcome.
Skeleton Crew on their final crusade
Where things are in full swing for “Indiana Jones” tributes – even though they are A Kind of a nod to “The Goonies” Even during their underground trek to One-Eyed Willie’s galleon, thanks to the help of Cthallops, they actually make it underground and begin exploring the booby-trapped pirate caves of Tak Rennod. At first glance they look like something out of “Treasure Island,” before you realize that they are trials like those guarding the Holy Grail in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” A laser beam almost cuts off the children’s heads, just as the circular saws almost cut off Indiana Jones’s head. Other tests are also reminiscent of other films. Instead of spikes hanging from the ceiling, they have a “Star Wars” twist where you float towards them instead. There’s a mystery where, instead of taking a leap of faith, they had to throw money into a pool of acid to descend the stairs into a treasure room, and it’s all told from the perspective of a pirate rather than a disciple of Christ. It was all very clever and tailored to Star Wars in a really great way. “The Bad Batch” took on a temple in a similar way in its second season And it’s nice to see the live-action shows taking on this responsibility too.
Rennod’s Treasure is like the Temple of Death
However, the homage does not end there. As Jod and the crew leave their final, deadly test behind them, they enter a room full of immense treasure, similar to Indy and Ilsa in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. There are fantastic golden trinkets and all sorts of pirate booty everywhere. Jod warns the children that much of it will be booby-trapped. However, as they take their first steps, they are greeted by a giant facial sculpture that immediately brings to mind the unveiling of the Thugee ceremony in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. But the rest of the scene plays out like The Last Crusade, right down to the need to choose the right item that will give them the information they need, even though they know that choosing the wrong item will have dire consequences. Neel, being the smart boy that he is, discovers the real treasure, but like Indiana Jones and the ending of The Last Crusade, they too are betrayed.
So far, Skeleton Crew has been full of references and homages to the work of Steven Spielberg, particularly his child-focused work from the ’80s Amblin era. From “ET: The Extra-Terrestrial” and “The Goonies” to the entire “Indiana Jones” saga, Steven Spielberg’s work on “Skeleton Crew” has been fundamental, and in this episode Indy confidently carried the whip and Fedora entire episode.
New episodes of “Skeleton Crew” premiere Tuesdays at 6:00 pm PST on Disney+.
