Order 66 stories are the "Uncle Ben's Death" of Star Wars. There have been so many tales about Jedi who survived this horrific event that it's become a common trope. It's understandable wanting to tell these harrowing stories about our mythical Force users struggling in a harsh, fascist galaxy under the rule of the Empire. However, it's a bit of a tired story at this point. Skeleton Crew could actually change up that narrative with one simple change:
Make Jod Na Nawood a child of the Path, not an ex-Jedi.
As of right now, there is no official confirmation that Jude Law's character is a Jedi. All we know is that he is a Force user. This already opens up the show for various new stories as there are more Force orders outside the binary of Jedi and Sith. We've seen this explored like with the Nightsisters across media as well as the Lasat worshipping the Ashla in Star Wars Rebels.
We have gotten some stories about non-Jedi Force users here and there, but almost all of them end with the person choosing to be a Jedi. Before the Ghost crew picked him up, Ezra Bridger didn't know he was using his Force abilities to help him survive on the streets of Lothal. In comics, Rey also subconsciously used her powers to help her live on the harsh world of Jakku. In both of these cases, though, they were found and trained by Jedi. In the novel Force Collector, the character Karr Nuq Sin is a Force sensitive young man with a talent for Psychometry. While he doesn't become a Jedi, he makes it his mission to collect Force items to carry on the story of the Jedi. All of these stories are tied to the Jedi Order in some way.
Skeleton Crew could change this with Jod. First, he doesn't need to be an ex-Jedi in hiding. We have enough stories about that already. Second, make him a child of the Path, as we see in Obi-Wan Kenobi. This would set him up for a life of struggle, having to hide from the Empire. It's already been confirmed by Jude Law that Jod uses multiple names, so this would fit that narrative. Perhaps having to go into the Path led Jod to be separated from his family, something he could bond over with the kids in Skeleton Crew who are also lost away from their parents. What if, because of this horrific life, Jod never wanted to be a Jedi? Sure, he seems like a swindler and will play up being a Jedi. But it could be fascinating to see someone just wanting to be a Force user, with no labels attached, simply doing his own thing.
Making Jod a child of the Path, not an ex-Jedi, would be a great way to shake up an overused story. We'll have to wait until December 3 to find out when Star Wars: Skeleton Crew arrives on Disney+.