When I saw the trailer for Skeleton Crew, my first thought when I saw the sprawling suburban environment was that this was not the Star Wars I know and love. In fact, the images drew an immediate link to Madeleine L'Engle's novel A Wrinkle in Time. Within that franchise, there is a city without individuality or creativity that bears some resemblance to Wim's neighborhood. Although the show looked fun, I wondered whether the personality of Star Wars could survive in such a place.
I figured the purpose of this safe, modern town was to draw contrast to the grungy, pirate-infested worlds the children would encounter later. Of course, this is partially true. However, upon viewing the first episode, I was struck by how well the Star Wars aesthetic was still able to thrive within more sterile environments.
This isn't the first time Star Wars has explored cleaner worlds. Leia's childhood home in Obi-Wan Kenobi, the palace of Naboo in The Phantom Menace, and Mon Mothma's apartment in Andor are just a few examples. But where these locations have some grandeur to help transport the viewer away from Earth, At Attin is firmly planted within the landscape of suburbia.
The first episode of Skeleton Crew, "This Could Be A Real Adventure," showed that Star Wars suburbia was not the creativity-barren land I initially compared it to. In fact, its proximity to such a familiar setting acted as a touchpoint for me to access the world and empathize with the children. The initial scenes will feel like home for viewers who grew up in similar neighborhoods or spent their childhoods watching classics like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. And if such adventures can happen in a place like that, it feels like they could happen anywhere, even here on Earth.
The Star Wars charm still leaks into every aspect of the show. There are many great crossovers from the familiar alien residents like the Ithorian walking her dog to the hologram Neel's family was watching, which was a hilarious reference to The Star Wars Holiday Special. I particularly enjoyed the fact that the speeder bikes had tassels on them, just as normal bikes can have.
These fun details allow our modern society to coexist with the sci-fi fun of Star Wars. What initially appeared to be a dystopian world devoid of any personality was filled with Easter eggs and thoughtful details to make Wim's home shine. Skeleton Crew reminds fans that the style of Star Wars is so diverse that even designs as mundane as a suburban neighborhood can feel comfortably situated in the galaxy far, far away.
The first two episodes of Skeleton Crew are now streaming on Disney+.