From the opening scene of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, which sets up the idea that Jod Na Nawood is actually a pirate named Captain Silvo, to the recent encounter with Kh’ymm where he is referred to as Crimson Jack, it appears part of navigating this show about pirates in space is unraveling the mystery of who Jod Na Nawood actually is. When Jude Law’s character, Jod, is first revealed to the young protagonists of the show, the kids perceive him to be a noble Jedi with Force abilities. He claims his name is Jod, which is still up for debate at this point because of his expanding list of aliases. It makes us wonder if he has more in common with the kids than we think.
Could Jod be another lost soul from the strange 'planet of eternal treasure' At Attin?
From the jump, Jod has been a character interested in treasure in the form of credits, as his helmeted Captain Silvo used this to initially gain his pirate following. Of course, they were quick to mutiny once they realized he couldn’t deliver what was promised. Upon overhearing the children in the brig contemplating how they will ever get back to At Attin, he decided to reveal his talent with the Force by pulling the keys to them and helping facilitate their escape with the idea that he would accompany them. As Crimson Jack, he looked to his contact Kh'ymm with extensive knowledge of star systems and hyperspace routes to uncover more information on the mysterious ‘treasure planet’ to help narrow down At Attin's coordinates.
When KB confronted Jod and demanded that he tell the truth for once, Jod says he is “Just like you” when referring to the kids. Of course, on the surface, this could be another attempt to appeal to their child-like wonder, but perhaps it could be a hint in the dialogue that Jod Na Nawood really was once like them and that of all the names he goes by, he had actually given the kids his real name. In episode 4, Jod does claim to be from a different planet entirely. However, he hasn’t exactly been truthful with the group up until this point. He is an unreliable narrator. One thing is for certain: Jod is keen on arriving on At Attin and locating the planet’s treasure. These children are the ‘skeleton key’ to solving that puzzle.
Realizing that they are actually on a similar planet named At Achrann, Jod tries to jog SM-33’s memory, whose catchphrase has conveniently become “Can’t say I remember no At Attin,” but gets inadvertently drawn into the planet’s conflict. As the kids get acquainted with the people on At Achrann, they notice that the planet is strangely identical to theirs, although in ruin, but complete with the school and Supervisor’s tower that they are familiar with. Given that their objectives to find their home planet are aligned, it makes sense that Jod would invest in helping the children off the planet.
Jod jests that the planet tastes of ashy dust just like his home planet, but it is unclear if he is from a planet like these others or if the similarities he is noticing are actually that of At Attin’s. The people of At Achrann are at constant war, and in many ways, they represent a version of how the kids might have turned out if there wasn’t order on their home planet, which contributed to the Great Work. Even if Jod is not from the same planet, the show appears to frame him as an example of what the crew might eventually become in this pirate-infested galaxy if they were never to make it home. Could Jod be like the kids in that he ran away from his home planet at a young age and never made it home?
We'll have to wait and find out. Skeleton Crew is now playing on Disney+.