There's a lot of character growth and action packed into a relatively short season finale of Skeleton Crew.
The final episode, "The Real Good Guys," concluded cryptically, leaving numerous questions and mysteries to unravel. However, one unexpectedly resolved mystery was Jod Na Nawood's backstory, which was explored in surprising depth. As Wim and Fern faced Nawood, who threatened to kill their parents if they disabled the Barrier, allowing New Republic X-Wings to find At Attin, he revealed his past.
Nawood told Wim to 'grow up,' disclosing in the process a tragic backstory that confirmed his past as a Force-sensitive child who had received training from a Jedi Knight. His master was hunted and killed, most likely by Darth Vader's Inquisitors. Jod was alone and starving until his Master discovered him. It explains why he's traumatized by the thought of poverty. The childhood struggle for survival has hardened him to the point where he has no sympathy for the kids.
Another aspect of his story that explains his cynical, dark, and hardened ways is the fact that Jod was forced to watch his Master being killed in front of his eyes, something which likely left him with more trauma than the hunger and lack of money did. He says, "She taught me a little before they hunted her down, and they made me watch whilst they killed her. That's the galaxy. It's dark, with a few pinpricks of light and for those, I'll kill who I need to kill." There's likely some survivor's guilt here too, and he may have felt like he failed to protect his Master.
It's clear Jod doesn't care how low he has to stoop to survive in a galaxy he believes is a terrible place filled with people who failed to protect his innocence as a child. As someone who was brutally stripped of his childhood, Jod has no sympathy for Wim, Neel, Fern, and KB. He thinks they're all sheltered, naive, over-protected, and spoiled kids who've never lacked anything in life. Unlike Jod, the kids never had to fight for survival, and unlike Jod, the kids always had someone to protect them and provide a roof over their heads.
Jod's backstory is a good one because it explains all his behavior and leaves the door open for a possible redemption later on should Star Wars continue his story, which I hope they will. Jude Law's performance as Jod improved as the season went on, and he delivered his best work in these final two episodes.
Jod's backstory also raises the question of who trained him and what became of him after his Master was killed. Was he taken by the Empire or did he join the Inquisitors? Did he run away and turn to crime? All these questions need to be answered at some point, especially as Jod is a character during the New Republic timeline, and he can continue to play a role in upcoming stories during this era, including Ahsoka Season 2, The Mandalorian and Grogu, Dave Filoni's crossover film, and any future seasons of The Mandalorian.
All episodes of Skeleton Crew are streaming on Disney+.