Skeleton Crew’s third episode is once again directed by David Lowrey (The Green Knight) and very much feels like a continuation of last week’s events. So much so that I wonder if they were initially one whole episode. But while the episode was brief and featured not one, but two escapes, it continued to be a delight to watch.

Very Interesting, as an Astrogation Problem opens up where we left off last week, in the cell of the pirate haven. But the children’s new companion, Jod Na Nawood (or is it Crimson Jack? Or Captain Silvo?), just so happens to be a Force user and has gotten them out of this predicament. I love how the kids immediately ask what I was thinking last week: if you have the Force, why did you wait so long to escape? The answer, thankfully, is obvious, if not a bit convenient: he needs a ship. Not that there’s any shortage of ships to steal, but I guess not having to steal one makes an escape easier. The kids make it back to the Onyx Cinder (great ship name, by the way), but realize they’ve left SM-33 behind, who was captured during their failed escape last week. So Jod has to head back to rescue the droid.

Jude Law was largely absent from the first two episodes but takes center stage in the third. He plays equal parts charming and charismatic, as well as rogueish with a dash of desperation and theatricality, making him the perfect foil (and defacto babysitter) for the children. I like that he’s a bit of a skeeball, looking out for his own interests and using anyone, even kids, to get what he wants. And his interests right now are very much finding At Attin. His multiple personas also add to the mystery around the character, who is Crimson Jack in relation to Captain Silvo, for instance? Was he running two outfits at the same time? Then, there’s the question of the Force. Wim instantly jumps the gun and thinks he’s a Jedi, to which Jod later backpedals and says something to the effect of “Well, I never said that”, throwing his over-excited brain under the bus. The girls on the other hand, are instantly suspicious of their newest crew member and I like that Jod’s dubious past was very quickly picked up upon by some of the characters of the show, as opposed to it being some grand reveal later on down the show that the audience was privy to from the get-go. Naturally, SM-33 and Jod are instantly at odds, with the former treating the latter like a peasant, while the droid instantly distrusts the newcomer.

One area where Skeleton Crew has been shining has been the old-school charm and nowhere is that more evident than the creature design. The show goes big on the aliens and creatures and opts to use practical effects wherever possible. There was a great little creature feature dropped online that showcases this, with everything from SM-33 being a puppet to the animatronic mask that Neel’s actor wears. It was also great to learn that the legend himself Phil Tippet is working on the show’s special effects.

This week’s episode introduced us to a whole new alien, Jod’s old friend/frenemy Kh’ymm, an owl-cat creature who knows a thing or two about old star charts and maps. Her features seem enchanted with VFX, but grounded in practical puppetry. Despite stalling for time to get Jod arrested, she does provide some exposition and guidance for the location of At Attin, which has been intentionally hidden from the rest of the galaxy, despite being one of the founding planets of the Old Republic. Heck, the information on the planet’s original map was paper, something we almost never see in a galaxy, far, far away. The crew end up getting some coordinates on an old analog computer disc and makes their dashing escape. I wonder if the information was incomplete, as they can’t have gotten the X on the map so early is my guess.

Another noteworthy aspect of the show is the score by Mick Giacchino, who also scored The Penguin this year. It feels like Star Wars/John Williams without being derivative of the sound, pulling from that older 80s adventure vibe. I got some serious Pirates of the Caribbean vibes at one time, but I wasn’t mad considering the vibe. The visuals are also great, especially the silhouetted shot of the crew marching against the backdrop of a gas giant (this article’s cover image), evoking imagery from the likes of E.T. or Peter Pan.

A common criticism of these Mandalorian adjacent shows are that they’re too short and the same holds true for this show so far. I’d like a little bit more out of them, hit at least the 40-minute mark before the credits roll. But that aside, I’m really enjoying this light-hearted romp that taps into that inner-child with adventure and hijinx. Bring on the next episode. Aye.