Skeleton Crew episode 4 continues a Star Wars television tradition started in Clone Wars

This article contains spoilers for “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” season 1, episode 4, “I can’t say I remember not in Attin.”

“Skeleton Crew” has been the biggest “Star Wars”-related surprise since “Andor” took the world by storm with its stirring political drama. Initially sold as a lighter type of “Star Wars” adventure inspired by “The Goonies,” the show has proven to be one of the most original and engaging “Star Wars” projects in years. Sure, it’s aimed more at kids and has a lighter tone, but “Skeleton Crew” also doesn’t shy away from giving us some of the most terrifying images in the franchise (whether it’s an assortment of creepy, bloodthirsty alien pirates or a killer robot). hunting a group of children in a dark spaceship).

In episode 4, “I Can’t Say I Don’t Remember in Attin,” the show deviates from the fun antics of the pirates to deliver a somber and moving story about the effect of war on children and the cycle of violence, with everyone’s favorite character. The blue elephant alien, Neel (who is voiced by Robert Timothy Smith and, by all accounts, is No relative of Max Rebo), advocating for finding solutions other than sending children to the front. It’s a fantastic episode that also has a surprising connection to a tradition that began in the “Clone Wars” cartoon series: planets involved in endless wars are coded in a very French way.

“Can’t Say I Remember No At Attin” follows the young heroes of “Skeleton Crew” to what they believe is their home planet, At Attin (which is essentially the titular world of “Treasure Planet”), but in reality is another. of the Nine Jewels of the Old Republic and a place known as At Acrann. Far from the idyllic suburban home that children know, At Acrann is a planet in perpetual war. (You could even call it the backwards version of At Attin.) The conflict involves two tribes, the Troik and the Hattan, who have fought for generations. When we first meet the Troik, they have a different feel. On the one hand, they are at least a little inspired by the Lost Boys from “Peter Pan” in that there are several children fighting the adults on the opposite side. However, as soon as we begin to meet some of the main actors, including their general, it becomes clear that the Troik sounds specifically French; At least, that is the case for their leader, General Strix (Mathieu Kassovitz), and his daughter Hayna (Hala Finley).

This reminds us of the Ryloth arc of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” in which a group of Jedi are deployed to the planet Ryloth to help the Twi’lek resistance fight their Separatist oppressors. Part of what makes the story memorable is that all of the Twi’leks we meet speak with a distinct French accent, which showrunner Dave Filoni has said in the past was a direct request from the “Star Wars” creator. George Lucas. It is not difficult to recognize this creative decision as a great tribute to La Résistance, the French Resistance during the Nazi occupation in World War II. Given how nerdy Lucas is during World War II, it makes sense that he brings some influences from that period to “Clone Wars,” and he brings a lot more than that, starting with the wartime radio news announcements at the beginning. of each episode.

By slightly shifting the focus from the pirates to a planet at war where children are sent to the front lines, “Skeleton Crew” episode 4 does more than just provide a cool reference to the “Clone Wars” animated series. Where the episode really shines is in the way it questions the very idea of ​​”Star Wars” as a franchise that revolves around war. By the time the show’s young heroes are drafted into the conflict, most seem to accept their situation without much protest. But Neel? He refuses to believe that war is the only way forward. Instead, he befriends Hayna and tells her that if he were in charge of a tribe involved in a generational war, he would simply apologize and move on. After all, war is no place for children.

This simple but moving conversation touches on the fact that the “Star Wars” franchise has always been defined by war, and at the same time contrasts nicely with the impetuous longing for adventure and action expressed by Neel’s friend Wim ( Ravi Cabot-Conyers). On top of that, it serves as a callback to Rose Tico’s (Kelly Marie Tran) speech at the end of “Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi” when she stops her partner Rebel Finn (John Boyega) from carrying out a futile mission. suicide charge. This is how we’re going to win,” he tells Finn. “Not fighting what we hate. Saving what we love.” Sure, “Star Wars” has the word “Wars” in the title and conflict has been at the forefront of every project on the property, but it’s “Skeleton Crew,” the show with the most vulnerable protagonists. (Literal kids!) – that finally begs the question of whether the franchise could go beyond war.

Given how well “Skeleton Crew” is doing with a simple story about kids who want to return home, or how “The Acolyte” delivered an emotional and exciting story about the darkness behind the justice of the Jedi Order without setting it in a time of war. , the answer seems to be yes.

New episodes of “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” drop Tuesdays at 6 pm PST on Disney+.