Skeleton Crew’ Just ‘Stranger Things’ in Space?

The Star Wars universe recently expanded with the newest Disney+ series, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, and it offers viewers an experience that differs greatly from the other shows and movies in the franchise. Rather than focus on the larger battle between the Jedi and the Sith, Skeleton Crew goes beyond the Skywalkers and the Rebel Alliance and presents a narrative that centers around everyday suburban kids. The series focuses on four school-age children, Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), Neel (Robert Timothy Smith), Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), and KB (Kyriana Kratter), who inadvertently set out on a big adventure beyond the stars. After stumbling upon what he believes is an old Jedi temple, Wim enlists his best friend Neel to help him explore his discovery. However, Fern and KB intercept their unique find and circumvent their efforts. As a result, they realize they’ve actually found an old starship that’s now autopiloting itself into hyperspace.

Now alone and lost in space, the kids have no one to rely on but themselves, which isn’t always the easiest given how often they bicker and disagree. They do manage to befriend that ship’s droid, SM-33 (Nick Frost), after Fern declares herself the captain, but he’s never heard of their home planet of At Attin, which throws a wrench in their efforts to make it back to their families. After a dangerous pitstop at a pirate star port, they encounter a mysterious Force user named Jod Na Nawood (Jude Law), who helps them escape the brig as long as they take him with them on their ship. Full of quick wit and adventure, Skeleton Crew is undoubtedly inspired by shows such as Stranger Things and classic films like The Goonies. A series for viewers of all ages, it has been lamented by some as merely “Stranger Things in space.” However, such a sentiment disregards the unique narrative Skeleton Crew brings to the Star Wars universe.

‘Skeleton Crew’s Narrative Sets it Apart From ‘Stranger Things’

Skeleton Crew is not simply Stranger Things in space. While there’s clearly a similar aesthetic, given the specific vibe the series wants to convey, its narrative sets it apart from the beloved Netflix show. Both series do focus on a group of kids and their misadventures, but the main characters in Stranger Things are at the center of the story because they were almost destined to become involved in Vecna’s (Henry Creel) sinister plans. In many ways, there’s a purpose to their experience. That isn’t the case for the children in Skeleton Crew. They were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time when they accidentally set off on an abandoned starship. It could have happened to anyone.

Skeleton Crew follows its own path and distinguishes itself from Stranger Things because its characters are very normal people, and they remain as such. They aren’t necessarily fated for greater things, like Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) or Will (Noah Schnapp) clearly are. Wim, Neel, Fern, and KB do seemingly rise to the challenges they’re confronted with, and there’s clearly something going on with the secrecy of their planet, but they aren’t inherently meant for a bigger purpose. They’re regular kids who would have continued to be regular kids if Wim hadn’t stumbled upon the ship. Eleven and her friends were never going to remain simple small-town kids. The content and trajectory of Skeleton Crew’s narrative completely separates itself from Stranger Things.

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‘Skeleton Crew’ Is Supposed to Feel Familiar

But It’s Not Just a Space Version of ‘Stranger Things’

Clearly, Skeleton Crew and Stranger Things share some similarities. Both sets of kids grow up in the same kind of suburban town that so many viewers are familiar with, but by no means is Skeleton Crew just a space version of Stranger Things. Those who think otherwise might be allowing their sense of nostalgia to muddy the waters. Just because the latest Star Wars endeavor might evoke the same emotions viewers feel when they watch Stranger Things doesn’t mean one is a rip-off of the other. In fact, Skeleton Crew purposefully wants those nostalgic vibes to lure people in so they can subsequently keep them hooked with the show’s unique, fun, and new narrative.

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Furthermore, Skeleton Crew is much more lighthearted than Stranger Things. The Netflix show deals with some extremely heavy subject matter, and that simply isn’t the kind of territory Skeleton Crew is aiming to cover. Disney’s series is meant for viewers of all ages to enjoy. Stranger Things is not. That being said, Skeleton Crew is supposed to feel familiar because its bones are constructed with the nostalgia of Star Wars fans. It appeals to adults because they grew up loving Star Wars, and it appeals to kids because it’s directly intended for them. Strange Things is an entirely different endeavor, and Skeleton Crew’s setting in space isn’t the only thing that sets the two apart. New episodes of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew premiere every Tuesday on Disney+.