The most challenging thing about criticism is to write about something so slight, so generic, that you struggle to come up with even a single sentence. What can I say about the fourth episode of Skeleton Crew, except that it just passes the time? Wim still considers At Attin boring, Fern's stern face defines her whole personality, Neel is sweet and kind, and KB, though presented as smart, simply exists. Jod brings a little levity into the series. He, at one point, looks at Neel in such a way as if saying, "Really? Do you want to be brave in front of this machine? What has suddenly motivated you to behave like this?" The scenes between Jod and SM-33 have the right tone and the right energy. You smile when the droid initiates the babysitting sequence to keep an eye on the "Jedi." A grown-up and a machine turn out to be the highlight of this series. This feels a bit weird, considering that the children are supposed to be the main attraction - the protagonists who suck you in.
In Episode 4, Captain Fern and her crew arrive at At Achrann - a dusty, war-torn version of At Attin. Here, they meet a young soldier named Hayna, a member of the Troiks. She takes Fern, Wim, Neel, and KB to her camp, which is run by her father, General Strix. He proudly mentions that he treats children as adults. Skeleton Crew also sees its young characters with the same lens, which is probably why they all look so dull. Creators Jon Watts and Christopher Ford view the kids through the eyes of an adult, which is why instead of giving free rein to their curious, mischievous inner selves, Watts and Ford reduce them to one-word clichés: Troublemaker (Wim), responsible (Fern), intelligent (KB), innocent (Neel). Neel even undergoes a "rom-com experience." He befriends, develops a crush on, and gets a kiss from Hayna, who finds his humane instincts cute and irresistible. Skeleton Crew wants us to laugh at or at least enjoy these developments. It winks at you when Hayna, after the kiss, leaves the group near the Fallen Sanctum. But you can't shake off the feeling that the series merely uses the children to recycle old tropes without giving them a new life or an inventive angle.
The background music often erupts with joy, as if telling us we are watching an exciting adventure. But the events on the screen are so familiar, so unoriginal, that we don't accept the thrills the show sells to us. What prevents Skeleton Crew from being unbearable is its superficial pleasures like Neel's adorable voice, Jude Law's expressions, and the combination of short runtime and swift momentum that doesn't let any scene become tedious. I guess the show has an appropriate title - it makes sense. There is no meat in its body; it's all bare bones, just a skeleton.
Final Score – [4/10]