'Star Wars Skeleton Crew' Is Already Hinting at a Deeper Conspiracy in the Galaxy

Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for the first two episodes of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.

Even though the series has only released its first two episodes,Star Wars: Skeleton Crewis already the most delightfulStar Warsseries tobe released in the Disney era. From the endearing performances of the show’s young stars to its unique focus on the grounded aspects of the known galaxy, the new release from showrunnersJon WattsandChristopher Fordseems poisedto deliver a formative adventureto longtime fans looking for something that captures their sense of childhood wonder. Yet, behindSkeleton Crew’s cute creatures and toy lightsabers,amenacing sense of danger is lurking in the background of the series, and this threat has nothing to do with pirates.

There’s Something off About the New Republic in ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’

To be fair, despite the youth of the series' leads,Star Wars: Skeleton Crewshowcases plenty of dark and villainous side characters. Between the show’s violent opening scene and the seedy pirate base the main cast explores inSkeleton CrewEpisode 2,the series features dozens of unsettling new faces, but this is also to be expected. Most of these characters are pirates, after all, and Star Wars hasa long history of threatening outlaws. What’s more surprising is the questionable actions of the entity that should be doing the most good in the series, the New Republic. Rather than embodying the inspirational idealism of its leaders,the New Republic’s role inSkeleton Crew’s two-part premiere feels particularly suspicious.

The first indication that something is off with the new galactic government occurs towards the beginning ofStar Wars: Skeleton CrewEpisode 1, when Fara (Kerry Condon), an undersecretary from the office of At Attin’s supervisor, comes to visit Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers) and Neel’s (Robert Timothy Smith) class. During her brief presentation,the undersecretary acts strangely rigid for a representative of the New Republic, reiterating the expectation that Wim and his classmates will contribute to the New Republic’s “Great Work” and underscoring the importance of maintaining peace and strength throughout the galaxy. This rhetoricsounds dangerously close to that employed by the now-defunct Empire.

Revelations about At Attin itself in Episode 2 ofSkeleton Crewraise even more questions about the New Republic’s presence on the planet. When Wim, Fern, and their friends arrive at the pirates' safe haven, they learn that At Attin is considered a myth by most of the galaxy, a lost planet that supposedly contains eternal treasure. Yet, we as audience members know the New Republic not only knows At Attin is real, but has also occupied the planet witha surprising number of security droidsand a planetary barrier its citizens are prohibited from crossing. Fara even implies Wim’s class will only be applying for jobs on At Attin itself, implying an effort to trap At Attin’s citizens on the planetin what could turn out to be Star Wars' newest galactic conspiracy.

When Does ‘Skeleton Crew’ Take Place in the Star Wars Timeline?

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… but how long, specifically?

Star Wars’ New Republic Already Has a Well-Documented History of Corruption

The idea of the New Republic engaging in this level of deception would be surprising if Disney’s Star Wars shows hadn’t alreadymade a point of demonstrating just how corrupt the institution has become. Despite founders likeLeia Organa (Carrie Fisher) and Mon Mothma(Genevieve O’Reilly) attempting to inspire change,the New Republic has proven itself to be complacentin shows likeAhsokaand dangerously inept inThe MandalorianSeason 3. In particular, the latter’s depiction of theNew Republic’s Amnesty Programremains particularly concerning, as the series still demonstratesthe program’s potential for allowing former Imperial officers to infiltrate New Republic infrastructure.

Given the new mysteries surrounding At Attin inStar Wars: Skeleton Crew, there are two main possibilities about the New Republic’s presence on the planet. On one hand, it’s possible the upper echelons of the New Republic are fully aware of their own occupation, in which case Mon Mothma’s government would be walking a very dangerous line inconfining its own citizens and hiding At Attin’s location from the rest of the galaxyin order to secure At Attin’s resources. Alternatively, given whatwe see inThe MandalorianSeason 3, it’s equally possible that a rogue faction of former Imperials have assumed control of At Attin in the New Republic’s name, stockpiling resources in anticipation of the Empire’s return. Fara could even ben affiliated with the former Empire herself, which could explain her militaristic bearing. Yet, whatever the reason,it feels certain that the truth behind At Attin will determine the future ofSkeleton Crew’s main characters, maybe even the galaxy itself.