SPOILER: Skeleton Crew D+ Series - Debut Dec 2, 2024

[lazyboy97o]

In this particular example they gave a droid a peg leg to make it look exactly like a pirate out of our current pop culture.

In the Star Wars universe there should be lots of spare parts lying around. They'd put a foot on that droid. The only reason to have him limp around on a peg leg is to explicitly have a pirate character.

SM-33 was stuck in a ship buried underground. He also didn’t replace his eye.

 

[flynnibus]

I wanna know what they were trying to do with that mouse/whatever in SM-33... I thought for awhile they were gonna make it so the mouse was the sentient being and the droid was just his implement...

 

[Disney Irish]

You're missing the point.

Mismatched parts are good and typical in Star Wars. They help give it that lived in feel.

In this particular example they gave a droid a peg leg to make it look exactly like a pirate out of our current pop culture.

In the Star Wars universe there should be lots of spare parts lying around. They'd put a foot on that droid. The only reason to have him limp around on a peg leg is to explicitly have a pirate character.

The lack of subtlety is why some of us are saying this veers into being a pirate show with a Star Wars skin thrown over it, as opposed to a Star Wars show with piracy elements.

The Republic credits are a stand in for pirate treasure as well, but they didn't go so far as to make them rounded Republic doubloons.

As I said before it's fine, it's a good show, but a Star Wars show shouldn't necessarily cross the line into being an explicit adaptation of something else.

Since you don't know the history of SM-33 you don't know the full backstory of why he has the peg leg. Its possible there were no more spare parts available since he was at At Attin for what appears to be many decades. Its possible that the former captain didn't want to give him one so he could make fun of him. There are any number of reasons from a storytelling perspective.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Ehh... even that standard is easy to rip apart when one looks at the original film. It's full of adaptations and borrowed ideas.

I mean, the show is aimed at a younger audience.. I don't think we should disown it from Star Wars simply because it uses familiar tropes. Heck, if the larger world can accept TFA is an 'original movie'... the crimes here against Star Wars are trivial.

But again, it's not obvious. A New Hope isn't instantly recognizable as something else but moved into a sci-fi setting.

With Skeleton Crew it's very blatantly a pirate adventure.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Since you don't know the history of SM-33 you don't know the full backstory of why he has the peg leg. Its possible there were no more spare parts available since he was at At Attin for what appears to be many decades. Its possible that the former captain didn't want to give him one so he could make fun of him. There are any number of reasons from a storytelling perspective.

Even if they stated a logical backstory, which they didn't, it would still only exist as a way to make the character explicitly look like a pirate.

 

[lazyboy97o]

But again, it's not obvious. A New Hope isn't instantly recognizable as something else but moved into a sci-fi setting.

With Skeleton Crew it's very blatantly a pirate adventure.

What about all of the discussion of how’s it’s a rather rote application of the Hero’s Journey?

 

[Disney Irish]

Even if they stated a logical backstory, which they didn't, it would still only exist as a way to make the character explicitly look like a pirate.

As mentioned Star Wars is chock full of adaptions and borrowed ideas, Lucas never hid this fact. Heck its even said that a lot of Star Wars is directly ripped from the pages the French comic Valérian and Laureline which was published almost a decade before New Hope was released. So lets not play like this is some new thing in Star Wars.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

As mentioned Star Wars is chock full of adaptions and borrowed ideas, Lucas never hid this fact. Heck its even said that a lot of Star Wars is directly ripped from the pages the French comic Valérian and Laureline which was published almost a decade before New Hope was released. So lets not play like this is some new thing in Star Wars.

I'm not, but people insist on ignoring or misunderstand what I'm saying.

Skeleton Crew is simply more obviously or blatantly a pirates in space story.

It could exist as a live action Treasure Planet type movie with minimal changes.

The question is, when they do it so explicitly does it veer too far from being Star Wars?

A ragtag crew searching for credits would be seen as a story about pirate like characters and activities within the Star Wars universe. When they make a major character a flat out one-legged pirate, is it just a pirate show with Star Wars slapped on the title card?

Whether this is okay or goes too far is subjective. What's odd to me is trying to dismiss this perspective because "why wouldn't a robot have a peg leg"?

It feels at times like someone wanted to do a live action Treasure Planet but couldn't get it made without that Star Wars budget and recognition factor.

 

[flynnibus]

Pirates and their treasure hunt are antagonists... not the central story itself.

They are the 'pursuit' in the film and a motivation for Jod.

The kids aren't searching for treasure .. they are trying to get back to their comfort after venturing out.

It's not like Fern has become captain hook and they are going on pirate escapades.

They are running from pirates the whole time... and the 'treasure' they are seeking is really just home.

It's why the story is more Goonies than POTC.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

As mentioned Star Wars is chock full of adaptions and borrowed ideas, Lucas never hid this fact. Heck its even said that a lot of Star Wars is directly ripped from the pages the French comic Valérian and Laureline which was published almost a decade before New Hope was released. So lets not play like this is some new thing in Star Wars.

Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Hunger Games, etc all follow a very similar heroes journey storylines, just with different characters and settings.

I’ve been trying for years to think of another setting to tell the same story, there’s billions to be made for whoever can find a way to tell the same story in a “new” way.

 

[Disney Irish]

I'm not, but people insist on ignoring or misunderstand what I'm saying.

Skeleton Crew is simply more obviously or blatantly a pirates in space story.

It could exist as a live action Treasure Planet type movie with minimal changes.

The question is, when they do it so explicitly does it veer too far from being Star Wars?

A ragtag crew searching for credits would be seen as a story about pirate like characters and activities within the Star Wars universe. When they make a major character a flat out one-legged pirate, is it just a pirate show with Star Wars slapped on the title card?

Whether this is okay or goes too far is subjective. What's odd to me is trying to dismiss this perspective because "why wouldn't a robot have a peg leg"?

It feels at times like someone wanted to do a live action Treasure Planet but couldn't get it made without that Star Wars budget and recognition factor.

I don't think anyone is purposely ignoring or misunderstanding anything, at least I'm not. But what I think is being done is actually trying to put some actual perspective into yours and others take on the show within the greater context of the franchise.

For example you said you don't dress Jabba up in a wig and tux just because he's a gangster, and someone pointed out that a member of the Hutt family literally looks just like that, quite literally a Hutt representation of Marlon Brando from Godfather. Its also been provided that Star Wars is literally chock full of references, nods, homages, borrowed, and down right steals in my opinion from other sources, and this is all before Disney ever touched it. So I don't see why having a pirate droid with a peg leg is somehow a bridge too far for you.

 

[MarvelCharacterNerd]

And nothing against Andor, but really I think you're drawing a real fine line between what you know about the future outcome versus the story they are actually telling in the show. I think if you knew that Skeleton Crew was leading to some future outcome you'd feel the same way about it as you do Andor.

Oh no. No no no. Wim could grow up to be Captain Eo or Finn's dad or be Lando Calrissian's secret offspring or a myriad of other cutesy tie-ins and while I might both wince and smile simultaneously at the reveal, yeah, this show would NEVER EVER EVER EVER be in the same galaxy - literally or figuratively - in terms of great storytelling and brilliant acting that Andor is. lol Just no. Not. Yikes.

That's like comparing Land of the Lost to Lost. Okay, wait, I didn't like Lost. Ummm... it's like comparing Spidey & His Amazing Friends to Avengers: Endgame. They may both have super heroes, but totally different levels of storytelling craft. One tells a cute little tale for kids. Another is part of a larger tapestry of stories with heart and character and universal stakes. Although both are 100% Marvel.

 

[Disney Irish]

Oh no. No no no. Wim could grow up to be Captain Eo or Finn's dad or be Lando Calrissian's secret offspring or a myriad of other cutesy tie-ins and while I might both wince and smile simultaneously at the reveal, yeah, this show would NEVER EVER EVER EVER be in the same galaxy - literally or figuratively - in terms of great storytelling and brilliant acting that Andor is. lol Just no. Not. Yikes.

That's like comparing Land of the Lost to Lost. Okay, wait, I didn't like Lost. Ummm... it's like comparing Spidey & His Amazing Friends to Avengers: Endgame. They may both have super heroes, but totally different levels of storytelling craft. One tells a cute little tale for kids. Another is part of a larger tapestry of stories with heart and character and universal stakes. Although both are 100% Marvel.

I don’t think you’re being honest with yourself on this one, but more power to you.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

So I don't see why having a pirate droid with a peg leg is somehow a bridge too far for you.

Any time you add pop cultural references or homages into a sci-fi or other type of show, it can go so far as to take you out of it.

Naming the droid a variation of Smee is fine because it's subtle and you might not even notice it unless pointed out.

For me, a peg legged pirate droid is blatant enough that they're basically saying, "this is a pirate adventure in space" with a big neon sign.

 

[Disney Irish]

Any time you add pop cultural references or homages into a sci-fi or other type of show, it can go so far as to take you out of it.

Naming the droid a variation of Smee is fine because it's subtle and you might not even notice it unless pointed out.

For me, a peg legged pirate droid is blatant enough that they're basically saying, "this is a pirate adventure in space" with a big neon sign.

It just seems like its a very very fine line for you what is and what isn't too far.

 

[lazyboy97o]

For me, a peg legged pirate droid is blatant enough that they're basically saying, "this is a pirate adventure in space" with a big neon sign.

And not the guys calling themselves pirates?

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

It just seems like its a very very fine line for you what is and what isn't too far.

Sure. It's subjective.

It's not a huge deal to me either, but it was enough that people noticed it and it's a point of discussion.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

And not the guys calling themselves pirates?

It's a culmination of a lot of things actually.

Piracy itself is a general enough concept that it will be used in many different genres.

The difference, again, is that a character lifted directly from pirate pop culture in our world sticks out.

Science Fiction works best if it's their own futuristic take on things.

 

[Disney Irish]

Science Fiction works best if it's their own futuristic take on things.

Except as has been pointed out numerous times, and I'll re-contextualize it, some of the best SciFi movies of all time are actually homages to other genres. For example Blade Runner, considered one of the best SciFI movies, is a mixture of themes and homages to other genres like Neo-Noir and is the considered the foundation for CyberPunk as a sub-genre of SciFi which itself is a homage to other genres too.

So I think this take is a bit naive as no SciFi that I can think of is just a pure take on futuristic things that doesn't at least have an homage or mixture of genres.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Except as has been pointed out numerous times, and I'll re-contextualize it, some of the best SciFi movies of all time are actually homages to other genres. For example Blade Runner, considered one of the best SciFI movies, is a mixture of themes and homages to other genres like Neo-Noir and is the considered the foundation for CyberPunk as a sub-genre of SciFi which itself is a homage to other genres too.

So I think this take is a bit naive as no SciFi that I can think of is just a pure take on futuristic things that doesn't at least have an homage or mixture of genres.

Which I agree with.

In this case I just feel like they may have gone past homage to direct adaptation.

The original Death Star battle was lifted straight from warplane footage. However, they didn't make the X-Wings look exactly like modern airplanes. I don't watch that and immediately think, oh, this is just a WWII battle. It feels like a different world altogether.