Star Wars fans don’t know good TV even if it slaps them in the face

I have a problem with contemporary Star Wars, but my problem does not wholly lie with the output of Lucasfilm. Instead, I’m more concerned by the current mindset of the fanbase as I fear it’s something that could harm the franchise going forward. My wariness first arose following the cancellation of The Acolyte, something I believed to be the strongest Star Wars offering in years - and I should clarify that I’m not going to include Andor in this discussion because Tony Gilroy’s brilliant political thriller is a masterpiece that stands apart in its own category.

The Acolyte did something I’ve been longing to see. It took us to an unexplored period in the Star Wars timeline, shedding light on new individuals and delving into unknown pieces of lore. It replaced The Volume, a soundstage surrounded by curved screens and used by the likes of The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan Kenobi, with real, tangible sets. It didn’t cater to fan-service … I could go on. In every way, The Acolyte was a major step in the right direction for Star Wars’ TV output.

For the first time in years, viewers had no idea what to expect next. Executives were finally brave enough to leave behind the characters, events, and time periods that we’re already familiar with. By the time the show’s final episode aired, I was left yearning for more. Would Osha become a Sith? Did Yoda help Vernestra conceal her past? Was Qimir a true Sith? And how did Darth Plagueis factor into that? A second season was so perfectly set up that it felt like a given that one was coming.

When The Acolyte’s cancellation was announced, I was gutted - but that feeling was soon replaced by shock, shock that this step up for the franchise had experienced dwindling viewing figures. Have fellow Star Wars fans been following along with the same franchise I have?

You see, I’m a fan of The Mandalorian, don’t get me wrong, but I do think it has caused some detriment to the franchise. The series is the first time we saw The Volume in action, a filming technique that’s rather limiting, placing actors in video-generated deserts or derelict expanses with very little to interact with. For a lone wanderer like The Mandalorian though, it just about worked. And let’s not forget that this was Star Wars’ very first big-budget launch on Disney Plus. It simply felt like this was to be the standard we should expect from Lucasfilm’s TV output.

ICYMI: We recently sat down with the cast and creatives of Skeleton Crew.

But while this filming technique was passable for a project like The Mandalorian, I don’t necessarily think it suited what came next. In my opinion, The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka all felt limited by The Volume. What I saw on the screen, unlike what was depicted in The Acolyte, didn’t feel particularly tangible. Of course, these series also heavily relied on fan-service, something I don’t think serves anyone - fans nor creatives, despite what some people in both camps believe.

These series, also to their detriment, partially employed The Mandalorian’s procedural format. What I mean by that is, for the most part, The Mandalorian concerns itself with a week-to-week standalone storyline. Yes, there is an overarching narrative but it plays a very small role for the vast majority of each respective season. Instead, the end result is akin to something we might see in a cop drama, where Din Djarin ends up facing a ‘foe of the week’. The Mandalorian pulls that off, but the format simply doesn’t translate well to something like, say, Ahsoka. You suddenly end up with a CGI-heavy 15-minute long duel that’s passed off as an episode but feels far more like a vignette.

That wasn’t the case with The Acolyte, nor has it been the case with Skeleton Crew which, for me, has usurped The Acolyte as the greatest Star Wars show out there - Andor aside, as I previously mentioned. Each episode serves the main narrative, something that should be a standard of all TV shows but that Star Wars has struggled to balance since the launch of its Disney Plus content. And particularly in the case of Skeleton Crew, more so than any other Star Wars show, it looks positively fantastic on screen.

In early December, I favourably reviewed Skeleton Crew having watched the first three episodes prior to their airing. With the sixth episode having debuted this week, I’m even more surefooted in my assessment of the series than I was last month. This is the crème de la crème of Star Wars. Each episode takes our four young heroes - Wim, Fern, Neel, and KB - and morally questionable pirate Jod Na Nawood on a thrilling new adventure. Whether it’s a derelict planet filled with clans at war, or a high-end spa crawling with guards and bounty hunters, each episode throws up a new threat but so too does that always tie back to the group’s key goal: finding At Attin.

You know that CGI is done well when it doesn’t feel like it’s there, and that’s how I feel when I watch Skeleton Crew. I’m truly immersed in this world, and that’s not down to any single element. It’s the culmination of the efforts of so many different departments. The actors, the costumers, the puppeteers, the stunt coordinators, the writers … you name it. Everything here is top notch. Heck, this week’s crab-esque monster was even made using stop-motion. This is everything you could want from big-budget Star Wars. It’s exceptionally made entertainment, and we’re so lucky to have access to something of this quality every single week on Disney Plus.

Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is available now, exclusively on Disney+

And yet, I’m worried that the series is being overlooked. As I said, The Acolyte was doomed by its viewing figures despite being a brilliant series. The reason that surprised me is because following every episode, my social media timeline was rife with chatter - whether that was simple thirsting over Qimir’s body or theorising over the following week’s episode. When Skeleton Crew airs though, I see nothing. No reactions, no theories, no praise. I’m sure it’s out there if I go looking for it, but the fact that my algorithm isn’t bringing any to me suggests some concerning truths about the viewership of this show.

I could be wrong, but Skeleton Crew is failing to place inside Luminate’s weekly top 10 streaming charts - something that really does not bode well for the series. Truthfully, Skeleton Crew may not be the kind of series that requires a season two renewal. I don’t know how things are going to conclude but I could see this turning out to be a standalone story. Even if that’s the case though, the show’s low viewing figures send a worrying message to Lucasfilm and Disney’s executives.

I’m concerned that this signifies that the fan-service heavy, Volume-filmed projects, filling in the gaps of characters' lives that we’ve already spent endless amounts of time with is what fans want. Maybe that is what people want, and I’m the lone sheep here, but I just find that a tough pill to swallow. The growth between Ahsoka, The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew is immense - and I don’t think it gets better than this. Andor and Skeleton Crew are exactly what we should want to see from this franchise, and I hate the idea of the latter being paid pittance. Skeleton Crew signals that Star Wars' future is bright but the lack of fanfare surrounding it? Well, that rapidly demolishes that future, replacing it with something very bleak indeed. I’m starting to think that Star Wars fans don’t know good TV if it slaps them in the face. Please all prove me wrong.