It’s no secret that Lucasfilm loves the New Republic. From The Mandalorian to Ahsoka, the bulk of Star Wars’ modern shows all take place in the same era, and for good reason. Apart from untouched periods like the Old Republic and the Dawn of the Jedi, the New Republic is an era packed with mysteries to investigate. That’s largely because it’s sandwiched between the end of the original Star Wars trilogy and the Rise of the First Order. Fans want to know how the heroes of the Rebellion allowed fascism to suddenly rise again, and projects set in the New Republic have been working to fill in the gaps.
That said, not every Star Wars show is indebted to future events, and at first glance, the latest project in the Lucasfilm stable, Skeleton Crew, seems self-contained. The series follows a group of kids who find themselves lost in a dangerous part of the galaxy and must rely on an enigmatic Force-user (Jude Law) to get back home. On paper, it shouldn’t truly matter where in Star Wars history it takes place. Upon closer inspection, though, its role in the franchise could be much more intriguing than anyone expected.
When does Skeleton Crew take place?
Like The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and The Book of Boba Fett, Skeleton Crew is set shortly after the fall of the Empire. While the heroes of the Rebellion work to reinstate law and order in the Core, and pirates and bounty hunters run amok in the Outer Rim, Skeleton Crew follows the citizens of a nondescript planet called At Attin who are just trying to do their part. They’re contributing to something called the “Great Work,” an effort likely designed to help rebuild the Republic. But there’s also a fair amount of mystery surrounding the planet and what its residents really do, especially once our young heroes venture outside of the Barrier that protects them... and keeps them hidden from the rest of the galaxy.
Skeleton Crew takes a page from classic pirate tales like Treasure Island in crafting the legend of At Attin. In the show’s two-episode premiere, the planet is presented as a place that only exists in stories, an oasis hosting untold treasures. Given that Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers) carries around gold credits for lunch money, and most of the adults on At Attin seem to have vague jobs in finance, there may be some truth to that legend. That those credits happen to be relics of the Republic — the democracy that existed in the prequels — only further confirms that theory. At Attin could very well be a storeroom of sorts for that era’s lost treasures, and by that logic, Skeleton Crew is as indebted to the past as the future.
Though there aren’t many mysteries left over from the prequels, At Attin’s existence does raise some questions. If it’s truly hoarding all the Republic’s wealth, just how many credits does it have? What were they used for before At Attin joined the “Great Work”? Was all this money meant to get the Republic through the Clone Wars, or could it be a part of some other missing fortune? Whatever the truth is, Skeleton Crew just introduced a tantalizing mystery, and it’s made a dormant chapter of Star Wars history interesting again.
