Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew episodes 1 & 2.Star Wars: Skeleton Crewis the latest live-actionStar WarsTV show on Disney+, and it has a surprising amount in common withStar Trek: Prodigy, a series from its biggest sci-fi rival. It’s no secret that audience reception to the variousStar Warsprojects over the past few years has been mixed, ranging from the near-universal praise of shows likeAndorto the general disappointment of spinoffs likeThe Book of Boba Fett. This naturally made some viewers skeptical ofSkeleton Crew, whose quality could go either way based on the outcome of previousStar Warsshows.
Thankfully,Skeleton Crewis off to a promising startwith its two-part series premiere, takingStar Warsback to its lighthearted roots while adding a fresh perspective on the galaxy far, far away. The new cast of young heroes are fun and relatable, the mystery surrounding their hidden planet is intriguing, the urgency to find their way home is clear, and the focus on the pirate underworld expands theStar Warsuniverse. While waiting for new episodes to be released, viewers may enjoy these same qualities in the two available seasons ofStar Trek: Prodigyon Netflix.
Star Trek: Prodigy Strikes So Many Of The Same Notes As Skeleton Crew
The basic premise is strikingly similar
The most notable comparison betweenSkeleton CrewandProdigyis the main storyline and how it benefits each show.Skeleton Crewbegins on the world of At Attin, which has been hidden from the wider galaxy for generations and is now considered a myth by outsiders. The main character, Wim, dreams of adventure and convinces his friends to explore an ancient ruin, convinced that it’s an ancient Jedi Temple. However, it turns out to be a starship that takes off and blasts into hyperspace,stranding the heroes in unknown territory and forcing them to find their way back home.
This is nearly identical to the starting point ofProdigy, wherea group of kids on a mining colony find a buried Federation ship and set off to find and join Starfleet.It makes for an incredibly fun adventure that puts a new twist on theStar Trekformula, showing Starfleet from the perspective of outsiders to make the universe feel new again. Watching the young and inexperienced characters thrust into danger that challenges them to grow quickly makes for incredibly satisfying development, and the remaining six episodes ofSkeleton Creware likely to do the same.
Prodigy May Be Similar, But It’s Really Not Just More Of The Same
It feels fresh within the Star Trek franchise as well
Even though the premise ofProdigyis incredibly similaron paper, it has plenty to differentiate itself fromSkeleton Crewandthe previousStar TrekTV shows.Prodigyis the first 3D-animatedStar Trekseries, and as the show progresses, the animation improves exponentially and sports some of the most gorgeous visuals in the entire franchise. This animated format also means the creative team had no limits to what stories they could tell, allowing the narrative to become surprisingly complicated and engaging, especially in the second season.
All 28 Star Wars Easter Eggs & References In Skeleton Crew Episodes 1 & 2
Skeleton Crew has premiered on Disney+ with its first two episodes, featuring some very exciting and fun Easter eggs and Star Wars references.
So, whileProdigysucceeds by shaking up the expectedStar Trekformula, both it andSkeleton Crewhonor their respective franchises by remembering what made them special at the beginning. The originalStar Warsmovie was about a farm boy who dreamed of adventure and took his first step into a larger world, whileStar Trekhas always been about exploring strange new worlds.Star Wars: Skeleton CrewandStar Trek: Prodigyembody these ideals perfectly by telling their stories through the eyes of young characters leaving home for the first time, allowing viewers to enjoy both shows.
All episodes of Star Trek: Prodigy are available to stream on Netflix.
The first two episodes of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew are now streaming on Disney+.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
Cast
Skeleton Crew follows four ordinary children who become lost in the expansive Star Wars galaxy. As they navigate unfamiliar worlds and the challenges they present, the group endeavors to find their way back to their home planet, undertaking a journey across the iconic Star Wars universe.
Star Trek: Prodigy
Star Trek: Prodigy is the first TV series in the Star Trek franchise marketed toward children, and one of the few animated series in the franchise. The story follows a group of young aliens who find a stolen Starfleet ship and use it to escape from the Tars Lamora prison colony where they are all held captive. Working together with the help of a holographic Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), the new crew of the USS Protostar must find their way back to the Alpha Quadrant to warn the Federation of the deadly threat that is pursuing them.
