So Wizard

  Episodes 5 and 6 of Skeleton Crew turned what is, essentially, a pretty good, cute show, into a potentially exceptional one. It's been charming holiday entertainment but there's a compelling turn at the end of You Have A Lot To Learn About Pirates that made me clench my jaw more than any of the light peril in previous episodes. It's one of those great situations where I saw said moment coming from episode 2 but it's executed so well that it can't be handwaved away with claims of "predictability."

  And episode 6, Zero Friends Again, is a simple transitional episode but it's full of strong character moments to ferry us into the climax. Even an episode that other shows would neglect as 'filler' is treated with care. Initially, I'd only started watching this to stave off the wait for Andor season 2 but now I'm a bonafide fan.

  I was hooked by the idea of "The Goonies meets Star Wars" because it's refreshing to see live-action Star Wars that isn't ashamed to appeal to kids. It maintains lots of whimsy with tangible danger and moments of affecting disempowerment. Not to mention it actually looks good, unlike the synthetic post-photography of Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, and The Book Of Boba-Fett. 

  With Phil Tippett Studios, Skeleton Crew prioritizes the tangible: puppets, animatronics, make-up, stop-motion and other practical effects. In doing so they give themselves freedom to light their sets, their actors, and puppeteers how they want instead of relying on green screens and other incorporeal aspects that eschew aesthetic integrity.

   With 2 episodes left I'm a bit worried that it'll drop the ball but that's not because of anything specific in Crew, I've just been burned before (Mandalorian, Acolyte). Incidentally, Acolyte's 5th episode, Night, was its strongest but the season on the whole wasn't as consistent as Crew's has been. And while Crew isn't on the level of Andor (nothing is, except maybe Empire) it's still one of the stronger efforts in Star Wars' Disney era.