Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew episodes 1 & 2.Star Trek: Prodigy, a series from its biggest sci-fi rival. It's no secret that audience reception to the various Star Wars projects over the past few years has been mixed, ranging from the near-universal praise of shows like Andor to the general disappointment of spinoffs like The Book of Boba Fett. This naturally made some viewers skeptical of Skeleton Crew, whose quality could go either way based on the outcome of previous Star Wars shows.

Thankfully, Skeleton Crew is off to a promising start with its two-part series premiere, taking Star Wars back 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 the Star Wars universe. While waiting for new episodes to be released, viewers may enjoy these same qualities in the two available seasons of Star Trek: Prodigy on Netflix.

Star Trek: Prodigy Strikes So Many Of The Same Notes As Skeleton Crew

The basic premise is strikingly similar

The most notable comparison between Skeleton Crew and Prodigy is the main storyline and how it benefits each show. Skeleton Crew begins 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 of Prodigy, where a group of kids on a mining colony find a buried Federation ship and set off to find and Starfleet. It makes for an incredibly fun adventure that puts a new twist on the Star Trek formula, 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 of Skeleton Crew are 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 of Prodigy is incredibly similar on paper, it has plenty to differentiate itself from Skeleton Crew and the previous Star Trek TV shows. Prodigy is the first 3D-animated Star Trek series, 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.

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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.

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So, while Prodigy succeeds by shaking up the expected Star Trek formula, both it and Skeleton Crew honor their respective franchises by ing what made them special at the beginning. The original Star Wars movie was about a farm boy who dreamed of adventure and took his first step into a larger world, while Star Trek has always been about exploring strange new worlds. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew and Star Trek: Prodigy embody 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+.

Skeleton Crew Release Date Schedule

Episode

Director

Release Date

Episode 1

Jon Watts

December 2

Episode 2

David Lowery

December 2

Episode 3

David Lowery

December 10

Episode 4

The Daniels

December 17

Episode 5

Jake Schreier

December 24

Episode 6

Bryce Dallas Howard

December 31

Episode 7

Lee Isaac Chung

January 7

Episode 8

Jon Watts

January 14

  • 03185899_poster_w780.jpg

    Your Rating

    Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
    Release Date
    2024 - 2025-00-00
    Network
    Disney+
    Showrunner
    Jon Watts, Christopher Ford
    • Headshot Of Jude Law
      Jod Na Nawood
    • Headshot Of Ravi Cabot-Conyers
      Ravi Cabot-Conyers
      Wim

    WHERE TO WATCH

    Streaming

    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 TV series poster

    Your Rating

    Star Trek: Prodigy
    Release Date
    2021 - 2024-00-00
    Network
    Paramount
    Showrunner
    Dan Hageman
    • Cast Placeholder Image
      Rylee Alazraqui
    • Headshot Of Brett Gray
      Brett Gray

    WHERE TO WATCH

    Streaming

    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.