Summary
Star Wars: Skeleton Crewepisodes 1-2 ratings set a new franchise record. Unfortunately, it’s likely not the record Lucasfilm and Disney hoped for, and it may squash chances forStar Wars: Skeleton Crewseason 2.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crewreviews were largely positive when the series premiered and those favorable sentiments only grew as the series progressed. While some people have criticizedStar Wars: Skeleton Crewfor essentially beingThe Gooniesin space, most have praised the series for bringing the franchise back to its roots by telling a simple yet fun adventure story. The young lead characters (Ravi Cabot-Conyers' Wim, Ryan Kiera Armstrong’s Fern, Kyriana Kratter’s KB, and Robert Timothy Smith’s Neel) have also endeared themselves to most fans, and Jude Law’s mysterious Jod Na Nawood has proven to be an interesting and engaging foil for the youngsters. However, the positive response hasn’t yielded the viewership Disney likely wanted.
What are Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’s premiere ratings?
According toNielsen’s December 2-8 streaming data,Star Wars: Skeleton Crewpremiered with the lowest viewership of anyStar Warsseries in its first week.The two-episode premiere scored less than 382 million minutes watched. This is roughly 20% lower than the ratings forStar Wars: The Acolyte’s premiere week, the previous record holder for the lowest viewership of anyStar Warsseries debut.Star Wars Skeletonalso became the first series in the franchise to fail to debut in Disney+’s Top 10 Originals.
Why hasStar Wars: Skeleton Crewstruggled to gain viewers despite being well-received?
Fans place most of the blame squarely onThe Acolyte, which has its supporters but was largely panned. Some bad-faith actors werereview-bombingStar Wars: The Acolyteand unfairly criticizing the series for foolish reasons such as Ki-Adi-Mundi’s cameo or having the audacity to feature several characters who weren’t white males. However, others felt it didn’t quite work out for legitimate reasons. Regardless of why, many didn’t likeStar Wars: The Acolyte, which was reflected in the show’s declining viewership over its run. Some fans believe viewers are still sour toward the franchise afterThe Acolyteand have opted to skipStar Wars: Skeleton Crew.
It could be argued thatStar Wars: Skeleton Crewdidn’t entice audiences because it lacked familiar and popular characters from the franchise.Obi-Wan Kenobi,Ahsoka, andAndorbenefited from having popular characters from pastStar Warsprojects, andThe Mandaloriancreated a new fan-favorite in Grogu who could reliably draw in viewers. While some fans want theStar Warsfranchise to move away from nostalgia and the Skywalker saga, ratings suggest most viewers aren’t willing to tune in unless they see some recognizable faces. That’s reportedly why Lucasfilm is keen on bringingDaisy Ridley’s Rey back for multipleStar Warsprojects.
Of course,Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’s ratings for episodes 3-8 could improve thanks to good word-of-mouth. While there is reportedly a plan to bring back someSkeleton Crewcharacters in Dave Fiolni’s upcomingStar Warsmovie, a second season for the show is likely off the table if viewership doesn’t increase. Consequently, Disney and Lucasfilm may take this as proof that new characters and original stories don’t work and that nostalgia is the way to move theStar Warsfranchise forward.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crewreleases a new episode on Tuesdays on Disney Plus.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
Skeleton Crew follows four ordinary children 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.
