Episode 5 is back on track.
And this one's laced with some adult themes. One theme in particular seems to dominate...
Fern: "What's a concubine?"
Jod: "That's enough story time for now."
When Jod startles Wim, and Wim hurriedly puts his data pad face down on the deck, Jod asks what he's doing.
"Nothing."
Jod immediately assumes he was looking at porn.
Then they arrive at the pleasure planet, Lanupa: "Our facilities are intended for adult guests only. Children are not permitted." "Luxury served by indulging each guest's unique proclivities."
The route to Captain Tak Rennod's lair goes back to Star Wars' cliffhanger origins with the series of Indiana Jones style traps, and takes a darker turn when Jod's actions really do show that he's no Jedi. "Refill that chamber with acid."
Then holding a knife to Fern's neck until she yields captaincy of the Onyx Cinder.
The latter is another good example that the kids in this series are written
as kids, rather than being preciously smart or courageous.
There are some silly moments played for laughs, and some simplifications such as the data port being in plain sight as an object that stands out.
It's a fun series, but you constantly have to accept that so much is clearly and directly based on real world pirates. I only noticed in this episode that the room at the back of the Onyx Cinder's cockpit is modelled on a captain's cabin at the stern of a sailing ship:
