Neel is essential to ‘Skeleton Crew,’ and I would do anything for him

If you’ve been following along each week to catch Skeleton Crew, Disney+’s most recent venture into the Star Wars realm, you’ve probably noticed the charming factor courtesy of its youthful cast. The series revolves around four kids who find themselves journeying through space after unintentionally setting off from their home planet on a deserted starship. Already hailed as one of the top family-oriented shows of 2024 (by some, at least), it delivers a heartfelt and engaging blend of thrilling escapades and relatively low-stakes drama for all viewers.

Since the narrative leans heavily on its quartet of young protagonists — KB (Kyriana Kratter), Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), and Neel (Robert Timothy Smith) — the audience has swiftly grown attached to this group of youngsters. While any good parent might claim not to play favorites (even though they probably do), the show’s creators, Jon Watts and Christopher Ford, likely abide by a similar notion. Yet, in my humble opinion as neither a mother nor a Skeleton Crew originator, Neel steals the spotlight.

In the world of Skeleton Crew, three out of the four young space travelers outwardly appear human. KB stands out with her visor-like shades that lend her a slightly robotic appearance, though she remains a member of the human race. On the other hand, Neel, sporting a peculiar semblance akin to a blend of an aardvark and an elephant, unequivocally defies human classification.

For so many reasons, this choice immediately captured my attention and made me hone in on all of the character choices made for Neel. While some of his fellow travelers and shipmates are headstrong, bullish, and confident, Neel is more reserved and unsure. I could psycho-analyze this to the moon and back (or should I say to the stars and back?), but I think that Neel is the character who makes the greatest impact on the show.

One could argue that Jod Na Nawood (Jude Law) is the invisible hand who is helping to orchestrate the group’s decisions and get them out of sticky situations, but I think Neel is proving what so many TV shows and movies have tried to say before: Kindness matters. In a way, he reminds me of Neville Longbottom from Harry Potter: gentle, soft-spoken, a moral compass that points due north, etc. Neel, like Neville, is a good friend and one who doesn’t pretend to be the bravest of the bunch. When he’s worried or scared, you know it.

Oddly, I think that is what made me fall in love with his character in the first place. As the outsider of the bunch, the non-human, that is, he could be the one who has the hardest exterior. He feels like so many kids I have known who still have enough innocence to not have a guard up, even when the world tells them they should. It hits me so hard because I have lived it. He’s still young, sweet, and carefree enough becuase no one has made him feel different.

In maintaining his own innocence, he’s also able to keep the group afloat, emotionally. Maybe it’s because KB, Wim, and Fern are more pessimistic or pragmatic, but Neel is always able to lift his friends up by believing that they will figure it out. It’s not ignorance, per se, but maybe a sense of optimism that is fueled by a belief in yourself and those around you. There is power in those who keep pushing, hoping, and dreaming for a better tomorrow. Not to zoom out too much but I believe those are the ones who change the world.

And while he doesn’t pretend to be brave in the face of some really scary things — these are kids, remember — Neel proves himself as a vital (perhaps the most vital) member of the team by taking his time to wrap his mind around an issue and work it out. There is similarly power in the ability to step back, look at an issue from all angles, and help solve it not by brute force, but by willpower and mindpower. That is where Neel thrives and helps the others survives.

It is because of his kindness, ingenuity, and spirit that I think Neel is the uncrowned MVP of Skeleton Crew, thus far. Who knows, maybe he completely blows it in the last few episodes but I feel pretty strongly that I’m betting on the right horse to lead his friends back to their home planet of At Attin. Why? Becuase I always bet on the Neville Longbottoms of the world. They rarely let me down.

One more thing… I’m willing to say it: he’s just a cutie patootie. Clearly inspired by the look and anatomy of elephants — one of nature’s most objectively adorable animals — Neel’s species has yet to be defined within the universe. Despite not knowing what to call him, I cannot help but fall in love with him a little bit more each episode. He also reminds me of Tantor from Tarzan, who is behind the viral TikTok sound about water being sanitary. Not just because he looks like an elephant, obviously, but because of his innocence and childlike bewilderment from moment to moment. It’s cute, what can I say?

The first five episodes of Skeleton Crew are currently streaming on Disney+. New episodes release Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST.