Katie Thompson

Welcome to my new series, Access the Magic where we’ll cover topics surrounding accessibility and disability representation in media!

Star Wars has become a beacon of hope for many people, and especially for those who have ever felt different or othered. The overall arc of the franchise depicts a timeless battle between good and evil, light and darkness, and the science-fiction platform provides unique opportunities for impactful conversations on inclusion. Episode 6 of the new series Skeleton Crew titled Zero Friends Again is an excellent example of the franchise’s approach to disability representation, and may also serve as one of the more compelling explorations of disability themes by Lucasfilm so far.

In the episode character KB is featured as the young first mate who must survive very personal challenges both emotionally and physically. She appears to have undisclosed disabilities resulting from a prior accident. Her physical appearance is human with technological modifications implanted into her head. She regularly wears an electric visor apparatus and utilizes it to aid her in everyday activities.

With friends Wim, Neel and KB’s best friend and captain of the young crew, Fern, the foursome are cast out into the snowy wilderness at the base of Skull Ridge Mountain, and must find a way to get back to their starship the Onyx Cinder at the top of the ridge. Their options are to climb back up a cliff or to find another way. The tension begins when KB wants to go against Fern’s suggestion of climbing. KB and Wim decide to follow the path of the local trash crabs they’ve discovered while Neel and Fern decide to climb the cliff.

When the two pairs are separated conversations and experiences occur between them that force the characters to address the friction between KB and Fern. While walking along KB suffers a near total system shutdown from her implants failure, requiring Wim to scavenge, prepare, and install droid parts into KB’s head to help restore her body’s ability to function. 

Wim asks KB why she didn’t just tell Fern about her inability to climb due to the possibility of the shutdown, and KB expressed that she was afraid Fern wasn’t patient enough to understand her different needs.

“Then I’ll have zero friends again,” explains KB.

“That’s so dumb. Anyways, you could just be friends with me and Neel,” Wim responds with the ease of acceptance that a true childhood friend can provide another, and the positive impact shows in KB’s expression.

From the disabled perspective the poignancy in the vulnerability of this moment is remarkably expressed. At any stage in our lives and especially as young people with disabilities, the boundaries and inaccessibility of life can lead to more than just momentary frustrations. It can have tremendous impact on our physical, social and emotional well-beings. Living in an ableist society causes a general lack of understanding when it comes to disability issues, and this exchange showed just how deeply these factors can affect people with disabilities and their interpersonal relationships.

This portrayal of the quintessential experience of the fear of exclusion from the perspective of a disabled person was done in a very skillful and pedagogic manner without being patronizing. It shows just how easy it is to lend others a bit of empathy even in moments that you can’t specifically relate to, or even understand. Wim did not understand why or how he had to help KB, but he did know how to be a good friend.

Also, the resiliency of disability and youth are highlighted by KB and Wim’s nonchalant response to the near-death experience they both just endured. This is another approach many people with disabilities or health issues decide to take when addressing potentially difficult situations. You always have to find a way to move on as life forces us to, and dry humor can often serve as a familiar comfort while doing so.

“You probably thought it’d be more exciting to save someone’s life,” jokes KB with a smile. The pair then continue on their journey as KB adapts to the dynamics of her disabilities alongside  Wim who accepts her for who she is.

Elsewhere on the cliff’s edge of Skull Ridge Mountain, Neel and Fern come to heads when Fern expresses frustration with Neel’s frequent stopping on their climb.

“I’m sorry! Not everyone can do everything the same way you can!” Neel exclaims, explaining that his body is much shorter than Fern’s and it takes him longer to climb the ladder. In that moment it seems to register with Fern how her hard-driven leadership approach was impacting her friends.

By the end of the episode the group reunites with a newfound understanding and appreciation of each other. Their bonds are strengthened and this growth shows through their teamwork and communication during the episode’s final harrowing escape from trash compacting robots.

Episode director Bryce Dallas Howard has an exquisite ability to combine heartstopping action with examination of deeper interpersonal themes, and her direction of this episode set a new standard for her work by literally blowing the hull off of the Onyx Cinder. Myung Joh Wesner’s writing for the episode was powerful and relatable. There was character development shown through the spoken and unspoken exchanges of the tender yet courageous child characters, and expertly highlighted the complexity of friendship and disability from a respectful, non-ableist perspective.

Overall this episode has the ability to positively influence not only the lives of disabled viewers and particularly children, but anyone who has ever felt othered, different, or misunderstood for reasons beyond their own control. Star Wars continues to be a leader in providing inclusive disability representation in media, and episode six of Skeleton Crew expands those efforts by contributing to important conversations surrounding disability and accessibility using an approach that can help viewers of all ages gain more empathy and comprehension of disability issues.