Star Wars: Skeleton Crew has drawn fans into its air of mystery since the day it was released. Episodes 1 and 2 introduced us to a society cut off from the rest of the galaxy. Then, the series stranded schoolchildren Fern, KB, Neel, and Wim at Port Borgo, where their lunch money is a small fortune and their planet is a legend. With this week's release of episode 3, "Very Interesting As An Astrogation Problem," one mystery stood out to me even more than the real identity of Jod Na Nawood: What is SM-33's role in all of this?
What is SM-33's role in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew?
Even though he's referred to as "Thirty-three" in episode 3, eagle-eyed fans at GamesRadar have spotted the Easter egg that SM-33 also spells out "Smee," from the story of Peter Pan. Jude Law is known for having played Captain Hook in the recent Disney film, Peter Pan and Wendy, and every Captain Hook needs his loyal boatswain.
The thing is, we don't know whose authority SM-33 recognizes. He first clangs into view in "Way, Way Past the Barrier," demanding to know what he should do with intruders on the ship. SM-33 is an enforcer who defers to someone in a position of authority without ever claiming authority on his own.
What makes this dynamic interesting is that we see a parallel to SM-33 on At Attin at the beginning of the next episode. As the parents await news of their children, a Safety Droid arrives. He recites protocols and consequences and reports directly to the Supervisor. This is a top-of-the-line droid. SM-33, with his one eye and peg leg, is a relic. He also repeats, "Can't say I remember no At Attin," whenever the ship's former home is mentioned. It makes me wonder if SM-33 is an earlier model Safety Droid whose "Captain" is a previous Supervisor.
It is possible that this long-serving droid who safeguards the Onyx Cinder against intruders has been poised to carry out his orders for generations. We learned in episode 3 that Undersecretary Fara has a history of being waylaid by Safety Droids as a child. The residents of At Attin "missed the war," and generations of isolation are responsible for that.
The repeated claim of having no memory of At Attin calls back to Fern's memory override of her domestic droid to parrot her cover story. The androids looking for truants seem less autonomous and are well-adapted to following a basic set of rules instead of understanding nuance.
SM-33 is an older model droid with a sense of relationship, dedicated to the Captain as the Supervisor's messenger is to her master. This may be no coincidence, and we'll have to keep watching to see if that theory plays out.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew continues to release episodes on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST on Disney+.