And before Star Wars: The Skeleton Crew hit Disney+ people were obsessed with Neel. How could they not? The adorable baby green alien gave off matching, sweet “aw-shucks” vibes that just made you want to hug him. And, as we’ve now seen in the first two episodes, Neel lives up to that. But one thing those early looks and trailers failed to portray is Neel’s best feature: his hair.
Watching The Skeleton CrewNeel’s hair was one of the first things that struck me. We are used to seeing foreigners Star Wars. We’re also used to seeing hairy aliens (Chewbacca, anyone?) and green aliens with beards (Max Rebo, anyone?). But seeing this little guy—of a yet-to-be-revealed species—walking with what looks like a finely tuned human part/combination is a perfect decision on every level.
First of all, it’s great. Second of all, it really helps to explain his situation. Basically, decades of pop culture have made us believe that this hairstyle is the odd “nerd”. Put on any of the 1980s youth comics and once you get into the most outdated comics you’re sure to find someone with this haircut, maybe with a pocket protector and glasses, getting married. See also Pee-wee Herman or Martin Short’s famous character Ed Grimley. The combing/side part is “I have hair. I want to look sharp. I think I look sharp, but maybe I don’t have much style.”
Which is totally Neel! He is a sweet, loving boy who just wants to be at home, in the bath, with his brothers and family. And even though he’s not a genius, coding him as that makes him seem more vulnerable and valuable. Although all the members of the group are almost the same age, Neel somehow feels like the child of the group. Therefore The Skeleton Crew moving forward, we must protect Neel at all costs. But maybe don’t give him a helmet because then we couldn’t see those beautiful locks, well combed.
Maybe if/when the team returns to Attin and Neel reunites with his family, we can get a scene of him fixing that hair in the morning. Because you just know that he takes good care of it and makes sure it is ready before going to school or on a trip with his friend Wim.
Star Wars: The Skeleton Crew now on Disney+. It returns every Tuesday night at 9 pm EST with new episodes.
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