In Skeleton Crew, a group of young adventurers from the "treasure planet" At Attin join up with the mysterious scoundrel Jod Na Nawood, who turns out to be the pirate Captain Silvo. Skeleton Crew, a pirate tale set in outer space, draws heavily from Treasure Planet, Disney's science fiction adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Treasure Island – and taken together, Jod's two names are a clue to the role he plays in this story. Jod/Silvo is analogous to John Silver, a greedy and duplicitous pirate who nonetheless forms a bond with the young adventurer Jim Hawkins.
In Treasure Island and Treasure Planet, Jim Hawkins is grieving the loss of his father, and John Silver becomes a father figure to him while hiding his true identity as a pirate. In Skeleton Crew, Wim – whose name's similarity to "Jim" is probably not coincidental – is grieving the loss of his mother and has a strained relationship with his father, and Jod becomes a father figure to him while hiding his true identity as a pirate. Just as John and Jim work together to find the hidden treasure hoard of the legendary pirate Captain Flint, Jod and Wim work together to find the hidden treasure hoard of the legendary pirate Tak Rennod. In both cases, teamwork gives way to treachery when the would-be father figure is revealed to be a greedy pirate.
Even after they find themselves in conflict, though, the boys and their pirate mentors continue to care for each other. In Treasure Planet, Silver ultimately sacrifices a boatload of treasure to save Jim's life, choosing his love for his surrogate son over his greed. Silvo does not have such a pronounced change of heart, but he does refrain from taking Wim's life, throwing away his weapon when his plans are foiled – and despite Wim's disillusionment with Silvo, he calls out to Jod one last time before they are parted.
EXPLORE FURTHER…
Characters: Jod Na Nawood / Wim
Shows: Skeleton Crew
GO DEEPER INTO THE ARCHIVES…
Concepts: children / fathers / greed / names / pirates / treachery / treasure
Influences: Disney Animation / Treasure Island
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