Comedy
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
Disney+’s ‘Skeleton Crew’ has some problems, but overall it’s a return to form, when the galaxy far, far away was relatively safe for the family.
“This is the person I want to grow old with,” Charles told friends and family at his wedding, speaking of his bride.
And they did. They grew old together, and she passed away. Since then, Charles goes through the motions of life, sending news clippings he finds interesting to his daughter, Emily.
But Emily worries that ever since her mom’s passing, Charles is simply wasting away. That’s why she tells him to reinvigorate his life with a new hobby.
That’s how, one classified ad and interview later, Charles becomes a spy for Kovalenko Investigations.
OK, it’s not as serious as it sounds. It all started when a client hired a Kovalenko employee named Julie to discover what happened to his mother’s valuable ruby amulet. She lives at Pacific View Retirement Community, and the client is convinced a staff member stole it from her. And in order to infiltrate and investigate the place, Julie needed a retired man to check into the community, snoop around and provide the evidence required to crack the case.
Well, Charles does snoop. He finds many suspects, and he locates quite a few possible leads.
He also finds a community of people longing for company.
The name Michael Schur might ring a bell.
He’s the executive producer behind sitcom hits such as The Office, Parks & Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Good Place. Each of those shows, while carrying along with them some content issues families need to consider, also include sweeter moments, ones that make you forget for a moment that the show was intended to be comedic in nature.
Michael Schur is also the executive producer of A Man on the Inside, featuring The Good Place star Ted Danson. And much like his previous shows, A Man on the Inside can be described similarly.
There are content issues here to consider, though they’re almost always uttered more than seen. For instance, some crude language is present, including a couple instances of the s-word and some misuses of God’s name. Likewise, we hear references to the sexual escapades and desires of lonely retirees.
But A Man on the Inside is nevertheless sweet in spots, too. Sure, there’s the underlying narrative that a thief prowls the home’s halls. But as Charles connects with the residents, he becomes their friends. And as he becomes their friends, he feels their pains. One new friend is proud of his son for getting a big promotion but laments that it means he won’t be able to visit anymore. Another new acquaintance slowly develops dementia, and Charles makes efforts to help her work through the change.
Becoming a spy isn’t exactly the “hobby” Emily had in mind for her father, but she can’t deny that it’s helped him to re-engage. And, whether he likes it or not, Charles’ time at the retirement community forces him to grieve and emotionally process his wife’s passing, too.
Of course, those moments of sweetness don’t excuse the content issues that show up here. But hey, at least they make A Man on the Inside tamer than an Austin Powers entry.
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at [email protected], or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)
Challenged by his daughter to find a hobby, Charles applies for a job with a company doing investigative work.
Someone describes an older man as a “wrinkly little honeypot.”
People drink wine.
God’s name is used in vain four times. “A–” is used once.
Charles begins investigating the staff and residents at Pacific View Retirement Community.
One resident, Virginia, is enamored with Charles and makes a comment on her flexibility to impress him. Someone describes particular residents as “horny.”
Characters drink wine and liquor, and they eventually get intoxicated. They also smoke weed together. When asked if the food at the retirement community is good, one person responds says it’s all good “if you drink enough.”
God’s name is used in vain four times. “P-ss” is used once. Someone is called a “tramp.”
Charles is forced to come clean when his daughter asks why he’s a resident at the retirement center.
One resident, Elliott, calls Charles his “sexual rival,” a term Charles later uses to describe their relationship. Elliott uses the term since he mistakenly believes Charles is attempting to begin a relationship with his ex-wife. A woman talks about taking off her bra.
Someone smokes a cigar. We hear a reference to a “drunken uncle.”
A character punches Charles in the face.
God’s name is used in vain six times, including one instance immediately followed by “d–n.” Words like “a–,” “b–tard” and the acronym “B.S.” are each used once. “H—” is uttered six times.
Charles, hoping to study his suspects more, begins taking classes at the retirement center.
A medical tech walks in on two residents having sex—we don’t see or hear anything, though her reaction makes it evident what was going on. A woman takes confession over Zoom in the retirement center’s public area, saying that she’s had impure thoughts about an actor and that she’s broken a sex toy. We learn that a resident once ran naked through a courtyard to celebrate her favorite sports team winning a game.
People drink wine.
God’s name paired with “d–n” once. The s-word is used twice. “H—” and “d–n” are both used a few times each.
Charles seeks to draw out the thief using an expensive watch as a lure.
Someone references sex trafficking on the dark web. One character is described as looking like a “sexy bullet.” An employee pulls up his shirt to wipe the sweat off his brow, and two women ogle at him. They ask his coworker to bend over to plug a massage chair into the wall so they can look at his rear. A man and woman kiss.
People drink wine. Someone smokes a cigar.
God’s name is used in vain three times. “A–,” “d–n” and “h—” are all used once or twice each.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
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