After Season 2 of Jurassic World: Chaos Theory explored how Brooklynn survived a dinosaur attack and was living as an amputee, Season 3 allows Brooklynn to explore using – and not using – a prosthesis.
The show handles Brooklynn’s disability brilliantly. She doesn’t need help, and she doesn’t need sympathy. She is completely capable of achieving her mission with or without the prosthetic arm. While it takes Brooklynn some time to get used to her prosthesis, she ultimately learns it is not required for her to be her full self, nor does it hinder her mission to take down Santos, the villain of the story.
“Getting a prosthesis is a personal decision that Brooklynn doesn’t get the chance to make when it’s given to her this season,” Kiersten Kelly (voice of Brooklyn) shared with Disability Belongs™. “Not knowing anything about prostheses, she’s pushed to adapt quickly and discovering ways the device can be useful to her and the different comments people give when wearing a prosthesis all while not knowing if she wants it. We see Brooklynn dealing with a lot of complex feelings, with the most important one being that she didn’t get to decide if it was right for her.”
The authentic depiction of Brooklynn throughout the series is largely due to hiring people who have lived experience, including Peter Lee, an amputee who first worked as a consultant and then transitioned to a permanent seat in the writers’ room. According to Think Tank for Inclusion and Equity, just two percent of TV writers identify as disabled. Lee, who is an alumnus of the Disability Belongs™ Entertainment Lab, is helping to change these statistics. After Lee completed his work on Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, Disability Belongs™ connected Lee to another position as a staff writer for a different children’s animated show, where he is currently working.
In addition to Lee, Kelly not only voices Brooklynn but shares her disability as well. This kind of authenticity-focused decision making creates a story that accurately portrays someone with this disability and the story is all the richer for it.
“There are moments in the season that mirror personal videos and experiences that I shared with the production team of when I was learning to use my first prosthesis,” Kelly said. “Having that piece of me in the animation makes this season a little extra special for me.”
Something that really stood out is how Brooklynn responds to criticism relating to her disability. For example, Santos shares the cruel and untrue words: “You think a fake arm and childish friendships will make you whole? But the truth is you’ll always be a broken, pathetic little girl.” Brooklynn responds with an honest and powerful statement: “You’re wrong, I don’t need this to make me whole {removes prosthesis} and I certainly don’t need you. I don’t even need them {motions to her friends} but I want them in my life.” Santos lunges forward, but one swift swing of the prosthesis from Brooklynn knocks Santos down. Brooklynn drops her prosthesis on the ground next to her, officially done with Santos and the gift given to manipulate her loyalty. Brooklynn finally has an opportunity to assert herself and make a choice for herself.
Throughout the season, Brooklynn’s friends continue to investigate the fate of dinosaurs – including a dinosaur that has been with the group since the first animated series (Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous) – while navigating mixed feelings about Brooklynn. Her friends cannot trust if she is working with the enemy for real or if she is trying to dismantle the operation from the inside. As Brooklynn learns more about the private selling of the dinosaurs and the new methods implicated to control and weaponize them, the rest of the Nublar Six question if Brooklynn is still part of their chosen family.
“In Season 3 of Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, the morally gray area that Brooklynn was teetering has fully shifted into darkness – she’ll be forced to confront the choices she’s been making and decide who she wants to be,” Kelly said.
Jurassic World: Chaos Theory is a nuanced narrative that has been artfully crafted with authenticity in mind. The result is a compelling show that is fun and endearing for an audience of all ages.
Seasons One through Three of DreamWorks Animation, Universal Pictures, and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World: Chaos Theory are available on Netflix.
