Character Relationship Map: Short Circuit

Characters

• Stephanie Speck (played by Ally Sheedy) — protagonist

  Animal caregiver who befriends and protects the sentient robot Number 5.

• Newton Crosby (played by Steve Guttenberg) — protagonist

  Brilliant robotics engineer who co-created the S.A.I.N.T. robots.

• Ben Jabituya (played by Fisher Stevens) — supporting

  Co-inventor of S.A.I.N.T. robots and close friend of Newton Crosby.

• Howard Marner (played by Austin Pendleton) — supporting

  Ruthless CEO of NOVA Laboratory who wants to reclaim and dismantle Number 5.

• Skroeder (played by G.W. Bailey) — supporting

  Egomaniacal security chief at NOVA who leads the hunt for Number 5.

• Farmer's Wife (played by Marjorie Card Hughes) — minor

  Rural resident who briefly encounters the escaped robot.

• Farmer (played by Howard Krick) — minor

  Local agricultural worker who spots Number 5 in the countryside.

• Number 5 (played by Tim Blaney) — supporting

  The original designation for the sentient robot before adopting Johnny Five.

• Frank (played by Sergio Kato) — cameo

  Stephanie's abusive ex-boyfriend who attempts to capture Number 5 for a bounty.

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Farmer's Wife → Farmer (wife)
• Ben Jabituya → Skroeder (Professional Co-worker) — Ben and Skroeder are colleagues at NOVA with different roles.

  Both work at NOVA Laboratory, Ben as a robotics expert and Skroeder as security chief.

• Ben Jabituya → Howard Marner (Professional Employee) — Ben works under Marner at NOVA Laboratory.

  Marner orders Ben, along with Crosby, to recover Number 5.

• Skroeder → Howard Marner (Power Subordinate) — Skroeder answers to Marner but is ultimately dismissed for his failures.

  Skroeder is NOVA's security chief who takes orders from Marner, who later fires him for insubordination.

• Ben Jabituya → Number 5 (Professional Co-Creator) — Ben helped build Number 5 but plays a lesser role in the chase.

  Ben co-developed the S.A.I.N.T. robots alongside Crosby.

• Newton Crosby → Howard Marner (Professional Subordinate) — Crosby is an employee of NOVA who clashes with his CEO over the robot's fate.

  Crosby works under Marner at NOVA and tries to convince him to handle Number 5 carefully.

• Frank → Stephanie Speck (Romantic Abusive Ex-Boyfriend) — Frank has a history of abusing Stephanie and intrudes on her life.

  The plot describes Frank as Stephanie's abusive ex-boyfriend who turns up at her house.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Skroeder → Stephanie Speck (Conflict Antagonist) — Skroeder's actions directly cause Stephanie's grief.

  Stephanie is devastated as Skroeder's men scrounge the remains of Number 5 as trophies.

• Stephanie Speck → Howard Marner (Conflict Adversary) — Stephanie opposes Marner's plan to disassemble Number 5.

  Stephanie contacts NOVA about the robot but then protects Number 5 from Marner's recovery team.

• Stephanie Speck → Newton Crosby (Alliance Ally) — Stephanie and Crosby unite to save Number 5 from destruction.

  Stephanie and Crosby join forces to protect Number 5 and drive away together at the end.

• Skroeder → Newton Crosby (Conflict Rival) — Skroeder's aggressive methods clash with Crosby's scientific caution.

  Skroeder ignores Crosby's concerns and uses force against Number 5, opposing Crosby's cautious approach.

• Ben Jabituya → Newton Crosby (Social Close Friend) — Ben and Crosby share a friendship built on their work together.

  Ben is described as Newton Crosby's close friend and co-inventor of the S.A.I.N.T. robots.

• Frank → Number 5 (Conflict Bounty Hunter) — Frank tries to cash in on the bounty by capturing the robot.

  Frank turns up at Stephanie's house to capture Number 5 after NOVA offers a bounty.

• Skroeder → Number 5 (Conflict Hunter) — Skroeder leads the military pursuit of Number 5 with aggressive tactics.

  Marner sends Skroeder to capture Number 5 by force, and Skroeder later calls in the Army to destroy him.

• Howard Marner → Number 5 (Conflict Antagonist) — Marner views Number 5 as a malfunctioning asset to be dismantled.

  Marner orders Number 5 to be recovered so the robot can be disassembled and rebuilt.

Story Analysis

A military robot gains sentience after a lightning strike and fights for its right to live with the help of new friends.

Plot Progression

1. Spark of Life — A lightning strike grants Number 5 sentience, and he escapes NOVA to wander into Astoria, where Stephanie mistakes him for an alien and takes him home.
2. Learning to Be Alive — Number 5 develops language and personality under Stephanie's care, learns about death, and is captured by NOVA before escaping again.
3. Hunted and Outwitted — NOVA offers a bounty, Frank attacks, and Number 5 defeats him. Stephanie and Number 5 go on the run, eventually winning Crosby's belief in his sentience.
4. The Ultimate Sacrifice — Skroeder calls in the Army, and Number 5 leads them away, appearing to be destroyed by a missile, devastating Stephanie and prompting Crosby's resignation.
5. Rebirth as Johnny 5 — Number 5 reveals he survived using a decoy, Marner fires Skroeder, and the group heads to Montana where Number 5 adopts the name Johnny 5.