Lost in Space

TV Series Review

The Robinsons are indeed lost. Lost in space. But it could be worse.

Consider Earth, the planet they left behind. It’s dying, see, the victim of a doomsday meteor. The Robinsons—brilliant engineer and mother, Maureen; gruff father and former U.S. Marine, John; and their three kids, Judy, Penny and Will—were one of a very, very few families selected to board the spacecraft Resolute and travel to new human colonies near Alpha Centauri.

Then, when an alien ship attacked the Resolute, the Robinsons were lucky enough to board their own space pod (the Jupiter 2) before getting zapped (as so many of their fellow passengers did).

And then, even though the Jupiter 2 was sucked into a mysterious wormhole and whisked to galactic parts unknown, it still managed to settle down on a chilly-but-habitable planet—a world that, when combined with the scant resources the Robinsons are able to scavenge from their wrecked craft, gives them the ability to live there indefinitely. “The odds of that happening are … it’s like winning the lottery,” Maureen says.

“Not dying in a car accident is like winning the lottery,” John says. “Until you remember you were in a car accident.”

Star Wreck

Ah, even in space, you can still find glass-half-empty sorts. But maybe John has a point. As the Robinsons quickly discover, they’re not alone in their new planetary digs. A few other Resolute castaways have also found their way to aliena-firma, including the mysterious and duplicitous “Dr. Smith,” or “June Harris,” as she was known before she swiped an injured doctor’s coat. Handsome Don West survived the landing, too. A few other survivors and/or residents and/or extraterrestrial visitors are calling the planet home now as well—or, at least, using it as a temporary refuge.

Then, of course, there’s the Robot—a fearsome-looking thing bristling with claws and laser rays and, oddly, a rather winsome manner. Young Will Robinson is the Robot’s bestest friend in this whole wide world … which may or may not mitigate the fact that this cantankerous concoction of chromium hails from the same alien race that took lethal exception to the Resolute’s travels through its interstellar territory.

Yes, things could be worse for the Robinsons. ‘Course, things could get worse in short order, too.

Danger, Will Robinson?

Netflix never met a beloved entertainment property that it didn’t like. And so it is again with Lost in Space. The original version landed just a touch before Star Trek and ran just about as long, from 1965-68. It eventually died not so much because of ratings, but money. Space travel is expensive, it seems—even when you’re just making it look like space.

But these are different days. The only problem Netflix seems to have with money is that it can’t spend it fast enough. So why not resurrect a semi-beloved television property that’s more than 50 years old?

Why not indeed. Turns out, Netflix might have something here.

The first season, comprised of 10 episodes (all which were released on April 13) has been fairly well received by both critics and fans (though it’s hard to know how many fans the show has, given that Netflix doesn’t release that sort of information). It adds depth and drama and even a little bit of grit to the original, giving us a family dealing with its own internal conflicts even as these characters tackle the perils that threaten them from the outside. It boasts strong acting, good writing and special effects that are … well, let’s just say that computer animation has come a long way since 1965.

But here’s the other thing: Lost in Space attempts to be a family show, something as rare in our world as habitable planets are outside of it. While the tone and structure of the program firmly feel apiece with the 21st century, its heart and soul harken back to a more innocent time, when parents and kids might gather ’round the family TV to watch something (gasp!) together.

That family vibe extends to the show itself. We learn quite quickly that Maureen and John’s marriage was seriously troubled before they went into space. John’s relationships with their kids, especially stepdaughter Judy, can be strained and difficult. But as they explore this brave new world of theirs, they see anew how special—how precious—each of them is, and how much they love each other in spite of their faults.

Lost in Space isn’t quite as squeaky clean as its forebear, of course. Violence and peril are common in this cosmos, and we hear a bit of bad language during times of stress. Dr. Smith is about as far from a good role model as cosmic castaways can get. There’s even a bit of love in the alien air. But the show doesn’t dwell on blood or gore, linger on intimate scenes or even wallow in crude behavior.

Instead, Lost in Space seems to be an aspirational show, where the majority of folks are trying to do the best they can the best way they know how. And in this era of antiheroes and gratuitously salacious entertainment, that’s worth blasting off for.