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Someone please give the Robinsons a break in Lost in Space!

By Koh Wanzi - 1 Jan 2020

Someone please give the Robinsons a break in Lost in Space!

Image Source: Netflix

In space, no one can hear you scream

The Robinsons really can't catch a break in Lost in Space. Season 2 of this family-friendly space adventure series dropped on Netflix on 24 December, and it ups the stakes with even more alien robots, nefarious officials, and the occasional impalement. There's never a dull moment in the 10-episode season – once the Robinsons have resolved one crisis, another one rears its head almost immediately (sometimes quite literally). 

With their Jupiter 2 marooned on an ocean planet and their Robot missing, the Robinsons must find a way to rejoin the other colonists on board the Resolute. This includes turning their Jupiter into a sailboat and putting themselves right in the middle of a lightning storm to harness enough power to get the ship started. They've also got to contend with the sly Dr. Smith (Parker Posey), a master manipulator whose every move reeks of desperate self-preservation.

Much like the first season, Season 2 serves as a stage for the Robinson family to display their ingenuity and resilience, MacGyvering their way out of seemingly impossible situations. They've got help this time in the form of Don West (Ignacio Serricchio) and some other intrepid members of the Resolute – clearly, everyone who made the cut for the colony ship is hyper-intelligent and exceedingly resourceful.

It's a joy to watch though. Lost in Space may be thoroughly infused with peril, but it has none of the grimness or gritty realism that infuses Alien or The Expanse. This is meant to be fun, and we always know that our heroes will make it out the other side. The situation may be hopeless, but it just means that the solution – and there is almost always one – will be even more daring and exciting to witness. 

Lost in Space is a light-hearted adventure for the whole family. Need a diversion? How about driving an armoured jeep through the narrow hallways of the mothership? And whenever the action gets too frenetic, the show smartly inserts moments of humour and heartfelt exchanges between the characters to slow the pace. Lost in Space is the epitome of a feel-good show – its protagonists are genuinely good people who try their best to do the right thing, a trait especially apparent in the three Robinson children. Even the rogueish former smuggler Don West is a brave and selfless soul who talks to his pet chicken Debbie. If you prefer morally grey anti-hero type folks, this isn't the show for you.

Lost in Space

That's not to say that everyone is the same featureless shade of good. The three Robinson children – Judy (Taylor Russel), Penny (Mina Sundwall), and Will (Maxwell Jenkins) – are all very different from one another. A doctor in training, Judy is the overachieving, no-nonsense elder child who's constantly trying to prove herself an adult. Meanwhile, Penny is snarky and wise-cracking, but also constantly grappling with feelings of inadequacy compared to her other siblings. Finally, Will, the youngest, is as earnest as they come – the first one to form a bond with Robot, he combines a brilliant intellect with a heart of gold.

The Robinsons also end up rubbing off on those around them as well. Ben Adler (JJ Feild) seemingly sacrifices himself to help save Scarecrow (we never see the body though, so Adler might still be alive), after spending most of the season conspiring with Hastings to exploit the Robot. Lost in Space is a show about good people inspiring others to be the best versions of themselves, and it is immensely heartening to watch. 

Image Source: Netflix

Not all the heroes are human either. Scarecrow, a robot who crashed to Earth and ended up being used to pilot the Resolute, defends Will from an army of hostile robots that boarded the ship. As always, the robots are a scene-stealer, and their design is gorgeous. Comprised of brightly glinting metal, sharp claws, and multiple limbs, they're a fusion of advanced technology and the creature from your nightmares.

Will's Robot undergoes some interesting developments as well. He was more human to begin with, having taken on a bipedal form and a benign face lit up with gently floating lights, but he's also learned a new word this season – "No." It's something he says to great effect throughout the season, now possessed of his own agency and free will. The Robot is also quite clearly sentient, protecting Will's horse Gypsy from a stampeding herd of alien buffalos and grieving when the horse eventually succumbs to its injuries. Later on, Robot even takes Gypsy's bit as a sort of keepsake to remember the horse by. Will and Robot's relationship continues to evolve this season, gaining more nuance and depth and fueling the mystery of what Robot really is.

Image Source: Netflix

The show can feel a little contrived at times though. There are obvious cases of deus ex machina, such as when John (Toby Stephens) and Maureen (Molly Parker) realise they don't have enough time to make it to the escape pod before the Resolute is destroyed. Resigned to their fates, they're rescued at the last second by Don, because they happened to be standing at the window on what is a very large ship? Who knows!

At another instance, Will, Maureen, and Adler are threatened by a pack of what look like velociraptors with no arms while out in the desert. Of course, their security fence proceeds to malfunction, but they're then rescued by what appears to be Robot. Convenient!

Some plot lines also appear hastily tied up. Penny never completely resolves her feelings of insecurities with regard to her siblings. Judy always gets the hard jobs, while Will gets the smart jobs, she complains. Meanwhile, she gets jobs that she thinks anyone could do. Dr. Smith tries to prey on these doubts, and it seems like the show is setting up for a big conflict between Penny and the rest of the Robinsons. But nope, nobody's got time for that. We just get a tiff with Maureen about not reading her book, and grousing to Vijay about not having done enough to get them out of a certain zone contaminated by alien rust. When push comes to shove, Penny is still a Robinson, and the family pull together as a single cohesive unit to save the day at the end.

Image Source: Netflix

I suppose this is for the best though. After all, family drama would probably have detracted from the action if blown out of proportion, even if I feel that Penny's story arc could have been better managed.

Dr. Smith herself makes for an enigmatic character study. She's without doubt a selfish and mercenary creature who never does anything if there's nothing in it for her, but by the season's end, we nearly believe that she's started to change. Her expressions are opaque, and it's impossible to tell if she's putting up a show or genuinely experiencing a change of heart. I'm looking forward to what they do with her in the third season. Will she be the Robinsons' nemesis or ally?

 

The verdict

Image Source: Netflix

The universe and cosmic gods try to kill the Robinsons every episode, but they always come out on top.

Lost in Space will please science fiction fans all around. There are awesome-looking alien robots, distant star systems, gas giants with gargantuan creatures, and plenty of cool technology and spaceships. This show has so much heart, and it never feels too on the nose or cringey. It's backed up by great performances from the cast, and the stellar special effects and action-packed sequences don't hurt either.

Who doesn't love unravelling a big mystery set in space? 

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