S02.E01: Shipwrecked

[Meredith Quill]

Quote

Seven months later, marooned on a watery planet, the Robinsons make a risky bid to power up their Jupiter while Will vows to track down the Robot.

 

[patty1h]

LIS is a show from my childhood, so I decided to give it a look when it first dropped on Netflix last year - always interested to try a new program.  I got through the first 5-6 episodes before the kitschy-ness and teenage foolishness got to me.  The two characters who really made it unbearable for me:  Dr Smith being evil, just because, and Don.  I could not stomach his constant flow of quips and snappy comebacks, and the smirky bad-boy persona.  The whole jokey aspect of the show put me off... people spouting absurdly WTH? lines while their ship is exploding around them ain't cutting it for me.  I'm a fan of Toby Stephens but even he couldn't keep me watching and I bailed w/o finishing the series.

I decided to take a peek at season 2, to see if things have changed.  I was "Nope!" after the first 10 minutes.  Still a weird mix of scifi, space soap opera and sitcom, with a scoop of teen angst and family drama on the side.

Edited December 25, 2019 by patty1h

[iMonrey]

I enjoyed the first season for the most part, although binge-watching is not conducive to retention so there's a lot of plot I don't quite remember. Usually I do a re-watch before a new season drops for that very reason but I don't know that I could sit through the whole first season a second time so I just jumped into this one and watched the recap.

It's not bad. It's not great but I've been watching a lot of fantasy stuff that's streaming these days and there's always a lot of world-building in those types of shows. Sometimes it's hard to follow because of all the strange names and concepts. So Lost in Space is sort of an antidote to that. It's really easy to follow and the episodes are relatively short for a streaming show. It's not a huge investment of time or attention. Sort of a popcorn show.

I do think the family angst is a little saccharine and I could do without the episodic lessons to be learned. I guess when you have a show centered around a family with children that's hard to get away from but it feels very forced and too obvious.

Still, it's an easy hang. I'll check out the rest of the season - I very much doubt there will be a third.

[benteen]

To me, it's the same in Season 1.  What I mean is, there's fun to be had there (I loved the idea of using the Jupiter as a boat) and the production values are great.  But the characters can be dumb and annoying and Dr. Smith continues to be the biggest problem with this show.  There is no way someone wouldn't have put a bullet between her eyes at this point.  That's how much of a problem she has been and her plotting makes no sense whatsoever.  Who would trust this woman at all and keep her around?  She's not even good at hiding her intentions and that makes her character all the worst.

Edited December 27, 2019 by benteen

[Guest]

On 12/26/2019 at 10:22 AM, benteen said:

To me, it's the same in Season 1.  What I mean is, there's fun to be had there (I loved the idea of using the Jupiter as a bought) and he production values are great.  But the characters can be dumb and annoying and Dr. Smith continues to be the biggest problem with this show.  There is no way someone wouldn't have put a bullet between her eyes at this point.  That's how much of a problem she has been and her plotting makes no sense whatsoever.  Who would trust this woman at all and keep her around?  She's not even good at hiding her intentions and that makes her character all the worst.

Exactly. I’m interested in where the story is going and can tolerate the Robinson’s but Dr. Smith is unwatchable. I fast forward past every one of her scenes. A character that openly villainous needs to have some power or everyone just looks like idiots for not getting rid of her. 

Am I correct that she essentially told Maureen that she that she contaminated the greenhouse and nearly killed John in the process? I thought that was what happened but I couldn’t understand why Maureen would keep that herself. 

Edited December 27, 2019 by Guest

[benteen]

That is indeed what she said.  I fully expect Maureen not to tell anyone because she loves keeping secrets from her family despite the risks.

Excellent point that a character as villainous as Dr. Smith needs to have some real power, otherwise it makes the rest of the characters look stupid for keeping her around.  That is one of several reasons I haven't been able to warm to the Maureen character, despite liking Molly Parker.

Edited December 27, 2019 by benteen

[iMonrey]

Well, I'm not sure what they're supposed to do with Dr. Smith (although I don't know why they're still calling her that since they know she stole that identity). Throw her out the airlock like a Cylon? That would make them all rather monstrous, don't you think? I know it's easy for us to watch this on TV and say "Oh just kill her!" but in reality, assuming these are decent people, they wouldn't do that, one would hope. I think the best they can do is keep her under wraps and then turn her over to whatever authorities exist on the mother ship or at Alpha Centauri, assuming they can ever reach either. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

Well, I'm not sure what they're supposed to do with Dr. Smith (although I don't know why they're still calling her that since they know she stole that identity). Throw her out the airlock like a Cylon? That would make them all rather monstrous, don't you think? I know it's easy for us to watch this on TV and say "Oh just kill her!" but in reality, assuming these are decent people, they wouldn't do that, one would hope. I think the best they can do is keep her under wraps and then turn her over to whatever authorities exist on the mother ship or at Alpha Centauri, assuming they can ever reach either. 

I agree to an extent but she has reached the point where she has admitted to endangering everyone else. That at least warrants a serious conversation on how to handle her but instead Maureen does nothing but look horrified. At a minimum John should be arguing to find a way to incapacitate her. I can understand the others not wanting to cross that line but John is a navy seal. 

Ultimately the problem is just bad writing. I don’t want the show to go that dark by having them contemplate murder but they’ve written themselves into a corner. They should have kept the Robinson’s in the dark about her true identity. They just can’t resist giving Parker Posey the opportunity to monologue to the other characters. My guess is they are going to “redeem” her but doubt they have the skill to actually make that work. 

Edited December 27, 2019 by Guest

[benteen]

Couldn't have said it any better myself.  She nearly killed them with her insanity last season and she admitted sabotaging them in this episode.  If you're not going to kill her, then you have to find a way to completely incapacitate her.  I've never seen a group of characters so willing to allow another character to stab them in the back.

I wish they had kept the Robinson's in the dark about her true identity, especially in a way that doesn't make them look so stupid or look like they have a death wish.

[CaptainE]

11 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Well, I'm not sure what they're supposed to do with Dr. Smith (although I don't know why they're still calling her that since they know she stole that identity). Throw her out the airlock like a Cylon? That would make them all rather monstrous, don't you think? I know it's easy for us to watch this on TV and say "Oh just kill her!" but in reality, assuming these are decent people, they wouldn't do that, one would hope. I think the best they can do is keep her under wraps and then turn her over to whatever authorities exist on the mother ship or at Alpha Centauri, assuming they can ever reach either. 

What are they supposed to do with her?

Um, how about lock her back up, especially after what she said to Maureen.  

Now she’s shown eyeing her next sabotage mission while no one is even keeping an eye on her.  And if anyone lets her out to go potty, make it an adult at least.

This is bad and as mentioned above, saccharine.  Will reading the novel he printed.  Without permission.  Ridiculous.

[roctavia]

Still liking this show a lot... but like most people, could do without smith... or I would at least like some of her schemes to fail, not for her to get away with every single thing... 

But I enjoy the dynamic with the family, I'm okay with the wacky perilous situations they keep finding themselves in...

[Sakura12]

On 12/26/2019 at 10:07 PM, Dani said:

Am I correct that she essentially told Maureen that she that she contaminated the greenhouse and nearly killed John in the process? I thought that was what happened but I couldn’t understand why Maureen would keep that herself. 

Maureen wanted to be off that piece of rock they were on. John didn't want to leave. "Smith" made it impossible for them to stay. So as she said she gave Maureen what she wanted without looking like the bad guy. Still makes her untrustworthy and she should still be locked up. But this show operates on everyone being stupid so "Smith" can come out on top. 

I'm watching this show in the background while doing other things. I'll finish this season, I doubt it will get a third. 

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Sakura12 said:

Maureen wanted to be off that piece of rock they were on. John didn't want to leave. "Smith" made it impossible for them to stay. So as she said she gave Maureen what she wanted without looking like the bad guy. Still makes her untrustworthy and she should still be locked up. But this show operates on everyone being stupid so "Smith" can come out on top. 

I'm watching this show in the background while doing other things. I'll finish this season, I doubt it will get a third. 

I think what really irritates me is the show (or the actors) does add layers to these scenes but it’s only to justify an illogical conclusion. The dynamic of Maureen and “Smith” both knowing that Maureen was happy with the end result should have been handled more subtly. There were so many other scenarios that could have been interesting.

It reminds me of when I used to play cards with my niece who would accidentally hold her hand so that I could see. She was little and I love her so I would play like I didn’t know what she had and deliberately throw a few games. “Smith” keeps flashing her dangerous and manipulative cards and everyone just pretends that it never happened. 

Edited December 30, 2019 by Guest

[benteen]

On 12/28/2019 at 1:39 AM, CaptainE said:

Now she’s shown eyeing her next sabotage mission while no one is even keeping an eye on her.  And if anyone lets her out to go potty, make it an adult at least.

Yes, this!  It should be John's job.

[tennisgurl]

I am apparently in the minority here, but I do quite like this show, even if it is isnt exactly breaking new ground in science fiction. The effects are great, and I do like the family dynamic for the most part, especially now that a lot of the drama with John having settled. 

They really should keep Dr. Smith locked up, unless they need some sailing advice again. I can certainly buy that they dont want to kill her in cold blood (they arent really those kinds of people, and this isnt really that kind of show) but dont just let her walk around! She is obviously evil! I mean, that was in the original show too, and that version of Dr. Smith, while less evil, was certainly even more useless and was a coward and utterly selfish, and half of their problems were due to his shenanigans, so I guess they are kind of stuck with her. In the the OG show, Smith and Will were usually the only characters that even really got to DO anything, with Penny being allowed to tag along sometimes, and John and Don showing up to save the day at the end sometime. At least from what I remember, I haven't seen it since I was a kid. 

I would both freaked out and excited to explore an alien ocean. I mean, alien sea monsters?!

[BusyOctober]

I like it for what it is for me...escapism tv I can watch with my husband and 13yr old.  Yes, there are many eye rolls happening with 15 “on the verge of death!!!” scenes in a 40min program.  However, most of the suspense is good enough to keep me interested.

i always liked Parker Posey in Christopher Guest’s movies. She plays quirky well, and I liked her acting. However, her role as Dr. Smith is pretty cringey.  She seems to be over-acting. I can’t tell if she is trying to play it OTT or just has trouble making Dr. Smith ominous without being comic-book-y.  I don’t know, but she irks in this.

[rab01]

I liked this episode.  I sort of enjoyed the first season but hated Dr. Smith and found at least one moment every episode where I had to stop the show because someone had done something stupid beyond all human recognition.  (Usually involving treating a an unknown alien planet as if it were a weekend camping trip.)  This time I didn't notice them doing anything monumentally stupid except maybe not having tethers every time they were outside the sail-rocket-ship and, at least until the final scene, they had been keeping Smith locked up.

[MisterGlass]

I think it's an interesting start.  I know the structure is oriented toward a younger audience, but I like the problem solving basis to it.  It's a bit like a junior, fantastical version of The Martian.

Don is not bothering me as much as he did the first season.  Maybe I'm more used to him, or maybe he's toned down a little.

The encounters with Dr. Smith are heightened reality, but I see the logic in ingratiating herself, and winning peace.  Locking her up is apparently not useful since she is able to escape.  On a surface level they know they shouldn't trust her, but she's becoming part of their routine, and they are getting desensitized to her threat.

[Samwise979]

I thought this was an exciting first episode being a sea in a monsoon. 

I think they've given up locking away Dr Smith because she basically admitted she's been escaping to her hearts content and there really is no point in locking her up any longer. 

That whole scene where she tells Maureen that she sabotaged the green house but she  skirts around actually saying it out right ie. Now you're thinking how did I burn my hands? And now you're wondering if I was the one who pulled off the patch, but how could I do that if I was locked up? really reminded me of that scene between Henry (Ben) and Jack from Lost "... Got any milk?" Except that scene was way better of course. 

[shrewd.buddha]

On 12/26/2019 at 1:22 PM, benteen said:

Dr. Smith continues to be the biggest problem with this show.

 

On 12/26/2019 at 11:07 PM, Dani said:

I’m interested in where the story is going and can tolerate the Robinson’s but Dr. Smith is unwatchable.

 

On 12/30/2019 at 8:07 PM, BusyOctober said:

However, her role as Dr. Smith is pretty cringey.  She seems to be over-acting.

I have talked to a couple of people who said they gave up on the series mid-way and specifically sited Not!Dr.Smith as part of the reason. My viewing partner also talks about how this character makes the show difficult to watch. 
But now the show is stuck with this actor/character situation and it's difficult to see how they can really make it work. And as others have said - why continue calling her Dr. Smith? 

It would be different if the character had been played as mischievously disruptive, but no, she is a straight up murderous sociopath. 
Why would the parents let their children be alone with her? Why do we have do endure her constant droning monologues? Do the writers think the majority of views are really enjoying this? 

And Penny was perfectly okay with Will reading and 'publishing' her journal without her consent? Not likely. The show could benefit from toning down the "very special episode" aspect of the stories dealing with the children.

However, I did appreciate when Maureen told John to consider what lives their children would have if they were forced to grow up without a larger society. She didn't specifically say 'incest', 'inbreeding', or 'sister wives'  ... but I think we all got what she was implying ... 

Edited January 2, 2020 by shrewd.buddha

[Spaceman Spiff]

On 1/2/2020 at 9:52 AM, shrewd.buddha said:

However, I did appreciate when Maureen told John to consider what lives their children would have if they were forced to grow up without a larger society. She didn't specifically say 'incest', 'inbreeding', or 'sister wives'  ... but I think we all got what she was implying ... 

She said they would never have a family like they did, I don't think she was implying an unspoken unless they, you know" *wink wink nudge nudge* "...So no we all didn't get that. At least I didn't take that scene that way.

[Mrs. Stanwyck]

On 1/2/2020 at 10:52 AM, shrewd.buddha said:

It would be different if the character had been played as mischievously disruptive, but no, she is a straight up murderous sociopath. 

I know they aren't required to make these characters the same as the original tv series but at the very beginning of the show, Dr. Smith was a murderous sociopath.  He got stuck on the ship because he was trying to sabotage it which would have killed everyone on board.  He messed with the Robot's programming and if i remember correctly, the Robot was supposed to kill everyone except Dr. Smith.  After the first season he went from malicious and evil to bumbling goofball.  He was always my least favorite part of the original series and it continues to be the same here.  It is the same problem in both versions - I know they aren't the kind of people to straight up kill Dr. Smith but it gets old watching them put up with antics that endanger everyone and there are never any consequences.  It's 50-ish years later and it is still not something I enjoy watching.

[Danny Franks]

Fifteen minutes into this, and it's still as dumb as the first season. John is out trying to patch a hole and collapses, while his family stand there being useless. Don is fully kitted up, goes out and saves John, then, instead of fixing the hole he just goes back inside and they zip the hatch. Next scene - they're lamenting the loss of all their crops.

This show suffers so, so much from plot-dictated stupidity.

Edited May 20, 2020 by Danny Franks

[Macbeth]

On 12/30/2019 at 10:53 AM, tennisgurl said:

I am apparently in the minority here, but I do quite like this show, even if it is isnt exactly breaking new ground in science fiction. The effects are great, and I do like the family dynamic for the most part, especially now that a lot of the drama with John having settled. 

They really should keep Dr. Smith locked up, unless they need some sailing advice again. I can certainly buy that they dont want to kill her in cold blood (they arent really those kinds of people, and this isnt really that kind of show) but dont just let her walk around! She is obviously evil! I mean, that was in the original show too, and that version of Dr. Smith, while less evil, was certainly even more useless and was a coward and utterly selfish, and half of their problems were due to his shenanigans, so I guess they are kind of stuck with her. In the the OG show, Smith and Will were usually the only characters that even really got to DO anything, with Penny being allowed to tag along sometimes, and John and Don showing up to save the day at the end sometime. At least from what I remember, I haven't seen it since I was a kid. 

I would both freaked out and excited to explore an alien ocean. I mean, alien sea monsters?!

I am with you.  I like that the drama with John has settled down.  And the family finally woke up to how diabolical Dr. Smith is.  There is no Lost in Space without Dr. Smith.  Smith is there to create obstacles when you can't afford the sci-fi needed for the family to meet aliens on a regular basis.  Fighting against the elements only get you so far.  

And the show is about them being Lost in Space.  On their own having their own adventures.