Season 1 Discussion

[nodorothyparker]

10 hours ago, TV Anonymous said:

So the revelation is that Smith/Harris' purpose is to get to Alpha Centauri to get fresh start. So why did she stir the pot so much? Why was she sabotaging things? Would the best thing to do not keeping her head down and get herself back to the Resolute?

That would have been the logical course of action, yes.  Don't draw a lot of unnecessary attention to yourself or constantly be stirring people up against each other or eventually you when you're still dependent on those people to get there.  But that's not our Not Dr. Smith.

[welnoc]

It's rather interesting to see people referring to Lost in Space as the original source when it was based on the novel Swiss Family Robinson which itself was modelled after Robinson Crusoe. Both were about survival and resourcefulnes, so it makes perfect sense that science takes precedence over military style training. It also makes sense that the family is on their own because in the original source material the protagonists were shipwrecked and isolated.

Couldn't stand Parker Posey at all. She was wooden and annoying and the Dr. Smith character was useless. Really good writing should be able to create tension without a human antagonist. The family is battling an unknown environment --shouldn't that be enough? Why does present day society think that the only interesting way to create tension is by killing off characters? TvLand has done that already anyway so it's nothing new or interesting. Losing major characters loses audience.

Someone above was going on about Maureen's & John's still being estranged at the end of season one. Did they not witness John being willing to sacrifice his life for Maureen's, or Maureen putting the whole family (with their full support) in jeopardy to save John?  They also told each other more than once that each loved the other. That doesn't seem like estrangement to me.

I like Molly Parker but Maureen was a pill although she did have some decent character growth towards the end. I'm still not buying her reasons for initially cold-shouldering John the way she did but maybe we'll find out more about that next season.

Does Ignacio Serricchio always play unjustifiably arrogant characters? I've only seen him in Bones previously and couldn't stand the mouthy, arrogant character he played on that either. On the other hand, I have no problem with him and Judy becoming a couple; she's obviously emotionally mature for her age and he's emotionally immature. I think that balances them out. And it's not as though there's anyone else for each, is there? 

The kids doing stupid things makes perfect sense to me -they're kids! And kids, no matter how genius, don't often stop and think about their own mortality and safety. The world around them looked basically like Earth so they didn't think much about what they were doing.

My favourite characters were John and Penny. John is strong enough to admit that he doesn't have all the answers and I just think Penny is pretty cool. 

Loved the robot but then I generally do. Isaac is my favourite character on The Orville and Data was my favourite character on ST:TNG. I'm wondering if the director's had Maxwell Taylor and the actor who played the robot do some of the scenes without the robot costume to help build the rapport between the two. Or just maybe they hung out together. I did think they were lovely together. I do hope they bring him back even if it does involve a ridiculous plot twist.

As for the radios with cords. maybe having the mic attached to the receiver more secure in space with possible zero gravity and short wave radio more reliable than wi-fi in space as well.

[backgroundnoise]

On 5/4/2018 at 6:17 AM, CaptainE said:

How did the ‘robot’ learn English? Oh, and only one word at that?

The Robot seems to understand English even if it doesn't speak it.  It knew what "Raise your right hand" meant about 10 minutes after meeting Will. 

[CaptainE]

Ok, so why can it only say 3 words?

Danger.Will.Robinson.

Edited May 7, 2018 by CaptainE

[ken2esq]

The show had great potential, but the writers apparently just are not that good.  It is absurd to think that survivors who crashed on this planet, upon meeting up with other survivors, would not IMMEDIATELY have a very detailed discussion about who they are aware of who did and did not survive.  There is absolutely no way, in this episode, somehow Don would not be made aware that the Robinsons rescued Dr. Smith, or that Don would not make the Robinson's aware that there was some kind of lying, backstabbing, survivor roaming around.  

Also, it is totally unbelievable how these people are treating the risks of being on another planet.  Like, the kids just think its no big deal to wander outside the perimeter fence to hide the robot, ignoring the fact there could be a thousand crazy lethal alien animals all over the place. 

And how are the Robinson parents not made aware of the fact that the accident was due to alien robot attack?  Would you not be asking in the first five minutes of meeting other survivors, "Hey, any idea what happened up there?"  Of course you would.  Yet, in this moronic series, somehow the Robinson parents remain ignorant of this DAYS after reuniting with many other survivors who DO know the truth.

It is like, the writers wanted to keep certain characters ignorant of certain truths in order to allow them to create tension around certain plot points.  But if the ignorance is totally phony and contrived, you are going to alienate the audience, not entertain them.

They are writing these kids like they'd write kids on Happy Days or Beverly Hills 90210 or some "normal" setting, which is just stupid as can be.  Don't they realize we do not watch shows with out of this world settings just to see the setting as a backdrop for a tired, uninspired and insipid regurgitation of the same story lines we see in ordinary drama?

[ACW]

On 4/25/2018 at 3:38 PM, sacrebleu said:

Also, the woman who hated the robot (Angela) -- her husband who was killed played the violin-- they really gave priority to a violinist on this first mission?

 

This is the 24th mission, and I think she mentioned that he was the first professional musician in the program.

As far as the Robot goes:  He was last seen drifting in space.  In the same general orbital vicinity as one of his kind's fully-functional interstellar spaceships. Which have some sort of link with their passengers. He'll be fine, and he'll be back.

[Miles]

12 hours ago, CaptainE said:

Ok, so why can it only say 3 words?

Danger.Will.Robinson.

Nostalgia

[greyhorse]

I don't see how the helium was forceful enough to push away the heavy tar, but I guess we'll have to suspend disbelief there.

Really like seeing Maureen and John interact and say they love each other, even if John's was because he thought he was going to die. Was there animosity between them in the original series?  I don't recall that at all.

I am annoyed with Not Smith, but in the original series, I was always annoyed with him so the effect is the same.  We're not supposed to like her.  Yes. it's convenient that she is always around to overhear something, spy on someone, etc.  But that's the whole point of the character.  I still don't understand why she thought she could get away with taking her sister's place on the Resolute.  Supposedly she was assigned to a Jupiter.  So rather than fake whatever it was about her sister and stay with her assigned Jupiter family, she takes the identity of Dr. Smith and has to fake a whole new identity?  It lays shame to the entire profession of psychology and psychiatry that this uneducated moron can read some internet pages and then fake providing therapy.

I hate the Indian man in charge.  I don't ever recall them meeting other colonists on the original series, so this I gather is a new thing.  So he said almost all the fuel was gone, or just some of it?  Confused.  How long would it take a Jupiter to get back to the Resolute?  Why not just send as many as you can with the fuel you have, then come back for the rest?

What 18 year old can be a doctor?  OK, maybe if you want to a combined 7 year medical school.  But that would still make you 25.  I guess it's the future though, so anything can happen.  

[PreBabylonia]

On 2018-04-20 at 5:04 PM, Txmomof2 said:

Overall I liked it, good start. But the one character I just can't see how they will keep it going is Dr. Smith. She is just not likable or redeemble in any way right now. I agree with others - What will keep them from ditching her or leaving her to the robots? I feel like it was just over the top malicious for no clear reason other than that character was supposed to be. I don't know if its just the way Parker Posey portrays her or if she is just written that way. But she truly comes across as psychotic to me and I would cringe when her scenes were on. 

 

On 2018-04-23 at 7:58 PM, Cardie said:

I found Posey's Dr. Smith portrayal to be extremely lacking. She held her face rigid, made her eyes dead-cold, and talked in a low monotone. Sociopaths are charming and lively as manipulators. I doubt anyone would have bought into her lies for a nanosecond. 

Finally as someone who watched the original series as a teenager, this version lacks a sense of humor and adventure. It's sort of like a Supernatural that is all Sam and no Dean.

I've never liked Parker Posey in anything and I am really disliking her big time in this one. NotDr.Smith makes no sense at all, everything she does appears to be completely random. She is approaching Negan (TWD) levels of stupidity but sadly, I believe she will also be encased in solid plot armour.

Ha, you're right, the show leans more to a Sam kind of perspective, but I have faith that Don (and Debbie!) will bring in some more humour. And Penny. If Will and the robot are the heart and soul of this show, Penny and Don bring the laughs, or so I expect.

On 2018-05-06 at 5:48 PM, welnoc said:

Couldn't stand Parker Posey at all. She was wooden and annoying and the Dr. Smith character was useless. Really good writing should be able to create tension without a human antagonist. The family is battling an unknown environment --shouldn't that be enough? 

Someone above was going on about Maureen's & John's still being estranged at the end of season one. Did they not witness John being willing to sacrifice his life for Maureen's, or Maureen putting the whole family (with their full support) in jeopardy to save John?  They also told each other more than once that each loved the other. That doesn't seem like estrangement to me.

I like Molly Parker but Maureen was a pill although she did have some decent character growth towards the end. I'm still not buying her reasons for initially cold-shouldering John the way she did but maybe we'll find out more about that next season.

The kids doing stupid things makes perfect sense to me -they're kids! And kids, no matter how genius, don't often stop and think about their own mortality and safety. The world around them looked basically like Earth so they didn't think much about what they were doing.

My favourite characters were John and Penny. John is strong enough to admit that he doesn't have all the answers and I just think Penny is pretty cool. 

Loved the robot but then I generally do. Isaac is my favourite character on The Orville and Data was my favourite character on ST:TNG. I'm wondering if the director's had Maxwell Taylor and the actor who played the robot do some of the scenes without the robot costume to help build the rapport between the two. Or just maybe they hung out together. I did think they were lovely together. I do hope they bring him back even if it does involve a ridiculous plot twist.

As for the radios with cords. maybe having the mic attached to the receiver more secure in space with possible zero gravity and short wave radio more reliable than wi-fi in space as well.

Agreed, although I think I would add Don to my list of favourite characters. It was mentioned upthread that he is a Han Solo type of character and I agree, in fact, I think the writers intentionally did some acknowledgement there, when Don called Judy "princess" several times. I also thought there was a nod to Aliens (or Alien Resurrection?) when one of the apex predators in the cave stuck its blind face in Penny's face, seeking his prey. I also thought of a few other science fiction movies as I binged all the episodes (can't remember which ones particularly).

I don't know what the show is going to do about NotDrSmith, I think she is far beyond redemption and she is pretty much useless as anything other than a villain anyway. I hope they go ahead and kill her off sometime soon in the next season (if we get one).

[Pindrop]

The mother came a hairs breadth away from saying “Get away from her you bitch” in the robot show down.

Edited May 8, 2018 by Pindrop

[greyhorse]

Watching Not Smith is infuriating.  So infuriating that it makes me want to stop watching the show.  But I know I won't....

[stan4]

3 hours ago, PreBabylonia said:

 

. NotDr.Smith makes no sense at all, everything she does appears to be completely random. She is approaching Negan (TWD) levels of stupidity but sadly, I believe she will also be encased in solid plot armour.

 

I don't know what the show is going to do about NotDrSmith, I think she is far beyond redemption and she is pretty much useless as anything other than a villain anyway. 

You know, as much credit as the actor deserves (based on what people say, I suppose) for playing this villain, it's the kind of villain I hate and actually makes shows annoying to watch:

 The rando psycho. 

 

The rando psycho has no compelling reasons for doing things.  The rando psycho is generally surrounded by trusting dumbos who have the truth staring them right in the face but don't do anything about it.  The rando psycho is often cruel and sadistic beyond reason.  The rando psycho is usually involved in one of my least favorite plot devices:  displaced blame/deliberate misunderstanding/frame jobs.  

 

The rando psycho is all these things and yet simultaneously boring to watch and, imo, lazy writing.

[Pindrop]

38 minutes ago, stan4 said:

You know, as much credit as the actor deserves (based on what people say, I suppose) for playing this villain, it's the kind of villain I hate and actually makes shows annoying to watch:

 The rando psycho. 

 

The rando psycho has no compelling reasons for doing things.  The rando psycho is generally surrounded by trusting dumbos who have the truth staring them right in the face but don't do anything about it.  The rando psycho is often cruel and sadistic beyond reason.  The rando psycho is usually involved in one of my least favorite plot devices:  displaced blame/deliberate misunderstanding/frame jobs.  

 

The rando psycho is all these things and yet simultaneously boring to watch and, imo, lazy writing.

Agreed, there were potentially interesting aspects to this character, for example the cowardice, fear of having misdeeds uncovered and over-riding sense of self-preservation, but they threw that away as a motivation and just made her, as you say, a rando-psycho. As an example, in sci-fi, Gaius Baltar was a much more nuanced (and hilarious) version of this character.  

Edited May 8, 2018 by Pindrop

[Pindrop]

I have always considered Toby Stephens an incredibly underrated actor. It is good to see him here. 

I am not sure if it is the character or the performance, or a bit of both, but I might be the only person here slightly underwhelmed by Parker Posey (although it was mentioned in another thread). I mentioned this in another thread, but part of the problem with this character archetype is that you will always compare poorly to James Callis in BSG, which was just the perfect level of pathos and ham to be believable, compelling and hilarious. 

Edited May 8, 2018 by Pindrop

[stan4]

2 hours ago, Pindrop said:

Agreed, there were potentially interesting aspects to this character, for example the cowardice, fear of having misdeeds uncovered and over-riding sense of self-preservation, but they threw that away as a motivation and just made her, as you say, a rando-psycho. As an example, in sci-fi, Gaius Baltar was a much more nuanced (and hilarious) version of this character.  

The worst part about the rando psycho is how unbelievable they make the story line to the point of unwatchability.

[paulvdb]

I think a big difference is that James Callis as Baltar on BSG was never evil for the sake of being evil. I could understand the reasons why he did most of what he did.

[Pindrop]

11 hours ago, stan4 said:

The worst part about the rando psycho is how unbelievable they make the story line to the point of unwatchability.

Yes, it is a very lazy way of creating conflict; but then this show did also rely on a lot of plot-induced stupidity. It is an issue I have with a lot of US committee writing; the shows always feel like the result of an algorithm and they all fundamentally hit the same beats, just some take a lazier route there than others, and psycho antagonist is about the laziest.

Edited May 9, 2018 by Pindrop

[greyhorse]

On 4/16/2018 at 12:43 PM, coppersin said:

It'll probably take an eyeroll-worthy plot twist to make it happen, but the robot had better be back in season 2 or I will riot. He was the only one that never annoyed me. And cheesy as it was, my lip trembled a bit at "friend." Seriously, screw physics, just show him holding onto the ship as they fly through the wormhole.

Smith, on the other hand, can go. Posey's done a great job with the role but I think I can stand one more season of her, max.

I can't imagine Robot isn't back.  He's integral to the show.  I was expecting them to show him have some propulsion type device in his feet and see him flying back to the ship.  Hopefully that's what happened and he's hanging on to the outside.

Did Robot utter "Danger, Will Robinson" again during the last episode as was the episode title?  I heard him say "Danger" but not the iconic line.

 

On 4/22/2018 at 9:44 AM, iMonrey said:

I thought it was interesting that they copied the storyline from the original show, wherein they land on a plant that has an irregular orbit around its sun and becomes too hot to sustain human life. Only on the original show, they had to get into their chariot and drive to the coldest part of the planet then shield themselves from the sun as the planet whipped itself around it. I like that they managed to take off from the planet in this version, except then Maureen suggested they might just wait it out in orbit and then land again. If the planet is going to get too close to the sun and they're orbiting the planet, won't it be just as dangerous as if they're on it? I guess it's a moot point now but that didn't make any sense to me.

Likewise, in Season 2 of the original show, they landed on a planet that was run by robots, and that's where they appear to be heading. So I thought that was kind of neat.

I loved all the other little tributes to the original like naming the chicken Debbie (Debbie was a "Bloop" - a weird alien monkey - in the original show) and that Dr. Smith's real name was June Harris. 

I agree it's going to be tough keeping Dr. Smith relevant going forward, especially since they know her real name now (or, at least, her sister's name). I suppose the fact that she saved John and Don in the end was the show's way of reforming her somewhat but they have a long way to go.

Ah, so this was the history.  I loved watching reruns as a kid of the original, but maybe I just didn't see the very first ones or just never thought back then when I was 8 or 9 how these guys ended up on the planet to begin with.  I love that they incorporate a small segment of the original theme (the main hook, as I always thought).  

 

18 hours ago, stan4 said:

The worst part about the rando psycho is how unbelievable they make the story line to the point of unwatchability.

The original Dr. Smith was self-serving, but he wasn't evil like this NotSmith, at least if my memory serves me correctly.  As a kid watching the reruns I always annoyed by Smith but didn't hate him how I hate NotSmith today.

[greyhorse]

I'm surprised that this thread was opened a year ago and the series just recently was released.  I need to resubscribe to Entertainment Weekly, because I had no idea that there was a reboot/remake until I started seeing billboards pop up around town about a month ago.

I loved Toby Stephens as John Robinson.  I thought he was great in Black Sails as well.  He's rugged, handsome enough, and completely believable as a war veteran father trying to figure out how to make it work with his family.

Molly Parker I don't know much about other than seeing her in House of Cards as the lobbyist.  People may not like the Maureen Robinson character who is written as a very strong, do it all herself mother/scientist/everything but I thought she was perfect.

I don't understand the Parker Posey gender switch.  I guess they needed two adult males and two adult females as the main characters?  Never cared for Parker Posey and certainly didn't care for Not Smith.

[rab01]

46 minutes ago, greyhorse said:

I don't understand the Parker Posey gender switch.  I guess they needed two adult males and two adult females as the main characters?  Never cared for Parker Posey and certainly didn't care for Not Smith.

I never cared much for Dr. Smith and NotSmith is becoming an even less believable character.  I think they may have flipped genders because Parker Posey is a well-known name (even if I agree with you that I struggle to see the appeal).  In addition, flipping Smith's gender fits with switching the leader from John to Maureen. 

Also, if NotSmith were male, there would be additional creepy sexual tension vibes, which are so damn common in shows with a female protagonist and male antagonist (and vice-versa).  And, even if the writers and actors avoided putting in that subtext, the audience might anyway out of habit.  (Look at the scenes between Don and Judy in the show -- the actors aren't playing much more than friendly/fraternal but we're already talking about about why are they pairing off characters with such a huge age difference.) 

[greyhorse]

9 minutes ago, rab01 said:

I never cared much for Dr. Smith and NotSmith is becoming an even less believable character.  I think they may have flipped genders because Parker Posey is a well-known name (even if I agree with you that I struggle to see the appeal).  In addition, flipping Smith's gender fits with switching the leader from John to Maureen. 

Also, if NotSmith were male, there would be additional creepy sexual tension vibes, which are so damn common in shows with a female protagonist and male antagonist (and vice-versa).  And, even if the writers and actors avoided putting in that subtext, the audience might anyway out of habit.  (Look at the scenes between Don and Judy in the show -- the actors aren't playing much more than friendly/fraternal but we're already talking about about why are they pairing off characters with such a huge age difference.) 

Agreed.  I suppose Parker Posey is the biggest "name" but she certainly wouldn't be what would draw me to watch this show if I wasn't already a fan of the original.  I don't find her attractive (although I suppose one could say she's not really supposed to be in this role and that's why the crazy hair and such) and I've never been a fan of any of her work. 

I did some digging and apparently the reason why they made Dr. Smith a woman was out of respect to Jonathan Harris and knowing that nobody could replicate his iconic character.  Makes sense.  But then again, if you're going to do a remake, then you kind of expect the same characters, right? 

[nodorothyparker]

I've found Parker Posey competent in the few other things I've seen her in, but here I kept feeling like if they were going to go this way with this character they should have gone all the way and let her wander around with a cocktail glass in one hand and cigarette holder in the other.  She was that campy.  By the later episodes, I did concede that she and Molly Parker play well off each other even when the writing was doing them no favors.  That dynamic would have looked totally different had Not Dr. Smith been a man.

I was here for Toby Stephens, beginning to end.  I'll watch him in pretty much anything.  I always feel like I get a full performance from him even if the writing isn't fully there.

[iMonrey]

Quote

I loved watching reruns as a kid of the original, but maybe I just didn't see the very first ones or just never thought back then when I was 8 or 9 how these guys ended up on the planet to begin with. 

In the original show's first season, the Robinsons spent the entirety of the season on one planet, the one that had the weird orbit around its sun. In the second season they blast off back into space then wind up on the robot planet in Episode 3, then crash on another planet in Episode 4 and remain there for the rest of the season. In the third season they visited several planets.

 

Quote

The original Dr. Smith was self-serving, but he wasn't evil like this NotSmith, at least if my memory serves me correctly.

In the first five or six episodes of the original show, Smith was decidedly evil - he even gave instructions to the robot to kill any of the Robinsons he found alone (and almost ended up killing Will). It wasn't until later the character was drastically softened and became more comical, thanks largely to Jonathan Harris's ad-libbing, which show creator Irwin Allen enjoyed. 

[paulvdb]

‘Lost In Space’ Renewed For Season 2 By Netflix

Quote

The pickup comes after a strong launch for the show. According to data released by Nielsen, Lost In Space garnered 3.16 million viewers overall on its first day of release, Netflix’s third best premiere-day viewership in the past year behind Season 2 of Stranger Things and movie Bright.

[Pindrop]

39 minutes ago, paulvdb said:

‘Lost In Space’ Renewed For Season 2 By Netflix

I am pleased because it has promise. they just need to work on the plotting; less plot induced stupidity; less coincidence and serendipity; less literal deus ex machina and flip-flopping from said machine (good-evil, good-evil repeat ad nauseum), and; I do not know what the hell they do with Dr Smith without some major retcons, since they have walked her down an irretrievable/irredeemable path now. 

More Toby Stephens, who, together with the production values, is the main reason I am appreciative of a second season. 

Edited May 14, 2018 by Pindrop

[Sakura12]

I hope they get some better writers or the writers get more creative and rely less on the lazy uninspired plots. You're playing with space have fun with it. 

They better find a way to write Not Dr. Smith otherwise I will have no idea why the family doesn't send her out the airlock. Don brings useful skills and is not trying to manipulate or hurt everyone all the time. Dr. Smith not so much. I don't know even know what she wants or what purpose she serves. They can find plenty of antagonists in their travels through space that will have probably have legitimate reasons to want to get rid of or use the Robinson's. 

[hatchetgirl]

Quote

it was getting tiresome how many dangerous situations the characters had to face every episode

My 10 yr old says this every episode and i think we are stopping at episode 8.

[Duhhh123]

I watched the season finale with my 9 year old daughter.  We liked the show but I was surprised my daughter shared my annoyance at Dr. Smith and Will Robinson.

 

Aside from her manipulating, lying, and lurking around, the way Dr. Smith talks is irritating. My daughter wanted to fast forward away from scenes with the doctor in it. 

 

I know Will Robinson is just a kid but we still find him too whiny.

"I'm sorry. I can't do it."

"I'm not strong enough."

"It's my fault."

Geez ... he sounds like Barry Allen from The Flash (CW).

 

I hope the show improves next season preferably with less whining and lying. I like the look of the show, I like Maureen and John Robinson. I like that they use science to solve the problems they face. 

[ae2]

On 5/5/2018 at 10:22 PM, ottoDbusdriver said:

That made no sense at all -- what caused the balloon to unfurl horizontally let alone be exactly the right length to just reach the shore of the tar lake ?

As for the race across the plain of geysers -- couldn't they drive at slower speeds safely along the edge of the valley ?  Because most of the explosions appeared to occur towards the middle.

 

On 5/8/2018 at 1:44 AM, greyhorse said:

I don't see how the helium was forceful enough to push away the heavy tar, but I guess we'll have to suspend disbelief there.

What 18 year old can be a doctor?  OK, maybe if you want to a combined 7 year medical school.  But that would still make you 25.  I guess it's the future though, so anything can happen.  

Honestly, if you can't overlook details like this then Lost in Space is not the show for you. It favors adventure, fun,  and effects over logical consistency and scientific rigor.

I figure the lake instantly freezing in episode 1 should have given that away.

If you can turn your brain off and simply enjoy the ride it's a lot more fun.

[ae2]

On 4/15/2018 at 11:08 PM, ilovethedark said:

I want to like this show. But there are no stakes. When Will and his stupid radio put everyone in the caves at risk, I knew no one was going to die, even the redshirts. The scene was dark and maybe I missed something, but there was no mourning once the group got out of the cave. The cheering outside the mouth of the cave was a bit puzzling as that creature was supposed to be the top of the food chain and I’d expect it to go out to feed. 

I disagree. They've already killed one character, so the idea that no one could possibly die doesn't ring true.

Regardless, cinema rarely builds tension through making you believe characters you love could die. (What TV shoes regularly kill off known characters? The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones are the only two real examples here.) The intent is to build tension by making you feel what the protagonists feel. If the protagonists believe they are in danger and could die or suffer then it should make you respond emotionally. I think the show did a great job with this when Judy was stuck in the ice in episode 1 - and obviously they won't kill one of our core characters in the very first episode. They did a pretty good job when the parents were trapped under the tar. (I wish that John and Maureen had given more thought to what would happen to their kids if they perished in that scene. That's likely what would be running through any parents' head.)

Here... I thought the use of silence was fascinating and effective. But the characters never really showed a lot of fear, and they were never focused on, so it was more atmospheric than personal. 

[ae2]

On 4/16/2018 at 6:47 PM, Colorado David said:

brings up an interesting point....do they have ranks on this show? who was in charge of the Jupiter 2, Maureen or John? on the surface, Maureen was totally bossing around John it seemed like. I'm all for quality writing for strong female characters, BUT I need to know what rules protocol they are operating within.

Despite the original leader of the Resolute (the one who interrogated Dr. Smith) being a military Captain, the entire program seemed to be a civilian one and not military. At the very least, the people being sent to populate the new planet were not governed by military. Ergo there was no rank for any of the characters on the planet - they were all civilians being transported to live on the new world. The fact that John was in the military was entirely tangential, as was the fact that Maureen designed the Jupiters and the Resolute. The Jupiters were really only there for the first and last leg of the journey - from Earth and to the Resolute, then from the Resolute to Alpha Centauri (at that point... converted to habitats?)

They appeared to have no contingency plan for emergencies and thus no command hierarchy.

(Also, there's no way the Resolute would be commanded by a Captain / Navy Lieutenant. It would almost certainly be captained by a Colonel / Navy Captain.)

On 4/17/2018 at 10:38 AM, Adira said:

I don't think they'll ever be able to get to Alpha Centauri.  One of the first episodes showed a warm hole (or similar?) opening up and sucking the Resolute and the Jupiters into it - that's how they ended up on that planet in the first place.  Now that the Jupiter 2 has jumped away, the Resolute will be trapped in that area of space, which is possibly in another galaxy entirely, according to Maureen (based on that space chart she saw in the alien ship).

I actually thought the kid who played Will was a pretty good actor! 

Agreed about Will. He's not winning any awards but I never felt like he dragged down the show. That's a pretty good mark for a kid his age.

The way I read the worm hole was that the Resolute opened it and traveled to the planet they all crashed on. Presumably they panicked when the robot attacked and opened it in an attempt to escape, entering the wrong destination. Or perhaps they opened it inadvertently. Either way, the Resolute is able to open a wormhole like that because they acquired an alien egg drive like the one that took over J2 at the end. They picked this up during the "meteor" crash in the flashback, and it was the "recent advancement" that Maureen's boss hinted at.

So once the Jupiters were collected the Resolute would have opened another wormhole to Alpha Centauri. Now the Jupiter 2 of course has its own and can take them anywhere it wants, or hopefully if Robot returns, anywhere they want.

[tessathereaper]

On 5/14/2018 at 11:03 AM, Pindrop said:

I am pleased because it has promise. they just need to work on the plotting; less plot induced stupidity; less coincidence and serendipity; less literal deus ex machina and flip-flopping from said machine (good-evil, good-evil repeat ad nauseum), and; I do not know what the hell they do with Dr Smith without some major retcons, since they have walked her down an irretrievable/irredeemable path now. 

More Toby Stephens, who, together with the production values, is the main reason I am appreciative of a second season. 

Yes to all this.  There is nothing more annoying that those soap opera tropes(people overhearing, or worse people overhearing only part of a conversation, jumping to conclusions and leaving before said conversation is over, not keeping an obvious villain on a short enough leash, etc, etc).

And yeah more Toby Stephens, the man's an amazing actor, don't waste him. :)

[Adira]

On 5/21/2018 at 1:47 PM, ae2 said:

The way I read the worm hole was that the Resolute opened it and traveled to the planet they all crashed on. Presumably they panicked when the robot attacked and opened it in an attempt to escape, entering the wrong destination. Or perhaps they opened it inadvertently. Either way, the Resolute is able to open a wormhole like that because they acquired an alien egg drive like the one that took over J2 at the end. They picked this up during the "meteor" crash in the flashback, and it was the "recent advancement" that Maureen's boss hinted at.

So once the Jupiters were collected the Resolute would have opened another wormhole to Alpha Centauri. Now the Jupiter 2 of course has its own and can take them anywhere it wants, or hopefully if Robot returns, anywhere they want.

That's not my impression at all.  I was under the impression that the Resolute was using that alien egg drive to travel between Earth and Alpha Centauri.  But then they were attacked the the Robot aliens (one or more, don't know) in an effort for the Robots to get it back.  I assumed the egg drive on the Robot's ship was really the one from the Resolute, and so now it's on J2 and the Resolute doesn't have one.

[ae2]

45 minutes ago, Adira said:

That's not my impression at all.  I was under the impression that the Resolute was using that alien egg drive to travel between Earth and Alpha Centauri.  But then they were attacked the the Robot aliens (one or more, don't know) in an effort for the Robots to get it back.  I assumed the egg drive on the Robot's ship was really the one from the Resolute, and so now it's on J2 and the Resolute doesn't have one.

I suppose that's possible, but I don't think it's the case. The Resolute spoke about jumping away - indicating they still had FTL capabilities. The egg drive that ended up on J2 was from Robot's ship, which had been crashed on the surface the entire time. I thought the Resolution had their own drive, Robot came to the Resolute in his own ship with its own drive, which then crashed on the planet with all the Jupiters. His drive then attached itself to the rover thing and made its way to the J2. There's probably a third one on the new robot's ship too.

Of course, it's entirely possible that there is only 1 drive, and everyone who knows how the Resolute's FTL capabilities work is dead and they just don't realize their engine is missing.

The real question is whether we'll even see the Resolute next season? If not none of this matters a whole lot. They spent a fair amount of time developing a few of those characters, and while I wouldn't be heart broken to lose the Dhar family, I did really enjoy the Watanabes.

[Adira]

3 hours ago, ae2 said:

I suppose that's possible, but I don't think it's the case. The Resolute spoke about jumping away - indicating they still had FTL capabilities. The egg drive that ended up on J2 was from Robot's ship, which had been crashed on the surface the entire time. I thought the Resolution had their own drive, Robot came to the Resolute in his own ship with its own drive, which then crashed on the planet with all the Jupiters. His drive then attached itself to the rover thing and made its way to the J2. There's probably a third one on the new robot's ship too.

Of course, it's entirely possible that there is only 1 drive, and everyone who knows how the Resolute's FTL capabilities work is dead and they just don't realize their engine is missing.

The real question is whether we'll even see the Resolute next season? If not none of this matters a whole lot. They spent a fair amount of time developing a few of those characters, and while I wouldn't be heart broken to lose the Dhar family, I did really enjoy the Watanabes.

See, I was under the impression that Robot's ship crashed on the planet roughly the same time all the Jupiters did.  But it would make sense that the Robot ships have their own drives too and I don't know why I just assumed there was only the one.  I guess part of the reason was because if all the Robot ships had their own drives, why would they have attacked the Resolute to get it back?  I'm kind of assuming it's a moot point though and we'll probably never see the Resolute or get the answer to this question!

[AngelKitty]

On ‎4‎/‎28‎/‎2018 at 4:45 PM, Miles said:

you could just fly to the mother ship, refuel and send them back to pick up the rest.

Maureen said they didn't have enough fuel to get off the planet, but I'm not sure if they took the fuel they did retrieve or just tried with what they had left.

On ‎5‎/‎8‎/‎2018 at 1:44 AM, greyhorse said:

Was there animosity between them in the original series?

Not at all.

[AngelKitty]

Maybe the robot aliens want their drive back because it seems to be as alive as they are. They are rescuing a family member rather than retrieving stolen property.

[rab01]

Also, if you were an alien race with an FTL drive, would you want US to have one?  Look at how badly we're screwing up our own planet; let alone how violent we may appear to outsiders.

[Subrookie]

On 4/24/2018 at 5:05 AM, Daltrey said:

That would have been a great solution. My thought was, the tanker will have to righted whether they try to save the guy or not, so they are going to lose fuel regardless; by tipping it back over onto the opposite side they could have still saved a good deal more than they did. 

Victor said the tank was pressurized, so it may not have mattered much if they had tipped it all the way over. Although the fuel came out of the tank like it was from a garden hose, if it was pressurized it would be like putting a hole in a propane tank. 

To be fair to the red haired guy they wouldn't have any fuel at all if he hadn't fixed the rover thing in the geyser field. 

Edited May 27, 2018 by Subrookie

[Happywatcher]

The original was good, campy scifi fun. The kids were kids and one college age, but basically good and with a lot of common sense. The men were competent men, who exhibited leadership within their areas of expertise. Maureen was smart and a good wife and mother at the same time. Dr Smith was a selfish jerk but comical enough the audience didn't want him dead.

The new Maureen is large and in charge, even for stuff she knows nothing about. I actually was mad when I found out why she was being a jerky bitch to her husband. She is an almost complete failure as a mother, her kids are brilliant but stupid and childish. The doctor/child was jarring. Dr Smith's brand of pure evil went on way too long.

[Locutus]

Wow, I'm a moron. I binge watched the whole first season before realizing the chicken was named after The Bloop! How could I miss that? Maybe because it was Don and not Penny.

[Subrookie]

I'm still not sure what Not Dr. Smith's end game plan was. She was stuck on a planet about to burn up and if she went back to the Resolute they'd send her out an airlock for killing the guard. Only toward the end did she have any plan to use the robot. 

I remember watching this episode and seeing how many lose ends there were with less than 10 minutes left. The ending tied most of those up but it all seemed to convenient. 

[LilJen]

On ‎4‎/‎15‎/‎2018 at 5:43 PM, snowwhyte said:

I can't stand Victor but I don't necessarily think he was wrong. The red haired guy was crushed under the trailer. His chances of survival were slim anyway and that fuel was all they had to try and get off the planet. 

 

On ‎5‎/‎27‎/‎2018 at 1:12 PM, Subrookie said:

To be fair to the red haired guy they wouldn't have any fuel at all if he hadn't fixed the rover thing in the geyser field. 

Exactly! Victor owed ANY of that fuel, however much of it was left, to red-haired guy. Without the antics of red-haired surfer, they would have NO fuel at all.

[Pindrop]

On 29/05/2018 at 12:20 AM, Subrookie said:

I'm still not sure what Not Dr. Smith's end game plan was. She was stuck on a planet about to burn up and if she went back to the Resolute they'd send her out an airlock for killing the guard. Only toward the end did she have any plan to use the robot. 

I remember watching this episode and seeing how many lose ends there were with less than 10 minutes left. The ending tied most of those up but it all seemed to convenient. 

It was all plot induced stupidity. Rather than characters with believable and consistent motivations and an overriding story arc, we had the writers saying “what can happen next that’s exciting?”

[LeGrandElephant]

On 4/20/2018 at 11:53 AM, Philbert said:

I know on the Netflix comments the geeks are tearing it apart

There are Netflix comments? Where can I read these? I don’t see them in the app. 

[Pindrop]

10 hours ago, LeGrandElephant said:

There are Netflix comments? Where can I read these? I don’t see them in the app. 

Yes, but unavailable in the app. Irritatingly Apple forces you into the app rather than allowing you to watch in your browser, because Apple offer “antagonism by design” (I tried to sell them that tag line, but they declined).

[MisterGlass]

14 hours ago, GayAsFuck said:

I've noticed plenty of concepts taken from the original series and incorporated into the reboot. For instance, the rapid freezing of the water Judy was trapped in during the first or so episode. John drifting through space and being rescued by the spaceship's harpoon. Judy's relationship with Don. The iconic "The Robinsons Were Here". I don't want to say for sure, but Don rescued a chicken after Smith's ship crashed, and in the original shortly after the Robinsons crash-landed, Penny rescued a chimp-like creature. 

As for the robot, I'm not so sure about him resembling the IRON GIANT (the image of that hunk of metal is still pretty fresh in my mind from when I saw Ready Player One), but they made him more humanoid, sure. Definitely. I'm certain this is because the original robot had, I wanna describe them as, pincers. And a robot with pincers doing things like playing the guitar (which they actually had the robot do in one of the episodes I've recently watched) would not fly in a 2018 Netflix show.

I didn't realize there was a stuck-in-ice scene in the original series.  The Thing From Another World was from 1951; I suppose it could have influenced the original series, but no way to know.  Either way, it was a good, well-executed concept.

Regarding the Iron Giant vs. the robot, I didn't mean to imply a physical resemblance.  I was thinking about the backstories: killer alien robots lost and disconnected from their civilizations, befriended by a child.  I agree, the old school robot wouldn't work now, and they did great work on the new design.

[Mrs. Stanwyck]

Judy said she just needed an inch to get Evan out.  They had shovels; why didn't they dig some dirt out from under him and slide him out?  Or lift the charriot just enough to get him out and then drop it back on top of the rock?  I was literally yelling at the tv to dig under Evan.

Regarding why June had to assume Dr. Smith's identify instead of continuing to pretend to be her sister - I believe the commander on the Resolute removed all of her access.  She had to steal Dr. Smith's coat and use some electronic thing in his jacket to open his Jupiter.  Without her's sister electronic access, she couldn't have gotten in her own Jupiter.

I don't think's its coming in Season 1 but I'm going to need some serious comeuppance for June.  It's extremely unsatisfying to see her get away with crap over and over and over again.

[Happy Harpy]

Several actors who play characters from the Resolute (like Ajay Friese, who plays Vijay, or Kiki Sukezane) rejoiced about the renewal in a way that makes me think they expect to be in S2. I liked the show and the Robinsons much better in the second half, so I hope it's the case. It would be a big incentive for me to watch season 2 -more than Robinsons vs Smith only.

[Mrs. Stanwyck]

Quote

I want to know more about the jump in technology flashback. It seemed to me the government knew that meteor was coming and were all too happy to let it happen and evacuate the “highly qualified” off planet.

The way I saw that scene is that it wasn't a meteor that crashed into Earth but the alien ship.  The government(s)? told the meteor lie and then raided the alien ship for technology.  In the flashback, Maureen told the kids that it was weird a meteor that size could crash into Earth without them having months of warning and without their being additional smaller pieces of the meteor hitting the earth.  She said it didn't really make sense.   The project Maureen was working on was after the "meteor" hit and Earth was dying and the only reason they were able to make Maureen's plan work is because they had discovered the alien technology.