Living conditions, particularly air quality, are becoming increasingly complicated on Earth. But humanity has managed to develop technology that allows a spacecraft to travel considerable distances without delay. The Resolution, a formidable vessel, carries families of colonists to Alpha Centauri. But during one of its voyages, an inexplicable disaster forced the passengers to evacuate in a hurry.
Aboard the Jupiter 2 shuttle, the Robinson family crashes on an unknown planet. Their youngest son, Will, curious by nature, discovers another ship that has also crashed, an alien ship. A half-destroyed robot dragged itself out of the wreckage. Frightened but fascinated, Will decided to save it. This was the beginning of an unlikely friendship that would change the course of human destiny.
Will and the Robot (Don & Debbie, Penny & Vijay…)
Adapted from a series dating back to 1965 (yes, series already existed back then! Some actors from the original series make cameo appearances here), Lost in Space succeeds in creating a compelling science fiction visual universe. Spaceships, costumes, aliens are all present. One might be surprised by the number of planets with breathable atmospheres that our travelers encounter. But there is no shortage of strange environments and creatures, so let’s not deny ourselves the pleasure.
Another great strength of the series is its endearing characters and the beautiful, often subtle relationships they develop. The series could have been called Will and the Robot, given how crucial their unusual friendship is. But other characters also offer beautiful moments of emotion and interesting narrative arcs.
Lost in Space also has its weaknesses. The characters risk dying at least once per episode and then survive, which gets a little difficult to believe after a while… Similarly, some highly improbable twists (such as Smith’s resurrection) are never explained.
But overall, it remains a very good science fiction series, and the challenge of reviving an anthology series has been met.
3 seasons, 28 episodes (50 mn), 2018-2021, on Netflix
WITH : Molly Parker as Maureen Robinson, Toby Stephens as John Robinson, Maxwell Jenkins as Will, Taylor Russell as Judy, Mina Sundwall as Penny, Mina Sundwall as Penny, Parker Posey as Dr Smith, Brian Steele as the Robot, Ajay Friese as Vijay Dhar, Raza Jaffrey as Victor Dhar, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Hiroki Watanabe, Douglas Hodge as Alistair Hastings, JJ Feild as Ben Adler, Sakina Jaffrey as Captain Kamal…