I have fond memories of watching reruns of Lost in Space on television so I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Netflix had decided to remake the series. However, I was also a bit apprehensive since remakes, as well as sequels, are rarely as good as the original (Battlestar Galactica being a rare exception to the rule), fears that were soon put to ease.

Lost in Space sticks to its source material pretty closely and has everything you would expect from a remake of the 1960s classic. Naturally, it has the Robinson family, which is composed of Maureen (Molly Parker), John (Toby Stephens), Judy (Taylor Russell), Penny (Mina Sundwell) and Will (Maxwell Jenkins). And, of course, it also has the manipulative and dastardly Dr Smith, this time in a gender reversal with Parker Posey as the doc.

Its plot and premise are pretty much identical to the original Lost in Space. The Robinsons have been chosen to colonize Alpha Centauri, a distant planet that is capable of supporting human life since Earth is near death. They and their fellow colonists board the “Resolute” and begin their journey towards their new home, filled with hope, excitement and looking forward to their new lives.

That is until an alien robot manages to get on board the colony ship and goes on a killing spree, resulting in the Robinsons and some of their fellow colonists being forced to evacuate to a nearby planet. The colonists are separated from each other but are eventually reunited; they work together to survive and return to the Resolute.

The fact that Will has befriended the alien and is eventually able to influence its actions, makes things more complicated at camp. The alien’s presence causes a lot of fear and tension because it is unclear whether the robot is friend or foe, which is something that is left unclear till the last episode.

By the end of the season, after having overcome several trials, most of the colonists are able to return to the “Resolute”, except for the Robinsons. Instead of rejoining their colony group, their ship is hijacked and they are warped to a strange (probably dangerous) new location and the Robinsons are now truly lost in space!

Andrew Yeh

Andrew Yeh is an avid consumer of television. Thanks to the Internet, he is now able to watch as many shows as he wants whenever he can! His other passions in life are video games and anime. Andrew completed a Bachelor of Communication at Massey University, which is an experience that provided him with a deeper appreciation of the media.