Lost In Space Review – Spoiler Free Review
Lost In Space is a new TV series available exclusively on the Netflix streaming platform. The series is a reboot of the very popular science fiction series of the same name which first debuted in 1965. The series stars Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins, Mina Sundwall, Ignacio Serricchio, Parker Posey and Brian Steele.
When I first started seeing the trailers for Lost In Space I was very impressed with all the nice special effects and the new look for the show. I’ve been well aware of Lost In Space for some time due to encountering the original series every now and again, but I’d never really had the chance to watch any of that all the way through other than seeing the occasional episode on TV. But I really would like to watch the original series all the way though now that I’ve seen this new one.
Unlike Altered Carbon, which was another of Netflix’s recent science fiction originals that was focused on the more adult viewer. Lost In Space is a show which the entire family can enjoy. The entire plot of Lost In Space is about a family who go out in Space on a ship together and after a minor disaster, they become lost in space and have really no way of getting back at all. They’ve got an advanced ship that can fly around, but that’s about it and of course they’ve all got each other.
The Robinson family is a family of five. We have Maureen (Molly Parker), John (Toby Stephens), Will (Maxwell Jenkins), Judy (Taylor Russell) and Penny (Mina Sundwall). Each of the members in the family fulfil a different scientific role on the ship, but as they’re all family members, they’re also very close to each other and concerned for each other’s well being in what is a very dangerous adventure they are on. Being a close and tight family, I felt when watching it, that the stakes seemed quite high. There’s no real disposable member in the crew that can just be killed off like a red shirt in Star Trek. This is made clear early on in the show when one family member gets stuck in some ice and nearly freezes to death and the whole family comes together to save them so they don’t lose them. Each episode continues on with this family theme and as something to watch with the family or even alone, it’s a nice theme to have to watch on TV, especially in the sci-fi genre which often depicts more lonely characters or adult only themes.
The plot in the show thoughout the 10 episodes to me seemed rather good. Some would argue that some science possibly doesn’t make sense, but I don’t go into this show looking for a science lesson, I’m there for the drama and the entertainment it provides. After watching the 10 episodes, I did feel that the show was a little weaker in the second half when more characters were introduced beyond the Robinson family. Apart from the Robot and the show’s villain Dr. Smith (Parker Posey), other characters just didn’t seem to catch on very well. I just couldn’t get into them or care. Lost In Space was at its best when it stuck to the core family and got a little boring every time it wandered too far away from its core characters and theme.
The show does have quite a bit of lore to delve into for fans who enjoy those things. There’s a robot that’s introduced early on in the show and it is not of human origin. Where it came from or who made it is something unknown and the series gives viewers little glimpses of that all the way through the 10 episodes. You never really get to learn the full story behind the robot, but as a viewer I’m quite keen to see how that develops in season 2 if there was one. The background of the individual characters for the Robinson family are all interesting. Each character has a past and maybe not a perfect background, especially Maureen who did some dodgy stuff before she left to go into space. Exploring these characters and their past is interesting and I’m curious to see how they develop in season 2 and beyond.
The actors are all quite good, I enjoyed the performance from Molly Parker who some may have seen before on Netflix’s House Of Cards where she played Jackie Sharp. In this series, Molly does well in the role of the mother of the Robinson family and as one of the most central characters in the show, she wasn’t boring to watch. I thought that Taylor Russell did well as Judy, but I would of liked the character to be in the show a little more than she was. Parker Posey did well for her time in the show as the villain and it was nice that the writers took time to develop the character of Dr. Smith and her backstory so we knew a bit more about her as the show progressed.
Overall Lost In Space is certainly worth taking a look at if you have Netflix at home. The special effects are all pretty great for something on television and it’s one of Netflix’s best looking shows ever. Lost In Space is a science fiction series about the Robinson family that is lost in space and as it’s a family story, it’s a good one to watch with your own family. The show is filled with themes of sticking together, caring for your family members and helping each other out to fix things that might be broken. It’s a nice 10 episode show, that’s a relaxing one to watch during the weekend or over a few weeks. It does have some issues when it starts introducing so many characters outside of the Robinson family and none of them are at all interesting to watch. But the show’s villain Dr. Smith and the enigmatic robot keep things interesting. I’m happy to recommend taking a look at Lost In Space!
