Re: robot
I think the robot got blown off, but the “egg” thingy took them to the robot’s home planet, so there will be plenty of opportunities to get a new robot. We’ll probably get some nonsense about the egg preserving the robot’s “consciousness” so the new one will act the same as the old one.
Four episodes in and I pretty much like it. The premier was weak with lots of questionable science and stupid contrivances. As the episodes have progressed the science remains dodgy, but the contrivances less so.
And the production values are really top-notch.
Based on the comments above, it gets better as the season goes on, so I think I’ll stick with it.
I like it a fair amount. It’s a lot like the TV show The 100. Some stuff makes sense and other stuff is just super silly. If you can’t accept the super silly stuff then you’re not going to like it.
Production value was quite good for a 10-episode series, though.
I really had trouble with Dr. Smith. She’s such a sociopath I don’t understand how there can be any redemption for her character. I would have blown her out the airlock.
What if they’re swearing wetpants?
Just finished binge watching season one and I have to say I liked it quite a bit. There was the traditional slow down in the middle episodes, and a couple of places where someone knew something important (like Maureen knowing there’s a black hole around the sun) but they neglect to tell everyone else which ends up being a stupid dramatic plot point. But overall I thought the pacing and subplots were decent and I enjoyed getting from start to finish. Obviously season one is setting the table and establishing the characters and I think they did a good job of that.
The SFX were great, the updated take on the robot was interesting, and Dr. Smith is as annoying as ever.
Season two will be interesting in that there will be very few other humans in the show except for the crew of the Jupiter 2 (Unless they cheese it up like the original show did). I’ll be interested in seeing if they can continue to have a human drama along with all the space plots.
I loved the show as a kid even though I thought it was a little cheesy. Turns out rewatching it as an adult, it’s unbelievably cheesy. This series is a lot better than the original.
Very impressed that Netflix is going in on SciFi and spending the money. This show and Altered Carbon are two of the better looking ones to come out.
Half-way through this. It’s definitely gobsmackingly well-made, and bodes well for the future of “tv” s-f in terms of production values.
It’s engaging enough, but I feel it suffers from two major problems: lack of charisma and likeability in the leads (apart from Jenny), and that modern scriptwriting malaise of having characters acting as mere doohickeys connecting set pieces, instead of behaving like real people from their own consistent or semi-consistent motivations. There’s a touch of the old Prometheus nonsensical scriptwriting about it.
But while these problems are present (as well as a small bit of diversity/feminism posturing) neither of them are bad enough to prevent one from enjoying the spirit of the thing, and the lavish spectacle.
There are two disappointments from the point of view of a fan of the old tv series: the robot looks like a like a generic alien monster refugee from a videogame - sadly, not very imaginative art design. The Dr. Smith actress does a good job with an odd character, but unfortunately her character is so essentially unlikeable that one feels a bit queasy when she’s on-screen. Zachary Smith had a certain charm to balance his villainous side, this character has none, she’s just distasteful.
After that bad movie, it seemed odd that the makers of it hadn’t been able to do something better with such beloved and promising material. This show isn’t nearly as bad as that movie was, and it’s quite good in parts, but somehow one feels that they too haven’t quite hit the mark of what one would like to see with the franchise. Good effort, but not yet the ideal remake of Lost In Space.
The funny thing is that your comment kind of only applies to gamers who can see the obvious Mass Effect stylings there. The majority of reviewers felt the robot was great, so I guess it played well with non gamers. I totally agree on the “Dr Smith” character. Posey did a good job but I felt the character was poorly written and very one dimensional.
I was intrigued up until around the end of episode four, and then my interest began to fade big time, for many of the reasons noted above. (Although I don’t recall noticing the “diversity/feminism posturing”.) Not a strong first season, but I’ll probably give the second season a chance.
I was OK with the robot’s visual design for the most part, but I totally agree with gurugeorge about Dr. Smith being a big disappointment, and with rshetts about Posey doing a good job (and the best she could do) with the role as written.
I really enjoyed it. Just read Rock8man’s posts in my voice and that will save me a lot of typing.
Rewatching the original on Hulu and the first few episodes (ignoring the Dr Smith-less pilot that was used to fill out later eps) are soooo much better than the human carrot crap it turned into. Not bad for 1964 sci-fi. Now I understand why my 7-year-old self thought it was good SF – I was watching Season 1 after school, not Seasons 2/3.
Dr Smith was WAY more threatening in the early eps. In ep 2 or 3 he has the Robot smash a space helmet and tells Don West to do what he says or the robot will do that to his head.
Also, a lot of elements from the first few eps were paid homage in the new series, such as the harpoon. And the Robinsons doing stupid things.
Going to stop watching these before they go color, though. Space circuses and talking carrots, nah. Edit: Falls apart at episode 7. Space cowboy. All done.
Season 2 confirmed. My 13 year old daughter really enjoyed the strong female characters and I enjoyed that.
During one of the episodes I grumbled about a plot hole. She said to me “Dad it’s a science-fiction show. You are supposed to suspend disbelief”
Just subscribed to Netflix. Too lazy to read this thread. Watched the original as a kid.
Should I watch this?
Don’t know about the original, but I enjoyed this one, so I’d say yes.
Watch both. The new ones first. Trust me.
Thanks!
Season 2 trailer
Premiers Dec 24th. I have to admit I’d forgotten all about this.
Like, you watched the first season and forgot? I don’t recall ever knowing this was a thing. Not sure we were watching Netflix yet.
The first season was, let’s call it, uneven and often annoying to the point of being infuriating.
This is me. I enjoyed the first season but it was far from memorable.
I really enjoyed the first season, and have been thinking about it on and off since then. I’m really looking forward to a second season.
I’m not going to watch the trailer, obviously, but it’s good to know the release date. Maybe I can time my next netflix subscription for January to catch it.