Engaging and Aesthetically Pleasing

This re-invention of the 60’s era Lost in Space series is a complex, family friendly, technology filled thriller. The Robinson’s, among many other families, have made the decision to travel to a new colony on Alpha Centauri. During their journey something goes terribly wrong and the families are forced to evacuate their colony ship far from their destination in their individual, family-sized Jupiter ships. From this point, the real journey begins, as they have become stranded on a beautiful earth-like planet but soon find themselves in a desperate race to get back to their colony ship. With wonderful contrasts between magnificent natural beauty and harrowing hidden dangers, the urge to explore and the struggle to survive become intertwined. I really enjoyed the fact that even though their world is filled with futuristic technology, the show is not focused on it. The characters are as comfortable with both their scientific knowledge and technology as we are with our smart phones and smart devices. The technology is just part of the story it is not the focus of it.

This series flows nicely through the first few episodes, with a little slow down and some predictability in the middle of the series. It comes back to finish off with some twists which many may not see coming and which polish off the series with excitement. I do have to admit, a little over half way through I thought I had the series figured out and was uninspired to continue. If you find yourself in this predicament, force yourself to continue, as I believe you will be pleasantly or even enthusiastically surprised as I was. Though the very end has some elements of predictability, the lead up to it was very exciting with many twists and turns along the way. There was of course a cliffhanger at the end of the series which left me interested but not as invested in the next series as others I have seen.

The casting was good, with Parker Posey as the manipulative “Dr. Smith” character. She did a good job carrying this character, though I thought the character itself could be a little less predictable. Molly Parker plays Maureen Robinson, the mother of the Robinson family. She is a perfect match for this strong female role who both leads her family and the larger group of colonists through various trials and tribulations. Judy and Penny Robinson, played by Taylor Russel and Mina Sundwall respectively, are also a good fit for their characters as the two Robinson daughters. Both of these characters are strong female roles as well, but with those strengths portrayed in very different ways. Penny is funny and somewhat reckless where Judy is much more serious and mature. These characteristics both help and hinder them through their various challenges and relationships. Their younger brother Will Robinson is played by Maxwell Jenkins who fits this part perfectly. His combination of intelligence, naiveté and newly discovered bravery are a great fit for the situations this character finds himself in. The physically strong and yet somewhat emotionally damaged father John Robinson is played by Toby Stevens. I find that he easily pulls off the role as a lifetime military man trying to reacquaint himself with his family that he has missed so much time with through his years of service.

With the bombardments of advertising and some of the negative reviews I had perused, I went into this series with low to indifferent expectations. I was thrilled to instead find myself both entertained and fully engaged through most of the series. If you haven’t seen it yet, start streaming, you won’t regret it.

Netflix Lost In Space Series

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