and/or having a crush on Rachel
I’m picturing the robot driving a police car and going, “OOOH! OOOH!”
I haven’t even made it through the first episode yet, but even in that first episode at 15:30 I noticed that Major West gave Judy a little “hey baby, just wait and see what I’m going to do to you as soon as I get out of this freezing tube” look right before lift off.
Are you seriously trying to watch this show? You have so much disappointment ahead of you.
It is rather difficult. I have to stop and rest every now and then.
It’s kinda hard to believe this was ever intended as any sort of “adult show”. The very first episode oozes “kiddie matinee” and cheese, considering the opening animation and the “stay tuned” at the end of the episode. I found it embarrasingly puerile when I first saw it, and I was nine at the time.
Much better was a comic book issued by Gold Key three years earlier entitled Space Family Robinson – which looks oddly familiar. The family (two adults, two kids, plus pets) leave earth in 2001 (four years later than the ones in Lost in Space). No robot or Dr. Smith character, so it’s more like the original pilot. By the second issuer they really were lost in space aboard their large space ship, Space Station One. They can cruise from planet to planet, and have various adventures. They considered suing Allen’s company when the TV series came out, but Gold Key was publishing Irwin Allen titles. Plus he hadc a lot more money. So they changed the title to “Lost in Space”, and outlasted the TV show.
Even better, of course, was another show that CBS passed on, Star Trek. I’d known about Star Trek every since 1964, when its coming was announced in Famous Monsters of Filmland.
But, my god, Lost in Space was dumb.
So how did June Lockhart get away with having three kids and staying alive?
*”Now is the time on Lost in Space when we dance!
Nobody but me gets to do the Robot!”*
She got lost in space. Nothing good ever happens to promiscuous women.
I was 14 at the time, and thought it was extremely stupid. In particular, I couldn’t figure out why the others didn’t terminate Dr. Smith with extreme prejudice within the first three episodes. (You could say the same about Gilligan, but at least Gilligan was somewhat likable, and when he screwed things up it was accidental rather than malignant like Smith.) I mean, he deserved to be bumped off just for being annoying, even if he hadn’t been a liability.
Major West certainly would have liked to take care of Smith if Professor Robinson had only given him the go-ahead.
I made it through Episode 2 of Season 1 and have started on Episode 3. The plot for this Episode 2 is twofold. First is the harrowing escape from an approaching comet. This is followed by the discovery of a large, mysterious alien spaceship. I noticed one interesting scene in Episode 2 that does little to advance either portion of the plot:
[Major West is working on some controls near a window. Judy brings him a cup of coffee. They are alone.]
JUDY: I thought you might like this.
MAJOR WEST: Thank you.
JUDY: Any luck?
MAJOR WEST: [sigh] Not yet. Shouldn’t you be getting some sleep?
JUDY: I can’t close my eyes. Not until we know something.
MAJOR WEST: You’ll be getting pretty sleepy.
JUDY: [looking out window] That could almost be the great galaxy of Andromeda, couldn’t it?
MAJOR WEST: Yeah. Although, from where we sit it could almost be anything.
JUDY: Funny how easy it was to identify the galaxies back at school. Used to just sit there and rattle them off.
MAJOR WEST: Do you want to go home Judy?
[Judy leans back seductively on the bulkhead, the bright lights of the spaceship glistening off the shiny spacesuit covering her nubile, young …]
JUDY: I never did like school.
Is the purpose of this scene to foreshadow a romantic relationship between Major West and Judy? Was Judy flirting with Major West?
Deus Ex reference?
I made it through Episode 3, Season 1 this morning. A couple of observations:
After the crash landing, as soon as her mother unharnesses Judy from her restraints, Judy is immediately concerned about the safety of Major West who is upstairs.
Later, while searching for John, Major West discovers the space chimp. Although everyone refers to it as it, he, or him, Penny spontaneously declares, “I’m going to call you Debbie” without explanation. No answer so far to cochrane’s question “And why did Penny Robinson name her pet space chimp Debbie.”
Upon closer observation, it appears that while her mother removed the restraints from her younger two siblings, Judy was able to remove her own restraints by herself. Interestingly, Judy refers to Major West as “Don” and not “Major West.” Also, seeing Marta Kristen in restraints was the highlight of my morning.
Fun fact: Marta Kristen and Billy (Danger, Will Robinson!) Mumy had previously worked together in a 1961 episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents called “Bang! You’re Dead!”
I finished Episode 4, Season 1 this afternoon. Oh my God! That is the monster that scared me so badly the first time I watched this episode. I remember my older brother made fun of me when I was unable to look at the television screen when the monster was present
.
For some reason, the crew had placed the space washer outside. It was really awesome. In an instant the laundry was washed, dried, folded, and sealed in plastic bags. It was a good thing the open-minded people of 1997 thought to send women into space. Without Dr. Maureen Robinson, who had a Ph.D. in biochemistry, how would the laundry ever get done or meals cooked?
This episode raises more questions. Where the heck did the briefly seen space ostriches in a pen or the trained space turtle come from?
There was much development in the Judy/Major West relationship. While Major West was making repairs to the Chariot, Judy was sitting next to him handing him tools. Major West snuck* in a quick kiss to the back of Judy’s hand. Penny saw this and immediately blabbed to her parents. Penny’s mother had to give Penny a quick lecture on young people in love. Maureen and John then have a brief discussion on the possibility of Judy and Major West getting married. Near the end while everyone was exploring the space castle, Judy and Major West can be seen briefly holding hands.
- I know some of you will say say that snuck isn’t a real word but I am going to use it anyway just because I can.
Billy Mumy was one of the best child actors of his time.
Heh!!!
Wow! …