Lost in Space, season 2, returns with the Robinson family and their always perilous efforts to reach Alpha Centauri and safety. There are nonstop thrills and excitement for the younger fans, and themes about love, family, loyalty, and immigration for the older fans.
When season 2 of this sci-fi adventure begins, the Robinsons have spent 7 months on a planet with air they can’t breathe and water they can’t drink. They have Dr. Smith (Parker Posey) locked in a room. Life is relatively calm.
Despite the calm, no one is really happy there. Will (Maxwell Jenkins) doesn’t know where The Robot is. He misses his friend. The parents Maureen (Molly Parker) and John (Toby Stephens) are frustrated by their inability to garner enough power to take off from wherever they are. The girls Judy (Taylor Russell) and Penny (Mina Sundwall) miss having friends, too. The mechanic Don West (Ignacio Serricchio) thinks not having a lot of work to do is a great thing.
Naturally, they decide to convert the Jupiter spacecraft into a sailboat and sail into a recurring lightning storm to gather power. From there the season launches into a series of narrow escapes and heartfelt reunions.
With many risky adventures along the way, they reach their mother ship, The Resolute, only to discover that no one there has reached Alpha Centauri either. Will figures out where The Robot is and they take off in search of him.
They must fight hoards of insect-like robots, strange dinosaur creatures, metal eating viruses, and whale-like creatures that swim in clouds of ammonia. Don’t forget the self-serving evil of Dr. Smith. There’s an evil character named Hastings (Douglas Hodge) causing havoc in season 2. I could never quite figure out Hastings motivations – he was cruel for reasons I didn’t get. Maybe he had political ambitions.
There’s a constant push and pull between the Robinson parents (and all the other parents from the Resolute) and their need to protect their own families vs. the need to do the right thing for the greatest number of people.
Would you send your children ahead to an unknown place without you if it was the only way to save them? That seems a particularly relevant question in the current state of the world right here on earth.
The season ends with everything unsettled and many open questions. I took the season’s cliffhangers to mean Netflix already has plans for a 3rd season.
I love that Maureen Robinson is always the smartest person in the room and that the two Robinson daughters are resilient and smart as well. The female characters are outstanding in Lost in Space. Of course, young boys will look to Will Robinson as a heroic figure. He’s strong minded, he makes friends with a very nice robot, and he’s brave.
As in season 1, the ample budget for this space adventure shows in great visuals and stunning location shots. The music is swelling, heart-pounding, grand scale orchestration most of the time. The music definitely adds to the nail biting tension in every episode.
Only one of the ten episodes in season 2 had a woman director: Leslie Hope. There were 3 or 4 women on the writing team this season.
Check out the trailer.
The Lost in Space Facebook page has an abundance of video and clever images for your enjoyment. Before you go there, don’t forget to leave a comment here about your reaction to this series.