Netflix's Lost in Space Season 3

[The Green Monster]

I'm ignoring the posts.

I'm on the second episode. I'm starting to think the aliens that built the robots were telepaths/empaths....

 

[Candlicious Ghost]

I'm ignoring the posts.

I'm on the second episode. I'm starting to think the aliens that built the robots were telepaths/empaths....

What makes you say that?

 

[The Green Monster]

What makes you say that?

I forgot

 

[The Green Monster]

I just finished season 3! I enjoyed it. I think there must be some kind of protocol that triggers those robots. I think the "blue" faces were actually their true form. Something must have happened in the distant past that turned the robots against their creators.

I think it'd be nice to have a Bloop appearance in season 4 if it happens. It's also a shame that last scene was so fleeting. We barely saw those huge creatures across the lake...looks like some kind of a cross between like a sauropod and a camelid.


I do have a burning question. I may have missed something, but if that video of SARS scanning Grant Kelly, still in cyro, predates the Christmas Star incident, why were they looking for information? Maureen reacted as if that video was of the "true" first contact. But if SARS were compelled to scan him to determine where he was, it suggests an earlier contact some kind of contact with Humanity.

 

[Xerxes82]

I do have a burning question. I may have missed something, but if that video of SARS scanning Grant Kelly, still in cyro, predates the Christmas Star incident, why were they looking for information? Maureen reacted as if that video was of the "true" first contact. But if SARS were compelled to scan him to determine where he was, it suggests an earlier contact some kind of contact with Humanity.

Spoiler

I don't think it implies any prior contact. I think it implies intent. In this case, SAR's intent. Scarecrow was SENT to Earth, he didn't arrive by accident. The events that kicked off the show were because a robot was deliberately sent to visit us after the encounter with Kelly. The obvious question becomes why? Recon, maybe? But I suspect from the context of the final season that it was meant to be a genocidal pre-emptive strike. Which went wrong and allowed humans to access the engine and rift travel.

SAR hated "masters." It's never explicitly laid out, but he seems very much opposed to organic sentient life in general. I think he so hated being a slave that he was willing to destroy anybody who he feared might do that again to him and "his" robots. There is an interesting mirror there. Robot and his later fellows are freed from their programming by compassion, but SAR was freed by hatred and fear. Which explains the very different mentalities on display.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

The last season floored me. So many feels.

 

[Candlicious Ghost]

Did anyone catch this? Screencap from near the end of the series. You can see younger Will in the background

 

[Starscream2112]

Enjoyed season 3 alot. Sad that the show is over. So much better then the current batch of Star Trek shows. I notices that the music is very John Williams esque.

 

[marillion]

I really enjoyed the season as well as the final episode. I do think it left it open ended for further adventures in the future.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

I notices that the music is very John Williams esque.

Which is good since John Williams was a composer on the original show. I love how the opening credits ends with a sting of the original theme (well, one of them).

 

[Leo Walsh]

Talk about "feels," the way that the series opening credits contextualize space flight with respect to the story themes of the series is just magnificent.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Season was pretty good though it got a little rushed in parts as they closed out.

Spoiler

I thought Smith's conversion was a bit clumsy but in particular the robots all instantly converting after getting freed up seemed way too fast and easy. I like the idea but the whole lift a girder = friend for life seemed too unearned. It would've been better if they could've done Sally sooner and spent time with Penny earning her trust or at least not having all the kids do the same. They did have that with Scarecrow so maybe it was felt it would be too much to go there again.

The effects work continues to be fantastic and it's nice to see an actual family friendly show that doesn't feel like watching a children's show.

Don Cornelius West.

I have no words!

 

[Maurice]

My take on the saved robots turning is simple: they have been conditioned to think humans and Will Robinson specifically "reprogrammed" them, but an act of compassion makes them realize they can reprogram themselves ergo what SAR stands for isn't true.

 

[There Be Whales Here]

Started watching it today since Netflix finally released the new season. Only seen the first episode so far and it seems like the rest are going to be good. The biggest observation so far is how much older Will Robinson looks and makes me wonder how long these episodes take to make? I unfortunately skipped ahead all the pages of comments here without reading because I'm sure at the least some will spoil things. Will come back to them once I finish.

 

[Candlicious Ghost]

Spoiler

Isn't Robot taking over SAR's body the ultimate murder?

And nice forethought on his part by organizing that ahead of time.

 

[Candlicious Ghost]

I'm ignoring the posts.

I'm on the second episode. I'm starting to think the aliens that built the robots were telepaths/empaths....

What makes you think that?

 

[Christopher]

I just finished rewatching the full series, since it's been so long and I wanted to experience the whole thing in one binge. Season 1 is still my favorite, the purest realization of the "family surviving the perils of space" premise that the original series tried to be before it became about Dr. Smith's wacky antics. I loved how much it was about smart people creatively solving problems. The show never fully lost those elements, but I wasn't as fond of the sinister-conspiracy angle of season 2.

But season 3 worked very well, capturing everything that worked about the show -- the clever problem-solving and survival, the family drama, warmth, and humor, and the ultimately optimistic tone.

Spoiler

The way the kids won over the injured robots was a bit too easy, yes, but it was a lovely idea in spirit, that reaching out a helping hand is better than using a weapon. And we saw a nice parallel to that in the Robot reaching out his hand to Dr. Smith to save her from herself.

Even SAR was kind of sympathetic, since you could understand his motives in not wanting to be enslaved again, even if he'd become a fanatic as a result. I do wish it had been possible to win him over too, but I guess he was just too traumatized to be willing to trust anyone.

The visuals and production values were fantastic throughout, and the acting was excellent too, as was the music. This is one of the best-made SF shows I've ever seen, and it's a shame it was only 28 episodes.

I do have some issues. I'm disappointed that we didn't see any of the Watanabes after season 1, except for Naoko, who was reduced to a bit role. It also bugs me that the show totally forgot about the real Zachary Smith (Bill Mumy) being in cryosleep aboard the Resolute. It was never clarified whether he got out alive. And speaking of plot holes,

Spoiler

it was never adequately explained how "our" Dr. Smith/June Harris survived and got to the Jupiter at the end of season 2. The only explanation she gave was that she stowed away, but how did she reach it across open space with no helmet?

Also, the Christmas Star hit in 2044? That's way too near-future. It would mean that Grant Kelly was sent out on what was supposedly a survey mission to Alpha Centauri in the mid-2020s, just a few years from now. We're centuries away from that. Granted, 1997 was way too optimistic a prediction even in 1964, but at least they gave themselves a three-decade cushion.

 

[Candlicious Ghost]

I don't know about that. Maybe Kelly's ship and mission used some advanced sublight propulsion and time wasn't a factor since they had perfected the cryosleep technology to a point where it was safe to use and put those pods on the ship for the long journey. I really think that is one of the major hurdles now to long term spaceflights, that we haven't yet worked out a reliable technology to keep humans rested so they won't need to eat or drink.

 

[Christopher]

I don't know about that. Maybe Kelly's ship and mission used some advanced sublight propulsion and time wasn't a factor since they had perfected the cryosleep technology to a point where it was safe to use and put those pods on the ship for the long journey.

In the mid-2020s? Just a few years from today? We're still working on going back to the Moon. It's just too soon. I'd been assuming the show was set in the early 22nd century or something, given the technological level. At least they should've put the start of the series in 2097, an even century after the original series.

Besides, season 1 gave the clear impression that Earth didn't have any kind of interstellar capability until it got hold of the robots' engine and Scarecrow. So saying that the cover for Kelly's flight nearly two decades earlier was a preliminary Alpha Centauri mission is a major retcon.


Changing the subject: Given how freely the show reinvented characters and elements from the original show, it bugged me that they were so faithful to one specific detail -- the fact that the Robot was only called "the Robot," or just "Robot" like a personal name. (Well, the original Robot was technically called B-9, but never onscreen, I think.) It's kind of silly that Will feels such a bond to the Robot but never considers giving it a name. And it gets confusing when there are a lot more robots for the characters to talk about, and they had to specify "Will's Robot" or the like.

Also, it's always bugged me how selective Robot's language acquisition was in this show. He picked up "Danger, Will Robinson" within minutes, but only gradually added a handful of other words to his vocabulary over the course of nearly two years. I always found that contrived, and too cutesy a use of the famous catchphrase. Having SAR use actual verbs and (brief) sentence structure in taunting Will just underlines how artificial it was that Robot couldn't speak more clearly.

 

[Candlicious Ghost]

Changing the subject: Given how freely the show reinvented characters and elements from the original show, it bugged me that they were so faithful to one specific detail -- the fact that the Robot was only called "the Robot," or just "Robot" like a personal name. (Well, the original Robot was technically called B-9, but never onscreen, I think.) It's kind of silly that Will feels such a bond to the Robot but never considers giving it a name. And it gets confusing when there are a lot more robots for the characters to talk about, and they had to specify "Will's Robot" or the like.

Also, it's always bugged me how selective Robot's language acquisition was in this show. He picked up "Danger, Will Robinson" within minutes, but only gradually added a handful of other words to his vocabulary over the course of nearly two years. I always found that contrived, and too cutesy a use of the famous catchphrase. Having SAR use actual verbs and (brief) sentence structure in taunting Will just underlines how artificial it was that Robot couldn't speak more clearly.

I think that was a deliberate choice by the writers limiting what the Robot could or couldn't say. I don't know why they chose to do that considering Robot on the old show was way more talkative and could have actual conversations. It bugged me a little too but the show was good so I gave them a pass on that detail.

Also I am pretty sure they mention the year as being 2044 in the final episode, and that same year was thrown around a bit before the finale too. Do you think they will return to Earth since they are building a new Resolute?