TV Review: Netflix’s “Lost In Space” a Surprisingly Good Adventure

I guess I never should have doubted. 

I should have gone into Netflix’s new “Lost In Space” series brimming with confidence that the streaming giant could make a compelling, family-friendly drama (the 10-episode season is rated “TV-PG”).

When the first trailer for the series was released back in March, I did a blog post about it. The visuals looked handsome, but I was skeptical. 

Bridget and I spent the past few days charging through the first season of “Lost In Space.” 

Color me impressed. 

“Lost In Space” is an entertaining sci-fi adventure — a well-designed reboot of the 1960s series.

It feels like the writers drew inspiration from films like “The Martian” and “Interstellar” — then wrapped it all in a setting that would make Jules Verne proud. 

At its core, “Lost In Space” is a family drama. The story focuses on the Robinson family — 30 years in the future. They are part of the 24th Colonist Group. 

As fate would have it, a mysterious asteroid referred to as “The Christmas Star” hit Earth. The impact creates serious environmental implications.

Through a series of flashbacks strewn throughout the first season, we see the Robinson family as they are living modified life and dealing with our planet’s changed reality. People have to wear gas masks outdoors. Plant life is in danger. The future of mankind is bleak. 

The Robinsons apply — and are accepted — into the 24th mission to a planet called Alpha Centauri. Humans have begun colonizing that world as a future home for our species. 

The Robinsons are led by matriarch Maureen (Molly Parker). She is an aerospace engineer brimming with excitement about taking her family to a new world. 

She is married to John (Toby Stephens). The combat vet (a former Navy SEAL) has been estranged from the family — spending much of his time overseas on vague military missions. 

The couple has three children. The eldest child (daughter of Maureen, step-daughter of John) is Judy Robinson (Taylor Russell). The 18-year-old is a doctor on the mission — whip smart with a strong moral compass. 

The middle child is Penny (Mina Sundwall), a precocious book nerd who aspires to be a writer. 

The youngest member of the brood is 11-year-old Will (Maxwell Jenkins). He is a kid who likes to build models and has an affinity for geology. 

The first season begins with the Robinson family making a crash landing — on an unknown planet — in a space craft referred to as the “Jupiter.” 

Something has happened to the mother ship (the Resolute) carrying the colonists. As a result, the families have to evacuate in the “Jupiter” pods — and escape through a rip in space. 

The first season finds the Robinsons solving all sorts of scientific puzzles to save their ship, save the other colonists, and save themselves.

On the surface, the premise makes it sound like “Lost In Space” treads fairly predictable territory. 

However, the show’s writers have done a good job crafting cliffhanger moments (literally and figuratively) to amp up the drama. This isn’t a show where the action is built on brute force and fisticuffs.

Rather, this incarnation of “Lost In Space” seems operate by Mark Watney’s line in “The Martian” when the stranded astronaut quips, “In the face of overwhelming odds, I’m left with only one option. I’m going to have to science the sh!t out of this.”

While intellect and problem solving are at the show’s core, it never feels like it is pandering or heavy-handed. 

One of the best aspects of Netflix’s “Lost In Space” is the likable cast. In family dramas like this, it is easy to have a situation where the kids grate on your nerves. 

Thankfully, that doesn’t happen here. 

In addition to the familial aspects of the show, “Lost In Space” features a fairly solid supporting cast. 

Among the other survivors is a low-rent Han Solo-type named Don West (Ignacio Serricchio) — a rougish roughneck who refers to Judy Robinson as “princess” and cynically wants to be paid for his services. 

There has been quite a bit of debate on the web about Parker Posey’s portrayal of Dr. Smith. Her character uses “identity theft” to wiggle onto the mission to Alpha Centauri. She is mentally askew, and schemes her way into the Robinson’s world. 

I didn’t have a problem with the character. Posey does creepy quite well (as evidenced in a scene where she sings “This Little Light of Mine” to herself). 

But, like others on the Internet, I wondered why the Robinsons gave her second chance after second chance... 

One of the more interesting characters in the show is the robot Will discovers in the woods — an alien machine who befriends the boy in similar fashion to the way Scharwezenegger’s T-800 befriended John Connor in “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.”

As I mentioned earlier, the show has strong visuals — a top-notch production design. 

The Jupiter pods are a cross between a flying saucer and a spacious RV (the ships even have “pop outs” to extend the livable space). There is an all-terrain vehicle stored in each of the ships called a “Chariot” — allowing the survivors to move about the mystery planet. 

Also of note is the score by composer Christopher Lennertz. The music featured in “Lost In Space” weaves new orchestrations with John Williams’s original 1960s theme song. Lennertz has composed scores for a number of theatrical movies, and his compositions give heft to the story. 

While the show has its imperfections, “Lost In Space” is a fun adventure. It is a solid sci-fi drama that has a look, feel, and style rivaling many Hollywood blockbusters.

“Lost In Space” solidifies the notion that Netflix has range (and illustrates a willingness to pump money into compelling dramas with family appeal). 

As Don West says, “I don’t believe in looking back; that’s how you crash into things.”

If Netflix wants to win the content wars, it needs to stay on a forward trajectory. “Lost In Space” shows promise, and sets a course for the streaming giant’s future...

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