Netflix offers access to a wide range of licensed content, including the full James Bond collection, but it’s the originals that will keep you subscribed, with the streamer releasing new titles regularly. Some of them have plenty of seasons to keep you entertained, with “Bridgerton,” now in its fourth season, being a good example. Others have a much shorter life, with the two-season “The OA” series being one example that still hurts some fans. But there is one Netflix TV show that will not upset you when it ends, as it was designed to last three seasons. That’s much better than experiencing an abrupt cancellation. Best of all, it’s a remake of an all-time classic sci-fi series that some TV fans might remember fondly, “Lost in Space.” The original also had three seasons airing on CBS between 1965 and 1968.
Whether you saw the original, Netflix’s “Lost in Space” deserves more attention and may even warrant a rewatch. It’s a more modern take on the stranded-in-space story, featuring high-tech special effects that may resemble at times the action scenes in sci-fi stories made for the big screen rather than a streaming service. It’s not just the VFX that may keep you glued to your TV when going through the show’s 28 episodes. The story and the characters are what will make you follow along.
The relationship between Will Robinson (Maxwell Jenkins) and the Robot (Brian Steele) is at the heart of the story. But “Lost in Space” also follows the arcs of all the other Robinson family members, including John (Toby Stephens), Maureen (Molly Parker), Judy (Taylor Russell), and Penny (Mina Sundwall). Parker Posey, playing the Machiavellian fraudster June Harris (aka Dr. Smith), is also a highlight of “Lost in Space.”
What happens in Lost in Space?
The “Lost in Space” remake takes place in the not-too-distant future, in 2046, in the aftermath of a cataclysm on Earth. The Robinsons are selected to head to Alpha Centauri on a mission to colonize a new planet, boarding the Resolute spaceship. The mission doesn’t go according to plan, as alien robots attack, forcing the people to board their escape pods and hope for the best. That’s how the Robinsons are stranded in the modern remake. We get three seasons to explore their adventures, trying to survive their new world, and deal with the unexpected twists and turns. Dr. Smith is also part of the picture, a character who is fighting for her own survival, even if that means manipulating the Robinsons, starting conflicts, and involving plots that involve the alien robot found on the planet.
Robot is also a central character of the story, almost from the get-go, a mysterious being that takes an interest in Will Robinson, forming a bond that will be a key development for the entire story. Not all people feel safe around Robot, however. Even Will fears the machine, questioning its intentions. Robot isn’t the only machine of its kind, and the three “Lost in Space” seasons will explore the conflict between humanity and the robot species. “Lost in Space” does a good job looking at the wider mythology of this universe, with several flashbacks providing the extra context needed to flesh out the various character arcs.
“Lost in Space” season 3, which was announced as the final season in the sci-fi series from the get-go, concludes the story, rather than leaving unresolved cliffhangers. Without spoiling any of the twists and turns and the action, the Robinsons get their happy ending, arriving on Alpha Centauri.
Is Lost in Space worth watching?
Netflix released the three “Lost in Space” seasons between 2018 and 2021, with fans having to wait plenty of time between seasons. Season one was released on April 13, 2018, season two dropped on December 24, 2019, and season three needed an even longer wait, premiering on December 1, 2021. The final season was also shorter than expected, spanning eight episodes instead of the expected 10 episodes (that’s how long the first two seasons are).
But what’s interesting about “Lost in Space” is that the show received better reviews as the story advanced. The entire series has an average Rotten Tomatoes rating of 84% from critics, which suggests “Lost in Space” is a good TV show to stream at home. If you look at the Rotten Tomatoes scores for each season (67% for season one, 85% for season two, and 100% for season three) you may also draw a second conclusion. “Lost in Space” may need some time to grow on you, but it’s worth following the protagonists and the villains throughout the 28 episodes.
The IMDb ratings tell a similar story. “Lost in Space” has an average rating of 7.3/10 out of over 110,000 reviews, with ratings picking up significantly in season two. The season two finale “Ninety-Seven” is the best-rated one on IMDb, with an 8.4/10 score. Put differently, this sci-fi TV show is worth streaming on Netflix, even almost eight years after its premiere. The modern story proposes more complex characters than the original and impressive visuals. It should be an even better experience binging all 28 episodes instead of waiting years between seasons. What you may want to avoid is the 1998 “Lost in Space” movie: Great cast, not-so-great remake.
