Pilot Review: Lost in Space

Lost in Space (Netflix)
Premiered April 13

I’m confident that I’ve seen the original “Lost in Space,” but I honestly don’t remember anything about it other than “Danger, Will Robinson” being a key catchphrase. As a result, I was going into this remake without much context at all, and I’m pleased to report that this was an engaging opener. The stakes felt very high and these characters quickly became believable, forced to confront dangerous circumstances all on their own as a family. When I mentioned this remake to my mom, she asked about a stowaway aboard the ship, something that was only hinted at as the pilot closed, though Dr. Smith is an adapted character here, with Parker Posey’s mysterious criminal taking a man’s coat from him and stealing his identity while jumping aboard a ship. The familiar face that I knew here aside from Posey was Molly Parker, who I’ve liked since “Swingtown” and has more recently earned an Emmy nomination for her recurring role on “House of Cards.” She has exactly the right composure to play the wife of an absent husband who took it upon herself to make sure that all of her kids – including one who shouldn’t have – passed the necessary requirements to be able to head into space for colonization. Actress Taylor Russell, who plays Judy, was particularly impressive in this hour as it seemed like she wasn’t going to make it to episode two after she got stuck under the frozen water. The production values here are great, and this is a world I’d love to visit again, hoping for just as much intrigue in episode two and beyond.

How will it work as a series? They got lost in space and now they’re stuck on a mysterious planet. As they get to know this new world that they’ll call home, I imagine that we’ll see extensive flashbacks that explain how things got to where they are now and help to develop the characters. As long as that balance stays consistent, I think this show should remain interesting and very watchable.
How long will it last? Reviews don’t seem to be as overwhelmingly positive as I might have expected, and in fact they’re on the lower side of decent. The real question is how many people have already watched and will watch this show, including those who were fans of the original and those who have never heard of it. I think that Netflix will choose to invest in this one for a second season, but we’ll have to see how the numbers stack up.

Pilot grade: B+