Did We Need It?: Lost in Space Episode One

     Hollywood seems to be in a reboot phase, with Disney releasing it’s live action reboots of it’s classic films and every beloved TV show. These reboots have been viewed with varying degrees of success, with some such as Hawaii 5-O being successful and Frequency being far less so. So when I heard about the new Lost in Space reboot, I was a little apprehensive to say the least. I am no great fan of the old series, but my family and would watch it sometimes after the horror movie show on the classic television program. One of the things I enjoyed about it and the 1960’s Batman show that came on afterwards was the atmosphere. Neither tried to take themselves to seriously and ended up being very wacky. Lately, it seems that very few shows that aren’t outright comedies do this. As I sat down to view episode one of the new Lost in Space, I discovered that these fears were founded.
     For instance, here is a cast photo from the original Lost in Space, taken from when it made the move to color:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/11/watching/lost-in-space-netflix-original-guide.html
And this is a screenshot from the reboot:

http://film-book.com/lost-space-2018-main-title-sequence-dr-smith-tv-show-clips-netflix/
     As you can see, the original series utilizes the new color technology and features costumes so garish they almost give the viewer a headache. This is reflected in the show, with the plot mostly focusing on Dr. Smith getting into trouble with the monster of the week (including a carrot monster one week) and the crew would have to save him-usually Will Robinson and the robot. So far in the new series, there has been far more peril, with both Will and Judy being in real danger. Another thing in peril is the Robinsons' marriage, which is bizarre as the parents of the original series weren’t really important to the plot of episodes. This change to focusing on the parents and they’re relationship doesn’t work in the favor of people who liked the tone of the old series and its kid friendly adventures instead adult drama.
     Another set of changes is the Dr. Smith and the robot. I don’t really care that Dr. Smith is portrayed by a woman, as that really isn’t integral to the character. However he was bumbling and self-aggrandizing while this woman seems calculating and cool. The change that has the largest implications is the fact that she hasn’t met the rest of the crew yet. In the original series, the crew was on to Dr. Smith’s tricks and plans accordingly. In the new series, it is likely that a main plot point will be the crew discovering Dr. Smith can’t be trusted and someone will put in jeopardy. This change to such a major character will bring down the light-hearted feeling  down the show. This to is what happens to the robot. Originally, he was a fun robot with arms waving around and eventually dropping witty one-liners. This robot comes from a race of killing machines. This may add some complexity to the character, but he really didn’t need it, making this just another excuse to inject more drama.
     Do these changes work? Well it all depends on how you like your shows. Let’s look at Batman again.  Some people like all of the Batman incarnations because there is something about the ideas that just speak to them. Other people like the zany 60’s show or the grittier Dark Knight trilogy. If you’re someone who wanted a darker Lost in Space, this show will work for you. If like me, you liked the breezy nature of the old show, you might just want to steer clear of this reboot.