Lost in Space: Season 2 Review
The following is a mostly non-spoiler review for all 10 episodes of Lost in Space: Season 2, which premieres Tuesday, December 24 on Netflix.
Cosmic crusaders The Robinsons (plus Don West, Dr. Smith, and Robot) are back for the holidays, and this time the calamity-magnet clan is banding together to battle against hostile alien droids, creepy and corrupt mission officials, and general galactic chaos.Netflix's Lost in Space reboot, once again, delivers a solid, satisfying run filled with dazzling effects and stunning heart. It tops Season 1 in terms of adventure and stakes, and, for a streaming series, it shows grand restraint by only being 10 episodes – with episode lengths actually varying (anywhere from 39 minutes to 54 minutes). That might sound like tacky praise, digging into the structure of the show, but it means that the story's being told in the amount of time the creators felt it needed, and not filling up pre-ordained space – a welcome change from most streaming series.The cast is phenomenal, from Toby Stephens and Molly Parker's John and Maureen to their kids, played exceptionally by Maxwell Jenkins, Mina Sundwall, and Taylor Russell. It's crucial that these roles land well because our belief in the family, in this particular brood, is the crux of the entire series. If you don't buy into "The Robinsons vs The Universe," the show doesn't work. And though they might bicker and banter, this family is the driving force of the saga. If their dynamic drags things down, the entire narrative fizzles.Fortunately, The Robinsons are sensational as a family, either united or divided, and their interplay always works. From John and Judy's emotional bond (which plays out beautifully in Episode 5, "Run") to Penny's strained relationship with Maureen as the middle child with no discernible exceptional abilities, the cracks in the Robinson's foundations, both big and small, make for great viewing. And Ignacio Serricchio's gruff-but-genial Don West is there keep them all together while Parker Posey's "Dr. Smith" is there to tug at the threads in an attempt to rip the seams.Posey's Smith, as the show's wild card, has an awesome showing this season as the Robinsons, who start the season marooned on a planet in the galaxy they were pushed into at the end of Season 1, eventually rejoin their Alpha Centauri-seeking society and the good (fake) doctor is forced to think on her feet in order to avoid being caught and punished for her many crimes. And all the while, she's got a powerful push/pull relationship with the universe's First Family where she's both their foil and their adversary. The Robinsons can be a bit overwhelming when it comes to love and support so it's nice to have a self-centered "survivor" in the mix, even if her heart occasionally softens towards others.Will and Robot's relationship, the one that began in Season 1 and allowed Will to become more confident and driven, continues to grow and change this year, with more layers added to the mystery of Robot's origins, species, and how it ties into humanity's ability to traverse space. JJ Feild (Captain America: The First Avenger) arrives this season as Dr. Ben Adler, the mission's head of artificial intelligence studies. At first, it seems like Ben's an easy-to-predict character. He arrives just in time to, perhaps, woo Maureen, bond with Will, while also possibly being a stealth "big bad." But his arc surprises, and, like most elements of this series, it defies the usual cliches.Of course, Lost in Space also has a (non-fatal) flaw in its blueprint. Nothing can ever go right. It's in the story's DNA. What this means is that when dangers and threats aren't being presented by other characters — like Dr. Smith, aliens, or Rolo Haynes' (Black Mirror) Hastings — there has to be some type of unforeseen space peril. Whether it's severe storms, poisonous algae, or (LOL) water that somehow disintegrates all metals, this series can be pretty unrelenting. Granted, the writing usually weaves everything nicely into the characters' specific emotional journeys, but the non-stop menaces can be a grind often run the risk of feeling farcical.Netflix's short-lived (and not great) Another Life featured a very similar "let's throw every disaster we can think of at our heroes" edict, but the show had no alternate identity to support that design – that's all the plot was. Fortunately, Lost in Space – which features, over the course of only 10 episodes, four different situations of important characters being stuck/trapped somewhere that requires a "Hail Mary" solution – has larger themes to focus on and a core cast that's worth spending time with.
Verdict
Lost in Space feels less land-locked in Season 2 as more crazy challenges continued to befall the formidable Robinson family and Robot’s eerie origins are explored further. The unrelenting disasters can drag but the performances are so good, and the family-first credo is so vital, that the drama never dips.
