Lost in Space Season 2 Review

December 30, 2019 at 4:29am
By Jason Stettner

I really enjoyed the first season of Lost in Space, and this show has greatly improved upon that initial showing. The general premise is that this core family is part of a colonizing group, and things go horribly wrong. They get lost, or well split from the colony group and need to find a way back. Things continue to badly, where they once again get split off and this is where we find the team in this second season. The current situation isn’t the best and a number of months have passed since the events of the previous season.

The family and a couple other close friends that are stranded with them decide to move on from this spot as things are taking a dark turn. Another element of this series that makes it stand out is that the youngest of the family Will (Maxwell Jenkins), has a strong connection to a mysterious robot they come across in the first season. That’s what this series is largely about, the connection between a boy and his robot. The two got split up after the events of the first season, and part of the mystery outside of the survival I mentioned is trying to find this machine as it is absolutely necessary for their journey.

It’s hard to describe what goes on in this without spoiling things, so I’ll lightly touch upon additional elements. They did a good job here developing characters further, and exploring the situation around a colonizing group that’s doing what’s necessary to survive. It also focuses on the elements of space being rather hostile, with planets possibly containing some surprises. It’s about overcoming those issues, relying on the greater population and also handling human habits that aren’t necessarily thinking of everyone.

The visuals in this season are incredible, they seemed to have gotten a far bigger budget and that shines through at every moment. The CGI is excellent, the action scenes look great and I was surprised at how much of a step up this was. It was definitely a pleasant upgrade, and that helps in so many moments where the spectacle shines. From the ventures on mysterious planets, to those set in space.

There’ a mysterious force as well, with that aspect looking great. This season was well shot, it gave a sense of wonder and the exploration elements are beautifully presented. The acting was solid, some better performances as well. I quite like this group, and continue to be surprised by Dr Smith (Parker Posey).

I also liked that they helped round out the various core family members, giving everyone a purpose as some weren’t necessarily important the last time around. Everyone has their strengths, and it’s great to see the various contributions come together throughout this season. This was particularly present with Penny Robinson (Mina Sundwall) as she struggled with finding an identity, and that helped further her character development this time around.

There are some general surprises here, twists and some darker characters in the background. The heart is still found within the core family, along with their friends and it excels when the boy interacts with the robot. Keep in mind that while this is dark, it’s still very much a lighter sort of family experience. It’s got a nice, gritty and real look to it that can feel grim while at the same time having a sense of exploration based hope. It’s a fine balance, and they nail it this second time around. I'd like to also highlight that their space suits are awesome.

The Conclusion

Lost in Space Season 2 is an excellent continuation of the series that increases the mystery, further develops core relationships and doesn’t forget the action. The main family is excellent, and the main people that surround them really do help fill out the roster.

This was larger in scale than I had anticipated, and that was great. I want to somewhat keep things mysterious, and that’s why I’m not digging into a lot of it. Things get really intense, with moments of struggle and other times of excitement. It’s dark, while still feeling hopeful and I feel there’s a lot to still tell here. I loved how some of the more neglected characters got to shine, and how across the board this improved greatly.

The CGI looks fantastic here, it seems to have received a great budget jump as it delivers. The action is exciting, the emotional scenes are handled well and the acting serves the important moments that come into play. It felt open in where it’s headed, and I truly hope we get to see more of this group in the future. This is the sort of sci-fi I love, they absolutely sent this in the right direction and I loved it. The teases promise some really exciting things to come, and there’s definitely a lot of interesting things that could arrive if this was to continue.

Lost in Space Season 2 Review at Home with Streamed Viewing
Screening was Provided by Netflix

Rating Overall: 9.0