Danger Will Robinson!  Impending Human Obsolescence

I just finished binge watching all ten hours of the new Netflix series Lost in Space so perhaps I’m in a bit of a stupor but I’ve noticed a disturbing trend.  With each retelling of the saga the robot has become increasingly more formidable and the boy increasingly ineffectual.  The original LIS robot was able to detect water, shoot non-lethal low voltage electricity from its hooks and serve as babysitter to Will Robinson.  But that was about the extent of its abilities.  It wasn’t much good in a fight as it could be instantly disabled by pulling out its easily accessible “power pack.”  Cowardly Dr. Smith would routinely heap abuse on the poor creature in what could only be termed a dysfunctional relationship. 

The 1998 robot was a hulking automaton built expressly for combat.  In an emergency Will Robinson could link its movements to his own thus making the robot an extension of his own body.   After the robot was all but destroyed in a fight with some particularly nasty space aliens the ever resourceful Will pieced together the wreckage to improvise a much smaller but far more intelligent and “human” robot.  But make no mistake, this new kid-sized robot could really kick butt and it didn’t take any lip from Dr. Smith.  Perhaps it defended its young human master from more than just hostile aliens. 

In stark contrast the 2018 robot is a dark and mysterious alien transformer of incredible power.   The human who controls this robot controls the colony and, in the most resent version of LIS, we do see the other colonists.  But just how far does Will’s control over this bot extend?  That’s the central question.   

As the robot has evolved Will Robinson has shrunk and this change is reflected in the boy’s wardrobe.  1965 Will Robinson exuded quiet confidence in purple velour.  The most competent member of the expedition he probably would’ve been put in command if only his legs had been long enough for his feet to work the gas pedal and brakes of the Jupiter 2.    

The 1998 Will Robinson was a prepubescent badass who dressed in black leather and molded plastic with a codpiece.  If this kid appeared at your door for Trick-or-Treats you’d be hard pressed to determine if he was playing Batman or if he was simply into bondage.  In spite of this he had some serious daddy issues and difficulty in dealing with authority.  He was also easily duped by Dr. Smith. 

The most recent kid has a penchant for novelty t-shirts and California casual boy’s wear.   He should be cast as the Cowardly Lion in his elementary school’s production of The Wizard of Oz.  He whimpers in fear when the Jupiter 2 encounters the slightest space turbulence, has to screw up his courage to make a simple little spacewalk and becomes catatonic when in danger.  In his free time he plays with toy models.  Good thing he has that killer robot for protection otherwise someone would surely take his lunch money.

I can’t help but wonder if this trend is indicative of humans becoming irrelevant in an increasingly high tech universe.  What will the next re-imagination of Lost in Space bring?   Will the humans sit it out while robots colonize the galaxy?  Time will tell.