Lost in Space: Season 1, Episodes 19-21

21: Ghost in Space
Judy: "We should give Dr Smith the benefit of the doubt."
Don: "Again?!"
Oh, what fun this episode is! Quite unlike anything to have come before, Ghost in Space manages to engage the age-old argument between science and spiritualism and do something really entertaining with it.
The lighting on the episode is excellent, as it is almost completely set at night-time, and this gives the story a suitably darker tone, enabling some of the cast to use torchlights, lanterns and candlesticks.
The difference in approach to the idea of the paranormal is handled well, and surprisingly. For once Dr Smith (who I had no idea was quite so immersed in the murky world of the occult!) finds a like mind in Penny, and it is his usual partner in crime Will who finds his belief in the ghost of his Uncle Thaddeus ridiculous. This switching of the usual roles is a nice change, and it's actually quite healthy to see Will take a stance so similar to the gung-ho Major West.
There's lots to enjoy here, from Harris's camp dialogue to the rather Texas Chainsaw-esque bog monster, from the wonderfully silly tailoring machine to the scarlet-painted ouija board.
And speaking of the tailoring machine, I love the new outfits. Admittedly this is mainly because the collars are looser and Major West's manly chest rug might finally get to see more light of day, but seeing Don in his nightgear - a tightly fitted pyjama set and figure-hugging dressing gown - gives me some wonderful mental images! Jim-jams in space!
A hugely entertaining episode, not played for laughs but rather made as an amusing piece of drama. One of my favourites thus far.
Also lost in space: Dawson Palmer (1936-72) played the "resident monster" in 13 LiS episodes in all, and this was his fourth appearance. A former basketball player and stuntman, Palmer also appeared in Irwin Allen's Land of the Giants before his death at just 36 in a car accident.

22: War of the Robots
... or rather, the robot and the robotoid!
What could have been a really silly, superfluous episode is actually handled really well, and results in another fine episode with much to offer.
Everybody's aware that the robotoid featured here is from the Forbidden Planet film 10 years previously, and it looks just as magnificent here as it did then. The rivalry that develops between the robot and the robotoid is amusing as well as moving - the robot's loyalty to the Robinson clan is the first time we see the robot as its own personality rather than a fetching and carrying machine.
Although robots aren't supposed to have personalities (indeed, this fact is at the heart of the episode's premise), it goes without saying that this particular robot does have some of its own thoughts and feelings, and as the series progresses this will become more and more prevalent.
The way Dr Smith turns on the robot is heartbreaking to watch - the robotoid inveigles its way into the hearts and minds of the Robinsons, except young Will, who sees through the robotoid's "too good to be true" nature straight away.
God knows where the leonine aliens are from, but the fact their mouths don't move when they speak suggests a cheap and cheerful rubber mask from the Irwin Allen dressing up box, and it's just as well we never get to see more of them!
Penny's absence throughout is noticeable only for the fact it is not explained, which is a bit of an oversight, especially as she features heavily in the run-up to the following story.
I like this episode, it's done maturely and isn't spoilt by camp dialogue or ridiculous plotting. The robotoid poses a real threat, and the breakdown, and subsequent strengthening, of the robot's relationship with the Robinsons is a joy.
Also lost in space: Good old Robby the Robot "plays" the robotoid of course, and has since his first appearance in 1956's Forbidden Planet, appeared in many other genre shows and films, including The Twilight Zone, The Man from UNCLE, The Addams Family, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, and most recently in the 2005 TV series Stacked; Ollie O'Toole (1912-92) provided the robotoid's voice in this episode, who by coincidence appeared in the same Man from UNCLE story as Robby the Robot (The Bridge of Lions Affair).

23: The Magic Mirror
After her mysterious week off in War of the Robots, Penny gets the limelight here while brother Will and a probably emotionally scarred robot disappear off the face of Priplanus for 45 minutes.
Any story which focuses on a regular who is normally left in the background is fine by me, and this wonderful episode manages to flesh out Penny's character while also providing some satisfyingly surreal and fantastic imagery.
Sucked into Mirrorland, Penny meets a strange boy who lives alone behind the reflective surfaces, playing kiss-chase with a hairy one-eyed alien. Only in Lost in Space would you get this mad idea realised in such a beautifully cheap way. I love the sets for the mirror-world - black drapes in sharp contrast to ornate candelabras, mirrors and lanterns, depicting a rich world of trinkets populated by nobody to savour them. The Mirrorland is a mystery, an unexplained hidden realm, but I love the fact we know nothing about it, or why it is there.
The ability to look out into the real world through mirrors is inspired, and quite spooky, especially when Penny is trying to make her family hear her through Judy's mirror. The real life horror of being trapped in an unseen world hits home, thanks to quality direction and some effective acting from Angela Cartwright. In fact, the direction here is particularly well done by Jerry Juran, who uses reflections and Perspex, cheeky camera angles and flowing drapes to portray the entrance to Mirrorland and the domain within.
Of greatest note is the fleshing out of Penny's character. Penny here is a young girl scared by her impending adolescence and everything it brings with it. It's nice to see the series reflecting this, especially in the scene between Maureen, Judy and Don which adequately gets across what the teenage girl must be feeling.
Finally, the fate of the boy in Mirrorland is a sad moment. Ironically he has no reflection, meaning he will be forever trapped in this hidden realm and never be allowed to see beyond, however reluctant he may be to visit it. This is a very downbeat end, but perfectly matches the melancholy feel of the episode.
Also lost in space: Michael J Pollard (1939- ) was, amazingly, 27 years old when he filmed this episode, and would go on to enjoy a long acting CV, taking roles in Star Trek (series), Roxanne, Scrooged, Tango and Cash and most recently, 2003's House of 1,000 Corpses.