Summary
Lost in Space Season 2, Episode 10, “Ninety-Seven” provides a highly satisfying, dramatic and emotional conclusion, veering towards a third season.
This recap of Netflix Series Lost in Space Season 2, Episode 10, “Ninety-Seven” contains significant spoilers.
- Read the Season 2 review.
- Read the recap of the previous episode (9).
- Access the archive of all the episode recaps.
The finale of Season 2 had to serve drama and there is plenty of it. Episode 10, “Ninety-Seven” rounds off a stronger second installment. I hate to say it but I am won over it. Give us more Lost in Space.
Episode 10, “Ninety-Seven” starts off with Jupiter 2 landing on the Amber planet. Ben (JJ Feild) and Will assume the lightning will heal Scarecrow. The lightning comes early, and Ben offers to go out into the lightning to place Scarecrow on the right spot as a sacrifice — he tells Will he has a job to do and that Jupiter 2 will act as a Faraday. Ben drags Scarecrow to the spot and thanks Will for reminding him who he used to be. The lightning arrives and strikes Ben and Scarecrow. Will looks at the spot and sees that the Scarecrow’s lights are on but then sees multiple robots glowing…
“Mayday! Mayday!”.
The rest of the colony head to the Resolute. Penny and Judy cart Maureen and John secretly around the ship and give them food. Don is trying to help break through a wall so they can get to the Robot.
Episode 10, “Ninety-Seven” sees the Robot still anchored by Hastings. The captain receives a comms message saying that some Jupiters have been attacked. Will radios in to Maureen saying they are being followed. Meanwhile, Hastings wants to start moving the ship as an attack is imminent and turns on the alien engine. John gives up his cover and vows to take on Hastings directly. The Robot refuses to direct them to Alpha Centauri, repeatedly saying “Will Robinson” and hastings continues to hurt him. John fights a group of security guards and finally reaches the engine room. Maureen takes out Hastings with an electric rod and John takes down the Robot — luckily, the Robot is okay.
The colonists return and so does Will who delivers the news that Ben is dead. The Resolute needs to set off as the robots are heading their way, but the Robot refuses to run the engine sensing there is a danger because the robots may follow them through the rift. Maureen has a new idea; to let the robots board the ship and then place them in a trap.
As we approach a vital point of Lost in Space Season 2, Episode 10, the aliens approach the resolute as John and Judy carry the alien engine as a distraction. The robots breach the ship and they jam the cameras so Penny and Will cannot see them on the surveillance; Maureen prepares the weapons to destroy the robots. Judy and John run as fast as they can from the robots until they reach the trap — Maureen hits the weapon button which freezes them all but does not kill them. Maureen suggests rewiring the room to increase the power so they can destroy them — it will take all day. As usual Lost in Space takes the problematic route!
The captain announces that hundreds of alien ships are heading their way and it will hit them in two hours. The Robinson family hold their most important meeting yet, but no solutions come forth that are reasonable. Judy offers the solution no-one wants to hear — she suggests using a Jupiter and only boarding the ninety-seven children, leaving the adults behind. This is an emotional conversation for the Robinson family who usually bands together to save the say — “Sometimes an imperfect solution is all we have”. While Penny and Judy argue, John tells Maureen that Judy is right; he asks Will if the Robot will attach the engine to the Jupiter — it’s time to announce the decision to the other parents. Maureen breaks down in tears privately with John.
As we hit the midway point in an emotionally riveting finale, the Robot begins to rewire the engine ready for the Jupiter. Smith is trying to escape but the Robot disagrees — Smith changes her mind. The official announcement is made in Episode 10, “Ninety-Seven” — all children will be boarding the Jupiter. Don says goodbye to the kids and Penny gives him a tight, teary hug. The Robinsons have one last hug together. Judy refuses to leave, stating she is not a kid anymore just John insists that she has to go — “there are only two people I can trust. Your mother and you”. The kids leave.
It’s time for the adults to get to work. Maureen speaks to Smith but then the Robot walks right past them. The Robot points to the wires near the frozen robots and says “danger”. They are all slowly trying to cut the circuit to stop the weapon from freezing them. One of the robots manages to slowly open the airlock and Smith offers to fix it. She locks the door behind Maureen and offers to rewire to stop the robots. Maureen explains that it is high risk; the magnet field could crush her suit. Maureen asks why Smith is doing this — “Your family is the closest thing I’ve got”. Unfortunately, Smith fails, but she buys Maureen more time — she is dead. With the robots nearly free, John radios into Judy and tells her to prelaunch the Jupiter.
The robots are now free. Will begs the Robot to stay because the kids need him. The robots approach Jupiter and Will stands in front of them. The lead robot says “Will Robinson” and Will tries to tell it that they don’t have to fight. Scarecrow stops the leader from attacking Will and then fights them all. As the Jupiter sets off, it gets hurt by one of the robots and they lose an engine. Maureen has another idea to help the children get away. Scarecrow is defeated by the robots.
Maureen’s plan is to purposefully reroute the Resolute on a collision course into some debris. She asks Hastings to override the safety systems to atomize the ship to stop the aliens. Meanwhile, Judy asks the Robot to take them to Alpha Centauri.
With the Resolute heading towards a collision, Maureen breaks down in tears — “We are not going to make it, the pod is too far!” John and Maureen kiss and hug, but their moment is sidetracked as Don is waiting to pick them up to rescue them in time. The Resolute hits the debris, tearing it into pieces. The Jupiter holding the children make it through the rift. Judy announces to everyone that they have made it and delivers a speech — “From now on, none of us are alone”. The Robot notices Smith’s headband and a stress ball in a box. I couldn’t tell if this was a sign that she’s still alive or if the Robot was being sentimental?
Lost in Space Season 2, Episode 10, “Ninety-Seven” ends on a superb twist; everyone notices that Alpha Centauri looks different than on the brochure. When they look at the planet clearly, it is half destroyed. Will asks what radar signature was their ship following. They soon find a ship floating in space called the Fortuna, and Judy looks in shock; it was a ship that was apparently lost 20 years ago and was commanded by her biological father, Grant Kelly.
Roll on Season 3.
