Summary
Lost in Space Season 2, Episode 9, “Shell Game” is a fantastic penultimate chapter, ensuring the stakes are at their highest for the finale.
This recap of Netflix Series Lost in Space Season 2, Episode 9, “Shell Game” contains significant spoilers.
- Read the Season 2 review.
- Read the recap of Episode 10.
- Read the recap of the previous episode (8).
- Access the archive of all the episode recaps.
Episode 9, “Shell Game” is a fantastic penultimate episode to Season 2. There’s a greater dependency on the Robinson kids while their parents are stranded.
It begins with the Resolute still on the gassy planet decontaminating the water. Hastings (Douglas Hodge) is wondering where the robots are. Meanwhile, the Robot is laying Scarecrow down on the broken alien ship. The Robot asks Will to help his friend. Will admits to Penny at this moment that she is right, the Robot is different — “We’re growing up”. Will and Penny decide to hide both robots.
Hastings tells Ben that the Robinson family has seized the narrative and that they need to rewrite the story. In other words, he’s ready to stab them in the back.
Maureen is still returning on her emergency pod in Episode 9, “Shell Game” — she’s on low fuel so John offers to tow her back in. Hastings was listening in on their radio frequency and he begins to write a post about code violations by Maureen; he claims she and John tried to repair the damage they have caused, but unfortunately, their maintenance pods were lost in the perils of space — Hastings has set them up as John and Maureen are unable to re-enter the Resolute. Maureen suspects that Hastings has locked them out. As the Resolute sets off, their pods are let loose.
Maureen does try to tell Judy that they have been separated and John warns her about Hastings. Judy barely hears her mother’s instructions.
To prevent the crew from finding them, Penny destroys her and Will’s radios in the compactor. Will asks the Robot how to save Scarecrow. The Robot draws a horse. After a few riddles, Will figures out that the Robot wants to take Scarecrow to the ring of the Amber planet. Meanwhile, Ben makes an announcement regarding Will incurring a violation of removing equipment from the engine room. Smith offers to help Ben and Hastings catch Will. Will tells Penny that they need to fly the Jupiter 2 to get to the Amber planet, while Smith and Hastings learn that the Robinson kids are in the compactor.
Judy is out in the corridor with Samantha, and Penny grabs them both so they are all out of sight. Judy is skeptical about Will’s plans. The security guards arrive at the compactor and Samantha has an idea. When the security guards reach the compactor, the kids are gone.
Maureen and John hit another snag in Episode 9. They hear a warbling whistle call and a massive creature flies through the air — it’s a wonderful sight but then its tail flings Maureen’s emergency pod into a spin. John tries to stop her from descending and finally succeeds — the pair only have 12% fuel left.
Penny, Judy, and Will discuss plans to capture the Jupiter. Samantha leaves a message for Vijay in the dining room but Smith catches him off guard. Smith asks Vijay where Penny is and that if he snitches, she will put in a good word to his father if he finds the Robinson kids. Meanwhile, the Robot is worried that Scarecrow is going to die.
Vijay talks to Penny in private; she asks him for his help to capture a Jupiter. Vijay says he usually cannot say no to her but this time he’s worried others will get hurt, including his father.
As we reach the conclusion of Episode 9, “Shell Game”, Judy learns that Smith is trying to catch them. Judy knows Smith will be one step ahead of them, so they need to do something she wouldn’t expect. Judy puts her plans in motion.
Judy and Penny grab a Chariot and drive through the Resolute attracting plenty of attention to themselves. Hastings wonders why they are driving the Chariot through the ship but Ben realizes what their plan is. They crash the Chariot and Hastings asks them to open the door. When Hastings and his crew check, the Scarecrow is not inside. Smith gives Judy and Penny a look like she was impressed — was she in on this the whole time?
Will heads to the Jupiter with the robots while everyone is distracted but Ben gets in his way. Ben asks Will to step away from the robots and gets out his weapon. Will tries explaining to Ben that Scarecrow needs saving and that the Resolute is not ready to leave yet, so there’s time. The security guards get up behind the Robot and start poking it with electric rods. The Robot says, “Help Ben Adler,” forcing Ben to feel guilty. Ben changes his mind and drags the Scarecrow on board the Jupiter 2. Will has to board the Jupiter 2 while his Robot is captured while saying “help friends” — Will is devastated, full of tears. Hastings stores the Robot in a cage and says “it’s time to leave.”
Lost in Space Season 2, Episode 9, “Shell Game” closes with John and Maureen heading back to the Resolute with very low fuel — they just make it. Will and Ben continue to head out to the Amber planet. Hastings secures the Robot and starts drilling, with Smith wondering if they really have to hurt it.
Plenty of stories to close in the lead up to the finale.
Space Logs
- Ben asks Smith why she is turning against the Robinson family. She says they have a rampant hero complex.
- While stuck in their emergency pods, Maureen wants to talk about the elephant in the room — about what Hastings said about altering Will’s test scores. John seems okay with it.
- Ben asks how long it was before Smith got the implant — she diverts the conversation and wonders if Ben’s priorities have shifted. Smith tells Ben she was also connected to the Robot.
