User Reviews

"Flight Into The Future" sees Will and the Robot checking over the space pod systems when Dr Smith enters, demanding the use of the Robot. As usual, Smith screws up and the three are launched towards a strange planet. Having gotten a trace on the pod, John Robinson and Don West follow the pod onto the planet, making a rough landing.

Luckily, they've landed near to the pod but when they speak to Will on the radio, he reckons they've landed in a rain forest whilst his dad and Major West can see nothing but desert.

Feeling fatigued, Will and Dr Smith have a nap, but when they awake, they find the Robot is covered in rust and mildew, as if they've slept for decades rather than minutes. When they find the Jupiter Two, it's in a wrecked state and covered in rust and mildew too. The Robot finds a statue, in his honour and it now seems that Will and Smith slept for over 200 years and they were somehow left behind by the rest of the Jupiter Two crew. They then meet some space archeologists, supposedly from Earth. Naturally, Smith is only interested in getting back to Earth whilst Will wants to know where the rest of his family are, what happened to them, and why did they leave him behind.

Having been given a three course dinner, Smith is happy but Will is not, he doesn't trust the two men from Earth. Then he meets "Judy" (wearing an ultra sexy outfit that surprises him) but she explains that Judy passed away decades ago and that Judy was her great great great grandmother! Will is not taken in by her lies.

Meanwhile, Professor Robinson and Major West find the abandoned pod and they too, are starting to doubt their own senses, and that some alien force is trying to scare them off. Will believes the same. Smith feels it imperative that he get back to Earth as one of the archeologists says his treachery has besmirched the Smith name for generations, he believes he can clear himself!! The three castaways are told to lift off in the pod and rendezvous with the Earth ship, but Will refuses to comply, and of course, Smith can't fly the thing. The alien force now bombards Will with imaginary "spookies" but he convinces himself that they're not real. Robot eventually zaps the alien machine and the Jupiter Two gang are all rejoined.

It's pretty much standard LiS fayre in that Smith gets Will, himself and Robot into trouble. Marta Kristen gets more to do than usual and shows off her gams, so her fans will be pleased. There's the usual humour plus the Robot singing his own praises on finding the statue!! I know many fans prefer the early episodes where the atmosphere was much darker, but the Robot with character is hilarious at times.

Solid 8/10.

Flight Into the Future ranks with the very best episodes and has always been one of my favorites.

Dr. Smith "accidentally" launches the Space Pod, sending him, Will and The Robot to a nearby planet. The Jupiter Two follows to rescue them. Once landed, Prof Robinson and Major West search for them on foot.

It turns out to be a plant of illusions. Dr. Smith, Will and The Robot encounter a variety of illusions, until the source is discovered and destroyed by The Robot.

The Robot is played straight, except for a couple of jokes that work fine. Dr. Smith is in excellent form with about one dozen perfectly timed zingers directed at The Robot. And no buffoonery that gets out of hand. Will is also in excellent form, figuring out what to do and demonstrating bravery and not letting Dr. Smith talk him into everything.

Switching scenes between Dr. Smith, Will, The Robot and then Prof Robinson and Major West is very effective.

The optical illusions, including two visiting astronauts and "Judy" are excellent as well.

Will, Dr Smith and the Robot land on a planet where everything is an illusion. The first illusion is that Will and Smith had been asleep for 270 years. Not only were they still alive, but neither one had aged by even 270 minutes. I love the segment in which Will meets someone who looks like Judy. When she told him that she was Judy's very distant relative, he should have known, instantly, that something was wrong. How could anyone else be as beautiful as his sister Judy?! The illusions played on Smith and the Robot are also alot of fun. A very good episode, with some (very welcome) added focus on Judy.