Fun, if just as silly as usual, Lost in Space episode has a busy plot that brings everything together in the end. John forbids anyone bringing aboard planetary vegetative life forms, but Dr. Smith, no surprise, does. As usual, this leads to complications for the entire Robinson party. After passing through a dangerous radiation belt, the plant mutates into a creature, affectionate for Smith (it considers Smith its mother!). It grows larger and attaches to the Jupiter 2 when Smith exits it through the escape hatch, not destroying it because it would require extra labor. The air ducts are blocked and the oxygen levels are dissipating, so a nearby planet is their only option to use atmosphere to remove it from the ship. However, a lone, surviving member of a long-dead warrior race (who destroyed themselves during a long-term planetary war), the Sobrams, is close to dying and wishes for a member of the Robinson party to engage him in one last war games. Robot ultimately becomes the choice thanks to Smith's chicanery (he weasels out of being the one picked due to his devious, clever nature). But the plant creature may not have died while the Jupiter entered the planet's orbit and could wind up being more helpful than at first thought
The Space Pod makes a return appearance, with Don forcing Smith to accompany him to the world as missiles and a laser beam caused damage to the Jupiter 2 in an effort to halt the planet war alien's constant attacks from his central position. John, Will, and Robot return in the Space Pod when Don sends it back on auto-pilot. Anyway, all of the same effects seen times before are used yet again (the same missiles that look like rockets running the same trajectory, not to mention, the same radiation belt fly through we have seen before, nothing new) removing some of the thrill of Jupiter 2 in space, but it was nice to see the Robinsons off of a damn planet for a change, even if members of the crew return to the Sobrams planet during the last part of the episode. The plant monster bounces up and down to sounds of "Boing!" so it is a totally ludicrous creation, particularly at the end, wearing a battle helmet out of WWII, with a grenade pouch (when hit by a bomb or mini-rocket, it suddenly multiplies, curiously with helmets and grenade pouches
Lost in Space Creative rarely care about such illogic, enacting the "F&%k it" approach to the show, typically normal of the props dept. and the direction). I must admit I enjoyed this one despite myself, but the ineptitude of the plots and campy nature of the show has grown tiresome to me.
6 Reviews
COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER WITHOUT THE DUMB PLANT
asalerno1011 June 2022
The episode's premise of the Robinsons landing on a planet inhabited by the last member of a warrior civilization is pretty good, but sadly there always has to be an element of ridiculousness that turns a good idea into nonsense. That element is a plant that Dr. Smith cultivated and grew to the size of a person in a single night and recognizes Smith as his mother, following him around with stupid and annoying little jumps, although this plant has an important role in the ending of the episode, they could have made her more terrifying or repulsive and not like a stupid vegetable.
Very Good, Could Have Been Excellent
bigfrankie-434646 January 2023
The Flaming Planet is a very good episode. Like some other Season Three episodes, it could have been excellent if some non-sense was omitted.
Dr. Smith brought an alien plant into his cabin, that continues to grow out of control. When he improperly disposes of it outside the Jupiter Two, it takes over it's exterior. As a result, the Jupiter Two is forced to enter the atmosphere of a hostile planet to remove the giant plant from it's exterior.
Yes, there is some bad science here, but that can be ignored. Major West, Dr. Smith, Will, Prof Robinson and The Robot, eventually land on the planet's to engage and disarm the alien, Sobram.
The Positives:
There is excellent balance between all the members, including a rare long conversation between Judy and Penny; Dr. Smith has several great zingers he launches at The Robot and even one at Major West! Major West and Prof Robinson have no time for Dr. Smith's usual antics and actually order him around quite a bit; The plot works very well; The alien (Sobram) is excellent, as is his headquarters; Dr. Smith actually has a rare moment of bravery when he assists Prof Robinson.
Ok, so what is the issue?:
The plant was destroyed when the Jupiter Two entered the alien planet's atmosphere. The should have been the last of it. That is all it was needed for in the story.
However, Prof Robinson discovers a duplicate of the original man-sized plant on the planet's surface. It then bounces around and makes idiotic "boinging" noises! A little later it replicates itself and then Dr. Smith starts to train the two plants for battle, with goofy looking war helmets, no less!
Why this stupidity was inserted when the plot was calling for a war between The Robot and the alien, makes no sense. Why? Why? Why?
PS: We also have a gap when after the giant plant is covering the Jupiter Two. The long exterior shots (stock footage) show no giant plant covering the Jupiter Two.
Dr. Smith brought an alien plant into his cabin, that continues to grow out of control. When he improperly disposes of it outside the Jupiter Two, it takes over it's exterior. As a result, the Jupiter Two is forced to enter the atmosphere of a hostile planet to remove the giant plant from it's exterior.
Yes, there is some bad science here, but that can be ignored. Major West, Dr. Smith, Will, Prof Robinson and The Robot, eventually land on the planet's to engage and disarm the alien, Sobram.
The Positives:
There is excellent balance between all the members, including a rare long conversation between Judy and Penny; Dr. Smith has several great zingers he launches at The Robot and even one at Major West! Major West and Prof Robinson have no time for Dr. Smith's usual antics and actually order him around quite a bit; The plot works very well; The alien (Sobram) is excellent, as is his headquarters; Dr. Smith actually has a rare moment of bravery when he assists Prof Robinson.
Ok, so what is the issue?:
The plant was destroyed when the Jupiter Two entered the alien planet's atmosphere. The should have been the last of it. That is all it was needed for in the story.
However, Prof Robinson discovers a duplicate of the original man-sized plant on the planet's surface. It then bounces around and makes idiotic "boinging" noises! A little later it replicates itself and then Dr. Smith starts to train the two plants for battle, with goofy looking war helmets, no less!
Why this stupidity was inserted when the plot was calling for a war between The Robot and the alien, makes no sense. Why? Why? Why?
PS: We also have a gap when after the giant plant is covering the Jupiter Two. The long exterior shots (stock footage) show no giant plant covering the Jupiter Two.
Space Adventure
StuOz3 December 2016
The Jupiter 2 is back in space, and Smith has a contstantly growing plant in his cabin.
The man-sized plants in this episode had previously been seen in a third season Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea titled: The Plant Man.
I like this hour a lot as it is loaded with space action on the Jupiter 2. Guy Williams seems to be having a ball as he is all over the place in this adventure.
There is a brief moment where Judy and Penny talk about going home that lingers in the memory.
Granted, there is the odd child-ish moment I could have done without, but The Flaming Planet moves along rather nicely.
Trivia note: Irwin Allen's Land Of The Giants was filming at this point and I have heard reports that the Jupiter 2 sets had to be moved around to make way for the "Giant" sets. At one point in The Flaming Planet John/Don appear from some top deck corner of the Jupiter 2 not normally seen (usually they would just climb up from the lower deck), and I suspect this happened because the lower deck set (which was on a separate stage to the upper deck set) was moved around.
The man-sized plants in this episode had previously been seen in a third season Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea titled: The Plant Man.
I like this hour a lot as it is loaded with space action on the Jupiter 2. Guy Williams seems to be having a ball as he is all over the place in this adventure.
There is a brief moment where Judy and Penny talk about going home that lingers in the memory.
Granted, there is the odd child-ish moment I could have done without, but The Flaming Planet moves along rather nicely.
Trivia note: Irwin Allen's Land Of The Giants was filming at this point and I have heard reports that the Jupiter 2 sets had to be moved around to make way for the "Giant" sets. At one point in The Flaming Planet John/Don appear from some top deck corner of the Jupiter 2 not normally seen (usually they would just climb up from the lower deck), and I suspect this happened because the lower deck set (which was on a separate stage to the upper deck set) was moved around.
Another inexplicitly entitled episode undercut by a foolish ending
jamesrupert201423 August 2023
After the alien plant that Smith smuggled aboard grows to monstrous proportions and threatens to destroy the Jupitar 2, John attempts to burn the fatal foliage off by entering a nearby planet's atmosphere only to provoke the ruler of the planet (the last surviving 'Sobram warrior', Abraham Sofaer in purple-face) to first attempt to shoot down the saucer and then to coerce one of the crew to take his place on the 'dead' planet. The premise, that the militaristic caretaker would only give over command of the planet to someone ruthless enough to defeat him in an war-game and that all of the humans were either too incompetent or too honourable to do so, leaving only the robot, stripped of his memories and 'emotions' as a potential foe, is interesting (especially the revelation that the Will's amiable robot-buddy is only one reel-of-tape away from being a soul-less AI-terminator). Too bad the storyline then deviates to a ridiculous conclusion involving the surviving fragments of Smith's plant, who have imprinted on the deceitful Doctor, and move about accompanied by childish 'boing-boing' sound-effects. The failure of the writers (and therefore of the characters) to grasp even the basics of biology and astronomy is once again on display when Penny and Judy are discussing the astrogation and immenseness of space and later, when the planet is declared life-less despite the abundant vegetation and the term 'parthenogenesis' is tossed about meaninglessly (egregious scientific illiteracy was so permeating in seasons 2 and 3 that one wonders if it was some kind of 'in-joke' amongst the writers). Don't wait around for the planet to burst into flames.
Don't be so critical
anthonymessina-1839318 July 2022
For one the story moves along quite well. Space action. Funny moments. But as Writer Barney Slater puts this adventure together, he has had better episodes that really bring Lost In Space up where respectfully it needs to be. But I was entertained by this episode. So 6 is not appropriate neither is 7. 8 suffices because remember the story holds itself. The plants got carried away at times to silliness. But a huge die hard fan from day 1. Out of 84 episodes 20 excellent another 20 decent 15 watchable about 20 + plus duds. But I love them all. Cast was superb. Music was well put together by over 12 composers over its 3 year run. John Williams the most significant of them all.
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