Contact

Season	Episode	Overall
Three	2 of 8	22nd in Series

Series

Lost in Space (2018 TV series)

Original Airdate

December 1, 2021

Written By

Zack Estrin

Directed By

Kevin Rodney Sullivan

Episode guide
Previous Episode	Next Episode
"Three Little Birds"	"The New Guy"

Contact is the second episode of the third season of Netflix's Lost in Space. It premiered on Netflix on December 1, 2021.

Summary[]

While Judy sets out to find Grant Kelly, Penny and Will explore a mysterious tunnel. Light years away, Maureen, John and Don hunt for SAR's remains.

Plot[]

"An astronaut"[]

On the shattered planet, Judy Robinson makes her way, wondering just how she's going to introduce herself to Grant Kelly. She stares in wonder at the source of the signal, then makes her way inside. An automated voice tells her that cabin pressure is equalized. She discovers Grant Kelly's stasis pod. She wipes off a film of frost and sees him inside. She presses the button to wake. An alarm sounds, stating that there is a malfunction. The pod opens as the voice sounds alerts about Kelly's heart condition. Judy searches for a defibrillator as the voice announces that cortisol is spiking. Taking some equipment and wires, she jerry-rigs a solution, shocking him to life. The voice announces that his vital signs are stabilizing. He asks who she is. She tells him that she's an astronaut.

Maureen Robinson navigates a Jupiter through a lightning storm, John Robinson and Don onboard. Don says that he feels like he should know what he signed up for. Maureen tells him that in order to get to Alpha Centauri, they need an alien engine and a robot to operate it. She says they have neither, that it's too dangerous. She says that therefore the new plan is to use the parts of a destroyed robot and reboot it. Don wonders how they can find every single part of a specific robot. Maureen says there's one on the planet, right where she and Adler left it. John explains that it's SAR. Don lays things out, that even in the best case scenario, they still need an engine. Maureen says that having their own robot will make things easier. Don wonders what will happen if they put it back together and it doesn't want to help them. Maureen replies that they won't give it a choice.

On the shattered planet, "Dr. Smith" talks with Will Robinson. She comments that it's nice to see him back at work, but that he and Penny Robinson came back one sister short. Will tells her that Judy will be back soon. "With how many passengers?" wonders Dr. Smith, saying that adding an extra adult astronaut will complicate things. He says to focus on getting the ship ready to leave first. She asks what she can do to help. He asks her to tell him if she sees the Robot, that sometimes he wanders off. He admits he's been missing since the night before. "If he's wandered off far, who knows what's out there?" comments Smith.

Liam is with Penny, who is wondering if the missing Robot story is a ruse to get him away from camp to spend time with him. She asks if he's saying she has to trick him into spending time with her. He says they've been looking for a long time and Penny points out that the Robot is the most important on the planet. He asks if she won't miss this place a little, that things are going to be different when they get back to Alpha Centauri, that things will be normal. She points out that there's nothing normal about 97 kids without their parents. She says it's been a year and she thought her mother would have everything solved by now. He says that maybe he can take her mind off her questions. He moves to kiss her, when suddenly her hair goes crazy, like there's some sort of electrical field. She shouts for Will.

Grant Kelly asks Judy how they decided who got to go to Alpha Centauri. She explains about the qualification tests. He is surprised to learn there are thousands of people on Alpha Centauri and that she's a captain and so young. She explains that her own crew is mostly children. He asks why they would bring children on a rescue mission. "You weren't actually looking for us," he realizes. She tells him it's complicated. He tells her that in the last thirty minutes he learned he lost his crewmate and twenty years of his life. He suggests that they cool it on news for a bit. She agrees that they should focus on getting him back on his feet. He says he is curious about one thing, how she knows so much about him if they weren't trying to find him. She tells him he's famous and once did a report on him, wondering what it would be like to meet him. He tells her that he can't wait to see her ship, that NASA must have made some pretty impressive advances. "We had a little bit of help," she admits.

Rocky road ice cream[]

On the planet, Will and Penny investigate the phenomenon, which also happened back on the Resolute. Penny wonders why it's happening there and Dr. Smith says that she and Maureen once experienced the same phenomenon. She says she knows what it means, that somewhere on the other side of the wall is alien technology. Will doesn't think it's possible, but he pulls aside some branches and inside is a tunnel. Penny says they should pretend it was never there, but Dr. Smith asks if it's a coincidence they found this the day the Robot went missing. Will says that the only way to know for sure is for someone to go in.

Don asks John and Maureen if they really think it's a good idea to bring a Robot back from the dead. They ignore his question and tell him it's time for him and John to go on the surface. John tells him that Maureen will monitor their cameras. They exit, Don wisecracking the whole way. Maureen tries to get Don to follow John, but soon loses signal. As static fills Maureen's screen, John says that he doesn't like this and then his signal goes out. There's a moment of panic, but then Don reunites with John. They discover, however, that SAR is not there. "Where the hell is he?" wonders John.

Back on the planet, Penny wonders if it's really a good idea for them to have both acting co-captains in the cave. Will says that this type of exploration is exactly what captains are supposed to do. He tells her to just relax, promising her they'll be fine. Above, Smith lowers a line for them to tug if they need help, saying it's a trick she learned in Girl Scouts. Will discovers footprints he thinks could belong to an alien robot. Penny says she thinks she should get out, but a door closes behind them. Penny panics, saying that she hit a button or switch by accident. She shouts for Smith, saying that it's okay, that she can help them. She tells Will the prints look fresh, but he says that the conditions are perfect for preservation and they could be old. She says that the robots on the Resolute know his name and they could be in danger. She asks him to be honest if they could be recent. "Yeah," he admits. "It's possible."

Grant Kelly tells Judy that if his crew's wake systems were compromised like his, they can't risk triggering them. He leads her to a rover, but she's dubious given how long it's been sitting there. He says that the question is whether she wants to walk or ride given how short the launch window off the planet is. He stares at one of his crewmembers, Shen, saying that people can get close. She asks him if, when he left Earth, if there was anything that was hard to leave behind. He tells her that part of the job was teaching yourself not to miss anything, that for his mental health he had to commit to leaving everything behind. He then says there was one thing he thought about all the time: rocky road ice cream at a store in Pasadena. Judy tells him that she knows it, that her mother took her and her family there all the time and that rocky road was also her favorite. "Small world," says Grant, telling her they need to get moving.

"Danger, family"[]

John tells Maureen they'll get enough people to capture a robot, but she says she's more worried about their son. He tells her he's worried about all their kids, but she says he wasn't there, that the robot wanted Will, that it was personal. She tells him that if SAR is back, he'll get to Will. On the planet, Penny desperately tries to get out. Will sighs, saying he found something strange, that he doesn't think the footprints were made by the robots, that they're shaped like the alien footprints, but organic in nature. Penny asks that if the robots didn't make them, who did. Up above, Smith shouts for them to say nothing if she wants her to just stay.

Penny asks how stupid they had to have been to walk into a dark tunnel with no idea what was inside. Will tells her that sometimes you have to walk into dark places, that sometimes it's the only way to protect those you love. He says it's what their parents would do. Penny points out that their parents aren't there, then says that she really ought to be comforting him. She hugs him. She asks why he isn't scared. "Who says I'm not?" he asks. She asks why he never talks about it. There is a thudding and thumping and then door opens. "Sorry, I'm late," Smith tells them. Then, another door opens. It's the Robot. Will asks if he's okay. He says that he thinks the Robot wants them to follow him, but he's not sure why. "Danger, family," warns the Robot.

As Grant and Judy ride, Grant asks Judy if she knows what's going back on Earth and if there's a way to contact them. "Unfortunately, no," she admits. She asks why and he tells her that his mother would be almost 80 and was always worried about him going into space, that she'd say "I told you so." He asks about her parents and she says they're going to the colony. They run into a windstorm and Judy is forced to go back to tighten up one of the lifepods. He asks how she's doing and she tells him to just keep driving. As meteors rain down, Grant stabilizes the vehicle, but the threat continues. She is forced to buckle in as they careen down a cliff. She asks where he learned to drive. "My Mom." He asks where she learned to be so brave. "My Dad," she tells him.

John tells Don they need to power down in case the Robots are patrolling the area. Maureen says they need to find out if SAR is functional again. John tells her that even if he is, Will is safe, that all the kids are. "Are they?" wonders Maureen, saying that they've told themselves that, but they really don't know. She says that the not knowing is the hardest part. "Were these marks here before?" asks down, pointing out gashes in the vehicle's ceiling. They hear thudding and John says that there's something on the ship. Tentatively, he goes to investigate. In the cave, Smith asks what the Robot is looking for, but Will says he wants to show them something. They emerge into a vast cavern filled with alien technology. "Is this where you're form?" wonders Will. He asks if the thinks whoever made this place made him. "Yes, Will Robinson," replies the Robot. Smith wonders if they're still there. "No," replies the Robot. Penny asks if it makes him sad, but Smith says that just because someone made you doesn't mean you're sad when they're gone. "Not everyone can have parents like John and Maureen Robinson." She says that maybe robots and humans aren't so different after all, that they're only as good as those who made them. "We can break our programming" he tells her. She replies that she fears we're who we were built to be. The Robot starts to walk off. Will asks where he's going. "Help, family."

Making contact[]

John prepares to set off. "What are you doing?" asks Maureen and he points out she said they need a Robot. He tells her that her plan can still work, that it's just moved to their ship. She says it's not the only difference, that the Robot is alive and could kill him. He tells her that it's alone and this is their best chance. On the planet, the Robot reaches some sort of metal alien circle. Will asks why he brought them. "Danger, family," he says again. "Danger from what?" asks Penny. On the ship, Don does some work with some wires, while Maureen prepares to engage SAR. On the planet, the Robot brings up an image, that of the Jupiter 2. Maureen asks SAR if he's looking for her son. Will asks the Robot what the deal with the image is, why he would pull it up if they can't help. Maureen leads SAR forward as the Robot again tells Will "help, family." "Mom! Dad!" shouts Will. Maureen hears Will's voice. This robot isn't SAR at all, it's Scarecrow. Maureen tells John to stand down, that it's okay. "Mom, is that you?" they wonder on the planet.

Maureen tells Will that she doesn't know what's happening, but they're talking to him through a Robot. She asks Will sent him to them. "No," admits will. "Robot did." She says that they were about to defend themselves. Maureen tells Penny that she read her book four or five times and that she just wants to tell her how brilliant she is. They give each other a virtual hug through the connection. John tells them it's good to hear their voices, asking how Judy is. He asks if she's with them and they tell him she's busy captaining. He asks how Alpha Centauri is and Will explains they're not quite there yet. "What?!" wonders Maureen and Will says they got sidetracked. "I was sidetracked for most my twenties," quips Don. Will asks how they're doing and Maureen says they need two things to get to Alpha Centauri and now they have one. "Well, he's on our ship. I don't know whether we have him," comments John. "Help friends, help family," comments the Robot. Maureen tells Will the plan is more important than ever, that SAR might be alive. The connection cuts out. "They're okay," Maureen comments happily, hugging John. "So what do we do about this guy?" asks Don. Maureen tells him they get to work.

Judy and Grant reach a cliff's edge. He says he thought the surface travel was the hard part, that they're a two mile vertical drop from the camp. He tells her this is the hard part, but she tells him not to worry, that every problem has a solution. He asks what she said, and she says it's something her mother always says. "I used to know a woman who used that phrase a lot too," he tells her. She tells him there's something she has to tell him, that he deserves to know the reason she chose him to do her report. She tells him that the assignment was about talking about someone who was a hero. She couldn't choose between two people - one her father, a Navy SEAL and the bravest man she knew, and someone she never met but was always a part of her life. Someone who her mother said gave his life to space, but gave her life something more. "He gave her me." She says he never knew she existed and she never referred to him as her father, but she wondered what he would say if he got to hear this story. Grant sighs. "I think... he would start by saying 'Nice to meet you'", he tells her. "Nice to meet you, too," she tells him.

Penny tells Will that they have to go back to camp and tell everyone the good news. He promises he'll be right there. He goes to Smith, who points out that he didn't mention to his parents that she was still alive. He tells her that there were more important things to talk about. She says she has another theory, that he was protecting her, and protecting his parents from knowing he was alone with her. She tells him he's a good person, that the values his parents instilled in him stuck with him. She says it's good they didn't take off sooner, that if they hadn't been stranded there they never would have found this place and he wouldn't have connected with his parents. She leaves and he goes over to the Robot. He asks if finding Scarecrow was the Robot's way of saying sorry. "Either way, thank you," he tells him. He fires off a flare gun, revealing a vast alien city. He asks if the other Robots know what happened, that those who made them are extinct. "No, Will Robinson," the Robot replies. Will tells him it's how they end this, that their original program is obsolete. They just have to find a way to prove it to them. "Danger, Will Robinson," replies the Robot. Will says he's thinking about SAR. "Do you think he'll remember me?" he wonders. Elsewhere, a Robot inserts a core into another Robot, who powers up. "Find Will Robinson," declares SAR.