Judy Robinson (Netflix)

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There is a rule that is written in stone and it is never broken: the Robinsons stick together.
- Judy Robinson, "Impact"

Judy Robinson is a main character and the eldest daughter of the Robinson family in Netflix's 2018 television series Lost in Space. She is the daughter of Maureen Robinson and John Robinson is her adoptive father. She has a younger sister named Penny and a younger brother named Will. Her biological father Grant Kelly was believed to have died before she was born, though it later transpired that he was alive in stasis. Judy is trained as a medical doctor.

History[]

Early life and leaving Earth[]

As a young girl, she considered both her biological father Grant Kelly and her adoptive father John Robinson her heroes. She, however, took it very hard after John Robinson broke up with her mother, Maureen Robinson. Initially, when he tried make things up, she told him that he could make them up with her siblings Will and Penny, as well as Maureen, but she was doing fine without him. ("Run")

As she and her family evacuated the Resolute for an unknown planet, she played a game of Go Fish with them. She asked just what had happened that would have caused them to evacuate, noting that the Resolute had made 23 routine trips prior to theirs, but her mother Maureen refused to speculate. Before they could finish their game, their spaceship, the Jupiter 2, crashed on the planet.

Trapped Judy Robinson — Judy Robinson, trapped under the ice

The vessel crashed inside an icy pond on the planet. They escaped, but found themselves in a precarious situation, as their spacesuits were low on power and without their warmth, they would die from the frigid conditions outside once the sun set. Furthermore, Maureen's leg was injured, preventing them from traveling any decent distance. It was suggested that someone travel back down under the water to fetch a big ion lithium battery to recharge their suits. Although her brother Will was initially proposed for the task, when he hesitated, she dived into the water instead.

Though successful at retrieving the battery, the water of the lake froze completely just before she could reach the surface and she was trapped underneath. It seemed as though her family's frantic efforts to rescue her would be for naught, but then Will appeared with an alien Robot that he had befriended. The Robot generated heat from his body which melted the ice, freeing Judy. ("Impact")

The unknown planet[]

After the family got back aboard the Jupiter 2, she went to get a leg brace for Maureen from the 3D printer, insisting that she was fine despite her ideal under the ice. When John asked her how she was holding up, she told him she was "good." She thanked the Robot for saving her, but it was unclear how much he understood. She later took the pilot's seat as the family began the slow ascent of the Jupiter 2. She feigned disinterest when her sister Penny showed her a bag of Oreo cookies, asking if she had really spent 14.3 ounces of her personal weight allocation on them. It turned out that they were actually Maureen's, the last item on a checklist she had made. Judy told her that she had to wait for everyone before opening them, but Penny started to open them. When an alert sounded, Penny asked if they could trade off on fixing a clogged pump. When they saw that a storm was threatening their parents, Penny suggested they use the vessel's provided Chariot ATV. Judy felt that they could not get to it, buried in ice, because she had been told to go easy on the engines. She told Penny to stop panicking, even as it was clear she was only barely holding herself together. She was unable to stop her sister from flicking a switch to make a rapid ascent. They managed to make it to the surface and Penny told her that she was going to drive as the uncovered the Chariot 2, only to find that it was incomplete and bearing a sticker reading "some assembly required." When Judy sobbed and sat the end of a bench, Penny took off on her own. Judy later greeted her family when they returned in the Chariot. Penny told her that she needed to get back to being herself, so that she in turn could be herself. They hugged. ("Diamonds in the Sky")

She left following a family meeting, saying that she needed to relax. John found her on one of the ship's treadmills and asked about it and she told him there was a difference between rest and relaxation. He told her that he knew what the fear she had experienced could do to her body and mind, but she insisted she was fine and resumed running on the treadmill. After he left, however, she displayed signs of nervous tension. When he was exploring in the ship's tunnels later, she asked if it was safe and he said it was the first time he had ever heard her ask that question. She shot back that he had not been around to hear much of anything. He told her it was okay if she didn't want to be there with him, but she said that four hands were better than two. They were interrupted and back up above, she looked at the iced-up window and experienced a flashback to her panicked reaction when she was trapped underneath. She drew a smiley face on the window and, as she walked away, something could be seen slithering outside. She later offered to help her father as he faced the fuel eel crisis, but he told her to sit it out. She said that she could handle it and he told he believed her, but he wanted her to believe it too. As the vessel was tossed about in the icy waters, she became trapped under rubble and hyperventilated, unable to reach a communication device to call for help. She summoned her strength and reached a tool to free herself, still panting heavily but okay. She rejoined her family on the bridge, where they discovered that despite having apparently solved the problem, they still couldn't launch. She came to realization and urged her family to dump the vessel's fuel, explaining that if the fuel eels were still in the tank, they could be clogging the intake valve, preventing whatever fuel was down there from getting into the combustion chamber. If they could just clear it, there would still be enough fuel in the lines to get out. At John's urging, she implemented the plan and they successfully escaped, touching down on green, verdant land. She smiled in excitement with the rest of the Robinsons as the ship's comm systems reactivated and they received a transmission from a Mark of the Jupiter 22. She shared hugs with her family as they listened to a transmission from the Resolute stating that the ship was okay. Afterwards, she ran on the treadmill again and John joined her on the neighboring treadmill. ("Infestation")

She joined her parents on an expedition to meet the Watanabes of the Jupiter 11. She grabbed her medical pack and responded when Don West asked which of them was the doctor. As she headed inside the craft, he asked if she was 17 and she replied "18." He followed after her and she told him she could find her own way. He told her that he was the one who saved "her" life, and that she was unconscious when he found her. Judy discovered the patient, Angela Goddard, in a comatose state. Don explained that she hadn't said a word. Judy treated her wounds and gave her medicine for her pain. She whispered her name, "Angela," and Judy told her it was nice to meet her. Examining her, Judy discovered a highly unusual wound on her back, one she said came from an "attack." She explained that the Resolute had been attacked. Judy asked "by who" and hearing the response, she immediately began searching for her parents. She encountered Naoko, who told her that her parents went for supplies and had left instructions for her to take the Chariot home and look after her brother and sister. She did as instructed and found Will using a stick to draw in the dirt with the Robot. She asked to speak with him, alone. She explained what Angela had told her: that the Resolute was attacked by the Robot. Will was silent and she realized that he already knew. She walked away in shock, saying that she was calling their parents, but he begged her not to, saying that the Robot was different. He pointed out that the Robot had saved her life. This held no truck with her and she kept walking, so he created a power spike to temporarily disable the ship's comm system.

Hiding the Robot[]

Penny later explained to Judy that he had left with the Robot. She chased after him and shouted at him for heading outside of the area protected by the vessel's perimeter fence. She tried to reason with him, telling him that the reason they were all on the planet was standing right next to him. She asked why that didn't scare him and he told her it was because the Robot had changed. She told him it was about protecting him, but he replied that the Robot was. She asked what would happen if it changed again. He told her that she said that people make mistakes and deserve a second chance. He told her there was a cave a few miles away and he would hide him there and everyone would be safe. He admitted he knew that they would have to tell their father the truth, but asked her to let him be the one to do it. She was silent, but did not argue, tacitly agreeing to his plan. She ignored her sister Penny when she asked her to tell her what was going on. Later, she directed the group to run as the heard the sounds of snarling beast. They found themselves at the edge of a cliff and walked on a tree branch downed by the Robot as a bridge. As they continued walking, Penny speculated on the possibility of them being upgraded to a family dwelling unit when they reached Alpha Centauri. Judy told her that if they had to stay on the Jupiter 2, she could have her room, as there'd be lodging at the medical facilities. Penny asked if she was moving out. Just then, they heard the sounds of another group of survivors. Judy told them to hide, as they couldn't let them see the Robot. She recognized the leader of the group as the colony representative, Victor Dhar.

When they encountered Victor's son, Vijay, he was scared upon seeing the Robot. He shouted for his father, but she covered his mouth, while Penny delivered an ultimatum that he keep it quiet, holding hostage an envelope that she had stolen from him. She then turned away and led the group onwards again, while Will tried to apologize to her. They finally reached the cave where Will intended to hide the Robot and she said that it was getting late and they should head back. They received a transmission from their mother and when she told them that she and her father wouldn't get back that night, Judy asked if everything was okay. She said they were having car trouble and told Judy to double-check the perimeter. She lied that they already had. Maureen responded that she felt a little better about them with the Robot being there and Judy started to spill the truth about the Robot, but Will approached her and she stayed silent, then said they would talk about when she got back. Will mouthed a silent thanks in response. She agreed when Will and Penny suggested that they stay longer, saying that they would leave the cave at first light. She stared at the Robot, who stared back in return.

After going out foraging with Will, she was amused to return to find that Penny had tagged the cave wall with the phrase "THE ROBINSONS WERE HERE." She called it vandalism, but Penny argued that it was like ancient cave paintings on Earth. She used the red ocher to place her handprint. Will joined her and when Judy hesitated, Will reminded her that the painting said "The Robinsons." He told her she knew she wanted to and she finally gave in and placed her handprint as well. That night, she observed with her family and the Robot a group of miraculous glowing jellyfish. She apologized to Penny for not telling her she was leaving, saying she thought she'd be happy about it. She said that she still had Will to boss around and Penny described that as being less rewarding than she thought. Later, in the dead of night, she watched as the Robot added his own handprint to those of her and her family. He looked at her and she stared back, then turned over and tried to go back to sleep. She headed back with the others that morning to the Jupiter 2, arriving just in time to convince their parents that they had never left. When they asked about the Robot, she said that she though it had wandered off and that though they considered going after him, it seemed irresponsible. Afterwards, Will noted that she had referred to the Robot as "he." She replied that it was "just a pronoun," asking if he was going to tell their father the truth the next day. He told her that he would. She told him that the Robot would be fine and that they were the only ones who knew where the Robot was, not knowing that "Dr. Smith" had found their hiding spot. ("The Robinsons Were Here")

Run[]

Judy Robinson and Dinosaur — Judy Robinson outracing an alien dinosaur

The Robinsons eventually made their way off the unknown planet and found their way back to the Resolute. The ship had been abandoned due to an attack by a robot named Scarecrow, with most of the crew living on the amber planet below. Judy reported for duty as a medical intern, but her skills were largely dismissed by the attending physician Dr. Luna, who wanted her to do grunt work like restocking. She was disappointed, but fell in line anyway.

Meanwhile, her father, John, was assigned to repair a well on the planet, but became trapped inside and injured due to the effects of a rust virus that was breaking down metal on the planet. Learning of his predicament by radio, she planned to come to treat him, but he was many miles away. She was only able to travel a short distance in a Chariot vehicle before it too broke down. Fortunately, she was a former All State track runner and decided that she would run the distance, no matter what it took. She made her way across the planet's forbidding desert, evading attacking dinosaurs along the way. On the journey, she remained in communication with her father, warning him to not give up, as the family would fall apart without him. Determined, she finally reached him and succeeded in treating him and saving his life. ("Run")

Captain[]

When the Resolute was threatened by an incoming fleet of spaceships manned by robots of the same species as the one Will had befriended, she hatched a plan to place 97 children on a Jupiter spacecraft to save them. Although her brother and sister were upset by the plan, they ultimately agreed that it was the only way. She did not plan to accompany them, but was made captain of the vessel. The vessel successfully escaped into space, but did not reach its intended destination of the Alpha Centauri colony, instead arriving at a shattered planet which, to her shock, contained the wreck of the Fortuna, a vessel captained by her biological father, Grant Kelly.

Judy boarded the Fortuna, seeking any information that could help her discover the fate of the vessel's crew. As she did so, those aboard the Jupiter were in a perilous situation, needing to make an emergency landing on the shattered planet below in order to avoid being destroyed by an asteroid. Judy got what she needed just in time and made her way back to the vessel, with some timely assistance from Dr. Smith, who had stowed away.

One year later, everyone was still on the planet, having settled into a comfortable routine in a small area deep in a valley of the planet that managed to escape the cataclysmic destruction suffered by the rest of the planet. Judy regularly sent up flares in the hope of discovering the missing Fortuna lander, but without any success. Their situation was also growing perilous, as they did not have the titanium they needed to escape the planet, yet the computer was warning that the asteroid field above the planet would soon grow so dangerous that they would be entirely unable to escape. As such, Judy proposed a risky plan to climb a mountain to obtain titanium two miles up. Secretly, however, she had an ulterior motive: to gain height in order to use a radio transmitter to get a better signal on the Fortuna lander. When Penny realized what she was doing, she encouraged her to continue to the top, despite her reservations about leaving the others behind, given that she was the captain. ("Three Little Birds")

Judy continued her climb and to her delight discovered the Fortuna lander. She wondered, however, just how she would introduce herself to Grant Kelly. Upon boarding the vessel, she discovered Grant Kelly's stasis pod and pushed the button to wake him up, only for the computer to sound an alert about his heart condition. She was able to stabilize his vitals and when he woke up and asked her who she was, she told him simply that she was "an astronaut." Judy and Grant made their way back towards the camp, encountering a windstorm along the way. As they faced a difficult jump, she told him that every problem had a solution and he told her that he knew a woman who said that a lot, referring to Maureen. She then revealed the truth of being his daughter, saying that she always wondered what he'd say if they met. "Nice to meet you," he told her and she said that it was nice to meet him too. ("Contact")

Launch and rescue[]

The two arrived safely back at camp, where seeing Judy in her role as captain, Grant quipped that maybe spaceships were now like bikes, that just about every kid had one. "Not yet," she replied, explaining that he shouldn't be too eager to see her in action, as the computer did most of the work. He was surprised by this and wasn't reassured even when Judy told him that Maureen had done most of the programming, saying that computers can handle 99% of problems until they hit the ones they can't.

Later, Judy was forced to deal with Dr. Smith, who wanted to pilot the Jupiter and have Grant Kelly go into stasis instead of herself. Judy told her that they simply didn't have enough air left, but Smith called herself the "devil you know," saying that Judy really didn't know anything about Grant Kelly. Judy, however, told her that she already knew all she needed to know about Grant Kelly. When Smith asked her for a guarantee that she would be woken up upon arrival at Alpha Centauri, Judy told her that her word was all she had.

Things came to a head when the Jupiter auto-pilot system tried to ground the vessel, saying that conditions above with the asteroid field were too dangerous. Judy was convinced that she had failed everyone, but Grant told her that she put too much trust in computers. He promised her that he could navigate everyone out. He took the helm, but during the navigation, the computer sounded an alert that their flight path had been compromised. It recommended a path that would seemingly fly them to their deaths, straight into an asteroid. Judy rebooted the auto-pilot over Grant's objections, taking control away from him. The vessel successfully cleared the field and Grant got up, telling Judy that the chair was hers, that she was right and Maureen's auto-pilot program worked. ("The New Guy")

As the group prepared to head for Alpha Centauri, the Robot picked up a transmission which turned out to be from the hostile Robot SAR, or Second Alien Robot. The transmission indicated the location of their parents. Though intended as a threat, most of the children felt that it was an opportunity, as they could save their parents. Judy, however, was reluctant, feeling that she had the responsibility entrusted to them by their parents. The other children all voted to attempt to mount a rescue, but Grant told Judy that she was the captain and therefore it was ultimately her decision, that it wasn't a democracy. Penny and Will told her that she wasn't alone, that she had their help. Ultimately, Will came up with a plan that Judy was able to endorse and they chose to mount a rescue. Judy flew the Fortuna, using the Jupiter spacecraft as a distraction in order to trick the Robots. Everyone was reunited safely and they moved to quickly launch in order to reach Alpha Centauri. The Robinsons flew together, with Don West and Dr. Smith. However, as they prepared to head into the rift, they were chased by SAR and forced to divert to a boggy planet. As they hurtled into the atmosphere, Judy and Maureen's ejector seats jammed. ("Nothing Left Behind")

The boggy planet[]

Waking up on the planet, Judy tested Maureen, finding that she was physically unharmed and did not have any slurred speech or other signs of distress. Nevertheless, the two were still in a very precarious situation, as Maureen realized that her seat rocket was armed, meaning that she was essentially sitting on a land-mine. She and Judy worked on various ideas to try to free her, but at the same time faced another problem: the Jupiter 2 was being a swallowed by a giant alien snake. Maureen was convinced that Judy would figure out everything else, telling her that if she was alone with anyone, she was glad it was her. Judy, however, had secretly fractured her shoulder and the pressure became too much for her. When she finally admitted this to Maureen, Maureen asked why she tell her, wondering since when they kept secrets from each other. Judy told her that it was all the time, "since I'm the daughter you don't have to worry about." She finally let it all out, saying that she had been trying to live up to a dream she didn't understand. She also felt guilty about taking Maureen's dream of being an astronaut away from her. Maureen shook her head, saying that she never realized, and assuring her this wasn't the case.

As the alien snake prepared to swallow them completely, Maureen told Judy to just get out, to save herself. Judy, however, told her that this wouldn't happen, that she had never left her. They then came up with a new plan: hiding themselves inside a protective crate and using the force from the exploding seat to repel the snake. The plan worked and they opened the crate, finding themselves safe. Maureen commented that this was how it had begun, just the two of them. ("Stuck")

The heart[]

The group was reunited and began making preparations to leave depart when they made a startling discovery: that one of the Robots had scanned Don West and from this discovered the location of Alpha Centauri. When Will sneaked away to put a secret plan into action, they were unable to locate him on scanners and Judy realized that he had disabled his Chariot's tracking system. They eventually caught him with him, realizing that his plan was to try to talk with SAR. Judy watched in horror along with the others as SAR impaled Will through the heart. They rushed Will back aboard the Jupiter 2, but Judy told the others that there was no way that she could perform open-heart surgery there, that she needed a real hospital. Maureen stated that they should launch for Alpha Centauri, but Judy said there was no way that he would survive the trip. "The cryotube," she realized, explaining that if they put Will in the ship's cryotube, it should slow down his vital functions enough for them to get him safely to Alpha Centauri for surgery. They all agreed to this plan and launched. ("Final Transmission")

As the group came in for a landing on Alpha Centauri, Judy reported that Will's bio-signs were holding stable. Dr. Smith paid Judy a visit, wondering about her situation, and Judy, annoyed at even having to bother with her, told her that they had agreed not to say anything about her presence but to "let karma handle it." As Will was rushed into surgery, Judy was worried about remaining behind, but assured by the nurse that Will would make it. As the others left, Judy remained behind to get treatment for her shoulder. Later, when Penny was shocked by the fact that Will was being outfitted by an artificial heart, Judy assured her that she knew kids back on Earth with artificial lungs that didn't miss a beat. ("Contingencies on Contingencies")

The defense system and the dam[]

In the midst of preparing for the Robots to invade Alpha Centauri, it came to light that the treacherous Alistair Hastings had installed a secret defense system on Alpha Centauri, one which he hoped to use to barter for his freedom after being imprisoned. When he was apparently killed by the Robot, John led a search team along with Victor Dhar. Judy and Penny, however, not convinced of the Robot's guilt, decided to launch a secret mission to try to find the Robot before John could, as they felt that the Robot was their best hope should the other Robots invade. They enlisted Don West in the plan and made their way to the dam containing the turbines that powered the defense system. There, they discovered the truth: that a group of Robots were secretly already on the planet and working to try to sabotage the turbines.

Don hatched a plan: to take out the governor that was controlling the turbines in order cause one of the turbines to explode, thus killing the Robots. Judy asked incredulously if his plan was seriously to keep the Robots from destroying the turbine from destroying the turbine. He, however, reasoned that sacrificing one turbine was better than the Robots potentially taking out all three turbines. He then began stripping down, but Judy pre-empted him, as she was the only one physically qualified to make a swim of the distance needed to reach the generator. She pointed out that she had done it before and Penny countered that she had nearly died doing it before. Don stated that it was okay to do it for family. "Don, what do you think you are?" asked Penny. Judy then began stripping down for the swim and charged forward, over Penny's protests.

As John made his way into the facility, he observed Judy. He was informed of the truth by the others. As Judy prepared to dive in, she found herself face-to-face with one of the Robots. John then pulled her to safety and Will's Robot engaged the other Robots. He managed to fend them off, but was not able to prevent the complete sabotage of the turbines. ("Contingencies on Contingencies")

The final conflict & aftermath[]

Despite the colony's best efforts to raise the defense shield, the Robot vessel slipped through a crack in the net, crashing violently on the planet, but not so badly as to do any damage to the Robots. Judy and Penny gave Will a summary of everything that was happening, but Judy told Will to stay in bed and rest. Judy then took charge of an evacuation convoy, and called in for an update on Will's status. She was informed by a nurse that Will was holding steady.

Later, as the Robots were attacking, Judy unexpectedly observed Penny seemingly wandering through a disaster area. She asked what was up and Penny explained that the Robots were targeting the alien engine, that they could use it to rip a hole in space, shattering the planet in the same way as the shattered planet. Judy then joined Penny in trying to claim and protect the engine, only to be exasperated when Penny unexpectedly stopped to aid a stuck Robot. Judy told her to just leave the Robot, but Penny ignored her advice. Judy proceeded on her own with the engine, only to be stunned into speechlessness when Penny arrived leading a whole team of friendly alien Robots, having realized that Will's connection with his own Robot wasn't a one-off fluke.

Judy later joined her family in protecting the alien engine inside an electrified Jupiter. During the final showdown, she along with the others, played a command sound sent by Will in order to try to stop the Robots. She then watched along with the others as Will stopped broadcasting the signal at SAR and SAR once again went for his heart, only for a signal to arc back to him that had been planted there by Will's Robot, causing SAR's program to be overwritten with that of the Robot. Following this, Penny wrote in her memoir that Judy had finally realized that she had nothing to prove to anyone. ("Trust")

Personality & Character[]

Judy is the eldest daughter of the Robinson Family. She's Maureen's bi-racial first daughter from a previous relationship and John's adoptive daughter. Although not biologically John's, they have a strong bond and she takes after him to a great degree. Trained as a medic, she's Jupiter 2's doctor and the colonists' field medic, though not everyone in the colony respects this skill. A prodigy, Judy is capable of diagnosing the condition of a patient without directly observing the patient. She was able to diagnose her mother was suffering from a condition and successfully guided Penny on how to operate while frozen in ice. Judy is a very athletic person, and loves to swim, run and exercise, and once runs 15 miles to save John from a collapsed well.

Although a courageous and daring person, she developed PTSD after surviving her near death experience trapped in ice. A combination of depression and claustrophobia afflicted her for a time, but she managed to overcome them after a series of crises. She's also highly emotional, willing to risk saving a person without seeing the overall picture. When Evan was crushed by the fuel tank, Victor wanted to save the fuel, as it was necessary to the survival of the overall colony, but Judy could only see the human equation of Evan. Because of her choice, they lost their fuel and lost Evan in the process. She blamed herself for Evan's death. Overall, Judy is a passionate and caring person, but can take things too personal, not considering the larger picture of things. She took John and Maureen's breakup very hard and resents John for it, having never known her biological father.

From early in her life, Maureen always expected great things from Judy. Although Maureen did not realize it, this caused Judy to always feel that she was in Maureen's shadow, crushed by the weight of trying to live up to her. Judy never felt that she could be entirely honest with Maureen about her fears and doubts, for worry of disappointing her. After they discuss this, Judy is able to finally move past this. Though she continues to strive for excellence, she is also finally at peace, realizing that she has nothing to prove to anyone.

Skills & abilities[]

Medical Training - Judy is trained as a doctor with extensive knowledge. However, she has little experience, having only treated two patients without the assistance of another doctor, one of which was her mother. Judy quite enjoys being a doctor, and hates it when people take her skills for granted or underestimate her medical abilities.

She is a strong and talented swimmer. ("Impact")

She is a former All State track runner and was a champion of track and field. ("Run")

She is also skilled in self-defense, having been trained by her adoptive father John. ("Transmission")

A talented leader, she captains a group of ninety-seven children, overseeing their survival on the shattered planet for an entire year. ("Three Little Birds")

Notes & trivia[]

John Robinson is Judy's adoptive father. Her biological father was believed to be killed during a space mission before Judy was born, though she later discovers him to be alive in stasis. His name is enshrined on the Resolute in the Hall of Heroes.

Judy's personality is more like John's. She is very brave, and will do absolutely anything for her family, including sacrificing her life. Her interests are like Maureen's. She likes to learn, and loves the opportunity to display her scientific and medical abilities, but hardly ever brags.

In a deleted scene available on the Season 1 home video release, Penny states that she does not have a second place trophy in anything, and that everything always works out for her.

The 2018 series in some ways reverses the roles of Judy and Penny from the original series. In the original series, Penny was a brilliant prodigy with an IQ of 147, whereas Judy was only of slightly above average intelligence, never cared much for school, and was known to be more emotional and rebellious.