Summary
Flashbacks reveal clues to Dr. Smith's past; The Robinsons contend with a new threat as the ship's fuel supply starts dropping - fast as glacier threatens to collapse around them.
Plot
June Harris sits at home, talking with her sister, Jessica. Jessica asks if it's wrong to say goodbye to her, telling her that she would bring her if she could. June tells her to not ruin things with a bunch of lies. She tells her that she won't apologize for trying to be a productive member of society and that she has to take responsibility for her choices. June shoots back that this is coming from somebody who never has to make any. Jessica replies that this isn't fair and June talks about her college being paid for and their father leaving her the business. Jessica asks if he should have left it to her, given that she's a criminal. June says she's made mistakes. Jessica replies that she's glad she recognizes that, but they don't want mistakes in the new world. June starts to leave, but Jessica tells her that she didn't ask her there to fight; that she wanted to give her something. She's giving her the keys to her house and car, since she won't need them anymore - a fresh start. She tells her to be a better version of herself. June replies that she could "just be her." Drinking some wine, Jessica passes out. June walks over to her and cuts her arm. She extracts a chip and places it in a tube. She then makes herself over in Jessica's image and puts on a wig. She picks up a folder reading "A New Beginning: Alpha Centauri: 24th Mission." She leaves behind Jessica, bound and gagged.
On the Jupiter 2, she enters a room with the Robinsons, who are deep in discussion. They're discussing the fact that they're lost, "metaphorically a six hundred year drive away" from where they need to be. Maureen says they can get back and Will wonders just how they do that. Maureen admits that unless the Resolute is intact and can find them, they may be stuck there. She says this is why she needs everyone working on the problem, the first being to get the ship out of the ice and get comms operational. John tells her that they need a breather - that they all could use some rest and there's nothing they can do with the storm outside anyway. They agree they're all tired and Judy says that she could use an hour. Maureen says that she'll wake them all after the storm.
Everyone disperses and Maureen and "Dr. Smith" are left alone. She helps clean up and Maureen asks about her family. She tells her that she had to leave them behind. She says that it makes it easier. Maureen tells her she's welcome to stay and offers to show her where she can store her stuff. She says that with all their skills, she was rescued by the right family. She tells Maureen that she's a psychologist and specializes in family therapy. Maureen tells her she's come to the right place and they'll put her to work. She leaves "Dr. Smith" to get settled in and "Dr. Smith" considers the Robot. Judy continues to flashback to her terrifying time being trapped under the ice. She can't sleep, so she gets some exercise, telling her father that she just needed to relax, and there's a difference. John tells her that he knows what the fear can do to her body and mind, but she tells him she's fine. He tells her to do what she has to. She stops the treadmill and pants.
"Dr. Smith" continues to wander the ship. She finds Penny sleeping. She picks up her phone and examines it. Penny shifts in her sleep and she puts the phone back down. She visits the sleeping Will and examines his drawings of the Robot. In his sleep, Will has a flashback of the terrifying images he saw from the Resolute. He wakes up and finds "Dr. Smith" sitting at a table. He gets some food and she asks if he had a bad dream, saying she still gets them from time to time herself. She says that it helps to say what they were out loud. He tells her that it was nothing and that he's fine. The Robot enters the room. She tells him he thought she said it wasn't dangerous. He tells her he's going back to bed and to not mention anything to his father about his nightmare. She tells him she's good at keeping secrets. The ship shudders as ice collapses outside. Everyone gathers and Maureen says that the glacier is breaking apart because of the use of the blast jets. They need to get out, or it's all going to collapse on them. The storm is over, so it's time to go. John, however, tells them they have a problem with the engines: they don't have any. They go to examine it and find that the particulate from the storm is blocking the airflow to the ventilation shafts. They have to clear it out, or they're going nowhere.
Maureen says that she's going to get Judy to come down to work on it, but John thinks she might not be ready. He asks if she's not worried about her after what happened. Maureen replies that Judy will pull through. John says they need to give her time, but Maureen tells him they don't have any. She asks if he's really the best judge of what he can and can't handle. He tells her that if he's going to be there, then she has to let him. He asks how he thinks they should handle their new guest. He replies as if she's talking about the Robot, but she says that she meant "Dr. Smith." He says that she must be trained in emergency procedures and should be fine. So they pair off and take assignments. Penny pairs with Will, thinking that the Robot will do all the work for them. As John and Judy navigate an area flooded with water, Judy asks if it's safe, and he replies that he thinks it's the first time she's ever asked that question. She replies that he hasn't been around to hear much of anything. He tells her that it's okay if she doesn't want to come down, but she's determined. Just then, Maureen calls. She asks if he recently used the 3D printer. She tells him that a record came up indicating that someone ran a program outside protocol. He immediately gets defensive, saying that she immediately assumed it was him. She says that she's not assuming, she's asking. He says that he thought about it, but it wouldn't let him. She tells him that he knows how she feels about weapons in their house. He tells her that they already have one that belongs to an 11-year-old boy and they have no idea how to use it. She says that the Robot is protecting Will, but that more important, if he didn't print something, then who did? She returns to "Dr. Smith" to continue their work. She tells Maureen that she has to be honest about something and that she won't blame her if it makes her regret taking her in. Maureen already has an idea, asking her how she got past the restrictions. Maureen asks about the printer, but she replies that she didn't touch the printer. She says that her grasp of emergency training isn't what it should be - that most of her training was occupational and not familial. She figured that others would take care of this sort of thing.
Maureen tells her that it's okay, that nobody thought they would end up like this. She replies that it seems like she's been preparing for this since she was a child. She calls her successful, intelligent and beautiful, saying that she reminds her of her sister. She replies that she never had any siblings, but it would have been nice to help work the field. She was once a genuine farm girl who wished upon a star. An alarm sounds. The fuel level is dropping, which John says is weird, seeing as they're not using any. Maureen thinks that damage from the ice could have caused a leak and John agrees to go check it out. He tells her to radio him if the fuel starts dropping any faster. Judy looks outside, seeing the ice, and has another flashback. She sketches on the icy window, drawing a smiley face. Something can be seen outside through the smiley face. Will asks Penny what she thinks about "Dr. Smith." She says that she doesn't know - that she likes her hair - and Will asks about the phrase of not judging a book by its cover. Penny replies that whoever said that has never been to a bookstore. He tells her that she never has, seeing as the last one closed before she ever would have been able to visit it. She replies that this isn't her point. The Robot hears a noise of some sort and leaves, irritating Penny, who wants him to help clean. "Cool robot, Will," she snarks. John continues to explore the watery corridors, saying that if there is a fuel leak, it isn't widespread. As he looks around, something slithers in the conduits. Maureen tells "Dr. Smith" that they're bleeding fuel and they need to work faster.
"Dr. Smith" asks why they just don't pile into the Chariot and get out of there. Maureen replies that one or two of them could survive for a bit, but not all of them. "Dr. Smith" replies that she's going to go check on the kids. The Robot seeks out the slithering noise and Will asks him what he's looking for. Will hears the noise too and just then some sort of serpent drops down on him. He screams and the Robot restrains him. He ends up trapped behinds a door and the Robot warns Maureen and Penny: "Danger, Will Robinson." Trapped in a storeroom, Will tells Maureen to be careful, that there's something on the ship. John tells Judy that he's trying to find the source of the leak and dives underwater. Maureen meets up with Judy, telling her to find "Dr. Smith" while Penny stays there. Just then, however, John shows up, throwing a dead serpent on the ground. He tells them to not go downstairs. He thinks it came in through one of the puncture holes. It smells awful. Maureen puts it on a table to examine it and says that she thinks the smell is fuel. The fuel continues to drop and Maureen dissects the creature, finding that it has fuel inside its guts. Their fuel is literally being eaten up. It's a methane hybrid, which must be similar to the creature's food source. Maureen explains that the Jupiter spacecrafts were built with primary and reserve fuel tanks and so far the reserve fuel is untouched. If it stays that way, they can get out of the ice, but the emergency settings will open the reserve tanks when the primary gets too low. This can only be turned off at the source. John says that he'll handle the tank if they'll get everything else ready to fly. Judy tells him that she can help, but he asks her to sit it out. She tells him she can handle it and he tells her that he believes her, but she needs to believe it too. He leaves.
He tells the Robot that he needs to get into the storage closet. The Robot replies "Danger, Will Robinson," and he replies that it's going to be a lot more dangerous if he can't get in to get a torque wrench. The Robot simply stands there and John calls Will, telling him to tell the Robot to open the door. Will replies that the Robot won't listen. So he tells Judy to print him a torque wrench, even though it will take an hour, and he'll buy them some more time. Will tells "Dr. Smith" that he doesn't understand, that the Robot usually does what he tells him to. She asks why he thinks this is and he says that maybe it's his way of thanking him for saving his life. They're connected, but now the Robot won't do what he wants him to do. "Dr. Smith" sits with him, saying that he's not listening to his voice, but rather to what's inside. Everyone has battles going on inside of them, between what they want to do and what they need to do, which can be very different things.
On the Resolute, two days earlier, June Harris boards the vessel and is confirmed for level three access, identified as Jessica Harris, age 34. A man approaches her, saying he's been looking for her. She just keeps walking and he asks why she's not stopping, grabbing her. She says she's sorry and he tells her that it's he who's sorry, that he just hasn't been able to get away from Holly. He just needs to be with her and he doesn't care if she finds out. She tells him she doesn't want anyone to see them. He asks just who she is and she tells him that if he doesn't tell anyone about her, she won't tell his wife about his bad taste in women. They fight and she shoves him into an airlock with ten seconds to override. He tells her she doesn't want to do this, but she does. He is jettisoned into space.
Back on the Jupiter 2, Penny spreads salt. Maureen calls her clever, using fifth grade biology on the eels. She tells her that John thinks she expects too much of them, asking if she thinks that too. Penny replies that she doesn't, but sometimes she expects too much from Dad. John continues to hold out, wrestling eels as he waits for the wrench to print. Maureen and Penny work on the engines, Penny being sent to get some parts. John stabs an eel to death, winning his struggle. As Penny walks, she sprinkles salt. More of the glacier collapses and everyone is sent tumbling. The 3D printer is scrambled and the torque wrench doesn't print. John tells her it's okay. There's bad news however - the jostling caused the reserves to be released into the main tank. Now it's open season for the eels. John says they have to launch now or they're finished. Just then, there's a shout from Penny. Will begs for the Robot to help. "Dr. Smith" tells him to take deep breaths, that fear is a powerful emotion and the Robot can sense his fear. She tells him it's okay to want to save himself, that self-preservation is nothing to be ashamed of. Judy gets trapped under rubble and flashes back again. John finds Penny in the underwater corridor. The eels are all around her. One of the eels gets on her leg and she screams, but he tells her that they're not after her, they're after the fuel. Unfortunately, as she points out, she's covered in fuel. He tells her it'll be okay, cutting a cable and covering himself in fuel, and shouting for her to go.
Will asks "Dr. Smith" if they're going to die and she promises that they aren't, that they're survivors. She tells him that his family risked their lives to save her, so it's time she risked hers. She says that she can get out because the Robot only cares what happens to him. He tells her that he cares what happens to her. She seems to have trouble processing that, but eventually tells him that one thing he'll learn about her is that she can handle herself. Elsewhere, the trapped Judy manages to reach a tool. She grabs it and frees herself. "Dr. Smith" leaves the storage closet, Will shouting after her to check up on his family. As the fuel drops to 30%, she heads to the bridge and looks out. She heads to the Chariot vehicle and straps inside, initiating ejection, which gives a warning that it will compromise the structural integrity of the vehicle. A countdown begins, similar to the one from the airlock on the Resolute. As Maureen struggles with shoving in a tube, she appears and helps her out. She hugs her. They're finally god to launch as the fuel reaches 15%. Maureen says that 15% should be enough to get them out and that the eels will burn up on ignition. John tries to launch, but nothing happens. He asks what's wrong and Maureen says they should be fine as the announcement states that the fuel is now at 10%. Judy suggests that they dump the fuel, explaining that if the eels are in the tank, then they might be clogging the intake valve and whatever fuel is down there can't get into the combustion chamber. She says to trust her that there's still enough fuel in the lines to get them out. John agrees that they should do it. He asks Maureen if the ship will run on fumes, and she says that she hopes so. So they dump the fuel and take off.
It works, and they escape the ice. Everyone is relieved as they fly over more promising terrain. The engines sputter, but John says that he has things under control. He tells them to brace themselves as he puts down. Penny asks if anyone has a mop - that she may have barfed a little. Maureen calls it a nice bit of flying, and he says he has a good call. A call comes in, from a Mark on a Jupiter 22. There are other survivors. Maureen realizes that Will still isn't with them and shouts after him. They find him hugging the Robot. He then hugs her. He apologizes for not being there to help, but she says he would have if he could have. John considers the Robot and nods. Penny calls everyone, telling them to come quick. She puts on a broadcast. It's Captain Radic from the Resolute. He says they've taken heavy damage, but are still operational and life support systems have been stabilized. He thinks eventually they'll be able to get back on course to Alpha Centauri. At this news, everyone hugs in delight, except for "Dr. Smith," who looks troubled. The broadcast continues, Radic saying that they will find those who can't find them.
Back in the past, Radic addresses June Harris, asking if she really thought they wouldn't find her. He asks if she believes she's the first person who thought she could fake her way into a new life. He says she's had quite a career: breaking and entering, possession of stolen goods, and identity theft. He tells her they have her on camera taking the man's life. She says she was defending herself and it wasn't her fault. He tells her he has good news and bad news. The good news is that they haven't set up a system of justice yet - no courts or jail. The bad news is that since they haven't, he can do whatever he wants with her. The door opens and a man tells him that they've had a breach and he's wanted in the control room. He tells June to sit tight. Just then, the alarm sounds. There are explosions in the distance and people scream. Back on the Jupiter 2, Judy gets on the treadmill, while John examines the printer, then joins her on another treadmill. They run together in silence. The Robot visits Will and shows him a gun. Will asks what he's doing with it, saying that he doesn't want it. He asks if the Robot made it. He asks why, and the Robot tells him "Danger, Will Robinson." Will tells him that if they're going to be friends, he can't hurt anyone ever. He takes the gun and hides it, as "Dr. Smith" watches.
Cast
Jupiter 2 crew
- Molly Parker as Maureen Robinson
- Toby Stephens as John Robinson
- Maxwell Jenkins as Will Robinson
- Taylor Russell as Judy Robinson
- Mina Sundwall as Penny Robinson
- Ignacio Serricchio as Don West
- Parker Posey as "Dr. Smith"
- Brian Steele as The Robot
Additional cast
- Selma Blair as Jessica Harris
- Shaun Parkes as Captain Radic
- Jon Cor as Resolute Officer (Samantha's Father)
- Natalie von Rotsburg as Security Guard
- Richard Meen as Mark
Notes
- This is the first episode to use the show's instrumental opening and cast/crew sequence.