- You may also be looking for another Penny Robinson
Probably should have read the fine print before I launched into space.
- Penny Robinson, "Impact"
Penny Robinson is a main character on the Netflix series Lost in Space. She is the second daughter of the Robinson Family.
Profile[]
Intelligent and contrarian, but her sarcastic and tough exterior covers a romantic soul. If the Robinsons had a black sheep, she’d be it. She’s the most social person in her family, with the best sense of humor of any of them. She is always a bit sarcastic, but hides so much care for others underneath it. As her dad states, she tries harder than anyone will ever give her credit for. Penny grew up the victim of middle-child-syndrome, caught between a "picture-perfect sister" (Judy) who could do no wrong and a "know-it-all brother" (Will) who everybody was afraid couldn't do anything right. She didn't want to leave her home on Earth, and, being a sentimental person, struggles with the loss of everything and everyone she knew. During the time on the alien planet, Penny meets a boy from one of the other crashed Jupiter ships who was Vijay Dhar. They have a difficult relationship due to his father, Victor Dhar. (mostly from the series casting brief) Although outgoing, she sometimes suffers from self-esteem issues. Surrounded by two high-performing prodigies, her brother Will and her sister Judy, she sometimes has to be reminded that her contributions are valued and important as well.
History[]
While in school on Earth, she played the role of Hermia in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Her brother Will was able to attend the play but didn't really understand it, while her sister Judy was unable to attend due to a heavy courseload at her own school. (Lost in Space: Return to Yesterday) She overheard her mother Maureen stating that the unknown planet on which they and the other members of the 24th Mission had crashed was doomed, due to its proximity to a black hole. She shared this information with Vijay Dhar, but begged him to not tell anyone else. She had previously blackmailed him into keeping quiet about his knowledge of the Robot by withholding a piece of paper that she had taken from him when they first met.
After the Robot's presence on the planet became common knowledge, she returned the paper, and he had her read it, revealing it was a piece of poetry he wrote when he thought he was going to die in space. Among the things it contained was the fact that no girl had ever broken his heart before. After reading this, she kissed him. ("Eulogy") She was extremely upset that he broke her trust by breaking his promise not to tell his family that the planet on which they had crashed was doomed. They decided to stop seeing each other and she chastised him as being a "bad kisser." ("Trajectory")
She was a talented writer. After she and her family escaped from the unknown planet, she wrote a memoir about their adventures titled Lost in Space. Her brother Will considered it to be so good that he published it, created several hand-bound copies which he passed out as Christmas presents to the group, which were now stranded on a water planet that the Jupiter 2 had been forced to land on. In the book, Penny speaks of her fear of space and having to overcome such challenges.
One of Penny's tasks aboard the Jupiter 2 was to escort "Dr. Smith," who had been locked up in a room on the vessel after betraying the family. Every day, she would come with a pair of handcuffs and lead her out of her cell in order to give her a chance to get some exercise and go to the bathroom and such. Dr. Smith tried to manipulate her by telling her that her mother must really trust her by giving her such an important job as looking after her. ("Shipwrecked")
When the vessel's food supply was ruined by toxic gas, Maureen hatched a risky plan to turn the vessel into a boat. They would sail the vessel to a recurring storm on the planet in order to re-energize its batteries and escape. As they put the plan into motion, Penny grew increasingly upset about her seeming uselessness. As she worked together with Don West to help keep toxic kelp off the ship, she said that it felt like her mother always gave her the "dummy jobs." Don asked if helping him was a dummy job, but she explained that it felt like Will was given the smart jobs and Judy the tough jobs. In response, he told her his own philosophy, that flying under the radar was one of his core principles. He felt that the Robinsons were over-achievers, whereas he never wanted to be too good at anything.
Later, she and her mother were trapped in a crevasse on the planet, the lightning storm fast approaching. As they scrambled for a solution to the problem, things came to a head between them. Penny commented that all of her children to get stuck with, Maureen had to get stuck with her. She said that Will would have found some geometrical formula to get them out of their predicament, while Judy would run 30 miles and find a strong tree. Maureen tried to argue, but Penny was not comforted by her arguments and told her to stop. In the end, however, it turns out to be Penny who saves the day when she figures out that the rigging from the sails which fell into the crevasse spans 30 feet, enough to reach the Chariot vehicle dangled down by John and Judy. They take refuge inside the Chariot, using it as a Faraday cage to protect them from the lightning. Maureen admitted that she hadn't read Penny's memoir, but promised that she would. Meanwhile, back on vessel, Dr. Smith told her that she had read the memoir and particularly liked Penny's line "The irony of all this is I almost died trying to get somewhere I never even wanted to go." ("Precipice")
Penny, thunderstruck at her sister's proposal for saving the 24th Mission's children
After her family escaped from the unknown planet, she was surprised to learn that her brother published several copies of a memoir that she had been writing, which he had entitled Lost in Space. In the memoir, she spoke of needing to see things for herself, unlike her mother, who was a scientist. She stated that the invisible force of her family reminded her that she was never alone. ("Shipwrecked") She also admitted that she had never really wanted to go into outer space and to Alpha Centauri like the other members of her family. ("Precipice") Later, after the family rejoined with the other colonists from the Resolute, she protested strongly when her sister Judy proposed a plan which would save the 97 children of the 24th Mission, but would leave behind their parents. She felt that it was a bad idea for them to split up and that there must be some other way. Ultimately, however, she was tearfully forced to accept the plan, with Judy serving as the group's captain. She was shocked along with the others when instead of arriving at Alpha Centauri, they instead found themselves at a shattered planet that was nesting the wreck of the Fortuna, a long-lost vessel captained by Judy's biological father Grant Kelly. ("Ninety-Seven")
The group was forced to make an emergency landing on the shattered planet due to the conditions in the atmosphere above, ultimately spending a total of a year on the planet. During this time, Penny became distant and distracted, often sloughing off the emergency drills that Judy held to prepare for the threat of the planet being bombarded by meteors. She shared the details of the memoir she had been writing to a boy named Liam Tufeld and when he asked her how it ended, she admitted that she had stopped in the middle. She told him that while she used to care about things too much, she was now living in the moment.
Despite her seemingly lackadaisical attitude, Penny agreed to join an expedition team consisting of herself, Judy, Will, Liam and Vijay Dhar in order to climb for titanium needed to power their Jupiter to escape the planet. During the journey, Penny admitted to Vijay that she hadn't been talking with Will much lately, saying that he was hiding something. Will, however, expressed the same sentiment, saying that he and Penny hadn't been talking much and he missed how things used to be. As they progressed, Penny discovered that Judy had an ulterior motive for the climb: that she was hoping to use a receiver to catch a signal from the Fortuna lander containing Grant Kelly. Although she was at first upset about this, she ended up coming to a realization. She handed Judy the receiver, telling her to go find Grant Kelly. She explained that she had been mad at Judy for a year, upset at her being the reason they had to leave their parents. She knew now, however, that she had just been looking out for them as she always had, the way family did. ("Three Little Birds")
With Judy away seeking Grant Kelly, Penny and Will sought something else: the Robot, who had gone missing. Penny enlisted the help of Liam Tufeld, though he wondered if the missing Robot story was simply a ruse to try to get him alone with her. When he moved to kiss her, his hair went crazy, a phenomenon that Penny recognized as signifying the presence of alien technology nearby. She called for Will and the two of them discovered a secret cave on the planet and ended up getting trapped inside. Penny panicked at the idea of being trapped, though Will seemed more interested in investigating a set of unusual footprints which appeared to be alien in origin and yet didn't match those of the alien robots. They realized that this might be the place where the Robots were built. They found the Robot and confirmed this with him, but learned that they were no longer alive. Penny asked the Robot if this made him sad, but Dr. Smith, who had joined the two, commented that just because someone made you didn't mean that you were sad when they were gone.
Just then, something unexpected happened, as the Robot began unexpectedly broadcasting a signal. It turned out that he had connected with Scarecrow, another Robot, who was with their parents, John and Maureen. Maureen told Penny that since they had been separated, she had read her book four or five times. The two gave each other a virtual hug through the connection. Penny told Will that they needed to return to camp to give everyone the news, but Will remained behind to explore the vast alien city they had discovered. ("Contact")
Back at camp, Penny assisted with the preparations for launch. She ended up getting into a discussion about Liam with Vijay, who felt that Liam was a "show-off." Vijay then asked if her parents mentioned anything specific about his parents during the conversation they had, but she admitted that they didn't get a lot of time to talk. She nevertheless reassured him that his own parents were fine. She later found herself chatting with Grant Kelly, whom Judy had managed to rescue. He was astonished by the idea that the Jupiter auto-pilot could ground the ship if it detected unsafe atmospheric conditions above and Penny later warned Judy that she needed to talk with Grant. ("The New Guy")
As the Jupiter launched, Judy tasked Penny with checking on the kids and keeping them calm, leaving her to lament that she had saddled here with 97 jobs, as opposed to the one she had given Will: to check on the Robot. Nevertheless, Penny performed her task with aplomb, going around making sure that everyone was ready. She later watched as the Robot connected again, but this time, to SAR, a hostile alien Robot who was attempting to threaten them by showing them the location of their parents. She, however, stated that SAR had a mistake, that this was their opportunity to rescue their parents. The idea resonated with the other children, but troubled Judy, who felt responsible for everyone. Penny said they had to at least try. When Judy remained troubled, she told her that she knew she thought she had to find a way to solve it herself, but that she didn't, that they were a family. Will then came up with a plan, which Penny assured him was a good one. The plan was executed successfully and everyone succeeded and rescuing their parents. They then made to immediately head for Alpha Centauri. However, in so doing, the Robinsons were set upon by SAR's vessel and forced to redirect to a boggy planet. ("Nothing Left Behind")
On the planet, John and Penny found themselves separated from the others. John immediately shut off Penny's equipment, explaining that any electronic signals drew the Robots like flies. They two of them searched and discovered the Robot, who was stuck, impaled by metal. Penny commented to the Robot that it was a lot like how he first met Will, how he was in danger then too and Will saved him. She told him that she never would have been able to do what Will had done. Later, as Penny and John continued to work to free the Robot, Penny told John that she was having feelings for both Liam Tufeld and Vijay Dhar. She explained that there was something that she liked about both of them: that Liam had a certain strength about him, while Vijay had a big heart and cared about everyone. John was surprised that she wanted to discuss this with him now until he realized that she was trying to keep his mind occupied so that he wouldn't be afraid, something that he had always done for her int he past. ("Stuck")
Penny and John eventually reunited with the others and the group made a startling discovery: that one of the Robots had scanned Don and from this learned the location of Alpha Centauri. They prepared to launch for Alpha Centauri in the hopes of giving them a warning, only to discover that Will had left on his own, hoping to try to communicate with SAR. Although the others were worried about this, Penny wondered if maybe he was doing the right thing, noting that Will was the only one of them who could communicate with the Robots. Later, however, she watched along with the others in horror as Will's attempt at communication failed and SAR stabbed him through the heart. ("Final Transmission")]
The group immediately set off for Alpha Centauri, Will placed in cryostasis in order to slow his vital functions so that he could have surgery upon arrival. Once there, Penny was astonished to learn that Will would be fitted with an artificial heart. Judy, however, told her that she knew children on Earth that had artificial lungs and never missed a beat, reassuring her that the heart wasn't determined by what it was made of. Penny, however, wondered how they could possibly beat SAR if even Will couldn't.
Later, Penny was worried after the Robot seemingly attacked and killed Alistair Hastings. Although John had said out with Victor Dhar to find and possibly kill the Robot if need be, Penny was determined that she and Judy had to find the Robot beforehand. To this end, the two of them enlisted the help of Don West, and when Vijay Dhar overheard the conversation, he ended up tagging along. During the journey, Vijay found himself apart from Penny, walking with Don West instead, and began to wonder if maybe he and Penny were better off as just friends.
The two arrived at the dam where the Robot was suspected of hiding. Judy told Penny that she needed to be the one who talked with the Robot, saying that she had spent the most time with him after Will. The three of them, however, realized that the whole thing was a setup: that a group of alien Robots had already invaded Alpha Centauri, framed Wills' Robot and were attempting to sabotage the dam. As Judy prepared to swim to execute a risky plan to take out the dam's generator, Penny pointed out that she had nearly died making such a swim once before. Don then commented that it was okay to do it for family, and she asked him just what he thought he was, that he was family too. Ultimately, the group was unable to prevent the Robots from sabotaging the turbines, though Will's Robot managed to take out the other Robots. In the aftermath, Penny asked Vijay if he was glad he came along. He told her that he wasn't, that he wasn't a smuggler and couldn't give her what she wanted, that he was someone who said and did everything right. Despite this, he told her to stop selling herself short, saying that she was amazing and strange and more special than she gave herself credit for. He felt that it was a shame she hadn't figured that out yet. She told him that she wasn't the person he thought she was, but he asked her to promise to allow him to say "I told you so" whenever she finally realized he was right. ("Contingencies on Contingencies")
With the turbines down, the Robots raced towards the planet in the hopes of attacking, as those on the ground scrambled to activate a defense shield. Although the defense shield was raised, the Robots managed to slip through a crack. In the aftermath, the colonists began evacuating the colonists to a safe area. During the evacuation process, Penny noticed that Will had slipped his transport and was making his way towards an alien engine. She was astonished that he had severed himself from his life support, but he explained the startling realization he had come to: that one of the alien engines was responsible for the shattering of the shattered planet and that the Robots could do the same thing if they got a hold of this one. Penny told him that she would get Judy, but Will told her that there was no time, that it had to be her. She expressed doubt that she could do anything, but he told her that he knew she could, that she was stronger than she thought. She finally begrudgingly agreed.
Penny made her way forward, trying to reassure herself by pretending that things were just like in the brochure about Alpha Centauri. As she continued, Judy showed up, saying that she had been trying to help the injured, only to see her wandering through a disaster area. Penny explained what Will had told her and Judy immediately agreed that they needed to get to work. They managed to reach the alien engine, but as they began taking it away, Penny encountered a trapped Robot. Judy told Penny not to worry, but the Robot seemed to look at Penny almost pleadingly. To Judy's exasperation, Penny remained behind, talking with the Robot. "You're dying, aren't you?" she asked the Robot, telling the Robot that she was Penny Robinson. Going against her fear, she freed the Robot. To her astonishment, the Robot did not attack, but instead stood up and flexed its arms. Vijay, Liam and Sally then watched in astonishment as the Robot took on a similar form to Will's Robot. Penny then asked to call the Robot "Sally" and directed the others to begin rescuing the other trapped Robots. She then astonished both Judy and Will when she arrived with a small army of friendly Robots. When Judy stated that she didn't have the words, she stated that it was okay, that words were her department. "I told you so," commented Vijay and the two kissed.
Penny's bond with Sally ultimately helped to turn the tide of the conflict, which came to an end when SAR again attacked Will, who now had a piece of Robot's heart inside him. The piece caused the Robot's programing to transfer to SAR. In the aftermath, Penny wrote an epilogue in her memoir, detailing how most of the Robots, including Sally, had left on their own. Although she was upset at first, she realized that Sally was just a girl like her finding her place in the universe. She explained that Maureen and Don were now working on a building a a new spaceship to replace the Resolute. As for Will, he went off exploring with the Robot but promised to be home before Christmas, though things didn't always work out as planned. She then wrote that it was the end, but then added "...of chapter one." ("Trust")
Personality & character[]
Penny (Penelope) Robinson is seen to be cheerful, outgoing and brave. Often spouting jokes or witty comebacks, she can be very lighthearted. In times of distress, she can be a very critical problem solver.
She was known to oftentimes employ dry sarcasm, which could sometimes annoy those around her. ("Impact")
She was romantically attracted to Vijay Dhar and planned a romantic outing with him, only for it be spoiled when they discovered to her chagrin that the waterfall she was planning to use to set up a romantic rescue type of scenario had dried up. ("Eulogy")
She did not really want to go into space and had been scared of it for as long as she could remember. ("Shipwrecked")
She often felt undervalued by her family, particularly her mother, once expressing to Don West that Will was always given the smart jobs and Judy the tough jobs. ("Precipice")
Whereas Will and Penny were both very intellectual, Penny was more guided by emotions and could be considered the "heart" of the group, her kind acts and way with words forging a bond in her own way. ("Trust")
Trivia[]
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.