episode #14 - Attack of the Monster Plants

episode #14 / Air Date: 12/15/65
written by William Read Woodfield, Allan Balter; Directed by Justus Addiss

This one turned out to be better than expected, because the title hints at some dopey killer plants plot. It does start out that way - John & Don are almost killed by an alien vine which dragged John into a sandpit. Smith refused to help them, at first out of fear but then due to some deception he can't seem to stop himself from indulging in. This finally crosses a line, especially with Don, and Smith is kicked out of the camp. This is bad timing for Smith because the group finally has obtained enough deutronium to fuel the ship and lift off. Don purposely suggests that Smith will be left behind, though John probably would not stoop to this.

Then the plot takes some strange and unexpected twists. Smith has found some strange plants at his campsite; the plants seem capable of duplicating objects, but only the surface appearance. Smith deceives Will, for example, into believing that the plants can reproduce deutronium, but the canisters are just plant material. The plants feed on deutronium, however, and grow to huge size due to this. Then, Judy wanders into an area filled with these plants and goes to sleep in the middle of one - she goes missing and only Smith knows where she is.
Smith, of course, use this secret info to his advantage, but Judy unexpectedly returns to the site of the ship. But, is she Judy? Ahh... yes, shades of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Some of this is creepy & eerie by Lost in Space standards, but it's saddled with a weak, lazy ending again: the group carries out a plan to freeze the plants, but nothing is shown of what happens to the Judy pod, as if a scene was cut - a missed opportunity at the least. BoG's Score: 6.5 out of 10

Epilogue Tag: Smith & Penny are hanging out by a discarded alien contraption; Smith leaves as the machine activates, enveloping Penny in a beam of light; she disappears - freeze frame!