episode #20 - War of the Robots

episode #20 / Air Date: 2/9/66
written by Barney Slater; Directed by Sobey Martin

Will finds a robot (Robby the Robot) rusting away near where he was fishing. Only, this isn't just a robot - it's a... Robotoid! That's the next step up from a robot making the Robinsons' Robot obsolete - or so it seems. Will seems unable to activate the Robotoid but The Robot knows better - The Robot knows that the Robotoid is faking inactivity. The Robot's hostility towards the new mechanical man alienates The Robot from the rest of the group. When the Robotoid does begin to function, it seems superior to The Robot in every way. Soon, The Robot departs .

The Robotoid then reveals its.. true colors. It gets rid of all weapons and takes over; his mission is to build a homing beacon for some hostile ape-like race that will then gather up the Robinsons for some experiments. Will manages to run off and we all know the only hope now is the loyalty of The Robot. Loyalty - from a machine?

This was actually a key episode for The Robot. The inclusion of the famous Robby is obviously a pull for most sci-fi fans, but the most important element here is the evolution of The Robot character. Near the end, John states that there's something more to The Robot - that it's not just a machine. Starting with this episode, The Robot became more verbose, more human-like in its behavior; it would also be on more equal footing with Smith and the others, rather than just a tool. BoG's Score: 7 out of 10

Lost in Space Trivia: Robby is, of course, from Forbidden Planet (1956) and The Invisible Boy (1957); the music here was expected to be a variation on Forbidden Planet's, but was actually the Gort theme from The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) - a mis-computation? Penny does not appear at all in this episode; speaking of which...

Epilogue Tag: a storm hits; Penny has found a discarded alien mirror when Dr. Smith finds her; lightning strikes - a bull's head eyes on the mirror begin to glow... freeze frame!