episode #22 - The Challenge

episode #22 / Air Date: 3/2/66
written by Barney Slater; Directed by Don Richardson

One of the more entertaining episodes of the series: a young boy (Kurt Russell) with a spear shows up at the Robinsons' site. Though the Robinsons are kind to him, the boy is very arrogant and especially dismissive of the women (there's an especially amusing exchange between Quano, as the boy calls himself, and Penny). It turns out that Quano is the son of the ruler of his planet; on this planet, it's apparently a very patriarchal, macho culture, where females are barely tolerated. Quano is on his culture's version of a walkabout, there to test himself as a future ruler.
Soon, Quano's father, the Ruler (Michael Ansara) shows up. He's impressed with Will and John Robinson, but has no use for Dr. Smith, who sucks up to him and comes across as effeminate, grating and overbearing. The Ruler proposes a challenge between Quano and Will; it would be a strenuous but not lethal test of strength and courage. John initially refuses but it's taken out of his hands when Will accepts in anger - it's now a matter of manly pride on both sides. The women fret on the sidelines (they're not allowed to observe the Challenge contest).

There are a few genuinely interesting scenes and commentary in this episode, chief among these being John's explanation to his wife about the challenges confronted by human beings which elevated mankind out of the stone age. This may sound like rationalization for silly male pride to a female, but his reasoning did make a lot of sense to me. A weakness to the episode is the revealed threat to the Robinsons - that they would face extermination if Will wins; this was added in to add tension but I found it to be an unnecessary subplot and it fades away by the end.
This episode benefits from the guest performances of Ansara and Russell. Ansara is filled with machismo but is also a cool, level-headed father figure for his son; Ansara always excelled at strong-willed, imposing characters. Russell is also good as the haughty young son whose rude behavior masks the fears of a 12-year old boy. The story suggests an interesting if repugnant planetary culture where women are 2nd-class citizens; apparently, it works, whatever else one may say about it. BoG's Score: 7.5 out of 10

NOTE: the duel near the end with "voltablades" was right up the alley of actor Guy Williams; he was an old hand at this due to his role in the Zorro series a few years earlier.

Lost in Space Trivia: Star Trek TOS actor alert - Ansara later played Kang the Klingon in Day of the Dove of that series.
Russell was a prolific child actor, but went to greater fame in Disney comedy fantasies like The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, John Carpenter films like Escape From New York (1981) and The Thing (1982), and later sf films Stargate (1994) and Soldier (1998).

Epilogue Tag: Smith has just created a bad painting when a storm kicks up; John & Smith are in danger of getting rolled over by a water tower... freeze frame!