episode #27 - The Lost Civilization

episode #27 / Air Date: 4/13/66
written by William Welch; Directed by Don Richardson

This episode basically tells us what the men, Will and The Robot were doing while Smith and the women were dealing with the events of All That Glitters. After a volcano almost blasts them and they find only brackish water, they're in danger of getting fried due to the desert heat; Smith messed up the Chariot's air conditioner before they left. The Robot directs them towards a cave. Soon enough, Will & The Robot uncover a hidden land and a hidden civilization.

This episode combines a 'lost lands' adventure, some children's storybook fantasy and the corny serials of the forties, such as the Flash Gordon ones. Royal Dano plays a Ming the Merciless-type; he's the major domo to a little princess. Little princess - yep; Will finds her sleeping in the middle of a jungle and follows the Robot's instructions to wake her up. Some of this actually makes sense: this is all the tail-end of a millennium-long plan to begin a conquest of the universe; the first planet to suffer under the super army will be the one from where a resourceful traveler had come to awaken the princess. It's Will, so this means Earth. Oops.

This loopy plan is further undercut by some outrageous moments throughout the episode: earlier, The Robot had directed the men towards water, but no one programmed the Robot for finding drinkable water ; there's a "planetary quake" in the cave which causes Will & The Robot to fall into the hidden section, but John & Don, in another part of the cave, don't feel the quake ; later, a boulder the size of a small house rolls on top of Don's leg and he ends up with just a sprain - get the idea? Oh, yes, and... Will is supposed to marry the princess. BoG's Score: 4 out of 10

Lost in Space Trivia: the scene of the Chariot surrounded by falling flaming rocks is stock footage from the early episodes, The Raft/One of Our Dogs is Missing

Epilogue Tag: Smith and Will climb to a higher area to try and spot some glowing rocks which were seen earlier; Smith falls into a sand pit... freeze frame!