episode #29 - Follow the Leader

episode #29 / Air Date: 4/27/66
written by Barney Slater; Directed by Don Richardson

After falling into a hidden cave, John is taken over by the spirit of an alien conqueror named Cantu. This was the rare chance for actor Guy Williams to act outside the box on the show; rather than the steady father figure leader he usually is, John Robinson becomes curt and nasty. At first, it just seems to be fatigue and perhaps a knock on the head which causes John's personality change; Smith opines that he's having a mental breakdown (all the pressures of command - sound familiar? see the TOS episode The Enterprise Incident). But, soon the ruthless warrior spirit seems to fully take over.
John is soon dressed in an alien warrior's clothing and makes plans to get rid of most of the group. His advanced knowledge makes possible the construction of a new deutronium-manufacturing contraption and he also plans to use the Jupiter 2 ship to head for his home planet. After defeating Don in combat, John dons a mask to fully hide his old persona and things come to a head when the possessed John prepares to push Will off a cliff edge into a chasm that reaches to the very core of the planet

Some might say that the ending is kind of sappy in this one, but it struck the right cord with me. The sight of the altered John Robinson, unrecognizable in his new attire and mask, looming over the possibly doomed Will, was a try at dramatics that was rarely attempted in this show, so I appreciate the way this was done. It had a nearly surreal quality to it. There was probably no other way to end it, anyway. BoG's Score: 7 out of 10
Epilogue Tag: (this is in color!) an earthquake hits the Jupiter 2 site! John warns Don, who is at another site with Judy, Will and Smith, getting the last of the deutronium. A quake hits their location! Judy falls! Don falls...! freeze frame!
NOTE: this footage was on the DVD set version; it's for the first episode of the 2nd season which aired months later in 1966, but it still reads "continued next week" at the freeze frame.