episode #51 - The Cave of the Wizards

episode #51 / Air Date: 2/22/67 (episode #22 of 2nd season)
written by Peter Packer; Directed by Don Richardson

Dr. Smith gets hit by a gas explosion and develops amnesia. The Robot tries to get him back to the Jupiter 2 site but Smith's personality is still the same and he stubbornly refuses. Then he goes into a trance and proceeds as if commanded by unseen forces to some cave, filled with the usual Lost in Space-scattered statues-as-decor. The center of the cave, however, contains ancient computers. The Robot & Will follow Smith into the cave, which is guarded now by a pair of rock creatures; the Robot bops Smith with a rock, restoring his memory.
Now things get really weird. Smith idly wishes for a ship of his own, to get back to (where else) Earth. The 3 castaways exit the cave and head back to the Jupiter 2 site. Smith points the way, which is surely wrong, but they seem to return to the site. However, the ship is dark & empty, filled with cobwebs. The rest of the group are nowhere to be seen; the front hatch disappears, as do other objects. Smith then takes the lift to the lower level but returns, in shock, stating that there is no lower level. The Robot finally clears up a few things, informing them that this ship is just a simulation.

The 3 of them walk away from this doppelganger ship and we next see them at the actual site, as John Robinson goes over final preparations for lift off to Alpha Centauri - yep, looks like they're finally leaving their 2nd strange planet-as-home. But, Smith returns to the cave and the active computers there soon begin to transform him into an alien, facilitated by a couple of alien objects that Smith wears; Smith also gains the power of actual wish fulfillment again (see the 1st season episode Wish Upon a Star). In a strange & amusing bit, the Robot gets a golden makeover and also becomes vain Also, Smith names the rock creatures Gog and Magog.

Towards the end, Smith appears to get completely taken over by the alien force in some plan to become part of a "cosmic brain." The rest of the group will have to leave him and the Robot behind when they take off; only Will cares enough to make a valiant effort to get the real Smith back. This actually has some interesting ideas, but these are mostly presented in a kooky and nonsensical manner - par for the course . The ending is quite anti-climactic. BoG's Score: 4 out of 10
NOTE: we see The Robinsons in their silvery space suits in this episode, after a long spell without them, as they prepare to take off; they don't quite make it but this all seems like a hint that they will soon make it off the planet, perhaps at season's end.

Epilogue Tag: Smith is teaching Will & Penny the finer points of gambling (using the Robot as a spinner for a roulette game) when Penny finds a gold coin; then they find a hidden hatch; when Smith tries to open it, he suddenly descends into the earth... freeze frame!