In
“Follow the Leader,” a planet-quake strikes just as Professor Robinson (Guy
Williams) and Dr. Smith (Jonathan Harris) are exploring a cavern.
Robinson falls into a subterranean room,
heretofore buried, and stumbles upon an ancient alien temple.
There,
the disembodied spirit of an ancient warrior -- Canto (Gregory Morton) -- possesses
Robinson’s body, transforming the kindly patriarch into a draconian, vicious brute
of man. John returns to camp changed, and
the others soon take notice of his peculiar and uncharacteristic behavior.
Only
the Robot understands what is occurring, and offers a dire warning to the
Robinsons. Unless the body possession
can be stopped, Professor Robinson’s identity will soon be lost forever, absorbed by
Canto.
When
Will (Bill Mumy) interferes in the alien temple, hoping to find a way to
destroy Canto, Canto strikes back. He
takes Will to the precipice of a bottomless pit, where he intends to push him
over the edge.
Realizing
death awaits, Will makes a last ditch attempt to reach his father…
The
last episode of Lost in Space’s (1965-1968) first season ends the
black-and-white catalog on a high note, and a disturbing one too.
The
kindly John Robinson (who has always shown such restraint, especially vis-à-vis
Smith), is possessed by a wicked, merciless and aggressive alien. In the episode’s shocking denouement, the
alien in Robinson’s body, Canto, nearly kills an innocent child, Will.
Fortunately,
Will is a smart kid, and thinks quickly.
Before he plunges into the abyss, he asks Canto if he can take off his
helmet, so he can see his father’s face “one
last time.”
Canto agrees, and that’s
when Will strikes, looking into Robinsons’ eyes and telling his father that he
loves him. From there, Robinson fights
his way back, and destroys the helmet, the source of Canto’s power.
On
the surface, “Follow the Leader” is another alien possession story, the brand
that is a dime a dozen on various incarnations of Star Trek (“Lonely Among
Us,” or “Warlord” to name two). But “Follow
the Leader” also features a dramatic and powerful sub-text. This is a story about alcoholism in the
nuclear family, perhaps.
Think
about it.
One
day, your father is suddenly different: cruel and mercurial. He shouts and
yells, and goes off into violent fits. He
verbally upbraids you and your mother, as well as other family members (as John
does to Maureen, Smith and will here…).
Suddenly you don’t feel safe or secure,
and this man in your midst, you realize, is an enemy. He has “changed.” He’s different. He wears a mask of cruelty, hiding, perhaps, who you think he is; or who he would like to be.
The
sci-fi idea of alien possession replaces alcohol, but the metaphor is in place.
Will and the others are at a loss to
help John, or stop John. He can be
reached, finally, only by forcing him to remember his family obligations, his
love of his son, for example.
And
that’s one emotionally powerful final scene on the precipice.
In part, I suppose, because “Follow the Leader” goes so far. Canto walks Will onto the precipice, and
forces him to look down.
Will
understands what’s happening, and says something along the lines of “you’re
going to push me over the edge, aren’t you?”
Canto acknowledges that yes, he is going to do that.
The
calmness and rationality with which both Will and Canto face this horrible fate
is chilling. There is nothing childish
or juvenile about this moment. Will is a smart kid, and he knows what’s
happening to him. Meanwhile, Canto has
no love for him, and no desire to save his life.
The
more I think about it, chilling is the appropriate word. A father is about to murder his son. Yet Will shows such composure, and Canto, no humanity whatsoever.
“Follow
the Leader” feels ever-so-much more urgent and immediate than many episodes of Lost
in Space, and there is a degree of tension and anxiety present in this
episode.
“Follow the Leader” showcases,
perhaps, what the series might look like when the buffoonish Smith isn’t the
center of the action. It also cements the idea that I've talked about here many times before. The best episodes of Lost in Space are those that take some topic of life here on Earth (senseless war, alcoholism, the beginning of adolescence, etc.) and translate them to the space frontier, but in a family milieu. This episode absolutely follows that pattern.
Only one quibble. How many underground civilizations are there on Priplanus, the Robinsons' planet? By my count, this is the third!
Next, Lost in Space goes color in “Blast off into Space!,” the second
season premiere.
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