I have mixed feelings about the show. I didn't watch the original series and know practically nothing about it, other than it's Swiss Family Robinson in Space, and I saw the movie. It was meh. I only got up to episode 6, because I got so pissed off I had to turn it off.
Mild (?) spoilers below:
I'll start though with what I did like. The kids didn't annoy me, the effects were good, especially the design of the robot, and I even liked how they started off with the moment things all go wrong and toss you in to figure things out along with the family and other survivors. I liked some of the humor peppered in too, and it felt realistic, not the sarcastic comment the "hero" makes in the face of insane odds, but a natural human reaction to absurd situations. "It's like bumper cars. Where everyone dies." Ha. I like Penny. Although I think Judy is my favorite. Don't tell the others.
I do love Parker Posey. But put a pin in that.
I also liked the Watanabe family. Along with about 90% of the rest of the Jupiter ship survivors.
I liked Don West, but I think I would have preferred him a bit more rogueish and a tad less consistently opportunistic. How about a touch of cleverness and mouth keeping shut, hmm Don? However, he said something to Judy that didn't make much sense. When he was arguing with her about making money off of the location of the fuel in the Jupiter ship in the desert, he said something about how they all get to go off to their colony while he has to go back to Earth. But in flashbacks, they talk about how the trip to Alpha Centauri is one way only. So were he and other crew like him only going so far, then launching off the ship to its final destination, then they go back to Earth and do it all over?
I'm afraid that brings me to what I don't like.
Some small things like how they tried to get Judy out with magnesium but were burning it right above her. Not grabbing the tent to cover the hole when it started to rain.
I hate Dr. Smith. And not in the way one hates the villain of the story. I know there was a Dr. Smith in the original and the movie, but I honestly don't get the point of her character.
Victor, the "colony leader" that apparently no one likes. If no one likes him, how the hell did he get elected? Was it just because no one else really wanted the job? There's enough drama with everyone trying to survive. Making him a jerk is a wasted effort at "human drama" or a rather insulting way to make sure we only see the Robinson's as the heroes. People can have different opinions and point of views to be in conflict with the protagonists of the story and not be jerks, or even wrong.
This brings me to the specific moment where I literally said out loud to an empty room, Oh for f**ks sake" and shut the series off. When Don leads the others to the ship in the desert so they can siphon its fuel and they have it all, so Don clearly goes back inside to tell the other's to get out. He's still on the ship, yet Victor doesn't bother with an all-clear before telling the rover or pod drivers to cut their lines, letting the ship fall. Naturally Judy doesn't do it, putting herself in grave danger. Either that was moronically stupid on Victor's part, or the jackass was hoping Don would die so he could renege on their deal. Neither option is awesome. But not only was Victor a moron for not getting an all-clear, so was everyone else on that mission. The two who left the ship knew he was in there, as well as the people who saw him go in. If they're the best and brightest of humanity, we are screwed.
I did read spoilers, so I might go back and finish up the series, hoping that stupidity of that particular moment is an anomaly, because from what I read, how it ends is really clever, as a build-up to the original premise of the original show, and an interesting story to follow. (Even if one character makes it to the end of season one I wish hadn't.)
