How The ‘Lost In Space’ Revival Is Bringing The Original’s Female Characters Into 2018

Rebooting old classics is a very popular trend in TV these days, and with Lost In Space, Netflix is adding another revival to its collection. The new take on the classic '60s science fiction series will will premiere on April 13, and there's already plenty of buzz surrounding its arrival. So, will Lost In Space return for Season 2?

UPDATE: The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Lost In Space Season 2 has been ordered.

EARLIER: So far, there's no word yet on whether a second season is in the works. Netflix will likely announce the show's fate either way once the viewing numbers for Season 1 are able to be analyzed. But if early reviews are to be believed, this show could have some serious staying power. Rolling Stone's Noel Murray praised the show's CGI elements, saying that compared to the original series, Netflix's Lost In Space "puts every single dollar of its much bigger budget up on the screen." CNN's Brian Lowry also notes, without giving away spoilers, that the ending to Season 1 includes "a clever twist to set the stage for Season 2." These are signs that the show has a longterm plan up its sleeve.

Netflix seems to have had faith in the show from the beginning, ordering it for a full season right off the bat, according to Deadline, and praising both the source material and the new production team's ability to adapt it for a new age. "The original series so deftly captured both drama and comedy, and that made it very appealing to a broad audience. The current creative team’s reimagining of the series for Netflix is sure to appeal to both fans who fondly remember the original and to create a new generation of enthusiasts around the world," Cindy Holland, VP Original Content at Netflix, said.

The story itself does contain a wealth of possible storylines. The original series focused on the Robinson family, who were sent into orbit to colonize space before their spaceship careened off course. The themes of being lost and attempting to make your way back to where you belong are always timeless and universal, and could set the show up for seasons of adventures to come. "It’s a very clever, modern reworking of a great story. Lost In Space is Swiss Family Robinson in space, so it was a story that existed before Lost In Space," star Toby Stephens, who plays the Robinson patriarch, told Collider. "The fundamental story is that it’s a family that is lost in a difficult, life-threatening situation and how it challenges them and brings them closer together. That is essentially what the story of this is, it’s just the context is a lot more modern."

The show has been updated to be a bit more modern, not just in terms of special effects and technology, but also in terms of the characters themselves. As star Molly Parker, who plays Maureen, noted to Digital Spy, the character of the Robinson family matriarch has been updated to be less of a stereotypical 1960s wife who takes care of her husband and children, and more of her own woman. "What I really appreciate about the way they've written [the show] is that we never, ever talk about it," Parker said. "In our imagination of what 30 years in the future could be, [gender] doesn't need to be discussed anymore."

Stephens also said in the same DigitalSpy piece that younger girls in the show are more well-represented than they were in the original. "I think that's a really great thing that they're represented in such a strong light," he told the outlet. "The two young girls [of the family] are such strong, intelligent, capable women. I think the younger generation watching that will find that empowering and aspirational – 'I wanna be like that!'" Another notable shift is that Dr. Smith, originally played by a man, is portrayed in the reboot by the legendary Parker Posey.

All of this early word is enough to set expectations high, so if the show holds up as it unfolds for viewers, a Season 2 announcement could be right around the corner.