Whatever happened to Will and Penny Robinson?

Since I was 12, I've been a big Star Trek fan. Before that, I was a Lost in Space devotee. I remember watching the originals on our tiny Penncrest B-and-W TV. Sometimes, mom would even make TV dinners and we would eat them on TV trays in front of, yes, the TV. Very spacey-agey dining.

I had an older cousin who used to tell me she saw the final episode of Lost in Space and the Robinson family made it home to Earth. She then told me what happened to all the characters. I remember she said that Doctor Smith went to jail, of course, and Will and the robot procured jobs at a planetarium. I know, I didn't believe it either.

Whenever the Jupiter Two crashed on a different planet (one that always looked the same) the first thing the Robinson Family, Don and the Robot would do is place force field units around the perimeter. Doctor Smith would be off with an injured back so he couldn't help.


Whenever I ride my bike past this apartment building, on my way to work, the satellite TV dishes remind me of the Jupiter Two's forcefield units. By the time I arrive, I have conjured a down-and-out Penny Robinson sleeping it off on the couch inside. Will is her obese neighbor. They were famous for a while after returning to Earth, but partied a little too hardy. The robot became involved in nefarious dealings too. And they all wound up here. Looks like Penny has some grandkids, or maybe she parlayed her fleeting fame into a daycare. Who knew that their experience with hydroponic gardening aboard the Jupiter Two would have been the seed of this, their final crash.

The story changes every time. But one thing remains the same. Doctor Smith was a total success upon his earthly return and redeemed himself. Or did he?