Lost in Space Reboot Thrives with Controversial Dr. Smith Gender-Swap

Netflix’s underrated space opera reboot, Lost in Space, made one controversial change to the original story, and it helps the show thrive. Cult classic TV shows frequently get reboots down the line, and not all of them are as successful. However, Netflix rebooted a 1960s space opera in 2018, and it became a certified hit by transforming the original story.

The new show featured better production values and a tonal shift from goofy to grounded. However, those changes can’t occur in a vacuum. If the writers had stuck the campy characters from the original into the more serious, grounded storytelling of the Netflix show, it would have felt wrong. At the same time, Lost in Space’s characters have to feel familiar enough to appeal to nostalgic fans.

For the most part, they balanced the old and the new well. Most of them felt like a slightly different version of the original. However, Dr. Smith is the exception. The character changes drastically, and the story is better off for it.

According to the actor’s 2001 interview with the Television Academy Foundation, the late actor Jonathan Harris found Dr. Smith utterly boring, so he began adding comedic elements. The showrunner Irwin Allen allowed him to rewrite the character and dialogue, adding in comedic bits and the iconic alliterative lines. Harris essentially created the comedic version of the villain who “kept the show on the air.” It was perfect.

However, Netflix chose not to even try to copy Harris’s Dr. Smith from the 60s, which allowed the perfectly bingeable sci-fi show to thrive. Nobody could have replicated the comedic and chaotic energy of Harris’s version, and any attempt would have failed horribly. Plus, it would have felt hokey and cheesy alongside the new version of the Robinson family. So, they did a complete overhaul.

Parker Posey Is The Backbone Of The Lost In Space Reboot

Controversially, the Netflix original show gender-swapped Dr. Smith, casting Parker Posey in the role, but that was the absolute best choice they made when rebooting Lost in Space. Parker Posey is a powerhouse actor who plays realistic but truly despicable villains extremely well, which is the best description of the character.

The new version of Dr. Smith, who is secretly June Harris, is terrifying because she’s so realistic. Every scary trait of hers exists in real life, and she doesn’t have the over-the-top, cartoonish humor to shield that sinisterness. The character is significantly darker, and she has an actual motivation for everything she does. She never seems evil just for the sake of being evil.

One moment, Dr. Smith’s redemption feels possible, and the next, Lost in Space reminds the audience that she’s a murderer who will do absolutely anything to survive. Her more lovable moments show her helping the Robinsons, but this is actually manipulative. The character does only positive things if they benefit her. This behavior creates a very visceral repulsion. Even Posey’s little smirks or posturing elicit ire.

Ultimately, Lost in Space needed Posey’s Dr. Smith, as she is a great foil for the Robinsons. Posey’s character elicits venomous hate, while the family is dysfunctional but lovable. The children’s innocence contrasts with Dr. Smith’s jadedness. This is even more noteworthy since the most important protagonists are the kids, not the parents. The family’s unity, even when the relationships are strained, is the opposite of Dr. Smith’s completely selfish actions.

The Robinsons show, episode after episode, that they come together to survive, while the villain betrays and murders others to get by. Her deception makes it easier to accept their earnestness. It’s less challenging to forgive the Robinsons when they make mistakes or selfish decisions because at least they aren’t as bad as Dr. Smith.

Parker Posey was the perfect casting for the top-notch TV villain, even if the gender-swapping might have ruffled some feathers. Her character held the reboot together in the same way Harris’s character held the original together. Without Posey, Netflix’s Lost in Space reboot just wouldn’t have been the same.