Lost in Space Season 3 has yet to be officially confirmed by Netflix, but the executive producers may have learned something from spending so much time with the always prepared Maureen Robinson. The creative minds behind the show already have a roadmap for the third season planned out.
*Caution: Season 2 spoilers ahead*
“A big thing happened at the end of season 2: the kids and parents are split apart,” showrunner Zack Estrin tells Den of Geek. “We’re going to pick up with two separate stories in season 3.”
The cliffhanger ending of Lost in Space season 2 leaves several storylines up in the air. So far, the Robinsons haven’t met a problem they couldn’t solve together. Now, apart, a potential third season may be their most daunting challenge yet.
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“How do the kids and the parents find their way back together?” Estrin says. “What’s it like for the kids without the guide of their parents? It’s like permanent summer camp except for the fact that the ants and insects are just big things that eat you.”
The roots of the storyline for a potential third season go all the way back to when the producers were plotting season 1 of the Netflix re-imagining. The creative team was watching old episodes of Lost in Space at producer Kevin Burns’ office when the season 1 episode “Hello Stranger” caught their attention. In that episode, the Robinson family encounter a famous astronaut named Jimmy Hapgood (played by Warren Oates) who disappeared on a mission to Saturn. John and Maureen Robinson wrestle with the idea that Hapgood could take their kids back to Earth, and whether separating the family is better for the kids or not.
read more: Why The Third Time Was A Charm For Lost in Space
“It was so painful to watch parents say ‘Should we separate from our family’?” says Netflix series co-creator Burk Sharpless.
Executive producer and co-creator Matt Sazama says the writers were struck by the emotional beat. “We said we had to do this beat on the show,” Sazama says. “It’s a direct inspiration from the old black and white first season of Lost in Space.”
Sharpless adds: “It’s a reference to contemporary times with refugees and children who are often doing long journeys across borders and have to survive on their own and say goodbye to their parents. It’s a sci-fi show, so it’s not the same, but we felt it was an emotion that is worthy of being on our show.”
Read and download the Den of Geek Lost In Space Special Edition Magazine right here!