'Lost In Space' Featurette: Meet The Space Family Robinson

The focus of this featurette is primarily on character, and that makes sense – the characters are the best thing the show has going for it. As I said in my review:

This doesn't mean Lost In Space's mission is a complete success. The show suffers from a been there, done that atmosphere – we've seen this sort of thing before, in countless space adventure shows and movies. What makes Lost in Space work, however, is its rich cast of characters, all of whom are complex and well-crafted. Hell, even the damn robot is complex in this show.

The characters are well-rounded to the extreme – something I honestly was not expecting. Even if the adventure itself isn't quite as fantastic as it should be, I was happy to follow these characters as they try to survive the harsh realities of intergalactic travel.

Here's a detailed breakdown of just who these characters are, courtesy of Netflix.

JOHN ROBINSON: The dad and a seasoned combat veteran with the self-possessed strength of a born leader. When the family's spaceship crash-lands on an unknown planet, John maintains a goal-oriented attitude. But it's soon clear that there is strain between him and his family. With the chance to make up for the mistakes he's made in the past and earn his way back into the family – but it won't come easy.

MAUREEN ROBINSON: The mom and an aerospace engineer with a fearsome intellect. Convinced there is no problem that can't be solved if you apply your mind to it, Maureen is a driven and demanding woman both in and outside her home. It's her decision to bring her family into space for a chance at a new life on a better world. But there are things she can't just fix as though they were an engineering problem — from surviving on this lost planet, to finding a way to forgive her husband and repair their family.JUDY ROBINSON: The oldest of the three Robinson children, Judy is Maureen's biracial daughter from her first marriage. Athletic, confident and trained in medicine, her edge comes from her willingness to push herself harder than anyone else. Harboring resentment for her parents' breakup, she struggles to live up to her responsibilities despite her strong will and determination.PENNY ROBINSON: The middle child in the family, Penny is quick-witted and contrarian, but her sarcastic and tough exterior covers a romantic soul. Her social personality and sense of humor sets her apart from her superstar older sister and her protected baby brother, and helps her cope with missing everything and everyone back on Earth.WILL ROBINSON: The youngest – and smallest – of the Robinsons, Will is creative, empathetic, and naturally sensitive. He was picked-on growing up and didn't have many friends so was eager to pack up and leave Earth and go just about anywhere. Now, Will must deal with his own anxiety and find courage he never thought he had. This unique boy, who wasn't supposed to be there, may prove to be the key to everyone's survival.DR. SMITH: A mysterious woman with an enigmatic x-factor, Dr. Smith is compelling, charismatic...and not one to be trusted. As a stowaway, she proves unnervingly calm under pressure. Stranded along with Don West and the Robinson family, she's a master manipulator, always working one side against the other and thinking three moves ahead to achieve her inscrutable ends.DON WEST: A well-paid roughneck, Don West is part of a sub-class of highly-skilled, but blue collar contractors...who also smuggles luxury goods on the side. His roguish exterior hides a heart of gold and with a cynical view of the colonization of space, he's convinced this egalitarian new world would never really let someone like him live there. Now that he's crashed along with the others, he'll have to forge new alliances, and find the family he never thought he'd have.ROBOT: A sentient automaton who becomes Will's loyal servant... and in the end, friend. An intimidating amalgam of shapeshifting alien metal and organic thought patterns, it towers above its human wards on the planet. But like many characters in this series, Robot contains many mysteries yet to be revealed.Lost In Space drops onto Netflix on April 13, 2018.

Lost in Space is a Netflix Original dramatic and modern reimagining of the classic 1960's science fiction series. Set 30 years in the future, colonization in space is now a reality, and the Robinson family is among those tested and selected to make a new life for themselves in a better world. But when the new colonists find themselves abruptly torn off course en route to their new home they must forge new alliances and work together to survive in a dangerous alien environment, lightyears from their original destination.