Hunter's Moon Revisited

Generally, Lost in Space was a show for children. It was, however, of some interest to adult viewers. One correspondent may have summed it up best: "Lost in Space tended to be silly but some episodes were worth watching." One of the better episodes was Hunter's Moon. Unlike most episodes it was largely filmed outdoors, had a nice plot and good acting. A brief summary of the plot:

Prof. John Robinson and the robot land on a planet where visitors are not welcome. An alien, Megazor, is there undergoing tests. He must pass them to become the future ruler of Zon. Robinson kills a creature Megazor was hunting and its death at the hands of someone else deprives the alien of points. Angered, Megazor puts Robinson in a cage and forces him to fight "invisibo." After Robinson wins, Megazor concludes he is a worthy opponent, and decides to hunt him. Robinson is given a choice of weapons or aids. He chooses a protective suit. It is defective as water ruins it. But Robinson still uses the suit to lure Megazor into an ambush, and beats the alien with his fists.

Megazor was played by guest star Vincent Beck, who excelled in the role. It may have been the best performance of his acting career. In one scene, Mumy's character (Will Robinson) spoke to Megazor. Will said Megazor should try to understand his enemies. "I understand my enemies perfectly well--they want me dead" the alien replied. "I mean really understand them, see their side" Will answered. Soon, he learned Megazor had no mother or father but came from an incubator ("advanced model"). "I feel sorry for you" Will responded, angering Megazor. "I was just offering my sympathy" Will said. Megazor then exploded at him. "The offer is REFUSED!!!" he yelled. "Do not offer me sympathy, it is an Earthling defect!! REFUSED!!" The scene seemed surprisingly intense for a kiddie program.

One of the more interesting aspects of Hunter's Moon, and Lost in Space generally, is the flying saucer mimic, the Jupiter 2. Hunter's Moon had a great scene of the Jupiter 2 coming in for a crash landing. The Robinson's spaceship was obviously based on UFO reports--already quite familiar by the 1960s. One can only wonder: Was the use of a flying saucer mimic intended to make a statement? That is, flying saucers are real and humans will ultimately have them too? That's not what the US government wanted people to think. Is it possible that Lost in Space lasted only a few years (1965-68) in part because it gave people the "wrong idea"--or the right one too early? It may say something that the more successful Star Trek had a spaceship (the Enterprise) with a more conventional appearance. Unlike a saucer, it utilized rockets and reaction mass.

Vincent Beck's character, the ruthless Megazor.

Megazor using Dr. Smith (Jonathan Harris) as a hostage.