Time Merchant

John Robinson, Will, Smith and the robot are transported to the strange world of the Time Merchant, who controls the destiny of all through a sophisticated machine. Dr. Smith takes advantage of the situation to return to Earth shortly before the Jupiter II takes off. The problem arises when the merchant explains to them that the overweight in the ship caused by the accidental boarding of Smith had saved the Robinsons from colliding with an asteroid, so now they must do everything possible so that it returns to the Jupiter II as stowaway. The story is very well told, it is fun to see Smith return to the ground base and interact with the robot before the incredulous gaze of the military, the director knew how to create the necessary suspense at the moment that Smith has the minutes counted to board the ship and thus save the rest from a fatal fate. A very good idea that besides being original is well developed.

Will accidentally catches Chronos, the titular merchant (John Crawford), while trying to slow cosmic particles. Angered by the waste of his time (the commodity in which he deals), the cranky chrono-peddler demands that Will give up some of his allotted time in recompense, only to become even angrier when he discovers than Smith has made free use his time machine to return to Earth just before the launch of the Jupitar 2. Well-structured, logical time-travel stories are extremely difficult to write, so don't expect this simplistic plot to make a lot of sense (it is unclear if there are temporarily two robots, two Smiths and two Wills in 1998 or why when you go back in time your clothes change accordingly (if your Smith but not if you're Will)). Smith shows more humanity than usual when he discovers that, unless he resigns himself to returning to 'lost in space' status, the resulting alteration of the Jupitar 2's time-line will kill the Robinson family. Chronos, who varies between being some kind of grasping 'dealer in time' to being an all-powerful equivalent of the Greek fate Atropos, is the show's usual eccentric, blustering scoundrel but his time-manipulation equipment is colourful and the Daliesque touches are witty. Entertaining and an improvement over other season 3 episodes but best enjoyed by the right side of the brain only.

The good Doctor was a pestilence 99% of the time, but he touchingly earned redemption in this episode, and it was great that John Robinson got to witness it. That Smith was aware of his weaknesses really redeemed his early treacherous behavior.