Dr. Smith -- Lost in Space -- Holistic or Linear -- Be-er or Doer

Have any of you guys seen the new “Lost in Space?” It certainly isn’t terrible. Nor do I take it seriously. Just good fun.

I’m intrigued by Parker Posey’s Dr. Smith.

Linear or Holistic thinker? Be-er or Doer. I suppose that might change episode by episode.

Either way, one of the quirkier villains I’ve seen as of late.

Saw the first episode and enjoyed it. I know what you mean by not taking it too seriously - family fun with some leaps in logic when it comes to the narrative.

Looking forward to watching more this weekend.

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She changes from episode to episode, though manipulation is her key tool – LOTS of role playing and game playing going on with her.

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I thought I was all alone out there. Episode six.

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Sometimes it takes me awhile to see exactly what she is up to. She seems almost like an agent of chaos. Until you finally figure out where’s she is going with her subtle and not so subtle manipulations.

It would be interesting to see which episodes show her as holistic and which linear. She definitely has a long game.

I guess I am enjoying the character because she actually makes me feel icky.

Also, they do seem to follow the “end every scene” in disaster advice in this series – which is good fun.

If you’re talking about GCD theory, disaster is a technical term meaning ‘something happens you weren’t counting on.’ It’s a Disaster if you get rich and it upsets your plans and you have to change direction, stopping a life of enslavement and beginning a life of luxury and philanthropy and universal recognition. If you look at it from the Dramatica Theory perspective, it’s an element in a quad with a possible negative or positive charge.

I’m looking at how it lines up with Dramatica. There are two quads:

Goal Conflict

Disaster Sequel

and then in Sequel:

Emotion Thought

Decision Action

The Sequel Quad (from GCD theory) lines up pretty perfectly with the stuff on scene in the Dramatica Theory book and in Jim’s writings.

My main reference is Jack Bickham’s book, and my audios of Dwight Swain.

I realize it’s generally discouraged to discuss other theories here, mainly because it’s not helpful to discussing others trying to understand the difficulties of Dramatica Theory, so I’ll refrain from further thoughts on this here. But there inevitably have to be overlaps with bits and pieces of the…what would I call them as a whole? I think I would call them “Guild Theories” that are out there, that are kind of like the passing of knowledge from a Guild member to an apprentice when that was how the whole world worked. Nuggets of timeworn practice. Dramatica is a horse of a different color.

Hmm this may be worth an article on Medium though…

June Harris, and can we just stop for a second to savor that name, is the Costanza of the series. You know, I’ve always wanted to pretend to be a psychologist.

For me, Dr. Smith seems to be a very strong Linear/Action character. Even when she acts otherwise, she is doing so for linear, active reasons.
And that is a great choice for the character in terms of story weaving. The authors don’t have to spend too much time on the character for the watcher to understand what she’s about. This allows her arc/plot to stay mostly in the background while other characters are being focused on.

Incidentally, this was the source material for Lost In Space 1965. Inspired by Swiss Family Robinson, of course. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Family_Robinson

Irwin Allen “forgot” to license it.

I finished watching. Fun watching Molly Parker get her Sigourney Weaver moment.

RS : Maureen and Harris battle for control of the Jupiter - who is a real survivor?
IC: Harris
MC: Maureen
OS: A family gets Lost in Space.

Subplots of boy and robot, - what is a friend
boy and dad, - what is a father
Don West and family - who belongs in the family, needs a family

Biggest regret…I wish June Lockhart were around to see how they made her character the hero.

And I expect we’ll see Selma Blair again. I hope. And the Resolute.

I guess I instinctively think female mental sex when psychology is involved: I.e. Mean Girls.

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