The Anti-Matter Man

Receiving top billing for all three years of the show's run didn't quite bode well for Guy Williams. Most of the episodes, from season two through three, focused on the Dr.Smith/Will/Robot trio, leaving the rest of the cast to have glorified "cameos". However, "The Anti-Matter Man" allowed both Williams and Mark Goddard (Don West) some choice scenes, playing their regular characters and the anti-matter world "opposites".

The episode also allowed for some intriguing set design, especially in the Dali-esquire-looking alternate universe. The installment made effective use of stock music from John Williams, much appropriate for several of the tense scenes.

Jonathan Harris's scene-stealing was kept at a minimum in the installment and that, by itself, makes this one a cut above others in the last year of Irwin Allen's classic.

As stated in another review, if the camp element had been weeded out from this episode, it could have stood up with the first eight episodes (and episode 15) of "Lost in Space." As it is, it's on a par with "Follow the Leader", the first season finale which had many great moments and a few campy ones which detracted from its complete effectiveness.

"The Anti-Matter Man" is probably the very best use of recycling (a common occurrence) in this series: the stark, Stravinsky-like stock music was scored by Herman Stein, and was originally from episode two ("The Derelict"); the rubber-suited red alien was an entirely different character in a prior episode, but put to very good (if utilitarian) use here. There are some superb camera bits, too (kudos to the director, Sutton Roley). And stars Guy Williams and Mark Goddard show more range than expected as Prof. Robinson's and Major West's villainous counterparts.

The effects are OK, but quite atmospheric nonetheless.

After a string of weak episodes we find a really good one. John Robinson is accidentally transported to an antimatter world and his dopelhanger comes to our world. The plot is much like the season 1 episode Follow the Leader, Guy Williams and Mark Goddard get a chance to shine as their sinister counterparts. The atmosphere is well done, both the corridor that leads to the antimatter world and the cave with the cage where John Robinson is kept prisoner is gloomy and creepy. The Anti Matter Man is among the 3 or 4 best episodes of this third season.

Guy Williams was fun to watch when he went outside of his John Robinson persona. The story is pretty silly, but it's all good fun. One major problem: there are anti-matter versions of Prof. Robinson, Major West, and even the Robot. Why not an anti-matter Dr. Smith? That would have been quite interesting. Mark Goddard was excellent as the slimy anti-matter West. Again, a fun episode-but there should have been an anti-matter Smith.

This was screenwriter K C. Alison's only contribution to LIS, and that's a shame. This powerful story is one of the most memorable from season three.

A major strength of this story is allowing Guy Williams to take center stage, playing good and evil versions of John Robinson. Not only does he get some good action scenes, he also shows his ability to convey emotions through the smallest of gestures and facial expressions. Mark Goddard likewise plays two roles, and his sinister anti-West is truly creepy, with his five-o'clock shadow and droopy eyellid.

The Will/Smith/Robot troika plays a smaller part than usual. Will has some strong lines when confronting his "dad," and later an emotional scene which triggers the famous "happy family" music cue. The Robot continues his evolution into a metal joke machine, including a scene where he too confronts his "evil twin." Voice man Dick Tufeld must have had fun with this one.

As with the recent "Day at the Zoo" episode, the visual side of "Anti-Matter Man" depends heavily on "limbo sets" - dark, expressionistic vistas lit as needed for maximum effect. The pathway between worlds was about as effective as the LIS special effects could make it: a truly eerie dreamscape with smoking dry ice and glittery gauze.

It's good to see how good LIS could be when the creative team thought outside the box.