Will and Dr. Smith (Bill Mumy and Jonathan Harris) spot something glimmering bright behind a hill, deciding to investigate, discovering a "multidimensional excursion vehicle" which could travel to the "vast unknowns of the sixth dimension", soon learning that this specific area was chosen by an alien creature to be an "extra galactic relay station". Look, folks, just go with it. The space traveling vehicle is alluring to the curious young mind of Will who takes a ride in it, returning a boy genius with a superior intellectual mind, so far advanced from the others he has problems communicating with his family without insulting them because their intelligence isn't equal to his own. I don't think this will come as a surprise but Dr. Smith wants to have the same intelligence as Will, desiring to take a trip in the space vessel as well, obviously hoping to take advantage of a superior intellectual mind which would provide him luxuries he doesn't currently have. Let's just say this plan backfires badly as Smith returns as an old man with an eerie resemblance to Moses, complete with robe and cane before long. All that was needed to finish this likeness if for him to shout aloud, "Let my people go, you bubble-headed booby!" This episode, thankfully, is relatively smart and not replete with plot holes the size of the Grand Canyon. If you wanted to see Smith costumed as an old fart, in a wheelchair, with extra wrinkles and a bushy white coif, then this episode is for you. Also fun is seeing Will captured by a superiority complex, constantly reminding the others of how he is smarter and brainier than they are, much to their chagrin. Of course, Smith, sneaky and wily, will try to coax Will into giving him a layout of the space vehicle so he can operate it. When Smith is doing his old man shtick you can tell the cast have a hard time keeping a straight face without laughing on the spot
I imagine that once the camera quit rolling, they were bursting with laughter. How could they not? This episode proves that the crew were cunning in redressing props and monsters from "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea", as evident by the multidimensional travel vehicle and the scaly alien which would show up as an aquatic lifeform threatening the Seaview.
4 Reviews
A Strong, Balanced Fantasy
bigfrankie-434648 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
A Change of Space is a very strong fantasy episode.
Will is the initiator of getting in trouble as much a Dr. Smith this time.
The entire cast is well balanced with a focus on Will and Dr. Smith, but not with them off on their own.
Will goes on a journey on an alien spaceship that transforms him into a little (arrogant) genius. There is a quick moment (that will be missed if you are not watching closely), when Will returns and Mrs. Robinson almost lets him have it. There's no telling how that was written in the script, but was played perfectly as a mother's reaction to a boy too full of himself!
Always greedy Dr. Smith wants the same experience as Will but the result it not the same. It turns Dr. Smith into a very elderly man. You then have to suspend logic and assume the Jupiter Two has a wheelchair on it! Old aged Dr. Smith plays the victim until everything is restored to normal.
Will is the initiator of getting in trouble as much a Dr. Smith this time.
The entire cast is well balanced with a focus on Will and Dr. Smith, but not with them off on their own.
Will goes on a journey on an alien spaceship that transforms him into a little (arrogant) genius. There is a quick moment (that will be missed if you are not watching closely), when Will returns and Mrs. Robinson almost lets him have it. There's no telling how that was written in the script, but was played perfectly as a mother's reaction to a boy too full of himself!
Always greedy Dr. Smith wants the same experience as Will but the result it not the same. It turns Dr. Smith into a very elderly man. You then have to suspend logic and assume the Jupiter Two has a wheelchair on it! Old aged Dr. Smith plays the victim until everything is restored to normal.
Not One Of The Best
StuOz14 February 2015
Will becomes a genius and Smith becomes an old man.
Firstly, let me point out that this episode is liked by some fans...but not by me.
This episode and The Oasis are my two least favourite episodes of season one. Both hours deal with Smith transforming into something terrible or hard to swallow (a giant or an old man) so obviously I am not too comfortable with that theme in some of LIS.
Then again, Smith would transform into something else in season two's Cave Of The Wizards and season three's Collision Of The Planets and I was not bothered by that??
Whatever the case, Change Of Space does not do it for me, but some cool alien hardware and a Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea-creature make it watchable.
Firstly, let me point out that this episode is liked by some fans...but not by me.
This episode and The Oasis are my two least favourite episodes of season one. Both hours deal with Smith transforming into something terrible or hard to swallow (a giant or an old man) so obviously I am not too comfortable with that theme in some of LIS.
Then again, Smith would transform into something else in season two's Cave Of The Wizards and season three's Collision Of The Planets and I was not bothered by that??
Whatever the case, Change Of Space does not do it for me, but some cool alien hardware and a Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea-creature make it watchable.
Weak first season episode
jamesrupert20149 August 2022
Going for a short trip in an alien FTL craft has very different effects on Will and Dr. Smith. As season 1 came to an end, I don't think that the writers were giving much thought (and/or time) to the storylines they were penning - this episode makes no sense and there is little attempt at exposition. I suspect that it was just a quick and cheap (most of the costumes and props were recycled from Allen's earlier series 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea' (1963)) time-filler as the pressures to crank out a weekly sci-fi show mounted. Once again we have a 'Will and Smith' story, are reminded that the Robinson women are primarily space-domestics, and that the Jupitar 2 seemingly carries a tremendous variety of 'stuff' that doesn't seem to be essential for interplanetary travel. For a marooned family longing to return to Earth, the Robinsons are remarkably blasé about the unexpected appearance of interstellar spacecraft near their base.
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