Sooner or later, every light-hearted show is tempted to do a Christmas Carol takeoff, and that's what happens in A VISIT TO HADES. Instead of ghosts, someone Smith believes is the Devil gives him a tour through the evil deeds of his life. These flashbacks are funny and give Jonathan Harris more than his usual chance to ham things up.
But it's not really Satan - it's a space prisoner named Morbus who of course needs something from the Robinsons in order to be free. What elevates this story from the usual silly "Smith in Peril" trope is that Judy Robinson actually gets some scenes to herself. Unfortunately, she is given "pouting scenes" where she whines and stamps her feet like a toddler - not what one would expect from a young woman. (Another thing to note is that - if I remember rightly - sister Penny has no lines at all in this episode.)
The key to "Hades" is a jewel-encrusted lyre which Smith (of course) covets. He figures out the proper tune to transport people back and forth and uses it at will (and at Will!). I hate to disappoint the person who said that the lyre played the NBC logo in the "teaser" from the previous episode. The notes move in the same direction, but are NOT the major triad used by NBC. It's an augmented chord. But that reviewer was clever enough to spot that, for some reason, the notes used in the actual episode are a different combination than what appears in the preview.
A VISIT TO HADES, although at the beginning seems like another second season dud, rises above the pack to be a fairly successful endeavor.
But it's not really Satan - it's a space prisoner named Morbus who of course needs something from the Robinsons in order to be free. What elevates this story from the usual silly "Smith in Peril" trope is that Judy Robinson actually gets some scenes to herself. Unfortunately, she is given "pouting scenes" where she whines and stamps her feet like a toddler - not what one would expect from a young woman. (Another thing to note is that - if I remember rightly - sister Penny has no lines at all in this episode.)
The key to "Hades" is a jewel-encrusted lyre which Smith (of course) covets. He figures out the proper tune to transport people back and forth and uses it at will (and at Will!). I hate to disappoint the person who said that the lyre played the NBC logo in the "teaser" from the previous episode. The notes move in the same direction, but are NOT the major triad used by NBC. It's an augmented chord. But that reviewer was clever enough to spot that, for some reason, the notes used in the actual episode are a different combination than what appears in the preview.
A VISIT TO HADES, although at the beginning seems like another second season dud, rises above the pack to be a fairly successful endeavor.