Land of the Lost - The Complete Third Season
Land of the Lost DVDs
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The third season of Land of the Lost sadly shows signs that
the creators didn't really care any more. The expensive new sets
look fantastic, but don't expect any of the thought-provoking or
intriguing stories (or big-name writers!) of the first two seasons.
In fact, the writers apparently didn't pay much attention to the
previous seasons, as there are some serious discrepancies. There is
also a tendency to rehash plot points, and some Gilligans-Islandism
in the form of mysterious one-shot guest stars who appear and
depart.
The extras for the Season 3 are sparse as well. The only commentary
is one by the actor who played Uncle Jack, and it mainly consists of
his talking about how great the show was.
High Point--The addition of a Cro-Magnon man, Malak, as an alternate
villain. Malak is a God-wannabee. The Marshalls have to save the
Sleestack from him--interesting twist, and it could have gone in
very cool directions with less lazy scripting.
Low Points--
The Marshalls choose to move into the temple in the lost City,
basically on the front porch of the Sleestack. Smart move.
Uncle Jack replaced Rick Marshall, and is not as likeable a
character. It might have worked better if they had made him a
different sort of person, rather than dumping him right in Daddy's
shoes. He even wears the same khaki clothes...
Cha-ka switches to full pidgin English, and forgets his grammar so
far as to regularly refer to himself as 'a Pakuni' instead of a Paku.
Holly is somehow still wearing the same jeans and shirt she was lost
in, in spite of the fact that she's a foot taller and developing a
bosom. Months/years of running from dinosaurs and climbing rocks
seems to have not worn any holes in the knees or made any stains on
the shirt. I bet a lot of parents wish they could buy their kids an
outfit like that...
The Sleestack leader is able to talk...but he is apparently not the
intelligent Salatch of Season 1, but just a talking Sleestack as
ignorant as the others. The Sleestack (including Enik) refer to
themselves as 'Sleestack' rather than Altrusians as in Season 2.
(They call Enik an Altrusian occasionally, though.) Enik pretty much
becomes the errand boy of the Sleestack, and starts channeling Spock
in his commentary on what is 'logical' all the time. Every other
episode involves the Sleestack going to the library of skulls to ask
how to get rid of the Marshalls. I guess too many people said the
library was cool!
Apparently having exhausted their store of science-fiction ideas,
fantasy elements are added. These include a fire-breathing dino, a
two-headed dino, a unicorn, Medusa, the Flying Dutchman, etc. The
Marshalls accept this all without so much as a "What the heck?"
And, the kiss of death--Will gets a cheesy-looking home-made banjo
and starts singing bad 70's-style tunes with full orchestral
accompaniment. Whenever a main character starts singing at the end
of the program (or worse, starts a rock band) you can bet that
series is on it's last season.
Goodbye, Land of the Lost! You were murdered most foully in Season
3, but still you left your mark on the hearts and minds of a
generation of Saturday-morning toon watchers...and the DVDs are
proving popular with a new generation, too.
Season three
