This is kind of a fun one, but it starts to feel long toward the end. It seems like it's going to be a lesson in how quiet, calm, self-assuredness is preferable to chest-thumping bravado, but the spirit of competition gets the better of everyone. The idea of being secure enough in your own masculinity to walk away from a fight is something you'd NEVER see in the hyper-testosterone-driven tv shows of today.
In much the same way, I find it funny how the episode takes token offense at the condescending attitude the aliens' have toward women when most LIS scripts don't have any higher a regard for them.
The cave monster here rates down there with the most uninspired the series ever offered up.
I echo the sentiment of the previous poster re Dr. Smith and the Robut; the show was really onto something here, developing them as perfect foils for each other.***** SPOILER ALERT *****The thing I appreciate the most about this episode is the ambiguity of the final fate of the alien father and son as they challenge the cave monster one last time.

One of my least fav episodes from Season One. While its fun to see a young Kurt Russell, he's acting is stone-ish!! Wooden and stilted, there's no passion. Its like he's reading some dreadful algebraic equation. The Challenge, or The Contest, is pretty lame. And the episode doesnt move!
Best scenes: The hilarious banter between Dr. Smith the Robot.
Bonus: Yes, Russell, too, looks Asian!!!!

This episode is pretty good. And the addition of Kurt Russell was great. It really shows the age of this show. However the active was above Lost In Space average as was the writting. What ever happened to that guy who played the alian king and the Blue Djin?