“Aim high and serve nothing but aces”: (Re)-watching The Bionic Woman

[Mel O'Drama]

A good episode which shows you that they're never finished with you once they've got you if you a cybernetic human spy, even if you want to retire!

Yes. I do enjoy the slightly disturbing undercurrent that runs through these series of the government essentially owning Jaime and Steve. It was a fascinating theme to explore this way.

It was left oddly whether Oscar was in on her being confined to a security prison for people the government doesn't want at large or if he was really sympathetic for her cause, he said he was but you never know?

I got the sense he was a kind of buffer. He obviously knew about the facility, and presumably had knowledge of and perhaps involvement with the placement of the people who were already there.

I'd guess that a big part of his role was to ensure people complied and it didn't come to that, which I'm sure added to his sense of conflict. On the one hand, he was more aware of the hold that the government had than Jaime or Steve were, but on the other, he could do something to keep them happy and keep their freedoms maximised.

The fact that he warned Jaime about the National Security Bureau and told her to run probably said a lot about his sympathy for her. He was probably risking a whole lot by doing that.

Strangely enough Thames TV here in the UK did not play this episode as the last one, leaving that to Rancho Outcast believe it or not?

Oh wow. I didn't know that. I'd read that Season Three was broadcast at different times by different ITV regions (unlike Seasons One and Two) which meant the episodes had poor ratings compared with earlier seasons.

I wonder if other ITV regions dropped episodes (I suppose it's possible that there were regions that didn't broadcast it at all). The regional thing is a whole minefield. I remember writing to Sons And Daughters fans in the Eighties, and we were all at different points in the series because we were in different areas of the UK. There was a five year difference between the series end dates across some networks.

Your analysis of the series was pretty awesome too, Mel, well done!

Thanks JB. I'm glad you've enjoyed

I haven't quite finished just yet, so keep watching this space...

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Return Of The Six Million Dollar Man And The Bionic Woman

​

Or - depending on your source - The Return. But I’ve done all the semantics business with The Return Of The Bionic Woman, so let’s not dwell on that.

A decade doesn’t seem a long time in the grand scheme of things, but it’s still a bit of a shock to find a middle aged Jaime and Steve with feathery late Eighties hairdos and flowing or baggy clothes (including, in Jaime’s case, an ill-advised boiler-suit).

Everything about this screams “Eighties” to the point it looks (to me at least) far more dated than the earlier series. From the busy opening titles to the synthesised score throughout featuring copious electronic drumbeats that call to mind Dempsey And Makepeace or the Dallas opening titles during the Donna Reed season.

It’s not all bad news. The heart of both earlier series beats strong. In addition to the two leads, also returning are Richard Anderson and Martin E. Brooks, both of whom look reassuringly similar. Yes, they’ve both aged a tad, and MEB has a questionable mahogany rinse, but because they’re settled in their styles they are instantly recognisable as the same characters. Oscar sports a lighter version of his trademark aviators. In addition to his white lab coat and eternal moustache, Rudy appears to wear exactly the same reading glasses frame style, but updated to a bronze crystal frame rather than the solid red tortoise ones of a decade earlier. Their timelessness helps greatly and makes them the least dated aspect of the whole production.

There’s a very enjoyable Eighties soundtrack. The first song I spotted was Hip To Be Square from Huey Lewis And The News. Which raised an eyebrow considering just last week I watched American Psycho for the first time in around two decades. Also making themselves heard were The Pointer Sisters with Automatic and Simply Red’s Holding Back The Years, which straddled the line between appropriate and ironic.

Continuity was great in some ways but seemed a little iffy in others. Oscar recalling his conversation with Jaime from On The Run was a nice touch. But the block with Jaime’s memories which affected their romance felt slightly retconned. Yes, it was certainly there in The Return Of The Bionic Woman and Welcome Home, Jaime. But they were more romantically involved in later crossovers so it felt as though they’d overcome that obstacle through the course of both series. I don’t recall the block being addressed explicitly post Welcome Home, Jaime, so I could give this film the benefit of the doubt and suppose they’d not actually dealt with the elephant in the room, which was at least partly why they drifted apart.

Chris had been killed off in the interim period between final episode and first reunion, and I felt it was given enough weight and significance to further the story. And it was arguably necessary for Jaime and Steve to have no obstacles.

While I don’t believe Helen and Jim were mentioned (a shame, since they link Jaime and Steve together in a very special way), I’d have to assume they’re both still alive. Jaime and Steve haven’t seen each other since the days of the series, and I can’t imagine either of them missing a funeral of characters who are so important to them. Unless something happened while Jaime was recuperating in hospital from the mission in Budapest in which Chris was killed. And that would be a whole lot of tragedy.

continued...​

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Return Of The Six Million Dollar Man And The Bionic Woman



(continued)

​

There’s a lot of story here. As well as a reunion film, it’s also clearly a pilot for a potential new direction, with a new bionic character in the thick of it while Jaime and Steve serve as mentors as well as helping out bionically. And so we get the origin story of Michael’s plane accident.

There’s no getting around the fact that - despite appearing together - Michael is essentially Steve Austin for the Eighties. From the almost identical accident while flying a fighter plane to the identical injuries (both legs; right arm; right eye). It’s helped by references to the history of the characters (Steve having to make a choice in the same way he did with Jaime).

Nonetheless, it’s a stretch, and that’s without even factoring in that Michael is Steve’s previously unmentioned long-lost son.

Others’ reaction to learning about Michael helped this fly. Tom Schanley is always watchable (here he’s post The Yellow Rose, just before Dynasty, and some eight years from the role I most associate him with: John Rawlings on Melrose Place), and this is no exception. In the (admittedly few) roles in which I’ve watched him, his characters share an arrogant cocksureness and a throbbing necked intensity. There’s more than a hint of this angry young man here, and it works well for the role (tellingly, Steve and Michael bond over a barroom brawl reminiscent of early Dallas).

Technology having moved on, Michael is powered by tiny microchips and is even more super than either Steve or Jaime.

Where the originals could hit speeds of around 60mph (arguably up to just over 100mph going on empirical evidence), Michael is seen to hit over 200mph and easily outruns Jaime in a straight run, despite her having a lengthy head start. So fast does he run, that he gets a new special blurring effect as he runs (something about this reminds me of the Superboy series which came the following year).

Michael’s bionic eye, unlike Steve’s, includes a laser, which he can fire at will while controlling the intensity like the X-Men’s Cyclops.

While it is written as a natural evolution of technology, and makes sense considering how fast tech was evolving by this time, there’s also something about it that feels very much like brash, arrogant Eighties excess, based in the philosophy that “more is more”. Jaime at one points comments that she feels like an outdated model, and there’s a running gag of she and Steve repeatedly marvelling “I can’t do that” as they witness Michael’s latest trick. In Top Trump terms, Michael holds all the cards (he also happens to be the hottest bionic character, even without the laser). But when it comes to watchability and human interest, the olds triumph, bionic hands down.

In addition to Steve Austin’s long-lost son, this film also includes Lee Majors’ long-lost son, with Lee Majors II playing Jim Castillian. At one point, Castillian says he wishes Steve were his father. Cute as it may be, it felt a tad too meta and wink wink for my tastes.

I’m undecided whether I’d want to watch an entire series centred around Michael Austin. I’m sure I’d have loved it when I was younger. But something about how it’s presented here feels shallower and less interesting than the original series. All the same, I’d have been open to the idea had it taken off. As it is, I’m looking forward to two more reunion films with a focus on Jaime and Steve’s story.

 

[J. R.'s Piece]

Steve Austin had previously mentioned on The Six Million Dollar Man season five that his parents were now dead.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Steve Austin had previously mentioned on The Six Million Dollar Man season five that his parents were now dead.

Ah - so that would be the season that ran alongside the final season of TBW.

Interesting that it wasn't acknowledged on TBW. Especially with Jaime living on the farm in Ojai. Despite the first reunion film referencing the final episode of TBW, it does make me wonder if the final seasons of both series could be seen to operate in slightly different realities.

 

[johnnybear]

Steve's stepdad played by Ford Rainey appeared in The Bionic Dog part two and there was no mentioning of he or the mother passing away during that season! Maybe they both died after the season ended and Steve's show played longer or they did it just to be awkward!
JB

 

[J. R.'s Piece]

Ah - so that would be the season that ran alongside the final season of TBW.

Interesting that it wasn't acknowledged on TBW. Especially with Jaime living on the farm in Ojai. Despite the first reunion film referencing the final episode of TBW, it does make me wonder if the final seasons of both series could be seen to operate in slightly different realities.

It gets a bit tricky.

The Bionic Dog (featuring Ford Rainey as Jim Elgin) aired about five months before SMDM: Dead Ringer.

In SMDM: Dead Ringer, Steve is asked about his family and he says, “None living”. This is said to a parapsychologist Doctor, recommended by Rudy. Steve is her patient. Steve also says to her that he has never been married.

In the first reunion movie, we now have Steve’s son, Michael Austin, who was brought up by Steve’s sister-in-law.

Fred Freiberger was producer on that SMDM fifth year.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

In SMDM: Dead Ringer, Steve is asked about his family and he says, “None living”.

That's quite a statement. It suggests that even Bill Elgin (Steve's step-uncle from Claws) has died. Such a shame to lose at least three enjoyable family members in the space of one line of dialogue.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Bionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man And The Bionic Woman

​

Another film. Another new, young bionic character.

Despite Sandra Bullock here being no more than a year younger than Lindsay Wagner was during her bionic debut, Kate is referred to - somewhat dismissively - as a “bionic girl”. So much for progress.

All the same, I like the idea of Kate being a random young woman who has come onto the O.S.I.’s radar. This feels more credible than a long-lost relative suffering the exact same injuries as Steve or Jaime.

There is a long-lost relative though. This time round it’s Oscar’s long-lost nephew Jim Goldman. I won’t lie: I found him hard going to begin with. Fast talking “funny” characters will do that (the bouffant didn’t help much either). I grew to like him enough that I could have probably tolerated him well enough had he appeared in the final film (which I don’t believe he does).

Physically, Jim actually reminded me quite a bit of Jason Lochner (with a touch of Matt Fielding in close-ups during his medical crisis). It seemed appropriate, then, that he was romancing Kate who rather put me in mind of Julie Williams.

Jaime’s new role as mentor to struggling young people - established in the previous film - is perfectly fitting. It’s a natural evolution, and where I would expect the character to be at this point.

Oscar has quite a bit of screen time - an outcome of Richard Anderson being co-producer - which is always a good thing. He’s more emotional than usual here (again, no doubt mandated by Richard Anderson). This time it’s jaded anger, and it’s interesting to see this side of him. All the same, he seemed very, very angry about something right from the beginning. To see him clenching his fist and raving at a colleague about being out in the field in his first scene was a little jarring and seemed to leave little room to manoeuvre. All the same, there was an arc for the character and he brought with it all the gravitas and screen presence you’d expect. He reminded me a lot of Roy Scheider in this film, which is a very good thing.

The new bionics - night vision and whatnot - seemed somehow more practical and less silly than the laser beams from the eyes business with Michael. The upgraded technology meant yet more changes to the visualisation of bionics in action. The bright colours, warping and whooshing all got a bit much towards the end. A fight between the two 1989 model bionics is best enjoyed after a dramamine or two.

The score is horrible. I mean really horrible. It has that horribly cheap Casio keyboard feel to it where not a single real instrument can be defined, all of which makes it sound like a chilldren’s cartoon of the era. Incredibly, Bill Conti has put his name to this one.

Despite the slightly better premise compared with the previous film, most of this film feels cheap and nasty. As I said, I’m undecided about whether or not I’d watch a Michael Austin series. But I’m quite certain I wouldn’t be interested in Bionic Showdown being spun-off to a series.

That said, the story is nicely done, especially when it comes to the odd twist or reveal. And as an outcome of this film, I have the bionic wedding of the year to anticipate.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Bionic Ever After?

​

Following on from the previous two reunion films, it’s more than fair to say that I had very low expectations for this film.

Actually - and appropriately - I found it to be the best and most watchable film of the three. Easily.

The main reason for this is because it’s clear this was written to be a coda to the Jaime/Steve story, rather than a hopeful pilot for a potential new reboot. This means there’s no question of the original bionics being sidelined by new young bionic characters running round in psychedelic blurs.

There are no long-lost relatives. No dramatic origin stories. No lasers from the eyes. Gone, too, is the aggressive and overpowering Eighties synth score. It’s a relief.

Jaime’s initially perceived bionic rejection felt like a well-worn path, and I wasn’t sure about it to begin with. But actually, the revelation that Jaime - and eventually Steve - were maliciously affected with a computer virus that threatens their bionics is an engaging one. Yes, the cuckoo in the nest twist can be seen coming from a great distance. But that adds a little extra layer of interest when watching the interactions.

Rudy’s as reliable as ever. Martin E. Brooks looks markedly frailer here than he did in the earlier films (and, curiously, more frail than he looked in the more recent interviews), but it works well for the character who has to be tracked down and essentially brought out of retirement to solve the bionic breakdown. There are some nice moments for him in his uncertainty about the cause and his doubts as to his efficacy. He openly admits he hasn’t tried this before and can’t guarantee success, which all adds to the high stakes, since he’s the bionic Mr Fixit. There’s one moment where he sadly comments that this is his life’s work but he doesn’t know how to resolve it and he looks so lost it’s touching. Of course, he does get to the root of the trouble and fix it. And he even throws in a few nifty upgrades for Jaime, including night vision and some kind of visual zoom and fix (since Jaime doesn’t have bionic eyes, I assume it’s a newer technology as used on the more recent bionic subjects).

Meanwhile, Oscar is reassuringly solid. Gone is the angry railing from Bionic Showdown. He’s back to being equal parts authoritarian and avuncular. Once again, it’s a lovely performance from Richard Anderson.

The inevitable wedding felt satisfying and hard-earned. The little dash of quirk with them being too busy kissing to respond to the celebrant was just right. And a tad Knotsy. On reflection, it would have been nice had Michael been in attendance. And it’s also sad that Helen and Jim didn’t see this (especially since Martha Scott and Ford Rainey were both still alive, with Ford regularly acting at this point). But in the moment the wedding felt fine. It was a lovely touch that Oscar was best man and Rudy gave Jaime away.

When used, bionics were very effective (Jaime breaking down the door and a good chunk of surrounding wall, standing there concealed by a cloud of dust was a great, dramatic visual. And her taking down a speeding van using a manhole cover was fun as well). It occurs to me there were actually very few bionics in the film, and it was all the better for it. It brought things full circle, ending as it began. With a very human story.

 

[J. R.'s Piece]

Richard Anderson said that he wanted to keep on making reunion movies. But said it was Lindsay Wagner who insisted that Steve and Jaime should be married.

In regard to the end of The Bionic Woman tv series, On The Run, writer Steven E. De Souza said that he sat down and talked with Lindsay Wagner and worked some of her concerns and ideas into that final script.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Richard Anderson said that he wanted to keep on making reunion movies. But said it was Lindsay Wagner who insisted that Steve and Jaime should be married.

It seems all three of the reunion films were driven by Richard Anderson, so he's probably the one to thank for giving the bionic saga a proper happy ending.

In regard to the end of The Bionic Woman tv series, On The Run, writer Steven E. De Souza said that he sat down and talked with Lindsay Wagner and worked some of her concerns and ideas into that final script.

Oh wow. That's pretty cool.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Having nothing else to do today I’ve now enjoyed three of the four audio commentaries from Season One (if you count the initial SMDM story as two, that is).

When I watched Kenneth Johnson’s audio commentaries for a couple of key The Incredible Hulk episodes - probably around a decade and a half ago by now - I remember greatly admiring his ethos and approach in filming the episodes for complete realism, and the fact that he continues to carry the torch for his series in a way that only a few special producers do (Barney Rozensweig springs to mind).

That comes across strongly in his audio commentary for the SMDM two-parter The Bionic Woman. Back when I started watching, I commented that:

the cold opening - with Steve Austin pursuing some fraudsters to retrieve a stolen printing plate - feels very much like generic Seventies action fare. I must confess that for a few minutes I started to question if the re-watch was going to be an endurance test.

I was very happy to learn that the writer himself showed a disdain for this, which he felt required to do as part of the expected SMDM formula. Throughout the episodes he mocks the scenes with the “bad guys in white suits” led by Malachi Throne, making comparisons with Austin Powers, Dr Strangelove and even, over a scene in which Jaime and Steve are greeted by Malachi, Hansel and Gretel:

I feel like the house behind them ought to be a gingerbread cottage”.

He also had a few things to say about the wallpaper Steve hung in his new kitchen, pointing out that set designer Bert Allen had previously worked on Batman and Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, and wondering if the wallpaper was left over some of those garish Sixties productions.

It’s interesting to learn of the evolution of the scripts over three different versions, with Jaime being telekinetic in the first, and having a career as an Ojai real estate agent in the second.

While I’d spotted a number of the Universal backlot locations when watching, I had no idea the woodland locations used for the car chase were also part of Universal’s backlot at the time (later built on as the studio was developed and expanded). Kenny also shares stories about being chewed out for writing the Ice Tunnel into the Bigfoot episode… until he pointed out that it already existed and wouldn’t have to be built.

Richard Anderson, he says, was “famous for not putting his socks on” which, having watched a couple of featurettes, is not the first time I’ve heard this. I think it was Lindsay in one of the featurettes who said about him getting out of a helicopter at a rugged location wearing loafers and no socks. And then there’s the business with him tanning at the slightest hint of sunshine, with the aid of a reflective board. Another thing he has in common with Roy Scheider. Perhaps this is a key reason why I sometimes find them so similar in the looks department. It all conjures up images of a guy who's much more laid back than Oscar.

Kenny’s knowledge of the series is second to none, and he speaks in glowing terms of everyone. It comes across that the team largely knew each other well and I get the sense that many of thos relationships have continued since (and indeed, he mentions knowing some of them well before the series even began.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

On the subject of these friendships, Writer James D. Parriott and director Alan J. Levi’s commentary for Mirror Image is equally as enjoyable. They get on really well with a nice energy between them, which seems to come from friendship (or at the very least, respect and a very amiable working relationship). They mention how they chose to work the same episodes where possible.

It’s also good to hear them discussing other members of the crew. Like story editor Arthur Rowe’s chain smoking and tendency to flick his ash into the air on set so it ended up in everyone’s clothes and hair. James credits Rowe as having an influence on his writing when James asked for some input on writing the Lisa Galloway story. Arthur advised him to approach it from the double’s point of view, which fleshed out the story no end (I wonder if this would be on the Season Two two-parter, where this approach was done brilliantly). This character approach is something he’s held onto since then.

I liked that the guys didn’t have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the show - or even of the episode (one of them asked a couple of times if this was filmed in the late Sixties). It helped the audio commentary feel spontaneous and immediate, which adds to the enjoyment factor. I get the sense that they’re busy guys who put all their focus into their current job.

They also made a number of comments about the differences in Seventies productions and those of the present day, from the cars to the writing. Which gives exchanges like this:

This is all good spycraft.

It’s a little simpler than 24.

 

[J. R.'s Piece]

It seems all three of the reunion films were driven by Richard Anderson, so he's probably the one to thank for giving the bionic saga a proper happy ending.





Oh wow. That's pretty cool.

Steven E. De Souza says on the DVD commentary for the last episode that he got a call, which said that Lindsay had asked for him to write the last episode of the show. And he was told that it was a rare opportunity to bring the show to a close. He said he sat with Lindsay and she talked about what she wanted to do. He said she talked about wanting the show to end, losing herself, the demands the studio put on her and she no longer knew who Lindsay Wagner was, as opposed to the fictional character. So he says he took all those things and put them into the psychology of her character. He said he was drawing on things she was saying and channelling them back into the show.

 

[thomaswak]

Now you have time to watch and review The Bionic Woman 2007. Just kidding.

I watched 3 or 4 episodes at the time, and I gave up.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Steven E. De Souza says on the DVD commentary for the last episode that he got a call, which said that Lindsay had asked for him to write the last episode of the show. And he was told that it was a rare opportunity to bring the show to a close. He said he sat with Lindsay and she talked about what she wanted to do. He said she talked about wanting the show to end, losing herself, the demands the studio put on her and she no longer knew who Lindsay Wagner was, as opposed to the fictional character. So he says he took all those things and put them into the psychology of her character. He said he was drawing on things she was saying and channelling them back into the show.

This is all great. I'm really looking forward to watching that episode with the commentary.

Now you have time to watch and review The Bionic Woman 2007. Just kidding.

Careful what you wish for... I actually have it on DVD!!

It's been on my shelf for over a decade, unwatched. I thought I'd give it a go at some point, but I've never felt like I actually want to.

 

[DallasFanForever]

I have no memory of the 2007 series whatsoever. It must’ve been pretty bad from what I’m reading here.

 

[thomaswak]

Careful what you wish for... I actually have it on DVD!!

It's been on my shelf for over a decade, unwatched. I thought I'd give it a go at some point, but I've never felt like I actually want to.

I really had hopes for that remake. But it was not good enough imo. Then the show was cancelled very, very fast. So Id did not bothered to watch the rest. Maybe it was heading somewhere. But I really didn't care

 

[thomaswak]

I have no memory of the 2007 series whatsoever. It must’ve been pretty bad from what I’m reading here.

It was not charming... The show was taking itself too seriously, but in a very... superficial way. Not deep enough to be a "serious" show. Not fun and warm at all, to recapture the magic of the OG show. The actress was not bad, but she was not Lindsay Wagner.