Well, here's the silver lining of tonight's episode: at least no one shouted, "You can't handle the truth!"

Because really, what else can you take away from this subpar episode of Bionic Woman, a complete and utter step back from any and all advances made last week? This week's theme was trust, or the lack thereof, with pretty much every character not being able to trust one or more of each other. So we, the patient audience, viewed scene upon scene in which some variation of the phrase, "I just don't know who to trust," was uttered at some point or another.

Know what I trust? My instinct that this show wanted to plant seeds for later plot development, but forgot to actually put together a decent hour of television in order to do so. At the primary foreground of tonight's episode was the revelation that the bionics technology has a shelf life of around five years. Not bad for your average laptop, but plenty bad for a bionic woman.

Jaime learns this fact, a fact obviously already known by Sarah Corvus, via a rescue mission in Paraguay to liberate an American doctor held prisoner by terrorists. What's a rescue mission for Jaime is in fact an assassination mission for Antonio, who knows what the doctor has in his possession: Will Anthros' Flash drive, complete with all the information about the bionics in Jaime's system. This amazing plot coincidence led me to only one conclusion: I have GOT to find me a Flash drive with that type of memory capacity, because my current 1GB model just isn't cutting it for me.

Antonio and the doctor exchange cryptic dialogue as Jaime tried to figure out the motivations of each, and while the show strove for a Mamet-esque hall of mirrors, it only achieved a splitting headache on my part. I get it, Bionic Woman, I get it: in this super-secret, super-shifty world of international espionage and super-advanced research and development, very few people can show their full hand. But I was left as exasperated as Jaime, and that's not a good thing. (As to who provided the good doctor with said Flash drive: I can only assume it was Will's father.)

As for Sarah: as mentioned before, I'm pretty sure she's clued into her life expectancy, which would explain her outlandish behavior and lack of fear in the face of death. I had hoped that her willingness to get captured would be revealed to be part of Anthony Anthros' master plan, but alas, Anthony didn't make so much as a brief appearance in tonight's episode. So we're left wondering exactly how much Sarah is working for him and how much she's truly working for herself. And this wondering isn't the byproduct of careful plotting on the show's part: it's more to due with the inability of the show to follow a particular plot for more than five minutes without losing interest and praying we don't notice inconsistencies in characters' actions and motivations.

What I am hoping the show ultimately achieves, over the course of a full season, is a strong balance between the action plot of the week and an overall continuity in which Jaime (and perhaps Sarah) seek to reclaim their bodies for their own. No other show on television can boast so strong an opportunity for an intelligent, feminist perspective on the action-adventure front, the science-fiction front, and heck, maybe even the dramatic front. The reclamation of the female, physical self is literally built into the show's narrative. And while the introduction of a five-year end game is an encouraging first step, the show has a long way to go before earning the narrative payoffs that such a premise has established.

Did this week's episode mark an improvement or a downgrade for you? Should Jaime feel grateful for the life extension or bitter at her fate? And how much information can you fit on YOUR flash drive?

For more TV reviews and analysis, check out Ryan at Boob Tube Dude.

Comments

Love your review cause it's so on money.

Last week's episode was actually the first time I was excited to see what was in store for Jamie and Sarah. Too bad it had to be this week's episode. Talk about a major step back. Back to jumping around and not having an really focus and no interaction between the two ladies.

And for all the talk about her costing $50 million and now we're told she will only last 5 years. Are you kidding me? I thought I invested my money poorly.

Casey | Oct 17, 2007 8:51:40 PM | #

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I can fit 2 episodes of Bionic Woman on my flash drive.

Flash My Drive | Oct 17, 2007 9:37:18 PM | #

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My flash drive currently is holding 20 documents.

This episode was definitely a downgrade. At this point what can be done except kill Jamie and let Katee run with this show :)

DG | Oct 17, 2007 10:29:29 PM | #

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Katee is only signed on for 5 eps of the first 13 - which means only 1 more. I wonder what happens to this show then? Also, I wonder when they will use that last ep, next week or save for later?

Rishi | Oct 18, 2007 12:37:58 AM | #

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The audience (or whats left of...) will die long before Jamie expires!!!!

| Oct 18, 2007 1:39:02 AM | #

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This patient audience member left after the 3rd episode. I was not impressed from the start but was willing to give it a try. I was never given anything. Random thoughts of being bored, what else I could be doing, the other shows I had on TIVO to watch were what I was getting from each episode. I really wanted to like this show since I am a fan of the original. Why is it so hard for the so called "talent" of Hollywood this day and time to take something and just remake it, bring it up to date? First Wonder Woman and now Bionic Woman....maybe a little time spent with the originals would help. Or maybe women should be remaking these shows.

everwood | Oct 18, 2007 3:57:29 AM | #

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I only watch the show to see Katee steal every single scene that she's in. The rest of the show is a snore.

Anonymous | Oct 18, 2007 6:22:10 AM | #

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Rishi is wrong. Katee Sackoff is signed for 7 of the first 13 episodes. So those other six will end up being pretty boring.

righteousdude | Oct 18, 2007 6:24:33 AM | #

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You guys need to step back and see the other "cool" things that we got in the episode. The way that they continue to explore her abilities totally has me hooked.

For instance, the way her eye/brain calculated the speed required to stop the fan. Very cool.

mk | Oct 18, 2007 7:27:24 AM | #

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So not loving this show.

What gives? I guess Ronald Moore is the magic ingredient in the Battlestar Galactica formula, because, this is just subpar. I guess David Eick just doesn't have the mojo that Moore has.

Michelle Ryan is so bland, and I've caught her using British pronunciations of some words, even though she's trying to do an American accent. Also, the dialogue is just PAINFUL. That whole scene between Sarah and the blonde lesbian sidekick of Miguel Ferrer—lame beyond lame. "You're caught between a rock and a hard place, Sarah". Honestly, these writers think they're being clever? It's like it was written by high school students.

Then there's the "beat the dead horse" tendency this show has, as mentioned in the blog. They even do it with the sets: just in case we forget Miguel Ferrer's character's name, they plastered it in giant letters on the door to his office.

This show lacks subtlety, consistency, and emotional authenticity. I was so hoping for it to be good, but so far, not so much. It was fun to watch Jaime beat up Preston Burke though. Or whatever his character's name is supposed to be, he doesn't have an office door.

Last but not least, they should avoid clichés like the plague.

Siansonea | Oct 18, 2007 8:20:56 AM | #

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Why does everyone love Katee so much. I like her character, but she can't act. The scenes with her and Jaime are downright horrible. Both of the lead women should be recast with people who actually show some emotion.

Andy | Oct 18, 2007 8:29:48 AM | #

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I adore Katee because of her work as Starbuck on Battlestar Galactica. She's limited here by the script, direction, etc. An actor can't shine if the people calling the shots aren't giving them anything to work with. Which makes me think Michelle Ryan might actually be a good actress under other circumstances.

Siansonea | Oct 18, 2007 8:46:56 AM | #

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I am sorry but if we want a feminist statement in an action show put some dang sneakers or hiking boots on that woman's feet. Jumping from beam to beam and/or over rooftops etc in stilleto heels just is plain stupid. She would be breaking those bionic ankles all over the place.

And the "special effects" of her jumping just look amateurish. Either Michelle does not know how to hold her body for wire work (get her a tutor for god's sake) or they do not know how to film the scenes. Her body is always leaning backwards - sideways whatever. Makes me cringe to watch.

RKM | Oct 18, 2007 8:58:50 AM | #

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I think this episode was actually pretty good. It was the first time they used a mission episode to forward the main story of the bionics instead of just having a mission so that she can work for the company for no apparent reason. That's a good thing, it means the writers and producers get it. The doctor got away with the flash drive, we learned so much more about not just her bionics, but the problems with the bionics, which is a good motivation for every character in the show who will all have very different motivations. And yeah, trust no one is exactly the theme this show needs to have. Yes, just like the X-Files, not knowing the motivations of the characters is a good thing. Moral ambiguity will be a constant theme, who you can trust, playing god, and hopefully there will be a good strong female perspective thrown in too. Those themes will be repeated. Just like Buffy "I'm all alone in this" and the X-Files "trust no one," themes were repeated over and over.

With the exception of episode 2, which sucked, this show has improved in some way each week, and it's only episode 4. The writers seem to be finding some general themes to stick to, and are giving the characters enough physical and moral dilemmas to play with which can carry it pretty far. The balance will come with time.

For all of you BSG fans. Stop comparing, it's not the same show, Katee Sackoff is not the same character, or the main character. But she is an excellent guest star.

Most shows aren't great from the beginning, they need time to find their legs, and what you hope for is that the pieces are all there for it to come together as the writers start writing for the actors as well as the characters. The pieces of this show are there. I was a huge X-Files fan, but the first season was inconsistant and cheesy. And the acting was not that strong. As far as effects, it's not easy to get effects perfect when you have a low licensing fee as most first season shows do. The longer the show is on, the more money the network gives it. Compare the first and last season of the effects on the X-Files, it's amazing what a little cash will do. if Bionic Woman sticks around the effects will improve. But they're doing pretty well for a 1st season show. Anybody notice the boooinnng sound effect that was used this week? A nice nod to the original. A good mix can help low budget visual effects.

For all of us who are fans of shows like BSG and X-Files and Buffy, it's easy to glorify them. But the truth is that not every episode was great, and the first seasons always struggle a little bit to find the right themes and storylines and direction for each character. This show has so much that is right about it, and a lot of potential, so hopefully the producers and writers will tap into it, and the actors will get more comfortable with their roles.

There have only been 4 episodes!

matilda | Oct 18, 2007 9:44:19 AM | #

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I've figured it out... the sister is the bionic woman. Jaime and Sarah will die in a bionic meltdown causing extreme, and certain to be fatal, bodily damage to the petulant one. But wait! The sister is injected with the new and improved "anthracites", we'll call them "bitumens" for consistency, that were harvested from Jaime and Sarah nanoseconds after their deaths, so they lived and died for something after all.

You've got two bionic characters, one is a boring pathetic loser who doesn't want to be bionic and the other is an imminently watchable psychotic killing machine. I don't want Jaime to be bionic any longer either...

Chris | Oct 18, 2007 9:48:03 AM | #

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I'll still watch, for now...I haven't been excited yet, and here's part of the reason why - how can all of these "mortals" keep up with her in a fight???? Why is she not just putting them away with one hit from the right arm?!?! She does sometimes, but how can it not be every time, all the time??

And more stupidity...WHY did she give the flash drive to that guy "to hold"...oh, wait, maybe it would have weighed her down too much in that fight, I see............

HTRon | Oct 18, 2007 9:50:30 AM | #

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I think I've reached my gag limit on this one. Could they possibly have picked actors with less emotional expression - I don't think so. Katee Sackhoff is the only one who actually acts on the show and she won't be around too much longer, I hear.
I actually groan when the story turns toward Jamie and her sister - they are so unbelievable together it's, er, unbelievable...
This show's a goner.

wmeador | Oct 18, 2007 10:28:57 AM | #

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The blog was right on the money. Sarah does steal steal the show. But my big question from this backwards episode was...If they can send Jamie and Antonio to South America on a secret assignment by private jet, Why couldn't they send her friend Carly on a real trip, So it wouldn't blow Jamie's cover with her sister? I really hope this show picks up.

Albert | Oct 18, 2007 10:30:43 AM | #

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I continue to have mixed signals about how serious BW takes itself... I can't put my finger between serious sci-fi suspense and over-cooked ham. (Which was, coincidentally, a blog topic in the local newspaper this morning about the higher scrutiny that sci-fi movies have.)

As for Flash Drives: the latest commercial model I believe holds 16 gigabytes. I can presume that a governmental organization can scare up the funds to buy something with ten times that space.

pakopako | Oct 18, 2007 10:36:01 AM | #

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Very disappointed in this week's episode. I'm trying extremely hard to give this show a chance but I don't think I'll last past Katee's run. Even she's not terrific but her scenes are so far the only ones I've enjoyed (not the psych eval scene though); I like the dynamic between Sarah and Jae, and I join in the sentiment that BW would be a better show without Jaime, or at least Michelle Ryan.

J | Oct 18, 2007 11:52:49 AM | #

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I want to like this show, but last night's show was just too confusing. You don't know who to trust and who is the real leader, because nobody seems to know anything.

DEREK | Oct 18, 2007 1:51:38 PM | #

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One thing pretty much decided the fate of the episode for me...Jaime Sommers leaping from support beam to support beam in heels. Not...bloody...likely. Even though the original Bionic Woman was pure kitsch, at least they had Lindsay Wagner dressed mostly in running outfits and sneakers. I just don't care for Michelle Ryan all around, mainly because she's too...I don't know what, but enough is missing from her acting abilities that I have a hard time focusing on the plot. When I'm spending over half the time grinding my teeth, then something's wrong. Maybe they can do a time-travel episode and have Lucy Kate Hale take over as the Bionic Woman instead. Yeah, the brat's insufferable, but at least she wears sensible shoes. As for the rest, I'd like to see Jae in charge of everything, just because he seems to be one of the few who is playing his part as if he likes being there. Miguel Ferrer always seems to be wincing every time he says his lines, I half expect Isaiah Washington to storm off the set in a huff, and the other minor characters just seem to be going to their marks and moving on. Katee Sackoff is fine, but her character has become too one-note, so maybe it will be good that she's not on for the whole season. I so, so want to like this show, but as it stands now...I just can't. I will still give it its due for as long as its on, though, in the hopes that it will improve. Can't go much further than that, though. Even Carol Brady had her patience limits ("Now, Mike!")

Dark Disciple | Oct 18, 2007 2:21:27 PM | #

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Just wondering...

Why didn't Jaimie just tell Becca she went on a business trip? Or that she can't talk about her "consulting" job due to privacy and confidentiality agreements she had to sign.

And was I the only one wishing Jaimie had died on the mission? LOL. The show's called Bionic Woman, not Jaimie Somers, and there's another, far more interesting, bionic woman on the show!

Jen | Oct 18, 2007 3:02:41 PM | #

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Eick and Moore are capable of so much more!! Come on guys, give us some crackling dialogue, more intricate story lines, and for heaven sakes get rid of the annoying little sister!

April | Oct 18, 2007 3:03:39 PM | #

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The posts about Jaimie leaping in heels reminds me of my pet peeve: how come the women never carry purses? Did they props people forget? Where does Jaimie keep her keys, wallet, and makeup? Last week when she was having lunch with Becca, she pulled a credit card out of her jeans, I think, which I thought was hilarious!

Girls, how many of you carry your keys and wallet in your pockets?

Jen | Oct 18, 2007 3:11:49 PM | #

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I think the problems lie with the writers, or lack leadership at the writers table. With the reported behind-the-scene problems they've been having, it's a wonder they are producing shows. According to Ain't it Cool News, writer's Glen Morgan, Laeta Kalogridis and Jason Smilovic are no longer involved with the show. Kalogridis, who wrote the pilot, left before production began on the series, while Morgan left in early September. Smilovic was to remain through the first half of the season, but jumped when Jason Katmins was brought on board as a "consulting producer." Katims, who created and ran Roswell, and who is currently the showrunner on Friday Night Lights, is now reportable running Bionic Woman, though NBC has yet to make that official.

If the behind-the-scenes stuff does not get fixed, the series will never make it to January.

And maybe, that's not a bad thing.

David | Oct 18, 2007 4:42:22 PM | #

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Everyone congratulate me. I have officially stopped watching Bionic Woman.

ah | Oct 18, 2007 7:31:39 PM | #

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righteousdude, if you are correct about the contract then they extended her initial contracted appearances. I do hope you are correct b/c Katee is really good and I also like the interaction b/w the 2 Bionic Women more than Jamie's interaction with any other character on the show.

Rishi | Oct 18, 2007 10:28:43 PM | #

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When they were re-tooling the show, the producers should have re-tooled ALL of the cast and the premise! They should have had Katee Sachoff as "Jamie Sommers" but still keep her as a rogue agent that goes slightly crazy-- That would have definitely made for a more interesting anti-hero character developement.

Sid | Oct 18, 2007 11:43:11 PM | #

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I'm assuming Katee is Sarah Corvous? I don't get why you all fawn all over her...she's nowhere near as hot as Michelle Ryan and she can't act her way out of a paper bag.

This week's episode was the straw that broke the camel's back for me...I'm done.

ItsMe | Oct 22, 2007 11:36:55 AM | #

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