The Six Million Dollar Man: The Bionic Woman (part 1)

episode number: season 2, episode 19 (1975)
viewing setting: home DVD, 2/21/11 and home VHS 6/30/97

episode synopsis: Steve returns to his hometown, finds his old flame, renews the romance, goes skydiving with her, her chute breaks, she lies near-death, Steve convinces Oscar to make her bionic, she recovers, and they get engaged.

impressions: Busy episode, and one of the best. Not only is the Jaime character charismatic, competent, and interesting, but she and Steve actually have chemistry. It's funny watching Steve come up with total BS arguments to convince Oscar to authorize the surgery, and then Steve has to talk her down from her first gut reaction when she realizes what's happened. Then he gets to help her adapt to her new limbs and abilities. This is part one of a two-parter, since there are bad guys planning evil things as revenge for Steve foiling their plot in the beginning of the episode.

notable guest star: Lindsay Wagner debuts as Jaime Sommers, Steve's true lost love and (later) the Bionic Woman.

significant bionic antics: Steve rips open an armored car, spies on people from far away, does household chores at a high rate of speed, rows a canoe really fast, lifts a refrigerator, and bends a metal chair.

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