The Six Million Dollar Man: The Ultimate Imposter

episode number: season 4, episode 13 (1977)
viewing setting: home DVD, 7/9/12

episode synopsis: Rudy and Oscar finally find success in an experiment to make a man programmable with any information, knowledge, skills, etc. and then the guy goes to another country to rescue the female agent who also happens to be his girlfriend.

impressions: As I write this, I haven't checked the internet but I'm assuming this was a potential pilot for a new series, because it sure felt like it. Steve was present for about five minutes and then it became the Joe Patton show. So...all in all, this was fairly entertaining, and the concept did have promise for more adventures. They would have had to solve the issue of "just how much programming can the guy hold?" though.

notable guest stars: Veteran actor Stephen Macht did a good job as Joe. Pamela Hensley (better known as Princess Ardala from the Buck Rogers series) is his secret agent girlfriend. Television actor David Sheiner plays the main bad guy. A young, 23-year-old Kim Basinger has a very brief appearance.

significant bionic antics: Steve punches through a thick window and rips a steel door off its hinges. Then he vanishes from this episode and Joe Patton apparently takes over. He memorizes (i.e. is programmed with) every detail of the man he's impersonating, as well as various other useful skills like how to make acidic compounds, how to disarm alarm systems, how to fight, and how to fly a helicopter.

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