episode #32 - The Bionic Woman

episode #19 of 2nd season / Air Date: 3/16/75    written by Kenneth Johnson    Directed by Richard Moder

This introduced us to the love of Austin's life (previously thought to be the lady in the Lost Love episode), Jaime Sommers (Lindsay Wagner, her premiere in the long-running role), his high school sweetheart. The lady in Lost Love was from his college days, but Jaime was his first and though Austin has gotten along well without her up until now, their becoming reacquainted here makes them both realize that they were meant for each other. Yes, it's a love story, bionic style, courtesy of writer Johnson, who began to contribute much to the Six Million Dollar Man mythology.
Much of this is sappy in the first half of the episode, especially with Lee Majors also contributing his singing voice to a lame love song - stick with acting, Majors (and he did). But, the reason to watch this is actress Wagner as Sommers, the ultimate pretty girl-next-door-gone-bionic heroine. Her character starts out as a tennis pro; when she and Austin begin to fall for each other, you want it all to work out - Wagner is enchanting as the possible wife for the bionic man. When her tragic accident with the parachute occurs, it's heartbreaking. Majors also outdoes himself here - we've never seen the bionic man this nervous, this tense, this desperate - almost on the verge of hysteria, and his appeal to Oscar Goldman (Richard Anderson, also excellent in the key scene) is very intense. This continued in Part 2. BoG's Score: 7 out of 10