episode #57 - Big Brother

episode #22 of 3rd season / Air Date: 3/7/76 written by Kenneth Johnson Directed by Cliff Bole

Steve Austin goes all social worker on us in this episode. When I noted the title of this one (before watching the episode), I thought it was a reference to a Big Brother-type government, but, no - it's the Big Brother social program to help under-privileged kids. Usually in this program, a kid is sort of adopted by an older male - not old enough to be a father figure but like an older brother to help guide the kid along. Austin visits a detention center to volunteer for some radio spots and ends up taking on this fleeing punk (Michael Salcido). The kid is the usual juvenile delinquent and he also owes money to a local thug. But Austin will eventually solve all problems with a basketball challenge .
I suppose writer Johnson wanted to impart some social commentary as the 3rd season's swan song, plugging Austin into the most unlikely of environments, but it just results in an awkward episode. Austin states in an early scene that he has no time to actually play Big Brother to someone and this makes perfect sense to me; so how does he make the time to involve himself in this kid's life? Dunno. And, Austin can take a kid up in a jet anytime he feels like? I'll admit, the kid's revealed dream to be a jet flier is touching, but most of this is cliched. Austin's main use of his bionics is in the climactic basketball game, which is pretty silly. BoG's Score: 5 out of 10

Bionic Trivia: Lindsay Wagner as Jaime Sommers cameos yet again here in an early scene in Oscar Goldman's office.