episode #09 - Dr. Wells is Missing

Air Date: 3/29/74    written by Elroy Schwartz and Krishna Shah & William Keenan    Directed by Virgil Vogel


Another episode which resembles a James Bond thriller; the main villain (John van Dreelen) is a typical Bond-style heavy - sophisticated but diabolical, and has a very tall henchman. This also takes place in a European location (supposedly    ). Dr. Rudy Wells (Alan Oppenheimer - marking his return since the Six Million Dollar Man telefilms of the previous year) has ostensibly been invited to Austria to get some award and Oscar's suspicions are raised. Oscar is correct - Rudy is quickly kidnapped. The villain has heard rumors of a bionic man (probably because Austin reveals his abilities to various people every episode) and wants this possible human/mechanical weapon. Rudy, of course, feigns ignorance, but the jig is soon up when Austin arrives to rescue Rudy.

This has a key sequence of Austin being tested against 4 professional fighters/killers in unarmed combat - most of it is in slow-mo and therefore slow, but there's almost a poetic style to these images, as would be in several episodes, as Austin's foes are sent flying slow-mo in various poses. It does show that Austin has his limits, epecially when one of his adversaries is a giant (Jim Shane) wielding a lamppost as a weapon (so much for unarmed combat). Austin's bionic arm is not totally invulnerable. Austin is also forced to be extra brutal in the concluding battle, actually killing foes as he did in the original novel. The villains are well played in this episode and it's actually intriguing for awhile. BoG's Score: 7 out of 10
Bionic Trivia: Austin gets past 60 mph in this episode; he clocks in at 66 mph as his best when tested.
Star Trek TOS actor alert: Michael Dante plays the villain's 2nd-in-command; he appeared in Friday's Child