episode #89 - Target: Steve Austin

episode #10 of 5th season / Air Date: 11/27/77    written by Lester Berke  directed by Edward M. Abroms

Some enemy seems to know every move that OSI makes. The latest plan is for Austin and a female agent, posing as man-&-wife on their honeymoon, to transport a new type of power unit cross-country in a motor home (an RV as it's now called). On top of all the danger from enemy agents, this power unit is about as volatile as nitro and needs very careful  handling; it's secreted underneath the motor home's floor. Sure enough, things do not go smoothly: even though the female agent is described as a "one-woman army" (which is shown when she easily takes care of a couple of boorish bikers), she is easily replaced by a double when there's a diversion inside a tunnel.

This episode started out as another one in the James Bond-styled mode, complete with a training facility copying the well-known Q department scenes of the Bond movies. It continued in this vein on the road trip, with somewhat clever turns of plot to keep the audience guessing and on their toes. But, some of these were weak: though Austin is very sharp to figure out that his partner has been replaced, he has no suspicions when there's suddenly an auto breakdown involving an elderly couple in the tunnel. There's also less excitement than one might expect - the one big action scene with the female agent and the bikers happens off-camera; we only see the aftermath. As with several episodes in the final season, the climax is less interesting than the build-up - it all ends abruptly after a boring chase involving Austin and a helicopter. BoG's Score: 5.5 out of 10

Bionic Trivia: Oscar Goldman (Richard Anderson) does not appear in this or the next episode, only mentioned as busy or away.