By Dan Hagen
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| In the 1970s, even the lunch boxes were bionic. |
The dispirited Jamie Sommers, tired and somewhat sickened after three years of being a superspy “robot lady,” quits the secret agency OSI, only to find that she can’t quit — she’s government property. They intend to jail her. “The Bionic Woman” meets “The Prisoner.”
This cynical, realistic take on what the U.S. government would do is surprising in a 1970s adventure show. She has an ally in her dash for freedom from American law enforcement — her ex-boss Oscar Goldman (Richard Anderson, who takes a break from exposition to enjoy a strong acting turn).
Jamie tells him, “I thought I was more than a pawn to you, or one of your little tools…”
“You’re hurting my arm,” Goldman says.
Ever the compassionate heroine, Jamie takes time to help the alienated son of a blind man, and finds the solution to her own personal dilemma. Lindsay Wagner had specifically asked for a concluding episode, and the writer, Steven E. De Souza, worked all her frustrations with doing a network series into Jamie Sommers’ emotions about her spy job. The script, and Wagner’s Emmy-winning charm and acting ability, let the series finish with class.
Great post. I just watched On the Run with commentary by the writer. He said his script was different and simply showed Jaime running away as the ending. I completely agree with the way the producers added the final 2 minutes of the show, otherwise Jaime would have been put in a terrible state in TV limbo forever.
ReplyDeleteNice to see a series be completed instead of merely run out of gas. Thanks for you comment.
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