She may be bionic, but she's oh so tiresome

[viktor_haag]

After watching the pilot, and oh, about 23 minutes of the second episode of "Bionic Woman" I have a really hard time imagining that this show will last past a full season, if that. The dialog is so very stilted, and the plots (so far) also a bit rickety. I'm all for shows packed with strong female characters, but wouldn't it be better if they were better?

If you want to start up a new genre show (especially one that's a remake of a not particularly good show from the seventies), I understand that it would be important to pack the first few episodes with all the standard bits and play out all the characters basic stories, like you're framing a house. But it would seem to me really, really important then, to make sure that (a) the characters are compelling, and (b) the dialog sparkling.

This new re-tread can't really claim success on point 'a', and as for point 'b', it passed success on the highway three days ago, headed back in the opposite direction.

Comments

[jkahane.livejournal.com]

I was going to post a blog about the new Bionic Woman series on my LJ too, but you said everything that I wanted to say here. I'll just add that Lindsey Wagner had it right when she said she didn't like the new series because it's not fun. Television needs some lighter dramas to focus on, I believe, as the darker, more angsty shows seem to be dominating on the air and are not all that enjoyable to watch these days.

Hmm, no wonder I like Dancing with the Stars. :)

[thebitterguy]

It's just sitting there on the PVR for us right now. Maybe if they had more superheroic girlfight and less... everything except Miguel Ferrer, it would be better. Maybe not.

[jkahane.livejournal.com]

The problem I have with the series is the whole aspect of the two bionic women. The woman playing the first bionic woman, from the Galactica series, is dominating the series to be honest, as is Miguel Ferrer during his airtime.

The real problem is that the show could have dealt with issues pertaining to Jamie's being bionic and the loss of some of her humanity. Add to that the fact that Jamie Sommers is not a sympathetic character in the series, and well...

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

Yes, I agree; this is part of the shows problem. The lead character is not a very good actress, nor is she given a particularly good part to play. Surrounding Michelle Ryan by Miguel Ferrer, Katee Sackhoff, Isaiah Washington, and Molly Price is kind of begging her to be a much stronger presence than she actually is. Mix in generous dollops of hideously bad dialog and the trademarked Horribly Whiny And Selfish Teen Sister (although Summers' character is every bit as smug, selfish, and self-absorbed in episode two), and you have a recipe for disaster.

This show has about two or three regular cast members too many, and has all the earmarks for an early 13 and out cancellation.

[jkahane.livejournal.com]

Actually, Michelle Ryan was very good as Zoe Slater on EastEnders, although the role certainly wasn't very challenging, and she did an adequate job on Jekyll, but I think the real problem is that Ryan can't get her acting chops in with the likes of Katie Sackhoff (thanks, couldn't remember her name!) and some of the other actors around her.

It just seems to me that the story is not about her character, but about all the other stuff that's going on, and that's where the show really falls down, aside from the bad dialogue and all the other stuff that goes along with what the show has given us so far. Yes, it's action/adventure and all that, but it doesn't have the stuff that made Lndsey Wagner's The Bionic Woman interesting and likeable.

[mylescorcoran]

Is Dancing with the Stars the same as Strictly Come Dancing on this sode of the pond? Celebrities partnered with professional dancers competing over several weeks in different categories of ballroom, modern and latin dance?

It's fab!

[jkahane.livejournal.com]

Yes, that sounds like the same show to me.

The celebrity judges on Dancing with the Stars include Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli, both of whom I believe work the same show over in the UK.

As you said, fab! :)

[mylescorcoran]

You gotta love Len and Bruno.

My wife and I are watching the current series on UK TV avidly.

[jkahane.livejournal.com]

Yep, I rather like Len and Bruno. Is there a third judge on the UK version? If so, who is it?

[mylescorcoran]

There are two more judges in the UK version, Arlene Phillips and Craig Revel Horwood.

Phillips is irritating beyond belief, and Revel Horwood is the one you love to hate (most of the time).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strictly_Come_Dancing

[thebitterguy]

You're wrong. It needs more Bionic Woman on Bionic Woman action. And Miguel Ferrer.

And it DEFINITELY doesn't need "woe is me, I'm a freak!" That well is dry.

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

Frankly, I don't think the choreographers, or the current actors, are up to that. The "training" sequences between Ryan and Will Yun Lee were, umm, sorely lacking. And although Sackhoff may be up to selling physical confrontations, I can't say the same for Ryan.

Lee comes from a Tae Kwon Do family, so I cannot imagine that he escaped his youth without a significant amount of training; however, I don't know whether it was the choreographer or a lack of technique on his part, but his scenes looked really sloppy.

A shame, really -- we don't see enough TKD technique in action films. (I guess this is the point at which sixteenbynine or robin_d_laws cough politely and point out that I could take the trouble to watch more Korean film, and yes, it's true. My Asian Trash Cinema days have passed by, though -- while I watched a whole lot a decade ago, since marrying and children, it's a lot harder to get that kind of thing onto my DVD player with any regularity.)

[jkahane.livejournal.com]

I don't know either of these two personalities, although Arlene Phillips sounds familiar to me... Will have to check out the Wikipedia site soon. Thanks. :)

[jkahane.livejournal.com]

Some have suggested that there does need to be more Ryan on Sackhoff action, and not combat scenes, but we're not going to touch that one.

As for the well being dry, maybe it is, maybe it's not.

So I will leave Bionic Woman to its fans, and go read a book instead when it's on or some such. :)