2007-2008

NBC's now-canceled "Bionic Woman" remake premiered to choruses of indifference and ire last fall, but what were people expecting? More Seventies camp? I happened to have loved this sleek, sci-fi series, however short-lived, and it certainly provided more bang each week than the second season of its network sis "Heroes."

 

"Bionic Woman: Volume One" collects all eight episodes on two discs. Beautiful Brit actress Michelle Ryan is winning as Jaime Sommers, a bartender whose boyfriend turns her bionic after a near-fatal car crash. Despite a strained relationship with a teen sister she's raising, Jaime agrees "? highly reluctantly "? to work on undercover missions for the shadowy group that rebuilt her.

 

As she learns, she's not the first. "Battlestar Galactica"'s Katee Sackhoff plays the original bionic woman, and she's gone bad. Her periodic appearances "? and resulting fights "? punch up the spy-centric narrative, but sadly, her story goes unresolved with the cancellation.

 

Save for brief promo interviews, the set is lean on extras, but the show is a fun, if often dark, adventure. Don't count on seeing a "Volume Two," although I would welcome it.

 

"?Rod Lott

  • or