More about BIONIC WOMAN

[proggrrl]

sui_generis and hollywoodgrrl were having a great discussion here about BIONIC WOMAN and the meaning of Sarah’s line “somebody hacked me”...thought I’d call it out and add to it in a new post, for all to see.

One of the most promising elements for BW as of ep 1.2 is that they are setting up the technology backstory to allow for many, many options.  We know that our favorite femmebots Jamie and Sarah have nanotechnology coursing through their veins.  It can be reprogrammed – and possibly hacked.  And it may have the power to drive someone temporarily insane.  Further murking the waters: Jamie’s bf Will was keeping a file on her for two years before they  met…and someone (possibly Mark Sheppard?) hired Sarah to ram that truck into Will and/or Jamie.  

Endlessly intriguing.

Sui, you think “the firmware” they got is “static” – but I think the show is indicating the opposite: it’s reprogrammable, upgradable, perhaps also hackable,  re-bootable.  That gives TPTB the most options for plot tangents later on.

The scene where the bionics tech smacks Jamie’s head to fix her ear was CLASSIC – the show makes pains to constantly remind us that she and Sarah are now part machine.  And that their biomechanical blending can cause all sorts of crazy.

hollywoodgrrl also said:

“Yeah, but [Sarah] also seemed kinda DEEPLY troubled with her reckless sex and her "Do you love me?" thing that she hits every guy she fraks with. Kinda intense. Plus, she was in the military, probably in Iraq, and I think we're supposed to assume that really messed her up. I mean, she gouged out her other eye! Also, I just love the idea of her being wrong in some way. The tech's fine, but she's not.”

Wait – huh?  Iraq?  They said Sarah was stationed in Iraq?  And yeah, I guess it’s a no-brainer that Sarah has more fun in bed than anyone else…heh.  I figure she was sedated for the eye surgery.  *wink*  It really seems like the tech is EXPERIMENTAL – and Sarah was Lab Rat #1.  

Tah-dah.

Mo Ryan posted a vid clip here (the first clip) that is sort of my dream come true - a scene between Katee Sackhoff and Mark Sheppard - except...bwah, WRONG SHOW! *g*

Meanwhile a short rant about people dissing BW because the ratings went down for 1.2. 

Yeah, OK, the 2nd week ratings went down.  BUT, so did those of HEROES.  And, HEROES decided to add the replay ratings into their Monday night ratings, and look what happened.  Lots of people are trying out all these new TV shows, and not all of them are going to come back.  Meanwhile the new “Live Plus Seven” ratings rules are going into effect this season, and it will take a while for the true winners to be sussed out.  

Besides – does anyone expect a genre show like BW to kick the ass of a CSI clone like CRIMINAL MINDS – or the GREY’S tearjerker-spinoff?  No way.

Fact is, genre shows are not mainstream shows.  None of the shows we know and love best pulled ratings like GREY’S or DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, or like ER and CSI in their heyday.  I doubt they ever will.  And I doubt that PUSHING DAISIES will sustain viewers either. 

Niche markets, baby…

Comments

[hollywoodgrrl.livejournal.com]

Wait – huh? Iraq? They said Sarah was stationed in Iraq?
No, they never actually said that. But they did say that Sarah was in the military. From that I quickly made a character profile:

They were looking to build the perfect soldier. So the perfect place to find soldiers nowadays is in Iraq. So she was "chosen" by them to be Lab Rat #1. On the outside she probably seemed quite successful and hardcore and whatnot. But she probably had massive PTST etc. We don't yet know what actually happened to make Sarah so severely injured in the first place, but I would love it if it were something in the war, something she did, maybe by accident, maybe on purpose. Just something dramatic that would cause her to be a little wrong when the bionic surgery was over. Plus at the time that she was made, the tech was three years older than when Jamie was made. So definitely there's potential for unforeseen dilemmas.

I figure she was sedated for the eye surgery. *wink*
If by sedated you mean she drank a lot of vodka and then in a fit of craziness gouged out her eye thinking she was making herself "improved," well then yeah, she was sedated. ;) Is it wrong that I also think she would then walk all wobbly to Jae and be like, "All better." Meanwhile she's bleeding everywhere and he's freaking out. O_o

I think I think about these things way too much.

[hollywoodgrrl.livejournal.com]

Sui, you think “the firmware” they got is “static” – but I think the show is indicating the opposite: it’s reprogrammable, upgradable, perhaps also hackable, re-bootable. That gives TPTB the most options for plot tangents later on.
But I totally agree with you that the writers opened up quite a wonderfully rich pasture for themselves.

I just always love the idea of, "Hey, we're doing secret super soldier tests on people, and hold up, our first subject is renegade now because, oops, we never foresaw that she/he was a crazy freakshow BEFORE the surgery even occured."