The original Bionic Woman was well before my time.  I’ve caught an episode here and there on reruns, probably, but suffice it to say that the original show never piqued my interest.  Unfortunately, the new one doesn’t do too hot, either.

See, the unfortunate thing about pilots is that they have to do two things at once…provide exposition and still be compelling. The key is to strike the balance between the two.  Bionic Woman, though, is heavy on the former and light on the latter.  For a show about a woman who can do cool stuff, there’s not enough of the woman doing cool stuff.  There’s  a lot of talking about it, though…about the ethics of turning a woman into a machine without her knowledge.  Granted, the moral dilemma is important and should be touched on.  Right now, the job is to hook viewers, not to have a soliloquy on right and wrong.

All that being said, I do plan to stick with the show for at least a few episodes.  I believe that there are enough glimpses of coolness that shine through in the pilot to indicate that Bionic Woman could become an impressive program.  If the upcoming episodes are all like the pilot, though, I’m out.

Bionic Woman premieres Wednesday, September 26 at 9/8c.