Bionic Woman

Episode 1.04 “Face Off” was not quite as good as last week’s episode, “Sisterhood,” but there was one scene that was campy fun- Katee Sackhoff being wheeled through the Wolfe Creek underground facility. 

The setup: Katee Sackhoff as Sarah Corvus has just been captured by Jae Kim and he is taking her back to the Wolfe Creek facility for interrogation and repair.

Watch this clip and tell me the writers weren’t deliberately paying tribute to Rober Harris’ Silence of the Lambs villain Hannibal Lecter.

Did anyone catch the magazine Sarah Corvus was reading just before a cool fight scene broke out?

It looks like Bio Magazine.  Any guesses?

Episode 1.03 “Sisterhood” really kicked the series into high gear and provided Katee Sackhoff with some great lines.  My favorite is this clip. 

The set up:

Michelle Ryan’s Jaime Sommers has just turned down Katee Sackhoff as Sarah Corvus’ request to become a live test subject.  Corvus explains that she has no longer has feelings.  Despite the request, Sommers tells her no and this line comes just as Corvus storms out the parking garage where this scene took place.

Sarah Corvus:  “It feels pretty dramatic to me.  Not that I can actually feel anything, but I can intellectually imagine that that feels pretty dramatic.”

The worst line of the episode naturally was delivered by Isaiah Washington.  Washington was unfortunately cast as Antonio Pope.  Pope is an employee of the Berkut Group and assigned to train Sommers and prepare her for fighting terrorists and bad guys.

The set up:

Sommers and Jae Kim have just completed a sparring match.  Washington hurls this one liner at her before they spar.  The line is stupid and Washington is horrible.  So, it is my worst line of the week.

Antonio Pope:  “All right boys and girls, I’m about to get analog on your ass.”

Bionic Woman has won praise for casting Will Yun Lee from folks who want to see more Asian Americans on TV, particularly after episode two’s sexy scenes between his character and the blonde Sarah Corvus played by Katee Sackhoff.

Defamer slams Isaiah Washington for boasting that he was more popular than Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton combined. Perhaps Isaiah will run for President in 2012?

Roco at Bionic-Blog has found a music montage set to Breathe Me, the song that was playing while Jaime cried in the bathtub during the pilot.

Click here to watch Lucy Kate Hale talk about the love/hate relationship Jaime and Becca have and how she hopes it will mature as the season progresses.

The second episode of Bionic Woman got mixed reviews. If you missed it you can catch up with a detailed recap here.

Prefer to read about Bionic Woman in Spanish? Check out Bitacora Bionica!

Bionic Woman, Spanish, Isaiah Washington, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Breathe Me, Jaime Sommers, Sarah Corvus, Katee Sackhoff, Will Yun Lee

Don’t forget the new issue of TV Guide hits the stands today, with Michelle Ryan and Bionic Woman on the cover! Michelle talks about being star struck by Jennifer Garner, and all of the focus on the show, in the magazine’s article.

Bionic Woman premiered in Australia last night, complete with a flurry of publicity for the show down under.

Want to buy a thirty second spot on Bionic Woman? According to MediaWeek the show is NBC’s most expensive new offering, with rates of $185,000 a spot.

SFGate.com is not happy with Bionic Woman’s faux San Francisco setting, noting that the show “does not even try” to look like the location where Jaime & Co. supposedly work, live, play, and fight.

Based on the comments on TVSquad, a lot of people are just as upset as Ryan about the idea of Isaiah Washington claiming he may get a Bionic Woman spin off … especially since he said it before his character was even on the air. Remote Access is also interested in Isaiah’s comments about how the government sees Jaime as a military weapons property.

Michelle Ryan talks with FitSugar.com about her workout routine, and A Socialite’s Life has pictures of her working out. She also speaks with The Scanner about how she would not like to be bionic or have a mind-reading bionic boyfriend in her own life.

Ryan wrote about how he thought Katee Sackhoff should not be smoking on Bionic Woman, and apparently she agrees because this weekend she told some guests at the Sacramento Comic-Con that she has asked the producers to air some anti-smoking public service announcements during the show.

Katee fans are also thrilled about her role in Halo 3, including lines in the game that sound suspiciously like lines from her Battlestar Galactica character Kara “Starbuck” Thrace. If you are a Katee Sackhoff fan, be sure to vote for her as “Best Female Action Star” in the poll that is up over at Slice of SciFi.com. Claudia Black from Farscape and Stargate SG-1 and Summer Glau from Firefly and Serenity are in the lead right now, followed closely by Amanda Tapping from Stargate: SG1 and Stargate: Atlantis.

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The most intriguing character in the premiere episode of Bionic Woman is Sarah Corvus, the first bionic woman and the bad ass that Jamie Sommers fights in that famous rainy rooftop scene. Commentators like to describe Sarah as Jamie’s evil nemesis or her archenemy, but after watching the pilot it is hard to believe the dynamic between the two characters is that simple.

Sarah does not seem evil so much as confused and lonely. She may want to kill Will Anthros, but she does not seem to wish Jamie Sommers any real harm. If she did, Jamie would be dead in that bathroom in the nightclub where the two first meet. And when she fought Jamie on the roof, she was not going for the throat as much as checking out the new girl in town.

When Jamie asks “What do you want?” and Sarah replies “Honestly? I’m not sure,” Sarah is telling the truth … she is not sure what she wants. Sarah is not quite the wolf that Jae makes her out to be, but she is not mature and grounded either. She drifts, she reacts, she is looking for friends and simultaneously afraid of closeness to others.

Sarah Corvus reminds me quite a bit of another lonely girl, also confused and overwhelmed by the isolating nature of her super abilities: Faith, the rogue slayer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.

Like Sarah Corvus, Faith electrified Buffy viewers by showing them what their heroine would be like if she refused to play by the rules. All of that physical prowess can be dangerous, and it would be easy for a smart, sexy, fearless woman to play by the “want, take” mantra that Faith tried to teach Buffy in a famous episode. But those rules only work for people who don’t care, which is why Sarah and Faith represent what could happen without the relationships that keep the Jamie and Buffy tethered to reality.

Bionic Woman producer David Eick describes Sarah Corvus as the potential dark side of Jamie, a cautionary tale of what Jamie could become if she gives in to the temptations that come with her new abilities. This echoes Buffy producer Joss Whedon’s description of Faith, as the woman Buffy could have been if she did not have the support and love of those around her.

Like Eliza Dushku, who played Faith, Katee Sackhoff can switch from needy and fearful to hard and vicious in an instant. One can easily see her, like Faith, fighting along side the heroine in one scene and against her in the next. It will be interesting to watch how Jamie’s relationship with Sarah Corvus develops in future episodes, as the two certainly have more to gain by working together than apart.

Sarah Corvus, Bionic Woman, Jamie Sommers, Faith, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, David Eick, Joss Whedon, Eliza Dushku, Katee Sackhoff

Katee Sackhoff is one of our favorites actresses, as she routinely captivates us when she is on our television screens. Whether she is playing Starbuck on Battlestar Galactica or Sarah Corvus on Bionic Woman, Katee specializes in fierce and fearless performances while playing tough yet flawed women.

Over the weekend, E!’s Top 10 Weekend Countdown caught up with the spirited actress as she conquered her fear of sharks and showed us how she learned how to surf.  Sackhoff is clearly an athletic woman as it appears she picked up surfing almost instantly.

Take a look at the clip, if for no other reason than to see how amazing she looks in a wetsuit.

In the interview she attributes her athletic physique to running on the beach and to limiting herself to one Krispy Kreme donut once a week.  Whatever she’s doing, she should keep it up because it’s definitely working!

Katee Sackhoff’s amazing hair at the TV Guide Party last Sunday won her kudos from Hairstylewatch.com.

In Vancouver? Bionic Woman is filming street scenes this week, according to The Vancouverite.

A Colorado television station has an interview with the woman who played the toddler that was rescued by Max, the Bionic Dog, in the clip from the original series we posted on Tuesday. Like us, she was struck by the 1970s idea of leaving a toddler in a car alone and a German Shepherd in a car with the windows rolled up … with all of our modern safety obsessions, Max’s rescue task on the new series would have to be more complicated to be as impressive as it was thirty years ago.

In related news, at least one cast member has threatened to leave the show if they bring back the Bionic Dog. Miguel Ferrar, who plays shadowy Jonas Bledsoe on the show, recently told The West Australian that he would see the addition of a bionic pup as a blow to the credibility of the modern version of the show. As it is, he expects the show to be one of the best science fiction shows ever made. We like your optimism Miguel!

Bionic Woman, Vancouver, Max, Bionic Dog, German Shepherd, Colorado, Katee Sackhoff, Miguel Ferrar

Rogue Bionic Woman Katee Sackhoff played nice Sunday night, and looked pretty amazing too, at the TV Guide after party in Hollywood. The party took place at hot spot Les Deux after the primetime EMMY Awards, and was attended by some of the biggest stars of the evening.

During the course of the evening Desperate Housewives‘ Teri Hatcher, House’s Hugh Laurie, rapper Kanye West, and singer John Legend all took the mic for some songs. Other celebrities in attendance included Dancing With the Stars‘ Stacy Kiebler, Scrubs‘ Judy Reyes, Grey’s Anatomy’s Justin Chambers, Sara Ramirez, and Sandra Oh, Lost’s Terry O’Quinn, Ugly Betty’s America Ferrera, and many others.

Hope you had fun Katee, because you looked like the belle of the ball!

Katee Sackhoff, Bionic Woman, Emmy, Party, Hollywood, Hugh Laurie, Kanye West, Justin Chambers, Sandra Oh, Terry O’Quinn, America Ferrera, Ugly Betty, Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, Scrubs, Judy Reyes, Desperate Housewives, Terri Hatcher, Dancing with the Stars, Stacy Kiebler, John Legend, Sara Ramirez, Grey’s Anatomy

SciFi Pulse has an interesting interview with Michelle Ryan on the motivations and inspirations of Jamie Sommers, including her insights into the friendship and rivalry of Jamie and Katee Sackhoff’s Sarah Corvus. In other Michelle news, she also recently talked about why she did not research amputees before filming Bionic Woman.

BuddyTV has an interview with Crystal Lowe, who plays Jamie’s best friend on Bionic Woman.

Entertainment blog powerhouse Watch with Kristin has named Michelle Ryan and Jamie Sommers on their list of Newbies You Will Love. The flattering post even compares Michelle to Julie Andrews.

Ryan gave us Jonas Bledsoe’s official bio and Roco on Bionic-Blog has some interesting background information on the head of the group that implanted Jamie Sommers with her bionic parts.

Michelle Ryan, Katee Sackhoff, SciFi, interview, Jamie Sommers, Julie Andrews, entertainment, television, Bionic Woman

Check out this photo of Bionic Woman badass Katee Sackhoff looking amazing at tonight’s TV Guide party after the Emmys. She seems to be channeling Veronica Lake with her sophisticated hair and flirty pose. Looking great Katee!

Katee Sackhoff, Emmy, TV Guide, party, Veronica Lake

Michelle Ryan was in Parade magazine last weekend, looking pretty, promoting Bionic Woman, and dropping the tabloid tidbit that she loves her electronic toothbrush.

Bionic Blog has some links for fans who want to learn more about Krav Maga, the fighting style Michelle Ryan has been studying to prepare for her role in Bionic Woman.

Metromix opines that Katee Sackhoff’s Sarah Corvis walks off with the pilot with “style, wit and relish.”

Viewers in Australia will get to see Bionic Woman faster than expected.

SyFyPortal.com loves the talent that is behind Bionic Woman, but blogger TheSlug is not so optimistic about the show and its chances for success.

Compact Cinema reviews Michelle Ryan’s independent film Cashback.

And it seems that Katee Sackhoff is a big Kenny Chesney fan.

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Sackhoff Promoting Smoking - Via NBC

The signature image of Bionic Woman, thus far, is not of the heroine Jamie Sommers. Instead, the image that the press has fallen in love with the photograph of Katee Sackhoff’s evil Sarah Corvus, dripping wet in the rain as she waits for Jamie to come and fight her in the pre-air pilot … and while she waits, she smokes.

There can be no denying that it is a great photograph. Sackhoff’s cool control is a stark contrast to the elements that are fighting to invade her, she is oblivious to the rain that would make others uncomfortable. When Jamie arrives and words are exchanged, Corvus mentions that the anthrocytes that are part of the bionic technology heal her lungs, so she smokes.

Unfortunately, the smoking villain has become such a cliche, that I’m afraid it’s considered original again. This doesn’t sit well with me. Broadcast television, like it or not, has a responsibility to the general public. Study after study concludes that kids who see celebrities smoke will try smoking themselves. While I am a champion of the new BW plumbing the depths of human nature, I wish they would leave smoking out of it. There is never a place to show actors smoking on screen, ever. Especially not a primetime show.

Why would Sackhoff agree to be filmed smoking? Surely she had reservations about the promotion of smoking (I hope so anyway). And make no mistake about it, she is promoting smoking simply by agreeing to do it on screen. I’m not sure which is worse, smoking on screen or insulting the fans who came to see you at ComiCon.

Bionic Woman, NBC, Katee Sackhoff, Sarah Corvus, Jaime Sommers, Comicon, smoking, teens

Her bionic implants, of course. Katee Sackhoff, who plays the vengeful Sarah Corvis on Bionic Woman, was on Jimmy Kimmel’s talk show recently to discuss a few things about Battlestar Galactica and a lot about Bionic Woman. She also does some innuendo about Sarah Corvis’ implants, outs her brother’s derogatory nickname, and talks about being trapped in the bathroom at Comicon.

We love Katee, but towards the end of the interview she breaks the classic rule for young stars trying to break into the big time by dissing the fans she has now. No Katee, don’t do it! Bionic Woman and Battlestar Galactica need all the fans they can get!

Edit: Sunday night on the ShaunOMac radio show I was asked about this clip, which I had initially written about on watchingbsg.com and apparently others have commented on with similar dismay. It had been a while since I had watched the clip when Shaun asked the question, and I mistakenly said Katee called her fans “freaks” during the interview. That was just my memory playing tricks on me … she let’s Jimmy back her into a corner where she implies her fans are pretty weird, but she never actually says the word “freaks” and I apologize for the error.

interview, Katee Sackhoff, Bionic Woman, Jimmy Kimmel, Comicon, Battlestar Galactica, Sarah Corvis, Starbuck