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The Six Million Dollar Man: Kill Oscar: Part 2 (1976)
Steve Austin teams up with Jaime Sommers once again
This is really an episode of the three part cross over: "Kill Oscar" from the "bionic woman". It is weird to see cross overs on TV but this is an exception.We see several times Steve and Jamie teaming up in both shows.Maybe the idea to create another show with Steve and Jamie together crossed the producers mind.It all started with episodes of "the six million dollar man" where Jamie was introduced(4 episodes) then the saga of Big foot being the first part from "the six million dollar man" and the second part from "the bionic woman".Also other episodes where Jamie appeared just for a while.It means both shows were connected to each other: "the bionic woman" was a spin off. Sometimes it could be a confusion from the people who project this shows."kill Oscar" is a living example.When I was a kid I never realized it. I knew about this some years ago.In fact, the version that I saw in English some years ago through cable TV shows this second part the beginning and the end from SMDM(credits).In Spanish, I saw only the end the SMDM credits .That's why It's considered in the list of episodes of SMDM. In this episode, because Jamie had a terrible accident fighting the fem bots, she passed the ball to Steve who was in action all the episode.He has to face Disgruntled former O.S.I. employee Doctor Franklin and his deadly scheme to take over the government agency by replacing Oscar Goldman, his secretary Callahan, and Doctor Rudy Wells' secretary Linda with robot duplicates called Fembots.This is quite a good episode with full action.However I prefer th SMDM music rather than the bionic woman's that is shown here with only the main melody of SMDM.Its a good idea to confront powerful robots with bionic people.The idea of showing faceless robots comes from previous episodes ("day of the robot" and "Return of the robot maker")We see again a robotic duplicate of Oscar Goldman and at the end a fight between Steve and the robot which is good although there is a big distance between this one and the previous fights with robots from early episodes perhaps owing to the fact that the series became family oriented. The robots(fem bots) are very powerful but are only machines while Steve and Jamie are humans that can think of themselves.
The Six Million Dollar Man: Straight on 'til Morning (1974)
Aliens at sight
I heard many comments on this episode. Some people criticized it saying Its a poor episode and the worst. I don't know why. Others don't like the idea to have aliens and they prefer the human matters episodes. However this episode is good but is almost lack of action after the half part. The plot is good. This is the first time we see aliens in the show(we will see more later on with the big foot episodes and one more in the last season)Its astonishing to see humanoid aliens with great mental powers:telepathy,telekinesis and the alteration of the normal perception of things. After the half part there's no too much action. The only survivor:Minonee, the female alien joins Steve, and he devises a plan to send Minonee back to her mother ship using a lunar probe spaceship. This is a quite different episode where the writer sets topics about help,peace ,and brotherhood.
The Six Million Dollar Man: Return of the Robot Maker (1975)
Return of doctor Chester Dolenz
Another excellent and outstanding episode of SMDM .Dr. Chester Dolenz ,the robot maker is back to exact his revenge.This time he creates a robotic duplicate of Oscar Goldman.This android seems to be perfect obviously better than the first one("Day of the robot") Dolenz kidnaps the real Oscar Goldman and replaces him with the fake Oscar.The plan they have is really good.Oscar robot orders Steve Austin to test a high-security system at an important establishment.This one defeated Steve and Dolenz orders the android to steal the formula for a new energy source.Dolenz seems to have gotten rid of Steve Austin but hes not dead. Hes still alive because of his bullet proof vest.This episode contains full action and we see Steve the bionic man using his bionics to save his life and at the end he confronts Dolenz and the robot to save Oscar. A good battle occurs between Steve and the robot. One more time Steve matches a powerful robot as strong as he is.The odd melody that is played when the robot appears calls my attention and at the beginning we see the faceless robot like the first robot from the first season and we could get frightened one more time.The final is also good and frightening (watching the head of the robot on the ground)Excellent episode from the 70s.
The Six Million Dollar Man: The Seven Million Dollar Man (1974)
Steve vs.Barney: full bionic action
This episode is one of the best episodes of SMDM -second season. Steve is astonished when he discovered hes not unique and there is another bionic man ready to take his place in case he ever becomes incapacitated.When former auto-racing champion Barney Miller is badly injured in a car crash, he becomes the new candidate for bionic replacements.This new bionic man has 4 bionic limbs and cost seven million dollars ,one million dollars more than Steve bionics;In simple words,Barney becomes better than Steve.But Barney becomes unstable ,unable to assume his new abilities.He got mad and decides there must be only one bionic man.Dr. Wells can do nothing and Barney so powerful decides to destroy the plans about the secrets of bionics. Only Steve is supposed to stop him.At the end we see a great battle between two bionic men.A real match,Barney seemed to be more powerful than Steve but Steve defeated him and showed hes the best.Because of that we realize that Steve Austin is unique.
The Six Million Dollar Man: The Pioneers (1974)
Steve Austin and the human experiments
Another excellent and outstanding episode from the early second season.The plot is quite good not only because of full action but also for the message the writer wants to transmit.A new experiment is conducted by Rudy wells and Oscar Goldman (the first was the creation of a bionic man)with two scientists:David Tate and Nicole Simmons. They develop a cell regeneration serum that eliminates the problems encountered when a subject is resuscitated from cryogenic suspension.However the space capsule where they are conducting their experiment crashes and Dave is accidentally injected with an overdose of the serum which causes him to experience an incredible surge of power and violent seizures.I think this is the second time where a government department with no intentions because of an accident creates "superhumans"(episode "burning bright" from the first season, without considering Steve Austin that was a especial project). I couldn't see this episode the first time because I was too young but what I remember is just a segment(TV clip)and I got really impressed and scared seeing a capsule and someone shouting without seeing him hitting and opening the capsule hatch with super strength listening to and odd melody. Later on in the last eighties and early nineties I could appreciate it wholly.Even now,even though It is old I can not get tired of watching it in 2007.Full action in the whole episode and of course the final battle between Steve Austin and David Tate is something delightful.Steve doesn't want to harm Dave but hes willing to kill him so Steve has to defend himself.A real match: Steve"s bionics and a man affected with an overdose of a serum that increases his mental and physical skills 100% giving him super strength and other abilities but feeling insane.The music is good and we hear the bionics sound effect a few times during the battle(almost not used during the first and second season).The bionic sound also matches Dave"s super strength.At the end a good dialog is held between Oscar and Steve.Is Oscar Goldman and his department guilty of killing a man in the name of the human progress?-I think we can save and answer this question even today with people who sacrifice themselves to get something for our prosperity.That is the reason to be pioneers.
The Six Million Dollar Man: Day of the Robot (1974)
One of the best episodes
Great and outstanding fourth episode of season 1.One of the best episodes of SMDM.I was too young to understand the plot the first time I saw it.What I remember was that I got so scared when seeing the faceless robot.So odd to behold microchips,wires.When being an early teen I got the plot so well(late 80s).Until now after more than 30 years I enjoy it no matter how many times I see it.The plot itself and of course its music and the sound effects especially the robots(kill mode) ,going into the odd and mysterious melody the first times the human like robot appears.Something unique and all that sets the differences with other episodes.The final battle is unique until reaching for death and because a bionic man matches a powerful robot.One of the most powerful opponents of Steve Austin.So close and good we have the out of control powerful man from "The pioneers",Oscars robot from "Return of robot maker",the other bionic man(Barney) from "The seven million dollar man"and the bionic woman,Big foot,the "fembots" and the probe when the show became family oriented.Excellent and adult episode. I repeat the question that I read before.Is Steve better than a robot?.Use your imagination and criteria to answer that question.