The Six Million Dollar Blog - The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman
| Starring: |
Lee Majors as Steve Austin |
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Richard Anderson as Oscar Goldman |
| Guest Starring: |
Gary Collins as Colonel Vasily Zuchov |
| |
Jane Merrow as Irina Leonova |
| |
William Smithers as General Koslenko |
| |
Bruce Glover as Captain Voda |
| |
William Boyett as Air Force General |
| |
Walker Edmiston as Russian Operator |
| |
Anne Newman as Female Technician |
| |
Rico Cattani as Male Technician |
| |
|
| Teleplay by: |
Larry Brody |
| Story by: |
Larry Brody & Jimmy Sangster |
| Produced by: |
Sam Strangis & Donald Boyle |
| Directed by: |
Jerry Jameson |
Plot in a Nutshell: Steve must find his friend's fiance and stop a nuclear weapon from exploding in an underground Soviet base that has been crippled by an earthquake.
Story Summary: Steve's Russian friend, Vasily Zuchov, wants to save a Russian nuclear reactor by making it a joint Russian/US venture that will facilitate the creation of a nuclear powered space-craft for a trip to Mars. As Vasily is making his pitch to the Americans, an earthquake at the reactor site on Kamkov Island causes considerable damage.
Steve and Vasily leave for Kamkov. Upon arriving, Vasily learns his fiance Irina has been buried by the earthquake deep in the undergroud facility. The base commander, Col. Koslenko, refuses to send a rescue crew, citing considerable danger of aftershocks.
"I'm not evil, I'm just worried about you."
Moments later, Vasily almost buys it when an aftershock sends a steel beam flying toward him. Steve knocks the girder away with his bionic arm.
"Hopefully someone can stop that girder from falling on me at the last second."
Vasily, shocked and impressed by Steve's bionic power, convinces Steve to help him go underground and save Irina.
They grab some basic equipment and make their way below to the first level. After arriving, Vasily is using a phone on the wall to call the commander when another aftershock hits. The phone line is cut and Vasily is injured by falling debris, requiring a splint for his leg.
"Why is everything falling on ME today?"
Steve and Vasily walk/hobble through corridors and down steps until they come to a damaged control room. As they rest, Vasily loses his cool and becomes discouraged. Steve rallys him with a small speech and they head out again.
Time for a little pep talk.
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They run/hobble through some more corridors and down shafts.
Then they find Irina. She's been unconscious since the original earthquake but comes awake with some coaxing and a bit of oxygen. She spys a red warning light on the wall (much like the one in the picture above), and informs them that they must reach the central computer before it sets off a nuclear warhead that was placed in the base as a failsafe if the island were ever taken by the enemy.
"Nuclear weapons are not toys, Vasily, you shouldn't play with them."
They set out to stop the computer. They run/hobble through corridors and down shafts.
Soviet bases are like giant underground hamster cages apparently.
Meanwhile, Oscar arrives at Kamkov island to find Steve.
And to show off his spiffy new hat.
Col. Koslenko wants to evacuate the base, but Oscar wants to stay, and he convinces Koslenko to stay as well, should Steve and Vasily need anything. Everyone else evacuates.
Meanwhile, Steve and the gang run/hobble through corridors and down shafts.
"This traveling through underground Russian bases just never gets old, does it?"
Also meanwhile, the doomsday counting continues on a readout that reminds me of the super-cool digital watch I had as a kid.
Yes, I owned one of these watches. And yes, it was super-cool.
They make it to just outside the computer room with mere minutes before the bomb is to explode, but Irina wants to take a break and sit down. Vasily decides to scout ahead and is killed by some red lasers.
Irina is inconsolable. But Steve has one more pep talk in him and they move on to the computer room.
"Come on, Irina. Let's get in there and win one for the Gipper."
They try various ways to stop the computer, but they run out of time. Steve finally just says screw it and uses the geiger counter in his arm to grab the computer by its metaphorical balls and squeeze them into submission.
Steve and Irina stop the computer and everyone lives for another day (except Vasily).
The End.
How Did You Do That Quote:
Vasily: "That girder, how did you do that?"
Koslenko: "Our computer was designed to defend against an army of men, and yet you broke through it. If you could tell me...how?"
Irina: "I hate to admit this in front of two Americans, General, but when we designed the defenses to stop an army, we did not take into account the power that just one resourceful man has."
Move your mouse over Steve to see his answer.
Overall Grade: 
Final Thoughts: One of the episodes I remember watching in '74. This episode gets 3 stars for the plot and characterization, and an extra star for introducing Irina, who returns in the future two-part classic "Death Probe."
Listen to the Cyborgs: A Bionic Podcast for this episode at chronicrift.com
This episode's Bionic Wiki Page
This episode's IMDB Page
