Based on the previews, I had high hopes that "Bionic Woman" would be a darker, more intense and more intelligent show than its predecessor.
After seeing an early pilot, however, I'm hedging my bets on whether this show will succeed.
The pilot certainly strove to be edgier and darker, mostly due to lighting and set design, but the flat writing served only to push the story forward without giving much personality to any of the characters.
Michelle Ryan does play a convincing young American in the title role, and Mae Whitman as Ryan's younger, dependent deaf sister obviously foreshadows domestic troubles ahead, although I believe Whitman will be replaced by Lucy Hale and the character's deafness dropped for the actual televised pilot. If so, then that will be a mistake, as Whitman plays a very interesting character and Hale seems blandly pretty by comparison. Chris Bowers as Ryan's love interest and the genius behind the bionics is just another shaggy-haired, scruffy-bearded pretty boy, without any depth or interest.
Miguel Ferrer, Will Yun Lee and Molly Price all bring their considerable talent to supporting roles playing characters involved with the bionics project. It's either a very good or very bad sign when the supporting cast prove far more interesting than the supposed leads.
Also compelling are the shady characters mysteriously related to the bionics project, including the first bionic woman, played by Katee Sackhoff, and the people she works for/with, played by Thomas Kretschmann and Mark Sheppard.
Despite the only marginally interesting main characters and uneven special effects, the pilot offered enough secondary talent, mystery and potential to merit watching future episodes.
I give this show a 60% chance of surviving beyond a first season, and only a 50% chance if they make the anticipated changes to Ryan's sister.
After seeing an early pilot, however, I'm hedging my bets on whether this show will succeed.
The pilot certainly strove to be edgier and darker, mostly due to lighting and set design, but the flat writing served only to push the story forward without giving much personality to any of the characters.
Michelle Ryan does play a convincing young American in the title role, and Mae Whitman as Ryan's younger, dependent deaf sister obviously foreshadows domestic troubles ahead, although I believe Whitman will be replaced by Lucy Hale and the character's deafness dropped for the actual televised pilot. If so, then that will be a mistake, as Whitman plays a very interesting character and Hale seems blandly pretty by comparison. Chris Bowers as Ryan's love interest and the genius behind the bionics is just another shaggy-haired, scruffy-bearded pretty boy, without any depth or interest.
Miguel Ferrer, Will Yun Lee and Molly Price all bring their considerable talent to supporting roles playing characters involved with the bionics project. It's either a very good or very bad sign when the supporting cast prove far more interesting than the supposed leads.
Also compelling are the shady characters mysteriously related to the bionics project, including the first bionic woman, played by Katee Sackhoff, and the people she works for/with, played by Thomas Kretschmann and Mark Sheppard.
Despite the only marginally interesting main characters and uneven special effects, the pilot offered enough secondary talent, mystery and potential to merit watching future episodes.
I give this show a 60% chance of surviving beyond a first season, and only a 50% chance if they make the anticipated changes to Ryan's sister.