Random Waves of Insight

First off, overall I enjoy the show. It's growing on me. And as far as I can tell, they're moving away from most of the things I don't like. But those elements could linger...

The show's called, "Bionic Woman." So why try to make her masculine? Sure, she and her blonde bionic enemy have wide shoulders and defined chins. No big deal. But occasionally in prior episodes, our hero was caught calling men the curse word equivalent of "female dog." That is a feminine insult. A man should be called the curse equivalent of "he whose mother was not married when she gave birth." Know what I mean?

It's like her character has been instructed that because she's smart and is now part machine, she must prove she is better than a man by insisting on how much more masculine she is. That's no way to win! In order for a female to triumph over a male, she must do so as a female. Otherwise, she's just proving that whoever is the most masculine wins by default.

Another thing I don't like about the way the character has been acting is the lame bravado she communicates. It's like, "Hey, I don't have any operative experience, and I keep making mistakes, but you better treat me like I'm better than you with all your experience because I'm smart, I'm determined, I'm part machine, and I'm full of myself." It just feels wrong. It's like that whole thing where someone "thinks they're all that, but they're not all that." She may be great, but I think she could be even greater if she didn't put out the conceited vibe.

Her over-inflated ego was especially emphasized last week when she allowed herself to believe that emotional involvement was more of a priority than safety and physical well-being. She went on an operation with a male agent, and there was obviously an attraction. Then, while doing some recon from rooftop, he urged her to maintain an even strain, saying that any hint of romance could get them both killed. That was perfect advice. But you could just see it in her face how she was exasperated that he was questioning her behavior. She apparently feels that no matter how wrong she is, she's still right. It's just weird.

A true professional (even a good rookie) would know when advice needs to be taken, and would calmly, tactfully swallow their pride and suppress their romantic feelings until a more opportune moment. I can imagine someone in her position coming across as classy in that way, and therefore far more likable than the current version of the "Bionic Woman."

But there's still time to rework the character. Maybe this is part of the show's development, and the newly-enhanced cyborg is supposed to get cocky to the point where someone dies and she has to reevaluate her way of thinking. Or maybe she's just already on the path to insanity, like her blonde costar.

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