Like a fish needs a bicycle

So, despite my better judgment, I’ve been sticking with “Bionic Woman.” Yes, Michelle Ryan is no Katee Sackhoff. Yes, the writing can on occasion make your ear-bleed. Yes, some of the storylines seem to come straight out of “Espionage for Dummies.” Yet, still, I stay. I stay because I like shows about strong women and I really like shows about strong women who kick ass.

But this week’s episode highlighted a lot of what is wrong with the series. First of all, there was no Sarah Corvus. Not even a glimpse. Heck, she is 99 percent of why I’m still watching, if not more. But even more distressing than Sarah’s absence was the episode’s over-arching premise. Namely, that a woman needs a man. Clearly, I have issues with this on nearly ever level.
Lest you think I’m exaggerating, let’s review the episode. It opened with Jamie and friends chatting in her living room. The subject comes to dating and our independent heroine says:

“I don’t need a man in my life right now…I don’t need a man to make me happy.”

To which her friends reply:

“That is really sad.”
“Pathetic.”
“Yeah, ditto.”

Wow, great message to send to women everywhere. Even if you’re a (super) strong woman, you’re pathetic if you don’t want a man in your life. And, oh, it gets worse. The plot (just as goofy as ever) has Jamie going undercover to college as a British exchange student (those sneaky writers, slipping in her real accent…but more on that later). There she meets a T.A. who turns out to be C.I.A. and they almost get horizontal. By the way, where do they find all these bland dullards to be Jamie’s love interest? First her negatively charismatic doctor boyfriend and now this slightly buffer version of Fred Savage?

So, what are we left with at the end of this episode that opened with Jamie’s supposedly empowering statement that she didn’t need a man to be happy? Her happily getting all kissy face with her new man. Ugh. Not that I’m against happiness or coupleness or kissiness. But, please, don’t insult us with your pseudo empowerment only to take us down the same old boy meets girl road. This is not why I tune into shows about strong women.
That said, the episode did have two very good things going for it. 1) Michelle’s English accent. To quote the geeky lab tech dude: “It’s literally the hottest thing ever!” Is it just me, or does she act better with the accent, too? and 2) The Ani DiFranco song “Recoil” playing at the end. Ani anywhere makes me smile. Ani with a Bionic Woman, well, that makes me really smile.