Really superb episode from the first season of The Six Million Dollar Man. Before Bigfoot and the Bionic Tennis Shorts became fads the series was an action adventure midseason replacement for grownups. My dad thought it was cool and let me watch. Steve Austin was originally a human outfitted with mechanical parts, not a comic book superhero with a disco mustache. Still wore the lounge suits but there was some serious television going on, and while my heart will always be with "Day of the Robot" this is likely the most serious of them all.
The subplot involving Steve getting to the bottom of the mystery surrounding his father's disappearance is a masterful way to both humanize the Bionic Man and build upon the character that Lee Majors had slowly been developing. Climbing a mountain to find a crashed spy plane are just the action/adventure trappings, around which are some decent performances. The cast helps drive the story forward, with "Star Trek" alumni and a convincing appearance by George Montgomery as the deserter co-pilot who has to break it to Steve that his father wasn't a coward after all.
Interestingly, Steve then apparently climbs back up the mountain to retrieve his father's remains for burial back at Arlington. When? Did he report back to Oscar first or go back up alone solo? Or did someone have the good sense to formally intervene for a diplomatic truce and land a Chinook up there with a qualified forensics team. While uniformly enjoyable, most of the first season stories don't leave one wondering what happened between scene wipes. This one has a complexity that is greater than what the series usually expected of itself.
Also done without much fuss or bother. The episode is straightforward, such to the point that there isn't much humor or joking around. No sly one liners, but Montgomery's line about Steve having just buried his father sticks with you. Dodgy stock shots of parachutists and mountain climbing scenes with the ground visible below aside, there isn't a spare scene or unnecessary moment and it's all storytelling. No tricks or gimmicks. The bionics work is part of the story and none of it is sensationalized. Compared to the mayhem with Bigfoot or the Death Probe it is almost a totally different show.
If only the series had been able to maintain such an edge, though sadly seven year olds like myself were enthralled and our parents put off by the body count. ABC found out and by the end of the 2nd season it was a family show. By the end of season 3 he was jumping up into trees to save cats, and then came the mustache. Still never missed an episode.
The subplot involving Steve getting to the bottom of the mystery surrounding his father's disappearance is a masterful way to both humanize the Bionic Man and build upon the character that Lee Majors had slowly been developing. Climbing a mountain to find a crashed spy plane are just the action/adventure trappings, around which are some decent performances. The cast helps drive the story forward, with "Star Trek" alumni and a convincing appearance by George Montgomery as the deserter co-pilot who has to break it to Steve that his father wasn't a coward after all.
Interestingly, Steve then apparently climbs back up the mountain to retrieve his father's remains for burial back at Arlington. When? Did he report back to Oscar first or go back up alone solo? Or did someone have the good sense to formally intervene for a diplomatic truce and land a Chinook up there with a qualified forensics team. While uniformly enjoyable, most of the first season stories don't leave one wondering what happened between scene wipes. This one has a complexity that is greater than what the series usually expected of itself.
Also done without much fuss or bother. The episode is straightforward, such to the point that there isn't much humor or joking around. No sly one liners, but Montgomery's line about Steve having just buried his father sticks with you. Dodgy stock shots of parachutists and mountain climbing scenes with the ground visible below aside, there isn't a spare scene or unnecessary moment and it's all storytelling. No tricks or gimmicks. The bionics work is part of the story and none of it is sensationalized. Compared to the mayhem with Bigfoot or the Death Probe it is almost a totally different show.
If only the series had been able to maintain such an edge, though sadly seven year olds like myself were enthralled and our parents put off by the body count. ABC found out and by the end of the 2nd season it was a family show. By the end of season 3 he was jumping up into trees to save cats, and then came the mustache. Still never missed an episode.