Critical Reaction
The original Jaime Sommers was considered a feminist icon, described by Time magazine as "the most appealing argument for feminism" in 1977, as well as a "latter day Wonder Woman," referring to the DC Comics superheroine. The Bionic Woman had been of an era where "The ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) movement was very much alive," according to the new series' producer, David Eick. "Bionic Woman was the first television show where the…female was not the wife of or the girlfriend of or the mother of the guy." Despite these accolades, others note the inherent contradiction among the feminist characters of the 70s, such as Jaime Sommers, Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman and the Charlie's Angels—that these women are objectified by men in order to relay a "lipgloss feminist" message.
The new incarnation has been criticized by television analysts as more of a gender-stereotypes portrayal than the original, citing that Sommers is no longer an independent careerwoman (tennis pro and teacher) but rather a college dropout and bartender, who despite being described as having a very high IQ is otherwise in no position to be the "ultimate women's lib heroine" the original had been. Lindsay Wagner, the original Bionic Woman, described the new series as "dark and broody and violent." Describing the new Jaime, Michelle Ryan comments that "She is a strong, feisty female character… She has a vulnerability to her. She's very warm and compassionate. I think she has high morals. She always questions things. She says, 'We're the good guys, and I don't think that's right." Ryan continues describing the character, adding "She's a real tomboy as well. She's real. I think she's very grounded, and she has a good heart, but she also has an edge to her as well."
Parallels are drawn between the new Jaime and her 90s female action hero predecessors, some commentators remarking on a likeness to Buffy Summers, protagonist of supernatural drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in the sense that she has been unwillingly given a superhuman burden. This also extends to the relationship between Jaime and her foil and antagonist, her tragic nemesis Sarah Corvus, which has been described by reviewers as sharing similarities with the Buffy/Faith dynamic in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Other commentators mention that the relationship between Jaime and the Bionics program director Jonas Bledsoe parallels that of Buffy and her mentor Giles, much as the Berkut Group serves similar functions within the storyline as the Watcher's Council does in Buffy: that of patriarchal oppressors.
Read more about this topic: Jaime Sommers (Bionic Woman)
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