So Bionic Woman is a big hit, and I think I can guess why. Nostalgia? Maybe. The appealing actresses? OK, you got me there. The Battlestar Galactica crossover effect? Don't be a nerd.
No, I think the real success of the show is the introduction of the Katee Sackhoff character as the "original" and villainous bionic woman. I only saw one scene of the show during its premiere, the fight on the rooftop in the rain. It was awesome. Not only because Sarah Corvus makes for an excellent nemesis but because of the way she reflects the character of Jaime Sommers, mirrors her, pushes her, forces her to rethink what she's doing. She's not just the show's antagonist, but the impact character. Who better to provide Jaime with insight into and a cautionary tale of the world she's fallen into, than someone who has already lived it. Someone who is just like her.
This is not just a plot device but a way to get inside the main character, to see how she decides to behave based on her relationship with the Sarah Corvus character. How will it motivate her? How will it affect the decisions she makes? How will it change her? Will she embrace her in order to learn more about the show's big mysteries. Or reject her with a nasty, "you and I are nothing alike" (this was effectively done with the father-daughter relationship in early seasons of Alias, and later with the mother-daughter relationship).
I think this is the key to the show and its future success will depend on it. Hopefully Katee Sachoff won't be just an occasional guest star.
