… Bionic was and is just a fun, mechanical twist on Supergirl. Loading it down with pain, regret, conspiracies and Freudian father issues may produce a more serious show, but it doesn't produce a better one. … Oh, and there's the hour's one bright spot — Katee Sackhoff, another Battlestar transfer, as a bionic woman gone bad. Alas, while it's fine to have a villain who is more colorful than your hero, it's not so fine to have a supporting actor who makes your star vanish whenever they're on screen together. It makes you think that what this remake of a spinoff really needs is a spinoff of its own.The New York Times says:
… more about fembot martial arts and slick “Matrix”-ish special effects than about character development …The Los Angeles Times says:
… great new noir remake … it's not your mother's "Bionic Woman." It's much, much better. …The Chicago Tribune says:
… Rating: Blah, with a few exceptions. There are moments when "Bionic Woman," the disappointingly average remake of the Lindsay Wagner vehicle from the '70s, comes to life. They're when Katee Sackhoff (who plays Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on "Battlestar Galactica") is on the screen. The catch: Sackhoff isn't the show's star character.The Washington Post says:
… There are plenty of "Terminator" and "Blade Runner" touches spiffing up the new version, but the central appeal of a miraculous, gorgeous, gadget-assisted heroine remains strong -- and it's unlikely that people longing for the old version when they tune in will still feel that longing after a half-hour's exposure to the new one. … …The San Francisco Chronicle says:
… as glossy and enticing as "Bionic Woman" may seem, there's big trouble in the pilot. … The trouble lies in the casting and the concept. Ryan seems too inert, not nearly aggressive enough for the role. This becomes clear when she faces off with "Battlestar Galactica" star Katee Sackhoff, who plays the first rebuilt Bionic Woman - gone bad. Not only is Sackhoff infinitely more likable as an antiheroine, she pops off the screen while Ryan doesn't. They got the wrong bionic woman. Either that or they need to let the bad bionic woman get a whole lot more screen time. When the two do battle in the pilot, you can't help but think, "Why am I rooting for the bad girl?"The Seattle Post-Intelligencer says:
… Wagner stood tall and exuded confidence in the role, unlike her sequel Michelle Ryan, who looks as if a stronger-than-average gust of wind could send her flying down the street. … You stop believing in Ryan's Sommers whenever Sackhoff's Corvus is around, and start hoping that the scientists who created her come to the conclusion that, you know, maybe that first project wasn't so bad after all. …The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
… This "Bionic Woman" pilot is a downbeat drag, but buried somewhere beneath all the moping is an intriguing show that might yet emerge. … Sackhoff's evil character, by virtue of being more mysterious and due to her superior performance, is more intriguing than Jaime Sommers. …The Milwuakee Journal-Sentinel says:
… someone forgot to give Jaime - and "Bionic Woman" - a heart, which makes this slick, swiftly moving series strangely lifeless. …The Mimai Herald says:
… The Battlestar Galactica connection is no coincidence. Both shows are produced by David Eick, and both are intelligent and entertaining reimaginations of stupefyingly bad pieces of 1970s sci-fi hackwork. …The Boston Herald says:
We can rebuild her. We have the technology. Remind me again, why should we bother? … As the refurbished Jaime Sommers, British star Michelle Ryan (“EastEnders”) is as dull as a rusty wrench. … Sackhoff’s delivery of this twisted metal killer is delicious. She shows Ryan to be the Inferior Woman. …Variety says:
… A little messy in its conception, the series still exhibits considerable potential -- the kind that inspires checking out a second episode …The Hollywood Reporter says:
… the opener delivers the goods as a promising, if at times hackneyed, piece of foreboding drama. …9 p.m. Wednesday. NBC.