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« Cheers & Jeers
Jeers: Isaiah Washington's Bionic Energy Crisis
Michelle Ryan and Isaiah Washington in Bionic Woman by Carol Segal/NBC Photo
Jeers to Isaiah Washington for his tragically lethargic performance on Bionic Woman. The former Grey's Anatomy lightning rod was clearly brought onto NBC's sci-fi remake to generate controversy — and ratings — but he sucks the life out of every scene. As Antonio Pope, the trainer/guru of Jaime Sommers (Michelle Ryan, who's no party herself), he's adopted a too-cool-for-school acting style, mumbling his lines and only coming to life when he's kicking somebody's ass. Washington needs to take a cue from his Bionic cast mate Katee Sackhoff and amp up his energy level several notches. He should be better, stronger... and less boring.
More Cheers & Jeers: Read and react to Bruce's opinions on Damages, Heroes, Housewives and Friday Night Lights, then share your own raves and rants about other shows on the new Reader Cheers & Jeers discussion board. Your comments could wind up in TV Guide magazine!
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Oct 18, 2007 4:11 AM
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I have to agree, they are both boring. I keep feeling like they should get rid of IW and should have made Katee the lead. She is the best part about the show!
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Oct 18, 2007 9:45 AM
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This show has huge problems, including Isaiah's part. I really want to like it but both the acting and the writing need major overhauls.
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Oct 18, 2007 10:03 AM
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I totally agree. Part of the problem is that his role feels so unnecessary. NBC claimed the part came up and they thought it was a good fit for him, but it really seems like they just forced in another character so they could get Isaiah on the show. Jamie's team already has enough people on it that I really don't think he adds anything. And he really is sleep walking through the role too.
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Oct 18, 2007 10:20 AM
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Couldn't agree with you more. The mumbling lines - I thought it was just me. He is absolutely a terrible actor (at least on this show)!
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Oct 18, 2007 10:22 AM
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It's not just you, nj!
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Oct 18, 2007 10:31 AM
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I'm enjoying this show, but really only the parts with Katee (she's awesome!), Molly Price, & Will Yun Lee. IW just flat out sucks. I'm even a llittle tired of Miguel Ferrer & he's usually one of my favorites.
Michelle Ryan is okay, but I find myself getting bored when she's on. Don't even get me started on that bratty little sister! Yuck!
I think the show should focus on Sarah Corvus & what went wrong...after Sarah kills off the characters dragging down this show that is!
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Oct 18, 2007 10:37 AM
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YAWN! How did I know when I saw this little tidbit on the TVGuide homepage that it would be 'Jeers' instead of 'Cheers'? I honestly am beginning to love how right I am about what a critics opinion will be, before I read it!
So this whole diatribe, that wasn't really specific, and in the end is all about some comments Isaiah said months ago, is a set up for who exactly is going to get the blame, when this sorry excuse for a series doesn't stay on the air any longer than 2 years, isn't it?
The problem with this show couldn't be the Monica Lewinsky lookalike, Michelle Ryan, who's sucking the air out of every scene and the series itself, could it?
It couldn't be that the fight scenes are poorly orchestrated and that because there is no 'bionic noise', Monica...oops, I mean Michelle Ryan's fight scenes look no different that Jennifer Garner's did on 'Alias', could it?
Or could it be what a poster said here about three weeks ago, was dead on the money. This very astute television watcher basically said that the networks don't seem to understand, that it is the shows that are different and unique, that become hits(Lost...Ugly Betty). Presenting the viewing audience with a show from the 70's, re-tweaking it poorly and casting it atrociously does not a hit make.
Blaming actors that you clearly have a bias against isnt going to make 'Bionic Woman' a hit either. And I don't care how many episodes NBC had ordered. The powers-to-be there have more than proven that they don't have the sense of a goat.
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Oct 18, 2007 10:49 AM
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Isaiah's underacting actually complements Katee's overacting quite nicely. I'll be glad when BOTH actors/characters are gone.
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Oct 18, 2007 11:38 AM
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I think the problem with IW has more to do with his character on the show than his actual acting skills. I don't believe the writers actually know what they want to do with the character. (For the life of me, I don't understand why if IW's character is supposed to be Jaime's supervisor, why does she get all of her orders directly from Jonas.)
I agree with somethingreal; IW was only added to the show for publicity.
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Oct 18, 2007 11:40 AM
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IW is the whipping boy again huh? no surprise there.
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Oct 18, 2007 11:46 AM
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You guys need to get a life. Nothing is ever good enough. First it was the show, Bionic Woman, didn't satisfy your expectations and now you must bash Isaiah Washington. I think he's good and I enjoy watching him.
Why not just let the show be and stop trying to punish him for that Grey's Anatomy crap.
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Oct 18, 2007 12:00 PM
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IW is the whipping boy again huh? no surprise there.
No surprise at all. Because he deserves it.
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Oct 18, 2007 12:16 PM
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Why are people trying to blame IW for this boreing show? Get real....the show was boreing before he came on. I think a lot of you people are prejudiced against him for what happened in the past and just want to bash him because it makes you feel better. IW is a very good actor but even he can't revive a dead horse.
The producers should have followed the original Bionic Woman with Lindsay Wagner because it was great and they should have given the part of Michelle Ryan to someone who could actually act.
because she's terrible.
I think the writer Bruce Fretts doesn't like IW so his writing is obviously very biased.....so his opinion is irrelevant.
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Oct 18, 2007 12:17 PM
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"Nothing is ever good enough?" You just need to scroll down in my blog to see that I've declared Damages, Dana Delany and Friday Night Lights all "good enough" (not to mention my Cheer-within-a-Jeer for Katee Sackhoff). And I doubt the other people who've agreed with me think "nothing is ever good enough." Actually, I liked IW's work on Grey's, but I don't think he's fitting in on Bionic. Disagree with me if you want, but come up with a better argument than "nothing is ever good enough"!
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Oct 18, 2007 12:17 PM
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