by Matt Webb Mitovich
Can Jaime Sommers be made even stronger, better and faster? After an explosive start, NBC's Bionic Woman (Wednesdays at 9 pm/ET) in recent weeks has slowed down a bit. Cue a major tune-up at the hands of Friday Night Lights whiz Jason Katims and new show-runner Jason Cahill (The Sopranos). Miguel Ferrer gave us a fresh look under the Bionic show's hood.
TVGuide.com: So, not much time off between TV gigs for you, eh?
Miguel Ferrer: No, there wasn't much of a break [since Crossing Jordan], that's true! That's how I wanted it. I wanted to stay on TV because I've got kids who are school-aged, so I get to see them most days as opposed to going away for movies months and months at a time.
TVGuide.com: You've played a lot of authority figures in both film and TV. Do you see Bionic Woman as a continuation of those types of roles, or is this in some way different?
Ferrer: Oh, it's a little different, I think. It's vastly different from what I did for six years on Crossing Jordan. He's not as troubled and tortured and unhappy and all that stuff.
TVGuide.com: Already we have seen some evolution in Jonas. He started off as such a hard-ass with Jaime, and now he's more like a father-figure type.
Ferrer: Yeah, yeah — and he's catching himself surprised by that. He's got more humor, and you'll see more humanity, but at the end of the day, the guy is a pragmatist who is forced to make difficult decisions for what he believes are the right reasons.
TVGuide.com: Are we going to get any more backstory on him?
Ferrer: His wife died and he's got a daughter who no one has seen yet but has been alluded to. They have a difficult relationship. I learn more every episode.
TVGuide.com: The teaser for this week's episode says, "Becca ends up in jail, and Jonas must bail her out." What's going on there?
Ferrer: [Laughs] Jaime goes away to do a mission in Paris, and before she leaves, she gives Becca Jonas' phone number, saying, "If there's an emergency, call this guy." Becca winds up in a ton of trouble and calls Jonas, and they have a very....
TVGuide.com: Is Becca like, "Who are you?!"
Ferrer: Yeah. "Who are you? Is my sister really selling timeshare condos?" [Laughs] It's a couple of nice scenes with the most unlikely pair on the whole show. It was a lot of fun.
TVGuide.com: Are things starting to "settle down" now with Jason Cahill coming on?
Ferrer: Jason hasn't started yet, but he's about to. They're in the middle of the changing of the guard from Katims to Cahill. This is our third Jason! [Laughs] But seriously, even before that, it really is starting to normalize finally. The scripts are finding a voice and finding a tone. This kind of show, in the beginning it's just so big and expensive there are going to be growing pains, a learning curve. We're coming to the tail end of that.
TVGuide.com: Have you started shooting, or have you seen the script for the two-part episode that will serve to "relaunch" the show in January?
Ferrer: I have not seen a script. We started shooting the episode before that one [on Nov. 1]. We're still a good week and a half off from that.
TVGuide.com: Are there still secrets we have yet to learn about the Berkut Group?
Ferrer: I think so.... I can't tell you what they are, though!
TVGuide.com: Do you think Jaime is fully committed at this point, or is there still a part of her that wants her old life back?
Ferrer: It seems like she is onboard with reservations at this point.
TVGuide.com: Everybody wants to be a hero.
Ferrer: Yeah. She likes that idea. But it's not like, "Hey, I'm bionic! This is bitchin'!" It's not quite there yet, not that I think it should ever be there.
TVGuide.com: Do you think it unfair to Michelle Ryan that fans keep comparing her to Katee Sackhoff? Obviously, Sarah Corvus is supposed to be splashier....
Ferrer: Sarah Corvus gets all the sweet lines! That's why I've enjoyed my long career of playing many bad guys.
TVGuide.com: If you're quotable, you're memorable.
Ferrer: Absolutely. That's what they're there to do — stir things up. They don't sit there and wait for things to happen.
TVGuide.com: Do you think that as Jaime gets more comfortable in her own skin, the character might gain some attitude?
Ferrer: Probably. That's definitely already happened to an extent, especially when she and Isaiah Washington's character faced off. There were some pithy exchanges there. But in terms of it being unfair that Katee is getting some nice attention, who said that any of this s--t was fair? [Chuckles] That's just how it is.
TVGuide.com: Any interest yet from Lindsay Wagner in swinging by for a cameo?
Ferrer: I haven't heard a word.
TVGuide.com: I think there was an interview with her a few weeks ago where she wasn't liking the show. She had some self-righteous take on it.
Ferrer: Oh, god, I love that. A couple of months ago I was in L.A. and Richard Anderson, the guy who played Oscar [Goldman on the original Bionic Woman], was driving by. His license plate still says "BIONIC." [Laughs] All I can tell you is if in 30 years my license plate says BIONIC, you have complete permission to cut my throat.
TVGuide.com: Obviously there are a lot of sci-fi shows out there, a lot of characters full of crazy powers.... What do you think it will take for Bionic Woman to have legs and survive and fulfil its promise?
Ferrer: First and foremost, it's got to be on the page. It starts with the writing. It's got to be drama that can be taken seriously, with elements of sci-fi and action. But if it's cheesy on the page, we don't have a chance. There's a lot of talent, and Jason Cahill comes with an extraordinary pedigree. I'm hoping for really good things.
TVGuide.com: Any thoughts on who should play Aquaman in the Justice League of America live-action film? [Ferrer voiced the superhero on the animated Superman series.]
Ferrer: [Laughs] I hadn't really thought about it.... Greg Louganis comes to mind, but he's probably not available.
TVGuide.com: Not your strapping self, though?
Ferrer: I don't think so!
— With additional reporting by Kara Howland, Megan Cherkezian and Michael Ausiello
Copyright 2007 TV Guide.com. All rights reserved.
Can Jaime Sommers be made even stronger, better and faster? After an explosive start, NBC's Bionic Woman (Wednesdays at 9 pm/ET) in recent weeks has slowed down a bit. Cue a major tune-up at the hands of Friday Night Lights whiz Jason Katims and new show-runner Jason Cahill (The Sopranos). Miguel Ferrer gave us a fresh look under the Bionic show's hood.
TVGuide.com: So, not much time off between TV gigs for you, eh?
Miguel Ferrer: No, there wasn't much of a break [since Crossing Jordan], that's true! That's how I wanted it. I wanted to stay on TV because I've got kids who are school-aged, so I get to see them most days as opposed to going away for movies months and months at a time.
TVGuide.com: You've played a lot of authority figures in both film and TV. Do you see Bionic Woman as a continuation of those types of roles, or is this in some way different?
Ferrer: Oh, it's a little different, I think. It's vastly different from what I did for six years on Crossing Jordan. He's not as troubled and tortured and unhappy and all that stuff.
TVGuide.com: Already we have seen some evolution in Jonas. He started off as such a hard-ass with Jaime, and now he's more like a father-figure type.
Ferrer: Yeah, yeah — and he's catching himself surprised by that. He's got more humor, and you'll see more humanity, but at the end of the day, the guy is a pragmatist who is forced to make difficult decisions for what he believes are the right reasons.
TVGuide.com: Are we going to get any more backstory on him?
Ferrer: His wife died and he's got a daughter who no one has seen yet but has been alluded to. They have a difficult relationship. I learn more every episode.
TVGuide.com: The teaser for this week's episode says, "Becca ends up in jail, and Jonas must bail her out." What's going on there?
Ferrer: [Laughs] Jaime goes away to do a mission in Paris, and before she leaves, she gives Becca Jonas' phone number, saying, "If there's an emergency, call this guy." Becca winds up in a ton of trouble and calls Jonas, and they have a very....
TVGuide.com: Is Becca like, "Who are you?!"
Ferrer: Yeah. "Who are you? Is my sister really selling timeshare condos?" [Laughs] It's a couple of nice scenes with the most unlikely pair on the whole show. It was a lot of fun.
TVGuide.com: Are things starting to "settle down" now with Jason Cahill coming on?
Ferrer: Jason hasn't started yet, but he's about to. They're in the middle of the changing of the guard from Katims to Cahill. This is our third Jason! [Laughs] But seriously, even before that, it really is starting to normalize finally. The scripts are finding a voice and finding a tone. This kind of show, in the beginning it's just so big and expensive there are going to be growing pains, a learning curve. We're coming to the tail end of that.
TVGuide.com: Have you started shooting, or have you seen the script for the two-part episode that will serve to "relaunch" the show in January?
Ferrer: I have not seen a script. We started shooting the episode before that one [on Nov. 1]. We're still a good week and a half off from that.
TVGuide.com: Are there still secrets we have yet to learn about the Berkut Group?
Ferrer: I think so.... I can't tell you what they are, though!
TVGuide.com: Do you think Jaime is fully committed at this point, or is there still a part of her that wants her old life back?
Ferrer: It seems like she is onboard with reservations at this point.
TVGuide.com: Everybody wants to be a hero.
Ferrer: Yeah. She likes that idea. But it's not like, "Hey, I'm bionic! This is bitchin'!" It's not quite there yet, not that I think it should ever be there.
TVGuide.com: Do you think it unfair to Michelle Ryan that fans keep comparing her to Katee Sackhoff? Obviously, Sarah Corvus is supposed to be splashier....
Ferrer: Sarah Corvus gets all the sweet lines! That's why I've enjoyed my long career of playing many bad guys.
TVGuide.com: If you're quotable, you're memorable.
Ferrer: Absolutely. That's what they're there to do — stir things up. They don't sit there and wait for things to happen.
TVGuide.com: Do you think that as Jaime gets more comfortable in her own skin, the character might gain some attitude?
Ferrer: Probably. That's definitely already happened to an extent, especially when she and Isaiah Washington's character faced off. There were some pithy exchanges there. But in terms of it being unfair that Katee is getting some nice attention, who said that any of this s--t was fair? [Chuckles] That's just how it is.
TVGuide.com: Any interest yet from Lindsay Wagner in swinging by for a cameo?
Ferrer: I haven't heard a word.
TVGuide.com: I think there was an interview with her a few weeks ago where she wasn't liking the show. She had some self-righteous take on it.
Ferrer: Oh, god, I love that. A couple of months ago I was in L.A. and Richard Anderson, the guy who played Oscar [Goldman on the original Bionic Woman], was driving by. His license plate still says "BIONIC." [Laughs] All I can tell you is if in 30 years my license plate says BIONIC, you have complete permission to cut my throat.
TVGuide.com: Obviously there are a lot of sci-fi shows out there, a lot of characters full of crazy powers.... What do you think it will take for Bionic Woman to have legs and survive and fulfil its promise?
Ferrer: First and foremost, it's got to be on the page. It starts with the writing. It's got to be drama that can be taken seriously, with elements of sci-fi and action. But if it's cheesy on the page, we don't have a chance. There's a lot of talent, and Jason Cahill comes with an extraordinary pedigree. I'm hoping for really good things.
TVGuide.com: Any thoughts on who should play Aquaman in the Justice League of America live-action film? [Ferrer voiced the superhero on the animated Superman series.]
Ferrer: [Laughs] I hadn't really thought about it.... Greg Louganis comes to mind, but he's probably not available.
TVGuide.com: Not your strapping self, though?
Ferrer: I don't think so!
— With additional reporting by Kara Howland, Megan Cherkezian and Michael Ausiello
Copyright 2007 TV Guide.com. All rights reserved.