The Marsden Ranch held fond memories for Steve Austin, including those of fishing at the creek near the property before old man Marsden passed away.
Despite the warning that the place needed repairs, Steve purchased the property from John Ellerton so that he could put down some roots in his hometown of Ojai, California. He completed extensive repairs on the home in a leisurely week, thanks to his bionics. Steve's parents, Jim and Helen Elgin, also helped to hang the kitchen wallpaper.
The place was also the site of what was perhaps the most serious professional disagreement between Oscar Goldman and Steve, as well as the place Jaime Sommers first entered into OSI service. Shortly after Jaime's bionic replacement surgery, Oscar pressed Steve for Jaime's participation in a mission, in Steve's newly-renovated kitchen. Steve vehemently refused, saying she wasn't ready — in violation of the pact he had made with Oscar to allow for Jaime's expensive surgery. Jaime, who had been bionically listening from outside the house, then entered the room to accept the mission over Steve's objections. (The Bionic Woman (episode), The Bionic Woman (Part II))
Deconstructed[]
- Despite general similarity between Marsden Ranch and the one that serves as Jaime and The Elgins' residence in The Bionic Woman, they are not the same. Welcome Home, Jaime makes it clear that The Elgins, and not Steve, bought their ranch "three months ago".
- Steve's status as a property owner in Ojai is never remarked on directly again after "The Bionic Woman" two-parter. Judging by Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman, he didn't appear to use the ranch in his retirement, as was the original plan. This may owe to the fact that the property picked up a lot of emotional baggage for Steve after his initial engagement to Jaime failed.
Trivia[]
The Ranch is shown to be the residence of Carl and Helen Austin, in issue 11 of Dynamite's The Bionic Man comic. Carl survived WWII in this version of the story.