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Michael Marchetti
MichaelMarchetti
Played by Richard Lenz
Occupation OSI physician
Appearances
SMDM The Return of the Bionic Woman
The Return of the Bionic Woman (Part II)
BW Welcome Home, Jaime
The Vega Influence

Dr. Michael Marchetti is a young assistant of Dr. Rudy Wells, and present when Jaime Sommers dies on Dr. Wells' operating table. However, Marchetti does not give up when Jaime's body rejects her Bionic replacements. Using revolutionary new cryogenic techniques, which he had been developing, Marchetti saves Jaime's life.

Accompanied by his medical colleague, Dr. Wells at the Bionic facility in Colorado Springs, they perform additional surgery to restore Jaime's memory -- which is causing her great pain whenever she thinks about Steve Austin. The medical procedure is a success.

Following the cryogenic operation, Marchetti is key to Jaime's recovery. She quickly finds herself reliant upon him, and even starts to develop romantic feelings towards him. Although he partially dismisses her romantic ambitions as a classic psychological syndrome that occurs in some patients, he also pointedly fails to discourage her. He thus has a somewhat complicated relationship with Steve, in which the two are amiable rivals for her affection. His relationship with Jaime fades soon after her recovery, for reasons not explored (The Return of the Bionic Woman).

Marchetti does not become a regular character in the subsequent spin-off series, making only two appearances: in the first episode, "Welcome Home, Jaime" (for years thought to be an episode of The Six Million Dollar Man until research for the Time-Life DVD release of the series confirmed it aired as a Bionic Woman episode), and the later Season 2 episode "The Vega Influence".

Deconstructed[]

  • Marchetti's relationship with Jaime would presumably have gotten his medical license stripped from him, had the matter been taken up with the medical licensure authorities, as this could construe an abuse of the doctor-patient relationship. This principle is a natural extension of the ancient Hippocratic oath guiding the ethical behaviors of medical practitioners, not something novel in the 20th century. The complete failure of anyone — Steve, Oscar, Rudy or himself — to even consider his actions inappropriate is somewhat baffling to viewers. One could imagine that, because he told Steve that he was genuinely attracted to her, he might have believed that he wasn't taking advantage of her. Indeed, the pact between he and Steve to let Jaime choose for herself may have allowed him to consider the relationship one between equals. Alternatively, it is possible to believe that he allowed himself the indulgence because he knew that a case against him would never make it to a review board, given the top secret nature of the bionics program.
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