The Price of Liberty
From The Bionic Wiki
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| Production 43018 Original Airdate: September 28, 1975 | |||
 Working against time | |||
| Produced by Kenneth Johnson | |||
| Teleplay by Kenneth Johnson | |||
| Story by Justin Edgerton & Kenneth Johnson | |||
| Directed by Richard Moder | |||
| Guest Cast | |||
| Guest Star(s) Chuck Connors as Nils Lindstrom | |||
| and Sandy Ward as Doug Witherspoon | |||
| Co-starring Henry Beckman as Robert Meyer | |||
| With Scott B. Wells as Man Bill Quinn as Tom George Jordan as Bill Joe Brooks as Doorman | |||
| Broadcast Order | |||
| Season 3 | |||
| ← Previous | Next → | ||
| "The Return of the Bionic Woman (Part II)" | "The Song and Dance Spy" | ||
| Related episodes | |||
| - | |||
Contents |
[edit] Summary
Scientist and explosives-expert Robert Meyer has been jobless since a cutback in the space program and feels the country has let him down. His scheme is to ransom the Liberty Bell for five million dollars and safe passage out of the United States. Steve locates the Bell, which has been wired with a highly sophisticated explosive device, requiring an expert to defuse it. In a race against time, Steve and Oscar are compelled to call upon the expertise of an explosives specialist, Nils Lindstrom, who is serving time in prison.
[edit] Deconstructed
[edit] Quotes
Doorman: Morning, Colonel Austin.
Steve: Mornin'
Doorman: You're up awfully early for Sunday.
Steve: Well, I got a speech to write this morning. The way I write 'em, I gotta get an early start, you know?
Meyer: The American dream was like a beautiful balloon, Mr. Austin, but balloons have a way of bursting in your face and then there's nothing left but air.
Steve: Lingstrom? (Lingstrom is shaving, doesn't answer) I need your help.
Lingstrom: That a fact?
Steve: Robert Meyer created a timebomb that's gonna destroy the Liberty Bell in less than five hours.
Lingstrom: I heard. Ain't that a shame?
Steve Austin: You're the one man that might be able to defuse that bomb.
Lingstrom: (chuckles) And I ain't interested.
Steve: Look, Lingstrom, there's a job to be done. If you wanna tackle it, fine. If you don't, I'll put you right back in the can.
Lingstrom: All right... (pants) But under one condition: if I'm gonna get myself blown up, you are gonna be in there with me.
Steve: (unflinching) Where else do you think I'd be?
Lingstrom: (to Steve) If you don't make it, they'll be picking us up with a sponge.
Lingstrom: You know, maybe Meyer had the right idea putting America over a barrell. This country's given some people a raw deal.
Steve: Well, some people have given this country a raw deal. Nothing's perfect, Nils, this country's basically what we make it, nothing better, nothing worse.
Doug: Swedish, huh? You know, the first time this bell was cracked in 1752, it was recast in Philadelphia by a man named Sven Bergman. He just arrived from Stockholm.
Lingstrom: Now look, I'm not interested in your nickel and dime philosophy or history lessons. Man, you must bore that kid o' yours stiff.
Doug: Yeah, that I did... but not anymore, I lost him in Korea.
Lingstrom: I don't understand you. With your strenght and speed, you could have just beat it out of here, saved your own tail.
Steve: I wouldn't expect you to understand.
[edit] Trivia
[edit] Gaffes
[edit] Credibility
- Steve offers Lindstrom a "full Congressional pardon". However, Steve, as an employee of the Executive Branch, does not have the authority to speak for the legislature. Additionally, he completely misrepresents the United States Constitution. Article 2, Clause 1 of the US Constitution reserves the power of pardon exclusively to the President of the United States.
- For whatever reason, the fake Liberty Bell used in this episode certainly does not look like the real Liberty Bell!
- The villains who steal the Liberty Bell drive their getaway truck on a very long dirt driveway supposedly behind Independence Hall. No such driveway is or has ever been behind, in front of, or anywhere near Independence Hall. Independence Square, which contains Independence Hall and several other historic buildings, is the size of a typical Philadelphia city block, and is surrounded in all directions by numerous tall and bulky buildings. Today, the Liberty Bell is located in a separate building across the street (Chestnut Street) from Independence Hall.
- Oscar radios to law enforcement agencies that Steve has informed him that the stolen Liberty Bell is being transported in a truck "somewhere within an area twenty-five miles southeast of Philadelphia." Such a location would be in Southern New Jersey, across the Delaware River. "Southwest of Philadelphia" would have been more likely.
- There are no wooded, mountainous or hilly areas as those seen (after the Liberty Bell is stolen) anywhere near Philadelphia, or even anywhere in Southeastern Pennsylvania; or Southern New Jersey, for that matter. The terrain is entirely Californian.
- Sandy Ward, the Philadelphia bomb squad fellow, states that a "man named Sven Bergman, who had just arrived from Stockholm" recast the Liberty Bell after it cracked the very first time in 1752. It was actually two Philadelphia artisans named John Pass and John Stow who recast the bell, and this occurred in 1753.
- When the bomb explodes in the air above the truck, it's trailing a cord (maybe to detonate it). That cord is not seen inside the truck when Steve throws the bomb outside the truck.
[edit] Conjecture
It is ironic that in an episode about fundamental American values, the writers would have made such a basic Constitutional error in having Steve offer a "Congressional Pardon". That said, there have been moves in the 110th Congress (2007-2009) to create an effective "congressional pardon". The theory, as yet untested by the Supreme Court, would hold that Congess can deny funding to jail a particular prisoner, thereby giving him a de facto pardon. Even if such pardons do occur, however, they would not be "full" pardons in that they wouldn't restore voting rights, erase felony convictions, or otherwise set aside the civil penalties of a guilty verdict. Moreover, such a concept was in no way considered at the time of the filming of this episode.
[edit] Gallery
 Episode collage |
 Steve chases the Liberty Bell's thieves |
 Steve approaches the Bell's location |
 Robert Meyer |
 Steve is told of the bomb |
 Meyer's moment with the money |
 a dire turn of events |
 Nils Lindstrom |
 A difficult beginning |
 The Bomb |
 Oscar waits |
 Lee and Chuck and the Bell |
