"The Six Million Dollar Man" The Last of the Fourth of Julys (TV Episode 1974) Poster

(TV Series)

(1974)

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8/10
Steve as super-spy; a fun James Bond type episode
shakspryn15 March 2022
Our man Steve is very much in secret agent mode here, and the plot is similar to many spy movies. It's an enjoyable episode, and I think it shows one of the most appealing qualities of this series: it wasn't a cop or detective show, of which there were so very many in the 1970's.

This series is really different. Steve is basically a secret agent who happens to have some super powers due to his bionic enhancements.

Arlene Martel is a beautiful member of the cast, and she has a good part. Steve Forrest is also very good as the bad guy. And in a surprise bit of casting that I didn't realize until I read the credits, none other than Tom Hayden--yes, that Tom Hayden, former husband of Jane Fonda--plays a submarine crewman! I didn't recognize him, but then, I wasn't expecting him to pop up in this series!
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6/10
Hunting Quail
AaronCapenBanner21 May 2015
Steve Austin(Lee Majors) is given a most difficult assignment that requires extra training and preparation, as he must infiltrate a well protected and guarded island that is the hideout of a ruthless mercenary named Quail(played by Steve Forrest) who has a new laser weapon he plans to use to wipe out a summit meeting on behalf of enemy forces hoping to capitalize on the ensuing chaos. Steve does infiltrate the island but is still captured, but assistance comes in the unexpected form of Violette(played by Arlene Martel) whom he isn't sure he can trust, but really has no choice if he has any hope of success... OK escapist fare is a bit outlandish but still acceptable.
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8/10
The last of the fourth of Julys
coltras3529 August 2023
When a terrorist uses a laser to try to kill a group of prime ministers attending an international meeting in Paris, Steve is assigned to infiltrate his compound and stop him. But first he will have to be torpedoed to the island, high bolt an electric fence ... but the compound has strong security measures. He gets captured but can he escape to accomplish his mission?

Another action-packed mix of high concept sci-fi and Bondian elements ( Steve Forrest's villain even explains his plans before he intends to kill Austin and the secret agent) which is quite enjoyable, suspenseful and is quite grounded in a sense that Austin's power don't make him superhuman: after all, he has to do some gruelling training where he's told off by his trainer. The underwater sequence of Austin pushing the torpedo is well done.
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6/10
Austin. Steve Austin
Fluke_Skywalker4 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Plot; A politician with vague motives hires a hi-tech mercenary to use his super-mega-laser to kill world leaders at a summit with vague political implications. Only one man can infiltrate their island lair and stop them, and I'll give you six million guesses who.

Plays a bit like a community theater version of a 60s/70 James Bond flick, complete with island lair, a sinister, mass-destructo laser wielding villain who reveals his entire plan to our hero before he (fails) to kill him, a beautiful female double agent and a coda where our victorious hero ignores the details of his next mission and instead takes said beautiful double agent off for some wining and dining as the suits gape on.

As with most shows of the era, this one has a runtime of around 52 minutes, which is a long time to watch Lee Majors do things in slow motion. And that's about what makes up the bulk of this episode. Lee Majors runs in slow motion. Lee Majors climbs in slow motion. Lee Majors looks around in slow motion. I couldn't help but wonder if Majors, despite the money and fame it brought him, wasn't a tad resentful of being reduced to a special effect. But once Austin is captured, he gets some nice tete-a-tete scenes with his captures, and then gets to display some of that likable charm of his at the end.

If you subtract the nostalgia, there's not much to recommend here, but it's otherwise a reasonably diverting bit of retro refreshment.
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