NEWS: Nerdy Tech Geeks, the Heart and Soul of the Action Show

GEEK: Nerdy Tech Geeks, the Heart and Soul of the Action Show

I was watching NBC's "Bionic Woman" the other day, (yeah, I'm not sure why, either), when I was struck with the sudden and unexpected sensation of actually, "enjoying myself." No, it wasn't because of Katee Sackhoff. Nope, it was this guy, fulfilling a rich legacy far greater than his role on an average show. He plays the "nerdy tech guy" that works for the top-secret, black ops agency that also employs the Bionic Woman.

The nerdy tech guy is awesome. Not all of them. Certainly not the ones in the real word. And even fictional NTGs don't mean much to me when working in offices, businesses or other mundane outfits. Nope, the only kind that matter must work at some sort of ass-kicking gov't agency. FBI, CIA, SD-6, NTAC -- fictional or real, I don't care.

I guess this type originated with James Bond's Q but has undergone radical changes since then. My favorite is easily Marshall Flinkman from "Alias." Other examples are "4400's" Marco (a pretty obvious clone of the Flinkman character), The Lone Gunmen from the "X-Files," and from comics Microchip from "The Punisher." Much looser variations on this type are Mac from "Veronica Mars," Willow from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Winifred Burkle from "Angel," and... that's about it. For such an iconic character type, I can't seem to think of any more...

NTGs are invaluable to the hero. They provide countless weapons, gadgets and surveillance gear (they're always very picky with this shit, as it's usually a prototype weapon or one of five on the planet that each cost a billion dollars.)

They also offer moral and tech support when you're in the field through those headset earpiece things... Need to jam a frequency? Unlock an electronic safe? Use Google? They'll help you out... (This isn't really help, but, if you're maneuvering through a laser beamed alarm system, if they've got video capabilities they'll often say shit like "Watch it!" And when you make it they'll often collapse on the keyboard in an exhausted heap and say something like "Whew, that was, close... too close.")

Regardless of what you ask them, they need, "more time." This is always going to be, "time you don't have." When they're reminded of this they'll start to yell back, then suddenly have an epiphany, rush off, returning moments later with the decoded file/antidote/green ooze you needed.

They'll often make jokes that no one will laugh at. In fact, if you're at a top secret board meeting filled with blueprints, 3-D maps and intensely furrowed brows, and everyone suddenly looks annoyed, it's usually because the tech guy tried to make a joke. (Quick sidebar, these jokes fall into two categories: 1) Nerdy techno-babble, computer jokes that maybe other nerds would've gotten, and 2) something casual and pop culture-based that may've been mildly funny under other circumstances but, dude, what the fuck, we're trying to storm a lair here and people could die, could you get serious for two goddamn seconds?)

They also seem to eat a lot of junk food and, oddly enough, are usually the characters that dress most like real people. Clad in shorts, T-shirts and sloppy, open button-downs while everyone else scurries about with rock-solid abs, shoulder holsters and windblown blazers.

Perhaps the NTGs are in danger, on NBC's "Chuck" they made the hero and the tech guy the same person... But, I hope that's not the case. Without them, the heroes would be nowhere, we'd have no one relate to in the meeting scenes and no one would be there to work in a goofball reference (well, I guess there's always the "maverick, wild card hero," but that's another topic.)

The fake spy game just wouldn't be the same without them.




TheCoolerKing thought about including The Wire's Roland Pryzbylewski but thought it was a stretch.

A-hem ... there's also Chloe from 24

Shit.

I have to agree. The "NTG" from Bionic Woman was great this last esp. When she was on a date with the college guy(who turned out to be CIA) The writing for him was awesome and I was laughing my ass off.

btw Bionic Woman isn't thaaaat bad. It's more like a guilty pleasure for me.

I've enjoyed Bionic Woman so far..it's somewhat entertaining...but mostly it's because I love Katee Sackhoff when she shows up.

Kevin Rankin, bless his soul, can't save Bionic Woman. What could, is a time ray that would make me 12 again. That way the writing and characterization would seem original and complex, and the action would be exciting.

I wish they would have been brave enough (or smart enough) to deal with (or even make interesting) any of the actual issues they pay half-ass soap opera lip service to (limb loss/handicaps, forced abortion, government intrusion, single parenting, death of loved ones, etc.)

Instead, they crammed 5 or 6 potentially compelling episodes into 3/4 of the pilot, so she could get to "kicking ass" in between whiny arguments with her stereotypical bitchy teen sister and acting indignant in easily digestible hour long templates.

PS, article related, wasn't there some Batman ex-Batgirl character helping out heroes all tech style a few years back? Oracle, maybe?

so glad you mentioned marco on the 4400. i loooooooove him.

swoooon.

The pop culture high point for the Bionic Woman, while we're at it by the by, is when Bill Haverchuck went trick-or-treating as her for Halloween on Freaks and Geeks:

Here's hoping USA doesn't pull a Fox and cancel it.

Also, what about the chick from NCIS? She's nerdy and hot! Oh, and most of the cast of Bones.

Strangely, the name "Scotty" comes to my mind, but I've no idea who this guy is. Maybe a name I read on your electrical network. Given your incredibly technically advanced time, he is probably something like, I don't know, a starship board engineer.

One of the cuter of the tech "guys" ...

And the gadget creators can be good even in really bad movies ....

Even fun in things like the TV Batman ...

Or especially outfitting the villians ..

Wait, are you really in character on here 24/7?

Holy shit, awesome.

I mean, uh... nice work on the ink-quill machine, your words have taken flight and landed before me, I enjoy them, like the primitive egyptian enjoys his glory sand construct.

+1

Read the thread, thought about it, said "OTACON!" scrolled down, and was beaten by hours.

Forgetting the guy from xXx? Big fat vampire dude of Blade fame (vampires are just as good as government agencies? Though he's not in the CIA or anything, Jack Black from The Jackal? The guy who plays Data in Independence Day? Or, more recently, Kevin Smith in Die Hard as when coopted by official police forces? Nerdy tech guy has a long and proud tradition that is often overlooked even by those who appreciate it,

One of my favorite life moments.

It's okay, you overlooked her because you know her. PERSONALLY.

Hahaha. I'm not sure if that makes it better or worse...

There would also be (Seymour) Birkoff from La Femme Nikita (the TV series).

I was hoping this would be an article about how there'd be no such film/TV without nerdy technicians doing the actual work, though.

I'd give her a swig of my Big Gulp!