amyk
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Post by amyk on Mar 30, 2020 20:55:50 GMT -5
Glad someone likes the chicken scene!!
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Post by HoudiniDerek on Mar 31, 2020 10:31:07 GMT -5
Glad someone likes the chicken scene!! That's why this show is so great. It works for people of all ages in some ways.
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Post by Eclipse139 on Jun 30, 2020 14:47:27 GMT -5
Rewatched this one today. I have strong memories of the story of Murdock donating his blood to BA. I love how Murdock is able to bust himself out of the hospital. I also enjoyed the scene with him and Amy in the car, it was a nice way to showcase their friendship and their joint concern for BA. I love how Hannibal and Face decide they can't just leave town, they just have to go back and help defend it against the biker gang even though Lynch was on the way. I see from reading this thread that the chicken impression isn't popular, well I like it - it was very Murdock, designed to completely confound the biker gang and get them suitably riled up to make sure they followed him. It was good to see a love interest for Hannibal so early on in the series and his interactions with the doctor were delightfully intense, not sappy or romantic - it was all perfectly in character for Hannibal. Shutting her in the closet also seemed like a very Hannibal thing to do, even though it sits a little awkwardly now when viewed with our modern sensibilities. I notice they handed Amy a gun when they were preparing for the arrival of the gang (there was one for Dr Sullivan too). She didn't have to ask for one, or be shown how to use it or anything, so Hannibal must have been happy for her to get involved with the action here and he trusted that she could make a valid contribution without putting herself or anyone else in danger. I'm sure there are similar scenes in other eps too, so it shows Amy wasn't completely shut out of all the action/fight scenes after all.
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amyk
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Post by amyk on Jun 30, 2020 18:48:04 GMT -5
You made me think a bit more about the chicken scene, and I realized something....maybe it is kind of similar to the scene in WEST COAST TURNAROUND where Murdock turns into a horse.....that is also pretty strange but it is all being done to confound the bad guys and distract them in that episode. So maybe the chicken scene is somewhat similar.
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Post by Eclipse139 on Jul 1, 2020 9:34:42 GMT -5
He had to do something to get their attention and make sure they followed him. It wouldn't have worked if he hadn't done something suitably outrageous.
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amyk
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Post by amyk on Jul 16, 2020 21:08:43 GMT -5
I just re-watched this one. Yeah, I still don't necessarily love the chicken thing, but I can see that it worked to get them to follow Murdock. One thing strange to me about this episode is how they first make a big deal about Murdock and the rhyming, and then even BA is rhyming, but by the end of the episode, it seems that is all forgotten.
However, there are so many other great things in the episode. I really do love the way Hannibal responds to Jenko, who is so smug to think that Face and Hannibal are going to be on his side. Also cracks me up how there is that loud announcement about Patient Murdock escaping from the video and arcade room at the VA!
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Post by HoudiniDerek on Jul 17, 2020 8:38:12 GMT -5
I just re-watched this one. Yeah, I still don't necessarily love the chicken thing, but I can see that it worked to get them to follow Murdock. One thing strange to me about this episode is how they first make a big deal about Murdock and the rhyming, and then even BA is rhyming, but by the end of the episode, it seems that is all forgotten. However, there are so many other great things in the episode. I really do love the way Hannibal responds to Jenko, who is so smug to think that Face and Hannibal are going to be on his side. Also cracks me up how there is that loud announcement about Patient Murdock escaping from the video and arcade room at the VA! I thought the rhyming was a great thought, but it felt a little forced on Murdock's part. I thought B.A. pulled it off quite well though.
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Post by Pico Bob on Feb 18, 2022 12:14:50 GMT -5
I've got a question about the title, which is obviously a play on the excellent 1955 Spencer Tracey film, Bad Day at Black Rock. Admittedly, I only watched the film once and that was a long time ago. But here's the thing: I dont remember the film having any plot similarities with the A-Team episode. The town in the film is not threatened by bikers or anything like that. The threat to Spencer Tracey in the film originates internally in the town, not from outside. I am trying to be vague here in order to avoid spoilers for film.
I might have missed something but I think the A-Team writers simply used the title, changed it slightly, but then didnt borrow anything else from the film. Even more curiously, there is a Knight Rider ep called 'Good Day at White Rock' which has similarities with the A-Team ep. Both episodes feature a threatening biker gang.
Does anyone know what was going on? My best guess is that the writers on both shows were sharing some kind of inside joke together.
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Post by HoudiniDerek on Feb 19, 2022 18:34:56 GMT -5
Pico, this episode is somewhat of a rehash from the GREATEST AMERICAN HERO episode "Hog Wild." It was a biker gang episode too and I think better done than this one. I haven't seen the movie, but I think when they decided to name the town as they did, someone probably made a joke about how it sounds like that movie and they went with it. Emulation isn't always direct.
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amyk
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Post by amyk on Feb 19, 2022 20:40:20 GMT -5
Yeah, I've seen the movie, although also quite a long time ago and I think I only saw it once. But I also don't think the episode is necessarily supposed to be a lot like the movie.
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Post by Pico Bob on Feb 20, 2022 7:22:56 GMT -5
I've been thinking about it and this ep is not the only one to borrow just a title from a film. I can think of two. THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY borrows only the title and none of the plot ideas (that I can remember) from the Hitchcock film of the same name. The BELLES OF ST MARYS must be from the wholesome Bing Crosby movie of nearly the same name ("Bells" not "Belles") with again I think no plot similarities.
Amyk, I think you've mentioned beofre that SEMI FRIENDLY PERSUASION is based on "Friendly Persuasion" which I havent seen. Are there any plot similarities there?
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Post by Eclipse139 on Feb 21, 2022 14:47:25 GMT -5
I'll be honest, I'm never 100% sure if this ep is called BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK, or BLACK DAY AT BAD ROCK! Lots of different TV shows seem to have episodes with identical titles (e.g. Sins of the Father, Redemption, Conspiracy, Eye of the Beholder etc. etc. etc.), but I think TAT managed to avoid using any of them. Maybe they came up with the titles before they'd even though of the plots? Or maybe it was someone's job to think of all the titles?
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amyk
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Post by amyk on Feb 21, 2022 20:11:27 GMT -5
I've been thinking about it and this ep is not the only one to borrow just a title from a film. I can think of two. THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY borrows only the title and none of the plot ideas (that I can remember) from the Hitchcock film of the same name. The BELLES OF ST MARYS must be from the wholesome Bing Crosby movie of nearly the same name ("Bells" not "Belles") with again I think no plot similarities. Amyk, I think you've mentioned beofre that SEMI FRIENDLY PERSUASION is based on "Friendly Persuasion" which I havent seen. Are there any plot similarities there? The plot similarities with SEMI-FRIENDLY PERSUASION vs. FRIENDLY PERSUASION are not really much, but both deal to some degree with the issue of nonviolence/violence in the face of an enemy. Besides that thematic element, I don't think there is much or any similarity in the actual plots.
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Katia
Lieutenant
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Post by Katia on Jan 27, 2023 17:58:04 GMT -5
I always wonder, regarding the episode 'Curtain Call', if they managed to get to this doctor to give Murdock blood after being shot. The same way they did for B.A. in this episode. That would be a perfect place for him to recover without the police finding out. I'm sorta of the opinion that she's now their "safe" doctor who knows what they're about and isn't going to rat them out. In my fanfic I write that they go to her. However-- how far is Bad Rock from L.A.? Would it make sense for them to go?
I must say that I didn't like the rhyme. I'm not a great fan of the chicken either. I liked the blood lady because of its darkness. The creepyness of it. He practically threatens to shoot the biker guy. Actual bodily harm. And then those eyes. Shudder... I wasn't just because I thought it was weird and didn't make much sense. Which I suppose is... the point of Murdock; a lot of his gimmicks make little sense for what's actually going on (I mean, Sockie??? What??) but you just roll with it. I thought Murdock himself was not threatening to shoot the biker. I thought he was implying that if the biker didn't shut up, Hannibal was likely to shoot him. I think he meant Hannibal too, but I think Murdock is more than capable of actually doing it himself too. Just pop a few holes in him. I love dark Murdock... dreamy sigh... When Murdock is angry and hyper-serious (usually when his friends are being threatened), it's kind of scary. Probably in part because it's such a contrast to the happy-go-lucky and often downright wacky way he usually is-- probably wouldn't have as much of an impact as if it was B.A. (Hannibal can do it too, to an extent-- again because his demeanor is often flip; he just doesn't care about danger, so when he's actually serious, you know it's serious.) Rewatched this one today. I have strong memories of the story of Murdock donating his blood to BA. I love how Murdock is able to bust himself out of the hospital. I've always felt like that in part is used to illustrate how concerned he is-- usually he waits for Face to help him scam his way out, but this time he's just like "screw it" and pulls a runner. R I notice they handed Amy a gun when they were preparing for the arrival of the gang (there was one for Dr Sullivan too). She didn't have to ask for one, or be shown how to use it or anything, so Hannibal must have been happy for her to get involved with the action here and he trusted that she could make a valid contribution without putting herself or anyone else in danger. I'm sure there are similar scenes in other eps too, so it shows Amy wasn't completely shut out of all the action/fight scenes after all. Yes, they do the same in the episode later on where they're trapped in the mine. I mean, it's completely unrealistic-- in real life they'd never do this-- but I like how doing so includes her. (I also have Opinions on Culea wanting to be more included in this way, and I don't think it's out of line that she wanted to see action in an action show, rather than being a useless token female. Some of the ways they do use her are, IMO, feminist-friendly.)
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amyk
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Post by amyk on Jan 27, 2023 22:53:07 GMT -5
Yes, like Hannibal in DEADLY MANEUVERS with Koochie!
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