The Battle of Bel Air - Episode 29

[Deleted]

Original Air Date: January 10, 1984

Written By: Frank Lupo

Sidney's Rating Scale: 9

this is yet another stellar episode for me and even though it introduces Tawnia to the team - I don't totally hate her.   What I don't like is that I don't buy her as a reporter at all.   And I didn't like how they made it seem like Amy shared all this private info about the team with Tawnia - I dont' see Amy being a gossipy type like that.    It's almost like the writers were trying to discredit Amy.

But here is what I love or noticed in this episode:
* in the opening credits, it introduces Tawnia Baker but the computer spells her name Tanya.   Probably a lazy oversight by the show -- or maybe since Tawnia was undercover at the security place, she thought merely changing the spelling of her name would be a good enough cover - LOL

* the part with the team talking about leaving the country for a while made me sad becauase they are obviously leaving Murdock behind.   And when Hannibal talks about the great vacations the three of them have had - that made me really sad to think the team goes off to have fun without Murdock.

* Ok so if Murdock was not "exposed" in Maltese Cow - he definetley would have been here.    He is in the sporting good store with the team - Hannibal says his name and he talks all while Decked is hiding right behind the counter.   Then Decker is standing right by the car when Murdock asks Tawnia where the keys are - Decker had to have seen and heard him!

* Love the scene with Murdock and BA and the purse.   " Whatcha carry all that junk in the purse for"    " Its not mine".  LOL

*Boy, Tawnia can sure afford a swanky condo on a reporter's salary - and for as nice as that condo was - she had a very ugly shower curtain

*Um the team carries Mike around in a box with no air holes.   And what happens to Mike when the team doesn't need him - who takes care of Mike?

*a couple great Face/Murdock scenes - one in the office when Murdock snatches Face's hat ( which I am assuming is ad-libbed ) and the scam to get the helicopter 

* And Murdock flying - SIGH. And of course the spectacular fiery crash that everyone walks away from which I know was tongue and cheek - poking fun at themselves by the writers.

* so at the end - was that supposed to be Tawnia's house they were at?   She has a swanky condo and a house?  In LA?   I am pretty sure even in the 1980's it was expensive to live in LA 

[Deleted]

All great points. I'll admit I haven't watched this one in a while so some of it is hazy. I don't like how Amy seemingly spilled everything about the Team to Tawnia. But I do like how she warned Tawnia about Face.

I also love the whole scene where he gets tossed out her window, and nobody, especially Murdock, believes him until the very end when they're like wait, what? And how Face has the presence of mind to scope out the chopper as it takes off so he can report back to Hannibal.

And yes the helicopter chase along the beach at the end is pretty awesome.

[amyk]

Watched this one last night actually....and made notes then, which I'll post now before seeing what anyone else may have written:

I never actually understand a lot about this episode. Did Tawnia specifically take that job at Intermode undercover to find the team, or was she really investigating things there? And why did Intermode even have the information about Decker going to apprehend the team? I also always feel that so much of the dialog seems very forced, especially between the two Intermode guys near the beginning of the episode. I also always hate it that Amy ratted out the team to Tawnia. I don’t think she would really have done that. The escape from and then apprehension of Decker also seems too cartoonish to me, even for TAT. So my rating for this episode? I’ll give it a 4 on the Sidney scale. It’s okay for me, but it is also only one that I watch in my normal run-through of episodes, not one that I would pull out to watch out of order.

[amyk]

* Ok so if Murdock was not "exposed" in Maltese Cow - he definetley would have been here. He is in the sporting good store with the team - Hannibal says his name and he talks all while Decked is hiding right behind the counter. Then Decker is standing right by the car when Murdock asks Tawnia where the keys are - Decker had to have seen and heard him!

* Love the scene with Murdock and BA and the purse. " Whatcha carry all that junk in the purse for" " Its not mine". LOL

I was thinking something similar about Decker surely knowing that Murdock is working with the team from that scene....and I agree about the purse scene....I do love that part!

[Deleted]

yes - I don't fully understand why Tawnia was working undercover at Intermode - what was she looking to expose? And I have no idea why Intermode would be tracking the military as they hunt for the ATeam - none of that made sense to me.

[amyk]

It also always bugs me that Tawnia just left that computer logged in!

[Deleted]

Well, she isn't exactly the brightest bulb now is she?

[amyk]

Nope, that's for sure. I like Tawnia, but I'll admit that Amy seemed a lot more with it intellectually, despite Tawnia's contention that Amy wouldn't have done anything differently or whatever she says at some point in this episode.

[Deleted]

I really don't mind Tawnia either but it does bug me that they try to pass her off as an Amy substitute. the writers were like " hey we need to add a pretty girl to the show but we don't want to waste any time coming up with a credible back story for her - I know - lets' just make her another Amy - only we'll make her more ditzy"
I think there are times Tawnia adds some comic relief to the show - like at the end of this episode where she says something about " really getting to know each other" and the guys all give her that look

[Deleted]

True. Like I've said before, she reminds me of an overeager puppy who wants to tag along everywhere.

[Deleted]

And Amy had the - oh what is the right word - spunk? initiative? or gumption to manipulate or back mail her way on to team - whether you agree with her methods or not, it took a lot of guts to do that to the guys
Tawnia basically whines her way on the team

[amyk]

I'm glad that Tawnia is not exactly the same as Amy, but think it maybe would have been better to have her be in a completely different career. Actually, I don't think they needed to add her in at all, but since she's there, I can put up with her all right and do sometimes think she's funny. I wish in fact they had made her character more funny.

[kellie]

One of my faves this one. The bit where Murdock takes Face's hat, I always think that was Dwight messing with Dirk, like they used to do to each other quite a bit. In the scene before, in the lobby, you see Murdock go to try & pinch his hat, but he can't quite get it, so then nicks it off his head at the next opportunity. And the way they look at each other when he does it, both knowing, but carrying on while trying not to laugh.
Also, the bit where Murdock bursts in on Tawnia taking about a Chinese food, he has a massive grin on his face, he looks like he wants to burst out laughing. Wouldn't surprise me if he made that bit up himself aswell! I don't know how the crew & camera men filming stopped themselves from laughing whenever Murdock was in a scene!

[amyk]

Don't you wish we could know what was ad-libbed and what was scripted?

[Paper Crane Song]

Aug 17, 2017 12:43:57 GMT -5 kellie said:

One of my faves this one. The bit where Murdock takes Face's hat, I always think that was Dwight messing with Dirk, like they used to do to each other quite a bit. In the scene before, in the lobby, you see Murdock go to try & pinch his hat, but he can't quite get it, so then nicks it off his head at the next opportunity. And the way they look at each other when he does it, both knowing, but carrying on while trying not to laugh.
Also, the bit where Murdock bursts in on Tawnia taking about a Chinese food, he has a massive grin on his face, he looks like he wants to burst out laughing. Wouldn't surprise me if he made that bit up himself aswell! I don't know how the crew & camera men filming stopped themselves from laughing whenever Murdock was in a scene!

There's a bit of hat nicking going on in the background of the end scene of CHILDREN OF JAMESTOWN (#stuff this forum taught me) although it's Face nicking Murdock's cap. So maybe in BATTLE OF BELAIR it was Dwight getting his own back on Dirk!