Semi-Friendly Persuasion - Episode 36

[amyk]

That's why I don't like him. I don't think a real pacifist would act like him. I feel like he's a hypocrite.

But I love it that your family was begging to watch another episode! At least the next one is CURTAIN CALL....if they don't like that one, you may be out of luck with them ever becoming super-fans of the show.

[Eclipse139]

I know what you mean about the smoke inhalation. The whole scene with the fire is unrealistic, really, but it does provide some exciting drama so I suppose we'll let them get away with it, this time.

It does feel like someone thought of the idea of the team trying to help a group of pacifists - which is a great idea - but didn't really think through the details. They had the opportunity to make some really good points about the use of violence and weapons (on both sides of the argument), but it sadly misses the mark. I do enjoy the ep, though.

And I'm also really glad to hear your children are keen to watch more episodes.

[amyk]

I just finished watching this one again a little while ago It's been quite a long time since I last watched it. I've probably already written everything about this one before, but with it newly fresh in my mind, I'll say it again....I feel like this episode had a lot of potential that did not really come to fruition. Even the character of Eric....I would like to know what his story is. He seems to have fought in Vietnam. Is that why he became a pacifist? How did he get involved with this group? And what about the Revd. Traynor....could he have done more to help the pacifists than he did? Was he afraid? What happened to the previous pastor - did the thugs run him out of town? Why doesn't Oly know the difference between a screwdriver and pliers? I would think that the pacifist group would be teaching children how to use tools from an early age.

Perhaps the thing that always bugs me the most about this episode is how easily the team is knocked out. First, Face (although admittedly he was jumped on by more than one guy), then why does Murdock run into a tree and fall down? And why do Murdock and BA just get knocked out so easily in the meeting house? Were they not fighting back because of Oly? But I think BA would be doing anything at that point to save Oly.

I've usually thought of Karl as being pretty angry, and to some degree I still feel that way. However, I kind of do get his point at the end....if they settle in this place now, after all the violence, does that mean that they took advantage of the violence to be able to have their home here?

Anyway, this episode could really have explored these themes of pacifism and violence, as well as bigotry, much more than it did. I still always think it odd that the thugs in town are even that upset with the pacifists to want to drive them out. I think if there was some underlying motive than just that they thought they were "freaks" it may have seemed more plausible....like there was oil on the land or something?

I doubt that this episode will ever be one of my favorites. But I do laugh when BA gets handed the plank and he breaks it over his head!

[HoudiniDerek]

Amy, have you ever seen the MACGYVER episode where he is on an Amish farm? (The episode name escapes me at the moment). But it's somewhat similar in that a developer is trying to move them off their land, but they won't go. There are pacifistic elements to it, but I think this one was more true to the culture and helped develop some of the mindset missing from the A-TEAM episode.

[amyk]

No, I never got into MACGYVER. By the time that came on, I was onto so-called "higher education" and probably just too busy with life to watch tons of TV, although I still managed to find time for MURDER, SHE WROTE during a lot of that era!

[Katia]

Here's another one where I noted the Face is complaining about the work they have to do for the job, as if he's too good for it.  Seriously, Face-- you do the job that needs to be done, especially when this is the line of work you've chosen (sort of chosen).  The whiny elitist attitude just makes him look bad.

Jun 10, 2017 2:33:02 GMT -5 Paper Crane Song said:

Yeah, agree with other comments about this episode, it doesn't sit well. When I watched it, I was like, "cool, now we're gonna see how the A-Team comes up with a non-violent plan to beat the bad guys"... then when the episode finished, my husband and I were like.... "yeah... not so much....". Not cool, A-Team. Not cool.

Jun 10, 2017 21:16:11 GMT -5 amyk said:

It would have been interesting if the team really did stick to their promise of not using violence and still managed to defeat the bad guys. Or if the only time they used any violence at all was when they had to in order to save Oly or get past the bad guys into the doctor's office with him.

I love those little moments in the show like what you mentioned.

I wondered about that, too.  I have a fanfic part where the team has to go undercover at a church that's being threatened, but I got stuck on it because I was like, "...not like they can do it in the usual way and be shooting up a church."  So they'd have to find a way to outsmart the bad guys... and that's not very A-Team, is it?

(Then again, these are also the guys who do things like use "violence" by shooting streams of variously-flavored soda at bad guys, so... not sure why they couldn't do something funny like that.)

But it might be nice to see that.  Rather than Hannibal's smug little speech at the end that makes it very clear what the writers/producers think of the idea of nonviolence.  (Hell, you might argue that guys who spent a lot of time in Vietnam surrounded by violence might be happy to find a way to avoid it...)

Nov 23, 2020 15:26:46 GMT -5 Eclipse139 said:

I know what you mean about the smoke inhalation. The whole scene with the fire is unrealistic, really, but it does provide some exciting drama so I suppose we'll let them get away with it, this time.

LOL, yes!

[amyk]

In addition to Face complaining about having to build the meeting house, he has apparently lost all mechanical ability whatsoever in this episode, as he cannot even drive a nail into wood correctly! That part makes no sense to me at all. Even I can drive a nail into wood. And since he also seems to not really like fighting (and especially does not want to be punched in the face), he should have been thankful for a job where they were not going to use violence!

[Katia]

Mar 7, 2023 18:40:19 GMT -5 amyk said:

And since he also seems to not really like fighting (and especially does not want to be punched in the face), he should have been thankful for a job where they were not going to use violence!

Haha!  Good point!

[HoudiniDerek]

Mar 7, 2023 18:40:19 GMT -5 amyk said:

In addition to Face complaining about having to build the meeting house, he has apparently lost all mechanical ability whatsoever in this episode, as he cannot even drive a nail into wood correctly! That part makes no sense to me at all. Even I can drive a nail into wood. And since he also seems to not really like fighting (and especially does not want to be punched in the face), he should have been thankful for a job where they were not going to use violence!

Damn good point, Amy!

Face should have been all over this job from that angle. Although he probably knew that it was unlikely that the other side thought that way.

Part of me thinks Face was trying to con his way out of having to build the meeting house.

[amyk]

I would rather think Face was trying to con his way out of working than that he actually could not drive nails into lumber.

[HoudiniDerek]

Maybe on the next watch through, we should see what Face actually helps with during the montage scenes. As I thought about it, it seems like he paints, finds stuff, wires stuff in, etc. I don't know if I ever saw him use a hammer.

[Bert]

BA and Murdock getting knocked out is especially dumb because they were shoved. If the bad guys had clobbered them on the back of the head, it'd make sense. Face got sucker-punched at least.

Would've liked to see a bit more of Revered Traynor.

I get the feeling that Karl was meant to be struggling with his beliefs vs. his desires. It sounds like he and his people have struggled to find a good place to settle, and just when he thinks he has, Sykes and company show up. Does he hate Sykes? For sure, but he still never raised a hand to him, which is the more important thing. But a violent man like Sykes won't be reasoned with, which puts Karl in a very ugly position and leads to Eric hiring the A-Team. Karl wants what's best for his people and what happened once the team got involved wasn't it, even though they can now live peacefully. I don't think he hated Hannibal and the team, but was bitterly disappointed the situation devolved into what it did.

Also what is it with all these small towns not having a governing body of any kind aside from a lone Sheriff who never does anything/is on the bad guys' side/is the bad guy?

[amyk]

I also would have liked the episode to feature more of Traynor. He seemed like an interesting character that they could have developed further. I wonder if he had other dealings with Sykes and company outside of what we saw here. Perhaps they ran off the original pastor of that church, since it seemed that Traynor was what they called a "lay pastor."

[hannibal1295]

This one was great!
There were so many funny moments and funny things everyone of the A-Team said....but who (again) stood out to me was Murdock....he was nuts!
Because of that he was somewhat of a main character again in this episode...again because his madness stood out so much....it was great!

[amyk]

Glad you enjoyed it! And I love your avatar photo!