Showdown! - Episode 45

[amyk]

Watching this one now. I had already typed a bunch of stuff about it, but I lost it all! But it's probably stuff I've said before....still believe that fake BA and fake Face are the stuntmen for those two characters.

I love this episode, even if some of it doesn't really make sense. (Like would a fairly small-time Wild West show like this really get booked to play in the capital cities of Europe? And how would Mason be able to necessarily book one of his rock bands into the open play dates if he prevents the Wild West show from going to Europe? And why did Hannibal say that he had a feeling that Lynch was out there when he has not been after the team since season 1?)

Capt. Winnetka called Face "Peck" before it was revealed that he is Templeton Peck of the A-Team.

Hannibal is really on his game in this episode. I love it how he says "We ARE the A-Team!" and also how he gets into "angry mode" with the record producer.

Do you think that maybe Decker is off the case because of what happened in THE ISLAND, with the MPs forcing Mickey to go with them and potentially putting him in the midst of a firefight with the A-Team?

I like the variation on the theme music in the montage scene.

And we have a bit of a flashback to RANGE RIDER with the "dynamite arrows." (Also this episode features the same guest star as from RANGE RIDER...Morgan Woodward, who by the way is apparently still alive at age 91!)

Lynch's sidekick captain seems more excited than Lynch about supposedly capturing the A-Team! Who do you think actually drove the van - Capt. Winnetka or his daughter?

Is that actually the real team member actors who run up to the van? I can't tell if it is really them or if it is doubles playing them. But I do love it how they get the van back right from under the noses of the MPs.

Great episode. I give this one a 10. Love the whole concept and it has so many great parts.

[sidney]

Two things that make me LOVE this episode: A SHOVEL IS NOT A DISGUISE and the fake A-Team missing their Murdock and our Murdock's reaction to it. I love when he asks the substitute Face if he couldn't break their Murdock out of the VA. That was hilarious.

I also love Hannibal riding the horse to stop the truck. It may be that moment moreso than RANGE RIDER that convinces me he indeed grew up on a ranch in Montana. He was very comfortable on the horse and that was skill. That was someone who did that before, many times. Maybe ranching?

[amyk]

Yeah, Hannibal is a great horseman. I love that when he jumps onto the horse from behind. Maybe he was telling the truth to Amy, or at least reminiscing about a past truth.

[sidney]

I 100% believe it was true. And then when she didn't believe it, he thought it was funny.

[amyk]

I could see Hannibal thinking that way!

[peppardfan]

The whole thing with Amy was a comment on GP tongue in cheek I think. He owned a huge ranch as an actor - he actually ran it himself for a while - and that had been his dream but he had to sell it because it was so expensive to run...or because the strain of keeping it caused his initial separation from Elizabeth Ashley? He also loved horses, was a trained pilot, owned his own plane, had a yacht and owned a helicopter to get around the ranch. It's quite funny watching him trying to fly the planes, etc. once you know that. I think there are lots of tongue in cheek references to him as an actor throughout the series.

[amyk]

I think so too, and especially there's reference to his role as Banacek in MEMBERS ONLY.

[peppardfan]

Jul 4, 2017 18:17:14 GMT -5 amyk said:

I think so too, and especially there's reference to his role as Banacek in MEMBERS ONLY.

There's also a reference in one of the episodes about him waiting for 20 years for someone to throw him a party in S1. As an actor his parties were apparently legendary! (Prob for all the wrong reasons!!)

[HoudiniDerek]

I love elements of this episode, but it feels sort of out of sequence.

How did the guys know it was Lynch trailing them this time? They didn't know it was any of the others at first, so they magically know Lynch is back?

It feels like a Season 1 episode to me in that way.

Plus, while I love the Wild West Show part, I am as confused as Amy as to why the rock bands and the Wild West show cannot share the same cities and/or venues?

Overall, a fun episode, but probably not in my top 10.

[amyk]

I don't even understand why a rock band would be in a venue that the Wild West show would be in....is the band going to perform outside somewhere? Or is the Wild West show going to be done inside? That part is pretty far-fetched, but I still love the episode.

[kellie]

I love this episode, but I think there's more thy could've done with it. Tthey could have included a Murdock. It would've been pretty funny to see someone taking him off. Maybe he could've turned up at the end or something. I do think Murdock's reaction to there not being a Murdock is very funny though. Esp when Face breaks him out. I love all the break outs!

[amyk]

I actually think it is best that they did not have a Murdock, and it makes sense with the rest of the series since technically Murdock is not a wanted fugitive like the rest of the team. And they need to keep him as their secret weapon.

[kellie]

Yeah, true. Check himself out of the VA, then he would get mentioned as much as the others! 😁 It does make me laugh though, how sometimes they seem to forget he's not technically on the run like the others. Like, when they help people & the baddies are arrested, don't they always tell the police or authorities that there was 4 of them? And don't they wonder why they keep breaking him out? Decker even mentioned it to Murdock at the end of Curtain Call "we know they come here & break you out". 😀
He seems to be out of that hospital more than he's in it! I guess it's not supposed to completely make sense. Gotta love it!

[amyk]

Yeah, there seems to be some inconsistency about that....but also I think the MPs are just really not very smart.

[kellie]

I guess the inconsistencies are part of the show, that's part of it's charm really. The fact that it wasn't exact & perfected to within an inch of it's life is part of it & some of what makes it what it is. I laugh when I watch it, esp in CURTAIN CALL when Decker says, "keep your eye on Murdock at the VA, they might try & contact him'. When they go to contact the VA they'll find out he's missing & must assume he's off with them! 😀 Gotta love it though!