Road Games - Episode 54

[amyk]

This one jumped dramatically tonight in my rankings, and I'm giving it a 5 on the Sidney scale. I usually don't enjoy this one as much as most episodes, but tonight for some reason, I really enjoyed it. One thing I don't like is that Gentleman Jim did technically owe the $30,000 to the bad guys, so in one sense, I don't like that the team bailed him out of a debt he incurred. On the other hand, I would not want the children to lose their home. And I do think that there was a reference to the bad guys having rigged the gambling when Gentleman Jim lost, although I don't remember that from previous viewings of this episode. So if they rigged it in order to make him lose, then they got what was coming to them.

I also don't like the very poor editing and repeat of the same footage when Hannibal says "I must be standing under my lucky star."

I do, however, love it so much when they tap that guy's phone and drive off pulling down the whole phone box. And I also love how that guy in the passenger side of the semi truck tries to jump out and attack Murdock and falls right on the ground.

Wouldn't it be very bumpy (and interfere with games) to have the gambling in the back of a semi truck?

Also, isn't it convenient that the bad guy calls the other bad guy for Face's (Dorsett's) reference at the exact moment that the team is there to tap the phone wire?

But hey, it's THE A-TEAM so I can overlook those little things.

[sprout1883]

So up to this on the rewatch.

Probably a middle of the road episode (pardon the pun) but has some nice touches.

More and more on the rewatch, having joined the forum, I am noticing the doubles more (aside from the obvious ones). i am sure the scene where Face meets up with the team in the van, its the double that goes in and out, given how its shot and Faceman's hair.

Overall it seems to lack the team chemistry, you normally have. Murdock is subdued and his obsession of the week seems forced and tacked on unlike in other episodes. Even B.A seems to not get that annoyed by it and the script has Murdock and B.A doing their thing because they have to

[amyk]

This is the one where Murdock's obsession is positive reinforcement, right? If so, yeah, that doesn't seem that fun to me.

[sprout1883]

Aug 6, 2020 22:04:32 GMT -5 amyk said:

This is the one where Murdock's obsession is positive reinforcement, right? If so, yeah, that doesn't seem that fun to me.

Thats right. It just doesnt work. Its not 'Crazy' at all and none of the team can play along and B.A doesnt get particularly get irritated. Just a weid dynamic

[amyk]

I generally prefer when Murdock adopts a persona over when he has an obsession. I did write an obsession into a fanfiction script - he was obsessed with crossword puzzles. I thought it was kind of fun and think that could maybe have worked in a real show. He was constantly bugging people to answer crossword clues.

[Eclipse139]

Aug 8, 2020 19:17:39 GMT -5 amyk said:

I generally prefer when Murdock adopts a persona over when he has an obsession. I did write an obsession into a fanfiction script - he was obsessed with crossword puzzles. I thought it was kind of fun and think that could maybe have worked in a real show. He was constantly bugging people to answer crossword clues.

That would have been great in an episode of the show.    The personas are usually more fun to watch than the obsessions and they often relate more to the story than the obsessions.  Sometimes the obsessions seem like they were added as an afterthought and if it's not something really 'crazy' - like in this episode, as Sprout said - then it doesn't work as well.

[amyk]

Yes, I like it when the personas are a part of the episode (Range Rider and Captain Cab especially, although I don't like the Pasadena Murdock persona that much). Oh, I like Mack Murdock too!

[Eclipse139]

I rewatched this one today. It was fun to see Face going undercover for most of the episode, instead of adopting a character just to carry out a single scam. I loved the scene at the tailors with Hannibal measuring up Face for a tux and the clever way Face was able to give Hannibal the address - although we see him contacting the team by phone earlier in the ep (when he pretended to be talking to his mother! ) so it wasn't really necessary. It was fun though.

It would have been good to see more of Gentleman Jim dealing with his gambling problem, or at least an acknowledgement that he felt very guilty for almost losing their home. Hannibal took a risk calling in Decker to protect them, but it's not the first time he's used Decker like that. I loved the foster children proudly telling BA about tidying their rooms and doing their homework - he's always great with kids.

Murdock and his positive reinforcement obsession was different - less crazy, like we've already said - but I think it was worth it for the ending where he's giving the rest of the team feedback on their work!

[amyk]

I think it would have been fun and cute to see more of BA with the kids.

[cartoonlover]

Hard episode to grade imo. I keep going back and forth. One of the issues I had with it is there's not really any noticeable conflict between the gang and Royce. The team gets the upperhand in this one but there's elements that I do like about Road Games. Face really standouts in this but I wish there was more conflict built into the storyline.

[cartoonlover]

This episode has things in common with Sheriffs of Rivertown in the way how The A-Team interacts with bad guys.

[amyk]

Can you provide some examples of what you are thinking along those lines? I can't really remember right now enough about the episodes to do that comparison, but maybe if you jog my thinking I can....

[cartoonlover]

Nov 27, 2020 19:49:48 GMT -5 amyk said:

Can you provide some examples of what you are thinking along those lines? I can't really remember right now enough about the episodes to do that comparison, but maybe if you jog my thinking I can....

Spoiler There isn't really any conflict with Royce being suspicious of Hannibal, BA, or Murdock. The gang just barges in just like the tavern scene in "Rivertown".