Mind Games - Episode 69

[amyk]

I watched this one tonight. I only give it a 4 on the Sidney scale. Some parts of it I thoroughly enjoy, but overall it falls flat for me. I think it tries to do too much in one episode, too. For example, I don't really see why they introduce Fulbright in this episode. And the whole General Chow thing seems weird to me, since wasn't that the same name of the Vietnamese war criminal in RECIPE FOR HEAVY BREAD? I like the idea of what would happen if one or more of the team members got a pardon, but I don't feel like it was executed as well as it could have been. And Face kind of bugs me in this episode, with the way he acts. I do like that the team, although irritated with him, remain loyal to him and still help him even when he has acted pretty badly.

[juniberry]

But the tag scene is so good doesn’t that bring up the rating? Face as Murdock being carted away. Also we meet Hunkman, who falls surprisingly flat in his success to procure anything producing comedy gold.

[amyk]

Oct 13, 2018 16:32:08 GMT -5 juniberry said:

But the tag scene is so good doesn’t that bring up the rating? Face as Murdock being carted away. Also we meet Hunkman, who falls surprisingly flat in his success to procure anything producing comedy gold.

I do enjoy Hunkman, but I think that is sort of ruined by Murdock portraying the suave secret agent in THE SPY WHO MUGGED ME. I don't really like the tag scene that much, as Face is way over the top.

[amyk]

I also don't really get the whole thing with "Chuck-a-Luck" the chicken or why they put that in there. Was it supposed to be humorous that Face thought he was so important, but he is actually doing interviews with characters on children's TV shows?? I could see Face getting puffed up like he did, but not quite so quickly. And I do think he should have been suspicious of this whole thing, knowing that the general or whoever made that announcement was not telling the truth. One good thing about this episode is that we get to see Hannibal's wisdom (which Face should have listened to)!

[HoudiniDerek]

I have always liked this episode.

I think it was an easy way to introduce Fulbright since it was not a two-parter like RANGE RIDER. (Although to Amy's point, maybe it should have been a two-parter so they could have fleshed out more of the details).

I always enjoy Hunkman and how he has to beg Hannibal for one more chance. I like his Sylvester the cat impersonation.

I don't mind two General Chows. It seems pretty like in a culture with that name to have more than one ascend to the level of General.

I don't much care for Face's attitude either, but I think that just goes to show why the team works so well as a unit.

[amyk]

Perhaps my favorite part of the whole episode is when Hannibal says something to David Vaughn along the lines of "I'm a nutburger. I may be a homicidal maniac." He says it so straight-faced. I love that part.

[HoudiniDerek]

Oct 16, 2018 17:30:31 GMT -5 amyk said:

Perhaps my favorite part of the whole episode is when Hannibal says something to David Vaughn along the lines of "I'm a nutburger. I may be a homicidal maniac." He says it so straight-faced. I love that part.

I've actually used that line in real life. Saying it with just a trace of anger or a complete deadpan works the best.

[Eclipse139]

Rewatched the episode today. I have mixed feelings about it - definitely not one I'd choose to watch regularly.

I'm confused about Face leaving the team - he doesn't have to leave just because he believes he has been pardoned. Murdock is very much part of the team and he's not a wanted man, so it's not a requirement! The scene where he leaves doesn't make sense anyway - he goes from saying goodbye, to saying he's not really leaving and he'll just be their man on the outside, so which is it?

Hannibal was absolutely right about Face being on an ego trip and it was interesting to see how quickly his ego took over. He was completely oblivious to the danger he was in and it didn't even occur to him that he might be walking into a trap. I'm not sure if this is very true to character - he does love attention and sometimes he forgets that it's not a good idea when you're a fugitive, but he's not a complete idiot! I can see how he might have lost sight of reality after all the publicity opportunities were thrust at him, but he didn't even seem to have any doubts at all right from the start.

Hannibal was great in this episode though. He immediately realised something was not right and I loved how he tried to make Face realise it too, but at the same time I think he decided Face had to work it out for himself. It would have been easy for Hannibal to lock Face in the van, or something like that, until he came to his senses! He was worried enough not to let Face out of his sight, though.

BA just seemed to find the whole thing funny, which I thought was a bit weird.

And I'm not sure how I feel about Hunkman. It was funny to start with and I loved it when Murdock mimicked Face's expressions and mannerisms, but then it all became a bit pitiful when Murdock failed so dismally. And I thought Face said the 'Vette was going with him? I guess he must have changed his mind!

I don't like the tag scene at all - Murdock isn't a raving lunatic and I thought Face's impersonation was kind of offensive. 

I read a good fanfiction story which deals with the aftermath of this ep, I don't know if any of you have read it?  It showed Face feeling guilty for leaving the team, but also feeling angry with Hannibal for allowing him to be carted off to the VA hospital (in the story he was heavily sedated on the way).  It was an interesting exploration of the reasons why they behaved the way they did in this episode.

[amyk]

Your thoughts sort of sum up my feelings about the episode. It is strange that Face wouldn't suspect something when Hannibal states that Face was clearly assigned to the team and a part of the mission. I think this episode actually could have been a lot better than it was, and maybe be a 2-hour episode. It could have explored more about the team's mission in Vietnam, maybe with flashbacks. And it could have gradually led up to Face believing he was really pardoned with something more convincing. I do agree that Face overdoes the Murdock impersonation at the end. He should have just been pretending to have Billy and maybe overdone that a bit with one or two other invisible friends or a talking golfball or something. It would have been fun if he had brought back some of Murdock's previous personas or obsessions in his efforts to imitate Murdock.

If that fanfiction story isn't too long, I would be interested in seeing it....so if you find a link to it on a fanfiction site, let us know!

[Eclipse139]

Your ideas for a 2 hour episode sound really good. I agree a slower build up to Face accepting his pardon showing he had doubts to start with, but in the end his ego won him over, would have been much more believable.  He should have at least thought about what Hannibal said, but he just completely ignored him and I don't believe Face would have done that.

The story I mentioned is just over 6.5k words, so not very long - seven short chapters. The author messaged me to thank me for my reviews which was lovely, so if you do read and enjoy it I'm sure they'd appreciate some more feedback.  Here is the link:

'Mind Games: The Aftermath' by ILIWAPCT (posted on fanfiction.net)

[cartoonlover]

I'm pretty sure I saw this all the way through many years ago because I remember Blood Sweat and Cheers and There Goes the Neighborhood which are before and after it. The version I saw was very different and distinct. I stumbled upon a chock full of clips on Youtube of it 2014. Some of the scenes and the instrumentals were really eerie and mysterious when the three CIA agents (two guys assuming Vaughn, another guy and the woman CIA agent was wearing glasses) driving around by the modern homes/apartment, a big parking lot by the hotel or an apartment complex, parking garage, car park and hotel (scene were the CIA agents in a black vehicle are driving southwards on a busy street what looked like a residential area with this overcast/sunny sky look. The first half of the twenty minutes of the episode were sunny then it transitioned to an overcast cloudy look for the remainder of the episode. I believe face was in a limo. There were people in suits dressed up. In a building later on it looked like someone was having a birthday party and there was a shootout coming out of a parking garage and I believe those were Chow's men (either a red or regular globe lamppost outside the parking garage). There was a psychic too. There's a photo I saw on someones review for this episode (before Hannibal, Murdock, and BA started investigating Faces Pardon they were at a park like the one from "The Sherrif's of Rivertown"). What looked like the twenty-five minute mark, the gang meets up with Face in a parking garage and he's wearing a trenchcoat with a 1960's style hat. What looked like the climax or the lead up to the climax took place in the evening with Chow and his men at an apartment complex,office building,hotel complex with the lights on looking in from the outside with very cloudy sky. I recall hearing that Ba's ride music que (that was previously used in The Battle of Bel Air as the gang made their escape) and seeing a chopper used towards the end of the episode.