Members Only - Episode 75

[amyk]

Watched this one tonight. This is an episode that I feel like I used to really like, or at least that I liked it more than I do now. I'm only giving it a 3 on the Sidney scale ("of limited quality"). I want to like it in some ways, but there are so many things about it that rub me the wrong way. Some good things about it are:

1) I do like Face trying to become a member of an exclusive club like this, and I think this is typical Face.
2) I like that Face spent two months creating Ashley Hemmings.
3) I like the interactions between "Chuck" and Face before we learn that Chuck is a bad guy.
4) I like it when Face knocks over the statue.
5) I like Adrienne's mom trying to set her up with Face when she thinks he is a hot-shot lawyer.
6) I like that Hannibal is able to make that golf shot without any assistance from BA, out of the sand pit and into the hole.


But here are things about the episode which I don't like:
1) I don't really like it that Murdock is there as a guest of Dr. Richter and that it is apparently something he does every Friday. I feel like this is the beginning of Murdock sort of replacing Face's character in some way, and that this is brought full circle in THE SPY WHO MUGGED ME.
2) I hate how BA thinks all rich people are crooks and while I know he has no interest in being rich, I find his attitude very off-putting.
3) I think it is kind of cartoonish the way they have the golf balls go with BA's device, and especially the strange sound effect that accompanies that.
4) I think it is weird that a general in the army would be a member of a fancy country club like this. Does he really make that much money? And does he always bring along an army subordinate to get his shower going?
5) I think the roast for an army general is also kind of weird, and especially having Shecky Greene there as apparently a good friend of Bull Fulbright.
6) But probably the thing that bugs me more than anything else about this episode is how the team terrifies innocent people at the roast by shooting off their guns like that and Hannibal getting up and speaking at the roast. And then I guess we assume that the team just makes their escape. I just don't think Hannibal would risk something this public just to get back at Fulbright (or even Decker). I could see Hannibal taunting Fulbright in some other way, but this event just does not seem the place for him to do that. Also, is this the same roast that was going on before Fulbright was chasing Face, or was that roast rescheduled and is this supposed to be a different day?

[amyk]

I think this episode showed that it was not only Face who was a fake, but multiple people at the Beverly Bay club were fakes! Even Frank the caddy mentioned something about how multiple people are not even members of the club but get snuck into it.

[HoudiniDerek]

Nov 19, 2018 23:28:38 GMT -5 amyk said:

I think this episode showed that it was not only Face who was a fake, but multiple people at the Beverly Bay club were fakes! Even Frank the caddy mentioned something about how multiple people are not even members of the club but get snuck into it.

I've always liked this episode. It makes me think of Caddyshack. Maybe a nod to it?

[superfandomqueen]

I found it very funny. Some details were meh, but overall an entertaining episode. The effort Face put into being Ashley Hemmings was priceless. (Though I think some of this probably helped the idea of a take on *Don't Impress Me Much* by Shania Twain with the POV being the team's towards Face's scams/aliases where they prefer the real Face.)

[Eclipse139]

I rewatched this episode yesteday. I do really like it, despite its flaws. It's also one I have really strong memories of watching years ago.

I think it's a really interesting (and totally believable) insight into Face's character that he would spend two months creating Ashley Hemmings, just to get into the exclusive country club. He really wants to mix with the type of people who would be members of a place like that. I love how desperate he is to impress everyone and how quickly he realises his dream is slipping through his fingers after each new disaster! The scene where he has a shower fully clothed and then tries to explain it away is so funny.

I don't like that Murdock has never mentioned to Face before that he goes to the club every Friday with Dr Richter - was he deliberately keeping it a secret? If so, why? If he thought Face might get upset or jealous, why was he so weird and kind of smug about it when Face showed up with Hannibal?

The 'magic' golf balls were silly - although it's a fun idea that BA would be able to build something to control them remotely, the way they moved was too unrealistic.

I love that they used the scene when Murdock's parachute falls over his face as he's in the middle of delivering his line and they didn't do another take.

It doesn't necessarily make sense that Fulbright was a member of the same club, but it is funny... just when Face thought things couldn't get any worse!

It's a bit confusing as it seems the dinner in Fulbright's honour is in full swing when Face accidentally walks in, but then suddenly he's dressed as a waiter and Fulbright recognises him and so they chase after him, but it's only later (after the baddies have been caught etc. and Hannibal is preparing to give his speech) that we see Face getting dressed as a waiter - so is it the same event? Or is it Day 2 of the event? (I can't believe Fulbright is that important!) I think it must have been something that was changed in the editing room for some reason.

[amyk]

Maybe they had to cancel the event and reschedule it to another night?

I love that they used the scene when Murdock's parachute falls over his face as he's in the middle of delivering his line and they didn't do another take.

I can't even really think what you are talking about here. For some reason I'm not even really remembering Murdock and a parachute except that maybe he lands in a golf cart?

[HoudiniDerek]

I haven't seen this episode in a while, but I think it's believable that Fulbright is a member. Generals are not exactly something every military cadet attains, so it is prestigious. Plus, we don't know Fulbright's background. Maybe he comes from a rich family or was in business prior to the military? He could be an investor or a special consultant in Hollywood or anything. I think it's more likely that Fulbright would be there than Murdock.

[Eclipse139]

You're remembering it correctly, Amy.  Murdock does land on a golf cart with his parachute in that scene.

Nov 1, 2020 9:12:35 GMT -5 HoudiniDerek said:

I haven't seen this episode in a while, but I think it's believable that Fulbright is a member. Generals are not exactly something every military cadet attains, so it is prestigious. Plus, we don't know Fulbright's background. Maybe he comes from a rich family or was in business prior to the military? He could be an investor or a special consultant in Hollywood or anything. I think it's more likely that Fulbright would be there than Murdock.

It's believable that Fulbright is a member of a country club, it's just a huge coincidence that he's a member of the one Face is trying to join! You'd think Face would have checked the list of members during the two months he was planning his application.  Murdock is only there as a guest so I don't feel it's unreasonable for him to be there, but I don't like that he's never told Face about it - it sounds as though it's a long standing arrangement with Dr Richter.

[Katia]

Nov 17, 2018 23:06:18 GMT -5 amyk said:

But here are things about the episode which I don't like:
1) I don't really like it that Murdock is there as a guest of Dr. Richter and that it is apparently something he does every Friday. I feel like this is the beginning of Murdock sort of replacing Face's character in some way, and that this is brought full circle in THE SPY WHO MUGGED ME.

See, I thought both of those things were actually meant for Murdock to get a dig in at Face, for humor-- in this episode, Face wants so badly to be at the club and is trying so hard to earn a place and be the personable guy who gets there, and then it turns out Murdock-- the insane weird guy-- has managed it without any effort.  As far as "Spy Who..." everyone would expect Face to play that role, so the fact that it's Murdock turns expectations on their head and is another disappointment for Face, who is taken down a couple notches again.  (Also, "Spy Who" makes a bigger role for now-sane-and-more-serious Murdock, and shows us a side of Murdock we didn't expect-- that he can seem "normal" and even suave.  Besides, I could totally see insane!Murdock having a James Bond schtick... I keep meaning to write that some time.)

Nov 17, 2018 23:06:18 GMT -5 amyk said:

6) But probably the thing that bugs me more than anything else about this episode is how the team terrifies innocent people at the roast by shooting off their guns like that and Hannibal getting up and speaking at the roast. And then I guess we assume that the team just makes their escape. I just don't think Hannibal would risk something this public just to get back at Fulbright (or even Decker). I could see Hannibal taunting Fulbright in some other way, but this event just does not seem the place for him to do that. Also, is this the same roast that was going on before Fulbright was chasing Face, or was that roast rescheduled and is this supposed to be a different day?

Not at all surprising.  After all, what is pretty much the first thing we see Hannibal do at the beginning of the first episode of the whole series?  He jeopardizes their escape so he can humiliate Lynch.  That is just the kind of thing Hannibal does.

May 12, 2020 13:43:29 GMT -5 superfandomqueen said:

I found it very funny. Some details were meh, but overall an entertaining episode. The effort Face put into being Ashley Hemmings was priceless. (Though I think some of this probably helped the idea of a take on *Don't Impress Me Much* by Shania Twain with the POV being the team's towards Face's scams/aliases where they prefer the real Face.)

That might be a cute episode, where Face puts on a bunch of fake acts to impress a woman, only to find out in the end that she prefers who he really is... But maybe that trope is overdone. Still, there might be a funny way to put an A-Team spin on it. Maybe at the very end she rejects him, and he's like, "I don't know what I did wrong" and she tells him or someone else, "well if you/he were more like X and Y, I'd like you," and he's staring after her sadly going, "...but X and Y are what I'm really like..."

Oct 31, 2020 16:31:44 GMT -5 Eclipse139 said:

I don't like that Murdock has never mentioned to Face before that he goes to the club every Friday with Dr Richter - was he deliberately keeping it a secret? If so, why? If he thought Face might get upset or jealous, why was he so weird and kind of smug about it when Face showed up with Hannibal?

This is another one of those "how close are the four of them, really" inconsistencies... this is another one where it would imply they only interact for jobs, for the most part, whereas others make it seem like they're friends and do things together other times, too.  Then again, it might be weird if Murdock was busy giving them a play-by-play of everything he's up to all the time.  (And, does Murdock know Face is trying to get into that club?  If he did, I could see him mentioning it-- "Oh yeah, that place-- I'm there every week," but if he doesn't, maybe he wouldn't see a point.  Or maybe he wouldn't rub it in Face's, well, face that he goes to an exclusive country club.)

[amyk]

I think that we fans probably have imagined the team being something more like always being together on a daily basis or at least weekly, but maybe they really do only mainly see each other when they are going on missions. It could be somewhat risky if they are constantly interacting with each other and for security (avoiding the MPs), maybe it's better if they don't hang out on a regular basis with one another.