Cowboy George - Episode 76

[amyk]

I watched this one tonight. I give it a 6 on the Sidney scale, although that may be ranking it a bit high. But I do laugh a lot when watching this one, so I consider it "Very Good - entertaining, and can watch again." It starts to drag with too many Culture Club songs, but at least they do have some other action going on during one of the songs. Anyway, Murdock's obsession with the Lennon Sisters is funny, Face is funny thinking he's going to make the team a fortune and then getting scammed himself, and of course "Cynthia" is pretty funny, too! This episode also shows that indeed people do sometimes get killed on the show, although they don't ever show anyone directly getting killed. (The sheriff in this one was killed.) I even think some of the stuff with Boy George is funny, especially how the guy who runs the Floor 'Em is complaining about the crowd not wanting some "English glitter prince" (I think that may be his words?).

[HoudiniDerek]

You're right. He said "English glitter prince."

[amyk]

This may be my favorite episode of any where guest stars play themselves.

[HoudiniDerek]

I always thought Boy George seemed forced at times to be part of the plot. I think he did a good job, but it came off as flat at times.

But it's probably between him and Hulk Hogan for me.

[amyk]

One thing I like with Boy George is how Face actually owes him 1.2 million dollars or whatever, and then he agrees to lower it to $600,000. And I like how Boy George, although he was a big star at the time, is going to have to open for "Cowboy George," and how the Floor 'Em guy isn't interested in having Boy George but only wants Cowboy George.

But I do agree that he has to be sort of forced into the plot. There really is no plausible reason to even have him in the episode, as they could have done it without him and had Cowboy George not show up, which would have led to Hannibal having to portray him (as he did anyway), and there didn't even need to be any Boy George involved. So I do think it shows that the producers were getting desperate to do something to try to increase ratings by bringing in a big name like Boy George.

Or maybe Boy George was just a big A-TEAM fan in real life and wanted to be on the show. Wouldn't that be interesting to know? And I would be interested to know what he or others from Culture Club thought about being on the show.

[Bert]

Nobody:
Nobody at all:
Not a single soul in the universe:
God:
Satan: Lol I'm gonna tank the ratings
Stephen J. Cannell, apparently: Dude let's ground the episode to a halt for an entire Culture Club song.
Me: Oh yeah, that's why I only watched this episode once.

Yeah I'm not a fan of this one, but I don't care about Boy George or Culture Club so that probably didn't help. L.Q. Jones made a good bad guy though.

[HoudiniDerek]

Jun 7, 2019 0:14:49 GMT -5 Bert said:

Nobody:
Nobody at all:
Not a single soul in the universe:
God:
Satan: Lol I'm gonna tank the ratings
Stephen J. Cannell, apparently: Dude let's ground the episode to a halt for an entire Culture Club song.
Me: Oh yeah, that's why I only watched this episode once.

Yeah I'm not a fan of this one, but I don't care about Boy George or Culture Club so that probably didn't help. L.Q. Jones made a good bad guy though.

I am a music eclectic, so I didn't mind the songs, but I like them better when they are covering the action. The part at the end was great because everyone was being less antagonistic towards the group, but the freeze frames of the team enjoying it were just pointless.

[amyk]

Well, the whole show became kind of "over-musical" in the fourth season, between Stevie Faith (although only one song at the beginning of that episode), and Rick James/Isaac Hayes/Elvis in another episode, and then of course Boy George and the Culture Club. It's the MTV Generation that did it I guess.

[Bert]

Jun 7, 2019 20:31:06 GMT -5 amyk said:

Well, the whole show became kind of "over-musical" in the fourth season, between Stevie Faith (although only one song at the beginning of that episode), and Rick James/Isaac Hayes/Elvis in another episode, and then of course Boy George and the Culture Club. It's the MTV Generation that did it I guess.

I half expected Meat Loaf to show up at one point. Which would've been awesome, because Meat Loaf is awesome and probably would've done a really awesome job.

I couldn't get to sleep the other night so I started daydreaming about what such an episode would be like. 

Titled "Dead Ringer for Loaf" (geddit?), the episode would be grounded somewhat in reality: Meat Loaf, who was in a dire financial situation at the time of the series' airing (he declared bankruptcy in 1986 I believe), is being targeted by a vicious loan shark named Rocco Westmoreland. Westmoreland's right-hand man in a brutal assassin named Maximo and has been given free reign to assassinate Meat Loaf on sight. During a concert in which part of the stage collapses, Meat Loaf, fearing for his life, hires the A-Team as his security team. Since this was a later-season episode, the team does it for free because Meat Loaf is so freaking awesome and amazing.

Despite Hannibal's protests, Meat Loaf refuses to cancel the tour because he needs the money. Maximo tracks the troupe to the venue and attempts to kill the singer mid-concert, but Hannibal spots him and tackles Meat Loaf to the ground, narrowly avoiding the bullet. Maximo is pursued by Murdock and BA, who manages to stick a tracking device on his car. Once Meat Loaf is taken to safety, the A-Team confronts Westmoreland, warn him to back off and cancel Meat Loaf's debt. Westmoreland, as is par for the course, refuses.

Savvy as ever, Hannibal is well aware that Westmoreland will not back down. He comes up with the idea to take Meat Loaf's place on stage and sends Face out to scam him a suit and a long-haired wig. He does so, and shortly before the concert begins, Westmoreland and Maximo sneak into the venue. Maximo quickly discovers that the man on stage is certainly not Meat Loaf: it's actually Hannibal lip-miming to whatever Meat Loaf is saying. The bad guys find Meat Loaf in his dressing room, Westmoreland takes the microphone and demands that Hannibal and the rest of the A-Team meet with him. He gags Meat Loaf and steps out on stage, holding him at gunpoint while Maximo takes up a sniping position in the stands. Shortly before Maximo can assassinate Hannibal, he is discovered by BA, leading to a fistfight. The ruckus distracts Westmoreland, allowing Meat Loaf to wrestle away and ultimately throw him into the audience. Westmoreland and Maximo are arrested shortly thereafter.

With the bad guys defeated, the A-Team and Meat Loaf part ways. There is a weirdly anachronistic moment where Murdock remarks "I'd do anything for Loaf, but I won't do that!" Then the credits roll while a Wagnerian rock cover of The A-Team theme plays.

GUEST STARS:
Meat Loaf as himself
The Neverland Express as themselves
Gary Busey and Maximo
Michael Richards as Rocco Westmoreland
Your dad as concertgoer #7

I think we can all agree that this would be a way better episode than Cowboy George.

[amyk]

Sounds like you've got yourself a fanfiction right there!

[quartermaster22]

Nov 29, 2018 20:00:32 GMT -5 @macgyver56 said:

I don't know if Boy George wanted to be on The A-Team. But Fred Astaire actually requested to guest star on Battlestar Galactica because of his grandson who loved the show.

I think it was the same with Boy George. His nephew or someone was a big fan of the show, which is why he wanted to be on it. This episode is pretty bad, but in the "so bad it's good" kind of way. I give it a 4/10.

[amyk]

But it has pregnant Murdock! That has to earn it a few points!

[Eclipse139]

I rewatched this one today. I have very strong memories of it and I've already watched it again recently anyway... unfortunately, even repeat viewings don't make it any better! 

Don't get me wrong, the scenes with the team in are all great fun. I loved it at the start of the ep with Murdock bored senseless by Face talking about his dodgy accounting. I also thought it was good to see Hannibal admit he didn't spot when that they were being set up when they were jailed for the robbery. And I love the idea that BA, of all people, really likes Culture Club!

Murdock's obsession with The Lennon Sisters was funny and also a little sad at the same time - I thought Face was a bit mean to use it to make him shut up when they first went to the radio station. Also, of course, Murdock was brilliant as a pregnant woman! I love that Hannibal picked up on the plan immediately and instantly created the character of 'her' husband.

However, despite all that, I can't overlook Boy George. He's just so out of place here and his acting is appalling! It looks like he was having fun on the show and I guess he never claimed to be an actor, but for me it just ruins every scene he's in. I don't mind the music so much - I grew up listening to Culture Club and their contemporaries - although there's probably one too many songs in this ep which take away from the action in places.

As has already been mentioned in this thread, Season 4 seems to have been the season of musical guest stars and this one really stands out as a crowbarred in guest appearance that really wasn't needed. Having said that, if Boy George asked to be on the show (as has been speculated) then why not?

[amyk]

When you wrote "it just doesn't get any better!" I thought at first you meant that you didn't think the A-TEAM gets any better than this episode, i.e. that you thought this was one of the best episodes! But I think you mean that this episode does not get any better no matter how many times you watch it.

[Eclipse139]

Nov 2, 2020 23:04:06 GMT -5 amyk said:

When you wrote "it just doesn't get any better!" I thought at first you meant that you didn't think the A-TEAM gets any better than this episode, i.e. that you thought this was one of the best episodes! But I think you mean that this episode does not get any better no matter how many times you watch it.

Oh goodness me, no!   Definitely not one of the best eps, not even close!  I'll edit my original post, or people might think I'm crazier than Murdock!