Bad Time on the Border - Episode #18

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Original Air Date: October 18, 1983

Written By: Richard Christian Matheson & Thomas E Szollosi

Sidney's Rating Scale : 9

Sorry, I forgot to post this yesterday

I really like this episode - it is a great Murdock one.   Some great lines and scenes and of course I love that Murdock was the one to come up with the new plan when the first did not work.   

your thoughts?

[amyk]

Watched this one tonight...I give it an 8 on the Sidney scale. I don't really know for sure why it doesn't reach a 9 or a 10 for me, because I really do like it a lot. But it just misses the 9-10 ranking. One thing I don't like about it is how Hannibal acts so surprised that Murdock came up with a plan.

My favorite scene is probably BA helping that little boy to hit the baseball, and of course how sweet BA is then to Maria. I also always love the "I'm Donny.....and this is Marie" part!

Murdock has a lot to do in this episode, even pulling off the helicopter scam without Face. But in a sense, I feel like he more or less just confuses the helicopter guy rather than even really scamming the helicopter from him....poor guy didn't know what hit him!

[Deleted]

All the Murdock stuff is what makes it a 9 for me - but totally agree- I don't like that Hannibal doesn't believe that Murdock came up with the plan.
Love the I'm Donny and this is Marie - line
I also love how Face tries to be all fancy and sauve on his fancy boat - yet gets sea sick. BA too - probably the one time he wishes they would have flown

I agree - getting the chopper was less scam and more talk and talk and confuse the poor guy. I absolutely love that scene because if you watch it is all one continuous shot - no break always or camera cuts - so Dwight did that whole monologue in one take - awesome! and for the other guy not to start cracking up - kudos to him,

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I also love how little Maria has Face wrapped around her finger, and his speech in the bar about making her smile again.

[amyk]

I love it when Face becomes a bit "dark Face," with his line about using other people's misery to make money or whatever he says.

[HoudiniDerek]

I don't watch this episode often, but we sat and watched it tonight. Not a great attention grabber for the boys and it had its dark moments. Not just the slavery part, but even Taggart saying he would keep the woman for his own. And if she dies, oh well. Goes over the head of kids, but still pretty dark, although likely not untrue in real life situations like that.

I do like this one. I think my favorite part is Hannibal taking the gun and expecting the guys to be there. Definitely a time the plan did NOT go as planned for Hannibal. His jokes towards Taggart were great. Additionally, this fight scene between Hannibal and Jack Ging was much better than A SMALL AND DEADLY WAR.

I liked the team having to rescue Hannibal and each doing their part. I think it's funny that Hannibal doesn't think Murdock could come up with the plan. It never really bothers me that he doesn't believe it. I just think he is used to Murdock being there in support for the most part.

One thing I do NOT like about the episode is after they capture Prince. Murdock dumps change on the bar and tells the bartender something to the effect: "I bet you've never seen that much change." To me, that was very offensive. As someone who was working in a bar, I'm sure he's seen more money go through, especially with Prince's dirty money. It just made it seem like Mexican workers were inferior somehow. Rubbed me the wrong way.

I like the parts with B.A. and Maria.

I wonder how Amy felt when Tawnia went from bikini bombshell to her replacement. I wonder how Tawnia felt about moving up.

I actually prefer Herman to Therm. I feel Therm is sort of a rehash later on, but at least here, Murdock had been reading MOBY DICK so the tie-in was better.

Not one of my favorite episodes, but better than I had remembered.

[amyk]

I never really understand the part about "bet you've never seen that much change" or why Murdock said it. But sometimes Murdock just says things so maybe he didn't really mean anything offensive by it.

I know people don't seem to really like Marla Heasley that much, but she at least must have done her job here well enough to be considered to become a regular on the show later. And same with Jack Ging, to be in the show multiple times as multiple characters. I don't know this for sure, but I always get a feeling that if an actor did their job well, no matter how big or how small the part, maybe SJC sort of remembered them down the road and maybe even gave them some preferential treatment, not in a bad way, but as a bit of a reward for their hard work. Not sure if this is making sense, as I'm getting tired.....

[HoudiniDerek]

Apr 11, 2020 22:01:37 GMT -5 amyk said:

I never really understand the part about "bet you've never seen that much change" or why Murdock said it. But sometimes Murdock just says things so maybe he didn't really mean anything offensive by it.

I know people don't seem to really like Marla Heasley that much, but she at least must have done her job here well enough to be considered to become a regular on the show later. And same with Jack Ging, to be in the show multiple times as multiple characters. I don't know this for sure, but I always get a feeling that if an actor did their job well, no matter how big or how small the part, maybe SJC sort of remembered them down the road and maybe even gave them some preferential treatment, not in a bad way, but as a bit of a reward for their hard work. Not sure if this is making sense, as I'm getting tired.....

I can see that. Plus, if they got along well with the other actors, why not bring them back on to the show? Makes it fun for everyone.

[amyk]

I think for those guest stars or even bit parts, what this kind of show needs are people who show up, know their lines, and do the job. They were filming at a fairly rapid pace and didn't have time for a lot of shenanigans from guest actors. They had enough drama to deal with it seems among the main stars!

[HoudiniDerek]

To me, this episode showcases some of the things we are seeing in society currently in the US. It has been immigration in the past, but I think you could easily slide racism into this episode. It has crooked cops too.

[amyk]

I think the heart of the issue is how do we view other people? By this I mean, if one views people who are different than them as inferior, then the "superior" person seems to think they don't have to treat the others in the same way that they themselves would want to be treated. And that is seen in this episode because the corrupt border patrol agent sees the Mexican people crossing the border as commodities to be traded rather than as human beings who are equal in dignity and value as him.

[HoudiniDerek]

Jun 11, 2020 18:03:34 GMT -5 amyk said:

I think the heart of the issue is how do we view other people? By this I mean, if one views people who are different than them as inferior, then the "superior" person seems to think they don't have to treat the others in the same way that they themselves would want to be treated. And that is seen in this episode because the corrupt border patrol agent sees the Mexican people crossing the border as commodities to be traded rather than as human beings who are equal in dignity and value as him.

I agree. Very well worded, Amy.

[Eclipse139]

Rewatched this one today, I've seen it a couple of times recently. It's another great episode. This is the other ep where the baddie is one of Fulbright's long lost brothers, of course! (And there's Tawnia's twin sister too )

I love how Hannibal throws himself into a very dangerous situation here. He takes a huge risk and he almost gets himself killed. He must have known there was a chance the team would not be there on time, so maybe he should've checked before he blew his cover! As you've said in this thread previously, it's odd that Hannibal doesn't believe the new plan is Murdock's idea, usually he has a lot of faith in his Captain.

I love Murdock scamming the helicopter on his own, the poor man can't do a thing about it.

The scene when BA phones the little girl and tells her to eat her greens is so sweet!

I do wish they'd pull those heavy blankets off Maria's mother who's supposedly "burning up" though!

[amyk]

Dopplegangers abound! I never pay much attention to those other gals with Marla Heasley.....do any of them reappear in other episodes?

Also, is this the episode where one of the women makes a carrot sandwich or something for Hannibal at the end and he makes some comment about that?

[HoudiniDerek]

Jul 10, 2020 22:55:00 GMT -5 amyk said:

Dopplegangers abound! I never pay much attention to those other gals with Marla Heasley.....do any of them reappear in other episodes?

Also, is this the episode where one of the women makes a carrot sandwich or something for Hannibal at the end and he makes some comment about that?

I think it is.