amyk
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Post by amyk on Apr 29, 2017 22:28:09 GMT -5
Watched this one tonight. I give it a 5 on the Sidney scale. I do really love the concept, but a lot of the episode falls flat. I especially hate how easily Murdock and B.A. are knocked out by the bad guys when those guys have Olie. But I like Olie, and I like the chance to see the team try to use non-violent means to win. Karl always aggravates me, though, because while he purports non-violence, and presumably loving one's enemy, the way I discern his character is that he seems to have some hatred in his heart against not only his enemy, Sykes, but sometimes even against Hannibal. I don't see it as him just standing for his convictions. Anyway, this is the way he comes across to me.
On a side note, anyone ever notice one of the extras in the scene at the beach when Eric is looking for the team who may be wearing the same outfit that the gal in STEEL wore when she and her Uncle Mickey were at the Universal Studios tour? Maybe it isn't the same, but it really reminded me of that outfit. I think it's pretty early in that scene, before Eric has even come across Hannibal (in his disguise).
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sidney
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Post by sidney on May 2, 2017 21:45:38 GMT -5
I find this one boring. I really do. And the plot hole of BA and Murdock being unconscious when the fire starts... To fall unconscious... Is that a concussion? How hard do you have to hit someone to make them actually be unconscious for an amount of time? To knock out both BA *AND* Murdock so easily, at the same time... And for the same duration? I don't know... That bugs me.
We've argued about this episode before, amyk. I don't even remember what we argued about.
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amyk
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Post by amyk on May 2, 2017 22:33:40 GMT -5
I don't remember really arguing about this episode, but I do think we've had some good discussions about the whole non-violence aspects and also about whether or not Karl really is a pacifist in his heart. See, to me, he just comes across so gruff and angry, not really at peace with himself or with others or with God. Maybe I'm just too judgmental of him.
I think one reason the episode falls flat (outside of the very implausible knocking out of both BA and Murdock conveniently) is because it could have been so much more. I think it would have been interesting, for example, to see Eric struggle within himself - if he fought in Vietnam, then what kind of restraing must he have had to withhold getting involved with the team in fighting the bad guys? What made him have those convictions? If we had seen him struggle about whether or not to join the team, even in using 'violent methods,' this could have made the whole episode more interesting. It also would have paralleled the movie FRIENDLY PERSUASION, where one of the characters does have that struggle and ends up shooting at someone for the first time in his life. That is a powerful part of that movie, to see his struggle with violence and also knowing he was going against his father. It would have been interesting to see Eric go against Karl and join the team in the fight.
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sidney
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Post by sidney on May 3, 2017 5:11:47 GMT -5
I didn't know the episode was based loosely on a movie! What a wonderful surprise! That's like BAD ROCK!
I think the pacifist was made to look like a fool, but Hannibal was still very much respectful.
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amyk
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Post by amyk on May 3, 2017 9:25:33 GMT -5
Yes, I do like the way Hannibal responds to Karl.
The episode title is a play on the movie title FRIENDLY PERSUASION. That is a movie about a Quaker (I think they are Quakers in it?) family during the time of the Civil War. Anthony Hopkins plays the son in the family, and he is the one who does end up going off to fight, against his family's wishes. It's a really sweet movie, with both comedy relief as well as some serious drama. They talk like they would have talked back then, at least for people of their religious beliefs, so lots of "thees" and "thous" but that makes it even more interesting, I think. I do recommend that film. I think it is from the 1950s. It is in color, but it is quite an older movie. Before Anthony Hopkins plays Norman Bates in PSYCHO anyway.
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sidney
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Post by sidney on May 7, 2017 7:30:20 GMT -5
haha... I don't know if I could put Normal Bates in a Quaker setting and make it believable!
Murdock and the nuts... You know, most of the time is *is* very much like Murdock is faking. But the way he was organizing the nuts in this episode was a little too convincing!
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amyk
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Post by amyk on May 7, 2017 16:24:20 GMT -5
Anthony Perkins is really good in the role. He was even nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actor in that role (but didn't win).
Yes, the nut group therapy seems a bit odd, even for Murdock, and I think what bothers me about it is that he's doing that when they really should be working. I think BA is right to get angry with him in this scene!
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sidney
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Post by sidney on May 14, 2017 20:06:02 GMT -5
Murdock is usually a good worker, too. Whenever they do those montage scenes, he is happily working. Maybe he was having some real compulsion issues here.
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amyk
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Post by amyk on May 15, 2017 22:19:27 GMT -5
Hmmm....that is interesting to ponder. Could he have been sort of stressed out about the whole non-violence thing?
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sidney
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Post by sidney on May 16, 2017 4:55:39 GMT -5
It could be. I don't know. He is awfully sensitive compared to the other guys. I think more likely it was unrelated. How was he grouping them again? Maybe that can help us figure it out.
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amyk
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Post by amyk on May 17, 2017 20:54:46 GMT -5
Well, it is a bit disturbing that he had a grouping for dead nuts, didn't he? I don't remember the other groupings right now.
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sidney
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Post by sidney on May 31, 2017 18:30:24 GMT -5
Psycho-analyze that!
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amyk
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Post by amyk on May 31, 2017 21:38:32 GMT -5
Maybe that can explain why Murdock was so easily knocked out....maybe he was suffering some kind of mental disturbance during this episode. It still doesn't explain why BA was so easily knocked out.
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Post by Paper Crane Song on Jun 10, 2017 2:33:02 GMT -5
Hi all, I noticed maybe a blooper in this episode - when BA, Face and Murdock head into town to get the lumber, Face points to the road and BA I guess is meant to pull away, but he can't get the truck moving and misses his cue. Face gives him a look and BA starts to smile, and then after a couple of seconds he pulls away. Kind of like that first season blooper where BA and Murdock are in the bin lorry (garbage truck) and BA stalls the lorry. I wondered if it was the same kind of thing.
Yeah, agree with other comments about this episode, it doesn't sit well. When I watched it, I was like, "cool, now we're gonna see how the A-Team comes up with a non-violent plan to beat the bad guys"... then when the episode finished, my husband and I were like.... "yeah... not so much....". Not cool, A-Team. Not cool.
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amyk
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Post by amyk on Jun 10, 2017 21:16:11 GMT -5
It would have been interesting if the team really did stick to their promise of not using violence and still managed to defeat the bad guys. Or if the only time they used any violence at all was when they had to in order to save Oly or get past the bad guys into the doctor's office with him.
I love those little moments in the show like what you mentioned.
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