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Airwolf

To Snare a Wolf

Season 1, Episode 12, Aired Apr 14, 1984

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Hawke and Dominic are filming for an Air Force training film when Archangel warns them that ruthless, hi-ranking Government agent D.G. Bogard, is planning to use a newly launched high-intensity satellite to uncover the hiding location of Airwolf. Hawke and Dom plan to hide Airwolf somewhere else until the satellite has passed over, but when a female pilot appears on the scene, pretending to be stranded in the desert but really trying for a job at Santini Air, Hawke becomes suspicious that she may be working for Bogard...moreless

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Cast & Crew

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GUEST STAR
Kathleen Lloyd

Toni Donatelli
GUEST STAR
Lance LeGault

D.G. Bogard
GUEST STAR
Jeff MacKay

Sergeant Willie Nash

Ernest Borgnine

Dominic Santini
Alex Cord

Michael 'Archangel' Coldsmith-Briggs III
Jan-Michael Vincent

Stringfellow Hawke

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Fan Episode Reviews (1)

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Hawke and Dom are shooting an Air Force training film, when Archangel warns that a ruthless agent will use a powerful satellite to locate Airwolf. As they hide the Lady, Hawke suspects a "stranded" pilot Dom picks up. Classic ending to a great season...moreless

10

"Perfect"

By Jay-Spacedust, May 16, 2011

This review contains moderate spoilers.

'To Snare a Wolf' is a terrific finale to the very strong first season of 'Airwolf'. It feels to bookend the season perfectly, with a ruthless Government agent determined to locate Airwolf and return it, so that he may get the glory.

This episode is often joked about by some TV fans, wondering if there was a bus trip visit from the cast of 'Magnum, p.i.' when this episode was filmed! Indeed, it has three recurring performers from that series: Lance LeGault played hard-nosed Colonel "Buck" Green (and is most recognisable to many viewers as Colonel Decker from the second, third and fourth seasons (and one fifth season episode) of 'The A-Team); Kathleen Lloyd played D.A. Carol Baldwin, and Jeff MacKay played Lt. "Mac" MacReynolds, conman Jim Bonnick, and Mac's ghost(!) in that series.
Incidentally, both LeGault and MacKay would also go on to appear in the next episode of 'Airwolf' (first episode of the second season), 'Sweet Britches', in different roles. LeGault also played yet another character in the far inferior third season instalment 'Wildfire'.

When the show was coming up to be renewed for a second season, creator Donald P. Bellisario was coming under a lot of pressure from "the powers that be" to implement a lot of changes, including the introduction of a regular female cast member. So I've long wondered if Kathleen Lloyd was introduced as pilot Toni Donatelli in this episode with a view for her to continue in such a role (she is looking for a job at Santini Air, and at the end, he offers one to her as well as Archangel looking to employ her). However, the character never appears or is mentioned in the series again; instead, in the second season opener, we are introduced to Jean Bruce Scott, who soon becomes a regular as Caitlin O'Shaughnessy.

Although, as with many TV shows of the era, the tempo is a little slower here-and-there than today's tighter-paced equivalents, for the most part, this episode has always kept me engrossed throughout, and has stood up to many, MANY re-viewings, ever since I recorded it from my local ITV region (scissor-happy LWT) when the series was re-run in the mid-1990s.

The episode typifies the well-conducted, often rather sophisticated feel that is present through nearly all of the first season (and something that, despite the second season's own qualities, would sadly start to wear away from the series as it continued). Lance LeGault is always good value for money as a nemesis, and delivers the goods here, and the overall plot is a good one in fact, better than it probably sounds on paper.

The climatic sequence, with Hawke flying Airwolf through the bomb-run, is really spectacular, and made it into the 1985 Guinness Book of Records for the largest use of live explosives at one time for filming of a TV series. This impressive sequence makes up for the *terrible*, ancient stock footage satellite effect (which seems to literally be made out of cardboard!!) seen elsewhere in the story (as well as the obvious stock footage, complete with severe scratch down one side, of the initial bombs falling).

All-in-all, this is the perfect conclusion to a really impressive first season. Sadly (as mentioned above), various changes would appear for the second season, lightening the moody feel and altering the general vibe of the show somewhat before long (although still had a number of strong episodes). For a great conclusion to the first season, I give 'To Snare a Wolf' a perfect 10/10.

---First season review---
Although obviously dated a little in some of its staging and pacing (though not as severely as some other TV offerings from the era), in many ways, the first season of 'Airwolf' feels to be somewhat ahead of it's time with regards to its mood and what it attempted. Back then, most action-adventure shows consisted mostly of hi-jinx and were very much tongue-in-cheek, but 'Airwolf' attempted to be something more, with a moody, often quite dark vibe to the proceedings, and a much more political-based edge to most of the stories. I also love Bellisario's trademark religious undertones that are present throughout the season.

Although the Pilot is maybe a little bit dragged out in my personal opinion, it sets both the scenario, and the general tone of the season, very well, and gives us a great, twisted genius villain in Dr. Moffet (David Hemmings). After the Pilot, comes the only real dud of the season, 'Daddy's Gone a Hunt'n'; this is an unusually loose-footed (and rather uninteresting) first season episode. It wasn't even the first hour-long episode to be filmed, so I can't help but wonder why they didn't choose one of the other, much stronger instalments to kick the regular series off.
Thankfully, things soon pick up considerably, with the terrific 'Bite of the Jackal' (actually the first hour-long episode to be filmed), in which Dominic is stranded, in a trap set to capture Airwolf. Other strong stories soon followed standouts include 'Echoes From the Past', 'Mind of the Machine' and the above reviewed season finale, 'To Snare a Wolf'.

Of course, there are lesser episodes, such as 'One Way Express' and 'Fight Like a Dove', but even these are still generally passable. And some have even improved with time I didn't used to care much for 'Proof Through the Night', but now I really like it.

Although he has had his publicised troubles since the series ended, here in the first season, Jan-Michael Vincent is perfectly moody as the dark, haunted Stringfellow Hawke. Likewise, Alex Cord puts in a good performance as the likeable-yet-totally-untrustworthy Archangel, and adding just the right amount of humour without upsetting the balance screen legend Ernest Borgnine rounds things out as Dominic.

One can only wonder how the show would have continued and evolved if the enforced changes hadn't been implemented. But either way, the first season stands as a strong, and sometimes quite experimental time capsule from 1984.moreless
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TRIVIA (3)
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- The scene where Dominic picks Hawke up from the top of the B-52, where Hawke's just hidden Airwolf underneath the wing, is a good chance to spot a stunt double for Jan-Michael Vincent, and a pilot double for Ernest Borgnine.
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- The shots of the satellite in orbit are very unconvincing, using old methods of what looks like a cardboard / matte painting of the satellite in orbit of an equally unconvincing backdrop. (The shot is no doubt stock footage that is much older than this TV series!)
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- The rocket launching the satellite at the beginning of the episode uses one of the same sound effects as used for Airwolf.
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QUOTES (2)
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- (searching the cabin of the Santini Air chopper) Dominic: What're you looking for? (Hawke finds a concealed object that he holds up) Dominic: Hey what's that? Looks like a thermometer. Hawke: Yeah... and she knew where to stick it!! It's a homing beacon.
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- (landing at their rendezvous with Archangel) Dominic: D'you think he has that chopper washed every day? Hawke: Probably with him in it.
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NOTES (11)
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- This episode made it into the 1985 'Guinness Book Of Records' for the bomb-run sequence at the climax of the story, for the largest use of live explosives at one time in a television series – something which also gained coverage and publicity during it's filming.
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- Bogard's pilot is played by Peter J. McKernan, who was actually one of Airwolf's stunt pilots. He can also be glimpsed in the second season episode 'HX 1'.
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- Also time-line wise, Hawke claims to Bogard that Airwolf was destroyed in Libya "a few months ago".
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- Talking into her dictaphone after Dominic leaves her at Hawke's cabin, Toni gives the date as April 14th – the date that this episode was originally broadcast on, in 1984!Dating episodes on the exact day they were first broadcast seemed to be a running thing in the first season, – the same had happened previously in the season in 'Echos From The Past'.
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- Some dialogue between Archangel and Hawke, from the scene where they meet for Archangel to warn of the danger of Bogard's satellite scan, is used in the opening trailer but is not used within the scene in the actual episodes. (Two lines - Hawke: "Maybe he will get me", Archangel: "(If) he gets you, he gets Airwolf")
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- The character of Toni, despite getting a job at Santini Air at the end of the episode (as well as being offered one by Archangel!), is never seen or mentioned again in the series. At the start of the next season, Bellisario introduced pilot Caitlin O'Shannessy; whether Toni was an early template of such a character (or if she was ever considered a longer run in the show) is anyone's guess.
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- ...and Kathleen Lloyd ("Toni" Donatelli) played re-occuring Assistant D.A. Carol Baldwin in seasons 4-8 of 'Magnum, P.I.'.
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- Lance LeGault, best recognised for playing re-occurring Colonel Roderick Decker in pursuit of 'The A-Team' (seasons 2-4, plus a cameo in season 5), plays D.G. Bogard, in the first of three guest roles in 'Airwolf' (the other two being the first episode of the next season, 'Sweet Britches', and the third season's 'Wildfire'). Previous to being seen in this role, he is heard narrating the 'File A56-7W' opening narration. LeGault also played the re-occuring Colonel 'Buck' Greene in 'Magnum, P.I.. In fact (see below) this episode seems almost like a few of the Magnum regulars had a day trip onto the Airwolf set!...
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- ...Jeff MacKay (Sergeant Nash) played Lt. 'Mac' MacReynolds in Bellisario's other hit, 'Magnum, P.I.', who was killed off in the third season only to re-appear as look-alike con-man Jim 'Mac' Bonnick from the fifth season onwards.
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- The rocket launching the satellite at the beginning of the episode uses one of the same sound effects as used for Airwolf.
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- This is the last episode to use the 'File A56-7W' opening narration after the opening credits.
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ALLUSIONS (0)
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