Mexican Slayride is often lambasted for "fake Face", Tim Dunigan, so I figure we get critique of him out of the way first. Although Dirk Benedict is easily the better Face of the two, Dunigan does a more than passable job here. All of the Face hallmarks besides his womanising is nicely set-up, especially his friendship with Murdock.
The other characters are nicely introduced through the eyes of Amy Allen. The initial reluctance to look up the A-Team, and their reputation, one shrouded in mystery, adds here a certain air that The A-Team loses once it becomes a real hit show.
The members of the A-Team are urban legends, their specialities nicely described by Amy's reporter colleague. Face is "Mr. Ricky-Ticky", Hannibal the unorthodox leader and B.A. the angry mudsucker technician. Rumours are afloat about who they are and what they do, a nice contrast to the team's later fame. The offhand line of them breaking a senator's son out of a Turkish prison immediately intrigues.
The plot is simple but effective. It is essentially a vehicle to set-up the characters, as a good pilot episode should do. The relationships between all the characters are established, their quirks (such as B.A.'s fear of flying) and all the other elements that would be a recurring part of the show.
A show like this comes along once every decade and it is indicative of the spirit of that time. Had this been the pilot for a current show it would've been thrown to the rubbish shortly after airing. On the other hand, today's television climate could've made something out of this show that would've allowed it to go on longer than it did.
Namely, the characters and situations set up in this pilot are rife with dramatic potential. Similarly, the team's manner of operating is quite frankly, badass. It's the only episode that truly delves into the way the team selects their clients, and the way the team comes together. The code language Hannibal uses over the radio to gather the team is brilliant. We can never be sure what would've happened to The A-Team had it been created in today's climate, but I believe it could've outdone itself even more. As it stands, The A-Team, although it became progressively cartoony, is still an outstanding show, and a personal favourite.
Polished to the today's standards however, Mexican Slayride could've been a cinematic adventure. The characters draw you in and never let go. They have a mysterious edge to them that you can only feel as you meet them for the first time. They're quirky, they're adventurous and delightfully funny.
The next time you see this episode, think not of what it lead to. Heck, do not think of it as an episode, think of it as a movie. Let yourself be blown away again in a manner you did not think of before.moreless
EDIT
Episode Summary
A desperate, but ambitious newspaper reporter, Amy Allen, wants to prove the existence of the A-Team, four ex GIs that help people in need. When she finds them she hires them, because her co-worker Al Massey is missing in Mexico.
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Dwight Schultz
Captain H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock
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George Peppard
Col. John "Hannibal" Smith
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Mr. T
Sgt. Bosco "B.A." Baracus
Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions
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Trivia
ADD TRIVIA- Goof: In the pilot episode, Hannibal is officially a Lieutenant-Colonel from the US Army. However, in "Firing Line" (episode 3, season 5) Hannibal is a Colonel. Edit
- We learn a lot about Murdock in this episode, including: His mother died when he was five, He has been diagnosed with paranoid delusions and intermittent memory loss, and that He was in the Thunderbirds before the Vietnam War. Edit
- Murdock's Shirt: "Napoleon" Edit
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Notes
ADD NOTES- During the opening credits of most episodes, you can see a "Cylon Warrior" pass by Dirk Benedict. Cylons were his enemies as "Starbuck" in the cast of the 1978-1979 series "Battlestar Galactica". Edit
- The original Face was played by a different actor, Tim Dunigan. Edit
- Music: Jumpin' Jack Flash, by The Rolling Stones Edit
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Quotes
ADD QUOTES- Hannibal: Here we are, there they are. I love it when a plan comes together. Edit
- Col. Lynch: Well, who are we today? Harold Lloyd? King Kong? Napoleon's parrot? Murdock: I'm not nuts. I keep telling everybody. Don't you think I wanna get out of here and see E.T., just like everybody else? Edit
- B.A.: (About Hannibal) You learn to love him, Mama. But it takes a long time. Amy: That's the same thing he said about you. Edit
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Allusions
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Replies
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season 5 was awful!
02/15/114
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Did anyone really like Franky Santana????
02/15/119
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Who was your favorite character on the show?
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is there any channels still playing......
01/08/111
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Trying to find an episode
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