The Checklist: The A-Team (S1 Ep7) “The Out-of-Towners”
On May 21st, 1952, Mr. T was born Laurence Turead in Chicago. In honor of Mr. T’s birthday, we decided to put another episode of The A-Team up to The Checklist challenge.
The first season of The A-Team only had 13 episodes as the show was a mid-season replacement. We are going to take a look at the 7th episode in Season One, entitled “The Out-of-Towners”.
- SYNOPSIS: The A-Team heads to New York to help some shop keepers who are the victims of extortion. The team sets up a fake TV repair shop as bait and soon it is The A-Team vs. East Side Charlie and his band of thugs. Can The A-Team get the shopkeepers their money back?
1. Were any catchphrases used?
Hannibal breaks out his “I love it when a plan comes together” line pretty early in this episode after two of East Side Charlie’s goons come to collect some “insurance money” at the grand opening of Triple A TV Repair. Face would later use the line towards the end of the show, the customary home of the catchphrase when he says, “Hannibal, I know you love it when a plan comes together.” 1/1
2. Did they have to knock out B.A. to get him to fly?
As you may or may not know, the character B.A. Baracus (Mr. T) is afraid to fly. The A-Team is based in Los Angeles, this episode was based in New York. B.A. was going to have to fly… while he agreed to give it a try, he started to show signs of panic as they were about to board the plane. Hannibal gives B.A. some pills for “air sickness” and moments later B.A. is passed out and being carried to the plane by Hannibal and Murdoch. 2/2
3. Was Hannibal in disguise?
Hannibal did disguise himself as a blind man who operated Triple A TV Repair… I’m not sure how as a blind man he was able to repair televisions, but extortionists don’t care about such details, they just want the money. 3/3
4. Were there any notable guest stars?
Charles F. Struthers aka “East Side Charlie” owns and operates the swanky Sugar Hill Club and is the boss of the extortion racket. Who better to play this character than the one and the only Yaphet Kotto? Action fans will remember Mr. Kotto from The Running Man and Eye of the Tiger. 4/4
5. Did Face use his charms on the ladies?
This one didn’t look good for Face… he was trying to hook up with the baker’s daughter, but she seemed more interested in the eccentric Murdoch than The A-Team’s resident ladies man. But have no fear Face fans! Face, who had posed as a cabbie in this episode in order to get the team some wheels while they were in town, had won the heart of his dispatcher… a lady dispatcher, who definitely has eyes for Face as the episode was wrapping up. 5/5
- Final Score = 5/5 (100%) A perfect score for The Out-of-Towners! And one final note, everyone at Bulletproof Action would like to wish Mr. T a Happy Birthday and we pity the fool that doesn’t wish him the same on Twitter @MrT!
