H.M. Murdock's Guide to The A-Team Episodes

Do you love the A-Team, but still find it difficult to tell all those episodes with the same plots apart? Yes? Then this is the guide for you. This includes the only really important differences between shows... Murdock's fixations and T-Shirt's. Can't remember which episode featured Billy the Dog, or Leftie the Hand? You'll find the answers here. Didn't quite catch what was on Murdock's t-shirt in that certain episode? If you're lucky, we did and you'll find it listed below.

Quotes are Murdock's unless otherwise noted. Some entries are not yet completed, so more quotes, weird things, sound bytes, t-shirts and fixations will be added soon, despite that, we added another category, "Lyrics" for popular hits used on the show. If you haven't seen the episodes, there are definitely spoilers herein.

Season One	Season Two	Season Three	Season Four	Season Five

Mexican Slayride 1/23/83
Writer: Frank Lupo and Stephen J. Cannell
Director: Rod Holcomb
Part One of this pilot spends most of the time just introducing the Team, with Tim Dunigan as Face, Hannibal playing the aquamaniac, and B.A. referred to as Bosco. Amy Allen hires the team to find Al Massey (William Windom), who has been captured by banditos. Part Two finds them rescuing Massey from the banditos who are in league with marijuana-growing Guerillas.

Murdock's T-shirt: Reads "Napoleon" (white lettering on dark blue)

Murdock's Fixation: None in particular. In this one he has to establish both pretending to be insane and really being crazy. Amy says his records indicate that his mother died when he was five years old. Nurse says he's been diagnosed with paranoid delusions and intermittent memory loss, but usually he's a lot of fun. Colonel Lynch says that Murdock was in the Thunderbirds before Vietnam, and that he can fly anything from a helicopter to a jet. Murdock mentions Billy the dog in his spiel to Lynch, as well as worrying about ammonia, invisible things grabbing his leg, etc. He fakes having received electro-shock therapy by shaving spots on his head. While on the mission his insane behavior is pretty much limited to frequently flying upside down.

Sound Byte: Jumpin' Jack Flash

Lyrics: Jumpin' Jack Flash - Rolling Stones

Setting: The town of San Rio Blanco, Mexico

Weird things: Interesting to note that it is Ron Palillo (a.k.a. Horshack) who provides most of the exposition on the overt team members.

Quote: Part One - "Big Howdy."
Part Two - "I'm nuts! I've got my whole room and board thing resting on that fact.

Children of Jamestown 1/30/83
Writer: Stephen J. Cannell
Director: Christian I. Nyby, Jr.
After rescuing a young woman from a gun-toting cult in the hills, everyone on the team, except Murdock, is captured by the cult's lunatic preacher (John Saxon). Dirk Benedict's first episode, and he's leaps and bounds better than that other guy.

Murdock's T-shirt: Plain Black

Murdock's Fixation: Didn't really have this characteristic yet. He was however fixed on the idea that "You don't leave your unit".

Sound Byte: The A-Team Theme Music

Weird things: That they would actually reuse the concept of Monks with guns in the fifth season episode Crystal Skull

Setting: Redwood, CA

Quote: Damn. These boots are hard to get." -- Hannibal

Pros and Cons 2/08/83
Writer: Stephen J. Cannell
Director: Ron Satlof
The A-Team heads for Florida to rescue an old friend of B.A.'s from a prison where the inmates are forced to fight to the death for the amusement of a bunch of guys in Cowboy hats. Particularly amusing with Hannibal posing as a Hairdresser, B.A. as a deaf/mute and Face as Dr. Pepper, Dwight Pepper.

Murdock's T-shirt: Black T-shirt with a white geometric design, perhaps a helmeted cartoon head, and later a plain red t-shirt.

Murdock's Fixation: Trash bags. As it turns out this was part of the escape plan, but he certainly invested a lot of energy, keeping the prison staff awake screaming for trash bags every two hours. He also repeats the claim that the nurse made in the Pilot episode, that he has intermittent memory loss. If so it's a very convenient kind. Murdock takes an inkblot test from the Prison psychologist. He sees nothing in the ink blots so he just guesses. This is consistent with the later episode Waiting for Insane Wayne, in which he also has trouble with this particular test.

Weird things: Red West plays one of the bad deputies in this episode, and the next time Murdock confronts ink blots, Red is there again as one of the bad ranch hands.

Setting: Strikersville Prison, FL

Quote (Sound Byte): "I want some traaaaassshhh bags!"

A Small And Deadly War 2/15/83

Writer: Frank Lupo
Director: Ron Satlof
The A-Team is hired to stop a SWAT team that's doing murder for hire. Guest stars Dean Stockwell (Quantum Leap -- Al) and Jack Ging (A-Team -- General Fulbright) as two of the bad cops.

Murdock's T-shirt:Reads "Alexander the Great", dark lettering on green shirt.

Murdock's Fixation: Still not really getting into that yet, but he does mention for the Nurse's benefit being worried about Billy the dog when Face is taking him out of the V.A. Hospital with a fake Tuberculosis story. Also throughout the episode he wears one glove, possibly because he'd been coughing into the other one.

Sound Byte: Murdock delivers the wreath of flowers to Stark along with a musical message

Setting: Los Angeles, CA

Weird things: Four cops in one cop car. That's how you knew they were up to something.

Quote: "Book 'em Dano, murder one." -- Murdock

Black Day At Bad Rock 2/22/83
Writer: Patrick Hasburgh
Director: Christian I. Nyby, Jr.
After B.A. is shot in the leg, Face and Hannibal are arrested. They escape, but stay in town to fight a renegade motorcycle gang. Murdock, who coincidentally has the same rare blood type as B.A. (AB negative), and Amy, arrive to help them.

Murdock's T-shirt: MISC (?)

Murdock's Fixation: Rhyming. Murdock has a tendency to rhyme his sentences in this episode. After donating blood to B.A. he claims that B.A. will also start ryhming his words.

Sound Byte: You're in the Army Now

Weird Things: This is a mighty rough town. That "toilet paper" was more like butcher paper. B.A. and Murdock aren't the only ones with AB Negative blood. Kyle and Cartman on South Park also have that blood type.

Setting: Black Rock, CA

Quote: "I got my words, and my brain's workin fine, but when the words come out they wanna rhyme." -- Murdock

The Rabbit Who Ate Las Vegas 3/01/83
Writer: Frank Lupo
Director: Bruce Kessler
The team rescues an ASU Professor with a Gambling system who has been captured by Las Vegas Mobsters. Things heat up when the head mobster is murdered and the A-Team is framed for it.

Murdock's T-shirt: Plain Red

Murdock's Fixation: None really, though in the Line Of Duty he pretends to be a lunatic federal agent prepared to do unspeakable things to Gianni's Girlfriend. And, at the end of the episode, he attempts to hitchhike home on an airplane runway.

Setting: Las Vegas, NV

Quote: "Did you try primary trigonometry or logarithms founded in remedial calculus?" -- Murdock

Holiday in the Hills 3/15/83
Writer: Babs Greyhosky
Director: Arnold Laven
After recovering some money in South America for the clergy, The A-Team's plane crashes in South Carolina, where they promptly stumble on Hillbillies who are trying to burn a surveyor. Amy is stuck with a blow-hard reporter who is secretly in cahoots with the military.

Murdock's T-shirt: Red with lettering ____Y BE____ A

Murdock's Fixation: None. Though he does lend himself a helicopter alternating Jack Nicholson with a British accent.

Sound Byte: You Are My Sunshine

Weird things: First scene from Holiday in the Hills grafted onto beginning of Without Reservations.

Setting: Guatemala and The Hills of South Carolina

Quote (Sound Byte): "Murdock, what's going to happen?" -- Face
"Looks like we're going to crash."-- Murdock
"Come on, really what's going to happen?" -- Face
"Looks like we're going to crash and die." -- Murdock

The Out Of Towners 3/22/83
Writer: Frank Lupo
Director: Chuck Bowman
In this homage to Francis Cover the Big Town, the A-Team is hired by a block of New York merchants being terrorized by a protection racket, run by a nightclub owner who's having a really bad hair day.

Murdock's T-shirt: I Love (heart) N Y (green 3D lettering with New York sklyine in heart)

Murdock's Fixation: He's somewhat mesmerized by television snow, but not so much so he can't make a successful play for The Girl.

Sound Byte: That's All Folks

Setting: New York, NY, Delancey St.

Quote: This sounds like one of those plans, and whenever we use one of those plans somebody always gets mad at us. -- Murdock

West Coast Turnaround 4/05/83
Writer: Stephen J. Cannell and Patrick Hasburgh
Director: Guy Magar
The A-Team helps a farmer and his lovely daughter get their watermelons to market, past a local rancher determined to run them out of business and off the road. Much to her consternation, Amy's car is destroyed.

Murdock's T-shirt: Dark plum color, lettering?

Murdock's Fixation: Murdock brings along Billy the invisible dog on this trip. He pretends to have a "problem" at the sight of horses, but this is just because Face has cued him to do so as a diversion.

Setting: Penhall Produce Farms

Quote: "Hannibal's plans never work right. They just work." -- Amy

One More Time 4/12/83
Writer: Frank Lupo and Patrick Hasburg, from a story by Babs Grehosky
Director: Arnold Laven
Lynch finally captures the A-Team only to have them snatched out of his hands by higher authorities who want them to go on a mission to rescue a general and his daughter. Meanwhile Amy and Murdock have to play catch up.

Murdock's T-shirt: Felix the Cat

Murdock's Fixation: None really, though he does want to get back to the hospital for his self-realization sessions.

Sound Bytes: Animal Farm, Phone call

Setting: Borneo

Quote: "It looks like the A-Team's a few points behind at half time here. Hannibal probably tried getting in by hitting them with what he'd call a classic frontal assault with a half-pincer movement." -- Murdock

Till Death Do Us Part 4/19/83
Writer: Babs Greyhosky
Director: Guy Magar
The A-Team is hired to rescue a woman who is being forced to marry her father's former partner, whom she suspects murdered her father. To accomplish this, Face has to take the marriage vows instead of the original fiance.

Murdock's T-shirt: Gumby

Murdock's Fixation: In the Line Of Duty Murdock poses as the bride at a Shotgun Wedding. He displays an enthusiasm for Captain Bellybuster's Burger Heaven, repeating the commercial jingle with gusto, and hanging on to a Captain Bellybuster cap (blue with wings) for much of the episode.

Sound Byte: Captain Belly Buster Slogan

Setting: Wilson County, TX

Quote: "I didn't go through all this to see how I looked in white." -- Murdock

The Beast from the Belly of a Boeing 5/03/83
Writer: Patrick Hasburgh
Director: Ron Satlof
The A-Team is hired to rescue a high-jacked airliner. Face and Hannibal trade themselves for the hostages. Murdock and B.A. sneak aboard, and much to B.A.'s distress it takes off while he is still aboard.

Murdock's T-shirt: The Jetsons

Murdock's Fixation: Much to his dismay Murdock is declared sane and given his walking papers, at the beginning of the episode. Happily the release was an error and he goes back at the end of the show.

Quote: "I never go to the bathroom." -- Hannibal

A Nice Place to Visit 5/10/83
Writer: Frank Lupo
Director: Bernard McEveety
The A-Team goes to a little town to attend the Funeral of an old friend, and finds the town being terrorized by a family of brothers who own the local gas station.

Murdock's T-shirt: A Green Cartoon Dinosaur

Murdock's Fixation: Slightly paranoid, but he's right, there is someone following them.

Weird things: The opening chase scene in this episode is lifted from The Rabbit Who Ate Las Vegas, with some new dialogue looped over it.

Quote: "You know Billy always turns purple just before he gets mad." -- Murdock

Diamonds N' Dust 9/20/83
Writer: Patrick Hasburgh
Director; Ron Satlof
The A-Team is hired by a young lady determined not to let her South African diamond mine be shut down by the men who murdered her father. The trick is getting a load of unstable dynamite up to the mine.

Murdock's T-shirt: A green cartoon dinosaur. The same one he was wearing at the end of the previous season.

Murdock's Fixation: Bogie the Bear. Murdock picks up a stuffed bear at the carnival, names him Bogie and carries him around for half the episode. Bogie gives his life in the line of duty.

Sound Byte: The Bogie the Bear Show.

Setting: South Africa

Quote: "After I saw "Bridge on the River Kwai" it took me six months to realize I wasn't Peter O'Toole." -- Murdock

Recipe For Heavy Bread 9/27/83
Writer: Stephen J. Cannell
Director: Bernard McEveety
Face spots the cook from the A-Team's days in a Vietnamese POW camp. He had helped them at the time, so the team feels obligated to return the favor, when they find he is in danger from drug runners.

Murdock's T-shirt: Starts out with a tux t-shirt, switches to a golf shirt with a country road theme, and ends with red shirt (black letters).

Murdock's Fixation: Another example of Murdock's empathy with inanimate objects. After visiting a golf course he worries about the plight of Golf Balls for the remainder of the episode.

Quote and Sound Byte: "You think we like being shot around this course. We don't! We don't! This is a warning from the golf ball liberation front. Leave my people be!" -- Murdock

The Only Church In Town 10/11/83
Writer: Babs Greyhosky
Director: Christian I. Nyby
WARNING: Nun Episode. Markie Post guest stars as Face's college girlfriend, who has since become a nun. Face brings the A-Team to the rescue, when her South American orphanage is overrun by banditos.

Murdock's T-shirt: I Love (heart) N.Y. (with New York skyline in heart)

Murdock's Fixation:

Sound Byte: Beam us up, Scotty

Weird things:

Quote: "With some of the things we've pulled off, I just knew someone was praying for us." -- Murdock

Bad Day On The Border 10/18/83
Writer: Richard Christian Matheson
Director: Bruce Kessler
When a little girl escapes from smugglers bringing illegal aliens across the border, she finds the A-Team and asks them to rescue her mother, who is ill and still being held by the smugglers. Hannibal, posing as a Mexican, is on his own after the rest of the team has car trouble. Fortunately Herman comes up with a plan.

Murdock's T-shirt: "Bring back the dodo" red lettering on yellow.

Murdock's Fixation: Herman the cockroach. Murdock professed to believe that his pet cockroach was the reincarnation of Moby Dick author Herman Melville.

Sound Byte: Murdock recites Moby Dick

Weird things: Jack Ging is everywhere.

Setting: Mexico

Quote: "My size? My size is the amount of space I fill up. Thanks for asking." -- Murdock

When You Coming Back, Range Rider? 10/25/83 (2 Hours)
Writer: Frank Lupo
Director: Christian I. Nyby, II
Daniel Running Bear hires the A-Team to stop a local rancher (Morgan Woodward) from capturing wild horses and shipping them to a dog food factory. Colonel Decker is given the assignment of catching the A-Team.

Murdock's T-shirt: No, T-shirt. A blueish-grey undershirt with several buttons undone.

Murdock's Fixation: Murdock takes on the persona he feels will best handle the horse rustling situation: Range Rider. In part this requires cutting masks out of the back of cereal boxes, and a variety of horses: Thunder, his invisible trusty steed, whom he has to leave behind because B.A. doesn't like invisible animals in his van, Waco (or whacko) a real white horse in Arizona, and Mr. Ed an invisible talking horse (inspired by the television show).

Sound Byte: The Mr. Ed Theme,

Lyrics: "My Heroes have Always Been Cowboys" - Waylon Jennings

Weird things: There really was a Range Rider televsion show, 1951-52, Repeated on ABC in 1965. (Just about the right time for Daniel Running Bear to have seen it while at UCLA). We thought they were making it up, but no....

Setting: Northern Arizona

Quote: "Arizona, quiet... serene.. the comatose State." -- Face

The Taxicab Wars 11/01/83
Writer: Stephen J. Cannell
Director: Gilbert Shilton
The A-Team goes to the aid of a cab company being driven out of business by a rival. Of course this involves lots of car chases and crashes and such.

Murdock's T-shirt: Jetsons and "A Doodle Doo" (white lettering dark red background)

Murdock's Fixation: Considering the plot, Murdock had to pull out not one, not two, but three personalities to keep himself and us entertained; Captain Cab, a superhero with a yellow gingham cape and mask, Vern the veterinarian and Sockie the sock puppet dog.

Sound Byte: Sockie

Weird things:

Setting: Tarzana, CA

Quote: "It's quiet out here; too quiet. I've always wanted to say that." -- Face

Labor Pains 11/08/83
Writers: Thomas Szolski and Richard Christian Matheson
Director: Arnold Laven
On the run from Decker the Team stumbles across migrant workers being denied the right to buy food unless they agree to work for slave wages. The A-Team helps them form a union.

Murdock's T-shirt: Green with black lettering

Murdock's Fixation: He carries around a Ouija Board for the entire episode and sometimes consults it. The answers are obvious until that last one.

Weird things: Charles Napier (Cross)would return in "Fire", but this time as Colonel Briggs a temporary replacement for Decker.

Quote: "The Jazz is all the twinkies you can eat and Woody Woodpecker cartoons twenty-four hours a day." -- Murdock

There's Always A Catch 11/15/83
Writer: Richard Christian Matheson and Thomas Szolski
Director: Ron Satlof
Still on the run from Decker, the Team has to stop at Lobster Bay hospital to get help for an injured B.A.. They find that the local lobster fishers are being strong-armed by a protection racket.

Murdock's T-shirt: Dinky Donky for most of the episode, but in the last scene when BA throws him in the water he's wearing his Alexander the Great shirt.

Murdock's Fixation: Murdock finds a mounted lobster, whom he names Thermidor. Thermidor is broken to pieces early on and Murdock fights on in his memory.

Weird things: Tracy Scoggins appeared in the first season episode The Rabbit Who Ate Las Vegas as Ellie. Her acting didn't improve any for this one.

Quote: "I plan better in dry air." -- Hannibal

Water, Water Everywhere 11/22/83
Writers: Stanley Ellis and Jo Swerling, Story by Stanley Ellis
Director: Stanley Ellis
The A-Team helps out three disabled verterans who are trying to start their own business, but are being pushed around by the local evil rancher, who thinks he can win by cutting off the water supply. So naturally the A-Team digs a well.

Murdock's T-shirt: Dinky Donky with a moustache

Murdock's Fixation: Murdock pretends there are Leprechauns living in his belt pockets. In the Line of Duty he portrays Corky Duke.

Weird things: B.A. does an interesting happy dance when the well comes in.

Quotes: "Yeah, he's a laugh a month." - B.A.
"I haven't had one single complaint from Lady Di about Prince Charlie." - Murdock

Steel 11/29/83
Writer: Frank Lupo
Director: Gilbert Shilton
The A-Team is hired by the owner of a wrecking crew, who is being harrassed by criminal folks who don't want the foundations uncovered.

Murdock's T-shirt: "Cattails", with a row of cats or kittens with their tails up.

Murdock's Fixation: Pretending to be a dog or at least on a dog theme.

Weird things: While the A-Team entertain their new clients on the Universal Tour, a Cylon crosses Face's path. There's a dawning look of recognition. (Used in the credits for the last three seasons with sound, remainder of the second with no sound.)

Quote: "Face, I find it simplistic and naive of you to assume that I can be placated with an ersatz morsel of this kind, a shallow culinary trinket. Now if there were two of 'em." -- Murdock

The White Ballot 12/06/83
Writer: Jeff Ray
Director: Dennis Donnelly
A small town newspaper owner hires the A-Team to go up against a corrupt Sheriff who tends to kill off the competition. Face pretends to be the prodigal son returning to run for Sheriff.

Murdock's T-shirt: Red with lettering?

Murdock's Fixation: Murdock plays a non-existent harmonica, but only at the beginning and end of the episode.

Weird things: Andrew Robinson giving his deputy character more depth than an A-Team episode warrants.

Setting: Parkland, NM

Quote: "The A-Team is proud to help diminish the rampant violence so prevalent in society today." -- Hannibal

The Maltese Cow 12/13/83
Writer: Thomas Szolski
Director: Dennis Donnelly
A restaurant in which the team are part owners is terrorized by a Chinese Tong, which, in addition to its protection racket is smuggling in a Mobster.

Murdock's T-shirt: Green with red lettering(R L E and N?)

Murdock's Fixation: Murdock does his best Philip Marlowe (Mac Murdock), but is startled by the weird coincidence of postulating a Maltese cow and then one actually appearing.

Weird things: Keye Luke slumming

Quote: "Call it a fixation, but the Maltese Cow is haunting me. It's cryptic moo beckoning me like the scent of a cheap dance hall hostess." -- Murdock

In Plane Sight 1/03/84
Writer: Babs Greyhosky
Director: Tony Mordente
The A-Team is hired to clear the name of a pilot who has been arrested south of the border for smuggling drugs.

Murdock's T-shirt: Why Me?

Murdock's Fixation: Starts out the show pretending to be normal but in the line of duty he portrays Dick Nash, and spends most of the episode pretending to be delerious.

Sound Byte:

Weird things:

Quote:

The Battle Of Bel-Air 1/10/84
Writer: Frank Lupo
Director: Gilbert Shilton
Tawnia's Baker's first episode. She's a reporter working undercover for a security agency that's planning on taking out one of it's own clients. Oblivious to that plot, she tries to hook up with the A-Team. Face gets thrown out of a ten-story window.

Murdock's T-shirt: Wonderful World of Fungus

Murdock's Fixation:

Sound Byte:

Weird things: It was really only seven stories.

Quote: "This building is weird. The buttons scream at you and the stairs talk to you." -- Murdock

Say It With Bullets 1/17/84
Writers: Richard Christian Matheson and Lee David Zlotoff
Director: Dennis Donnelly
Monte Markham guests as an arms dealing army man. He kills a confederate trying pull out, and the dead man's sister hires the A-Team. Unfortunately she's working with Decker.

Murdock's T-shirt: green t-shirt (....NUTS...????)

Murdock's Fixation: The golden age of television. Murdock has a channel changer which he uses to switch himself to different television shows.

Sound Byte:

Weird things: Also guest starring is Tim Donnelly (Chet on Emergency) in a non-speaking henchman role.

Quote: "If I get tired of Ozzie and Murdock, I Love Murdock or Murdock for a Day, I just flip through the dial and it's time for Bachelor Murdock or Have Murdock will Travel". -- Murdock

Pure-Dee Poison 1/31/84
Writer: Chris Bunch and Alan Cole
Director: Dennis Donnelly
John Amos Guest stars as a preacher trying to stop some moon-shiners with bad shine. He hires the A-Team to help with the prohibition.

Murdock's T-shirt: Red shirt (lettering?)

Murdock's Fixation: He is rather concerned about the danger of fruit bats. Murdock also seems to be their "shine" expert.

Sound Byte:

Weird things:

Quote: "You want insane, ask me to write you a letter some time." -- Murdock

It's A Desert Out There 2/07/84
Writer: Bruce Cervi
Director: Arnold Laven
The A-Team is hired to stop robbers, shaking down old folks after a red-eye trip to a Nevada Gambling establishment. The bad guys real aim is to off one of their own before he turns states evidence.

Murdock's T-shirt: Wonderful World of Fungus

Murdock's Fixation: Displays an interest in the existence of extraterrestrials.

Weird things: Criminals in dune buggies.

Setting: Nevada/California Desert

Quote: "Yes, it's like the all star game; everybody gets to play." -- Hannibal

Chopping Spree 12/14/84
Writer: Frank Lupo
Director: Dennis Donnelly
BA's Van is stolen by a chop shop. Face becomes a Used Car Salesman to find it. Dennis Franz guests stars as Sam Friendly.

Murdock's T-shirt: Poets Contrive but Pigs Provide

Murdock's Fixation: Murdock has a plant he's taking care of as therapy. It's kidnapped along with BA's van.

Setting: Los Angeles, CA

Quote: "Grow B.A., grow!" -- Murdock

Harder Than It Looks 2/21/84
Writer: Frank Lupo
Director: Ivan Dixon
The A-Team is hired to rescue a kidnap victim from terrorists, but complications mount when she wants her terrorist boyfriend rescued too, and they have to stop the GLA from blowing up a dam.

Murdock's T-shirt: Rounde Rounde?

Murdock's Fixation:

Sound Byte:

Weird things: Director, Ivan Dixon played Kinchloe on Hogan's Heroes.
And they never mention what GLA stands for... could it be Golfball Liberation Army?

Quote: "Use your imagination, or you can borrow mine." -- Murdock

Deadly Maneuvers 2/28/84
Writer: Richard Christian Matheson and Thomas Szolski
Director: Mike Vejar
A foreign syndicate hires four mercenaries to track down and eliminate the A-Team. They're okay at the tracking down, but really poor at the eliminating.

Murdock's T-shirt: Minds Are For People Who Think

Murdock's Fixation: Incredibly cheerful and gung-ho about the military training exercises.

Weird things: Someone else besides Hannibal can get away with bad disguises and silly accents.

Quote: "Nice Place. Did you ever see Psycho?" -- Face

Semi-Friendly Persuasion 5/08/84
Writer: Danny Lee Cole
Director: Craig R. Baxley
The team is hired to protect a group of pacifists from a guy who just don't like 'em (Geoffrey Lewis). The catch is that they aren't allowed to use violence in defense of the group.

Murdock's T-shirt: There's a Freud in your future

Murdock's Fixation: Nuts, specifically pecans. He talks to them and calls them brothers.

Sound Byte:

Weird things: It's Red West... again.

Quote:

Curtain Call 5/15/84
Writer: Stephen Katz
Director: Dennis Donnelly
Season Ender. Flashback episode. Murdock is injured and near death, the rest of the team, and Decker, remember interesting and sometimes inappropriate scenes.

Murdock's T-shirt: ????amente

Murdock's Fixation: Being unconscious most of the episode he didn't have one. Episodes clipped: Black Day at Bad Rock (blood transfusion), Pros and Cons (Murdoc and Hannibal lift off), Holiday in the Hills (Looks like we're going to crash and die), Til Death do us Part(Drugging B.A. with a Hamburger), There's Always a Catch (B.A. throwing Murdoc in the water), Diamonds and Dust (Dyanmite scam), Range Rider (cornered by Decker), Labor Pains (no bridge leap), Beast from the Belly of a Boeing (B.A. goes catatonic).

Sound byte: Opposites,

Lyrics:
Who said that opposites attract?
They prob'ly think the world is flat.
Cause you and I are opposites,
And all we do is fight

We see from different points of view,
You laugh at me, I laugh at you.
And we both know two wrongs don't make a right.

So I'm here at the junction, but this time it's the end
We're opposites, we're idiots
But we're still friends

"Opposites Attract" written by Stephen Geyer
Performed by Joey Scarbury
This song was featured in an episode of The Greatest American Hero for which Joey also sang the theme.

Weird things: Tawnia is apparently incapable of doing flashbacks, maybe because she was confused about being Amy or not.

Quote: "I don't want no crazy man calling my name." -- B.A.

Bullets And Bikinis 9/18/84
Writer: Mark Jones
Director: Dennis Donnelly
The A-Team heads for Florida to stop a resort hotel, owned by two young ladies, from being taken over by bad rival hotel owners who won't take no for answer.

Murdock's T-shirt: Flowered Hawaiian shirt, and "There's a Creep in your future" and "Minds are for People who think."

Murdock's Fixation: Taking pictures with an instant camera with no film.

Sound Byte: Surf City Murdock and Face, Surfin' USA

Setting: Miami, FL

Weird things: Miami looks an awful lot like California here.

Quote:

The Bend In The River 9/25/84
Writer: Stephen J. Cannell & Frank Lupo
Director: Michael O'Herily
Tawnia asks the Team to rescue her fiance whose gone missing in South America while searching for a lost city. After tangling with River pirates, they find the city and a plot involving nukes and Nazis. Two Hours.

Murdock's T-shirt: Plain white, Dark green with white lettering. "God, Guns and Guts made America Let's keep all three", American flag pattern.

Murdock's Fixation: Pretends he is a director making a movie, "Closed for Remodeling".

Sound Byte: Witch Doctor

Weird things: Battlestar Galactica rules. Guest star, Barry Van Dyke starred in Galactica 1980.

Quote: "I hate this movie." -- Face

Fire 10/02/84
Writer: Stephen Katz
Director: Tony Mordente
A woman fire chief comes to the A-Team for help when a rival fire company tries to run her out of business. Of course they're working for a mobster.

Murdock's T-shirt:

Murdock's Fixation: His secret weapon against fires, Little Squirt, a seltzer bottle.

Sound Byte: Fireman Fred

Weird things:

Quote: "Aren't you guys a little late, as in 'I could have been killed'." -- Face

The Bells Of St Mary's 10/12/84 (12/11/84)
Writer: Stephen J. Cannell
Director: Dennis Donnelly
Face coaches the football team for his old catholic high school, but his star player has a problem. His sister and her singing group are being strong-armed by a record company.

Murdock's T-shirt: Some kind of outdoor scene

Murdock's Fixation: Ba the Baracan one. Murdock develops a case of hero worship, with B.A. as the object.

Sound Byte:

Weird things: Four "actresses" who can't act. That's four drinks.

Quote: "It's iambic pentameter. He speaks in verse." -- Murdock

Timber! 10/16/84
Writer: Jeff Ray
Director: David Hemmings
A small family logging business is threatened by a fake union terrorizing the locals. The A-Team tries their hand at cutting down a couple trees, and getting them to the saw mill.

Murdock's T-shirt:

Murdock's Fixation: Bigfoot. He's determined to capture Sasquatch on his trip to the northwest.

Sound Byte: I'm a Lumberjack and I'm Okay

Weird things: Nowadays it would be required to have a politically correct mention that these loggers were not clear-cutting and in fact were planting more trees than they cut down.

Setting: Groverville

Quote: "I wouldn't be surprised if the bigfoots had a reward out on you." -- Murdock

Double Heat 10/23/84
Writer: Stephen Katz
Director: Craig R. Baxley
The daughter of a man about to testify against a mobster is kidnapped. The A-Team is hired to get her back, but the girl's been abducted by a rival mobster who wants her father to testify.

Murdock's T-shirt:

Murdock's Fixation:

Sound Byte:

Weird things: Shouldn't MacGyver have come to help out Pete?

Quote:

Trouble On Wheels 10/30/84
Writer: Mark Jones
Director: Michael O'Herlihy
There's trouble at an auto plant as workers are forced to steal parts by bad guys who beat them up. A supervisor, guest star Joe Santos, hires the A-Team to solve the problem.

Murdock's T-shirt:

Murdock's Fixation: In the Line Of Duty Murdock portrays Crazy Willy, in a bit of a Marlon Brando/Godfather impression.

Sound Byte:

Weird things:

Quote:

The Island 11/13/84
Writer: Mark Jones
Director: Michael O'Herlihy
An old army acquaintance of the Team's has the Island he works on overrun by a really cheesy bad guy and his gang. He sends for the A-Team.

Murdock's T-shirt:

Murdock's Fixation: A baby alligator (or was it a crocodile?)

Sound Byte:

Weird things:

Quote:

Showdown! 11/20/84
Writer: Milt Rosen
Director: James Fargo)
Three guys impersonate the A-Team and harass a wild west show. The real A-Team shows up to protect their good name. Colonel Lynch shows up for a visit.

Murdock's T-shirt: 2 Kliban cats viewed from the back, can't quite read what they're saying.

Murdock's Fixation: He's rather upset about not being openly considered a member of the team. In the line of duty he portrays fake Indian warrior, Runnin Round.

Sound Byte:

Weird things: W.K. Stratton appears as Lynch's assistant, and he looks kind of nervous, like he remembers being on the wrong end of B.A.'s fist in Fire

Quote: "They don't have a you, Murdock." -- Hannibal

Sheriffs Of Rivertown 11/27/84
Writer: Mark Jones
Director: Dennis Donnelly
Must have been one of the Team's few well-paying jobs as they are hired by a corporation to go down to a South American site, and find out why employees are dying in a regular series of accidents. To do so they take on the job of sheriffs in the temporary town.

Murdock's T-shirt:

Murdock's Fixation:

Sound Byte:

Weird things:

Quote:

Hot Styles 12/11/84
Writer: Stephen Katz
Director: Tony Mordente
Face is going out with a model, who is kidnapped when he's with her. His attempts to rescue her prove ineffective when she is uncooperative. Guest stars Markie Post.

Murdock's T-shirt: Some sort of animal print

Murdock's Fixation: Pretends to be B.A. for a little bit in order to drive the Van properly. In the Line Of Duty he becomes a Fashion Designer.

Sound Byte:

Weird things: B.A. not being there through most of the episode was extremely disorienting.

Quote:

Breakout! 12/18/84
Writers: Mark Jones and Stephen Katz
Director: Dennis Donnelly
Murdock and B.A. stop at a Gas Station and find themselves in the middle of a robbery. The robbers finger them as accomplices and without so much as a trial the two are sent to a work farm. They're working on a deadline as the real robbers escape and Decker closes in.

Murdock's T-shirt:

Murdock's Fixation: His lucky rabbit's foot.

Sound Byte:

Weird things: When Face phones in a performance he really phones it in.

Quote: "You don't want to take this van. It's like taking downtown Tokyo away from Godzilla." -- Murdock

Cup A' Joe 1/8/85
Writer: Craig R. Baxley
Director: Dennis Donnelly
The A-Team is hired by a family whose Diner business is being threatened by a rival. Of course, somebody wants to build a mini-mall right where their diner happens to be.

Murdock's T-shirt: 1984 (Black, red and white. Grid pattern on top, eyes in the middle, 1984 on the bottom.)

Murdock's Fixation: Cooking. He has a cook book "Cooking for fifty" which he carries around. As it turns out, he's a super short order cook.

Sound Byte:

Lyrics: Drivin my Life Away - Eddie Rabbit

Weird things:

Quote:

The Big Squeeze 1/15/85
Writer: Stephen J. Cannell
Director: Arnold Laven
A loan shark is leaning too hard on the local restaurants. The A-Team comes in and opens their own restaurant "The Naked Lady", and Hannibal seriously annoys the villains with Irish proverbs.

Murdock's T-shirt: The Great American Tragedy

Murdock's Fixation: Somewhat pro-Union, but he was happy to go along with Hannibal's Irish fantasy.

Sound Byte:

Weird things: When George Peppard was Banacek he used to seriously annoy villains with Polish proverbs.

Quote:

Champ! 1/22/85
Stephen Katz
Director: Michael O'Herlihy
WARNING: Boxing episode. Face invests the A-Team's money in a fighter, but said fighter is being pressured into throwing a fight. The A-Team arranges for B.A. (a.k.a. Volcano Johnson) to take his place.

Murdock's T-shirt: An abstract design, perhaps a flower

Murdock's Fixation:

Sound Byte:

Weird things:

Quote:

Skins 1/29/85
Writer: Mark Jones
Director: Dennis Donnelly
A game warden for a preserve in Kenya is murdered and his sister hires the A-Team to stop the poachers that killed him. Daphne Maxwell guest stars.

Murdock's T-shirt: Yellowish with a blue collar. can't read.

Murdock's Fixation: B.A.'s roots, though he really only mentioned it a couple of times.

Sound Byte:

Weird things: What were all those folks with American accents doing in Africa?

Quote:"When the going gets tough, the tough get aeronautical." -- Murdock

Road Games 2/5/85
Writer: Stephen Katz
Director: Nicholas Sgarro
The owner of a home for foster kids, foolishy gambles away his home. His daughter asks the A-Team to pull their chesnuts out of the fire. Face infiltrates the gambling ring as a would-be hood from New Jersey.

Murdock's T-shirt:

Murdock's Fixation: After listening to a self help tape, Murdock is fixated on positive reinforcement and not-so-positive feedback.

Sound Byte:

Weird things:

Quote:

Moving Targets 2/12/85
Writer: Mark Jones
Director: Dennis Donnelly
The A-Team is hired to watch a mid-eastern princess, and safely escort her to her wedding. But terrorists are determined to stop it and the princess isn't too keen on it either.

Murdock's T-shirt: This Space is Unoccupied (Red arrow, "unoccupied" vertical text)

Murdock's Fixation: He plays adventurer "Pasadena Murdock".

Sound Byte:

Weird things: Second appearance of John Saxon.

Quote: "Don't be so cocky. I could have crashed this plane with or without you on board." -- Murdock

Knights Of The Road 2/26/85
Writer: Stephen L. Sears and Burt Pearl
Director: Michael O'Herlihy
A Tow truck company is being run out of business by a rival. Turns out Drug Runners are using towed cars to bring drugs into the U.S.. Murdock smuggles himself into Mexico under the hood of a towed car.

Murdock's T-shirt: I am not an Animal (Brown T-shirt, yellow line design around lettering.)

Murdock's Fixation: Being a Knight of the Road, which made for some lovely monologues.

Sound Byte:

Weird things:

Quote:

Waste 'Em 3/5/85
Writers: Stephen Katz and Mark Jones
Director: Sidney Hayers
A delivery service, owned by an ex-pilot and a blind girl, is being forced out of business by a garbage company. They hire the A-Team, who discover that it's not the usual drugs or shopping mall motive, it's Toxic Waste.

Murdock's T-shirt: Whatever Happened to the Baltimore Colts?

Murdock's Fixation: Leftie. His gloved right hand has taken on its own personality, and sounds amazingly like James Mason.

Sound Byte:

Weird things: It was called the "Speedy Delivery" service and all we could think of was Mr. McPheely over in Mr. Rogers Neigborhood.

Quote:

Bounty 4/2/85
Writer: Stephen Katz
Director: Michael O'Herlihy
Murdock is kidnapped by three hillbillies who want to hold him hostage in order to catch the A-Team and collect the Bounty. He escapes and gets help from a lady veterinarian, played by Dwight Schultz' wife, Wendy Fulton.

Murdock's T-shirt: We Will Be Bosom Pals

Murdock's Fixation: Like he had the time.

Sound Byte:

Weird things:

Quote: You listen to me. You hurt one hair on her head and I won't sleep, I won't eat, and I will find you and when I do, I will feed your head to flies. -- Murdock

Beverly Hills Assault 4/9/85
Writer: Paul Bernbaum
Director: Craig R. Baxley
The A-Team is hired by a mime and a painter's sister to find out who put him into a coma. The A-Team then proceeds to infiltrate an art forgery ring.

Murdock's T-shirt: Two pandas in a blue circle on a red shirt

Murdock's Fixation: In the line of duty Murdock pretends to be a painter, and towards the end becomes mildly obsessed with his art.

Weird things: Well, being hired by a mime, that's pretty weird.

Setting: Beverly Hills, CA

Quote: "I have trained inspiration to meet me there." -- Murdock

Trouble Brewing 5/7/85
Writers: Steven L. Sears and Burt Pearl
Director: Michael O'Herlihy
Two young ladies who have a business manufacturing "natural soda" hire the A-Team when they are threatened by the owners of a brewery, in league with a developer who wants to put up condos around their water supply.

Murdock's T-shirt: A Cartoon animal next to the phrase ???

Murdock's Fixation: Vitamins and health in general. Spectacular scene where Murdock demonstrates how to use a gun to blow up a truck.

Sound Byte:

Weird things:

Quote:

Incident At Crystal Lake 5/14/85
Writer: Frank Lupo
Director: Tony Mordente
The A-Team tries to take a vacation at a mountain getaway, but their relaxation is interrupted by four would-be robbers on a bad run of luck, and the usual military pursuit by Decker.

Murdock's T-shirt:

Murdock's Fixation: Bassfisher Bob, a dummy that he takes fishing with him.

Sound Byte:

Lyrics: One Way Or Another - Blondie

Weird things: That poor anti-A-Team. Their B.A. can't talk, their Hannibal can't come up with a plan, Their Murdock is crazy in a bad way. But on the plus side they had Judson Scott as their "Face".

Quote:

Judgement Day 9/24/85 (2 hours)
Writer: Frank Lupo
Director: David Hemmings
A judge's daughter is kidnapped to force him to return a not guilty verdict on a mobster. Hannibal pretends to be one of the gangsters and infiltrates at a trailer park. But the girl is spirited off to Italy before they can rescue her. They rescue her there and escape to a cruise ship, but are followed by the gangsters.

Murdock's T-shirt:

Murdock's Fixation:

Sound Byte:

Weird things: Dana Elcar's second appearance; his daughter is always getting kidnapped.

Quote:

Where Is The Monster When You Need Him? 10/01/85

Writer: Stephen J. Cannell
Director: Michael O'Herlihy
Hannibal, playing the monster in a cheaply made flick, solicits Face's help in finding a South-American location. Unfortunately when they get there the place is crawling with bad guys.

Murdock's T-shirt: Blue with a green spider web and plain blue

Murdock's Fixation: Takes on the persona of Tommy Danger, Stuntman to the Stars.

Weird things: Judy Landers', ditzy actress character, mentions having appeared with Donald O'Connor on a Love Boat episode. We checked. Judy was not in Donald's episodes.

Quote: "I lie, I cheat, I steal and I still don't get any respect." -- Face

Blood, Sweat & Cheers 10/15/85 [11/19/85]
Writer: Tom Blomquist
Director: Sidney Harris
Hannibal acquires a nephew, well not really a nephew, just the son of an old flame, Kid Harmon. The Kid is a race car driver. A gangster's nephew wants to win the race so badly that he's bought up all the other drivers, and employs the usual strong-arm tactics against the Kid. "Uncle John" is called in to help, to Daddy Harmon's jealous dismay.

Murdock's T-shirt: war???tough???for

Murdock's Fixation: In the Line of Duty he portrays Italian race car enthusiast Gian-Carlo Figaratti. He speaks almost no English, and his Italian phrases are nearly nonsensical. He also poses as a farmer milking his cow in the middle of the road.

Weird Things: Toni Hudson, Dirk Benedict's once real-life wife appears in this episode.

Quote and Sound Byte: Hello. How are you today.

Lease With An Option To Die 10/22/85
Writer: Bill Nuss
Director: David Hemmings
Some criminals make a serious mistake and rough up B.A.'s mom. The A-Team comes to the rescue when developers try to oust the tenants of a Chicago apartment building.

Murdock's T-shirt: Gumby and Pokey

Murdock's Fixation: In the line of duty Murdock pretends to be a child, skilled in using a yo-yo. The bad guys buy into it far enough to actually call him "kid". Presumably, they just didn't know what to make of it.

Sound Byte:

Weird things:

Setting: Chicago, IL

Quote:

The Road To Hope 10/29/85
Writer: Stephen J. Cannell
Director: David Hemmings
How disguises can go wrong. Hannibal is mistaken for a wino, and a wino (Elijah Cook Jr.) is mistaken for him. This entangles Hannibal in a plot to murder the down and out. He escapes and the A-Team starts a mission in order to lure the bad guys into revealing their plot.

Murdock's T-shirt:

Murdock's Fixation: He believes he can make himself invisible, by thinking of white paper, and eventually just with a wave of the hand. In the Line of Duty he portrays a fire-and-brimstone preacher, Harry Dean Hanover, working in the mission.

Sound Byte:

Weird things:

Quote:

The Heart Of Rock 'N' Roll 11/05/85
Writer: Frank Lupo
Director: Tony Mordente
Rick James hires the A-Team to help a musician who's just getting out of jail, CC Mac (Isaac Hayes). CC knows about some corruption and illegal activities in the joint and they aren't planning to let him out alive.

Murdock's T-shirt: Thump Thump...Thump Thump

Murdock's Fixation: In the line of duty, he does an excellent Wolfman Jack, impression.

Sound Byte:

Weird things: That's Chef.

Quote:

Body Slam 11/12/85
Writer: Bill Nuss
Director: Craig R. Baxley
B.A.'s good pal Hulk Hogan needs the A-Team's help when mobsters try to move in on the kids center he's financing.

Murdock's T-shirt: Rich Boy Poor Boy $

Murdock's Fixation: In the Line of Duty he pretends to be a General and breaks out the team.

Sound Byte:

Weird things:

Quote: "You know, I'm tired of being the blue collar guy in these cons. Why don't you guys let me broaden my acting repretoire?" -- Murdock

Mind Games 11/26/85
Writer: Stephen J. Cannell
Director: Michael O'Herily
Out of the blue Face receives a pardon. Hannibal suspects it might be a trap and sure enough it is. But the team can't get Face, whose suddenly caught up in being a celebrity, to listen to them.

Murdock's T-shirt: Black Bush, Red Bush, Green Bush

Murdock's Fixation: Since Face is temporarily gone from the team, Murdock does his best to pretend to be Face. Though it takes him a while to get the seduction angle, he mimics the mannerisms to perfection.

Sound Byte: Murdock does Bullwinkle, Murdock does Sylvester, Murdock does Kissinger.

Weird things: B.A. gets onto a helicopter without a word of protest.

Quote: "I'll drop those pineapples like a crazed pigeon hovering over a mounted statue." -- Murdock

There Goes The Neighborhood 12/03/85
Writer: Bill Nuss
Director: Dennis Donnelly
The A-Team is hired to protect a Rock and Roll singer who has been threatned. They rent a house in a quiet neighborhood, which promptly becomes not so quiet.

Murdock's T-shirt: I like Champagne (glass +???)

Murdock's Fixation: Pretending to be Mr.Rogers or a close approximation.

Sound Byte: A Day in the Life

Setting: Canoga Park, CA

Quote: I always wanted to play the piano. -- B.A.

The Doctor Is Out 12/10/85
Writers: Richard Christian Matheson & Thomas Szollosi
Director: David Hemmings
Murdock's doctor is kidnapped in the middle of one of their sessions. In an Apocalypse Now kind of hour they head to South America to retrieve the missing shrink. Matters are complicated by a chameleon-like young lady who comes along. Guest stars Richard Anderson as Richter.

Murdock's T-shirt: Excellent

Murdock's Fixation: Getting his Doctor back.

Weird things: Geoffrey Lewis' Col. Max Stoddard has some odd turns of phrases. Bodacious? Maybe they just shouldn't put ex-surfer dudes in the military.

Quote: "If I get one more breakthrough this month I win a trip to Hawaii." -- Dr. Richter

Uncle Buckle-Up 12/17/85
Writer: Danny Lee Cole
Director: Michael O'Herily
Hannibal goes out for the role of Ruff the Bear on The Uncle Buckle Up Show. But Uncle Buckle Up (Arte Johnson) is in trouble. Someone is using his cute, cuddly little toys to smuggle drugs into the country.

Murdock's T-shirt: I'm Up Here (with arrow poinitng up)

Murdock's Fixation: Murdock is, as you might expect, an expert on Uncle Buckle-Up.

Sound Byte: Blueberries in my Cave, Uncle Buckle Up Theme

Quote: "Bears don't roar." -- Hannibal

Wheel of Fortune 1/14/86
Writer: Bill Nuss
Director: David Hemmings
Murdock goes on Wheel of Fortune and wins a trip to Hawaii, which he doesn't get to go on as he is promptly kidnapped by people who claim to be CIA, but turn out to be criminals. Lydia Cornell guest stars as Jodi Joy.

Murdock's T-shirt: I Stand Firmly Behind This Shirt

Murdock's Fixation: Well, when you're playing on games shows, hijacking helicopters, escaping from criminals, and flirting with pretty girls, you really don't have time for that fixation.

Weird things: Bill Nuss, the episode's writer, appears as one of the other contestants. The weird thing is that the same man could have written Crystal Skull.

Setting: Las Vegas, NV and nearby Desert

Quote: "This is the most exciting thing that's ever happened to me." -- Jodi Joy

The A-Team is Coming, The A-Team is Coming 1/21/86
Writer: Steve Beers
Director: David Hemmings
The Soviets hire the A-Team to stop a renegade Russian intent on starting World War III, with a super-laser-weapon-thingee, which he intends to steal with the help of some goofy looking American leftists.

Murdock's T-shirt:

Murdock's Fixation:

Sound Byte:

Weird things:

Quote:

Members Only 1/28/86
Writer: Bill Nuss
Director: Tony Mordente
Face has a trial membership at an exclusive country club. Unfortunately trouble starts right away as the team runs across a counterfeiting scheme. General Fulbright turns up as a member. A silly, but fun, episode.

Murdock's T-shirt:

Murdock's Fixation: Turns out that saving your psychiatrist's life leads to quite a few perks, like weekends at the Country Club. Murdock's a good tennis player.

Sound Byte:

Weird things: Golf Cart flips. Shecky.

Quote: "What are you, their token fugitive?" -- Hannibal

Cowboy George 2/11/86
Stephen J. Cannell
Director: Tony Mordente
Two 80s icons, The A-Team and Boy George, meet. The space/time continuum barely survives. Face books "Cowboy George" into a country and western venue, only to find he has "Boy George" for the gig. The owner is upset because this throws a monkey wrench into his plans to rob the payroll during the concert.

Murdock's T-shirt: E=mc^2 - A.E.

Murdock's Fixation: The Lennon Sisters. He hears them singing in his head constantly, and then for real as he takes over a radio station and plays them continuously.

Sound Byte:

Lyrics: Move Away - Culture Club, Karma Chameleon - Culture Club, Too Marvelous - The Lennon Sisters

Weird things: Boy George, 'nuff said.

Quote:

Waiting For Insane Wayne 2/18/86
Writers: Stephen J. Cannell & Frank Lupo
Director: Craig R. Baxley
The A-Team is mistaken for a band of mercenaries hired by a rancher to move out a man and his teenage son, who are sitting on top of an oil well. Naturally the team sides with the underdog.

Murdock's T-shirt: This Side Forward

Murdock's Fixation: Ink blots. He has to take some tests in order to get a transfer, and he's worried because he doesn't understand the ink blot test.

Sound Byte:

Weird things: The "kid" was Moosie Dryer, Howard Borden Jr. on the Bob Newhart Show.

Quote:

The Duke Of Whispering Pines 2/25/86
Writer: Jayne C. Erhlich
Director: Sidney Harris
An old friend of B.A.'s calls him for help when her husband turns up missing. The A-Team finds that there's stolen gold in them thar hills.

Murdock's T-shirt:

Murdock's Fixation: Murdock has a Mood ring with which he annoys B.A. when he can.

Sound Byte:

Weird things:

Quote: "It ain't always a good plan." -- B.A.

Beneath the Surface 3/4/86
Writer: Danny Lee Cole
Director: Michael O'Herily
Face attends his high school reunion only to be betrayed to the military by an old flame. The sister of an another old friend of Face's hires them to find her missing brother.

Murdock's T-shirt:

Murdock's Fixation: He "borrows" his Doctor's limo, and is quite concerned about replacing it when it is quickly riddled with bullets. He's also rather obsessed with Parrots.

Sound Bytes:

Lyrics: We Gotta Get Out Of This Place - The Animals

Weird things:

Quote:

Mission Of Peace 3/11/86
Writer: Steven L. Sears and Burt Pearl
Director: Craig R. Baxley
The residents of a combination old folks home/mission tourist trap hire the A-Team to stop a local landowner from running them off their land.

Murdock's T-shirt:

Murdock's Fixation: Murdock takes on the role of Daniel David Bowie Boone Murdock a.k.a. Pathfinder, supposedly his own great, great grandfather.

Weird things: Wow, that's Bewitched's Larry Tate as Rudy. Pathfinder? Hmmmm... ain't that Reg Barclay's bring home Voyager episode.

Quote: "I can't believe I fell for a Cleveland Indian." -- Face

The Trouble With Harry 3/25/86
Writer: Bill Nuss
Director: David Hemmings
WARNING: Boxing episode and Hulk Hogan. A kid at B.A.'s youth center needs the A-Team's help. His dad is an ex-boxer, alcoholic being pursued by a crazy mobster.

Murdock's T-shirt:

Murdock's Fixation: Face attempts to take Murdock on a double date with him, but they're kidnapped every time they try to meet up with the girls.

Sound Byte:

Weird things: The black and white opener is really cool, but shouldn't a better episode have gone with it? The twins appeared earlier with Hannibal in "Wheel of Fortune".

Quote:

A Little Town with an Accent 5/06/86
Writers: Thomas Szollosi and Richard Christian Matheson
Director: Michael O'Herlihy
The A-Team is hired by a gas station owner who's being pressured to sell out. The team learns that a retired mobster with too much time on his hands is behind the move.

[brick wall] Murdock's T-shirt: Kilroy was Here design. Brick wall with nose and head over it.

Murdock's Fixation: In the line of duty he portrays Carlos, a Miami drug-dealer with a lisp. He's very worried about his red truck that he won in "Wheel of Fortune".

Sound Byte:

Weird things:

Quote:

The Sound of Thunder 5/13/86
Writer: Frank Lupo
Director: Michael O'Herlihy
General Fulbright hires the team to accompany him to Vietnam. He lies and says General Morrison who gave them the orders to rob the bank is still alive, but really he's there to search for his child of whom he's just learned.

Murdock's T-shirt: Everything Must Come to an End

Murdock's Fixation: Lightly Pretending not to be himself for sake of cover

Sound Byte:

Lyrics: Eve of Destruction - Barry MacGuire

Weird things:

Quote:

Dishpan Man 9/26/86
Writer: Stephen J. Cannell
Director: Tony Mordente
The A-Team is hired/coerced by General Hunt Stockwell into freeing a hijacked plane. One of the passengers on board can clear them of their long-standing charges. Along for the ride, and snitching to Stockwell, is special effects expert, Frankie "Dishpan" Santana.

Murdock's T-shirt: Stamp Out Cellulite

Murdock's Fixation:

Sound Byte:

Weird things: When they jumped out of that plane we didn't see any trunk, so where did Murdock get that put-it-together helicopter?

Quote:

Trial By Fire 10/3/86
Writer: Tom Blomquist
Director: Lee Sheldon
In part two, the A-Team is court martialed. The hotshot lawyer Frankie sends over is a total bust. Manufactured evidence pops up everywhere and witnesses lie like dogs on the stand. Oh, and they confess. Not surprisingly they are convicted.

Murdock's T-shirt: Plain black, naturally, when he's a Nighthawk Commando.

Murdock's Fixation: Murdock is called to the stand and does a primo imitation of Bogie in Caine Mutiny. He also indoctrinates Frankie into the Nighthawk Commandos.

Sound Byte:

Weird things:

Quote:

Firing Line 10/10/86
Writer: Frank Lupo
Director: Michael O'Herlihy
The third part in the trilogy. Murdock and Frankie race against time to come up with a plan to rescue the rest of the team from their coming execution.

Murdock's T-shirt: Beans for Health (white shirt with red lettering)

Murdock's Fixation: Having been declared sane Murdock's obsessions are no longer fixations. They're temporary jobs. His first regular job: Dogcatcher

Sound Byte:

Weird things:

Quote: "I don't like wearing somebody else's straitjacket!" -- Murdock

Quarterback Sneak 10/17/86
Writer: Paul Bernbaum
Director: Craig R. Baxley
Straining against suspension of disbelief, the A-Team puts together a football team to play a challenge game in East Germany, as cover for smuggling out a scientist and his wife. Guest stars Joe Namath.

Murdock's T-shirt:

Murdock's Fixation: Murdock's job that week was "Underwear Inspector Six" and he is preoccupied with clothing for the episode. He also manages to work in the number six while posing as a spy in the Line of Duty.

Weird things: We were actually rooting for Joe to get out there and be the quarterback for the final play. Also Murdock makes a very definite reference to The Prisoner, when he states that he is Number Six and he's looking for number two.

Quote [English] Sound Byte [German]: "And the third traveling salesman says, you can see I didn't touch your daughter. I can still play the piano." -- Face

The Theory of Revolution 10/24/86
Writers: Steven L. Sears and Burt Pearl
Director: Sidney Hayers
The A-Team is sent to an island to rescue three captured CIA agents. They find themselves caught up in a revolution against the island dictator. Frankie, for the first and last time, has the love interest.

Murdock's T-shirt:

Murdock's Fixation: Someone entrusts Murdock with impressionable young children? He's a scoutmaster or reasonable facsimile.

Sound Byte:

Weird things: That incredibly long speech before the executions. Stealing the beginning of the episode to use as the ending of the episode.

Quote:

The Say Uncle Affair 10/31/86
Writer: Terry D. Nelson
Director: Michael O'Herlihy
Well, they couldn't very well have Robert Vaughn on the show and not have David McCallum guest star. That would be against the rules. McCallum guests as an old compatriot of Stockwell's who kidnaps and tortures him. The A-Team, of course, comes to the rescue.

Murdock's T-shirt: I Love L.A., Wong for the Road

Murdock's Fixation: Somewhat unwillingly, as he has it written in crayon that he is now sane, Murdock lets himself be committed to a mental institution and pretends to believe that he is Frank Sinatra.

Sound Byte: The Frank Sinatra Collection: It Was a Very Good Year, When Somebody Loves You, Call Me Irresponsible., It Was a Very Good Year 2, It Was a Very Good Year 3, Young at Heart.

Weird things:

Quote:

Alive at Five 11/7/86
Writer: Bill Nuss
Director: Craig R. Baxley
The A-Team is sent to rescue a journalist whose been undercover as a mobster's girlfriend. Face repeatedly tries to leave the team and strike out on his own, but returns every time to warn them of approaching danger.

Murdock's T-shirt: Sensuous & Strong

Murdock's Fixation:

Sound Byte:

Weird things: Richard Romanus guest stars for a second time as a whiny mobster. Weird thing is they mention the character used to work Las Vegas, and that's where he was a mobster the first time, in The Rabbit Who Ate Las Vegas.

Quote:

Family Reunion 11/14/86
Writer: Steven L. Sears
Director: James Darren
The A-Team is assigned to protect a man returning to the U.S. with incriminating political information. The man wants to be reunited with the daughter he abandoned, before he dies. Murdock stumbles on the surprising information that this man may also be Face's father.

Murdock's T-shirt:

Murdock's Fixation: (Murdock conflict reveal relationship, hamster, job Turkey Keeper)

Sound Byte:

Weird things:

Quote:

The Crystal Skull 11/28/86
Writer: Bill Nuss
Director: Michael O'Herily
This is an amazingly bad episode that manages to insult Australians, Pacific Islanders, people in the mid-east, monks and most of all, the Audience. Stockwell sends the team to recover a valuable Crystal Skull. Murdock, Face and Frankie are forced to bail out over a remote island. When they touch ground, Murdock is immediately hailed by the islanders as a God. Bad guys dressed in Monks outfits are using slave labor and pitting two neighboring tribes against each other. Stunningly awful.

Murdock's T-shirt: If Your Breath Stinks, Kill It!

Murdock's Fixation: His job this time was a writer of Fortune Cookie sayings. This probably would have been a fixation had the god thing not come up.

Sound Byte:

Weird things:

Quote:

The Spy Who Mugged Me 12/12/86
Writer: Paul Bernbaum
Director: Michael O'Herlihy
Murdock revels in the role of a James Bond type spy, as part of the team's effort to foil an assassination by "the Jaguar".

Murdock's T-shirt:

Murdock's Fixation: Didn't have time for that. In the Line of Duty he portrayed secret agent, Logan Ross, by doing an uncanny Sean Connery imitation. Except for a tendency to ask for everything shaken and not stirred, (which the bad guys politely ignored), he carried it off rather well.

Sound Byte:

Weird things: Hunt Stockwell's seen North by Northwest a few too many times. That's the one where Robert Vaughn's former UNCLE boss, Leo G. Carroll, does the same thing and creates a spy who doesn't really exist.

Quote: "I had some trouble with room service." -- Murdock

The Point of No Return 12/19/86
Writer: Burt Pearl
Director: Robert Bravler
Stockwell sends Hannibal out on his own. He promptly disappears and Stockwell and the remainder of the team head to Hong Kong to find him and stop the sale of some plutonium.

Murdock's T-shirt:

Murdock's Fixation: After being exposed to a man dying of radiation sickness, Murdock is inordinately worried and imagines symptoms where there are none.

Sound Byte:

Weird things: Shame on Keiko O'Brien for betraying them that way. And shame on the sexist "sponges" just by they way.

Quote:"Face saw a girl." -- Frankie
"Murdock saw somethin' in his head." -- B.A.

The Grey Team 12/30/86
Writer: Tom Blomquist
Director: Michael O'Herily
The teenage daughter of a scientist runs off with his briefcase when she thinks he's a traitor. The A-Team searches for her as she gets help from the residents of an old folks home.

Murdock's T-shirt: Reads "Fini"

Murdock's Fixation: In his job as Kitchen Help he seems somewhat worried about infestations of insects and/or vermin, but this isn't pursued as he takes on his Line of Duty role of renegade Physicist. In order to distract the KGB from the girl's father, (that's our best guess anyway) Murdock poses as a scientist working on "Star Wars" and lets himself be kidnapped by the KGB.

Sound Byte:

Weird things:

Quote:

Without Reservations 3/8/87
Writer: Bill Nuss
Director: John Peter Kousakis
The A-Team attempts to foil an assassination attempt being launched from the Italian restaurant where Murdock works.

Murdock's T-shirt: Reads "Almost Fini"

Murdock's Fixation: Darn sane in this episode. Though interested in acquitting himself well as a waiter, he does not seem obsessive about it.

Sound Byte:

Weird things: First scene from Holiday in the Hills grafted onto beginning of Without Reservations. Wow, deja vu.

Quote:

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