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Oh season five, season five... What do you do, when a series you love ceases to be a series that you love? No, that's not quite what I mean. When you love a show, but it changes, and you really wish it hadn't? Or when everybody wishes it hadn't...
I decided to try another assault on season five of The A-Team. I began tonight, with an episode that I have good memories of: "The Theory Of Revolution", which is episode five. Thing is, although there were some good things to say about season five at the time, I didn't like a lot of the changes, and I've pretty much avoided it ever since. Some episodes I haven't seen since their original broadcast. Others I saw edited down for a Saturday afternoon repeat showing in around 1994/5. That's a long time, and long enough for opinions to alter. Bearing in mind that this is my all-time favourite TV show, I had to give it another try. Time doesn't alter every opinion though. Sometimes, bad things are bad things whatever year you're watching them in. I don't want to dump all of the blame on Eddie Velez. After all, he didn't write himself into the show, and he didn't create his character. He does have to take some of the blame for being so awful, though. Frankie is just the worst addition to any show ever. And I say this after having loathed Dawn in Buffy, to say nothing of Fred and especially Eve in Angel. Some of you know full well how much I hate Dawn and Eve. But Frankie... sheesh. He steals everybody's thunder. He takes over all the electronics stuff, so BA has nothing to do. He takes over some of the quips, so Hannibal has less to do. He takes over the flirting with girls. What is the bloody point of Frankie?! He's the most ghastly, over the top, unnecessary character imaginable. Impressively, too, he seems to be entirely without fans anywhere; unless they just hide very carefully, so the rest of us can't find them. Whoever decided that the team needed a fifth member needs their head examining. I know some fans mutter about Amy and Tawnia, but they had a purpose. More to the point, they didn't steal air time and plot time from the other characters.
Oh, there's good bits. "Theory Of Revolution" actually has a lot to recommend it, especially for a Face fan like me. And a Face and Murdock fan, too. Their scenes are fabulous, as always. Face gets to be a hero several times over, so hooray for that. Murdock awarding him Scout badges, and promoting him to the Order Of The Baying Wolf is a joy. Their little scenes together have always been one of the best things in the show. It's one of those screen chemistries that always shine - even when there's a loud-mouthed pillock called Frankie hanging around in the background. Lordi, I hate that man...
It's not just The A-Team, either. Season four of Remington Steele comes with season five in the box, and I can't see myself trying to watch it again any time soon. I reckon it's been around 1990 at least since I tried that one, so, again, maybe it's time for another try. Except that I've read the transcripts much more recently, and still cringe. And after today's attempt at re-evaluating my beloved A-Team, I'm not sure it's worth the effort. You know, there's chunks of Angel season five that I can't see myself re-watching, too. What is it about good shows changing their formats in season five?! Fatally changing their formats, in some cases.
I'll always love The A-Team. Be it the silliness, the fun, the action, the adventure, the characters... all of it. It's always the first thing I turn to when I'm in a funk, and that theme music never fails to get the adrenalin going. There are episodes I know almost by heart - those precious few I had on tape, in those long repeat-less days pre-DVD. And Face in particular will always be one of my favourite people. I'll probably never know why. But season five? I think I'll go back to pretending it never happened. Either that or join the legions of people writing new endings to it, where Frankie turns out to be a traitor, and the gang escape from Stockwell. Hmm. I think I prefer pretending it never happened. Twenty years it is now, since it was axed. I guess that means we're all free to do what we want with the memories now. I "forgot" about season five of Remington Steele long ago, after all. Mind you, I think I may retain bits of the team's season five - in a carefully de-Frankied way. All the Face and Murdock bits of "The Theory Of Revolution", for instance. And I'll give another episode a go tomorrow. Of course I will. Got to take the rough with the smooth... So much for forgetting it ever happened. Still, you can't turn your back on a friend, can you.
Oh dear. I seem to have gone into Nonsensical Ramble Mode again... Point me at season five, wind me up and watch me go... I really wouldn't mind so much, you know. It's just that Frankie is so frakking awful! Grr.
*Sigh* Happy thoughts. Think happy thoughts.
Life's better with Face and Murdock...
I decided to try another assault on season five of The A-Team. I began tonight, with an episode that I have good memories of: "The Theory Of Revolution", which is episode five. Thing is, although there were some good things to say about season five at the time, I didn't like a lot of the changes, and I've pretty much avoided it ever since. Some episodes I haven't seen since their original broadcast. Others I saw edited down for a Saturday afternoon repeat showing in around 1994/5. That's a long time, and long enough for opinions to alter. Bearing in mind that this is my all-time favourite TV show, I had to give it another try. Time doesn't alter every opinion though. Sometimes, bad things are bad things whatever year you're watching them in. I don't want to dump all of the blame on Eddie Velez. After all, he didn't write himself into the show, and he didn't create his character. He does have to take some of the blame for being so awful, though. Frankie is just the worst addition to any show ever. And I say this after having loathed Dawn in Buffy, to say nothing of Fred and especially Eve in Angel. Some of you know full well how much I hate Dawn and Eve. But Frankie... sheesh. He steals everybody's thunder. He takes over all the electronics stuff, so BA has nothing to do. He takes over some of the quips, so Hannibal has less to do. He takes over the flirting with girls. What is the bloody point of Frankie?! He's the most ghastly, over the top, unnecessary character imaginable. Impressively, too, he seems to be entirely without fans anywhere; unless they just hide very carefully, so the rest of us can't find them. Whoever decided that the team needed a fifth member needs their head examining. I know some fans mutter about Amy and Tawnia, but they had a purpose. More to the point, they didn't steal air time and plot time from the other characters.
Oh, there's good bits. "Theory Of Revolution" actually has a lot to recommend it, especially for a Face fan like me. And a Face and Murdock fan, too. Their scenes are fabulous, as always. Face gets to be a hero several times over, so hooray for that. Murdock awarding him Scout badges, and promoting him to the Order Of The Baying Wolf is a joy. Their little scenes together have always been one of the best things in the show. It's one of those screen chemistries that always shine - even when there's a loud-mouthed pillock called Frankie hanging around in the background. Lordi, I hate that man...
It's not just The A-Team, either. Season four of Remington Steele comes with season five in the box, and I can't see myself trying to watch it again any time soon. I reckon it's been around 1990 at least since I tried that one, so, again, maybe it's time for another try. Except that I've read the transcripts much more recently, and still cringe. And after today's attempt at re-evaluating my beloved A-Team, I'm not sure it's worth the effort. You know, there's chunks of Angel season five that I can't see myself re-watching, too. What is it about good shows changing their formats in season five?! Fatally changing their formats, in some cases.
I'll always love The A-Team. Be it the silliness, the fun, the action, the adventure, the characters... all of it. It's always the first thing I turn to when I'm in a funk, and that theme music never fails to get the adrenalin going. There are episodes I know almost by heart - those precious few I had on tape, in those long repeat-less days pre-DVD. And Face in particular will always be one of my favourite people. I'll probably never know why. But season five? I think I'll go back to pretending it never happened. Either that or join the legions of people writing new endings to it, where Frankie turns out to be a traitor, and the gang escape from Stockwell. Hmm. I think I prefer pretending it never happened. Twenty years it is now, since it was axed. I guess that means we're all free to do what we want with the memories now. I "forgot" about season five of Remington Steele long ago, after all. Mind you, I think I may retain bits of the team's season five - in a carefully de-Frankied way. All the Face and Murdock bits of "The Theory Of Revolution", for instance. And I'll give another episode a go tomorrow. Of course I will. Got to take the rough with the smooth... So much for forgetting it ever happened. Still, you can't turn your back on a friend, can you.
Oh dear. I seem to have gone into Nonsensical Ramble Mode again... Point me at season five, wind me up and watch me go... I really wouldn't mind so much, you know. It's just that Frankie is so frakking awful! Grr.
*Sigh* Happy thoughts. Think happy thoughts.
Life's better with Face and Murdock...
... and no @#*&ing F*****e.
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