The A-Team/A Nice Place to Visit

A Nice Place to Visit
Season 1, Episode 14
Airdate	May 10, 1983
Production Number	1113
Written by	Frank Lupo
Directed by	Bernard McEveety
Stream
← 1x13 The Beast from the Belly of a Boeing	2x01 → Diamonds 'n Dust
The A-Team — Season One

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A Nice Place to Visit is the fourteenth episode of the first season of The A-Team.

The Team goes to Barlow Creek to attend the funeral of an Army comrade, Cpl. Raymond Barlow, to pay their respects, but besides the widow they are the only attendees. The Watkins family is suspected in Ray's death, and they rule the town through fear and intimidation. It is up to the Team to bring them to justice and instill courage in the townsfolk to stand up to these bullies.

Starring: George Peppard (John Smith), Dirk Benedict (Templeton Peck), Melinda Culea (Amy Allen), Dwight Schultz (H.M. Murdock)

and Mr. T (Bosco "B.A." Baracus)

Guest Stars: Joanna Kerns (Trish Brenner), Burton Gilliam (Sheriff Jeff Lewis), Ted Markland (Logan Watkins), Kelbe Nugent (Lianne), Sandy Ward (Dan)

and Robert F. Lyons (Harold)

Special Guest Star: Don Stroud (Deke Watkins)

Co-Starring: M.C. Gainey (C.W. Watkins), Georgie Paul (Arnold's Wife)

Featuring: Johnny Crear (Arnold), Tony Epper (Curly Watkins), William Dyer (Minister)

Plot Overview

The Team, along with Amy, visit Barlow Creek to pay their respects to Cpl. Raymond Brenner, a one-time member of their unit in Vietnam during the late 1960s and early 1970s. However, the team learns that Brenner's death, attributed to a car accident – it was said Ray lost control of his vehicle due to a blown tire – was no accident, and that the Watkins brothers were behind it. Deke Watkins had always wanted Ray's wife, Trish, for himself and tried to get at her several times, most recently while Ray was out of town at a convention. The town was already afraid of the Watkins brothers, who used fear, intimidation and physical violence to get their way, but Ray was the only one to stand up to them. In fact, Ray was gathering evidence to bring the brothers to justice when he learns that Trish was raped by the brothers, but the Watkins are able to lure him out of town on a false tip, before running his vehicle off the road, the impact of the crash killing Ray.

Nobody is allowed to attend Ray's funeral, but the team does without fear and they pay their proper respects. The Watkins momentarily get the upper hand when they try running the van off the road; none of the members are hurt, but the van is badly damaged ... and then stripped. This leads to Hannibal and the Team formulating a plan to eventually bring down the Watkins brothers, but even before them the townspeople see that there are people out there who are unwilling to back down from the Watkins' brothers.

In the end, the Team defeats the Watkins – although the lead brother, Deke – tries to sucker-punch Mr. T, only for Deke to regret it. With the Watkins no longer a threat, several people agree to be deputized and put them in jail, until they can be transferred to a holding facility to await murder charges.

In the end, with the van repaired, the town is planning a big celebration of life for Ray ... and welcome his unborn child into the world several months later.

Trivia

Allusions and References

• Apathy: At first glance, viewing the YouTube-uploaded clip of the funeral scene without context may make it appear that nobody attends funerals of Vietnam veterans. The proper context, however, reveals this sad "truth-in-television" is not at all in play. (The decedent, a well-decorated Vietnam veteran, was well-loved and respected by the town, and the only one to stand up to the Watkins, who used bullying tactics to get their way; when he was murdered, the Watkins warned everyone to stay away or they would be shot and killed, if not worse, and the scene takes place near the middle of the episode.

Memorable Moments

• During the funeral scene, each one of the Team members, in turn, recalls their service and the heroism of Cpl. Brenner. With Hannibal, the two are masterminds in blowing up a bridge that was along a critical supply line for the North Vietnamese. During Face's first firefight shortly after basic training, he lost his helmet after jumping off a transport vehicle ... and despite the danger to himself, Ray gave him his helmet, critical as Face eventually helps win this firefight for the Americans. During another front-line attack, B.A. is shot in the leg and badly wounded; Ray runs through heavy gunfire when he sees the fallen B.A. and pulls him to safety, and after tending to his wounds gets him to a Medivac helicopter, which eventually gets him to a hospital and lie-saving surgery. Murdock – in a very rare first-season moment of seriousness – remembers how Ray was also a skilled pilot and that he vectored one of his flights through a combat zone; it was during a firefight with heavy American casualties ... but with Ray's help, Murdock pilots the only copter that reaches its destination, the others having been shot down.