"Pure-Dee Poison" is the seventeenth episode of the second season of The A-Team.
Plot[]
Reverend Taylor confronts moonshiners at a cocktail lounge, wielding a shotgun, which he uses to shoot their supply and tells them to inform their boss that "the war has just started."
At a community house, the reverend hangs a painting with his daughter, Stephanie and the moonshiners show up with their leader, Charles Drew. Taylor sends out his daughter and the moonshiners' leader tries reasoning with the reverend, who refuses, as they have killed thirteen people. Taylor attacks, but the moonshiners subdue him and leave him with a threat.
The reverend goes out on a pier and talks to Hannibal, who is disguised as a fisherman. The reverend reveals he was once a paratrooper and Hannibal soon reveals his identity.
Hannibal brings Taylor to the rest of the team and they discuss their mutual experiences with the Vietnam War and Face's leadership of an Elvira fan club. Taylor briefs the A-Team about his predicament for which he has employed their help and the extent of the moonshining operation.
The A-Team and Tawnia drive to Arcadia, where the moonshiners are based and where their customers include teenagers. They arrive in the town and Hannibal escorts Tawnia into Calhoun's Hospitality Club, where they manage to gain entry via a bribe. Tawnia draws a gun and the rest of the team enter the bar, armed and demanding information about the bar being on the moonshine route. After Face threatens the joint with a grenade launcher, they learn that moonshine is to be delivered the following day.
The team devises plans to face the vehicles operated by the moonshiners. B.A. suggests nitrous oxide, to Face takes Murdock to the dentist in order to gain a supply of it. Murdock acts as though he needs an emergency procedure done. The dentist gives Murdock nitrous oxide and he leaves the office with a tank of it.
B.A. rigs the van for the nitrous oxide and the moonshiners arrive at the bar. Face and Tawnia stage an argument as waiter and patron, respectively. Tawnia is "kicked out" by Face and a moonshiner attempts to entice her with some of the supply.
The moonshiners enter to make their delivery and Hannibal demands they deliver through him and says that they are going to dispose of the moonshine.
Tawnia dumps out the moonshine she is offered, which is ignited by a lit cigarette she throws in the ground, causing a delivery truck to explode. The moonshiners run and the A-Team pursues them, exchanging fire between their vehicles.
The team catches up with the moonshiners and shoot the rest of their supply. Hannibal asks the group to deliver a warning to their boss.
The moonshiners meet with Drew, filling him in on what had happened and Drew states that they can rise to their adversaries' level.
B.A. speaks to Stephanie, who describes him as special. Stephanie then plays pool with Tawnia and Hannibal as Drew arrives with his men, amused by Hannibal's threats against them. Drew threatens them and Face and B.A. enter with guns drawn, prompting the moonshiners to leave. They do not notice Murdock underneath one of their trucks with tools, having planted a camera on the vehicle.
The A-Team watch the video footage with Taylor, Stephanie, and Tawnia, attempting to determine the moonshiners' base of operations. The team then sets out to find it based on what they saw in the footage.
They soon find it, stealthily entering the premises. Face temporarily disables a camera and Murdock nearly alerts the guards through a microphone, but covers for himself with animal noises. The team then encounter a camera planted in a scarecrow's head and manage to run past its field of vision. Murdock subdues a guard, allowing the team to enter the house. However, the moonshiners are alerted and ambush the A-Team, having already captured Stephanie and Tawnia.
The moonshiners take their prisoners to a barn, where they are locked up. The team devises a plan to escape the barn with the objects they find inside, Hannibal likening it to a hardware store.
Drew directs his men to burn the barn as B.A. powers up a bulldozer, which he uses to break the prisoners free from the barn. The bulldozer is armored and equipped with explosives, which Murdock fires off as B.A. drives. Face attacks the moonshiners with a makeshift grenade launder as Hannibal enters the house and grabs guns for the team.
Murdock jumps from the tractor and attempts to distract the moonshiners before Hannibal and B.A. arrive, allowing Murdock to throw a flare at the moonshine supply, which is leaking from gunfire. Drew runs from the explosion and is sent flying a short distance. Hannibal holds him at gunpoint, telling him that next time a preacher talks, he'd better listen.
Reverend Taylor thanks the A-Team for their work and they part ways. Hannibal, Murdock, Face, and Tawnia observe B.A. speaking to Stephanie, who embraces him before the team takes off.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- George Peppard as John "Hannibal" Smith
- Dirk Benedict as Templeton "Faceman" Peck
- Dwight Schultz as H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock
- Mr. T as B.A. Baracus
- Marla Heasley as Tawnia Baker
Guest Starring[]
- John Amos as Reverend Taylor
- Steve Sandor as Burt
- Tracy Reed as Stephanie Taylor
Special Guest Star[]
- Bo Hopkins as Charles Drew
Co-Starring[]
- Tony O'Neil as Frank
- Marsha Haynes as Dr. Reed
- Ed Crick as Boyle
- John Roselius as Calhoun
Enemies[]
Charles Drew
Clients[]
Reverend Taylor
Aliases[]
Hannibal - eccentric fisherman
Hannibal - sugar daddy
Murdock - Clarke
Tawnia - Bubbles
Notable Locations[]
Arcadia County, Georgia
Memorable Quotes[]
Tawnia: I can't tell you guys how included this makes me feel! I mean, we're like family, practically! I, I mean, it's great, don't you think?
Hannibal: Tawnia, you may not be thanking us for long.
Hannibal: I love it when a partnership comes together.
Comments[]
Tawnia has the opportunity to con someone delivering tainted alcohol and then blow up his truck. This was her first big solo action scene. Her semi-apology for not blowing up the second truck is the only comment made. Later she had a more traditional role for a female character on the show: she was captured as used as leverage against the team.
Travel isn't discussed, but somehow Reverend Taylor got from Georgia to L.A. in order to hire the team. Next scene, B.A. is driving the van into Arcadia County in Georgia.
B.A. and Stephanie (the reverend's daughter) had a bit of a connection, resulting in at least one brief, goofy grin from B.A.
Face cons a dentist out of nitrous oxide, continuing his habit of stealing from innocent people.