The essential episodes of The A-Team

Watch these 15 in order and you've got The A-Team — each pick states its reason.

1. 01

   S01E01 · Pilot · January 23, 1983 · 1h

   Mexican Slayride: Part 18.0

   Amy Allen is a reporter who is worried when her friend another reporter went to Mexico to do a story but appears to have disappeared.

2. 02

   S01E02 · Top rated · January 23, 1983 · 1h

   Mexican Slayride: Part 27.5

   Amy Allen is a reporter who is worried when her friend another reporter went to Mexico to do a story but appears to have disappeared.

3. 03

   S01E14 · Top rated · May 10, 1983 · 1h

   A Nice Place to Visit7.5

   When a Vietnam buddy of the team dies, they travel to his hometown for the funeral only to discover that a bullying family that runs the town won't allow anyone to attend the funeral except for his wife, Trish.

4. 04

   S02E07 · Season 2 peak · November 1, 1983 · 1h

   The Taxicab Wars7.4

   A small cab company finds itself on the verge of extinction when the A-Team steps in and helps them with a major problem... a rival no-holds-barred cab company that will stop at nothing to control the complete territory currently shared by both companies.

5. 05

   S02E20 · Top rated · February 21, 1984 · 1h

   Harder Than It Looks7.3

   A hostage with Cupid's version of Stockholm syndrome.

6. 06

   S03E09 · Season 3 peak · November 20, 1984 · 1h

   Showdown!7.3

   Captain Winnetka's Wild West Show is being terrorized by a trio of A-Team impostors.

7. 07

   S03E25 · Top rated · May 14, 1985 · 1h

   Incident at Crystal Lake7.3

   Face was falling for a foxy girl in a 'broken down' sports car lure planted by MP Colonel Decker, but fortunately Hannibal spotted her in advance, and decides they need some quiet time- by Crystal Lake. Some thieves who found the union payroll armored car empty because of a strike but still get chased -in it- by the local sheriff. While Murdock concentrates on fishing, with a dummy as partner 'to get the bad luck', Face finds himself a lovely Park Ranger- whose post is taken by the fleeing robbers and tells them the best getaway vehicle is the teams van, actually having recognized them; only the bullet proof vest he wore as fishing gear saves him when shot by the one who came with her; meanwhile she escapes and joins the team. So Hannibal gets deliberately captured to join her father at the Rangers post and the crooks' goose gets cooked according the Hannibals planning recipe, but miss Ranger confesses the MPs are also on their way...

8. 08

   S04E04 · Top rated · October 22, 1985 · 1h

   A Lease with an Option to Die7.3

   The tenants of a Chicago apartment building are fed up with the harassments by a gang of goons who moved in and seem determined to drive them away, lead by the building superintendent Alvarez. One of them has broken the arm of B.A.'s mom, and she calls her son, whom she believes to lead the outfit, and the giant still jumps for her, even insisting they fly. Murdock's new thing is a yo-yo, to play the retarded son of the new tenants committee president, Hannibal playing an old woman in a wheelchair. The team make it harder for the goons and finds out the respectable firm Harrington Management is behind them as it stands among properties they already bought for a development project. Now both parties hit hard...

9. 09

   S04E07 · Top rated · November 12, 1985 · 1h

   Body Slam7.3

   The team goes to see a wrestling win by world champion Hulk Hogan, a colleague of BA's in Vietnam, and accepts his plea to help keep open a center for street kids in Venice, CA., which the Carter crime family wants and already has the bank ready to foreclose and sell to them if the next loan payment fails. Face figures out patriarch Victor Carter's past under his original name, Kotero, and the criminal connection with the father of the center's devoted manager Dicki Gordon: a gold transport robbery, the loot of which is probably buried under the center. The Carters may send in a bunch of goons, Hulks friends are a few sizes bigger. Hannibal pretends to be a crooked FBI agent after the gold, but MP Col. Decker is also on to the team...

10. 10

    S04E08 · Top rated · November 19, 1985 · 1h

    Blood, Sweat and Cheers7.3

    Kid Harmon is a fine young man and talented car racer, but when his competitor Kyle Ludwig, who gets almost unlimited funds from his uncle, Chicago gangster Carl Ludwig, hears his goons can't discourage the kid and his dad, Jack Harmon, he orders them to stop both physically. Once Kid is in hospital, his young wife Dana calls his uncle John, i.e. Hannibal Smith, who brings in the A-team.

11. 11

    S04E10 · Season 4 peak · December 3, 1985 · 1h

    There Goes the Neighborhood8.0

    The A-team is just in time, asked to protect rock singer Stevi Faith, to prevent an attack in her manager Woodie Stone's office by terrorists from North Terrania who want to prevent her donating any proceeds of an Africa benefit to the rival Central African South Terrania. They decide to hide her in a safer place incognito, so Face buys a nice suburban house, hoping to sell with a profit after some renovation. All neighbors are decent people, even the wacky, fat, macho but useless block captain Joe, except the Hells Angels types in the house across, who soon turn out to be hoods planted by drug baron Juarez.

12. 12

    S04E23 · Top rated · May 13, 1986 · 1h

    The Sound of Thunder7.7

    MP General 'Bull' Fulbright uses the needy girl-trick once too often, and is captured by the team but for once only was looking for them as a prospective client, claiming he wants them to go to Vietnam and free a POW colonel, his personal friend they presumed killed in action, who might dis-incriminate them. Once there, he sneaks away and is barely saved from a girl who tries to shoot him. He comes clean the POW was a lie, he recently learned he has a half-blood son and wants the A-Team to help bring him home. It soon turns out he was tricked too, there is no son but that girl who wanted kill to him...

13. 13

    S05E08 · Season 5 peak · November 14, 1986 · 1h

    Family Reunion7.7

    On Thanksgiving, General Stockwells orders the A-Team to reunite a wanted criminal, A.J. Bancroft, with his daughter Ellen within 24 hours. In return, Bancroft will provide evidence that could bring down half the crooked politicians in Washington. Bancroft, who is terminally ill, has not seen his daughter in twenty years. However, Ellen knows all about him from the papers. But the old man has another reason to hire the A-Team specifically: he tells Murdock that Templeton Peck was born Richard Bancroft, his son.

14. 14

    S05E11 · Top rated · December 12, 1986 · 1h

    The Spy Who Mugged Me7.7

    The A-Team is assigned to Monte Carlo to flush out the worlds most dangerous terrorist, known only as "The Jaguar".

15. 15

    S05E13 · Series finale · March 8, 1987 · 1h

    Without Reservations6.8

    Just back from a mission, The A-Team insists Stockwell gives them two weeks off. Murdock invites the guys to the restaurant he waits tables at, Villa Cucina in Washington D.C. Face and Frankie accept, but Hannibal and B.A. would rather watch Monday Night Football. The guys notice a trio of mobsters carrying guns. When they try to disarm them, Faceman gets shot. The crooks decide to take everyone hostage and wait until their real target, attorney general Liebster, arrives.