Ep 1. Dishpan Man (1)

The A-Team was a popular action adventure series that aired on NBC from 1983 to 1987. The show follows four ex-United States Army Special Forces soldiers who work as mercenaries, traveling the country and helping innocent people in need. The season 5 premiere episode, "Dishpan Man (1)," picks up where the previous season left off, following the aftermath of the team's mission to clear their names after being falsely accused of a crime.

The episode begins with the A-Team, consisting of Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith (played by George Peppard), Lieutenant Templeton "Face" Peck (played by Dirk Benedict), Captain H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock (played by Dwight Schultz), and Sergeant Bosco "B.A." Baracus (played by Mr. T), returning to Los Angeles after successfully exonerating themselves. As they drive into the city, they notice that a rival gang has taken over their old neighborhood in East LA, and the community is living in fear.

The gang, led by a ruthless drug lord named Rico Santana (played by Mario Van Peebles), is using violence and intimidation to control the neighborhood and take over the local black market. When the A-Team learns of this, they decide to take action and help their former neighbors. However, they soon realize that Rico is a formidable opponent and that they are outnumbered and outgunned.

To even the odds, the A-Team decides to recruit a former member, a man known as Dishpan Man (played by Charles Napier). Dishpan Man is a Vietnam War veteran who served alongside the A-Team but was left behind during a mission and presumed dead. However, he survived and spent years living in the wilderness, developing an expertise in building explosives from household items, hence his nickname.

The team tracks down Dishpan Man and convinces him to join their mission to take down Rico and his gang. However, Dishpan Man is bitter and angry about being left behind years ago and initially refuses to help. The A-Team must earn his trust and convince him that they need him to succeed in their current mission.

With Dishpan Man on board, the A-Team begins to gather intel on Rico and his operation. They discover that he is using an abandoned factory as his base of operations and decide to sneak in and plant some of Dishpan Man's homemade explosives to destroy it. However, their plan is complicated when they discover that Rico has a hostage in the factory, a young boy who stumbled upon his operation.

The team must now come up with a new plan that allows them to save the boy while still taking down Rico's operation. They split up and use their diverse skill sets to distract and disable Rico's henchmen while Dishpan Man sets the explosives. In a thrilling climax, the team pulls off the mission, resulting in the destruction of Rico's operation and his arrest by the authorities.

In the end, the A-Team is hailed as heroes by the neighborhood and the boy they saved, and Dishpan Man reconciles with his former teammates. The episode ends with the A-Team once again driving off into the sunset, ready for their next adventure.

Overall, "Dishpan Man (1)" is a thrilling and action-packed episode that delivers on everything fans love about The A-Team. It features intense gunfights, explosive action, and some heartwarming moments as the team works to save a community in need. The addition of Dishpan Man as a character adds a new dynamic to the show and sets up an exciting storyline for the rest of the season.