Writer: Richard Landau
Director: John Peyser

commentary: Fanatical Arabs -- wanting to end the war on their land -- attack both the Rat Patrol and the German convoy that Dietrich leads, trapping both in a small desert fortress. This forces the two teams into a truce. One of the Germans -- a liasion to the Arabs -- tries to talk Dietrich into betraying the Rat Patrol to the Arabs but he refuses. In the end the liasion tries to go over to the Arabs himself. He ends up killed, and Dietrich and Troy are able to construct a trap of their own -- killing most of the Arabs and escaping.

Jan's Notes: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!!
30 March 1999

This is one of my favourite episodes. Good closeup of all the guys.

Okay, why did no one drink the coffee Hitch was always making? Was it that bad?

Did Heine the German ever get the hand of blowing bubbles? That was a real cute scene with Hitch trying to teach Heine the fine art of bubble-making.

Tully was really ansty with his '50. Made Troy look bad after he had just finished chewing out the Germans for wasting their ammunition. And why is he shooting at beautiful girls doing the lindy anyway? Also Tully isn't wearing his silver rings in this episode. And I think this is the only one where he isn't wearing them.

I get the feeling Dietrich felt he was on a fool's mission, and Moffitt certainly seconded that opinion. When Moffitt is questioning Hassan about how he plans on negotiating with Faisel you see the Dietrich is not too impressed with Hassan or Goebbels or the propaganda ministry or with any thing else at the moment.

Faisel's army also prove to be real poor shots, as Tully says. Come on now, over hundred men against seven and the only one they manage to kill is the one who walks out bearing the international truce symbol. But they kill him real good. As Tully says, "They're pot-shooting him like they're at a turkey-shoot." What wonderful imagery!

Moffitt really rubs it in to Dietrich too. Comparing the Arabs to the SS. Moffitt can be real nasty when he wants. I really wouldn't want to get on his bad side.

Now the whole breakfast scenario. Started by a scarcastic comment by Tully who I guess is impatient with the lack of ideas about how to get out of this mess, and spearheaded by Hitch (who is not getting the case of the mirages, just suffering from having to drink all the coffee), the Patrol and Dietrich come up with a breakfast made especially with Faisel and company in mind using explosives that Dietrich forgot to mention he had.

Unforgettable Dialogue:

Look's like company for breakfast.

How's the main course coming, Sarge?

They are beginning to drool!

They're comming at us like food is going out of style!

Bring on the Bacon and eggs.

This is the first of a number great truce episodes. Dietrich proves himself to be a man of honour. And of course our guys act in the manner to which we have come accustomed.

Notes from Anne: The My Pet Arab is Smarter than your Pet Arab Raid
30 March 1999

I interpret the look Dietrich gave Moffitt look as, "How come Troy's pet Arab is smarter than my pet Arab?" (Hence I retitled this one, from Troy's point of view, "The My Pet Arab is Smarter than your Pet Arab Raid.")

There's an interesting nature vs. nurture thing going on: who is more respectful and knowledgeable of the culture, the person who was born English but raised in the desert, or the person who was born Arab but raised in Chicago? (Answer: the one who's still alive at the end of the episode.)

It's very sharp when Moffitt accuses Hassan of being an infidel. Someone was doing his homework, or else made a lucky guess. The greatest sin in Islam is forgetfulness -- forgetting your proper place in the universe -- and it's pretty clear that that's what Hassan has done.

Since Dietrich speaks Arabic and interacts pretty well with the locals, I imagine he picked up on Moffitt's acuity there, hence the look.

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