Two Moffitts for the price of one!

Not worth counting

Three buttons undone

Surfer blonde and sexy messy

No Dietrich

Guest Cast: Norman Wooland -- Moffitt's father Writer: Michael Hoey Director: John Peyser summary: German artillery traps 2000 Allied soldiers and their only chance of rescue is an Allied armored attack. The necessary equipment, though, can only reach them in time via an ancient road which is now hidden by sand, a road only Moffitt's father can find. On the way to the landing site, Moffitt's father's plane crashes. Moffitt wants to go find him but Troy insists their first priority is to find the road themselves. Moffitt breaks away and goes to find his father but finds only the burned-out plane. Troy thinks the elder Moffitt must be dead. Moffitt says he was captured. Again Moffitt escapes the team and goes after his father -- finally rescuing him. This way to Jan's Notes: a.k.a. Your father's dead. No, he isn't. Yes, he is. No, he isn't. Moffitt of Arabia?

Jan's Notes: a.k.a. Your father's dead. No, he isn't. Yes, he is. No, he isn't. View comments or Add your own about this episode Your favourite line, What you liked best about this episode, What you liked least about this episode, Who (regular cast or guest star) put in the best job, Who (regular cast or guest star) put in the worst job, General Comments... Rate this episode! Overall, I rate this episode: Unwatchable Poor Fair A Typical Outing Rises Above the Usual Excellent Exceptional - The Best Episode This web site is a fannish, not-for-profit endeavour and is not intended to infringe on the copyrights of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc, United Artists, and/or any other owners of "The Rat Patrol."

The natives are friendly	Tully guards the jeep	Family Reunion

This is a real neat episode. Not a lot of action but it focuses on the four men and how they are starting to relate to one another. Remembering that Moffitt is the new guy to the group is essential to understanding the actions of the other three men. The dynamic of the group has always been Troy is the leader and Tully and Hitch have a real loyalty to him. If Moffitt and Troy had a disagreement, it would go without saying that Tully and Hitch would back Troy, period. This episode puts a different slant on things. It also suggests things about the developing relationship between Tully and Moffitt.

Moffitt's Dad, who is never given a first name (which I think sucks so I have named him Alistair), is being flown in to help the Patrol find a two thousand year old Roman road that the Allies can use. However, his plane is shot down just before it lands. Troy does not want to go chasing off after the plane. Moffitt has different ideas. He wants to go find his father. Both Tully and Hitch think they should go check out the plane. Troy for the first time finds himself being challenged by all three men and he doesn't like it.

Tully mentions that he has read Alistair's book and doesn't think he is "type of man who you would say fell out of a plane and died without taking a look see first." Where did Tully get the book from if not from Moffitt? It doesn't strike me as the type of reading material that the supply depot would have on hand for the men. So now I'm imagining Moffitt telling Tully all about his archaeology digs, etc., while they are riding around looking for German convoys to shoot up. Tully shows some interest and so Moffitt lends him his father's book.

Troy agrees to go check out the plane, however, when they get there, no sign of Alistair. Troy figures that Alistair must be dead, that he was thrown from the plane. There is a dead Arab full of bullet holes though. Moffitt figures his father either escaped or was captured by another Arab. There are horse tracks leading away from the plane. Tully thinks they could catch up with the horse as he has never known a horse that could outrun a jeep in sand. He has been around horses too? Troy gets choked up and tells Tully and Hitch to get busy and bury the dead guy in the plane. Tully makes a guesture that looks like he is throwing his hand up in annoyance. I get the impression that he is really ticked off with Troy. Moffitt makes a move to run off in one of the jeeps and Troy threatens to shoot him if he makes any attempt to leave the patrol. Troy wants to complete the mission by locating the Roman road and wants Moffitt to get with the program. Troy is being rather hardheaded about this whole thing.

Troy and Hitch take off to check on German activity in the area. When they get back, no Moffitt. Tully is standing in his jeep leaning up against the jeep looking very, very good. Now we get a exchange between Tully and Troy that's real interesting. When Troy asks Tully where Moffitt is, Tully succinctly says Gone! He has no intention of making things easy for Troy, which really ticks Troy off. When Troy learns that Moffitt has taken off with the dead Arab's clothes in order to rescue his father and that Tully did nothing to stop him because he never came near the jeep, he gives Tully one of his patented "Kill" looks. But Tully just stands there fiddling with something that looks like a harmonica not being fazed one little bit. He is definitely on Moffitt's side in this dispute.

Moffitt meanwhile has entered the village and gone to the local bar to find out the whereabouts of his father, where we see a local Arab rehearsing for David Letterman's stupd pet tricks. What a fat pooch, and his attempt at a roll over is pathetic. With the help of a lovely Arab woman, Moffitt learns the location of his father and rescues him, though Alistair almost chokes him to death for his trouble. Alistair and Moffitt attempt to escape by hiding in garbage cans but are discovered. Moffitt demonstrates that he would have made a champion frisbee player when he chucks the lids at the Germans who true to form never even get a shot off. And the other three guys show up in the nick of time to pick up Moffitt and Alistair. Here comes the Cavalry!

The scene where Moffitt rescues his father shows how close the two are. Moffitt may have communicated this closeness to Tully when he gave him the book, which may explain why Tully was so supportive of Moffitt.

I bet Troy was feeling like a real idiot. I hope he apologized to Moffitt for being so certain that Alistair was dead. Also someone should explain to Troy that century equals 100 and millennium equals 1,000. And I wonder if Tully and Alistair talked about the book. Tully was the only one of the guys to give a farewell of sorts.

Oh, they did find the Roman road. It was right beneath their feet all the time.

(Thanks to Vivian for the images)

previous	table of contents	next
return to the briefing room by jeep return to the briefing room by tank

Logomancy is web and CD-ROM design group based in Riverdale, NYC, and Austin, TX. Questions or Comments? Don't hesitate to let us know!