Airwolf - Condemned

I had no intention of writing anything today but did watch a fun episode of Airwolf titled Condemned about a mission involving scientists and researchers on an island in US territory trying to find the antidote for a chemical terror agent, first unleashed in Afghanistan. Those on the island have gone seemingly mad, killing themselves and each other! Hawke and Caitlin are sent in to try and find the antidote and to see if there are survivors who can tell them what is going on. Briggs [Archangel], representing The Firm, reports the situation to Hawke, hoping he'll take Airwolf to the island to investigate and hopefully bring the cure for the virus home. But the Soviets send a sub to the island also hoping for the antidote. When all on the island become infected, both sides, Americans and Russians alike, will need to work as a team to locate the antidote and share the antidote. Cold War and all, seeing hesitation and lack of trust between them is understandable. The location is interesting if just because it is isolated, and the plant with all the bodies strewn about, the lone unstable, psychotic scientist startling Hawke and Caitlin with an assault that ruins their protective suits presents a challenge unanticipated. Caitlin gets a chance to take up screen time Borgnine's missing Santini often devours, as Vincent remains stone-faced but admittedly charismatic. He really often did squander his star power, ultimately. Hawke gets to use the Airwolf supercopter to help triangulate with the sub the position of the secret lab containing the potential antidote.  The Soviets having to put aside their feelings for Hawke and Caitlin (and vice versa), it seems Hawke and the Russian commander must be the cooler heads if they are to prevail against the virus. Vincent, it must be said, just carries himself on screen as a star at least on this show. And Airwolf is certainly a cool toy for the show to exploit to their leisure. It bombs the hell out of the plant...sanitizing the island. The antidote up for grabs, a rabbit proving it exists (Harpo of the Marx brother named test subjects!), learning later that the side effects are paranoia and psychosis...all results in Hawke and Caitlin up in the Airwolf trying to shoot down sub cruise missiles, while under tranquilizers! Even saving the Soviets despite fading is Hawke!

I remember this show in the 80s, in reruns more than during it's initial run. Although the missions often feature more screen time on the ground than air, Airwolf has it's star appearances.