S1e01 - Mexican Slayride (Part 1)

The pilot episode opens without the famous theme tune in Mexico which is looking very ghost town-ish as all the local residents are in hiding from Malavida Valdez who has been terrorising the community with his band of thugs and demands they hand over Al Massey an American reporter.
Al bursts out of his hiding place in a car and we have our first chase of the series which doesn't end well for Massey when he's captured. He tries to assure Valdez he is on vacation.
Cut to....angry Amy Allen who is adamant Al Massey is not on vacation. 

 Amy's been "rattling windows" under the paper's influence in a desperate attempt to find out what's happened to her friend, contacting the US embassy and general causing her editor grief so he suspends her for two weeks at half pay. Not one to take things lying down, Amy's recruited fellow journalist Zack in helping her locate the infamous A-Team, a commando team who people aren't even sure really exists. They go through the files Zack has together and Amy learns about the Hanoi Bank Job and their escape from Fort Bragg which kickstarted Colonel Lynch's vendetta against the team, that Hannibal is unorthodox, BA has the worst conduct record in the army due to his fondness for slugging officers, and that Face is an orphaned conman (and according to these files was born in 1935 making him older than Hannibal! They'll fix it in Season 5. )Amy likes the look of Face and wonders where they are now.

 They're on a film set. Hannibal's playing the monster but doesn't get to complete the final scene as Face (played by Tim Dunigan for this one episode and henceforth known as Fake!Face by the fandom) and BA shows up with Lynch in hot pursuit. BA has some great lines during the car chase including "I ain't stoppin' for no autographs Hannibal!" when he's recognised in the Aquamaniac suit. One MP car ends up in a lake, the other in someone's living room and Lynch ends up being dared into the water by Hannibal's jazz-loving antics.

Face is angry at Hannibal's actions, he and BA

are not impressed. Hannibal places a quick call to Murdock to let him know Lynch is on them and may be paying him a visit. Murdock already has a visitor in the form of Amy who has tracked him down via Pentagon records. Murdock pleads ignorant of The A-Team, informing Amy he has "problems". After telling Murdock she's sorry for what happened to him, he quits shaving his head and decides she's legit. On Hannibal's instruction informs her to go to the Kozy Kat Klub at 2am and wait until she's contacted. True to Hannibal's warning once she leaves Lynch shows up and Murdock plays him like a violin. Thus begins a series wide debate - is Murdock truly crazy or is he just faking it? To me this is ample proof the man is faking the crazy. He definitely hams it up for Lynch's benefit, complete with eye roll and amused smirk once the Colonel leaves.[Aside note: how did the producers consider ditching Dwight Schultz after seeing this? It's gold!]

We have our first Hannibal in disguise to communicate with the client followed by Mr Lee's only on-screen appearance [File under: things they couldn't do today] Amy passes Hannibal's tests and assures him she will provide $150,000 and a photo of Al Massey.
'Mr Lee' says $150 thou isn't enough to hire The A-Team! Hannibal must have agreed to the lower rate however as he starts putting the plans in motion via radio show for Face and BA to get on the mission.

Face is listening in whilst visiting an old Irish priest, one from the orphanage who remembers him fondly. He has a box of cards featuring codes for missions which is interesting as it never seems to pop up again. BA is listening in whilst surrounded by a group of children who he educates about Hannibal's namesake, the elephants and the alps. He has to leave to go pick up Hannibal ready to travel to Mexico and the kids are disappointed.

Face goes to bust Murdock out of the VA by imagining up an Uncle Deke who is only available for the day as he's getting a lobotomy.  ("the whole family is crackers.") Murdock is surprised to be out and there's a great exchange about the fictitious Uncle Deke.

Hannibal and BA go to pick up Amy, unaware that they've been spotted by an MP, whilst Face and Murdock go to scrounge up a Gulfstream for the trip to Mexico. Amy witnesses Hannibal drugging BA in preparation for the flight that they're supposedly not going on. A hilarious exchange occurs between BA and Hannibal about the road leading to the airport

BA: This road leads directly to the airport Hannibal!
Hannibal: This road is nowhere near the airport.
[Plane flies overhead]

which culminates in BA punching Hannibal before passing out. 

 They arrive at the airport and Hannibal is pleased to note Face and Murdock are already there (first appearance of "I love it when a plan comes together!") He's not so happy to realise Lynch is hot on their tail and with help from Face loads an unconscious BA onto the aircraft, Murdock takes off leaving a very disappointed Lynch behind.

To be continued in Mexico....