AIRWOLF Episode Guide Season 1 — Episode 05 — ONE WAY EXPRESS

EPISODE DESCRIPTION & OVERVIEW

When a corrupt movie producer hires Santini Air to fly a dangerous movie stunt that involves landing a JetRanger helicopter onto the roof of a moving train, Hawke and Dom come to blows over who will fly the stunt sequence, with Hawke doubting Dom's abilities and being between a rock and a hard place. Things get even more complicated when it turns out that the film production and its crew is actually non-existent, and might just be an elaborate cover for a daring gold heist that Santini Air are set up from the start to take the blame for. Hawke has to both save his friendship with his best friend and find a way to foil the robbery with the help of Archangel and the Firm.

MJC EPISODE REVIEW:

An interesting episode which divides opinion amongst the fans, but it's another great Burton Armus-penned script with lots of jeopardy, action and great dialogue. Some of the best scenes are actually away from Airwolf and involve the breakdown in the life-long relationship between Hawke and Dom, especially the brilliantly tense, emotive and shocking conclusion to the scene inside the cabin between the two men.

The episode was really written to show off Ernie Borgnine's amazing calibre as an Oscar-winning actor, with a full range of emotions and delivery [only ever really seen again in Season 2's SINS OF THE PAST] with his character's mid-life crisis, but JMV really steps up to the mark against him and actually gives a terrific performance too where and when required. The dynamic between the two actors never reached this episode's level ever again.

Archangel's (very capable) "White Lady" assistant Meryl [played by the lovely Leann Hunley] gets some good scenes and lines too, taking away Marella's monopoly of "aide" for 'El Blanco'. A great performance from Alex Cord too, especially when he growls how much he wants revenge on Philip Maurice for what happened to a former lover.

In the end it's an odd, off-beat episode in the vein of Armus' earlier Airwolf script for DADDY'S GONE A HUNT'N, with the pacing a little off in places, thus my slight deduction down to 4-stars, but there are many moments of brilliance too including Davy's amazing stunt landing the JetRanger onto the moving truck, Dom forgetting to lower The Lady's landing gear for his inaugural flight, plus the cabin fight between the two leads being a personal highlight, and Henry Darrow's ruthless and manipulative portrayal as 'Philip Maurice' [that has grown on me over the years] with the final Act 4 aerial having pretty much the same conclusion as 'DADDY'S] that make it a real keeper for many.

"And if I can't cut it, I wanna know."

"Even if it kills you?"

"Yeah kid. Even if it kills me."

"Look Dom..." [whack]

"Come on! Come on! Won't you even fight me like I'm still a man?"

‘ONE WAY EXPRESS’ EPISODE’s AIRWOLF THEME MUSIC REVIEWED

Many people seem to remember the opening sequence of hapless pilot, Vinnie trying to land on the truck with the accompanying synth music by Sylvester Levay, which he re-arranged and included a medly of on the original 'Airwolf Themes' back in 1999. Personally I found it a little humdrum compared to his other Season 1 work, but I know I'm in the minority here.

A highlight is the "Season 1 - Slow Main Theme" with Hawke on his pensive joyride around the Valley of the Gods in Airwolf to both clear his head and mull over his hopeless position regarding the fall-out with Dominic.

But it's the big orchestral over the final aerial frustrating the Maurice character, showing Hawke's intense Moffet-esque ire at him for pitting him against his true father figure, Dominic that makes it for me and a terrific conclusion to the episode.

MUSIC TRACKS AVAILABLE FROM THE AIRWOLF ‘ONE WAY EXPRESS’ episode:
Airwolf Main Theme – Season 1 – Trailer
Airwolf Main Theme – Season 1 – Opening / Closing (extended)
Airwolf Main Theme – ‘PILOT’, Season 1 – Synth Theme (extended)
Airwolf Main Theme - Season 1 – Closing
Airwolf Main Theme – Season 1 + 3 – Special JMS Mix
Airwolf Main Theme – Season 1 – Slow Main Theme