3/3 Season 1, Episode 2: There goes the neighbourhood

The Baddie of the week is still chatting to his mummy’s portrait.. He told the junior baddies to find the people who they saw at the Bodene’s.. find out what they want.. and kill them. Uh oh…

Whoo Harriett is quite the drinker, another vodka straight up! From the looks of her empty glasses on the table this is her third.. yep, get em into her!! Could help you to find out what you want! Sorry, but that is one ugly, shapeless, huge sleeveless cardigan vest thingy Amanda has on.. yuck! hmm I am looking forward to seeing when her fashions start to change, her fashion sense seems to improve with her increased professionalism.. 

Harriet dobbed in Betty when she did something wrong.. no wonder she’s drinking so much! Harriet believes she may have gotten Betty into trouble – and Amanda will benefit from Harriet’s guilt by having Harriet help her with Connie Beth – Hey does Harriet think by ‘trouble’ she contributed to Betty getting killed?? and if that’s the case.. wouldn’t that mean Connie Beth is Connie Death?? and if that’s the case, why would you continue to work for them?? and then help someone new to move up the ranks? It does seem like Harriet thinks she got Betty into trouble.. hmm.. maybe she thinks Betty just happens to have gotten into trouble with Connie Beth and gotten murdered on the same day.

Love how Amanda makes the connection with Golden circle girls and hairdyers – and Harriet responds ‘Absolutely! one of our hottest items!’ Ohhh the irony!!

On to chez Lee and Amanda! Love how Lee calls Dean ‘what’s his name!’ haaaa.. Why would Amanda put a picture of Dean up in the pretend kitchen? what does she hope to achieve by that? (The psychologist in me finds this fascinating!! )and.. can you believe she has been away on vacation with him? !! whooaaaa.. I wouldn’t have thought Amanda would want to spend that much time with him..(I guess she could have realised how dull what’s his name is then that makes sense!) Lee is full of questions about Dean isn’t he- interesting! I think Amanda put a picture of Dean on the wall to remind Lee he exists and to keep some boundaries.. wait a minute – whooo maybe Amanda put the picture of Dean on the wall to remind herself! haaaa…

Ahhh the normal people kitchen scene.. Love how Lee says “I’m normal” – a bit like a little boy! Funny Lee seemed to accept at the beginning of the episode he wasn’t authentic suburbia.. now he protests? I guess he believes he is normal, but not suburbia man.. It’s sweet to think eventually Lee does become more like Amanda’s idea of normal.. awh..

Hey- is it bad that I actually kinda like Lee’s way of doing a kitchen???!!!!! that actually sounds kinda nice!

Whooaa don’t make Amanda mad with that knife in her hand Lee, you are suppose to be helping each other, not competing (this is not Francine you are talking to Lee!).. men! She is right, Lee has been doing nothing to solve this case so far; except criticising her efforts to make the kitchen cosy! (oh yeah.. he did make daiquiris and threaten the baddies with flamingos.. who could forget that?) Aside from a tiny bit of competitiveness, ( because I think Lee is frustrated the case is stalling or not going fast enough) I like that he seems to be collating all they know and running it all by Amanda- Like she could actually help! – whooo hoooo!!  I like that!! Lee seeking Amanda’s insights!!

Wait! Did Lee just say ‘that’s good’???? to her theory of what got Betty killed???!!!! Whoa! this keeps getting better!! .. Amanda solves the case and Lee is suddenly nice to her  Haaa- can he pick up groceries? our first fight as husband and wife….(I don’t say ‘man and wife’ like Lee does here!! ) ahh Lee… If only it would last!!!

Why does Lee say see you later and then just stare at her? hmmm… he is probably admiring her….and confused by that….. so we then get the awkward hand shake…. Oh Lee… the handshake…. funny… he holds on waaaayyyy toooooo loooong.

Amanda can’t even look him in the eye.. neither of them has any idea what is going on here between them.. it is way too early and they so aren’t ready to even be friends!!! heheheee… oh and the cherry on top of this scene? “you know I like blue a lot better!” says Lee complimenting her curtains as he leaves.. and she doesn’t quite know what to do with it… and he walks away smiling broadly and waving his notebook.. Thank goodness he didn’t say the blue curtains looked delicious.. we want Lee to be nothing Like Warren Davenport!! Blue seems to be the colour of the week! I am guessing Lee kept waving the notebook about because he was really happy about solving the case, not the curtains! hehehee..

Whoa.. you hear the music as Lee leaves? I expected a waterfall to suddenly appear and Esther Williams to do a swan dive!! A bit OTT for me!!

Lee heads off to follow Mrs Wainwright on her delivery that day.. Whooo Lee driving the porsche with the top down.. I reckon that is why they decided to get rid of it and give him the vette- So that he can’t drive with the top down, but he still gets enough light in the car to see him and he keeps his perfect hair (which tends to get more perfect as the show progresses!) perfect!

Off camera, Lee must perfect his perfect hair again after the hazardous trip with the top down – because suddenly it looks picture perfect again as Lee enters the customs place!

Lee swipes one of Mrs Wainwright’s Connie Beth delivery boxes ( we see written on one of the boxes the name ‘Rhonda Antista’ hmmm.. credited as the props guy on this episode is Gary Antista.. a relative of Gary’s perhaps?!- you think sneaky Gary snuck in his wife’s name on one of the props???   Whooo or maybe it is his mummy! Is she proud of you Gary???!!!) and heads back to the office to check it all out..
Billy: anything look strange to you Francine?
Francine: all of it, I never use domestic creams.
I love Billy’s little reaction here to her: uuugh!! (He’s sooo slouchy and unkept it’s a bit weird!)

Check out Francine’s hair!??? she could travel to South America and hide a machine gun in there.. don’t worry about Connie Beth! Ahhh and she has to ask doesn’t she.. can’t help herself:

Francine says: So how is married life treating you? (I am guessing she expected Lee to complain about domestic life.. and making cocktails and wanting a divorce.. but… )

She continues: Dinner at six? Dishes at seven? TV till nine?
Lee: Bed.
Francine: Bed?
Lee: You know, Francine, I’ve gained a lot of respect for the generosity and . . . stamina of the American housewife.
Francine: You’re disgusting.

I am interested to hear what you guys think of this dialogue.. but it is interesting that Lee doesn’t criticise.. Is it just to tease Francine? … I think he doesn’t want to talk about it, and so gives a glib response.. but that really- he has gained some respect for Amanda in her solving this case and so he doesn’t want to run her down to Francine.. (I could be optimistic here but oh well!) I do also think Lee is amazed in general at how much all these Connie Beth housewives get up to.. they have busier lives than he would have thought..

Lee shows Billy and Francine what he has found.. Gun parts hidden in the hairdryers..

Billy says ‘we gotta get someone into Connie Beth, and pull the King woman out of there!’ (hmm King woman Billy??!!! sounds like something Dr Smyth would say.. but we’ve gotta wait 3 more seasons for that!) Lee’s face when he realises!! oh yeah, Amanda! ( Love that he is now calling her Amanda!! ) Bad Lee forgot all about Amanda until Billy brought her up.. but.. good Lee now you’re calling her Amanda… oh yeah and you do seem to actually care that she could be in danger  

Uh oh.. the baddies spot Amanda heading into the sales meeting..

Whoo our first glimpse of the eternally jogging family in front of Amanda’s house! teehee.. Lee just hangs up on Dotty?? whooops!!!! heheheeee.. he wasn’t even prepared with a story when he called.. naughty Lee!

Ok, on to the Connie Beth freak show.. Brace yourselves!!! (don’t stress: that will cause wrinkles!) What’s with the song? what is this the Stepford wives? ewwwh!!! and.. I hate oysters! I don’t want the world to be my oyster!

I can just imagine Creepy Bobby hiding away watching these meetings as these women sing about his mother.. Ohhhh mummy? are you proud of me now mummy???!!!! Love the look Amanda gives around the room as she watches this ridiculous spectacle take place!

“Guard the new sample packets with your lives Ladies!” – ohhh the irony!!

Lee speeds to Amanda with the top down.. my what a difficult day it’s been for Lee’s hair!

This lady up the front holding the world’s first emoticon is hilarious!!!

Woman: And finally, a frowning face to that Connie Beth girl who was heard saying that our competition, Lovely Lady, is “icky.” (All the women gasp in shock.) My friends, Lovely Lady is not icky. They are misguided and deserve our pity. (and then cheerfully) And soon, we will trample them into the dust. (Ladies laugh.)

Icky???!!!!  Their Motto is: Sell Sell Sell!! there’s a shocker..

All the moans of pleasure at the opening of the entrance to the golden circle could be … umm…..climactic almost   It fits right in with the sense that there is something seriously wrong with these women!! And the harp strum as it opens is hilarious!!! (From the look on Amanda’s face I’d say she agrees: umm what alternative universe have I landed in here? ) – A cult Amanda.. an icky Cult!

Bobby Bouchard is the ‘guide to greatness’? LOL!

The new golden circle girls are announced and asked to walk through the golden circle.. Go Marge Clapton!! ( hey, wouldn’t it have been great if it was Marge Simpson?!) Love her reaction.. the same reaction Sandra Bullock pays out on in Miss Congeniality! Yep… there goes Linda Babcock with the same reaction – very funny!! ROFLMAO there goes Marion Malone too!!

So funny!!!
Amanda’s reaction?? well… the complete opposite!! The two bad guys drag her away and point a hairdryer.. err I mean gun at Amanda as she is pulled through the golden circle.. uh oh..

Amanda Morton! – come on everybody!!
Let’s sing! :She’s a Golden Circle Girl, yes she is, yes she is, She’s a Golden Circle Girl yes she is..dum de daaaa… She’s a Golden circle girl, she’s a Veeeeerrry Dead Girl, She’s a Golden Circle Girl yes she is! !!!

Lee arrives, grunting away at having to get out of that loooooow car in a hurry.. he doesn’t quite manage to close the car door either. haaaa.. well I can put all this down to his worry for Amanda.. how about that?!

Bobby’s interrogation tactics for women are interesting!!

Bobby: Do you know what lying does for your skin? Lying causes stress and stress wrinkles the skin. Capillaries burst, skin flakes. A lying face is not a pretty face. Now tell me what you were doing in the Bodine house and what did Frank say to you?

Can’t say I have heard that approach before!

Ah. The old borrowing a cup of sugar trick! (had to quote Maxwell Smart somewhere here.. )

Bobby: Willfulness is even less attractive than Lying! (whooooo now that is harsh.. hit her where it hurts…. errr Bobby, she doesn’t care if you think she is less attractive!)

Uh oh… Lee is manhandled into the room..
Love the way Lee responds to
Amanda’s question:
“What are you doing here? “

Lee: Rescuing….. You.

Lee seems to be punishing himself with that tie of his! Oh Lee..don’t be too hard on yourself.. you did at least ask for back up- it’s not your fault they are delayed..

Ok, Lee pulls out the spying for the competition story.. good one..cos you did just say you came to rescue her… I guess this is their second fight as a married couple. he heeee… She takes a moment to catch on.. his eyes piercing hers- hoping she will realise.. takes her a sec.. but from that moment on, don’t worry Lee she is gonna pick up on your cues super quickly! Amanda working her way up to tweezers? who specialises in tweezers? weird! I would have thought lipstick is a step up from tweezers! hehee..

Amanda gets Bobby with the can of hairspray – man that was satisfying!! and very appropriate! The look on Amanda’s face as she does it..

and the look on Lee’s face as he sees what she has done to Bobby? ROFLMAO!!!! I hadn’t noticed Lee’s reaction to it before.. ( you guys! see the close up on Bobby’s face getting hairsprayed? It’s in a completely different part of the room.. tee heee.. next to a random lampshade? and Amanda’s sleeve seems to miraculously puff up with her rush of adrenaline.. oh my..   I think they may have added that shot later for more comedic effect.. it completely doesn’t match- but who cares it is funny!)

Lee and Amanda run.. I just love the final moment we see Bobby.. huddled next to his desk blinded and screaming ‘ I hate women!’

Soooo funny!! I just love that touch- he is one damaged little man..It explains it all.. I am glad they kept that line in and didn’t find it superfluous.. (unlike all the shots in this episode of Lee in his car following someone… yawn!) …and it just makes it soooo right that Amanda gets him- with hairspray!

Hey, Lee compliments here again.. whooaa??? shocking! He says ” Hairspray, not bad.” ( Do you think that is why Amanda says later in magic bus that Lee’s legs are ‘not bad’??!!)

They’re holding hands as they run??? !!!! awh… does he do that with anyone else? I doubt it…

Lee and Amanda seem stunned when they hit the roof, err what did they expect up there? that some lucky crane arm from nowhere would be ready and waiting for them, to hike them up up and away???!!!

How sweet.. they duck down and of course, Lee’s arm finds it’s way around Amanda’s shoulder.. ahhhhhh… these two just can’t help themselves.. even if they have no idea what they are doing!! whoooo aahhh she has her hand on his thigh too…

Oh she is a star getting on that big crane thingy .. and managing to squeezing Lee tight as her life depends on it (that of course is the only reason she would even think about doing it right??!!!) .. weoqgnabnahbaeana/..  Haa hear her scream Ohhhh Myyyy Goooosh when she gets on with Lee? too cute..

Notice when Lee and Amanda walk off, Lee grabs hold of Amanda, with two hands around her…… I am gonna have to stop including pics of everytime he touches her, or I could take 500 pics an episode! hehee..

Hey, how do you think Amanda gets her handbag back off Bobby? hope it is returned to her soon!

In front of the capital building…. Lee asks Amanda if she is alright – awhhh…

Whoo Lee just asked Amanda out to tell her all about the case? well that is promising, doesn’t find her company so tiresome now does he?

Amanda: Ah no, I can’t..maybe some other time. 
Lee seems to accept this well enough.. and silently looks her up and down – he seems to be thinking Amanda did well and was a help on this case.. this woman maybe isn’t who I thought she was.. but more!! Gee how can I get that from silence? well… look at his expressions for yourself..( I looked frame by frame and it’s all there- really!) The admiration is there to see.  

I think at the end of this episode he actually admires her, certainly respects her.. and enjoys her company.. but from memory- I don’t think that lasts for long! I haven’t seen the next episodes for quite a while..but will hold off watching them till I am doing my posts.. that way it’s fresher..

You know what I love??? Amanda turns him down! She has a life, and doesn’t just drop everything for him. I love it..

Amanda doesn’t need to be reminded to take the wedding ring off! She very readily hands it back to him… you go girl! good on you Amanda.. Lee makes a joke as she hands it back about the honeymoon being over.. and Amanda kindly chuckles at his attempt at humour haaa.. They both look gorgeous here out in the sunshine don’t they? It’s a shame they aren’t outdoors more often in later episodes..

Oh Lee.. you had to crack another one of your lame jokes we love ya for.. “you know what the problem with our marriage was, it just wasn’t very exciting.” – Amanda may find Lee attractive, but she has her limits! haaa.. Love that she doesn’t pretend this  attempted joke was a good one!  heheheee…. It’s bad.. and he knows it!

This episode almost has 3 tags really doesn’t it?! the last scene- of Lee and Amanda finishing up.. This scene with Dotty… and following this a final moment with Lee..

Amanda helps the boys with their homework and then they head up to bed.. Amanda tells Dotty she will call Dean before it gets too late and Dotty explains how Dean was worried when she took so long getting home… or at least Dotty could ‘ detect that strained little quiver, that vaguely strangled quality in his voice ‘ that told her he was! haaaa..  Ugh… time for a Dotty wants Amanda to like Dean by listing his qualities moment.. oh yawn.. the sooner he goes the better! 

Dotty: the trouble with some people is, they vanish from your life just as quickly as they came. ( the music kicks in… Amanda’s thinking about Lee…. NOT Dean )

Dotty continues: with some men you can have an absolutely thrilling evening and there’s no guarantee that you’re ever going to see them again.

Amanda responds: yeah! tell me about it!!

From the tag you could surmise.. Amanda thinks Lee is an exciting guy she will probably never see again… little does she know… Dotty spends a lot of time in these first two episodes telling Amanda what a good guy Dean is.. and telling Amanda what she should think and feel about Dean… Dotty doesn’t ask Amanda what she is thinking or feeling! I guess that makes it easy for Amanda to not be upfront about what is going on with her!

Why doesn’t Dotty notice Amanda’s reaction to Dotty’s comment about someone coming into your life and then vanishing.. and her exaggerated “tell me about it! “… I took Dotty to be more of a busy body than that.. hmmm… guess she was distracted by her crossword or whatever..

I also think pointing out that Dean is guaranteed to be around A LOT is not a good way to make him sound more attractive haaa

On to Lee in his car… whooo ahhh!!

Sing it!!! : Lee’s a Golden Spy yes he is yes he is, he drives groovy car yes he does!
He loves his vintage porsche but he misses Amanda of course..
He is smiling at her ring yes he is!!!!

Ok, Lee is on his way to being GONE!!!!! whoooooo hoooooo!!! Lee’s looking at Amanda’s ring, playing with it with his thumb.(nope not like Frodo!!)… reflecting on his marriage… his wife…. ahhhhhhh….. happy thoughts!

Amanda’s thinking of Lee.. Lee’s thinking of Amanda..  perfect! I wonder if Lee was thinking he would never see Amanda again also.. after all, the next episode – he doesn’t contact Amanda—Billy does!

Well.. must run.. I would LOVE to hear anyone’s thoughts about this ep that you would like to share with us!!! byeeee and thanks for reading!!

(Now quickly!! Go put on some music to cancel out that icky golden circle girl song that is playing over and over and over in your head! )