Walk 1-8/8 Season One,Episode 20: Weekend-Scarecrow and Mrs King *comments closed*

Back to the Cumberland and Armin is discussing what to do next with the balding baddie.. Armin is updated: due to the roadblock, Tucker was brought back to the resort and is now being guarded down in the pump room by Tony- ahh that would be Tony the lifeguard.. got it..

On to the beauty treatment room! And two women are being massaged.. Valerie is not happy with her massage!!
Valerie: Careful! I’m not strudel dough.
[Great line!!]
Masseuse: Sorry. [not really I’m guessing! ]
Valerie: That’s enough. If there’s even the slightest bruise, I’ll notify the management.
Valerie gets up and leaves and her masseuse heads over to the other table to gossip and complain about Valerie – ouch.. that’s pretty dumb considering another guest is right there! These ladies are possibly as nasty as Valerie is  
Masseuse: I hope they’re all out of peroxide in Hairdressing.

Other Masseuse: Sometimes hostility comes out before you know it.
Masseuse: It’s the way she talked to Marie on the phone. “I want my dress by five. If I miss my flight, it’s your job.” Hm!
Other Masseuse: Thank you, Mrs Stetson.
Amanda: Thank you.
Aha! so Amanda was the second customer.. Go Amanda! Ahh yes, I am sure Amanda is all relaxed now thanks to that massage and backstabbing thrown in at no extra charge! Amanda off to hairdressing..

Soo did you guys recognise Amanda’s masseuse? She’s Edna in Nightcrawler! the one who does all of Lee’s figures for him because he has a new bird in his nest or whatever it is she says.. LOL! this is quite the episode for sourcing roles in future episodes!

Lee heads out to the road block to chat with Billy.. Billy? Billy is conducting the sobriety tests? LOL! the boss of the section? tee hee.. that’s too funny!
Love the bio Billy gives Lee on Tuc Tucker.. if you slow it down you can read down the bottom that his marriage to Valerie is ‘ o.k’ LOL!

Lee: So, Tucker was in Senate hearings on think tank federal grants. They have to know every project we’ve got in the oven, everything in pre-planning.
Billy: Everything in the defence department. Close your eyes and touch your nose. It would take an army to search the Cumberland if we could get a warrant. Find him, Lee. I don’t know how long I can keep these safety sobriety checkpoints in operation.
Why can’t they get a search warrant? Amanda SAW the kidnapping!!! – Lee tells Billy Amanda saw it and he didn’t and Billy is disappointed by this- would they have gotten a search warrant if Lee had seen it? Hmm! Love how Lee goes through all the sobriety testing as he chats with Billy so things don’t look suspicious, only- he is staying at the resort- he drives out to the road block, does the test and turns around and drives back? nooooo that’s not suspicious! BTW- what is Lee wearing around his neck? ugh!! get it off!!!

Amanda is out of hairdressing and in to mischief! Amanda gets a call put through to Mrs Tucker’s room to check if she is there..

Armin calls Anatol to advise there’s a delay thanks to the sobriety tests.. but if they are still there in a few hours- they’ll deliver by going ‘over’ the road blocks.. duh duh duuuuuhhhh!!!
Call me crazy, but Anatol’s office looks like they shoved another desk in Billy’s office and stuck a plant in the corner! LOL! ( sharing an office space with Billy? hmm that could get complicated!! )

Why we need to see Anatol and hear all this is anyone’s guess.. we’ve understood they can go over the road block.. but hey, this line of Anatol’s is a hoot: I am quite certain I am not overreacting. . . . In this case I would say what you are doing is important, very important to my well-being. Particularly my geographical location and my personal comfort!! [Oh yeah! that dialogue is Gold!!! ] whahahaahaha! this geographical location is LOL’ing at how lame that sounds!

Amanda passes herself off as Mrs Tucker’s assistant to get into her room.. only to find she has already packed and left. uh oh.. but balding baddie has busted Amanda!

The baddies take Amanda down to Tony and Tuc Tucker in the tump err pump room!

Good one.. lead her straight to where they are hiding their asset! Dumb baddies.. Tony is ordered to shake down Amanda’s room.. Love how the baddies leave Amanda and Tucker down there.. tied up but free to move around as much as they like.. LOL! Amanda immediately sets about reassuring Tucker..

Amanda: I’m sorry things turned out so badly, sir. It was actually a very good plan. We knew that someone was going to be kidnapped, but we didn’t know it was you. Until I saw it happen, but then it was too late and – [Actually, it doesn’t really sound like they had a plan at all! ]
Tucker: Please don’t explain, my dear. Whatever happens, I suppose I’ll never see Valerie again.
Amanda: Well, you’re taking it very well. She’s your wife and I know you must love her very much.
Tucker: Do you think she might have been blackmailed into doing what she did to me?
Amanda: No, sir, I really don’t think so.
Tucker: They must have offered her something that dazzled her, distorted her sense of loyalty.
For a genius this guy is pretty clueless! I don’t think he married Valerie for her good heart! Amanda changes the subject. She’s being very sensitive and kind to Tucker here about his wife huh! 

They stand up and both have a go (back to back) at trying to undo their knots. LOL!
Amanda: Oh, please, watch your hands sir.
Tucker: Oh, I’m sorry.
I love that they revisited this gag from Magic Bus!!!  Love how Amanda looks at her hand infront of her for a moment like – I did it! I can’t believe it!! and she declares ‘ I’m out!’ very cute! So funny how Tucker watches Amanda get to work at trying to resolve this situation- she even tries to brace the door from opening but Tucker very encouragingly points out:  Actually, the door opens out. But it was an imaginative thought. LOL! He is looking forward to seeing what this spy who is here to rescue him will do! tee hee.. Amanda starts pulling switches – to Tucker it looks like she is putting her plan into action! LOL.. there is no plan!!
Amanda:  I think I have another idea, sir.
Tucker: Wonderful!! What do they control?

Amanda: I don’t have any idea, sir, but whatever they control, it’s bound to get us a little attention and it will get somebody down here. Ah ha!
Tucker: Unfortunately, the man behind all this owns the hotel and we’re liable to signal somebody we don’t wish to see.
Amanda: Yes, sir, but it’s either that or wait for them to come back.
Tucker: Good thinking. We’re fighting back, I may get away in time to save Valerie! [He’s like a little kid.. so excited! and without a clue.. he reminds me a little of Scotty (Filming Raul) – I wonder if he loves Mushrooms!!!] Love the random guy watering the garden whose hose suddenly runs dry! Who would hold a hose up like this??!!! ROFL!! Cute!!
Armin’s getting upset now at how all this is not going according to plan.. balding baddie points out Tony is on the case. LOL! Armin yells: Tony? my future is in the hands of the poolboy Tony? 
I know- isn’t it great? Couldn’t happen to a nicer bloke!

A helicopter is on the way.. uh oh..
and Armin.. is Armed! tee heeee

Basically, Lee realises there’s trouble when he hears the helicopter! Any bloopers in this whole helicopter sequence? I wouldn’t know.. I don’t pay enough attention. it goes on waaay too long for me!

Determined Lee is on the case.. Does he see Amanda is on the helicopter? I’m not sure.. He manages to jump on to hang on to the landing skids..they try and shake him loose, drag him through the trees.. Lee will be alright don’t worry.. He’s use to hanging onto the landing skids of this helicopter – he’s done it before!!! LOL! this is exactly the same helicopter they used at the end of Dead Ringer! My goodness, how did Armin get hold of an agency helicopter? Why- there must be a traitor in the ranks Lee! That or.. a props department who thinks we won’t notice because we have a life- LOL! I showed him!! tee heee.. ahh these small things amuse me!
Here’s dead ringer:
 

and here is – it’s a dead ringer!! ( ie Weekend!)

Lee does a wonderfully heroic job hanging on for over 3 minutes of the same helicopter stunt.. over and over and over.. and most embarrassing of all – he has been totally busted as wearing black socks with his pale shoes and pants! tee heee.. See how my mind wanders in these action finale’s!

Anyway, Love how Amanda fights for Lee here- giving Armin an arm shove so he’s no longer armined Armin! His gun falling to the ground ( get it?  as bad a joke as Lee’s? Yep!).
Lee manages to tame the helicopter! but loose control over his hair! 🙂 yee haaa! Lee: All right, take this chopper down! Okay, Armin, it’s all over. All right, shut it off!

Isn’t this a hilarious pic of Lee? I love it!! It’s funny.. and I love seeing Lee’s wedding ring! The pilot knows when to quit..and lands the helicopter on the road-  yeah buddy the agency wants it’s helicopter back!

Agents and cops arrive collecting all the baddies. Amanda jumps out and immediately runs around to Lee – who wastes no time getting her hands untied.. awh!!
Amanda: Hello. Uh, Mr Melrose, sir, you’ll probably want to pick up Mrs Tucker, too, she helped arrange the kidnaping. [Wouldn’t it have been a hoot if Amanda had also mentioned her typing??!!]
Billy: I’ll send a car back to the hotel.
Amanda: Oh, no, sir, she’ll be at the airport. Five o’clock flight.
Billy: Thank you, Amanda.
Amanda: Yes, sir.
Lee: Hey, Billy? How’d you move so fast? I didn’t have time to call you. [Yes because Billy can’t possibly think for himself Lee- you have to call him to tell him what to do?? ROFL! that is so funny!]
Billy: Well, I looked up and there’s this guy hanging from a helicopter. It had to be you.
On that… Billy leaves, without Lee even telling him he needs to! whoo hoo! clever Billy!!
Lee: Well, we got our man, huh?
You know,

I like the sound of that.
Amanda: What?
Lee: We got Armin — our man. [Love how Lee starts rubbing Amanda’s wrists so Amanda just holds out both her arms letting him! ]Amanda: Oh. Lee: Oh.  Amanda: Yeah.
Lee: It was pretty bad.
Amanda: That’s pretty terrible.
Lee: Yeah.
Awh!! Lee and Amanda are a team and friends again! Any awkwardness has been brushed away- for now! -it’s lovely that they revisit the rubbing of the hands/wrists thing.. but this time, Amanda is not overcome by it I think for her the context of the situation before made it so much ‘worse’ for her!

So, tag time! We see Amanda in the hallway with her luggage ( yep now I see she has A LOT of luggage!! LOL!!) looks like she has made it home just before the boys and Dotty – she hears them arrive and quickly shoves the suitcases in the closet! These guys are so sweet..

Dotty: And we sure did miss you. Did you get all your typing done?
Amanda: No.
Dotty: Oh, you see? Work, work, work. Darling, you’ve got to take some time for yourself. You need something exciting to happen in your weekend. [Hmm yes excitement!]
Amanda: I know, I need some excitement. I want to hear all about the trip, so I’ll make some sandwiches —
Dotty: Oh, that sounds marvellous. It’s the first time in two days that I haven’t skewered something to a stick and hung it over a campfire. I’ll be down in five minutes.
Amanda: Okay.

Dotty heads upstairs and Amanda moves into the kitchen.
Lee: Amanda? Coast clear? [Lee pops his head in through the back door]
Amanda: No, the coast isn’t clear! Mother and the boys are upstairs!
Lee: Ah.
Amanda: I thought you left.
Lee: Well, I did. But I came back. [Whoa!! Lee just looked Amanda up and down!! I guess now all the excitement is over Lee is remembering what went on eh!]

Amanda: Oh.  Lee: Yeah.
After a moment.. Lee produces Amanda’s toothbrush and continues: You forgot your toothbrush.

Lee and Amanda share a little laugh..

Ok.. so what do you think of this ending? what’s going on here?
Firstly, I love how the episode started with Amanda yelling for the boy’s toothbrushes – and ends with Lee returning her toothbrush  

I have always found this tag to be a bit random! Like there was another scene about toothbrushes at the cumberland that got cut or something.

Maybe while Lee was paying extra special attention to cleaning his armpits there he used Amanda’s toothbrush to be extra thorough – and some revenge for sleeping in the closet! Nahhh just kidding.. but it does seem really random to me! This tag has always fallen flat for me.. and it still does! but in such a fab episode I really don’t care  Lee’s whole manner just seems bizarrely out of context for the episode and for his character in general!

I read a little quote from BB the other day on the ultimate kate jackson site – where he said that first season Lee was all over the place and they didn’t know what to do with his character. That rings true to me! And must have made BB’s job harder!! but it took time to get into a groove and find how this was all going to develop- without all the extreme changes in Lee’s attitude towards Amanda! – At least we as fans can brush it off in the great big scheme of things as Lee struggling with his feelings for Amanda right?!  

Here is what the script says of this final moment:
Lee: you forgot your toothbrush.
He holds it up, a reminder of what they’ve shared – and almost shared. There is a moment, then Amanda takes it… smiling.
Amanda: Thanks.
As Lee returns her smile –freeze frame and the end.

Does that clarify things?? for me it does a bit.. they did share a lot..(although it would have made more sense as an ending if they had kissed earlier, like it was written in the script) and even though I don’t think Lee intended the weekend as anything more than work – they did end up getting to know each other a lot better!

I think Lee’s understanding of Amanda is much much better.. and his respect and admiration for her has grown. She is a puzzle, and he has over this weekend seen another piece of that puzzle – and Lee likes to solve puzzles!! She is probably nothing like any other woman he has ever known.. We see from what Lee does in ship of spies that he has listened, and learned Amanda  

It’s early days between these two, and yet it seems they are both already so far gone! This episode gives us a glimpse into Amanda’s strong attraction to Lee – and how much she has been hiding!!!

Would you say Amanda is in love with Lee here? I don’t know. I always struggle with that one..  I think it depends on how we are defining love – I tend to agree with those that feel Amanda had a crush on Lee early on, and knew there would never be anything that came of it.. but her trust in him, and his finer qualities helped her to develop a deep respect for him, which translated into a deeper and deeper friendship –and then, into love – where does this change occur? Maybe I will be able to figure that out as I work my way through but I wouldn’t define her crush on him, or her respect and friendship with him as being ‘love.’. yet. I’m not sure I know the answer.. but it is fun to try and work it out! thoughts???

I find Lee a little easier to work out! Service Above and Beyond, their cover kiss(sudden death) and saved by the bells is when Lee fell for Amanda in a huge way.. but Love? Hmm.. I’m not sure! Again I think it comes down to how it is defined, and it might come down to to varying degrees..  If love is where you know the person really well, and love all that you have learned about them, their faults and everything – I don’t know if Lee was in love so early.. but he definitely had a major soft spot for Amanda, a real physical attraction..and a very strong emotional reaction to Amanda! I would love to hear your thoughts guys.

One last thought on this episode.. what do you think of the timeline?

If Dotty and the boys went away for the weekend – and it was late afternoon at the beginning of the episode ( Lee is worried about getting to the cumberland by 5 so it is the afternoon)- it would need to be a Friday afternoon no? why would Dotty and the boys leave to go camping on Saturday afternoon?? and.. wouldn’t they be back on Sunday afternoon if it is for a weekend??

What happens on the extra day???!!! We only see Lee and Amanda stay one night?! Which would have been the Friday night.  Did they stay another night? We see what looks like Amanda arriving home right before Dotty and the boys- Sunday afternoon!  Also, in the tag- Amanda is wearing a different cardigan! It is the same colour though, and the rest of her outfit is the same.. but why the different cardigan? Hmm.. maybe a mistake!  It’s fun to ponder, although I don’t think there is anything in it- drat! I don’t see them having a little fling and then going back to the way things were.. Hmmm maybe Amanda stayed another night and treated herself on the agency’s dime! but then.. why would Lee still have her toothbrush?? and he is wearing the same outfit!  Hmmm.. It doesn’t fit! but.. it leaves open a very fun range of possibilities!  

Love to hear your thoughts as always guys! Does anyone else wish that we had seen the moment where Amanda returned her wedding ring to Lee?? Like we saw it in there goes the neighbourhood and ship of spies?! Byee for now..