3/6 Season Two, Episode 5: Charity Begins at Home-Scarecrow and Mrs King

Lee is at the back door listening in on Amanda and Dotty as they finish the dishes- naughty Lee!!.. hmm I wonder if he heard what Dotty said about being unsuccessful in love (Afterall he heard her comment about taking an apricot and cinnamon bubble bath!)
Love how Lee says: Apricot and Cinnamon?  and Amanda just shoves Lee back out the door.. ha haaa.. he deserves it! He should be careful.. Amanda’s family has a right to some privacy! Given Lee has come to ask for Amanda’s help, she can get away with shoving him too! LOL!
Whoo! Lee keeps his hand on the door frame a bit longer than necessary after Amanda closes the door… standing awfully close there Lee

Lee asks for Amanda’s help getting in. and she immediately thinks it impossible. Love this dialogue!
Amanda is freaking out at the agency needing her right now and her being so busy.. trooper that Amanda is, she gathers herself says: Nope, it’s alright. Just tell me what me to do.
Lee: I want you to get me into the auto show at the equidome tomorrow.
Amanda: I can’t do that! Lee doesn’t give up and talks her through it – patiently coming up with a way to get into the invitation only event.. Lee: You guess so but not really? would you mind translating that for me?

Awhhh Lee offers to pay off the new waiter out of his own pocket.. – hey, it’s for charity! 😉
Lee: Amanda, I have to get in there.
Amanda whispers: national security.
Lee: Yeah. three of the most dangerous and powerful men in this country are meeting with Perrine tomorrow and Perrine’s the worst of the lot! Amanda: Whaat?
Lee: Now we have to find out what they’re up to and we can’t from the outside looking in.
Amanda: Dangerous men are going to be at our fundraiser?  [After everything Amanda has gone through, I am surprised that Amanda is surprised ]
Lee: yeah. Billy and I and at least a half dozen agents have been parked by the stable waiting for a break- which we got when we saw you walk inside.
Amanda silently points to herself and mouths: Me?  Lee: You’re our only hope Amanda.

Amanda: I’m your only hope!
Lee: this whole operation depends on you. Amanda: Whole operation depends on me!

Lee: I guess I ought ta mention this…
Amanda: this could get dangerous
Lee: well if they should find out who I am which they won’t, and if they should find out that you got me in there, which they won’t. ( Lee is starting to sound like Amanda!)
Amanda: Things could get awfully difficult
Lee: which they won’t…..[not only does Lee sound totally unconvincing saying this.. I don’t think Amanda believes that line anymore ] Does that mean you’ll do it? Amanda: Yes, I’ll do it!
Lee: haaaa…
Lee gives Amanda the biggest smile of the century when she says she will do it! National security?nah … the good of the country? .. nah….. For Lee to give me that big smile? yes yes! I’ll do anything!!!

I LOVE that Scarecrow and Mrs King the show knows itself.. and has Amanda play up the ‘ it all depends on me!’ angle.. and ‘ it could get dangerous’ 😆 – it is such a routine on this show that it deserves a good joke or two – and I’m very happy the writers joke about themselves and their characters. well done SMK! It’s one of the things I love about the show.. It makes fun of the genre, and itself It’s especially sweet after all the clunky set up of not being able to get in.. hurray we get a pay off!

We see Carling London (Greedy guy number 3..) arrives at the equidome..Hmm nice car he has..  This whole charity event is a big set isn’t it.. I wonder if they crashed a real life event to film this..and I wonder if the black rolls from Waiting for Godorsky has made it’s way into this set up also! haaaa..

Lee sees London arrive..he has on a double breasted jacket.. he must be important   Lee hadn’t been expecting him to come.. Poor Amanda I feel for her here.. It is so obvious Lee isn’t going to be any help to her in the bar! The pressure is on Amanda to have good service and she’s so anxious things will go well..meanwhile, Lee doesn’t care and he is sooooo going to run off as soon as he can!! hehehee.. He isn’t going to make that clear to her from the start though.. but I am sure he never intended on actually staying in that bar!
 Oh goody.. Mrs Coleman makes her appearance..[her introduction of the dog running away from her is awesome!! haaa] her first words to Amanda: Oh you are a little late in setting up the bar aren’t you Amanda. UGH!
Amanda responds: Hello Mrs Coleman. [If only she had added ‘ don’t worry your booze will be available soon!’ ]

I really really want someone to teach Mrs Coleman a lesson.. when she comes over and starts criticising Amanda for setting up the bar and reminding Amanda of her mistake from last year with the ice- Ohhh I wish Amanda had said no to helping with the flowers!  

I was really wishing Lee wouldn’t just stand there and let Mrs Coleman speak to her that way or we had at least seen some indication from Lee here that he heard it and didn’t like it orsee him encourage Amanda to speak up.. or heck- It would have been best if Amanda had stopped listening to her or if Amanda had not let Mrs Coleman speak to her that way!! UGGHHH!! Hey, how do you think Season 4 Amanda would have dealt with Mrs Coleman hmmmm??? I think Mrs Coleman is a smiling assassin.. the whole time she is insulting you or belittling you – she is smiling! Whereas Amanda is the smiling victim at the moment.. she has that always smiling thing going on too but she is definitely not an assassin!

The actress who plays Mrs Coleman was a big old time movie star.. I wonder if she and Beverley Garland were friends..they were  in 2 episodes of Marcus Welby MD together! Though they don’t share a scene together here,  I find this funny, as Dotty can’t stand Mrs Coleman!!

Love this line about Lee from Mrs Coleman: Ahh I see you have found a replacement for Mr Saunderson! Don’t worry! I’m sure you will do very weeell ..[She looks at his name tag then at Lee].……….. Carlos!

So, Lee comes to the part where he has to admit he can’t stay behind the bar!. Lee sees Masterson and London meeting in the distance..
Lee: Oh dammit. Oh this is not going to work. Look Amanda.. I cannot stand here and pour drinks all day and wait for them to wander over here and drop everything in my lap! can I? [Actually Lee.. it’s funny you should say that given what does eventuate!!! LOL!! ahhh smk I love it!!]
Amanda: I know, it is awkward isn’t it.
Lee: you have a real talent for understatement.

Lee explains to Amanda that all the money men are meeting at the auto show while it is closed to the public. I love how Lee finishes describing them by saying ‘ World Class Swindlers!’ and then we hear a guy clear his throat behind him.. one of those filthy rich swindlers wants a drink Carlos! This guy asks for: A bohemian dream, if you know how to make it Ahh a challenge for Lee! 

I Love how Lee chuckles, turns to Amanda looking all cocky like-as if I don’t know how to make it! Lee:  Ha! how do you want it?.. Rich possible swindler replies: Just short of lethal.  My goodness how much booze does Lee put in there!! [Amanda looks concerned! (but always smiling!!) haa.. I wonder if she is suddenly having visions of Lee roughly starting the blender declaring ‘ I want a divorce!’ – at least he knows how to do strawberry daiquiri’s!! Actually even back then, Amanda had to tell Lee to go easy on the rum ] Oh my.. did I just see that? Yes!!! Lee winks at Amanda as he makes this drink.. wow.. I never noticed that before! He is soo cheeky!!

Next thing we see Teddy Masterson and Carling London discussing Perrine’s deal.. looks like they are in competition and the baddies are going to start eating each other.. yawn yawn.. my goodness the wardrobe department is going to town with the accessories this episode.. were spotty cravats in fashion then or something??London tells Masterson that he and Perrine know he’s broke.. ‘ but he ( Perrine) wouldn’t say anything. He’s always been more charitable than I.’ – hmm there goes that theme again! London tells Masterson all the money men will know later that day that he is broke.. and Masterson moves closer ominously!! whooooooo… Cut to the next scene! 

Lee sees Perrine enter the arena, so he grabs a few drinks and Lee pretends to deliver them while eavesdropping.. Amanda is terrified and wants him to stay at the bar. Lee promises to be right back. Poor Amanda!! but did she really think Lee could stay behind the bar? A lady comes and asks Amanda for a grasshopper! Poor Amanda!! 

Yep.. crouching behind a car is not suspicious looking at all Lee! So long as you are holding a tray of drinks! They teach you that in agency training Sooooo. Lee manages to hear the meeting is taking place at 2, and it is about the commodities market or something.. but.. Perrine’s suspicions are aroused when he sees Lee wandering around – and he is suppose to be behind the bar. You got to hand it to Perrine, he is on the ball.. he gets a guard to watch Lee.. oops….
I must say, it was very nice of Perrine to wear the same outfit he wore in his surveillance photo Lee was looking at in Billy’s office… made it so much easier for Lee to identify him [Another baddie with a moustache too!!]  😆 Ahhh smk.. I love it!!

So I shall finish up there.. back with more soon! Any feedback? questions? thoughts? ideas? gripes? fashion police arrests?? Please share with us all!! thanks for reading byeeeee