Awhhh.. Lee is helping Amanda carry her Harrods shopping bags 
Well Done Lee! 
And asking after Amanda’s mother?? Wow!! I’m impressed!!
I’m loving all these scenery shots of London.. yes! 
We believe you!! You really are in London!! Ahhh I loved the Los Angeles Olympics for forcing SMK to film overseas!!!! My fave olympics ever
Why does Amanda keep swapping hands with her bag there? did they have a sponsorship deal with Harrods too? LOL…
Lee tells Amanda all she has to do is point out Conrad Walter Barnhill and she can head home.. errr she knows him Lee – don’t you want to know what he is like?? LOL.. he doesn’t even ask her!
Amanda: I don’t understand how you can actually believe that Connie Barnhill is an international hitman. What did you call him?
Lee: The Mongoose. It’s a perfect name for him. He’s ruthless, he’s very smart, very elusive, a master of disguise.
I have always struggled with the assumptions Lee makes here in the beginning of this episode.. The mongoose leaves his calling card (basically saying-I’m the mongoose!), and a note with the name ‘conrad walter barnhill’ and a casino chip..[EDITED TO ADD: Okay Iwsod has made a boo booo here.. check out comments- smkfan(thanks!!) has clarified the casino chip and note with Connie’s name was found on Demarco- not mongoose! the same logic still stands though, when we find later- Connie has the Mongoose calling card as his passport photo.. ] Lee thinks the clever and cunning mongoose is also saying ‘ I am Conrad Walter Barnhill’ ?? that doesn’t sound smug.. that just sound dumb to me! The mongoose left his real name on a piece of paper for them to look up his passport photo and see the mongoose’s calling card there too-so he can yell again at Authorities – I am the Mongoose!!! tee hee.. who was it that did that- was it Dillinger? the gangster?? who yelled ‘I’m Dillinger!!!’(gangster history buffs?? )
In the beginning of this episode, on the boat, the American agent DeMarco was wearing a wire. They even heard the mongoose speak to DeMarco with an english accent [Conrad is American!!] and he told the 3 guys that anyone who knows his name doesn’t tend to live that long- remember?? soooo he just left a little note with them so the rest of the police would know his name? LOL! 
Amanda: Alright. What has the Mongoose done recently?
Lee: Oh, not too 
much. Just killed three men and helped himself to five million dollars worth of stolen diamonds. It’s rumoured that he intends to start a syndicate of international hit men headed by himself. The diamonds are to finance his operation. 
Amanda: Lee, I would never tell you how to do your job.
Lee: Oh?
Amanda: Okay. But this time I really think I’m right! (ROFL!! And she is right ALOT!!! )
Now, Conrad Barnhill may not have been blessed with many of the social graces and he may 
have had that little dandruff problem,
but still, he was never a violent person.
Lee: Yeah, well, that’s the kid that you remember. 
Let me tell you about the man that became the Mongoose.
Now to date, forty-two murders throughout the world have been attributed to him.
Lee is much too fast to disregard Amanda’s history with Conrad.. the one person who knows Conrad! Amanda tells Lee what Connie is like (basically: he’s a goose! Not a mongoose!!)- but it is so quickly and easily dismissed by Lee!
I wonder if the person identifying Conrad hadn’t been Amanda.. if it had been Francine – would he have listened and kept an open mind? hmmm.. I wonder.. but once again, Amanda (and Conrad and the Mongoose!) are going to teach Lee a lesson or two!
Lee is so gung ho to catch the mongoose that he is gobbling up all the little breadcrumbs the mongoose has left him, like a rookie fresh out of training.. Come on Lee!
Amanda: And so that’s the reason the Agency brought me over here, to identify him, because you don’t have a picture of him? [Is it just me or is this whole concept ridiculous??!! not that I mind.. it brought Amanda to London! ]
Lee: Yeah, that’s about it. We found a copy of your high school yearbook. [Does anyone else imagine Lee asking to personally look at it?? so he can also secretly check out Amanda??!!!] Instead of a photo, there was a notice that he was absent.
Amanda: No, he wasn’t absent that day.
Lee: No?
Amanda: He locked himself in the chemistry lab by mistake.
Lee: Amanda, he doesn’t even have a passport photo on file.
He somehow replaced that with one of his calling cards. See, that’s his style. He’s arrogant. He’s always thumbing his nose at us.
I really don’t get this! screams he is not the mongoose and the mongoose is playing with him to me! Lee hands Amanda a Casino chip..
Amanda: You think we’ll find the Mongoose at this casino?
Lee: It’s called the Terrorist Club. That was found on the body of one of our agents.
Amanda: Oohhhh.
Love Amanda’s reaction on hearing that the chip she is 
holding was found on a dead body – like: ewwww I don’t want it! And she gives it back to Lee!! 
Lee: That matches his lifestyle. He’s a high roller and he likes excitement.
Amanda: No, no. I just have to tell you that this is not my Connie Barnhill. He can’t be the same person.
Could Lee’s assumption that Conrad is the mongoose be because once Lee knew Conrad was Amanda’s friend from school and “my Connie Barnhill” he was suddenly even more convinced there had to be something wrong with this guy??? Or could this be because his attitude was that Amanda is just naive and what would she know- Lee is an expert on how tough life is and how people can let you down – and Amanda still hadn’t learned that lesson? Thoughts?? I’d love to hear from you!!
Well.. either way.. it is clear the Mongoose wants the authorities to go to the ‘terrorist club’ (good one!) to try and find him.. whether Lee is right and it’s Connie.. or whether Amanda is right and it’s not.. the mongoose left the casino chip on the dead body for a reason.. ( I think it was so we could enjoy another Lee in a tuxedo moment.. but.. I probably don’t have much evidence to support that opinion! LOL!! )
Bring on the Casino!!!! haaaa.. I shall leave it there! My studies are back in full force now.. so will most likely aim for smaller posts regularly 
darn real life getting in the way of my SMK time!!
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byee all.. will be back with more soon- in the meantime.. any feedback? thoughts? memories of watching this episode for the first time? byeeeee!!
"Just walk with me.." 
#2019 Rewatch
It’s the little things that bring me the greatest joy in this episode. That little shudder and anguished eye-close Lee does when she mentions Conrad’s “little dandruff problem” Thank you Bruce for the great reaction and bless you film editor who included it.
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#2019rewatch
My addition to the greatest joy … Lee’s sexy windblown hair and French cuff shirt that adds masculine elegance to his European wardrobe.
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#2019rewatch
Amanda: “Now, Conrad Barnhill may not have been blessed with many of the social graces and he may have had that little dandruff problem…”
This is one of Amanda’s greatest deliveries! 😂
And I totally echo your sentiment, clagjanet, regarding that awesome Lee reaction. There are a few of those in this episode.
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For some reason I wonder if the “dandruff problem” was a KJ added line.
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#2019rewatch
I wondered, too. Maybe I’ll read the script if I get a chance! It would be cool to know how much of their great funny moments in this ep are scripted vs. improv.
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#2019Rewatch. I went looking for the original script at Petra’s site but unfortunately the transcript comes up when clicking on the script link as well as coming up on the transcript link. I’m disappointed because I’m enjoying all the insightful comments but not being analytical myself, investigating the script would be the best contribution I can make.
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What’s super funny (and ironic) about this is that they’re both right, and both wrong, and neither one is understanding or truly listening to each other. Lee keeps saying that the Mongoose is tricky and dangerous and a killer (which is all true), and she keeps saying Conrad Barnhill is kind of a buffoon (also true). They both are trying to prove each other wrong, when in reality they each are right except they aren’t talking about the same person. If they’d really listened to each other, maybe they’d have come to the conclusion that they should be searching for two different people earlier? (But then we’d miss out on the interrogation, so I’m okay with that).
Anyway, the Mongoose/Conrad dichotomy acts as a little microcosm (okay wrong word, but I’m in a hurry here) of the larger theme at work here. The Mongoose is the epitome of the professional operating on a global stage – albeit he’s a bad guy; and Conrad Barnhill is the epitome of someone who needs to stay within the home/domestic sphere – … kind of like surrogates for Lee and Amanda who play out that tension in a more complex way, eventually each bringing the other to a happy medium. Ugh. Did that all make sense??
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That was an incredibly well thought out comment- I never saw the two sets of characters in this episode contrasting each other that way.
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Great analysis Paula and RedGold! You’ve illuminated the dichotomy of the Lee/Amanda relationship beautifully. And isn’t that what good relationships, friendships, partnerships and marriages do for you? They push you forward, challenge you and enable you to continually evolve as a person and team. In addition, knowing that someone’s always got your back through thick and thin helps give one a rock solid foundation to have the confidence to explore and grow. Maybe that’s why I am so intrigued by the Lee/Amanda story. Okay, it doesn’t hurt that they are both so magically beautiful too, and you can’t help but root for love to win out in the long run!
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While it does seem a bit far-fetched that the Agency couldn’t track down ANY photo of Conrad Barnhill, it was easier in the pre-digital age to remain anonymous. When they were talking about year books and passports and photos, I found myself thinking, “Why don’t you just Google him? Oh, yeah. This is 1984.”
I also think Amanda’s take on Conrad is more accurate than Lee’s. Though we all change somewhat over the course of time, our personalities are largely developed by about age 5, according to studies. Short of a brain injury, there’s not much that can profoundly alter a person’s basic nature once it’s set. It’s possible Conrad could *fake* being a high roller, risk taking assassin, but those behaviors would not be natural for him. (Tangential side note: I think actor Pierce Brosnan is a fascinating study in this. He has maintained a public image for 30 years that is, by many accounts, entirely different from his real personality – he’s said to be reserved and even shy in “real life.” The strain of being the suave and confident, “Bond-ish” figure must be huge.)
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Ok I am gonna push the boat out here. Whilst I don’t think it’s fair for Lee to unilaterally dismiss Amanda and her previous relationship with Conrad I can see his line in thinking that the young man she knew in high school is now a grown man and people can and do change, not always for the better. I can understand why Lee is struggling to accept Amanda’s view of a geeky, bumbling Conrad.
It makes me laugh when Lee accuses the Mongoose of being arrogant. Um…..takes one to know one Lee 😉
I have to say I think KJ looks gorgeous throughout this episode, not a hair out of place and not too many dodgy clothes 🙂
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Could it be that Lee wants to believe that HE could be very different from the child he was? He wants to be someone other than a vulnerable 7 (or 4)-yr-old who’s parents are dead and who’s living with an uncle he thinks doesn’t love him. Or someone other than an irresponsible college student who keeps getting kicked out of school.
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I think the casino is called the Terrace Club.
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ROFL smkfan! sorry I took forever to get back to this.. Terrace club is much more boring that ‘terrorist club! ‘ thanks for clearing up the name in the pocket!!! I’ll update the post to mention it – but it doesn’t change the mongoose putting his calling card in place of Connie’s passport pic.. so for me it is still a big stretch! The mongoose even said those who know my name don’t tend to live very long.. so why would he put the mongoose calling card in place of his own passport photo.. Still .. I can’t complain too much.. the whole premise brought Lee and Amanda to London!
Been ages since we’ve heard from you smkfan – hope you are doing well! byeeee
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At 4:40 into the episode, Lee is speaking with Billy on the phone saying that the casino chip and the piece of paper were found in DeMarco’s pocket.
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Holy heck, I am away from the computer for less than 24 hours and I have an explosion of comments to catch up on. It’s a good problem 🙂
“Also, replacing Connie’s passport photo on file with the mongoose calling card- that connects Connie to the mongoose..so the mongoose doesn’t care that they know Connie’s name and that he is involved.. I was thinking Connie was being set up by the mongoose – in a way only dumb agents would believe but Amanda not! LOL “,
Lordy, lordy, the agents are pretty dumb, aren’t they? Good thing the other guys are pretty light in the brains department too.
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Indeed Cindy! it’s great to hear from everyone 🙂
don’t forget you can follow comments by email – if you have posted a comment on a thread, and selected ‘ notify me of follow up comments by email’ – then you should get emails of any new comments on the thread – I guess it pays to comment on all the threads – even briefly- LOL! just so you can get the email notifications.. a lot easier to read than just relying on the comments list on the home page..
yeah.. that replacing the passport photo thing was a stretch huh.. but they had to come up with a reason for Amanda to go to London.. I guess using her to get along side him would have been too complicated? and so it was just a – point him out and you can go home kinda deal??!!
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Hi Everyone! Sorry I haven’t introduced myself. I’m a great SKM fan from the Caribbean.
I really like season 2! Actually, I watched all 4 seasons for the first time earlier this year.
I used to watch SMK when I was a kid, but in my country they only showed some scattered episodes from season 1 and 2. My least favorite is season 4 but it still has some amazing moments!
Many of the episodes I have watched have missing scenes or taglines so Im glad I can read full episodes here. I have also found some complete episodes In French on Youtube, but my french is not that good. I still watch them because the video quality is so much better that the ones I’ve found in English, and I can’t find any in Spanish lol.
One of the things I like about the show is how the relationship between Lee and Amanda progresses.
I remember reading a BB interview in which he says that the writers took too long to get them together, but I feel a different way about it.
I really got to enjoy how each season brings such a great development into their relationship in a way that you don’t see it on tv series anymore these days.
Anyway,
Looking forward for more episodes!
J.
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Hi Jo! Fantastic to have you join in the SMK fun 🙂 I know what you mean, when I grew up (in Australia) we didn’t get all the episodes either! argh!! oh well.. we are lucky we have access to the show as adults 🙂
Yes Season 4 is a bit hit and miss.. but when it is good – it is really good 🙂 I’m looking forward to revisiting those episodes when I get them them ( in ohhhh about 10 years ! :lol:)
BB said he thought they took too long together? funny! that was a time before Bones – he had no idea how long ‘too long’ really was!!! 🙂
Look forward to hearing your feedback and thoughts on comments Jo!
iwsod
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Do you guys think Lee took an extra look at that yearbook to find Amanda in it? Later, Connie mentions that Amanda was a cheerleader. Think Lee scoped out the the pics of Amanda in a cheerleader skirt? 🙂
Amanda didn’t react when Lee mentioned the yearbook. She must be pretty happy of her pics in there. I know I would have been mortified!
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“I can’t get enough of her/get her away from me; He’s irresistible/he’s impossible.”
I love this! That’s exactly how they are, isn’t it? His life would be so much easier if she actually was the useless frumpy housewife he keeps trying to convince himself she is. But she’s not; she’s exactly what’s missing from his life and vice versa 🙂
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Oops, that was supposed to be a reply to Paula
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I think it really bugs Lee that he can’t convince Amanda this Conrad Barnhill could be a really dangerous person. I think it drives him up a wall that Amanda’s assessment of the guy as a harmless nerd she fondly remembers befriending way back when all but mocks Lee’s suspicions about him being the Mongoose now. My take on this is Lee is nursing a wounded ego, and he really, really, really wants Amanda to be wrong this time.
This is one of the finer moments of SMK, IMO. I like when their relationship progression makes sense. Here is Lee, still battling between his drives toward a socially superficial, work-focused life and feelings of growing attraction and admiration for this civilian outsider. She keeps barging in on his old lifestyle and illuminating its many shortcomings. She keeps adding so much blasted color to his life, and he just wants her to be ultimately ignorant and out of line. But she’s not.
It’s that tension within the characters that keeps me coming back for more. I can’t get enough of her/get her away from me; He’s irresistible/he’s impossible. This dynamic keeps building until it comes to a head in Brunettes Are In, when these two will either acknowledge their mutual dependence on each other or go their separate ways.
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I really love both sets of comments you made here, Anne and Paula, and like you, I find the push/pull of Lee and Amanda’s relationship mighty compelling. They are both taking serious emotional risks by tentatively entering into a partnership and friendship at all, and those romantic feelings that sparkle under the surface are even more dangerous. Their relationship involves re-thinking past choices, lifestyles, assumptions–it’s no wonder that they go slowly and back-pedal sometimes. Yet overall, their relationship changes and moves forward, which I appreciate a lot. I think that Lee and Amanda ignite change in each other, and that each person surprises his/her own life. Together, they accomplish much more than they originally thought themselves capable of individually, even at this relatively early stage.
IWSOD, I think that the poker chip and Connie’s name are found on the American agent’s body because he had some leads on the Mongoose, rather than because the Mongoose has put them there. He leaves only the calling card, as I understand it. That doesn’t explain the English voice on the radio, but I suppose that anyone as clever as the Mongoose can put on an accent. Although he doesn’t speak with an English accent, Connie does do a credible job of being cold and calculating when he plays the Mongoose with Amanda in the casino, IMO.
I agree that Lee really wants to right about Connie. IMO, all of these intimate reminiscences of high school grate on him. He’s got a strong jealous streak, and he doesn’t like the idea of other men–past, present, or future–having any sort of claim on Amanda’s affections. I like the reminiscences, myself, because they illustrate that Amanda has been kind, warm, and thoughtful her whole life. Are you paying attention, Lee?
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hiya Redgold! Ohhhhh.. I hadn’t thought of that- thanks for bringing that up! Interesting!! Maybe the name and the casino chip were part of that legwork deMarco did..
why was he ‘wearing them’ to this meet? why does the mongoose make contact with Lee and Amanda at the Casino – it’s like he knew they would be there ( err that’s in the next post!).. maybe that’s why I assumed he planted them.
Also, replacing Connie’s passport photo on file with the mongoose calling card- that connects Connie to the mongoose..so the mongoose doesn’t care that they know Connie’s name and that he is involved.. I was thinking Connie was being set up by the mongoose – in a way only dumb agents would believe but Amanda not! LOL
I think too much! then again.. I find it fun discussing these things with you guys and hearing your thoughts
I figured the clever cunning mongoose was manipulating everyone behind the scenes – the puppetmaster!!! whahahahaha!
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Wow!!! that is well put Paula!!! come back for more/ can’t get away from her fast enough? !! LOL!!! I love this show!! you just highlighted beautifully another reason why! 😀
Plus Brunettes are In is one of my all time favourites – soooo important to their relationship!! I love how you described that too! 🙂 thanks for sharing!!
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