6/9 Season Two, Episode 1: To Catch a Mongoose-Scarecrow and Mrs King

Hi everyone!!! Before we move on.. Just have to include one or two pics from this moment again.. ahem..
Lee gif1thuddy

Happy with that Melissa?! Winking smile tee hee…

Now, moving on! Time for a big laugh!!! This whole interrogation of Connie is smk at it’s best!!!

Back to New Scotland Yard! Pow!!! Connie gets hit in the face with bright light!! tee hee..

Lee: Cyprus. July 1976. An explosion in the church.
Conrad (sounding tired): July of 1976, I was working as a shoe salesman in Maryland.
50
[notice Lee’s hair is all messed up?? and then bing!!! nice and tidy! Lee has magic hair Winking smile but then.. we already knew that Winking smile ]
51Keaton: Last year’s four-man hit in Sicily.
Conrad: I’ve never been to Sicily. Please, I told you and told you, 61I’m not the Mongoose! Look, if I was the Mongoose, I would’ve killed Amanda, but I didn’t. [And you thought Amanda didn’t listen to you Connie! Winking smile]
Lee: Okay, so you’re not the Mongoose. But if you don’t want to spend twenty years behind bars, Pal, 😆 you better tell us what you do know.
Prison? eek.. now Connie is really scared!
Conrad: Okay, I’ll talk. But I want Amanda to be here.
 I think Connie wanted to tell the whole story from the moment Lee grabbed his gun! tee hee.. only they wouldn’t listen to him Winking smile Lee goes and gets Amanda and tells her to do good cop bad cop..[only they call it good guy bad guy.. ugh!2rolling eyes sexist!!!] I’m shocked Lee would even attempt to do good cop bad cop with Amanda- [He really is an optimist! ] she has never done an interrogation in her life! and this is her old friend?! Still.. who cares because it is just hilarious!! 1BIG GRIN
Time for another gorgeous London backdrop too..
62

Amanda: So it’s called Good Guy, Bad Guy.
Lee: Right. One guy questions the suspect, he’s mean and rough, the other guy who plays nice is a buffer to the mean guy. [Is this top dialogue and delivery or what??!!!! Kudos writers!! Kudos KJ and BB such fast punchy delivery.. top stuff! ]
Amanda: Which side is the good guy on?
Lee: The bad guy.
Amanda: But he’s really good?
Lee: Right.
Amanda: Then who’s really bad?
63Lee: Theeee bad guy??!! 1ha haaaaaaa
64
–errr ahhhh the suspect. You got it?slap happy
Can I just say ROFLMAO to everything they say and do for the next 10 minutes??!!!!(this post is going to call for every laughing smiley that’s in the book! Winking smile )

By the way, why did Lee change out of his Bob outfit? come on man.. it was really groovy! and hippytotally rockin for some gettin heavy with the fuzz man!!! ( err in english- why mess  up his lovely suit with aggressive questioning? ahem..)

66Amanda: Sure, but it’s too complicated. I think maybe I should just talk to Conrad. He always used to confide in me. He 67even told me once that he wears his undershorts inside out so the seams wouldn’t scratch him.3_ImNotListening
68Lee: Ah. Well, since underwear is not on the schedule today
1rofl69could we please try to stick to the proven technique?
Amanda: Right! Good Guy, Bad Guy. Uh, Lee? It makes me feel just awful when I have to scold the 70boys, so I think I should probably be the good guy and if you don’t mind, you should be the bad guy.1HaHaHa
Hilarious.. that Amanda could think for a second he was asking Amanda to be the bad guy!!teehee
71Lee: Good idea Smile
[Lee is sooo dry here! Smile I love it! I love the warmth in his smile here as he responds to her- AWH!!1heart_eyes]
72 Lee: Let’s go.
[can I just add.. I really like that suit on Lee! The blue shirt.. the single breasted style.. lovin it.. not to mention that smile he just gave Amanda Winking smile ]

Suddenly we go from smiling calm Lee to BAM! Lee’s back at Conrad again with the light in his face! I don’t know why but I think this is the funniest line of the episode!! slap happyslap happyslap happy
SCARECROW_MRS_KING_SEASON2_D1-02(1).avi_001556489Lee: Okay, creep, from the top.
slap happyI can hear it 20 times in a row and it is still hilarious!! Creep?! whooo!! 1rofl

Conrad: Amanda, are you there?
Amanda: Yes, Connie, I’m still here.
Amanda walks into the dark ominous tone of the scene all smiles and opens the window1superhappy!.. Oh this is just too funny! Surely Lee must have seen what a mistake this was almost immediately?! haaaa.. I’m sure glad he didn’t put a stop to it though Winking smile
74
Amanda continues all cheery: There. Is that better?1ha haaaa
SCARECROW_MRS_KING_SEASON2_D1-02(1).avi_001566232Conrad: Yes, thank you.
Lee: Well, maybe I ought to soften up your face. It might just make you talk a little easier, you know what I mean?! 77

Connie’s really afraid now!! 😆
Amanda: Ohhh, Leeee. [Amanda talks to Lee like he is 10 years old and talking nonsense here.. absolutely undermining his authority .. Ohhh this is so gooooood!!! ]1ha haaaa
78Both men look up, 1laugh till crySoo funny watching Lee realise maybe this wasn’t the best idea he ever had.. but he’s not willing to give up yet! tee hee.. Hang on there Lee.. this is going to get soooo much worse! (and it’s soooooo good!)
79Amanda continues: Connie, would you like for me to get you a cup of coffee or a soft drink or something?
Lee drops his fist, uh oh.. Amanda is reeeeeaaally good at this being good stuff Winking smile Love how he glares at Connie as he sees this is not working! slap happy
SCARECROW_MRS_KING_SEASON2_D1-02(1).avi_001580914
slap happyConrad: Thank you.
Lee is still not ready to give up though! Up the toughness factor Lee.. bring out the big guns! [He grits his teeth here as he says the next line and looks at Amanda as he says it – I think the message he was trying to convey was BACK OFF!!! but.. for the second time in this episode, Amanda misreads or can’t read what he is trying to tell her..
80Lee: Or how about a pillow? Or an in-flight movie? 1ha haaaaaaa
[Ahh Lee, you won’t be winning flight attendant of the year anytime soon Winking smile ] I just have to include this shot I got of this SCARECROW_MRS_KING_SEASON2_D1-02(1).avi_001584050moment Lee grabs Connie – it seems even Lee’s tie is out of control and not doing what he wished it would either Winking smile whoo hoo!!
82Lee continues: Now do you think some information might just drop out if I bounce you off the walls a little bit, huh, Bub?
85Amanda: Lee!! [Now who’s scolding Amanda?!!]
BigLaugh89
put him down. You might hurt him.
ROFLMAO… the way Lee is still for just a moment here.. his teeth gritted.. and then slowly, silently he dumps Connie back into his chair, his teeth still gritted, Amanda gasps at Lee hoping he didn’t hurt Connie putting him back in the chair.
bouncy smilebouncy smile[3]bouncy smile[5]bouncy smile[7] Yep Lee.. time to admit defeat!!! He struggles to get control of his frustration here… haaa.. ohh well done Lee! ..  This was never going to work!!! haaaa.. Ohhh but I am ohhh so glad that he gave it a good go!! It is also hilarious how Amanda seems to have no trouble scolding Lee..
Lee: Stay put.
90Lee straighens up finally, and tries to relax and sound casual as he continues:  Amanda?
SCARECROW_MRS_KING_SEASON2_D1-02(1).avi_001603970Amanda: Yes?
Lee is quiet for juuuust a moment here.. trying to 90be so calm (too funny!!!)LmaoBlue: Could I talk to you for a moment?

91

92Amanda responds extra brightly(!): Certainly. I’ll be right back, Connie.
94Reassured by Amanda Connie watches Lee and Amanda leave-Lee grabs Amanda’s arm to get her out of there faster.. taking a little of his frustration out! He’s not happy!!!!

Ahhhh this scene never fails to crack me up! Such overkill Lee! the guy is more than ready to talk if you just ask him a question and quit shoving him around! hehehee.. Lee I think you are suppose to try good cop good cop first and then if that doesn’t work go for good cop bad cop! [and when you do good cop bad cop, aren’t they suppose to not be in the same at the same time? I can think of one other instance of this good cop bad cop being played up for comedy – in the Steve Martin Movie: the Pink Panther – in it.. he tries to be both the good cop and the bad cop – also very funny! ]
Anyway, Amanda breaking in and asking Connie if he is thirsty and fussing is a classic. Top shelf SMK.. Definitely in my top 5 funniest scenes list!
1biggrinbounce21biggrinbounce2[3]1biggrinbounce2[5]1biggrinbounce2[7]1biggrinbounce2[9]1biggrinbounce2[11]1biggrinbounce2[13]1biggrinbounce2[15]1biggrinbounce2[17]
For me, the funniest person here is Lee-1tiphat as he grapples with inspiring fear into Connie, his frustration with Amanda, his huge mistake in asking Amanda to play good guy bad guy ( 1-asking her and 2- being sexist and calling it good guy bad guy not good cop bad cop! hmm! Smile ) and his trying to overcome what she has undone…Lee tends to be the straight guy to Amanda’s funny antics.. but not here.. for me Lee is the star of this scene – and BB knocks it out of 2applause-applthe park! It’s all there in his eyes!! and his posture- his whole body looking like he wants to just scream when Amanda scolds him and tells him to stop – or ouchie he might hurt Connie! 1roflPoor Lee! hehehee..

Outside of the room.. Amanda is all confused!!
95Amanda: Okay, what’s the matter? That’s as good a good guy as I can be!
Open-mouthed smile Lee: Mother Theresa was never that good!!!slap happy (ohhh hoooo and yet another top funny line for Lee!! he’s having a cracker!!!)
SCARECROW_MRS_KING_SEASON2_D1-02(1).avi_001621988
Amanda: Oooohh!!!.
Lee: I.. I’m sorry. It’s my fault, maybe I didn’t explain it right or something. [awh good Lee!]
Amanda: Look. You said the good guy acted like a buffer. Okay, so I buffered!
Lee: Yeah, every two seconds! Now Amanda, the technique works better if you let the bad guy play his part, then the good guy takes over!
Amanda: But by that time, Connie will be scared to death! 1HaHaHa1HaHaHa[6]1HaHaHa[8] that is just brilliant!! [need anymore proof you didn’t explain it right Lee!! haaa.. ]
Lee: That’s the whole point! Get him scared enough to talk! I mean, it’s an interrogation, remember?
89 [Could Lee get any funnier?? how his voice gets all high pitched here as he is just incredulous at what she is saying! LmaoBlue ohhhh this scene NEVER gets old!!!I wonder if BB or KJ have seen this scene recently? If they did, I would hope they are proud they did so well.. and gave themselves a laugh while they are at it Winking smile ]
Amanda: Conrad does not respond well to fear. [ok Amanda’s amazing memory of Conrad stretches SCARECROW_MRS_KING_SEASON2_D1-02(1).avi_001651551credibility.. a little.. I love Lee’s little whimper here.. he is at his wits end! tee hee.. Lee just relax and let Amanda do all the work.. grab a cup of tea.. kick back .. and enjoy the Amanda and Connie show for a while Winking smile] I think we both should be the good guy.
Lee: ah come on, there’s no such thing as Good Guy, Good Guy.  BigLaugh
Amanda: Oookaaay. Then just let me do it alone.
Lee: All right. All right, he is all yours. I will be listening from the next room. I can not stand a brutal interrogation. [ahhhhh haaa!!! One final zinger for Lee as he exits the scene!! I don’t know a lot about acting- but does this scene scream improvisation to anyone else?? All the little mannerisms that just make it that much funnier.. soooo well done! Have I raved enough about how good this is?? – Hmm well I am trying to make up for all my gripes with Affair at Bromfield Hall –.. grrr.. but apologies if I am going over the top here.. excuse me while I wipe the tears away, and roll on the floor yes.. Laughing my arse off!]

Lee leaves Amanda to her brutal interrogation of Connie.. tee hee..  he let’s Amanda talk to Connie alone while listening in from the other room. Listen and Learn Lee! Smile

Sadly the fun must stop for the moment.. this post is long enough already… thanks for reading and I hope you had a good chuckle right along with me Smile any thoughts?? feedback?? questions? I’d love to hear them! byee for now back with more when I can..

19 thoughts on “6/9 Season Two, Episode 1: To Catch a Mongoose-Scarecrow and Mrs King”

  1. #2019rewatch
    I do laugh at this scene….especially the “or how about a pillow or an in-flight movie” delivery by BB….

    BUT!! (Sorry, everyone…)

    I cannot seem to be drawn away from the ewwwwness of Conrad’s perspiration! I can’t not look at it!! It grosses me out every time!! 😂😂😂😂😂

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    1. #2019 rewatch

      yes, the sweating is very off-putting. I wonder of they took out a chunk of Amanda patting him dry or setting up a fan to make him more comfortable. And yes, although Connie is cute most of the time, this is not that time. But what an actor! To go from Mongoose to Mouse so believably!

      This scene though is packed with so many funny lines that I always find one I forgot no matter how many times I’ve watched it. Truly one of their best.

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  2. #2019rewatch
    This is absolutely one of my favorite scenes in the series. It never gets old. The chemistry, the banter, the physicality of it all makes it so memorable.
    I would love to hear BB and KJ speak about the filming of this scene. How much it evolved to comedic gold! Even Conrad’s reaction… watching it unfold, the terror in his eyes when Lee grabs him and the adoration in his eyes when Amanda reprimands Lee is terrific.
    So well done. Love it!!

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    1. #2019rewatch
      Great point! I find it’s also a cool, comedic contrast to the earlier Albert Hall scene when Connie frightened Amanda. She sure didn’t scold Lee for coming to her rescue that time!

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  3. Love love love this scene!! So classic SMK! Never thought BB and KJ got the credit they deserve for comedic acting and impeccable timing. And I always love Amanda’s little hop that she gives when Lee grabs her. That little bounce/step was another tiny detail that KJ used to make Amanda’s character so funny and unique. They are both freaking awesome here!!! *happy-happy-happy-me face goes here*!

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  4. “Mother Teresa was never that good!” has to be one of the funniest lines from the whole series – closely followed by “Err … sometimes these interrogations take some strange turns.”

    For some reason, when I see Lee and that stupid interrogation lamp, I’m reminded of a classic skit on the Carol Burnett Show when Tim Conway uses the good guy/bad guy technique to interrogate Lyle Waggoner (Tim is the good guy, and his tiny handpuppet of Hitler is the bad guy.)

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  5. I laughed the whole time watching this section and I’ve just LMAO again reading the transcript and pictures. This has got to be one of the funniest parts of SMK. So many great lines, especially love Lee when he says the comment about Mother Teresa and and a pillow and in-flight movie. Classic 😀
    Love how Amanda comes in and opens the curtains and starts being solicitous to Conrad LOL
    BTW IWSOD it’s copper, not cobber when referring to a policeman/woman. Generally though terms for police are less than polite so this is relatively tame.

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    1. They also used to call them “Bobbies” and “Peelers” — a reference to the fact that the English police (and I believe they’re considered the first modern police?) were founded by Sir Robert Peel. You should have seen my parents’ reaction the first time I used “Peelers” in my late teens. (The joys of being a historical fiction reader — you really pick up an interesting vocabulary)

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  6. Yes, this whole scene is classic!!!! My husband and I were ROFL 🙂 I just love how Lee is patient with Amanda and actually admits that it was his fault!!!

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  7. I watched “To Catch a Thief” today. Paramount, 1955, Cary Grant, Grace Kelly. It was filmed in the French Riviera. Cary Grant plays an ex-jewel thief named John Roby, nicknamed “the cat”. Someone is using his modus operandi to steal jewelry and he has to catch them to clear his name. There wasn’t a whole lot of similarities, but there were a few.
    1. Our mongoose is selling diamonds. The cat is stealing jewelry.
    2. There is a casino scene where John makes a fool of himself; they’re playing roulette, though, not blackjack.
    3. John goes undercover as “Conrad Burns” to smoke out the cat. That one is pretty close! I kept wanting to call him Walter Burns, because that was Cary Grant’s character in “His Girl Friday” (an excellent film, btw). And, of course, it’s really close to Conrad Walter Barnhill.
    4. There’s a scene where another man poses as John Robie, similar to our Connie posing as the Mongoose.
    5. The scene we haven’t got to yet where Lee is chasing the mongoose all over the boats…well, there’s a kinda similar scene in the film where John Roby is chasing the cat over rooftops. (He doesn’t throw her into the Mediterranean, though).
    6. There’s a car chase scene, too, but now I feel like I am grasping at straws.

    There is a famous scene in Grace Kelly’s hotel room where they have turned off all of the lights to watch some fireworks. I really expected to see the same sort of camera angles that they used in the strangulation scene in SMK, but no dice. They either showed one or the other where we could see their faces or both of them. There wasn’t any profiles or such like we see in this episode.

    The ending of the film has some great dialogue that would have been great for Lee and Amanda. It’s a shame they didn’t lift it:
    Frances: Were you afraid to admit that you just can’t do everything by yourself? That you needed the help of a good woman? And you just aren’t the lone wolf you think you are?
    John: Alright. Without you I couldn’t have done it. I needed the help of a woman. I guess I’m not the lone wolf I thought I was, Francie.

    That’s all I got! 🙂 Is that enough?

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    1. Hi Melissa! thanks for the fantasticly interesting info!! I really want to watch this movie now!! it’s been a lot of years..

      Sounds like you found quite a few connections.. I’m impressed! ‘Conrad’ can’t be a coincidence!!

      My favourite observation though, was what you said would have been great dialogue to use from the movie – I think it doesn’t matter that they didn’t use that dialogue – the meaning is there in the episode throughout – they use the dialogue: but they use it as subtext! [and I think they have used little bits of it up to this point in the show – in savior Amanda talks of Lee not wanting to admit he needs her. with more to come – we’ll have to keep an eye out for it.] It sums up wonderfully their relationship at this point.. Lee is not the lone wolf he thought he was- and he needed Amanda’s help! ( let’s just skip the use of the name ‘Francie’ though.. too close to Francine 😉 haaaaa)

      Oh and by the way – I LOVE ‘His Girl Friday’! I own the dvd of this movie!!! I was actually thinking of it when I commented about the dialogue delivery being funny and fast – I nearly wrote it reminds me of his girl friday – but I wasn’t sure that people would know the movie! – I should have known better 😉

      Thanks again!!!

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      1. Oh dear. Me thinks my Remington Steele roots are showing! 😉 I can watch the scene where Hildy is attempting to tell Walter that she is getting married over and over. Pure comedic gold.

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  8. One of my favorite scenes from Season 2! I find this just hilarious, but the best part is to come. For some reason, I giggle excessively when Lee “peeks around” Connie after he’s picked him up. I’m sure that wasn’t funny for Conrad, he was probably sure Lee was going to cream him. It’s as if the “good-er” Amanda got, the “bad-er” Lee got, till Lee himself couldn’t take much more.

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  10. Gorgeous writing and gorgeous acting. And I was going to echo what RedGold has said “guys” is generic, non-gender specific here (I think it was also that way in the mid- 80s, but I am not 100% positive). It drives my hubby around the bend when ‘guys’ is used this way. I’ve always heard ‘good cop/bad cop’, but I was informed that ‘cop’ can be offensive.

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    1. Good morning! ( Yep it’s morning for me! 😉 )

      Hey I didn’t think guy was that sexist:) just bugged me a little :).. it’s ok! I’m not totally offended..but to my ears hearing good guy/bad guy sounds not great when you can say good cop/bad cop.. I actually think they used ‘good guy’ rather than ‘good cop’ so they could have the joke where Lee gets confused and says errr.. the bad guy! the suspect!’ – so I wouldn’t have it any other way – I love that line of Lee’s!
      LOL.. but as Cindy points out cop can be offense too.. haaaa depends on where you are in the world how you hear things huh! which is one of the things I love about discussing smk together!!! I learn not just about other countries and cultures, but about myself! 🙂

      I guess in the UK ( as when in rome..and all that 😉 ) they would say it is good cobber / bad cobber?!! tee heee.. or was it bobby! good bobby/bad bobby! Ok fans from the UK.. what would you prefer Lee and Amanda said? do tell!
      I’m so use to good cop/bad cop anything else sounds wrong.. (when of course, it isn’t!)

      Redgold thanks for sharing your thoughts.. you are sooo right.. the suit, Lee looking all classy, it makes the situation that much funnier!!! there is a reason I made a point of mentioning the suit a few times – which will become clearer in the next post 🙂 but I agree with you! Lee is so classy.. ‘Ok Creep! from the top’ hawhwhawwha!
      I wish we could roar with laughter together over this scene guys 😉 maybe one day!

      btw- just to clarify, I didn’t see Lee ‘focus’ on amanda.. I wouldn’t say all his focus was on Amanda… I just thought he shot her a look to reassure her silently.. but IMO I think he was mainly focused on Connie.. Just a theory but I mean Connie could have hit Amanda with the gun or something..so Lee was ready to move fast.. not focused on Amanda.. YMMV.. that’s cool! 🙂 oh and I edited that post (post 5) to add your observation redgold.. that Lee looked at Amanda.. gave you credit.. thanks!

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  11. I agree that this scene is top-notch humorous SMK–makes me roar with laughter no matter how many times I’ve seen it. And the best part is still to come! I have just a few individual observations:

    –About the use of “guys.” That word is used loosely in the US, at least in the Midwest where I live, and can mean either females or males or both. I have a sister-in-law who always greets my husband and me with the phrase, “Hi, guys.” So Lee may not be as sexist as that bit of dialogue suggests.
    –About the suit. I think it’s funnier to see him acting so tough dressed in that beautiful suit than it would be if he were still in his “Bob” clothes. And he gets all sweaty from aggravation and frustration, which is also humorous when he’s dressed so nicely.
    –About his anger. Some of that might not be feigned. I think he wants to make Conrad afraid because Conrad made Amanda feel afraid. He’s disgusted with Conrad and quite unsympathetic with him. He doesn’t take kindly to anyone who threatens Amanda.
    –About Amanda and Lee’s departure from the room. I love Amanda’s little surprised little “oh!” sound as Lee hustles her through the door with a hand on the arm. He’s not being too gentle with her, either!
    –About their conversation in the hall. I love Lee’s line, “Oh, come on; there’s no such thing as ‘good guy/good guy!'” and also the way that Amanda mimics his inflection when she says “scared to death” the same way that he says “play his part.” Even when they’re frustrated with each other, they’re still in sync. So funny!

    It has just occurred to me that Lee probably doesn’t appreciate Amanda being so solicitous to an old friend, particularly one who has threatened to shoot her!

    By the way, I’m glad that others see Lee focusing on Amanda rather than Connie toward the end of the previous scene, too. It makes sense, really; as soon as Lee sees that the gun isn’t loaded, he knows that Connie isn’t really a threat, so he can concentrate on trying to reassure Amanda non-verbally and get Connie away from her.

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So what do you think??? :)

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