So, back to America.. the episode opens with lots of washington DC sites to make sure we know A bit of a let down.. I was enjoying Europe!! Oh well.. let’s see what this episode has to offer! Even the worst smk episode has a little gem in there somewhere!
First up, we see Amanda sending the boys off to school.. almost like it is their first time walking on their own or something.. very sweet.. and I guess this underlines for us later how settled the family is in Washington DC.. and moving would be very difficult.. We see Dotty in the distance absorbed by what we find out is: Arlene Francis on the tv.. (assuming she is someone famous.. as she is a ‘special’ appearance LOL.. but I’ve never heard of her..)
Arlene Francis is interviewing a man, Mr Harriman ( who appears to be sitting in a rocking chair!! how funny!!)
Arlene Francis: won’t the publication of your book the suburban spy compromise our national security?
Harriman: not really. – Oh? well then who’d want to read it?! talk about an understatement!
Amanda joins Dotty to watch the show.. did I just hear right? did Dotty just say the interview is about people who work “for the agency”? so ‘the agency’ is a well known organisation? I thought it was a secret.. what does everyone think about this? So this guy is writing a book basically about Amanda.. gee Amanda, you are so subtle!! Poor thing!!! She nearly has an aneurysm right there.. good thing Dotty is so clueless! Love the look Dotty and Amanda share when the baddie lists ‘ housewives’ as working with the agency!! KJ’s facial expressions here are soo funny! 😆 Dotty: Imagine that. Amanda: I can imagine
The man says it is crazy to have an untrained person involved in national security, and just think of all the havoc they could cause- Dotty sees the logic in this.. heck- I see the logic in this!!! and.. if I am not mistaken Amanda sees the logic in this- how many times did she beg for a bit of training here and there? When you step back and think about it.. it is totally crazy to have someone untrained in national security!!!
Funny, clever dialogue here:
Dotty: Just think what havoc one of these untrained professionals could do if they got in over their heads!
Amanda: I’m thinking. [and she’s in over her head!]
I love how anytime a housewife is mentioned she is labelled average.. even when working for the agency.. when there is nothing ‘average’ about it!!! A housewife who is working for the agency is really no longer average!
Arlene: What about this exaggeration that you put into the average housewife? I mean, are they going to find themselves involved?
Harriman: I can give you a specific example of when a so-called everyday housewife was not only involved, she was the agent in question.
Arlene: All by herself?
Uh oh.. this is getting too close! Amanda interrupts to distract Dotty..
Amanda: Mother, I- I really think we ought to do the laundry now.
Dotty: Just a minute, Honey, this is getting good.
Harriman: It was right here in Washington – one of Washington’s suburbs – when this young mother of two
came within a whisker
[Amanda thinking: is he talking about me???]
of blowing Operation Sandstorm,
[Amanda:Oh yeah.. that’s me!! ]
one of our most sensitive intelligence operations.
Amanda: Oh, no!
Amanda’s facial expressions in this scene are hilarious! It’s so funny and yet I feel for her and the panic she is experiencing!!! I especially love the reaction when he mentions a specific example of a mother of two here in washington- both Dotty and Amanda look at each other
Dotty: do you think he could be talking about…
[Amanda seems to be waiting for her mother to call her out here! poor thing!! ]…. Gwen Dorset?
Amanda quickly replies: Probably! 😆
Love how Dotty thinks she knows who the former agent is discussing.. a housewife she knows!
Dotty: I never really trusted her! 😆
Operation Sandstorm? I want to hear more about that!!!
Harriman: This little fiasco could’ve escalated into World War III. And all because a… amateur was sent to do a
professional’s job.
[SMK fans have our own little version of operation sandstorm don’t forget!! get involved!! No risk of starting world war III either! http://scarecrowandmrskingforum.yuku.com/topic/1872/Operation-Sandstorm-SMK-Transcripts-Project]
Amanda complains of a headache.. Dotty puts it down to too much typing and TV.. Amanda suggests they turn the TV off .. love this quip here:
Dotty: no no! it will all be over in a minute!
Amanda: that’s what I’m afraid of!
( great humour here in this scene- love it!!!! lots of double meanings- My Fave!! 🙂 well done smk writers! )
Amanda makes the excuse of going to buy something for her headache and she leaves in a hurry.. poor Amanda!
The scene ends with Mr Harriman on his high horse.. Harriman: I’ve devoted several years of my life to our intelligence organizations, and it pains me greatly to see them deteriorate to their present level… (GAG!!)
Love Dotty’s response to this heartfelt plea of Harriman’s: Maybe.. I should give Gwen a call..
Maybe Dotty isn’t buying his sincerity either!
Love how this episode opens with lots of laughs! I love Amanda and Dotty! They’re so funny together
Any thoughts you’d like to share? I would love to hear from you.. thanks for reading and back with more soon as I can!
There is always something I have never quite figured out about “The Agency”….what government agency is it? It isn’t CIA because they have bashed CIA on SMK before…, I don’t believe they are HOMELAND SECURITY anyone know or want yo guess?
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Hi Gruvy Granny, hope you are well! What is ‘the agency’?
I’d tell you but then I’d have to kill you 😉
Sorry!!!! couldn’t resist!!! Do you have a G20 level security clearance? to find that out I think you need one.
LOL.. sorry! okay. be serious iwsod! As far as I know – we don’t find out. It seems to be part FBI, CIA and NSA.. all combined – which in reality would be rather scary 😉 It’s been ages since I have seen season 3 and 4 (except santa’s new bag for Christmas) – I’m trying not to watch so I can blog with fresh eyes – sooo maybe someone else can help here – I have vague recollections that someone says at some point they say they are not CIA or to contact the CIA or something – as I remember thinking – ohhh they are not CIA? I remember the very early episodes had the PA system at the agency asking for ‘special agent blah blah..’ – that was dropped pretty quickly.. I think they wanted to keep it vague so they would have more licence to do what they want with the plots – which mean scarecrow is the best and can do anything! anywhere! in the world! Lee, Francine, Billy and Amanda single handedly save the world!!
Oh dear.. I am in a mood! haaaa!
Anyone else able to shed some light on this? thoughts?
Byeee!
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I know Mad Magazine in their spoof alluded to the mysterious Agency like the FBI and CIA but better, they actually solved cases. It is quite a hilarious read (the writer was very familiar with the series) but I lost the link when my last computer crashed. Maybe one of these lovely ladies can find it.
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Hiya! Yeah Cindy, that magazine has me in stitches! Kudos to the author!
I would give you the direct link – but I emailed Macgypsy once to ask her if it was okay for me to post it and she didn’t respond. So I better not post the direct link. However! The link is in a thread on yuku where Macgypsy shared the mag with us..
and it can be found HERE.
Big thanks to Yuku and Macgypsy for sharing this with us all.. Just don’t eat or drink while checking it out 😉
Enjoy!!!!
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That was so funny! Thanks for sharing it with us. It made my morning.
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Thanks for the link! I did read the german version, but never the english one before. Oh, and thanks for the warning, too – No tea splashed all over my laptop!
SA
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It can still put my computer hardware in danger if I read those with a drink in my mouth! Never fails to crack me up! glad you enjoyed it too 🙂
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KJ does such a great with her facial expressions in this scene, love the frown when Operation Sandstorm is mentioned LOL
What Dotty you only have one suspect? Don’t you have 6?! You do read Agatha Christie after all 😉
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I wonder how Dotty’s phone call with Gwen turned out…LOL!!! Dotty and Amanda are great in this scene 🙂
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“please don’t make me ask you again!” ROTFLMAO! I would have loved to see KJ’s face the first time she read that part of the script.
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This is one of my favorite season 2 episodes! Everyone was on top of their game. 🙂 However, that being said, I still don’t understand why it’s called “Double Agent”. Who’s the double agent???? Harriman is a sell-out, but not a double agent. Or maybe I don’t know what a double agent is???
Also, Operation Sandstorm concerned me the first time I saw this episode. I thought I had missed an episode somewhere. I now realize I haven’t…I can’t believe they didn’t let us see Operation Sandstorm. It must have been a doozy.
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LOL The first time I saw this episode I also had the same thought about Operation Sandstorm!
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Oh wow, did you just post it? I didn’t realise. Must be getting a SMK 6th sense or something, not a bad thing to have 🙂
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Sorry, that was supposed to be a reply to you 😦
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Hi Anne! don’t apologise that’s cool 🙂 an SMK 6th sense? that sounds very enjoyable!
I was very happy to hear from a fellow fan so soon- so don’t apologise you made my night 🙂
It’s very late here in Australia! Must sign off.. byeee for now!
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Lol, night night then 🙂 (Sweet dreams of secret agents)
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That Dotty/Amanda scene is my favourite favourite favourite SMK scene that isn’t between Lee and Amanda. Especially Kate’s expressions, they have me rolling on the floor 😀
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Hi Anne! wow!! that was fast! 🙂 I agree with you 100%!! I had a lot of fun taking these photos! 🙂
I had forgotten about the charms of this fabulous scene.. all I could remember about this ep was The Belt! the Belt!! tee hee.. so when I started looking at this episode again – I was charmed all over again by this opening scene!! 🙂
SMK at it’s absolute best!
Thanks for sharing your enjoyment with me and other readers out there- Great to hear from you again! byeeee iwsod
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