3/7 Season Two, Episode 3: Double Agent-Scarecrow and Mrs King

Lee and Amanda arrive at Captain Harriman’s hotel in a very interesting porsche -I’ll deal with that later! – Lee parks out the front of Harriman’s hotel Lee gives Amanda a little pep talk to get to the point with Harriman.. (keep your blackbelt(!) in confusing nicely tucked away Amanda!)
Lee: Alright, now, Amanda–
Amanda: Yeah?
Lee: Look, Harriman is a bottom-line type of guy, alright? So when you get inside, go straight to the point. Don’t get off on tangents.
Amanda: No, I won’t. I’ll just tell him what the problem is. Because if you state your problem – you define it – then you can solve it.
Lee: Just get inside, state your case, and get right out.  [this dialogue is so weird! more on that at the end of this scene!]
Amanda: Right…  Lee I was thinking..
Lee: now what
Amanda: well you’re probably in that book too aren’t you. [the sound for this line is different!] Lee: yeah I suppose.
Amanda: If you are then they would probably have to give you a new identity and.. relocate you too wouldn’t they.
Lee: yeah probably, so?
Amanda: Well, we.. wouldn’t get to see each other again I guess.

Lee: Yeah, ha.. I guess not.. why?

Amanda: just thinking..

[Amanda gives Lee a quick up down look here.. smile firmly in place… ] Lee silently nods.. It is interesting to see Lee isn’t calling attention to the ramifications for himself here, and he is trying to fix the problem.. It is Amanda who brings up, (in spite of all her own dramas) that he himself is in a difficult situation.. they’re both actually thinking of the other – which is really lovely.. and then..
Oh boy.. Amanda’s licking her lips!!! she’s totally thinking of a goodbye kiss!!! and the sexual tension is sizzling away here!  Lee and Amanda sit silently for a moment.. not sure what to say next..

I use to think Lee was blocking the thought of missing Amanda – but I’ve changed my mind… I think he hasn’t thought of it! And while it would be great to see Lee worry about not seeing Amanda again- it’s too soon for this between them! I think at this stage, Lee has no idea how much he would miss Amanda, so it doesn’t occur to him to worry about it. Neither of them know what to do with it.. Amanda perpetually has a big smile on her face, even though her words are saying something else, and Lee seems bewildered.. and quiet.. a heavy silence between them.. Amanda lets out a huge sigh… oh my.. I never noticed so much sexual tension here before.. watch this scene in slow motion if you don’t believe me.. Lee turns to look at Amanda and she is licking her lips again. Lee glances down at her lips for a moment- hooo haaaaa!! Amanda looks ahead unaware of his gaze…[remind anyone of the car scene in filming Raul? only.. more subtle! ]
Suddenly! Lee snaps to and announces ‘ Well! I errr..’ and he starts to exit the car.. Amanda doesn’t finish her sentence either ‘ Probably get it err…’ and she exits the car also.. neither can form a coherent sentence! Me love!!!! [notice, neither can I! ] I think with my old blurry copy of this episode I couldn’t tell the temperature was rising!!

I think they redid this scene.. The lighting here is all wrong!!! Why are trees behind Amanda and it’s sunny! when they are parked at the entrance to Harriman’s hotel.. and it is dark??

What Amanda says.. and how Lee repeats it just doesn’t sound right! and then when Amanda says you’re probably in that book too – we can’t see her face at all –  I suspect, being such a pivotal moment, they redid it in some way to up the sexual tension, the gravitas.. you know? I am glad they did because, now having seen this moment in slow motion – I can see there’s lots of smk goodness here for us to enjoy! whoo hoo! so.. why complain about poor continuity and weird lighting right? what am I nuts?!

So on we go to talk some sense into Captain Harriman! Amanda and Lee arrive at Harriman’s door.. and.. uh oh! It’s open.. remember last time that happened Amanda?! Harriman is in room 1674- is that a significant date at all?
SCREEEAAAAMMM!!! Nice touch with Trixie Berlinger running out into the hallway in the towel ( can you imagine this girl’s casting history? girl in hallway in towel, yelled “oh my god there’s a man in my room and he’s got a gun!” ) I love how she jumps out into the hallway like she is expecting to see good guy Lee there waiting for her to ask for his help 😉 I guess Trixie can smell a good man a mile away!

Lee chases after the fleeing baddie.. I think it was smkukfan back in 2007 on yuku who first pointed out Lee runs past down from the stairs of the 15th floor twice.. LOL! I never noticed that! Although, I did notice he is on the 16th floor.. enters the stairwell and it is suddenly the 15th floor -eek!! (I try to give credit where credit is due..but sometimes it gets murky who saw what first! but I distinctly remember being completely unaware of the magical stairwell!)

Meanwhile, Amanda knocks on Deadman’s err I mean Harriman’s door ( LOL! ) politely!, even though they just saw a baddie with a ski mask running away! I think Amanda is so focused on convincing Harriman that she doesn’t think this one through haaaa! She enters and begins by apologising for barging in.. he is very absorbed in his cowboys and Indians..

We cut back to the baddie in a time warp.. again we see him running down the stairs from the 15th to the 14th floor – LOL! they used the same footage of the baddie twice! The footage of the baddie going down the next flight is the same also-I can tell because the second flight- the baddie is carrying a different colour parcel ( no blue). Am I boring you? sorry these small things amuse me!  Then, we see Lee coming along behind him, again moving between the 15th and 14th floors- only this time he gets shot at.. so they didn’t use the same footage – LOL!

We cut back to Amanda still talking to the back of Captain Deadman’s head..(not the Deadman’s chest?!) Poor Amanda! That’s quite an epic battle going on there between the cowboys and indians! Amanda tells Harriman she has two little boys. I am probably alone in this, but it bugs me that she always brings them up as reasons for people not to harm her in some way – when she knows the risks of being in this job! It’s like it’s her get out of jail free card – well I’m a mother of two little boys! You can’t hurt me?! hmm!

Well.. to cut a long story short-ish.. stunt Lee does the hurdles over a wrecked breakfast trolley, a stunt old lady with a really bad wig gets knocked to the ground and the baddie gets away. We see the baddie enter the magic stairwell to vanish.. good heavens.. they’ve reused that shot of him entering the stairwell from earlier too! Rofl! I love that when Lee loses the baddie his first thought is Amanda! [Just look at that curl in his hair!! Lee! get a short lovely haircut again!! I miss it already! It grows so fast ] we hear him whisper ‘Amanda!’ and he heads fast back to Harriman’s room and hesitates at the door, worried at what he might find.. only.. he finds Amanda is safe, and off on a tangent!

– yes Lee she has been talking to the back of his head the whole time(you went into a time warp in that stairwell she’s been begging Harriman for hours!!!] Amanda was filling Harriman in on how she is a fan of his novels when Lee arrives at the door! I love how the moment she sees Lee she cuts to the chase like Lee told her to in the car tee hee.. ‘Well err enough of that, let me just get right to the bottom line.’ lol!

Amanda to Lee: He’s not listening to me.
Lee (quietly): wha?

Amanda: he’s not listening to a word I say.

(Amanda thinks Harriman is being an extra tough negotiator! )I love that Lee is quiet here, and doesn’t have  a go at Amanda.. I think he was worried about her being alone and baddies running around, and he is relieved to find her still talking. I love that he doesn’t make her feel dumb for not realising Harriman’s dead.
Lee checks for a pulse.. and Harriman’s head flops.. Amanda knows what that means!
Lee: he can’t hear you because he’s dead.
Amanda (quietly): Oh my gosh.

Back to the agency.. for not much.. a quick gag at Francine’s outfit.. (What was she thinking?that skirt is more tragic than selling state secrets! Can we get an injunction on it?!) it definitely deserves a fashion police citation!   Lee tries to tell Amanda she can’t come with him where he is going next.. and Billy once again steps in to ensure Amanda is along for the ride
Billy: Don’t be so hard on her, Scarecrow. She has a stake in this, too. – wow.. what’s happened to Billy? so far this week, he’s acting like he is Lee’s boss or something! whoa!!!
We are soon to see just why Lee didn’t want Amanda tagging along!

Lee: Look, where I’m going it’s dirty work. You won’t like it. Believe me.

And cut! Next thing we see….. well.. I shall leave that till next time.. not that you don’t all know the mud slinging that’s coming ( and I’m not talking about Francine insulting Amanda here! )  

That’s all for now! Hope you have enjoyed this part of the episode.. I must say I am surprised at how much was going on between Lee and Amanda in the car – I always thought it was very underplayed.. I think I remembered wrong! There’s lots going on but it is subtle.. and I love that they played it this way – it makes Murder Between Friends that much more poignant when again, they face being separated, and we can see how much they have grown ( especially Lee!) such Happy thoughts!

Thanks for reading – and please share any comments, feedback, questions, gripes with us… any particular moments that tickled your funny bone? I don’t know why but I loved Amanda politely knocking on Harriman’s door! Byeee for now and back with more soon!