They make their way to a park to talk with Yuri safely – the same park that was at the end of Dead Ringer! 
![2.10 PLAYING POSSUM.avi_000815815_thumb[1]](https://justwalkwithme.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/2-10-playing-possum-avi_000815815_thumb1.jpg "2.10 PLAYING POSSUM.avi_000815815_thumb[1]")
Well, it’s time to lay out the plot!
Yuri: perhaps I should start by saying in our country, there are extremists.
Lee: no kiddin [Lee!! you are not helping!!]
Yuri: as there are in yours. One of these extremists is field marshall Ilya Kreschenko.
[Is that a bullet hole over Yuri’s left shoulder there?? maybe it’s left over from the gun fight in Dead Ringer! Could this be a set and not a real playground? anyone know? It seems to come and go in this scene, but I’m not sure if that’s just the different camera angles.. ]
Lee: Kreschenko? Yeah, I’ve heard of him. [haaa!!! Yeah of course you have Lee!! 
] He’s been advocating a first strike against this country for years.
Amanda: a first strike?!!
Lee: yeah.
Yuri: He felt we were losing the technological race, that we could win a war now, but not in the years ahead. Unfortunately, as Chief comminform adviser he had access to all our technology.
Lee: ‘had’ access?
Yuri: Kreschenko is in your country now, with two of his aides, Vassily Barkhov and Anatoli Ulanovsky. That is the problem.
[The moment these names are mentioned.. we can see that Amanda’s mind is beginning to tick over here..though she stays silent.. ]
Lee: we have thousands of agents here. What makes these a particular problem?
Yuri: Barkhov is a computer and communications specialist. And Ulanovsky is a genius in advanced weaponry…
At this, Lee reacts.. uh oh.. we really do have a problem here!
Yuri continues: ..Field marshall Kreschenko has made himself an outlaw in his own country by coming here. He wouldn’t do so unless he had some kind of a plan. And what that plan is, is what we must find out.
Lee: ‘we’?!.. work together? .. a Ha!
Yuri: I find the thought as incredible as you do, but we have no choice.
Lee: Tell me something, how did you find me?
Yuri: through the lady.
Wow!! What a moment!!! Amanda reacts quickly and obviously at this revelation.
Lee, in front of an enemy doesn’t react as obviously..he doesn’t show anything on his face at all [a dead giveaway that he is reacting but doesn’t want to show it ] but he gives Amanda a slow thoughtful look – up and down!
….Let’s come back to this little revelation later!
Yuri continues: … she has been observed in your company on a number of occasions. I followed her through some dead ends until I found you.
At this, we cut to the wide shot.. to see Lee’s fingers are playing around in his pockets again – tee hee! I think it means he is thinking a million miles a minute..
Amanda asks to talk to Lee for a moment in private.. and he obliges.. they put a little distance between themselves and Yuri.. Love the smile Amanda gives Yuri as she steers Lee away a moment!
Lee: What?
Amanda: I think I remember transcribing some wiretaps of conversations between Barkhov and Ulanovsky.
[What are the odds? Ahh smk! I love it! tee heee..]
Lee: are you sure?
Amanda nods: I think so.
Lee’s mind is ticking over.. I bet his hand in his pocket is busy fidgeting away.. Watch his hands in this next little exchange.. very swoony!!
Lee looks down at Amanda’s hands and responds..
Lee: alright…
Lee brings up his hands as if to grab Amanda’s hands, then he seems to stop himself from reaching for her hands..
For a second it looks like he is going to reach for them.. I think he naturally wants to but forces himself not to! 
Keep watching his hands here!!
…I’m gonna operate on the assumption…
…that he’s telling us the truth-
[here, the tip of Lee’s fingers touches Amanda’s hand.. he just can’t help it- he has to make contact with Amanda to reassure her.. or is that to reassure himself?? he leaves his fingertips there as they continue.. ] … until I see otherwise.
Amanda: right.
Lee: Now, I wanna protect your cover so follow my lead.
Amanda: Okay, I will. [ Amanda, you lucky thing you!!]
Lee and Amanda head back over to rejoin Yuri.
Lee: Uh, Valov, Amanda here has some information that just might be important. Go on sweetheart tell him.
Amanda: right…
… um well, I think I remember transcribing some wiretaps of conversations between your Barkhov and Ulanovsky.
Yuri: You transcribed wiretaps?
Lee: Uh we..
…Yeah..
Sometimes she pitches in..
Amanda at the same time: yeah I pitch in…
[Are these two too cute or what???!!! lots of arm waving going on haaaa! Though, way to go Lee make the agency sound like it is incompetent! ]
Lee: … when I’m in the field
Amanda at the same time: … when he’s busy in the field.
Yuri: these men have been under surveillance. You would have some invaluable information in your computer.
Lee: wouldn’t you just love a crack at it.
Yuri: we are not opponents on this Lee… You must trust me.
Lee looks at Amanda,
Amanda shrugs as if to say why not. Lee seems to look to Amanda for reassurance and support here! I love that!
Lee looks at Yuri again…Lee: okay. All right, back to the bowling alley then.
They head off back to their cars, Lee putting his arm around Amanda saying: come on, honey.
Soo.. we have Lee and Amanda as a couple – sweet! And so far we have a ‘sweetheart’ and a ‘honey’ I think they look like they are a couple even when they aren’t playing a cover! Lee walks away putting his arm around Amanda? well.. it’s not really any different to what he normally does
The fact that Yuri found Lee through Amanda in this episode is pretty major don’t you think? It means that Lee now knows the intelligence community has linked himself and Amanda – and if anyone wants to find him : good guy or bad guy – they can go to Amanda.. Nothing more is made of this in the episode (I think!).. but I think it should have been an issue.. it puts Amanda in danger- and it is some foreshadowing of what happens in Odds on a Dead Pigeon! I guess with the whole world about to go to world war III Lee kind of put this issue out of his mind
I think this is an interesting phase in their relationship: Professional and personal. Because Amanda is not yet an agent. She isn’t a trained agent, and she isn’t able to protect herself.. She doesn’t have a code name.. and she’s pretty easy to find!
While I love Lee and Amanda doing the whole couple cover – I’m not following the logic of it! How does it protect Amanda’s cover?? She’s not an agent.. she’s a civilian who helps out – though by now Lee has accepted Amanda as his partner – the agency probably doesn’t officially recognise her as such. So she is a civilian who helps out at the agency..[after all she admits to transcribing the wire taps] basically what Lee and Amanda say she is when fumbling ( very cutely) for a story – the only difference is Lee is her boyfriend: and so can be a little more protective of her than he would be if it were just someone who helps out at the agency, not his girlfriend, or not his partner.. you know? Ha! Come on Lee admit it, it is just soooo easy to have Amanda be your girl! hehehehe.. he’ll pretend any chance he gets
Reading a little of the script, I was surprised to see originally the character of Yuri was to be a young handsome man of 30 odd years – a man who would be a peer to Lee.. A bit like Volkenauer was I think it would have changed the vibe had Yuri been younger..and it helps the cover to make a bit more sense but.. we’ll see what’s ahead! I don’t remember the details!
It’s funny when you stop and think about last week (A Class Act) and then this week – both weeks have Russians in contact with Lee and Amanda.. last week- they were an assassination squad just looking to kill an agent, the ringer (ok for some weird reason they thought the ringer was a ‘top agent’ I won’t rehash that!) but.. they seemed to have no idea who Lee was when he was the ringer – they didn’t recognise him! (nor Amanda)
Then this week, Yuri seeks out Lee – via Amanda!! Sooo not only did Yuri know Lee, Yuri knows Amanda, and he knew that Lee knew Amanda well!! It seems that the departments in Russian intelligence really don’t talk to each other very much haaaaaa! [and why does Lee even have a codename when everyone, even Russian agents like Yuri, seem to know him now as ‘ Lee Stetson’ ???!!! weird!! I guess ‘Lee and Mrs King’ just doesn’t have the same ring huh! ]
Well, I shall finish up there for now.. This sequence has some really cute, sweet looks between Amanda and Lee here as they fumble together to explain their relationship Love it!! I also like that they didn’t go for the obvious with Yuri saying: we thought Amanda was your girlfriend. They kept it more subtle – making room for that little diddy in the future ( in Odds on a dead pigeon I think.. ) Oh and I loved how Lee reached out to Amanda, stopped himself, but ended up juuuuust touching her anyway! swoony!! 
Okay well, byeee for now! Merry Christmas Everyone!!
Would love to hear from you – when you have the time!! No pressure!! It will be a day or two before I continue on with this episode.. and I’m always open to hearing your thoughts or feedback byeeeeee!!!
"Just walk with me.." 
Hmm, maybe when dealing with the KGB it’s good if they go back saying “That American Agency is so incompetent — their agents get their girlfriends to type their intelligence reports!” They’ll let down their guard! Very clever ploy, Lee! LOL
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OMG, Lee and his hands (which are gorgeous!)! The fact that he wants to hold her hands but restrains himself and ends up having to touch Amanda anyway is so very telling. How did I not notice this before?!?! (I’m on a binge watch of SMK goodness again😁…) Your screenshots are swoon worthy Iwsod!
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What….no helicopter coming to swoop down and save them?!
I am another who doesn’t see the point of the cover, not that I mind Lee calling her sweetheart etc but it all seems a tad pointless. Especially when they both start with the hand waving etc, dead giveaway they’re lying.
Like how Lee wants to touch Amanda to reassure her but has toned it down to just fingertips. Is that because he’s conscious Yuri is watching behind.
I am glad they used an older man for Yuri. I think Lee wouldn’t have responded as well to a male he would see as competition to Amanda (even if he wouldn’t admit it). There would have been too much of a p!ssing contest as we say over here 😉 Lee trying to outdo Yuri. Be alpha male that sort of thing.
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Hello everybody. I’ve been really busy working 80 hour weeks. I’ve been reading the posts, but I haven’t had the time to read all of the comments or the comment myself. 😦
This episode seems to be a breakthrough episode for me. Is this the first time Amanda and Lee are thought by outsiders to be a couple, without actually playing a cover? I mean, Yuri knew that following Amanda would get him to Lee. They weren’t playing a cover. They were just being themselves and Yuri thought they were a couple. That’s pretty significant to me.
And the fact that neither one of them denied it. That’s an even bigger breakthrough. 🙂
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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Hi Melissa – lovely to hear from you! 80 hour weeks?! you poor thing!!! I hope a bit of smk has been able to relax and help you cope with the extra workload! We’ll be here still when things calm down – so feel free to share your thoughts when you are able 🙂
I agree Melissa, this episode is special.. It’s the first one in the airing order, where we see them being friends, Lee being respectful.. and Amanda not being dim! 🙂
In the legend of Das Geisterschloss Dr Evil (was his actual character name Dr Hannover? can’t remember sorry) – he thought they were a couple, when they were just being themselves – but since he was a baddie, well it could be argued that he didn’t really think that – he was just rattling their cage 😉
With Yuri, I don’t think he straight out said they were a couple. What he says is that they were seen together alot – I felt they didn’t go that far here.. ( whereas they do in Odds on a dead pigeon which is coming up..) I think it is the first time that how much time they spend together has come to an enemy agent’s notice – I think this in itself is hugely significant – without the ‘they are a couple’ aspect – I liked that they held off on someone drawing that conclusion.. and didn’t just jump straight there.. you could say it is implied – but not directly stated by Yuri. but feel free to disagree with me 🙂
Later, when Barhov reports to Kreschenko about what Yuri has been up to – he does refer to the american agent and ‘his lady’ – why? I’m not sure..an assumption? I don’t think he knows who Lee is – only that he is an american agent.
Is Barkhov is the first person to jump to that conclusion?? has anyone else?? Thinking.. thinking..
Would you count Penny in Always look a gift horse?? or… wait!! maybe Conrad in To catch a mongoose?! Telling Amanda to loose the boyfriend with the perfect hair! 🙂 tee hee..
I think Yuri’s conclusion is significant, as he had researched Lee, and over a period of time noticed they were together alot – this to me is different to someone seeing them together and assuming they are a couple.. but hey – an fascinating idea to ponder.. any other instances?
It is wonderful to watch them be so openly nice and friendly to one another – in front of others!!! Isn’t it!!! 🙂
byeeee Happy new year to you too Melissa!
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I liked Yuri being older because his maturity played nicely against Lee’s fiestiness. Sort of like Emily’s influence on Lee, it compelled Lee to put aside his adversarial attitude. I love the theme of Yuri and Lee being on the same side for this one, a theme that is revisited in Three Little Spies (a sleeper that has really grown on me .. can’t wait time we get to that one!).
I figured the cover was protection for Amanda because, as long as Yuri/Russia considered her civilian, they would not look at her as a threat or do her any harm. There seems to be a code of honor among spies, one that the baddies in this episode have breached.
Lee continues to look amazing in this episode. For no particular reason, I love the little patch of grey in his hair … seems to stand out more in this ep than some of the others. I guess the idea of an older, wiser Lee appeals to me.
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I love this scene! Especially when Lee stops himself from reaching for Amanda. Swoon! He needs that physical connection. I don’t understand the point of the relationship cover either, but it sure is cute: “Sweetheart” and “Honey”.
Merry Christmas to all my SMK friends! We are having a white Christmas here in Colorado!!!
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Such an enjoyable episode, but I don’t understand the need for a boyfriend/girlfriend cover. I could see if they came up with the cover before she had remembered/mentioned she transcribed the tapes, but after — just doesn’t make sense to me (not that I am complaining, I think it’s a wonderful look how Lee’s subconscious is working.) Now, if Yuri was younger like in the original script, I could see Lee coming up with the ‘sweetheart’ cover – (nothing to do with jealousy at all, absolutely nothing tongue firmly in cheek) as a way to stake his claim oops, I mean protect Amanda from the KGB.
Although, wouldn’t Amanda be considered greater leverage to use against Scarecrow if she were his girlfriend rather than a casual civilian who transcribes tapes?
And Merry Christmas to you Iwsod, and all my fellow SMK peeps!
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hiya!
Julia – your description of Lee is perfect! Indeed- BB did a fabulous job!
Melissa thanks for reminding us.. I had forgotten about the schlurper! 🙂
Cindy – I absolutely agree with you!!.. the cover doesn’t make sense! and.. I’m not complaining! 😉 and.. a younger Yuri bringing out J- errrr ‘protective’ Lee? you bet! 😉 I agree.. Amanda being Lee’s girlfriend? Huh? he just told a russian agent that?? she was already in greater danger being seen with Lee alot.. now? even more! [Or is someone’s partner in even more??] I don’t think there is any reference to this in the rest of the ep…it’s strange.. but then I love a bit of foreshadowing 😉 but maybe it is referred to again this ep and I don’t remember.
Isn’t it wonderful to be 100% enjoying an episode again? Lee is lovely.. but still Lee, and Amanda is not dim! 🙂 Bromfield Hall and A class Act were not as enjoyable for me..
well must be off..byeeee and yes Merry Christmas everyone!!
[It’s christmas morning in Australia now 🙂 ]
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OOooh, wow, big moment there you pointed out with Amanda and Lee reacting to the fact that Yuri found Lee through Amanda! I thought BB did an amazing job portraying Lee *not* reacting although you could tell his mind was whirling. 😀 Amanda is so cute and spontaneous so you see her react more visibly…
You’re very right- this is an important moment in their relationship! “Where do we go from here?” and all that. 😀 I find it interesting that Amanda was transcribing wire taps! I thought she usually just helped Lee on his cases… but then again I guess she does mindless office work too.
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At the end of season 1 she was transcribing…I think it was mentioned in ‘Weekend’ and ‘Waiting for Godorsky’ that’s how she heard the slurpor.
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Oh, ok! 🙂 Right. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Season One, too! 😀
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I’d forgotten too 🙂 It’s great we can chat about all this together and help each other huh! I don’t know anyone who could remind me of smk informaton!! you guys rock! Merry christmas!!
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Merry Christmas too!!
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