Billy leaves Larner’s office to meet with Lee and Francine in his own office. Looks like they’ve come from straight from the botched defection..
Lee: You want me to do what???!!!
Billy: I want you to search Amanda King’s home [Hmm.. not calling her ‘Amanda’ anymore… Billy’s trying to distance himself a little. Even if he can’t discount Amanda as being the leak, this still can’t be easy for Billy. ]… Fine comb it from cellar to attic.
Lee: Are you serious?
Billy: Dead serious, Scarecrow.
[Hey, check it out Billy has a portable shaver on his desk! 
Or is that MS’s? it occurs to me that the reading glasses we saw earlier could be Mel’s.]
Lee: come on Billy!! I’m an intelligence agent not a cat burglar!
That hasn’t stopped Lee in the past .. but this is Amanda… this is different! It feels dirty and wrong.. and isn’t justified by the fact you are lying and sneaking and working for the government!
Billy: Mitch Larner thinks Amanda King has a communications unit set up in her home.
Lee: ah haaa That’s ridiculous.
[Both Lee and Francine have a little giggle over this one..Billy just looks confused! yeah- it is ridiculous! but.. more ridiculous things have come to pass!]
Billy: They picked up a coded transmission in Arlington Virginia within a four block radius-
Lee: -from Amanda’s neighbourhood?
Billy: You got it. Now, the first time that house is empty I want you to get in and check it out. 
Poor Lee!! What a low point..
Lee takes his cabbie hat and leaves..mumbling: Of all the… (I imagine the next word was going to be ‘lousy’..)
Francine has pretty much stayed out of it..
Billy: I knew he was gonna love that.
Yep… I guess Larner told you to do it Billy.. you can’t discount Amanda as a double agent.. so sending Lee in is probably the least damaging way to go- Thank you Billy for not sending in Francine!!!! 
Looks like the baddies were able to very effectively use the information of what Amanda bought in the hobby shop very much to their advantage!!.. they asked the shop keeper..who told them Amanda had bought supplies to make a radio, then they went off and sent a coded message from her neighbourhood.
You know what? Amanda has to be guilty- or it’s a set up.. The third option that this is all a big coincidence just doesn’t make sense – not even in smk land!
This is what got me thinking about the Czech embassy – Amanda’s being in there so long was just so juicy.. I wondered if the baddies’ had taken advantage of Amanda going there for Phillip’s homework by calling the ‘little man’ and asking him to keep Amanda there longer! [No I didn’t think Mrs Ewett and Phillip were in on the conspiracy! ]
These baddies are smart – which is a nice change! I’ve always wondered how the deception could have been so elaborate.. this is the first time I’ve stopped and thought about all this! It’s just a theory.. I prefer to think here that the baddies are smart, rather than the usual Amanda is just really, really darn unlucky!
So, the next morning we are back at Amanda’s.
Love this conversation between Dotty and Amanda!!!! They really do a fantastic job together!!!! Is there anyone who doesn’t find this funny???!!!!
Why should Phillip get extra credit if they have an authentic czechoslovakian dinner- That his mother and grandmother have to put all the work into and he just gets to eat it? purlease.. Dotty: did he tell you what an authentic Czechoslovakian dinner consists of?
Amanda: no he did not.
Dotty: well.. let me read it to you! For starters we have a choice of talankacrea ….
[obviously I am not spelling these correctly…. only the way Dotty pronounces them!] ….or lebtooyskosyr….
…. Then! As a main course, there’s capra no cerno….
…. Or! If you prefer.. posena poso sayzilo Oh!!
Amanda: what’s for dessert?
Dotty: Skobunkey!!
Amanda: Skobunkey?
Dotty: Skobunkey!!! [ LOL! like come on you know- skobunkey!!! 
]
Amanda deadpan: very good if properly prepared!
Dotty: Amanda how can I properly prepare it when I can’t even pronounce it led alone identify it!….
….Amanda! I am not going to cook nor will I eat- anything that I cannot identify!
Amanda: Mother where is your sense of adventure?
Dotty: I have no sense of adventure.
Together: When it comes to my/your stomach!
Amanda isn’t buy it.. she knows Dotty will do it
Amanda: want to go to the market?
Dotty: Ohhh!! I just can’t wait!….
…. I don’t believe this!!
Amanda laughs at her mother and they head off to the markets.. [Dotty’s final words nicely echo Lee’s sentiments at the end of the last scene!]
Amanda laughs at her mother.. it’s very sweet! A nice relief after all the serious intrigue!!
Petra from the smk fansite www.smk-land.com has collected together the recipes for this Typical Czechoslovakian Dinner! If interested.. head over to her website here is the link:
http://www.smk-land.com/html/czechdinner.php
[edited to add direct link– thanks for pointing out this content is directly accessible Cindy! and Thanks for the link Pattybones!!]
Petra has done a little detective work and come up with five recipes! Well Done Petra!! Let us know if you give any of them a go!!
Oh my! We find Amanda’s car pulling into the market and Amanda speaking at a mile a minute! This dialogue is so fast it’s hard to catch it all- but soooo worth it!! Amanda driving into the market car park says: well yes and I mean he is an attorney and he practices in DC
Dotty: that’s what I’ve heard.
Amanda continues on rambling while parking the car, and getting out: and I mean you know, you never can tell I mean something can always happen or not I mean you know me.. and I guess sometimes I care and sometimes I don’t and sometimes it’s you know one way or another and that’s all.
Dotty: Oh argh! Dotty struggles to get out of the car – This seems very restrained of Dotty – in the past she would have been gushing over Bryce and what a good catch he is- and chastening Amanda for sometimes caring and sometimes not – this is good.. Dotty seems to be accepting here of Amanda’s ambivalence and not forcing the issue
Hmm very interesting!!! What Amanda says about Bryce… It’s so rare she says anything about the men in her life! … could what she said here be how she thinks about Lee too? – you never can tell.. something may happen.. something may not.. hmmmm.. very very interesting! I think with each passing episode from now, the ‘something may happen’ thought is getting louder and louder!
Car windows down, and car unlocked.. they start heading into the market.
Dotty: we seem to spend most of our time at the market I mean I’m glad the kids have appetites, you never had one when you were a child-
Amanda: weellll their boys- motherrrrrr did you bring any money?
Dotty: No I didn’t bring my bag, I only brought this crazy shopping list.
Amanda left her cheque book at home.. she suggests Dotty shop slowly.. and she’ll quickly head home to get it and come back.. and off Amanda goes.
You know what I love about this scene? From the moment we see the car pulling in, and hear Amanda’s ramble – to the moment Amanda leaves Dotty to shop slowly: It is all done in one continuous take! wow!!! KJ and BG were on fire!!! Fabulous job!!!!
Sooo Lee enters Amanda’s house and starts snooping.. and sees the wires on the kitchen bench, Interesting- in the last scene where 
Amanda and Dotty were talking?? Amanda was reading the paper there.. coupon cutting I think – and now, there is Jamie’s school project there instead- when we saw Dotty and Amanda leave for the market with it looking nothing like that!
Anyway, Amanda comes home to pick up her cheque book- inadvertently interrupting Lee’s cat burglar impersonation- so Lee hides and peeks around the corner at her.. Mmmmm Meeeeeoooooowwww!!
And I have to leave it there!! Back with more as soon as I am able.. byee and thanks so much for joining me on our walk!!!
"Just walk with me.." 
Hi IWSOD and everybody!
I just came by to visit this particular topic, because IWSOD told me over at the smk yuku forum that the czech recipes were being discussed here.
I don’t like the recipes much either, although the PECENA HUSA SE ZELIM
(Roast Goose With Sauerkraut) could be eatable. Maybe I’ll try that some day. And I definetely will try to make SKUBANKY soon, because it sounds interesting enough to give it a go. LOL I’ll take pictures and upload them to my fanpage. 🙂
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Hi Everyone! I am loving reading your comments!!!! I am snowed under at the moment.. but will try and get post out asap!
Loved to hear your thoughts on the episode order too – I am still not yet decided in exactly which order I’ll go with – very open to ideas!
Paula, Morley and Allofakind – wonderful to hear from you again! Missed hearing from you!!
Hi Petra -great to hear from you!!! LOL yes let us know if you make the Roast goose with sauerkraut!!! 🙂
Hi Cindy, Melissa R, Jenbo and Bjo!!!
Raffie you won’t fall behind – I’m so busy at the moment my posts will not be coming as often – so time to chill out.. revisit some old episodes.. take a breather in between posts at the moment!
Don’t forget- feel free to discuss amongst yourselves while I’m MIA! ugh.. real life is getting in the way of my SMK time 😦 I miss it!!!
Byeee everyone and hope you are all well!!
Back with another post as soon as I can!
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I always enjoy an Amanda and Dotty scene 🙂 Dotty usually cracks me up!!! Yeah, Philip sure is lucky to have those two to do his work for him. LOL
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I’m glad you pointed out the interplay between Dotty and Amanda. This is something I notice in nearly every scene they have with each other. Every conversation, every bit of banter, is so completely natural. I’ve always thought that it really looks more like they just had an outline of a script and improvised it all. I know that’s not the case, but it’s just how natural it looks. It’s as if the camera just snuck in and caught them having a perfectly normal conversation off camera.
In this one particularly, I love how close they are physically. They really do come across as a mother and daughter who like each other and care for one another a great deal.
Good catch on the car windows and locks. Never caught that before.
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I love Dotty in this episode! I actually love Dotty in pretty much all the episodes. BG was such a wonderful actress. I especially love the exchange she and Amanda have right before going to the store to get the ingredients for their Czech meal. I wonder how many takes it took BG and KJ to get this done….KJ is clearly trying very hard to hold it together during this whole exchange. I chuckle out loud every time I watch this scene!
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Hiya! I just edited this post – to fix up some of my shockingly bad typos (you can tell I am busy- I’m not checking it properly! ugh!) and to update with Cindy and Pattybones’ help on the czech dinner.. thanks guys!
yeah patty bones, BB isn’t the only one giving a nuanced performance here – Mel is doing a fabulous job too.. very conflicted!
That’s true Pattybones- Amanda has no idea yet what seriousness is lurking underneath everything she does at the moment – it’s quite ominous! Or it would be.. if Lee weren’t there to fight for her 🙂
Better script writing in season 2? I don’t know.. we’ll see I guess.. though there have been a couple of re-writes/edits that haven’t been done correctly and have confused the plot (A class act and the confusing ‘top agent’ thing comes to mind..) – but maybe the latter season 2 eps will be smarter baddies- I look forward to finding out 🙂 glad you liked the little goof!
Hi BJo! Dotty Rocks!!! She brings great lightness and energy to the tone of the show 🙂 Yeah!! I bet they burst out laughing a few times that day!
No comments on Amanda’s ramble about men? I’m surprised!! 🙂 and.. no comments about Dotty’s easy response to Amanda- not pushing?? I was thinking this is a new thing for Dotty- she’s soooo restrained!! 🙂
bye!
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I just love the scene where Billy gives Lee the assignment to search Amanda’s house. He is so cute when he looks at Billy with the look of “do I have to?” Also, the look he gave when he found out about the parts for a radio and a transmission from Amanda’s neighborhood are just downright funny. Lee really does not believe that his Amanda can be an enemy “spy”, especially after all she has done for him and the Agency and that she is being accused just based on a purchase and some sort of transmission that came from her neighborhood.
I also like how we see this plot from both sides on this episode with Amanda being none the wiser until later on. It is poor Lee that has to deal with this and not letting Amanda know. In the past, he was able to at least talk to her about the case and the fact that he cannot has to be tearing him apart.
in reference to the smarter bad guys. I have noticed smart enemy spies are becoming more commonplace in season 2 than they were in season 1. Maybe better script writing?
Good catch on the parts not being on the counter in the previous scene. I usually do to see these small goofs even though I watch these episodes multiple times. I am going to day that Amanda cleaned up her coupons and then unpacked the parts on the table so that it reminded her to work on it first thing when she got back from the market!
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Oh and here is the link to the recipes on Petra’s site:
http://www.smk-land.com/html/czechdinner.php
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Thank you Pattybones! 🙂 you making any?! 😉
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Maybe the dessert!
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O.K – I checked out the recipes on Petra’s site (you don’t have to log in to see them) and ICK! We have a ritual here, once a month my dear sweet mum brings over some beer from a different country and I cook dishes from that region. I think I will pass on these.– but kudos to Petra for the research she did. (I may try the cheese one, but the rest — Nope!)
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Oh Cindy thanks for letting us know you don’t need to sign in to see Petra’s recipes. I always log in before I enter her site so I assumed that was the case for all her content.. oopsie.. well! Hey! It’s easy and worth signing up for anyway! [I know the scripts/transcripts are limited and I really need them.. they are such a huge help!]
The black carp sounds awwwwful!! I’ve eaten yummy czech food before.. nothing like those recipes! but the skobunky or however you write it sounds the least errrr ‘adventurous’ – I have to agree with Dotty on these – when it comes to my stomach I have no sense of adventure!!! 🙂
That sounds like a cool tradition Cindy! 🙂 Let me know if you make the cheese one 🙂
LOL Raffie – I think the word ‘blood’ in the name of a dessert is a big red flag! 🙂
Oh yeah.. It is cute to think of the little man lapping up Amanda’s interest.. I somehow picture him having a comb over too! 😉 tee heee..
Debilyn KJ and BG are perfect aren’t they! Yeah.. I agree with your insights on Billy and Francine here.. it’s going to be interesting to see them improve in this department – I think Amanda affects everyone for the better 🙂
Ohhh that quote.. was it Fearless Dotty?? while Amanda and Lee are stuck in traffic?
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I so enjoy the interplay between Amanda and Dotty here. Such a cute scene.
I do think Billy is not happy with things here, but I believe he and Francine have long been jaded by the agency, while Lee is seeing it through fresh eyes (Amanda’s) and learning that “people sometimes get left out at the agency.” (Can’t remember which epi that quote is from at the moment.)
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Good job, Iwsod — I was glad to see you’d posted the link to Petra’s recipes (or the site, that is). I haven’t looked at them recently, but as I recall on my first reading some time back, I found them … um … very creative and interesting, full of meat items I would not normally find in my grocery store aisle! With no offense to those of Czech or Slovakian descent, they are nothing I will be preparing in my kitchen anytime soon, although I thought Petra’s research was awesome. I am grateful to recall that the Eastern European dessert I had to prepare with my 6th grader’s school “banquet” many years ago was not quite so creative. (Most desserts are safer, although I am not duped by “blood pudding” which definitely is NOT in any way remotely similar to the American concept of pudding!! I love our international forums 🙂 )
Interesting point about these being smart baddies. Yeah, they could have gotten the Czech guy to stall Amanda and prolong the visit. It does seem that they are very proactively laying the trap and exploiting all that they can, doesn’t it? However, I do like the image of the lonely guy stringing paper clip chains together. With his loneliness and Amanda’s friendliness and rambling tendencies, I can easily see the conversation going on and on and on!
Funny catch with the portable shaver (i.e. electric razor)! I love it. That has no reasonable explanation to be on the desk except that it was late in the day and Mel (or Bruce?) needed to do a quick spiffying up before the cameras rolled! I do occasionally notice morning scenes with a scruffy look to them and figure that must have actually been a pretty long day on the set. (Hmm, although give that this scene was right after the botched second defection attempt, some extra stubble would have been very appropriate for the scene. Still, I’m betting you’re right about it being MS’s!)
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