As mentioned in the previous post, I’d like to explore a little the script version of the Lee/Amanda dream. I’m wondering if the script version is more about what’s going on in Amanda’s unconscious, rather than the version we got- which was much more about having fun with Casablanca! 
I find the script version of this scene really interesting! I think the episode went more for humour than for insight – ‘you should have asked your mother?’ too funny!!! 
and I’m happy we got that.. but.. maybe the script version gives us a few additional little insights..
So do we take them on board? or do we think – well it was cut so it doesn’t tell us anything? what do you think? For me, my view on this changes – it all depends.. I’ll transcribe the script version and we can explore it together. I’d say the script gives us an insight into what the character could have revealed here, but they chose not to go there and instead they kept it light and fun! [and that doesn’t mean it’s not there]
The script version goes as follows:
SCRIPT ONLY!!!
Lee and Amanda are sitting at the table..Lee holds up a champagne flute as a toast..
Lee: To us.
Amanda: Thank you.
Lee: Did I ever tell you what beautiful eyes you have? (as she blushes) …Really. They’re very expressive.
Amanda: If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were making a pass.
Lee: What if I am? You’re a young, beautiful woman. Have you any idea how difficult it’s been to keep our relationship at a professional level?
Amanda: It’s getting late.
She starts to rise and Lee moves quickly next to her.
Lee: Please don’t go yet. Amanda, I need you. I want you to come away with me.
Amanda: Oh, I couldn’t. What would Jamie and Phillip do?
Lee: We’ll send for them. Please.
[Here’s another kissing pic.. just because I can 
]
He pulls her hand to his mouth, kisses it, then suddenly sweeps her up in his arms, Rhett Butler style, and carries her to the couch. He puts her gently down, then stands back, Amanda reaches up to him.. then.. dissolve back to Lee’s place.. and Francine asks who is Rhett!
END OF SCRIPT VERSION
So what do you all think? A few interesting differences no??!! firstly, the dialogue here isn’t based on a movie scene.. It’s not based on a scene from Gone with the Wind is it?
In this version, Lee is the aggressor.. and Amanda is fighting them taking things to the next level. Lee’s comment about how it’s been so hard keeping their relationship professional is an interesting one for Amanda to be dreaming up. oh and notice.. in this dream- it’s Lee and Amanda- not Rick and Amanda So while you could argue this is all cut and means nothing – I think this is much more direct in giving clues about where Amanda is at..
Lee wants Amanda to come away with him? ahem.. reminds me of a certain season 4 plot..
In this script only version the boys get a mention – it’s much less fantasy to me, and more a direct insight into Amanda’s unconscious.. and it confirms for me that Amanda is struggling with growing feelings for Lee, and doesn’t see how they could have a life together at this point.. but boy.. she really wishes they could I am really looking forward to hearing what all you clever smk fans make of this!
So, moving on with the actual episode we got now.. yes this episode is going to have many, many posts. I’m writing smaller posts nowadays..well maybe not all of them are shorter..but most are.. hope you like it!
Rick, I mean.. Lee.. is at denwood park for his meet with Retzig.. so Amanda now has an hour before she is permanently kerbluey I guess..
Lee looks around the seemingly deserted park.. my goodness that earpiece in his ear just screams- Retzig we’re going to try and catch you!!! LOL!
Lee hopes the general’s boys won’t move too soon and spook Retzig.. Hello.. oh and no women in Alpha team? probably not.. LOL.. they see a figure off in the distance approaching Lee.. but can’t make out who it is.
Geee umm why didn’t you umm like umm take some binoculars with you Lee?!! And why isn’t Lee in communication with the Alpha team?? why is he only talking to Billy? I find this all to be a joke! Err except the part about Lee putting his life on the line here to meet Retzig.. that’s still swoony! oh my.. I just love Lee in the great outdoors!
I swear the agency thinks all baddies are stupid.. let’s face it. a lot of smk baddies are tee heee.. but not this one.. and I think they should have known Retzig wouldn’t go along!
Lee realises too late it’s not Retzig.. Auggie shows up as Retzig’s decoy.. and the gorillas are given away.. oopsie..
Auggie’s pretty funny though – thought he was going to wet himself!
tee heee Auggie got an anonymous tip that there was going to be a deal going down.. and we see Retzig in the distance – whooo he has binoculars!
What a clever baddie!! Won’t it be great when the agency learns about binoculars and they can use them too! no fair!! 😆 😆
This actor playing Retzig, Wolf Roth, is fabulous. [Ohh! I see IMDB has spelling it Retzig. don’t know where I got Redzick from. Glad I changed it back to Retzig!] I digress!
I like Wolf Roth.. and he has a wonderfully Shakespearean voice! Retzig laments to himself: Nice try Stetson, but it forces me to raise the stakes. Off Retzig goes to raise stakes!
We cut to Francine making sandwiches.. LOL.. sandwiches?? – what a choice given it was a sandwich that got Amanda into this mess! I think that adds to Amanda’s upcoming meltdown! Oh.. and hey, wait a minute- this means Lee keeps food at his house now!! Not just coffee and smelly cheese! Is this a subtle hint that Lee is beginning to leave his old lifestyle behind him??!! Anyone??
Amanda rouses from her second nap- this time on Lee’s window seat..
Amanda’s feeling woozy..
LOL..food might make Amanda better Francine.. she’s been hungry this whole episode.. only now she’s too deluded to trust you won’t put something in the sandwich! No wonder delusional Amanda thinks Francine is out to get her: she’s making a sandwich!! and they’re poisonous!
Poor Francine.. for once she is being nice..
and haaa this is what she gets?!
Bored with babysitting Amanda, Francine grabs a huge knife and threatens Amanda with it smiling malevolently..
oh wha??? sorry? this is one of Amanda’s dreams?? but.. it’s so realistic!! Francine has always had the knives out for Amanda! 
😉
Amanda’s panic rises further as Francine tries to placate her.. only she’s still got the butter knife in her hand.. and Amanda is beyond listening to Francine..
Francine offers to get her some water, and uh oh.. turns her back on Amanda.. this will teach you to not underestimate Amanda!
All the knife stroking here by Francine is too funny! They must have had a hoot filming this scene!! 
Francine: How about some waaaaaatttterrrrr!!! 
Muahahahahaa!!! sooo funny!!!
One interesting thing, we get to see what the other side of Lee’s apartment looks like. Whoo and he has a fireplace
Ouch!! that is huge vase. Really, too big and 
solid.. Amanda probably would have killed Francine! …. Amanda has her revenge on all of Francine’s nasty comments.. and she doesn’t even know it.
We’ll leave it there for now, with Francine knocked out.. and Amanda doing who knows what.. Really looking forward to hearing your thoughts! Feedback? Questions?? Go for it! byee for now
"Just walk with me.." 
Okay — I really like Lee with the earpiece a la a Secret Service Agent! We don’t see him touch his ear at all when talking, do we?
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Ahhhhh, that YouTube clip of GWTW, so swoony…that sexy Rhett Butler…..makes me want to see the movie again….Thanks for sharing that….it was an aahhhhh moment…..
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The butter knife becomes a cleaver – now that’s funny!
I agree that the Casablanca dream sequence fits with Amanda being delirious.
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Wow, the script is much different! I wasn’t expecting that. I’m wondering if this isn’t a bit of a fantasy for Amanda – I mean the dream is her dream? Does that make sense? Even though Amanda doesn’t want to be another in a long line of Lee’s “women”, she probably wants him to think she’s beautiful and to kiss her/run away with with her. But only in her dreams. She may be struggling with her growing feelings for Lee, but I think she still has them tucked away in her neatly stacked Tupperware.
Boy, that crack Alpha team really is good at camouflage!
And that vase? Ugh – no way that is breaking over Francine’s head like that…not unless it’s a really cheap vase or a Hollywood prop – oh wait, there’s a reason we don’t see it actually breaking. Ok, not one of the better scenes of this episode to me.
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I like the filmed version better. I think the script version would have interrupted the slow progress of the relationship. Besides, we already got a Lee-carrying-Amanda-to-the-couch moment. It was in OOADP, and I think it was much more sweet, because he wasn’t looking for anything — just taking care of her with tenderness and concern.
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This is slightly off track, but a report in the evening news discussed how much the CIA has changed regarding women and their roles. The amount of women in leadership roles and operative/fieldwork areas has risen dramatically. Here’s a link: http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/14/21322482-sisterhood-of-spies-women-crack-the-code-at-the-cia Ha ha! Amanda and Francine were just breaking that glass ceiling! Here’s our chance to emulate them. Danger, intrigue……. Wait, will Lee be there??
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Interesting article! More proof of what Rudyard Kipling knew, that “the female of the species is more deadly than the male”. 🙂
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I like the Casablanca version and I have seen Gone With the Wind several times. Actually, I own the DVD. I won’t delve into the reasons as to why I actually like the movie. The Rhett and Scarlett relationship took a while to develop. Early on you can see that they probably end up together, but it takes a while. Rhett immediately fell for and went after Scarlett, but she was only interested in Ashley. Rhett seemed to rescue Scarlett on a number of occasions. Eventually they married, but she continued to hold Rhett at arms length. Once he’d finally had enough Scarlett realized that she really did love him, but by then it was too late. At the end, even though he walks out on her you get the sense that she is bound and determined to try to win him back.
I would be hard-pressed to draw major similarities to Lee and Amanda or their relationship. It is a bit of a stretch so maybe that’s why they went with Casablanca instead. I wish they would have done Bringing Up Baby with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn instead. Now that would have been hilarious and been very true to Amanda and Lee, at least in my opinion.
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Forgot my comment about Francine. I like what she says about how people think she can’t cook, but she makes a pretty mean sandwich…pretty mean indeed!!
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Thanks for the gone with the wind recap Valerie! whooo I love love love Bringing up Baby!! someone needs to write a fan fic episode where they Lee takes drugs and dreams of being Mr…. Bone! 😉
LOL good catch!! yes maybe a ‘mean sandwich’ is a poor choice of words for a sandwich you are making for Amanda tee heee.. I love it! that’s really funny!!!
hey Jule – whoooo I love discussion of women and leadership! I’ll check out the link tonight.. Ohh that’s a rabbit hole I could totally fall down – but.. I better keep going with my work here!
I’d like to think there is a Lee out there somewhere.. though it is unlikely he’ll have the whole package I imagine! what are the odds?! that’s why Lee Stetson is a fictional character no?! 😉 teehee
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You mean Lee’s not real????? Well that just ruined my day. 😉
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What???? No way! Lee is real and I can prove it! He’s right there on my TV and computer and ipad, so there! Hah!
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Well Morley, I am following you around in circles but makes sense to me. Seems like Amanda has so many conflicting emotions running around in her subconscious that she’s all over the place. I assumed the drug just make all these thoughts and feelings bounce off of each other like random molecules ping-ponging through her very confused brain and the result is the dream sequence.
Is it time for chocolate yet? Just saying, it feels like it. With marshmellows…..
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Count me in the Casablanca version too. The original script dialogue seems too forced (even though this is her hallucination) and the version we get is light and goofy (so we can continue to enjoy Amanda’s antics, knowing she is not really in danger) and still so revealing about her subconscious. I wonder — and I will check when I have time — if the original script had Dotty going to a Gone with the Wind revival instead of Casablanca.
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Hi all! oh yeah! There is no contest.. the Casablanca version is better I agree!
I was wondering if you thought this different version added to your understanding of the Casablanca version. It did for me.
Because the Casablanca version is sooo out there ( and brilliantly so!) it can be a little tricky to come to firm conclusions about what it’s saying – and because it incorporates dialogue from the movie it is a little muddled – what is Amanda’s unconscious? and what is just the movie?
While I prefer the version we got – I liked having the script version as it confirmed, for me at least, that we are on the right track with how we interpreted the casablanca dream.
LOL Morley, loved your circular comment! 🙂 Thanks for sharing your wonderful logic with us 🙂 I think the script has something to offer.. that the Casablanca version can’t give us – Lee takes steps to move their relationship forward in the script – in Casablanca- all that is already settled.. sooo I just find it interesting!
LOL but I would have been surprised if someone had said they preferred the script version to the casablanca version.
Oh and I’ve already looked Cindy so I can tell you – there is no mention of Dotty wanting to go to see any movie in the script 🙂
Thanks for the gone with the wind vid Jenbo – I’ll watch it during a break today – I’m not a huge fan of it.. I disliked Scarlett!! yes what would we do without youtube!
Melissa R – very true.. I always figured Lee has a cleaning lady!
byeee all!
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The script is interesting. Maybe because I know the filmed version so well, or maybe because I also don’t know Gone with the Wind too well, it isn’t resonating with me strongly. The script version seems strange coming from Amanda right now. I could see her having a dream like that in the first half of season 3, because she might be feeling some fear about Lee’s growing apparent advancements towards her. Although she really cares for him and has for a while, Lee is a lot of man to have pursuing you. But here in this part of season 2 I think Amanda may have a hint of Lee’s relationship with her changing, and maybe that would be enough to spark some real resistance. Maybe she is torn already and that is what keeps her just fine with their continual friendship. Maybe she really does want him to sweep her off her feet and maybe that scares her a lot. I think I just wrote myself in a circle. I guess what seems off to me is Lee’s pursuit in the dream and her reticence. Or maybe it isn’t that off? I am confused now…
I do not like that scene from GWTW though. That movie never resonated with me either..
Actually the filmed dream hits things about Amanda at so many different levels like Debilyn and everyone else mentioned, I think it is more accurate to where Amanda may be in her subconscious thoughts about Lee.
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I know… the part about it being so hard to keep their relationship at a professional level. Is that something that Amanda would be struggling with? Or that she at some level feels Lee struggling with?
The lines from this script are going to float around in my hyperactive mind for a while. It does show that we are on the right path with Amanda, but to me it shows that maybe PTB want Amanda a little more gone on Lee that I think she might be. I would actually make more sense to me if it was Lee having that dream. Just saying…
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I agree.. I prefer that they pulled back a bit too.. I like to think that this idea is only now truly beginning to develop for Amanda now.. because that way it is in response to how wonderful Lee is to her nowadays – I like that.. she’s falling for who he is.. not the gorgeous hunk of spunk or super spy persona.. but how he cares for her and respects and values her..
I love how you percolate Morley! 🙂
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I agree, Morley and Iwsod, that the script version moves Amanda further along than I think she really is in this relationship. I do like the Casablanca better. The GWTW version would work better mid season 3, I think, when she has a better feel for where the relationship is going. Though, it would have been comical to see the script scene with her struggling against Lee saying “Not this time, buster.” LOL
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I agree – the idea of Amanda thinking that Lee is having a hard time keeping it a professional level doesn’t ring true to me – unless it’s a fantasy of hers.
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“…Lee is a lot of man to have pursuing you.” Oh gosh, we should all be so lucky!
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I think I would have freaked out. Amanda handles it with her head screwed on right, she is one strong and principled woman, and it pulls the best out of Lee.
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Yeah but remember, she is in a drugged, dream state 🙂 And we all know how it turns out 😀
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Actually I think at the stage I was referring to she was very in her right mind. I think my comment was about Amanda being more likely to have dream like the GWTW dream in season 3. But then your right she would be in a drugged dream state if she was having a dream like that, although she could have a regular dream like that in season 3 especially if she had just watched GWTW. Hey now I sound like that editor on the Ned’s thread 😉
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I think I like the Casablanca version better. Francine’s huge smile while hold that huge knife is hilarious!!!
Not only does Lee have food at his apartment now, but he keeps it looking spotless!
Too funny that she keeps getting away from these highly trained operatives…ROFL
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It’s been a loooooong time since I’ve seen GWTW but I vaguely remember a scene where Rhett grabs Scarlett and passionately kisses her. She struggles and he sweeps her off her feet.
Ah the power of YouTube here is the scene
Seems to me the script is a more watered down version with willing participants. Think the Casablanca interpretation works better IMO.
Martha Smith is fabulous hamming it up as evil Francine. She must have had a scream in set doing that and she does it so well. Who knew a butter knife could be so threatening 😉
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