Phew! After the swoony events at the end of post 5, I’ve managed to compose myself and can continue..
Lee and Amanda hitch a ride back to town from the eeevil country! [this guy looks a bit like Travis- lol!]
In the transcript Jaemie notes there is a silver sports car in the background- do you think it’s Lee’s vette? I’m thinking it’s white but maybe it’s just me? [sorry Jaemie, I am soooo grateful for your amazing transcript: you’ve made recaping this episode a dream!! 
you rock!]
Amanda thanks their lift and heads over to join Lee who is just hanging up after speaking to Billy on a public phone.
Lee: Billy’s sending a car for us.
[Billy is such a good Personal Assistant! 
]
Amanda: Good.
Lee: He’s also alerting the rest of the teams about Castille. Now, I’m gonna to have to help coordinate that.
[ah okay, so who is ‘following’ Fletcher now? and does that mean you don’t live at the Cooperman’s now? ]
Amanda: Right. I don’t understand, though. If 
Castille wanted to steal the rest of the X-12 crystals, what was he doing hanging around the community centre?
Lee: Maybe he’s using one of your neighbours as access to the lab.
[What am I missing here? why would Amanda ask why Castille was ‘hanging around the community centre’? He was there planting a bomb under Lee’s car no?! This doesn’t lead to the assumption he is using one of Amanda’s neighbours- huh? They don’t know that Castille first saw Lee at one of those meetings anyway.. I’m confused.. Oh and- seems Amanda 
has been filled in on the C-12 theft, and the threat of the X-12 threat!]
Amanda: Dr Fletcher?
Lee: Wouldn’t surprise me… 
…Look, his files read he’s a man living beyond his means with a.. ..definite compulsion to play the ponies.
[Rofl! It really wouldn’t surprise Lee- if he’d been following Fletcher like he was suppose to no?! Ohhh this is so funny!! Glad to see Lee has found out about those gambling debts! ]
Amanda: Bribery.
Lee: Exactly…only there’s something about him that doesn’t quite track. Castille always uses women in his operations–why would he change a successful game plan? [because you know it?]
Amanda: Dr Mallory?
Lee: Naaah, she’s too squeaky clean. [rofl! get it?? Love this pun! Dr Mallory is squeaky clean- but the laundry service is dirty!! oh sooo dirty!! ]
…Something in my gut tells me she’s a little too high-profile for Castille to get involved with…
…No, there’s got to be some other less direct connection that we’ve overlooked. We’re going to really need your help on this.
[Oh hurray! Lee is actually acknowledging this! though LOL I guess it is to do with her MSE group and the suburbs..]
Amanda: Sure.. 
…You mean you want me to spy on my neighbours.
Lee: Well, I just want you to let me know if you see anything strange or out of character, okay?
Amanda : Right. 
Lee: Good…
..Come on.
He goes to put his arm around Amanda and lead her away.. and the scene ends there.. So what do you make of Lee and Amanda here? what’s going on between them? I’ll share my thoughts at the end of the post!
Moving on.. and I see something ‘strange and out of character’ for smk!!!! A bedroom scene??!! A lingerie clad woman??!! Castille stands in front of a mirror buttoning his shirt cuffs.. Jean is lying in bed watching him.
Jean: Do you have to leave so soon?
Castille: Mm. A big day tomorrow–for both of us.
Okay! so tomorrow is X-12 stealing day!
Jean: Yeah..Well, I’ll be glad when this is all over. Then we’ll have more time together.
Castille: You got the mothers all ready?
Jean: Um-hm. They’re up in arms. You should’ve seen them at the last meeting, all the shouting and name calling. It’s really turning into quite a mob. [Whoa!!! this is interesting!!]
Castille: The angrier the better….Fletcher will need that diversion to get the crystals… Just remember- timing will be the most important element.
Aha!! I think the fireplace is SMK code for: sexy times! tee heee.. 
ohh makes me think of the parachute scene in Top Secret! whwhahahaaha!
Remember where it has a parachute carrying a fireplace come fly behind the kissing couple in mid-air?!
Come on iwsod focus on smk!! 😉
[Hmm..’Timing is everything’! Didn’t we hear that lots in MBF???!!!! Seems to be the new SMK catchphrase! haa.. I guess it applies to Lee and Amanda’s relationship no? 🙂 ]
Jean: Robert… When are we gonna give it back?
Castille: Well, we’ll let them stew for a few days. And then we’ll call a news conference…. Look, what do I have to do to convince you? The best way to prove how dangerous that stuff 
is, is to show them how easy it is to steal it.
Jean : I know. I know, I’m just worried that something will go wrong.
Castille: Well, it won’t. Not if you and your friends do your job.
Jean: Love me?
Castille: All the way.
The scene ends there..
Iwsod’s random comments!
– Amanda spying on her neighbours.
I think Lee now appreciates Amanda’s loyalty to her friends.. I think Lee is quite gentle with Amanda and the way he couches her needing to spy on her neighbours. I think he prepares her for the need to do it before he actually asks her to, knowing she will find it difficult and IMHO he regrets needing to ask her. but.. it’s one of those necessary evils! What do you think? or what did you see?
– Compare this scene to the one in Always look a gift horse, where Lee needs Amanda to go away to the ranch with Princess Penny and spy on her- Amanda bristles at being asked to spy on a friend. LOL I really didn’t cover this scene in much detail (oh they were the days ).. Can anyone think of other times Amanda has needed to spy on a friend? [I don’t know the answer to this btw! not a test 😉 ]
I went and had a look at this ALAGHITM scene..it has been a long time since I saw it! I think both Lee and Amanda have grown since then- Amanda isn’t comfortable about it but is much less naïve these days, and Lee? He is much more supportive and encouraging of Amanda now he doesn’t dismiss her concerns now, he acknowledges them and supports her to do something she finds difficult. Oh my!!! there is a huge contrast in Lee’s approach 
– in ALAGHITM- Lee tells Amanda she is in a ‘unique position’ to get info.. and if she doesn’t help spy on Penny, Penny’s husband will get shot and Penny will get shipped off to 
devil’s island! whaha!He is outrageous!!!
My goodness, I’d forgotten just how outrageous he was!
I love to look back and see how far these characters have come! What do you guys think?
-So funny that Dotty has noooo trouble whatsoever spying on her neighbours . Amanda must have skipped those busy body genes!!
-okay so tell me what you think..
[other than: Iwsod you think too much ] Does Fletcher think he is being bribed so Castille and Jean can teach people a lesson about poisons??!!
-The MSE group.
I find none of this bedroom scene especially interesting tee hee.. However, I do find this revelation that they are manipulating the MSE group, to become an angry mob, as part of their plan fascinating!! Explains a lot!!!
There seems to be a lot of ‘manipulating housewives’ going on in this episode.. or more generally ‘manipulating women’.
Castille has made his career from manipulating love starved and looking for adventure housewives and using them as part of his plan. And here?? it seems Jean started MSE (remember she doesn’t seem to be a mother! well I see no evidence she is! ) as part of this plan she has hatched with Castille..
This was the plan all along – Castille has been setting this up with Jean for months. [I see Castille as preparing well in advance to groom Jean and have everything in place]
So, Jean has been manipulating the MSE mothers into becoming an angry mob flaming the women’s anger (remember her tut tut at the mob mentality?! It did what it was designed to do- and made the group really mad!), maybe Amanda becoming spokesperson was also designed to create frustration (she’s so nice they were likely to fail and get frustrated- sorry Amanda.. but.. you were happy with a 200 signature petition and called that progress!) Jean was encouraging the increasing frustration all the way in preparation for the upcoming angry protest to provide a distraction.
Jean is manipulating the women in the MSE group to do what she wants- create a distraction so she can steal the crystals to make a point and then give them back. [She just doesn’t know Castille isn’t going to do the giving back part 😉 ]
Meanwhile, women are in MSE because they believe they are not being heard, and they want to have a political voice – in this instance it’s about poison and the environment.. but to me, this episode has something to say about the plight of the American housewife – lonely, manipulated, frustrated, feeling powerless and unlistened to. They are open to being manipulated..
Where this is going I don’t know- it just struck me. Is this related to the title?? what do you all think about this?? I haven’t fully formed this idea and what it all means- just throwing it out there!
-So Jean thinks they are stealing the X-12 and then they are going to give it back? This logic is a bit silly.. but I guess she is doing it with the motive of making the neighbourhood safer? [and no I don’t think that means it’s okay 😉 ] I guess Jean is not caring that the Laundry company would be ruined by this stunt?! (we learn later she owns it)
-I think Jean is beginning to have a little doubt about whether the X-12 will be given back. Do you agree?
And if you have to ask a guy if he loves you – then the answer is probably no!! Poor Jean! I think Castille has played the role of vigilante good guy and groomed her perfectly. Hey do you think she might make a decent recruit for the agency?? I think she has potential!!! Was she ever mentioned in fan fics by anyone? I know some don’t like this character, but I don’t mind her..I would have liked to see Jean get some redemption of some kind..
-This episode has shades of The Artful Dodger to it doesn’t it????!! Only Amanda went on a few dates with that guy and barely knew him.. I get the impression Castille has well and truly sold his cover of good guy to Jean.
Can’t wait to hear from you all!!!! byee for now!
"Just walk with me.." 
I finally have a chance to respond to a few comments here.. I’ll do it all in one go – hopefully it won’t be too confusing..
Awh! thanks BJo – glad you enjoyed Lee’s hands making a heart shape in the sidebar (Valentine’s meme). I was really struck by that when I covered Tegernsee so put it away for future reference. if you find any more times he does it please let me know! 🙂 If only he’d had on a tux.. but still he is seriously gorgeous in tegernsee so I shouldn’t complain
Haaa oh Morley.. that’s so you to wonder what Lee is trying to figure out in that pic 😉 whoooo I can’t wait to read your vignettes on tegernsee Morley! also- your valentine’s day quote was gorgeous!!! So applicable to Lee and Amanda – there’s plenty of safe space between them now – for them to grow in love for each other 🙂 A lovely thought to ponder.. if that space is ready – thanks for sharing Morley!
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A valentine’s day quote:
“Your love requires space in which to grow.
This space must be safe enough to allow your hearts to be revealed.
It must offer refreshment for your spirits and renewal for your minds.
It must be a space made sacred by the quality of your honesty, attention, love, and compassion.
It may be anywhere, inside or out, but it must exist.”
– Lao Tzu
As I read this I thought of Lee and Amanda’s journey. I think they may be very near to having this space ready. What do you all think?
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I think they might be, Morley. This is a lovely poem and I wish I had time right now to go find instances for each of these things mentioned in this poem. Off the top of my head I think the safety part was established early on for Lee by Amanda. I think Amanda may be almost there with BO and MBF and VM. I’ll try to remember to come back to this later!
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Happy Valentine’s Day to all you lovely ladies!! A crazy virus has once again attacked our school and laid many students and several teachers, including myself, pretty low. It usually happens just before our Winter Break too! I think I am also either dealing with an eye irritation or pink eye. Whoever thought it was a good idea to put lotion in tissue, when you use it to clean glasses and wipe your eyes?
I tried to read some of the posts yesterday, but the medication wasn’t letting it happen. I am playing catch up and am loving all the thoughts and ideas. Saw a Facebook post today wishing Lee and Amanda a happy anniversary. Not sure if I have too much to add to what’s already been said, just wanted to drop in while I was conscious and alert and had half a wit and say Hi!
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Hope you feel better soon, Valerie!
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Get well soon!
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Happy Valentines ones and all of you lovely lot 😀
Valerie hope your eye is better soon xxx
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Yes Happy Valentine’s day!
Lee in the side bar wishes you a happy valentine’s day too 😉
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Awww, how sweet!
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Just noticed his hands make a heart shape! I can’t believe you found that, iwsod!! Bravo!
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Yes, Happy Valentines day to you all!
It was fun to see this pic of Lee there, Iwsod. I just started working on Lee’s thoughts after that episode, it is from Our Man in Tegernsee, right?
In the picture it looks like Lee is trying to figure out this love thing a bit. I think he may have begun around there to learn a little bit about himself and others? Maybe?
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Ugh!!! Hope you recover quickly Valerie!!!
LOL.. umm Lee and Amanda aren’t real! 😉 tee hee… oh well it’s all in good fun! 🙂
Lovely to hear from you Valerie!
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THIS. These greasy kleenexes are EVIL.
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Feel better soon!!!
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Oh, so sorry Valerie.
Have you been hanging out with Bob Costa?
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Too funny Morley! Feel better Valerie and happy happy valentines day to all!
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Bob’s eyes did look pretty bad. I feel for him. Fortunately mine is clearing up so I’m thinking it was more tissue irritation.
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That is a good thing! 🙂
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Hope you are feeling better by now, Valerie…..I hope you didn’t have pink eye or the more technical term. Conjunctivitis…That’s why anyone who works in a school should use excessive amounts of hand sanitizer…my first year working in a school, I got pink eye and it spread to both eyes….believe me, I learn a hard lesson…gloves and sanitizer..
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Thanks Gruvy Granny. I am much better now. I’m still not too sure that’s what it was. It went away pretty quickly. It would have been the first time I ever had it. I have a sink in my room and stock plenty of hand sanitizer.
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You know, I was thinking about this episode and all the comments re the effectiveness of MSE, and the manipulations going on throughout.
Maybe as a season finale this episode is meant to demonstrate how far Lee and Amanda have come in their relationship that they are close enough now to communicate openly and honestly without the need for evasion or manipulation.
I think Amanda’s leadership of the MSE group was probably on track to achieve positive results over time; results which the mob mentality never would achieve. Maybe this also helps Amanda to realise that her work with the Agency is a much more valuable and effective way of protecting her community and nation than involving herself in groups like this.
In S3 Amanda is fully committed to her Agency work and is determined to (and does) prove herself to have the “right stuff” to be a fully fledged Agent.
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whooo I like it! I’ll hold off on responding till we are near the end though! 🙂 This taking our time with the posts thing is going to take some getting use to again. ugh!
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You know I never really gave much thought to whether or not Jean is a mother, I think just because someone said she named the group mothers of a safe enviornment that she probably is. I actually don’t dislike Jean as much as some of the other women in this episode because even though I don’t agree with what she’s doing I see her doing it because she feels passionately about the cause and not just because she has nothing better to do and not solely because Castille manipulated her into it. I think Castille used something Jean already felt strongly about to manipulate her rather than just manipulating her into doing it for him. As for Jean not being a mother because she wouldn’t risk arrest or her business if she had a family to raise, a lot of people throughout history have been willing to risk everything in the present to make a better world for their children in the larger scheme of things. Besides maybe Jean has an ex husband who is still involved and will be there to take care of the kids and support them financially if need be.
I am going to tell myself that is the case and that’s where the kids are during the bedroom scene when she asks Castille to stay the night because call me a fuddy duddy but the idea of a woman bringing a man into sleep with while her kids are there really bugs me. I for one always imagined Lee and Amanda having a physical reletionship throughout season 4 but you almost always see them together at his place. I can’t imagine Amanda doing that. Even late in season 4 after Lee and Amanda are married when Lee is leaving clothes at Amanda’s I found it hard to believe that would be happening on a regular basis because I can’t see her sneaking him and out when the kids don’t know their married. What ever I guess that is just an Amandaramble, but the whole scene bugs me a little when I think of Jean being a mother.
But then again the whole episode kind of bugs me. It seems with the exception of Lee and Amanda everyone is manipulating everyone. It is not just men manipulating women, but a woman manipulating women. Doesn’t sit well with me. At least Amanda feels bad about spying on her neighbors, but does it for the greater cause. Jean is doing what she is doing for what she sees as the greater cause too, but doesn’t seem to feel bad about it. I really dislike it when people use other people as a means to an end. I understand that sometime in Lee and Amanda’s jobs it is necessary but I don’t like it. The couple of sweet Lee and Amanda moments and seeing how their reletionship has grown is the only thing that makes this episode worth anything.
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Of course now that I said all that about Jean I think maybe Jean just named the group mothers for a safe enviornment knowing she could get mothers involved and people might listen more when they hear when they hear the word mother knowing there are kids involved whereas if she had just named the group women for a safe enviornment back then people probably wouldn’t care as much. I guess it could go either way. But the fact that Jean lives a suburban neighborhood probably means she does have kids. I guess either we weren’t meant to know or it is just another whole in the story. Seems to be a lot in this episode.
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LOL.. I know the feeling Misty 😉
Does Fletcher have children? I guess we don’t know.. but he lives in the suburbs.. and Buck moves in to the suburbs and he doesn’t have kids. And Lee Sampson moves in and he doesn’t 😉 tee hee.
Well anyway.. I prefer to think she doesn’t have kids.. it sits more comfortably for me that way with the choices she makes.. and makes it easier for me to like her. And I do like her. but I’ll leave this for now and come back to it once all is revealed for her.
Yeah there are lots of gaps in our knowledge in this episode.. which I think is fine.. some season 1 episodes we find out very little about the baddie.. but with a character like Jean I think they were remiss to not deal with it. Just my opinion..
I didn’t need to know if the artful dodger has kids.. or even if Ms Waterston had kids.. but Jean and this set up could have done with some explaining.. but oh well whatever – this way we can fill in the gaps ourselves however we like 🙂
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Misty said : I for one always imagined Lee and Amanda having a physical relationship throughout season 4
Yep, I agree Misty. Thanks to KJ and BB there are certainly plenty of clues in S4 that this was the case, which I am sure we will discuss in depth when the blog gets to that Season. 😉
As for all the manipulation going on in this episode, I guess it doesn’t seem unusual to me. Castille is an extreme and professional criminal/terrorist manipulator but when you think about it, we can all be guilty of a little manipulation of our fellow human beings from time to time. It’s a human trait.
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Misty wrote:
I agree with this Misty, and it’s one of the reasons why Castille is so cunning and successful.
Oh boy! Season 4 and a physical relationship between Lee and Amanda? A very interesting topic. but way ahead of where we are – why don’t you head over to Neds Misty and see if others will join you in discussing this now..start a thread on it maybe.. or – I’ll look forward to discuss this with you when we get there. My headspace is no where near that right now.. I’m focused on now and what’s come before. Sorry!
We’ll see if the episode improves for you!! Wonderful moments in the next post 😉
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No I really don’t want to get in to discussing whether Lee and Amanda have a physical reletionhip in season 4 at Nedlingers I think that might be a land mine. I was just making one simple point to compare and contrast characters. Didn’t mean to get ahead of where we are.
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Hi Misty – no worries 🙂
I just wanted to be sure you knew I’m not wanting to stifle discussion, censor it or anything but I need to keep JWWM on track
– there is always Nedlindger’s for discussing anything and everything 🙂 if you so wish!
All good Misty!
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Yup–the car is white. And I second Morley’s son’s ID of a Chrysler Conquest. 🙂
“Well, I just want you to let me know if you see anything strange or out of character, okay?”
He should have asked Amanda to employ Dotty to keep an eye on the neighbours!
LOL! Love your Top Secret reference. 🙂
Ugh. More tongue sandwich. gross
Yes, Lee is much nicer to Amanda about spying on the neighbours–and yes, they’ve both grown during the two seasons.
No–I don’t see Jean as an Agency recruit (unless she was always going to the be the junior agent)… she just seems too much of a sheep.
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Thanks for checking the car out Morley’s son and KC! 😉
Wow. I really don’t look closely!
I think Jean has potential! and after her experience with Castille.. she may have learned to make wiser choices in future..
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The title: “vigilante” seems like a good description of the MSE group. Taking the law into their own hands because they don’t think that anyone else cares about a problem, reckless, thoughtless (Jean not thinking about the consequences to her business or herself), wreaking havoc rather than solving the problem.
“maybe Amanda becoming spokesperson was also designed to create frustration (she’s so nice they were likely to fail and get frustrated)” Ewww. That’s really evil and manipulative!
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Love this LASinLA! that title is starting to make more sense! I like how you’ve put this 🙂
Amanda becoming spokeswoman? I was looking back and pondering how she could have manipulated the group into becoming an angry mob. A leader who won’t be aggressive could be a part of it.. I don’t know it was just an idea I had. Especially when I thought of what it would have ben like had Mrs Courtney been in charge haaaa..
I think this idea that Amanda is nice and not terribly effective plays out by the end of the episode.. and I’d even suggest Amanda starts out that way.. but learns through this experience.. but we can discuss this later!
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That is not the vette. No way, no how. Don’t know what it is, but definitely not Lee’s car.
In The Mole Amanda had to spy on some Agency folks at Lee’s request. Even though they were Lee’s friends and not hers, I think she was a little uncomfortable for him. She even says to him, “These other agents, aren’t they friends of yours?” I don’t think Amanda considered Francine or Billy to be her friends in S1.
It is very fun to look back and see grow for the characters. It’s a big undertaking though sometimes! I’m doing that right now with Amanda and her professional growth and it is fun but taking a lot of time. We’re at episode 44!
I’m not sure that Fletcher knows about Jean and Castille. I would think that Fletcher would know the other half of the CX12 has been stolen, but maybe not. In order to neutralize the stuff, Flether has to have access to both parts, so there must be at least a little bit of both parts in his lab. Maybe he don’t know about the theft in Portland. When Castille talks to him in the car, he comes off as a really bad character, not someone who is just looking to teach the government a lesson.
I don’t think I agree that Jean isn’t a mother. Just because we never see or hear anything. We don’t see or hear anything about kids of Mrs. Courtney either. And since Jean started the group, she would hardly call it Mothers for a Safe Environment if she herself wasn’t a mother. It doesn’t make sense to me. My guess is that she’s divorced like Amanda and possibly with older kids – high school/secondary school age.
I don’t want to think about the episode title and how it may or may not be related to the plight of the American housewife – hahaha! Maybe later. I am an American housewife now and I don’t want to think I am like these women – I don’t like them! And I don’t like Amanda’s involvement with them. They don’t seem like nice women. Blech! This episode!
Yeah, Jean is not thinking this all the way through. Even though she thinks they are going to give it back she is still going to get arrested, put in jail and her life will be ruined. She will not have time together with her honey – that’s not how prison works!
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hey BJo!
I guess I was thinking Jean wasn’t a mother because she takes up with Castille, and gets on board with a pretty risky plan – an irresponsible plan if she had a family to raise with that business of hers that she was putting at risk.
I figured ‘mothers’ in the title was the 80s acceptance that the norm in the suburbs was mothers.. not single women.. and so that’s why the group go the MSE name..and a play on the ‘mothers’ groups which were doing the rounds at that time. With the little research I did on it, I got the vibe that this was a time when mothers were starting to speak out politically as mothers – you know like with the M.A.D.D group I mentioned I think in the first post.
and LOL.. I just liked to pay out of Jean for starting a group with ‘mothers’ in the title when she doesn’t act like a mother herself.. and wondered if it was a clue that she was the inside woman… but you are right it is not confirmed to us that she is or is not a mother.
yeah true.. Jean thinks it will be no big deal to return the crystals… poor Jean.. she didn’t really think this one through on that crusade of hers.
Oh I don’t mind the women so much.. I think we are finding them at the end of their tether. but by the end of it all they’ve grown and learned lots.. I hope 😉 there is more to come on this housewives thing.. and the frustrations they face – I can see why they were getting angry. They were being patted on the head and told to go home and bake a cake and try out for the mother of the flippin year award – bletch is right!
So while yeah their behaviour is irritating, I think it is an indication of the frustration of their lives and they are trying to break out from that.
Your logic with Fletcher makes sense. Only the show makes it clear to us the two compounds are kept completely separate.. how to neutralise something when you only have half of it? good question!! or.. as KC mentioned earlier, how to neutralise something at all is a great one to ponder too! haaaa
I mean you can’t stop the compound from existing.. you could create an antidote.. but remember they said CX-12 takes affect in 10 seconds! rofl!!! so umm we would all need to carry a capsule of antidote, and know within 10 seconds of being exposed to it that we needed to take the antidote..rofl! that is just plain silly.. oh smk.. they could have said 24 hours or something and that could have made more sense. but well smk doesn’t always aim to make sense 😉
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I assumed that ;neutralizing the X-12 crystals meant adding something that made it so, when combined with the C-12, they did nothing.
As for Jean being a mother, I can take it on faith that she is and appreciate SMK for down-playing this in light of her bedtime activities and the 8pm timeslot! Agree the bedroom scene is pretty brazen, but being now in S4 on the treadmill rounds, they get braver as the years go on with their intimate scenes. Too bad!
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yeah I know Raffie.. I think too much about those CX-12 crystals 😉 haaaa.. though what is to prevent someone else in the world from making X-12 compound, and C-12 compound and then combining them?? I put this down the plot magic.. I’ve give it a handwave!
LOL.. yeah you can explain Jean that way! I guess it’s a personal preference thing.. though I wonder if it would affect how you view Jean’s character.. will be interesting to see what we make of her by the end of the episode.
Great to hear from you Raffie! Season 4 huh- enjoy!!
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I kinda agree with your take on Jean. Would a mother with responsibilities risk arrest and possible prison for the sake of “exposing” the risks at the lab? I’m not convinced. So for that I am not sure she is a mother but she is someone passionate about keeping the environment safe.
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Thanks Jenbo.. yeah it was just the vibe I got.. at least with Mrs Courtney she cries that it’s for their children’s future. I’m not sure we hear Jean arguing for the kids.. mainly for no more pollution.
LOL I think the writers didn’t want us to think too much about whether Jean is a mother lol.. so we can think what we like 😉 haaa
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I doubt Dr. Fletcher thinks they are trying to teach the public a lesson about poisons. I think Castille just found a way to blackmail or buy the Dr. off to steal the X-12. Poor Jean and we thought that Amanda was naïve 🙂 At least she never slept with the Artful Dodger, but then again I think that would have been out of character. You know why is it that it’s the women that get taken on this show? We see at least two in season 3. But, then again I guess Amanda’s doppelganger did kill two highly trained (the best) agents 😉
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Aha the penny drops about the rousing of the mob at the last meeting.
Castille sure is an effective sociopath. Grooming women left right and centre. And yes if you have to ask if he loves you then it’s clear…..he’s just not that into you. Not to mention the fact that Castille doesn’t actually even say the L word. I did laugh at the Top Secret fireplace reference, funny stuff.
I am not sure I like the fact that the women are all manipulated but the male has to be blackmailed. I especially dislike the idea that housewives are easy to whip unto a frenzy.
Lee is finally learning to sugar coat his requests. Keep an eye on your neighbours and reporting on their movements is still spying. But it’s all about how the idea gets presented, smooth Lee very smooth 😉
Lee really needs Amanda on this one woo hoo! How things have changed for the better 🙂
But urgh those guitar picks are sooooooo distracting…….
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“the women are all manipulated but the male has to be blackmailed” This seems like an example of the view that men and women care about different things, have different weaknesses (broadly speaking). Castille is still manipulating both of them, just in different ways. The women are vulnerable because they feel lonely or politically powerless. The man because of risky behavior (gambling) and concern for his reputation. The phrase “for love or money” comes to mind. It seems to cover both types pretty well.
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Yes I see it the same way you do LASinLA.. everyone is being manipulated.. just in different ways.
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I get that it’s still manipulation but it just bugs me that women are groomed with all hearts and flowers, as though a bit of attention and flattery and we are anybody’s 😉
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Most women wouldn’t be able susceptible to manipulation by Castille, but I would say like any practised manipulator he is able to single out the few or one that would fall for his ruse. This wouldn’t necessary be an indictment on the woman’s overall character but he would be looking for someone who is vulnerable at that time for whatever reason. It happens enough in real life, and we also see men in powerful and responsible positions who foolishly fall for a woman who brings them down. There’s no fool like an old fool.
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yeah I think that Castille is a sociopath.. and he could find a way to manipulate most people if he wanted to. It doesn’t say anything about Jean – to me it says more about Castille.
I love this kiwismh.. none of us are immune. If we are immune to everything- then we are open to nothing.
I guess this is why it’s good to be part of a community and have someone watching our back for us 😉
I use to think dumb Jean for falling for Castile.. but nowadays I can see that love always means taking a risk. because you can never 100% know someone. IMHO Castille sold a persona to Jean- she thought she knew him better than anyone.. While the plan to steal the crystals and return it is crazy – I can’t really fault Jean for trying to find love with a man who she thought she knew well, and who had shown one version of himself but in reality he was a sociopath.. you know?
Could Jean have predicted this? I’m not sure..because Castille is so cunning and pathological! [it’s an uncomfortable thing to think about no?!] Taking a chance on love is a risk. [not that I am saying you can’t use wisdom.. but Jean thought she knew Castille] Anyway, so these days I cut her some slack and feel quite sad for how things turn out for her.
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I see what you mean. LOL… On the other hand it could be a compliment.. women in power are more trustworthy and can’t be tempted by unlimited tongue sandwiches (yes referring to actual sandwiches not kisses!) Dr Mallory wasn’t able to be bought I like to think 🙂
I just figured Castille is adept at seducing women with his charm – so why pay women to do it when they’ll do it for free?
But instances of men falling for the wrong women can and do happen in smk so I didn’t read too much into that distinction in the show in general.
To be open to love is something (IMHO) to be proud of..a woman’s heart is a precious gift.. but some wisdom and patience is needed to ensure you don’t fall for the likes of Castille and waste it I guess..
Hmm this could say something about Amanda being cautious with her own heart but open to love- but maybe I’ll raise this again once Jean has discovered Castille is not her prince charming. Poor Jean.
Okay! enough of my ramblings. byee!
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Daniel Davis gets to do more bedroom scenes that L&A in SMK-land! 😉 In fact, I can think of a few occasions throughout the series where SMK snuck in bedroom scenes with the guest actors. Yeah, we get to see Lee and Amanda in the bedroom throughout the series, but never the scenes we really wanted to see. 😉 Ah well, gotta keep it PG. I’m a great fan of the occasional bedroom scene like this one, that implies rather than shows the activity. It does lend a better sense of reality to the show. Shame we never really got to see much of this “implied” relationship with L&A on screen.
Castille is a professional manipulator and it’s easy to see how he could seduce women, especially women who are not used to being romanced and appreciated. I guess Jean is a single Mum who maybe has been swept away by her passion both for MSE’s cause and Castille’s attentions. After all, she does think he is on board with her passion for the environment as well. She’s an easy target for someone like Castille.
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So, it seems Lee is doing everythingbut following Fletcher, so assume Fielder and Abernathy are still tailing him. The quality of the feedback he’s getting from those two is clearly not great 😉 He should’ve put Duffy on it – he seems competent.
Love how Lee has progressed now to the point where he is actually discussing his thoughts re the case with Amanda. He is clearly seeking her unique input. He’s learned that Amanda can provide insights that he would never think of, and even better he actually asks for her help.
Amanda is now less bothered by the thought of spying on people. She has come to appreciate that sometimes it is necessary for the greater good. You’re right Iwsod, throughout S2 Lee has developed to the point where he realises certain activities he takes for granted can be uncomfortable for Amanda, so he thoughtfully eases the impact of what he is asking her to do. Slowly but surely they are learning from each other, becoming more accepting and appreciative of their differences, and ultimately moving towards that point where they can both comfortably share the same space both figuratively and literally. In fact, I’d say by this point they are most of the way there, but there are some speed bumps and shared experiences ahead that test the relationship in ways that it needs to be tested before they can finally acknowledge their feelings.
The comparison with ALAGHITM is a good one Iwsod. One of the strengths of SMK is that even though it often seems pretty light-weight and peppered with plot holes, there has obviously been some thought gone into it behind the scenes especially in regard to the development of Lee and Amanda’s relationship. I’d like to think that BB and KJ helped significantly with this process. So far, apart from a handful of occasions where things just didn’t seem quite in character (like Amanda’s reaction to Lee’s “I’d like to get closer to someone in the neighbourhood” line earlier in this episode), the development of the acquaintance becoming a friendship, then a deeper friendship, and now just beginning to evolve onto something more has been really well crafted. Quite a refreshing change from the Wham, Bam, Thank you Ma’am! relationships portrayed in most of today’s TV and movies.
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Awww, like what you say here, kiwismh.
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Ahhhh Top Secret — some absolute comedic brilliance. Too bad a few scenes makes it unsuitable for movie night with my daughters..
Jean not considering this scheme will ruin her dry cleaning store? Again, plot holes, schmot holes (and here I am stressing about my v e r y s l o w. g o I n g fanfiction because of continuity issues. I should channel the writers of the first couple of seasons and not worry. WHHHHEEEEEEEEE!)
I love the slow walk through these episodes. I missed the significance of the bedroom scene and how much manipulation was going on. Mob mentality is a fascinating thing to study.
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KC can probably comment better on the vehicles but the car in the background is sporty looking but it isn’t a Corvette.
Still on the subject of vehicles, note how the “F” in Ford on the back of the pick-up truck has been changed, presumably so that the Ford brand didn’t get some free advertising. Weird that later in the episode we can clearly read Mitsubishi on one of the other vehicles used. In fact, throughout the series some vehicles are easily identifiable by their attached decals. I was watching an episode the other day where the Corvette letters had been removed from the rear of Lee’s car. Who knows why? 😕
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One of my gear head sons just researched the car. He says it is a Chrysler Conquest.
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I think Amanda was the most uneasy spying on Dotty in One Bear Dances….
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Dotty is funny though catching Amanda spying on her a couple of times!!! I miss that we didn’t have an episode in season 2 that featured Dotty!! She’s my favorite minor character 🙂
[iwsod-Hi Melissa, this comment went to moderation because you input a different name 🙂 all fixed now.]
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I know…I realized it too late. I thought I was being all computer savvy because I figured out how to put an aviator on, but I guess pride cometh before a fall 🙂
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Thanks IWSOD for fixing it 🙂
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And what an avatar it is!! hoo haaa! 😉
I’d say you put the wrong name in because you’d been looking at that avatar pic -bhaobahbabka! 😉
All good! 🙂 I’ll be back later to reply to some comments.. bye!
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🙂
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Iwsod, I like your take on all of the manipulation going on in this episode. I think we could say that in this episode the only one who isn’t involved in manipulation tactics is Lee with Amanda, finally. I would need to watch the episode carefully to make sure this is true and don’t have time now. But I think he is kind of past that with her at this stage, right?
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I really like this idea, Morley, that Lee may finally be done manipulating Amanda.
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