Amanda walks over to join James in another part of the garden. Only.. James isn’t going to play along with this window shopping malarkey!
Amanda: Hello James.
James: I’ve got to get into that house.
Amanda: oh no, I really don’t think you should do that.
James: Yes. Look here, uh you stay here. If anything happens, uh an alarm, gunfire, whatever, you’ll have to cover for me. Create a distraction.
[rofl! Oh James.. he is truly deluded. though I love that he counts on Amanda to cover for him 
whooo Amanda’s good at distractions!]
Amanda: Let’s talk to Lee about this.
James: goodbye.
Amanda: James. James could you-
James walks off trying to look casual… Uh oh!
Amanda says to herself: Lee.
And walks off to find him.
[not Lee and Francine notice? Just Lee 
]
There is a quick cut to Dobbs here talking to a guest. 
Rofl.. all he says is: World economics.
and the lady says: ah!
tee heee! 
Next thing we find James has gotten into the house. Not just the house.. the office!
okay, who puts a statue on a stand in front of a window directly behind an office chair on wheels huh??!!!! LOL.. or maybe this is Dobbs’ low cost extra security
Back outside and Amanda runs to Lee who is with Francine. Hmm no finance minister? grrr..
Amanda: Leeeeee! Something horrible has happened.
Lee: what?
Amanda: James has gone into the house.
Lee: what the hell is he doing there?!
[whooo Amanda does not even look at Francine here! ] We see them all rush off towards the house.
Back to James and he’s taking photos of a blueprint.. or three..
rushing toward the house Lee grumbles to Amanda: what did I say?!!
[ what was she suppose to do tackle him?!]
Back in the office.. James is getting some good photos.. 
err hopefully.. there goes the bust – straight through the window. Doh! I guess James has been ‘busted’ tee heee
Outside we see the bust statue crash out through window.. Lee, Amanda and Francine are stopped in their tracks.
Dobbs notices.. everyone notices..
James rushes out of the office.
Dobbs clicks his fingers and orders ‘Rick’ to check it out.. LOL.. would Rick be MI6? or private security? Hmm..
Amanda: We’ve gotta create a distraction!
[love how Amanda does what James asked of her here!]
Francine: Oh yeah sure, we’ll get one delivered.
Dobbs says goodbye to the umbrella lady.. He’s on the move.. hurry Amanda!
Next thing, Amanda takes everyone by surprise
– haaaa including Lee and Francine.
She points to the ground and just screams!!! Screams her flippin lungs out.
She screams soooo well here!! I think she put all her frustrations with work, this job, window shopping and not being an agent into this scream. bet it felt good!
Both Lee and Francine look shocked at Amanda and then down to where she is pointing.. whahahaaa!! Amanda’s legs start flapping!!! I wonder if it was suppose to be funny.. but with her pyjamas flapping around it looks funny!
We cut to guests confused at what’s happening and hear Lee.. off screen- Lee catches on to Amanda: What is it??!!!
Finally Francine joins in: snake!
[her cry of snake doesn’t sound so convincing haaa or was that Amanda or James she was referring to?! 😉 ]
We see James round a corner of the garden as a random guest says: what did she see?! In response to Amanda’s screams..
Oh my goodness. what a scream! In the script they had Amanda faint into Lee’s arms.. ahem.. but I like this way because it’s funny – and we needed some light relief
As James casually walks across the garden successfully opening his cigarette case, we can hear Lee crying: ‘are you alright? are you alright?!’ to Amanda..
too funny. James actually starts coughing before he gets the unlit cigarette in his mouth haaaa.. oh dear.. give it up James!
Dobbs on his verandah watches James walking across the garden.. He’s taken note.. soooo had he seen James before?? or is this the first time? I guess this is the first time, or James should not have gone to the party.?
Back to IFF
Billy is in ‘chide the little children’ mode.. giving them all a dressing down for their behaviour at the party! why.. they didn’t even thank the host.. didn’t bring a gift.. and they should compile a thank you note immediately!!!! 😉
Is Billy interested in what they found? nooooo..
Billy sarcastically: it’s only a garden party…
…What could happen?
…It’s a miracle you didn’t start World War III!
Oh dear, Billy that doesn’t even make any sense! the US and Britain were allies.. they can cope with one person snooping ugh.. As Cindy says – I think someone has pee’d on Billy’s cornflakes this episode (my guess is he thinks Brand did it ).
Gosh.. has Amanda ever been yelled at by Billy before? I think this is a first that she’s actually been included.. but – she isn’t even an agent!
Watch Lee, he glances at Amanda here as Billy rounds his desk… wondering how she’s coping maybe? thoughts??
Billy continues his tirade: I’ve made three phone calls to London. Kenneth Clayton-Dobbs is impeccable.
[Of course he is.. hello!!]
Duck Billy!!! that Huge Marlin is going to spear your head!! Billy that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen..
I can’t take his anger seriously standing in front of that thing!! go ahead Amanda .. scream… create a distraction.. Marlin!!! Marlin!!! argh!!!!!
Seems like Billy has taken up fishing to ease his stress levels – it ain’t workin!
Lee: Billy we talked to at least a dozen people at that party. No one wanted to go on the record but it’s apparent the guy has a few well-hidden skeletons in his closet.
[lol they don’t sound so well hidden to me! people are pretty happy to talk about them! haaa.]
Francine: Like hanging a ton of paper in Beirut, extortion in Athens, phony gold certificates in Johannesburg?
Billy: Rumours! I need proof people, proof!
[Oh boy.. there is proof.. only these ‘agents’ don’t mention it.. ugh! Go James!!! ]
Amanda: James show him the pictures.
James: Oh yes. [LOL Amanda is such a great coach for James ]
Lee: alright now, James [aha!!! Lee called him James!! this is the first time he does! ] took those in Clayton- Dobbs’ study…
(Billy takes the photos and looks through them as Lee continues)
.. those are blueprints of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
[Anyone see something funny about these hands looking at the pictures??!!! I swear, they are painted!!! I think they were lacking hands that looked like they belonged to Billy that day – so they painted someone’s hands dark brown! rofl!! they look so splotchy it’s hilarious!! Not to mention how Amanda is suddenly standing right in front of Billy with her hands on his desk ] focus Iwsod..
James: We think he’s planning to counterfeit US currency.
[Ah.. see this is a leap too far. What they know is Dobbs’ end goal – they don’t yet know how he will do it. He isn’t counterfeiting.. he’s going to sabotage the bills.. would you call that counterfeiting? ]
Amanda: Yes sir. From inside the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
Billy: Impossible. How?
[Yes explain how people!! I mean you need to have all the answers before you are allowed to investigate! whahahaaa!]
Francine: Eddie Munson. We think he made plates to substitute for the real thing.
Lee: Clayton-Dobbs is also special consultant to the 
secretary of the treasury (heck, special consultant… Is that a real job? sounds made up ) …he can get inside the bureau.
[then why was he taking photos of the outside of the building in the middle of the night? Lame!]
James: during the war, the Germans tried to disrupt the British economy by flooding it with bogus 5 pound 
notes. It could happen here.
Billy really doesn’t want James to be right. ugh.
Lee: So all we have to do is 
check the money printed and stored at the bureau.
[Umm I’m pretty sure they are already 
checked.. very thoroughly too funny!]
Lee makes it all sound so reasonable.
But, Dobbs might not have actually acted yet. Why not put a tail on the guy??!! (and call him a weasel!)
Everyone waits for Billy’s decision.
Billy picks up the phone: You’d better pray for some bad greenbacks to show up.
LOL.. Billy can make a phone call or two.. but don’t ask him to do anymore than that He’s so anti this week! Maybe because his accountant cheated him one year on his tax return.. ahem..
the scene ends there.. so I shall too..
Those plot holes are starting to appear tee hee..
Iwsod’s comments:
-James not doing what he’s told.
Sound like anyone else we know? James is so frustrating here.. because he gets Amanda into trouble! Still James doesn’t work for the agency and doesn’t have to do what they say Interesting that he went inside to find concrete evidence while Lee and Francine dug up lots of tidbits and gossip that isn’t really hard evidence.. Hmm..
-Create a distraction!
Love how Francine can’t think how to do a distraction- Amanda always comes through with a good distraction haaaa
This is why Amanda is so good in the field – she thinks outside the box. Francine doesn’t do this – she lacks imagination! I think in this Lee and Francine are quite similar.. they are both not very creative thinkers. And this is why Lee and Amanda are great partners.. so off you go Francine – go find your own divergent thinker!! Hmm I hear James Brand is looking for a partner. whaahahaaaaaa!!
-KGB agent.
It’s strange that Billy has not been told about Dobbs meeting with a KGB agent.. I think the part about telling Billy was taken out of the script earlier (at the scene after the explosion) and then they neglected to put it back in. There’s plenty of proof that Dobbs is dirty – other than rumours.. it just makes everyone look stupid! Which Billy already thinks James is anyway!
-‘James’.
But hey- progress! Thanks to these blueprints James took photos of – Lee is now calling him James! tee hee.. I really wasn’t sure if he would join Amanda in the ‘James’ club.. but seems Lee has accepted James just that little bit more.
-Soooo what are the blueprints for guys??!!!
why would Dobbs need blueprints for the bureau of engraving and printing? he can go in there if he wants to. Ugh.. anyone??
How funny are the painted hands??!!! I laughed and laughed when I saw that.. ahh smk and these close ups on props – hilarious!! I think you can see it better if you pause the dvd though.. so check it out!
Well I’ll finish up here for now! Looking forward to hearing from you! byeee!
"Just walk with me.." 
Amanda’s screaming scene: BEST.DISTRACTION.EVER.
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I just love the musical foreshadowing in James’ office scene! The orchestra plays a variation on a classical piece (presumably by the bust guy, someone else will have to idenitify both — is it Beethoven?) so the audience knows immediately that something is going to happen with that bust. A musical friend who borrowed our dvds mentioned that these were the good ole days when studios had full orchestras and knew how to use them.
In defense of Lee’s creativity: he does come up with some good spur-of-the-moment stories. SBTB (the cyanide capsule) and TGTN (the triplets) come to mind first.
James and Francine. That would be a great match-up. He could teach her about valuing people for more than their appearances while wining and dining her in England (an accountant’s salary could be almost as good as the princes she prefers), and she could help him brush up on social norms.
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gah!!! my reply just got eaten!
I agree LASinLA, smk’s music is part of it’s charm and soooo different to what we get these days!!
Seems to me like music in tv shows makes it feel like you are watching a music video at times!
Very true! Lee is full of creativity!!! when the plot doesn’t require we rely on Amanda’s creativity I guess! 🙂
James and Francine would have been fascinating to watch! I wonder if James could have taught Francine a few things about social norms too.. he had some lovely qualities.. and she was at times very abrasive… Francine Lacks one of Amanda’s best qualities – graciousness.
I enjoyed Mr Brand.. and am really enjoying hearing from you as you walk through this episode!
you might catch up to us LASinLA, I need to go a bit more slowly at the moment – little time for smk 😦 but I’ll do my best.. smk is a wonderful stress coping mechanism!
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Love the pic that captures Francine hiking up her dress to run!
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I think Dobbs was probably checking out the building in case the “disappearing ink” thing turned out to be phony. He probably had several different ideas and was “hedging his bets” in getting the photos and blueprints. I think he had these before meeting with fellow-baddie and was so overconfident that he just left them in his office. After all, he’s already succeeded in other places without being caught – smirk, smirk.
Billy’s gotten bad news about this James-fellow and he’s reluctant to go further. He needs his agents working for him, not James. He’s letting his frustration run rampant here. Lee and Francine really didn’t have any reason to check out Dobb’s office at this point. They were on a mission to get information only, hence talking with people rather than checking out the office. Not saying that they wouldn’t have gathered enough info to seek out the office eventually, but James’ eagerness to prove himself got in the way.
I always laugh at the “snake” scene. Amanda thinks fast on her feet, and Lee and Amanda weren’t able to keep up here. She startled them, at first, but they caught on. (Maybe she was a little delighted to startle Francine. 🙂 )
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I like this explantion of why Dobbs needed the blueprints.
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Or, the blueprints were to show him where to go once he got in. His access to the building probably consists of some offices and reception area, and he would have to get from there to the production area?
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Was KCD considered someone to watch as a possible threat in the beginning of this episode. Why was Lee watching him. I keep wondering if Billy is annoyed because the Agency was supposed to be running security for all these big wigs attending some highly acronymic convention and James has gone mucking around in their PR. I guess Billy thinks James is making it up and now not only is Amanda falling for it but it appears that James has now pulled the wool over the eyes of Billy’s two top agents that he usually relies on pretty heavily. Maybe he wonders if this is the ultimate fruit of brining a civilian in and he has made a huge mistake. I may be taking that too far. But if Lee is now so very much accepting of Amanda that could remove some of the buffer that Lee’s hesitation towards using Amanda had provided for Billy. Maybe Billy felt he didn’t have to worry about Amanda’s lack of experience affecting things because Lee was so objective towards her and here it seems as if Lee is loosing that objectivity. Maybe Billy is afraid that the civilian will water down the professionalism of his highly trained agents. I haven’t really thought that through much, but I just thought I would put it out there as it occurred to me.
I do love Amanda’s distraction, I wish we could have seen Lee’s as he asked if she was alright, I wonder if he knew immediately that she was acting?
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“highly acronymic convention” 🙂
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Um, you all know how I hate to nitpick 😉 BUT…..Aggghhhhhh!!!
How is it that two highly trained, hugely experienced agents cannot quickly think of a distraction. My immediate first reaction to this scenario was – 1 man, 2 woman, let’s start a loud, scratch yer eyes out, caught out cheatin’ screaming match between the 2 women over da man. That ought to get everyone’s attention, eh? 😉 Instead the pair of them stand there like a pair of stunned mullets, which by the way must be hanging on the other wall in Billy’s office 😀
And while I’m on a rant, my last word (or nearly last words) on the jim-jams is no one looks good in pyjamas, even as sleep attire let alone day wear. They even have Lee wearing pyjamas in an upcoming episode or two. This is so not a man who would wear pyjamas in any circumstances. A t-shirt and sweat pants maybe, if the situation called for it – say, sleeping in a hotel bed. (Let’s face it, the more layers between your skin and hotel sheets the better!) Anyway, I remember reading a fanfic ages go that contained a great line that summed it up, and it went something along the lines of, “A pair of boxer shorts was his only nod to modesty in the bedroom” or words to that effect. Hallelujah! and Right-on Sister! whoever wrote that fanfic 😉
What a shame they wasted that nice material on such an awful outfit for Amanda. It would have made a nice sleeveless dress.
That’s it… I’m done. You can all relax again. 😉
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A catfight between Francine and Amanda? Oh My Heck! I can’t even begin to comprehend what that would look like. (My money’s on Amanda at least at the beginning), she could pour all her frustrations over the last few months into the fight. The look on Lee’s face would have been hysterical.
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ROFL, kiwismh!! I’m with you. I don’t think Lee brought his ROTP pj’s and robe to the suburbs in TGTN!!
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Ha Ha Kiwish! Would just have lovvvvved to see that cat fight!
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Ahh, a catfight!! It would be like Krystle and Alexis on Dynasty!
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“Anyone see something funny about these hands looking at the pictures??!!! I swear, they are painted!!!”
Yeah–they look really bad. Distract the heck out of me every time I watch this scene <shudder>… 😦
“Not to mention how Amanda is suddenly standing right in front of Billy with her hands on his desk”
And she’s suddenly wearing a bracelet on her right wrist that she wasn’t just before… AND Lee is suddenly dressed in a blue/grey jacket with dark pants, not a tan jacket and tan pants. 😛 😆
Oh, and since when did the Agency switch to the black logo on the front of the file folders–I thought they always had the multicoloured (blue/red/yellow?) logo? Whatevs.
BJo–blue marlin? I actually think it’s a white marlin (has a rounded dorsal fin)… shrug And yes… this is the start/introduction of Billy’s fish fascination decor, including that marlin on the back wall and “Big Mouth Billy Bass” on the wall by the door. LOL!
The third blueprint photo looks to be the bathrooms. Seriously!!!
“This is why Amanda is so good in the field – she thinks outside the box.” Yes, yes, yes. And yes, this is part of why she and Lee work so well together–they each have their strengths. Yin and yang. 😉
“Soooo what are the blueprints for guys??!!!”
You really have to ask? Plot device! Was Dobbs going to have bundles of money lying around or bleaching agent? No… he just has blueprints of the Bureau… 😀
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rofl plot device huh.. doh.. ask an obvious question get an obvious answer! 😉 tee hee..
Just wanted to say hiya everyone and that you guys rock! I love reading your comments!! Sorry I cannot respond as much as I would like – but just wanted you to know I love hearing your thoughts and sharing this journey with you all!!
Phew.. KC knows her Marlin! 😉 haaa yes was that big bass a meme of yours?
yin and yang.. I love it!
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Plot device. Awesome!
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😆 A car and a fish expert! When is your wildlife of SMK post coming out? Love it! 😎
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Not a fish expert! But I did walk past a blue marlin every day at my previous work…
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lol! I completely missed the creepy painted hands thing before, but I can definitely see it now! And you guys are right, there shouldn’t be anyone in this scene wearing a grey jacket. Weird.
I love Amanda’s screaming distraction, too. One of the great things about Amanda isn’t just her ability to think outside the box but her willingness to do whatever she has to do at a moment’s notice to get the job done. Screaming and jumping around wasn’t remotely dignified, but Amanda isn’t concerned about maintaining her dignity. She just wants to do what’s necessary to help James, and silly and undignified or not, the trick worked.
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hiya Jestress sooo true!!! Amanda doesn’t care about lookin silly! 😉
Debilyn wonderful to see you have stopped by and caught up! 🙂 Some very interesting ideas! I’m less generous towards Billy in this episode than you I think 😉
BTW-I’ve just published post 10.. I’m about to go away for the weekend so it was easier for me to do it a little early..I’ll be monitoring comments as usual in case anything needs moderation and will reply to comments on Monday – bye all!
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Have a great weekend!
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Oh, Amanda. That scream! She is very good at thinking on her feet here though. Quicker than Francine! Somehow I just think that Amanda isn’t above embarrassing herself to create a distraction whereas Francine is. Lee too for that matter perhaps.
I don’t Billy has yelled at Amanda before! I know he does later in S3 and in S4, but I can only think of times when he’s been cross or stern with her before now. Lee’s little side glance to her as Billy is giving them all the what for…I think he’s just curious to see what the look is on Amanda’s face. It’s very brief and I don’t think he’s thinking too worriedly about Amanda here. If anything I see it as Lee wanting to say the same thing to Amanda that Billy is saying, only maybe with less force. I don’t think Lee blames Amanda for what James did, but I think he is regretting a little how it all played out. James did not show any patience or control. 😉 But James did go find the evidence while Lee just talked to people. Did Lee need a warrant? Maybe since James is a Brit there were warrant issues regardless so Billy never brings that up in his rant?
Is the blue marlin in Billy’s office new décor for S3? Or has it been there for a while and I’ve just never noticed it, iwsod???
Francine and James as partners! ROFL!!! Let’s send them off on their own SOS episode – can you imagine? Fan fiction anyone??
I have no idea why KCD needed those blueprints. Although I’m guessing they probably didn’t allow cameras inside the building so maybe that’s why. But since the ink goes in the tanker before it even gets to the BOEP it really begs the question of why again.
Oh, and can I take back what I said about Francine’s dress? I only like the front of it. Not the back.
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hiya BJo! did Lee need a warrant? Yep probably – but then these things have never stopped Lee in the past 😉 being such a rule breaker and all.. haaa..
I think the marlin is new to Billy’s office in season 3 yes BJo.
Oh really? you don’t like the back of Francine’s dress? I don’t mind it.. kinda classy sexy..
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It’s not the showing of the back that bugs me it’s the necessity of going without the proper frontal support… 😉
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Proof? proof? Billy isn’t that what intelligence gathering is? It starts with rumours, gossip and no hard evidence and agents go investigating to get the hard evidence. Dearie me Billy still can’t accept that James might be right about it. And like you say IWSOD why no mention of the Russian agent?! Argh….
LOL that marlin looks like Billy the singing fish which was a novelty “toy” you could buy here which was a mounted fake fish that would sing and and turn his head.
James seems a tad overdressed in his tux for an afternoon garden party LOL
It seems a little careless of Dobbs to leave highly incriminating blueprints in such an accessible place. Doesn’t he possess a safe at least?!
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I never noticed it before but in the pic where Amanda comes up to Lee and Francine you can see that Francine’s dress is somewhat backless, possibly a halter of some sort. Interesting…
Love how hands on Amanda is with Lee. These two can not help but touch each other. Billy’s nickname for this episode should be “Ballistic Billy”. He started out so calm and has hit a fever pitch.
What’s really sad is that James has been such a bumbler that all the good info he has been digging up keeps being sidelined. First by Lee and now by Billy. He has some great instincts, but seemingly ill-timed. Why didn’t Francine or Lee think to check things out on the inside? If it weren’t for James they would know nothing and really end up with a flap on their hands when Dobbs succeeded in his plans. They can’t see the forest for the trees. Again, very much a mirror to Amanda’s own affiliation with the Agency.
Love Lee’s quick check to see how Amanda is taking this dressing down. Thank goodness Lee and Francine are at least backing up some of what James has been saying.
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Hiya Valerie!
I think Francine’s dress is very similar to this one of Amanda’s:
[she wore it in the tag of Dead Ringer]
I keep wishing she’d wear it again.. but maybe Francine stole it and altered it so Amanda wouldn’t notice… you know what with her cover wardrobe budget cut and all 😉
I agree Valerie.. James’ message gets ignored because of his presentation – IMHO an agent should be looking below the level of appearances and definitely be exploring the facts..
Francine seems to be on board too now which is great. Guess Francine had her little dig at Amanda and got over it 😉
So true it does mirror Amanda’s experiences at times 🙂
Why didn’t Lee or Francine get inside the house? why were they happy to simply get some gossip? doesn’t seem normal does it.. a great question, a telling question! I think it’s because they didn’t believe enough in James, and because of who KCD is – I guess making diplomatic waves is not good for the career so why put it on the line for only James?
Only.. it is the us economy at risk here – guess they refuse to commit to this belief at this point.. maybe that explains their lack of commitment to this investigation (I’d say lack of commitment is why they don’t take the risk of trying to get into the house like James does – he’s committed!)
Hope you are enjoying the snow Valerie!
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We have the weirdest weather. Tomorrow the weather is supposed to jump about 20 degrees, stay that way for the weekend and then drop another 20 degrees or so. Then supposedly another storm is brewing. So much for Spring! We have three more inches to go before we break some record set back in about 1880. I could care less about it, bring on the warmer weather!
Now that I think of it I’m a little jealous of the lovely garden party attire as they are in a warmer climate, all except the pink pajamas.
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