Back to Dobb’s estate..
this same exterior shot was used in weekend.. same cars and everything! Except weekend’s had people walking in it.
Dobbs is on the baddie phone (Lol!) asking for a favour from a pal back home or should I say a jolly good chap – since we are overdosing on British stereotypes here…
Dobbs: that’s right, here in Washington. Bound and determined to embarrass the whole bloody British Empire if he can. ( he listens on the phone)
… Could you? Something suitably scandalous?… Yes! That’s marvellous! After all, he is a bit bonkers, isn’t he?!!
(he listens again) … fine. Love to Edith. And my best to Charles and Di when you see them. Ta!
Well.. I’m disappointed we didn’t get to see the whole of the baddie phone.. but looks like it was a black version. Suitably evil looking and refined!
Back to IFF. James and Amanda are in the conference room waiting to hear news about any bad greenbacks being discovered.
James is attempting to throw his hat onto the hat stand, which is a James bond Motif! – see comments below.
James misses the hat stand. From Amanda’s reaction, I’m guessing this is not his first attempt 
James walks over to retrieve the hat and try again.
Amanda: oh well, I guess it’s easier in the movies. He never missed.
James: he?
Amanda: you know, Mr B. When I first saw him in the movies I thought he was the greatest guy in the world.
James throws his hat to the hat stand, and misses again. So he walks over to collect it and try yet again.
James: Indeed. Yes, handsome, strapping fellow who always got all the birds, ha! I couldn’t even say ‘Good day’
James lines up his hat to throw it again..
Amanda: oh well, you know, you grow up and you 
realise there aren’t any guys like that. It doesn’t really seem to matter.
At this, James throws the hat at the hat stand while 
looking at Amanda and listening to her – it lands on the hat stand- finally!! when 
he wasn’t even looking!
Amanda is shocked.. James too!
Amanda: would you look at that!..
…I guess the best things really do happen when you don’t try so hard.
As soon as Amanda has finished this sentence, Lee opens the door.
He sighs and says: Billy just called, (Amanda nods)
..the money’s perfect. down to the last dollar.
Amanda: Oh.
Amanda and James share a disappointed look and the scene ends there.
Next thing we see Amanda has given James a ride to his hotel (the scenery behind him there doesn’t look right! this whole scene is obviously a few different locations put together.) Plus, why is Amanda dropping James at his hotel in her car??
You can see his car parked behind her on the other side of the street. But.. we saw James pick up Amanda from her house in his car to take her to the garden party! Looks like James drove Amanda to her house to pick up her car, then Amanda followed James to his hotel to drop off his car and then Amanda gave James a ride to IFF and so she has now given him a ride back again- rofl! Ah continuity.. I love it..
Hmm.. why has this all gone on?? well.. let’s watch and see! 😉
James and Amanda say their goodbyes sitting in Amanda’s car.
James: he’s up to no good. I’m certain of it. And I’m not going to quit until I find out exactly what it is.
Amanda: well, if I can help.
James: Oh thank you. But I’ve put you to enough trouble already. [what a sweetie to realise this] Thanks for uh dropping me at the hotel.
Amanda: sure.
James gets out and begins to cross the street while Amanda watches on.
He drops the contents of his pocket in the middle of the road (as James Brand tends to do ) and a car lines up James, and accelerates towards him.
Amanda calls to James, runs over to him pushing him off the road. Well.. stunt Amanda pushes stunt James
They both land in a pile of conveniently located luggage as the car just misses them and speeds off.
Ah! so that’s why Amanda had to bizarrely give James a ride! This couldn’t have happened if James dropped Amanda back at her house Ah.. explains the pyjama pants Amanda is wearing also! (and the really bad wig! ) Hooray for Amanda!
Okay well I’m going to finish up here for now..
Iwsod’s comments:
– From Dobb’s conversation it sounds to me like he knows who James is. And knows he has been after him for some time. If that’s the case, why did James go to his garden party? Dobbs would know at least James is still checking on him. And why didn’t Dobbs kick him out of his party when he arrived? It seemed to me like Dobbs didn’t know who James was till after he had been discovered in his office.. but this dialogue suggests Dobbs knows well who he is and what he has been doing in the past. anyone?
-James and the hat stand.
A bit random?? not at all – this is a James Bond Reference! 
James Bond throws his hat onto the hat stand when he arrives at Money penny’s office in a number of James Bond movies.
I love how this vid ends!
I like how James keeps trying to toss the hat – he doesn’t give up. Even if he doesn’t think he has much of a chance of being successful! [maybe a metaphor for how James isn’t giving up on catching Dobbs]
– Amanda and Mr B… and Lee!
Well here is an interesting little revelation about Amanda no?? She grew up watching the James Bond movies.. she recognises the hat toss as a James Bond thing..”The best things really do happen when you don’t try so hard.”
As soon as Amanda says this- Lee walks in!!! I think there is a subtext here to this dialogue!!! Amanda is talking about James Bond.. she thought he was the greatest.. searching for a man like him and then realising he doesn’t exist.. hmmm.. yep there is just Lee Amanda.. yep you poor disenchanted woman!!! Of all the men to meet when looking for James Bond- you must be soooo disappointed 😉 Not!!! I think this is Amanda not connecting the dots.. and a reference to her earlier admission in service above and beyond that she use to have fantasies about secret agents.. and then- when talking about the best things happening basically when you are not working hard to make it happen – in walks Lee.. who.. will one day be one of the best things in her life! her very own James Bond (except he’s a much better version!) .. awh!!!
-Another interesting thing to me about this scene is how James actually for the first time admits he isn’t James Bond or like him- when he compares how James Bond got all the girls- and James Brand?? He couldn’t even say ‘good day’. This is progress for James I think! Then, just when he admits this, he goes and actually succeeds at what he was trying to do – throw the hat onto the hat stand- a little hint that James will do better in life being himself maybe, just as James is beginning to accept that he needs to stop trying to be someone he isn’t. With Amanda’s support, I think James begins to see that he is a worthwhile guy to be even if he isn’t James Bond.
But.. the handsome strapping fellow who always got the birds is a bit of a description of Lee no??!!! Lee is very similar to James Bond in some ways.. but thankfully he is also different – different in the areas which would make him one day a good life partner for someone and a happy, healthy guy! See Nedlindger’s for a bit of a discussion of Lee and James Bond if you are interested..(or of course feel free to discuss this here also, afterall it relates to this episode) I think this episode is mainly about James and his JB persona.. but there is also an interesting insight into how Amanda found JB attractive.. the intrigue appealed to her.. .. and thus- sets her up to fall for Stetson, Lee Stetson! tee hee..
-Soo why did ‘Billy call’ they are all at IFF.. did Billy go down to check all the money personally? tee hee!
-It seems very premature to just give up now!.. they should keep checking the money. they don’t know when Dobbs is going to act or how exactly. [I can hear KC now- Iwsod, it’s a plot device! 😉 okay okay! 😉 ]
I think the agency gives up on it too soon because of who Dobbs is, and who James is – once again.. judgements are made based on appearances.. naughty naughty!
As always, I’m really looking forward to hearing about what you see, and what you think of this part of the episode! byee for now!
"Just walk with me.." 
ahhh I have finally had a chance to come back to this moment where Amanda says ‘I guess the best things really do happen when you don’t try so hard’
I’ve pondered this one.. I’ve always thought it was just about Lee and Amanda.. Amanda’s looking for a man like James Bond, but then realising he doesn’t exist and that it doesn’t really matter – and then in walks Lee. I still think this is a way of saying- Amanda’s girlish fantasies will be fulfilled in an even more meaningful, wonderful, real way than she could have ever dreamed of. Lee will eventually fulfill her fantasies in a way the fictional James Bond never could have 🙂 and she didn’t even go looking for him..she went out and started on this agency adventure – and her relationship with Lee has been a consequence of this – though not the reason why she wanted to work with the agency (IMHO).
There is also the underlying theme of being yourself – accepting yourself and not trying to be anyone other than who you are – in this episode that is jam packed with things/people who are not what they appear to be. Don’t try so hard. Be yourself. It’s enough!
Jestress I really enjoyed your observation about how Lee said in SAAB that the fantasy turns out to be lousy! good call!!
Yes I think Lee is a much better man that James Bond. In the latest JB film, Skyfall, I found myself feeling he was a very hollow man.. all the tragedy in his life – and he was left hollow..(whoooo this idea of being hollow came up in Burn Out, with the choices Lee made in that episode and the allusions to Apocalypse Now!!!) We understand why James Bond is the way he is.. but to me there has been no healing, no redemption.. I find him a sad character who in many ways has more in common with the bad guys at times than what I would call a good guy. In Skyfall – I truly felt he did not give a stuff about the woman who helped him. He seduced her, and promised to help her – she was a slave to the bad guy..and was looking to JB to help her escape- in the end to me it felt JB didn’t care, and just used her – just like the bad guy had been.. meh. As a woman, I’ve become completely repulsed by this side of his character. I’ll restrain myself from further rantings I promise. but inspite of Lee’s womanising, I’ve never gotten the impression that he misuses or disrespects women!
I agree with Kiwismh and Jestress, I don’t see Lee’s playboy antics getting in the way of his work. err other than something to do with the admiral’s daughter we heard about in The First time.. lol.. He does keep his dating life separate to his work life – it’s that compartmentalisation that Lee relies on in life! Does come in handy I guess!
Kiwismh wrote:
This discussion really intrigued me but I had no time to respond back then –sorry about that! I’ll do a little thinking out loud here myself..
I agree kiwismh, I think she is not talking about the hat trick. Or knowing smk it is about more than just the hat trick.
An interesting question kiwismh.. when you ask ‘ Is she talking about her personal and professional situation? or both?’
Love your thinking out loud here kiwismh!! you raise some interesting ideas!
Here’s a few of my random thoughts….
In terms of Amanda’s professional life, I don’t see Amanda as trying so hard, or not being herself. though I do think she tries on a more professional and modern fashion look towards the end of season 2.. she is exploring herself.. and how to be herself – but I wouldn’t call this not being herself. I think she is still very much Amanda. For me, Amanda has always been very true to who she is.
Where Amanda needs to maybe move on is that she learns how to be herself, but at the same time present herself in a more professional light to others. Part of this episode, is Amanda stepping up to help James, and by doing this – she is having a go at being more of a professional. does that make sense??
but.. not trying so hard? for me, I don’t see that any of this fits with where Amanda is at professionally.
Amanda is enthusiastic, and it’s what makes her good at her work IMHO – no one accuses Lee of being ‘enthusiastic’ – he’s a top agent that’s all! I think this label is put on Amanda for qualities that are not labelled this way in others.. but this is all a work in progress and will play out in the coming episodes.. so I’ll not expand on this now.
Personally does Amanda try ‘so hard’ ?
I think she tries hard to have a professional life and be a mother… she has a full life. but I think she enjoys it. so I’m not really seeing that either..
Yes Amanda is invested in Lee kiwismh, that is true..
I see Amanda as having guarded her heart from falling deeply for him – because of his womanising ways and his not wanting a permanent relationship and family. [ at this point Amanda isn’t to know things have been changing 🙂 ] so while she is invested.. I don’t see Amanda as being unwisely invested..
‘overthinking this’? NOT POSSIBLE!!! 🙂 tee heee..
Maybe the trying so hard is just a commentary on how Lee and Amanda now accept each other – and how that acceptance is naturally growing into something that is one of the ‘best things’ 🙂
Morley wrote:
I like this Morley.. she sees the reality, and she is still okay with it.. Well, Amanda’s reality includes Lee as her dear friend and partner.. so she has some good realities to look on no? 🙂
Morley again:
Love this! so true Morley!!! This is Lee being Lee really isn’t it.. He isn’t wearing his scarecrow persona here! He isn’t trying so hard – he is being real 🙂
Oh dear.. this has turned into a huge comment! sorry guys!! eek!
This has all been really interesting to ponder – thanks guys – you rock! byeeee
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Late to the party again. Nothing to add except I’ve enjoyed reading all your comments, lots of food for thought 🙂
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Hi Everyone! some interesting discussion here!
I haven’t got time at the moment to address it, I’ll try and come back to it in a few days – Amanda’s statement that it no longer matters and the ‘not trying so hard’ idea have been real food for thought – I wasn’t quite sure what to fully make of it.. hmm still not! so I’m really glad you guys have explored it! LOL by the time I get my head around it you may have all moved on.. haaa oh well! someone eventually will come back here and read my comment! 😉
I felt it was important to keep the walk through this episode moving- we don’t want to get bogged down and be doing Mr Brand in a month..but nor do we want to rush..
I sense we are all looking forward to getting to Over the Limit!
We’ll finish up this episode, then 2 posts on Cindy’s season 2 bad guy wrap up.. and then brace yourselves -we’ve finally arrived at Over the limit!!!
Soooo in the meantime.. hope you enjoy Mr Brand and we’ll keep up a regular pace.. I’ll think on these comments and come back to this later in the week when I have more time. byeee!!
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Hey everyone. I’ve been busy planning my 25th wedding anniversary party (it was last night) and I have not been online much so now I am playing catch up…I love all the comments and I hope I change my kind about this ep as we keep going through it….(Not my fav…always thought it was corny)…keep the comments coming as I love everyone’s different perspectives…
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“[I can hear KC now- Iwsod, it’s a plot device! 😉 okay okay! 😉 ]”
😛 LOL! Did I say that? Oh, yeah–of course I did. 😆 (Come on. We all love SMK despite the gaping plot holes and plot devices. Right?!? I mean, they just give us a reason to all jump down the rabbit hole with Jule and munch on chocolate or whatever other goodies are about.)
“I’m really looking forward to hearing about what you see…”
I also see that Amanda’s shout of “James” to warn him about the car doesn’t sound very panic-stricken… which might’ve actually been a useful thing–clueing James in to the danger. shrug Oh–and Stunt Amanda runs well… not all flappy-armed and girly like Stunt Francine or Stunt Amanda on other occasions. (Or is that Second Unit Amanda that does the flappy-armed girly run like Stunt Francine?)
I see that the car that attempts to run down James is the same colour and model that Lee used in VM (the one that was blown up)…
“I think this is Amanda not connecting the dots..” –> “… you grow up and you relise there aren’t any guys like that. It doesn’t really seem to matter.” I think that Amanda stating that it really doesn’t seem to matter means that yeah–maybe she was disappointed that “James Bond” didn’t exist in real life, but she grew up and realised that there were so many things to possibly love a person for that it truly doesn’t matter. (I’m really not explaining this well. Ugh.)
“With Amanda’s support, I think James begins to see that he is a worthwhile guy to be even if he isn’t James Bond.”
Yes–that’s one of the things I love about this episode… how Amanda so gently (so Amanda-ly) leads James to the realisation that he doesn’t need to pretend to be someone else. He’s great being just who he is.
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Oh KC, I love your comments. Cars and plot devices and stunt doubles and then this, “Yes–that’s one of the things I love about this episode… how Amanda so gently (so Amanda-ly) leads James to the realisation that he doesn’t need to pretend to be someone else. He’s great being just who he is.” Go Amanda, Go KC! Amanda is so good at this and I think even Lee is enjoying her doing this with James because Lee has already experienced her doing it with him…and he is about to get even more of it soon, isn’t he?
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Hah! I’ve gotta keep everyone on their toes! 🙂
And yes–Lee is like a long-forgotten masterpiece painting that Amanda is slowly restoring… (to where he might have been in the first place had it not been for all the tragedy in his life). A slow, painstaking labour of care and love.
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I enjoy your restoration analogy here KC.. sounds great to me! Amanda is helping to restore Lee back to his best self.. rather than the one who was wounded, guarded and only half living.. covered in a lifetime of grit, grime and pollution, it was hard to see the masterpiece beneath! But.. Amanda did.. 🙂 and eventually, I think she helped Lee to see it too 🙂
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If I didn’t explain it well enough before: Amanda gently and painstakingly removes Lee’s artifices and walls the way an art restorer would remove the accumulated grime of centuries…
Must be time for some zzzs–I’m rambling.
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KC, I completely understand what you are trying to say. My FIL restores art. It is gentle and takes time and love but it makes all the difference. What is uncovered was always there and was the initial intent of the creator, it has just been covered with time or because of an accident. My FIL once took a painting that had been in a house fire and restored it. He had bought it for the frame but under the smoke damage found an old master. Your analogy is working for me 🙂
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I’m glad someone understands my crazy… 🙂
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I think I understand what you’re saying about Amanda realizing “there aren’t any guys like that” and how “it doesn’t really seem to matter.” James Bond may be dashing and a supposedly perfect spy, but he’s fiction, and there are many interesting and lovable people in real life, even if they aren’t perfect. Also, I think that some things that seem great in fiction wouldn’t really be as great in real life.
It’s kind of like Lee said about fantasies turning out to be lousy in real life. I think that a real life spy like James Bond would be annoying and not nearly as good at his job as he was supposed to be. It’s kind of like my brother said, James Bond seemed a lot cooler when we were kids and didn’t realize how much trouble he got into because he kept sleeping around and falling for the wrong women. Then, there’s all the drinking he does. I saw a BBC article awhile ago on the character where they were pointing out that no normal person could drink the way he does and not develop serious health problems. I guess it grates on me because he was supposed to be such a perfect spy. A spy who acted like that in real life probably wouldn’t last too long at all and would be difficult for anyone to work with.
I like Lee a lot better than Bond because, even though he was kind of a playboy in the beginning, he improved over time and was better at focusing on the mission at hand. Lee has his imperfections, but he isn’t supposed to be perfect. He has his faults and even acknowledges them, like in Lost and Found, when he realized that he really shouldn’t have been involved with the case because he was too close to Eva. He’s a good spy, but he knows that he’s not perfect and is dedicated to doing the best job he can. Generally, I think that Lee is much more likeable as a person than Bond. Amanda’s much better off with him. 😀
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As you can guess, I’m not really a Bond fan. However, I am a Scooby-Doo fan (yep, talking dog solving mysteries, what’s not to like? 🙂 ). In one of their newer episodes, they had a parody on James Bond where the hero was battling the sinister Dr. Bikini (who had a beach-themed hideout and henchmen dressed in scuba gear) and had a love interest in the Russian military named Major Smoochie. Ah, those delightfully awful Bond names! I was thinking the other day that it would have been funny if there had been one person in this episode with a bad pun for a name so that everyone could go, “Wait, seriously?”
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Remington Steele did this once: The villainess’s name was Millicent Fairbush.
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lol! I remember Millicent Fairbush! Steele couldn’t resist commenting on that. I sort of wish one of Clayton-Dobbs’s associates had a name like that, the kind of thing that would get funny looks and make people ask whether that was her real name. I’m not sure whether Bond movies ever addressed whether or not those were the villain’s real names, but I’d bet Amanda would be one to ask and to express concern about whether they’d been teased a lot as children. More candidates for the Institute for Naming Children Humanely! http://inch.stormpages.com/
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rofl I love that website Jestress!
Millicent fairbush? wahahahaa!! I get the impression RS was more bold in it’s gags and paying out on popular culture??
I know.. smk should have had a character in Das Giesterschloss called Honey Von Trapp! 😉
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I still think that Austin Powers takes the cake… Alotta , Robin Swallows, Ivana Humpalot, etc. (Don’t get me started on the Fooks…) Though it always struck me as funny that the cinema version I saw in New Zealand used the “sanitised” version of Alotta’s name and the US version I saw didn’t–we’re generally less uptight with our censoring. Hmmm… must’a just been the particular theatres I went to??? shrug
Then again, AP was meant to be a spoof, so it shouldn’t surprise me that it had so many punny names.
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Oy. WordPress took out Alotta’s “surname”–you-know-whatta–which I’d put in angle brackets ‘cos I was still trying to keep things vaguely PG. 😛
Thenceforth to the gutter!!!
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I haven’t actually watched Austin Powers, at least not all the way through. I should have known it would play up the pun names,though. Carmen Sandiego villains were always like that, too, but much cleaner because it was for kids (ex. Miss Demeanor).
Remington Steele might have been a little bold in some ways, but not too much. Steele’s only comment on Millicent’s name was, “Yes, you are, aren’t you.” As I recall, he got an annoyed look from Laura for that. lol, Iwsod! Honey Von Trapp! ;D
Amanda: Is that her real name? Poor woman! You know, some parents just aren’t careful enough when it comes to naming their children. When the boys were born, Joe and I were very careful about choosing their names because children can be so cruel some times, and you don’t want to give a child a name that will expose him or her to teasing, and the name “King” can lead to some bad puns. When Joe was young, people made jokes about him always being “joking.” Get it, Joe King, “Joe-King”? And there are other names that can cause problems like that, like if Philip’s first name was “Lee” . . . . . . Not that there’s anything wrong with the name Lee. It’s a nice name . . .
Lee: Amanda, it doesn’t matter what her name is.! We’re just supposed to find her and apprehend her, not critique her name. Now, can we focus on the task at hand.
Amanda: The wrong name can lead to poor self-esteem. Perhaps if she had a better name, she wouldn’t have gotten involved with these people in the first place, and we wouldn’t need to . . .
Lee: Amanda . . .
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I like that bit of dialogue Jestress, I could totally see that occurring…
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Wow… I just about fell out of my chair laughing.
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LOL !!! it seems that I missed that post in March! Very funny dialogue. I can actually hear Amanda ramble! I love wordplays, but don’t know so many in English 🙂
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Just imagine if Joe met Harry Potter’s godfather Sirius…the bad puns would be endless!
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lol! Good one!
Joe: I’m Joe King. (For MarA (and other who could use translation 😉 ): I’m joking.)
Sirius: I thought as much. It’s nice to meet you anyway. I’m Sirius. (I’m serious.)
Joe: About what?
Sirius: Huh?
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Rofl! Definitely falling off my chair…
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Thanks! I didn’t think of it before, but the puns might have been a little confusing for people who aren’t used to puns in English.
I sort of explained the Joe King (“joking”) pun. If one of Amanda’s kids was named “Lee”, his full name would have been Lee King (sounding like “leaking”). The pun Iwsod was making with Honey von Trapp refers to “honey trap”, which is basically when someone intentionally enters into a love affair (or at least tries to) with someone else for the purpose of obtaining information from that person, convincing the person to do something, or judging how faithful the person is. (honey = sweetness = love, and love is the bait for the trap) So, Honey von Trapp would be an ironic name for a female spy who tries to do something like that. Hope that helps!
I’m not even going to try to explain any of the Austin Powers puns because that would involve using words that shouldn’t really be used here. 😛
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Thanks Jestress, I actually got the puns, but I might have given Danni’s Sirius comment a second or a third thought if you haven’t added the funny dialogue. 🙂
You know SMK is really a fun fun fun fun way to improve my English knowledge. I think I should also whatch Austin Powers again in English of course maybe with English subtitles, otherwise I’ll probably miss the puns 🙂
I assume I will learn a some new words which I cannot use at work, but who cares…. 🙂
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You would not believe the names I’ve come across as a teacher. Crazy names and crazy spelling. Sometimes I would see my class list and just cringe. I keep saying that when I retire I’m going to volunteer at a hospital to check names of newborns.
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Like what you have said here Jestress. However, I don’t think that Lee let his playboy antics get in the way of being focussed on a mission. I think in his younger days he was pretty good at burning the candle at both ends but Amanda has come into his life at a time when that behaviour would probably eventually end up getting him killed. You can’t keep up that pace as you get older, m’lad 😉
My take on his playboy ways is that Lee would never let any passing dalliance get in the way of him doing his job well. The job was always his primary focus – the women were just stress relief.
I remember watching a documentary on espionage, intelligence operatives and the like. What consistently came through is that the best spies – I guess especially those that get embedded or go off-shore to do their spying – are very ordinary looking people, someone you wouldn’t look twice at, let alone expect them to be a spy. I guess Lee might be just too good lookin’ for the spy-game, huh? Then again, I suppose the good ones come in handy for honey trap jobs and the like. 😉
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That’s what I mean, I think Lee was much better at keeping his dating life separate from his working life. The incident with Eva was the closest that he ever came (at least in the episodes) to letting his love life interfere with a case.
Good point about spies looking like ordinary people. That’s really one of Amanda’s assets as well. She’s an ordinary person who looks and acts like an ordinary person, but she’s also a spy and few people would suspect her of it at first glance.
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lovin hearing from ya KC!! Yeah! I think plot device is an explanation for a lot of things.. 😉
Lovin hearing from everyone!
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I guess the best things really do happen when you don’t try so hard.
I’m trying to get my head around the significance of this line from Amanda, because it seems it is significant given the intense look on her face. She’s clearly not just talking about James’ little hat trick.
Is she talking about her personal and professional situation? Or both? Has she tried too hard or been too enthusiastic in the past to show Lee, Billy and Francine that she can be a good agent? Does she impress more when she simply gets down to business and works logically and methodically as she has done doing the research work on this case? She is learning to temper her amateur enthusiasm with a combination of her natural talent and the skills she has learned so far at the Agency.
Is this also an allusion to her professional partnership and personal friendship with Lee. Perhaps she is now realising that their professional and personal relationship has grown stronger as much from the seemingly ordinary and everyday aspects of their acquaintance, as opposed to the extraordinary events or times when they have both tried too hard to figure each other out – usually resulting in one or other of them clamming up or in a disagreement/argument.
Just thinking out loud really, trying to figure out where this fits with where Amanda is at the moment. She is much more invested in Lee than she consciously realises right now, and this becomes apparent in the next episode. But without bouncing forward to that prematurely, I’m trying to concentrate on what she’s thinking right here, right now when she makes this comment.
Am I overthinking this or reading more into it than is there? Anyone else got any ideas?
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kiwismh, I really like your thoughts here. There is a lot going on with that statement and it is a good thing to consider, especially since things between Lee and Amanda are at some sort of precipice at this point. They have both learned how to handle each other, what to expect of each other, and know what the other is like.
Lee has come to understand Amanda’s role as a mother and how important her family and friends are to her. And he counts himself as one of her friends and looks to her as a friend. He has fully admitted that she is a close friend. Amanda knows how to curb or lessen Lee’s bursts of anger and adjusts how she approaches him with things. Lee doesn’t hide himself as much from Amanda as he used to. He is allowing himself to be a bit more open with her and knows he wants her around.
Lee has come a long way, professionally, from declaring that he doesn’t work with partners, to not only referring to Amanda as his partner, but starting to give her things to do instead of shunting her to the side (wait in the car). Amanda has learned to reign in or curb some of her spontaneity and is learning that in order to go further she is going to have to step it up. She may have to request more training, etc. As she is seeing with James, it’s about how you present yourself and she knows how others have seen her.
Their awareness of what’s going on with each other is moving from being internalized to something that is bubbling its way to the surface and becoming external. They already react and respond to each other unconsciously and are being to become aware of it consciously.
I think this episode is the same way. At first viewing you kind of brush it off as not being that big of a deal and not worthy of a second glance. It was in the wrong place in airing order and sort of confusing and a little upsetting considering where the season was going. It was like a backpedal. But taking it step by step you find all these subtle nuances to this story and so much that is going on here. It really does lay good foundation for what is to come next. There are little gems throughout this entire episode.
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I love what you and kiwismh have written here. Like I mentioned before, I was lucky (?) enough to miss this episode when when it first ran in the original airing order. It is filled with lovely goodness but I would have been really disappointed if it had ran after OTL, ALLA, etc. What was the network thinking?
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Like your ideas Valerie. Thanks for teasing it out a bit more. I struggle with the episode because it is weak in so many ways but now I am seeing it as a season opener and before OTL, etc, it makes more sense and I’ve picked up the subtle references to Lee and Amanda’s journey that I’ve never appreciated before in this episode.
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I like all these interpretations… I’m sure there’s a lot of that going on in her worldview right now. I notice that when I try to give advice, it’s sometimes more to do with what I’m going through in my life, rather than what the recipient is going through.
But that significant look is a “mom look” to me. It’s that trying-to-make-a-point look, the look you get with statements like “Now don’t you wish you’d started your homework earlier when I told you? If you’d finished already, you could go to that movie with your friend.” A lot of people have commented that Amanda is sort of coaching James through communicating effectively with Lee and Billy – I just see this as an extension of that idea.
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Yes, yes and yes! Everything you thought out loud is brilliant, I think. Taking this line of Amanda’s after the first two season, after the hair don’t and the wardrobe change fiasco has worn off and she is back to looking like Amanda King, and after the frustrations of the garden party and the moment in Billy’s office, her comment speaks loudly about where she is as she views herself and her position in respect to the Agency. It calls forth all that SAAB revealed to us about Amanda and brings an updated view of where she is now. And it also shows us a glimpse of where Amanda is in her relationship and feelings towards Lee. She says, “You grow up and you realize there aren’t any guys like that and it doesn’t seem to matter.” That last line, “it doesn’t seem to matter,” that is a far cry from fantasies turning out to be lousy when you see the real thing like Lee had warned her. She is dealing in reality now. I guess the question that she has been working on responding to for a while is how to relate to the real thing, the job and the man.
“I guess the best things happen when you don’t try so hard.” This line coupled with one of James’ coming up really gels Amanda is season 3, I think. And I think she needed to hear it at the start of this next season (not just a TV season, but a life season).
And I love that Lee pops his head in the door just then, but what I really love is that the Lee that shows up just on the perfect forshadowing cue isn’t a cocky “I told you so, now listen to me the super spy” Lee, he is a dejected and disappointed Lee. Not only because the lead seemed to bear no fruit, but also because it meant to him that Amanda and James’ theory seemed to hold no water and he was disappointed about that.
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Like this Morley. You have made a lot more sense of it than I did. I think you are right on the mark with where things are at with Amanda, and between Amanda and Lee at the moment. Thanks.
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Amanda probably initially saw Lee as similar to Bond and he probably reminded her of the fantasies she had. But Amanda has had the opportunity see what the world of espionage is really like. She has had some close calls and has seen Lee risk his life on several occasions. She has learned the difference between fantasy and reality. Her fantasy was somewhat idealized, but I think she has come to understand and appreciate the reality and knows it’s much better than the fantasy. And that is what she now prefers.
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“oh well, you know, you grow up and you realise there aren’t any guys like that.”
This line always cracked me up.
Ummmm, Amanda — exactly who have you been working with the past couple of years? Is it because your partner doesn’t have a British/Scottish accent? OK, I have decided to interpret her line as she sees Lee the complete man rather than Scarecrow the hotshot secret agent persona.
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