14/18 Season Three, Episode 03 : Over the Limit- Scarecrow and Mrs King (Blog order-Episode 02)

98 thoughts on “14/18 Season Three, Episode 03 : Over the Limit- Scarecrow and Mrs King (Blog order-Episode 02)”

1. While reading through some older SMK episodes I remember a probably crazy theory I once came up with that might explain why the doorman let Leslie into Lee‘s apartment.

   Lee had once told the doormen that it is okay to give Amanda King entrance in his absence (thinking of emergencies or times when Amanda got into trouble or something like that). This evening a new doorman was on duty who hadn‘t met Amanda yet. He was told about that fact and got a general description of Amanda King. Tall, slender, in her 30s, brunette, brown eyes, rather conservatively dressed… you get the picture.

   When Leslie showed up and asked if he could let her into Mr Stetson apartment he assumed she was Mrs King maybe even said something like ‚you had to be Mrs King‘. Which could also explain why Leslie is fishing for information to see what kind of relationship Lee and his ‘secretary’ really have.

   Lee could have even learned about this later on when he asked the doorman why he let a stranger in his apartment. Would give him some more food for thinking.

   As I said just a crazy theory but I like this idea better than the thought of Leslie being around Lee‘s apartment often enough that she is familiar to the doormen.

   Now that we met Leslie I can also comment on some other points:

   I think it is insomnia. Lee looks more like a tired guy who really would like to sleep and doesn’t know how than someone who is happily missing sleep because of the fun he have instead. What might keep him awake? I will come to what I think later.

   Leslie obviously is no Randy-baby rather the opposite with her more than conservative clothes. A choice probably due to her work. Better be too dressed up than offend foreign diplomats. The fact that Leslie is that different from Lee’s usual ‘girls’ shows that he is looking not only for someone but also something different than what he had in the past. I think he doesn’t really know yet what he is looking for. Only that he wouldn’t find it with some Randy-baby. No more meaningless flings with superficial blondes (Phyllis “you used to send me flowers”)

   In LOTP we already got that vibe (not interested in BetsyJ) he might not have been feeling well that evening, but I think that a year or so before that wouldn’t have kept him from at least getting her number. Now he seemed more like ‘what did I ever saw in those type of girls?’

   I think he has not slept with Leslie because he really wants something different. Just falling into bed with someone he could probably have had any day with any Randy-baby. But going for something more real substantial needs to take a different path like getting to know someone for a while and seeing if it is something that has that potential.

   So what’s keeping him from getting sleep. Maybe it is his subconsciousness. He consciously thinks that he is on the right way and that Leslie is what he is looking for but when he falls asleep his subconscious tells him something else. Probably bringing up images of another brunette. One he doesn’t want to think of in regards to a personal relationship (yet).

   I do not dislike Leslie but her questions and bringing up the dress are just too much for me to like her. I agree with those who said that she is an important and needed step for Lee from flings with Randies to a real committed relationship.

   Just my ideas you may not agree but as SMK is rather vague about a lot of things we can all see it differently.

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   1. Oooh! I really like your theory about the doorman being new. And I am also on the “they hadn’t slept together yet” train (though when I saw this first aired, I thought differently).

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   2. Your doorman idea makes so much sense (and boy does that open the door for ff — I hope someone runs with it!)

      I agree Lee has insomnia, not that he’s sleeping with Leslie. Plus when I showed the original script scene to a friend, we both commented how we’ve made the same mistake with socks and we weren’t sleeping with anyone at the time! LOL Sometimes you’re just overtired and/or distracted in the morning!

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2. I just saw the first line here and I actually read it as “Bruce yourselves.” Help!

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3. Wow! I never caught that the party he was taking Leslie to was at the same place as the New Year’s Eve party that Amanda had worn the dress to! He really was trying to recreate that night and prove his feelings were about any part of it but Amanda, wasn’t he??

   My initial thoughts about Leslie were that Lee had subconsciously tried to find someone who was all the things about Amanda that had annoyed him when they first met (conservative dress, hair in bun, rambles full of TMI, intelligent but oh-so-naive and overly optimistic, friendly and inclusive to a fault – I saw Leslie inviting Amanda to stay as corollary to Amanda inviting Lee to Thanksgiving, etc), and that he (also subconsciously) expected/hoped to find the same hidden depths and unexpected connection he had found with Amanda but it was just not happening and that was the cause of the insomnia. I was actually kind of amazed that the writers had managed to show all those things about Leslie in such a short scene!

   But now that I’ve read your comments, you all make sense to me! 🤣 I can see it all the different ways. Oh well – all that matters is that Leslie doesn’t last and this leads Lee to Amanda!

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   1. Oooh I never noticed the similarities between Leslie inviting Amanda in for their dinner with Amanda inviting Lee for Thanksgiving that first year.

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4. Has anyone mentioned that the actress playing Leslie (Alyssa Davolos, or something like that–I must check) is the same actress who played Bruce Boxleitner’s/Luke McCahon’s girlfriend in the “How the West was Won” series? I always thought it was a little wink and smile to those BB fans who had followed his career from near its start, just as I think the casting of KJ’s “The Rookies” husband as her ex, Joe King, here was a little treat for those, like me, who had followed her career since “The Rookies.” Also, maybe BB and KJ were established with enough clout by this time to do their old friends/colleagues a little casting favor? She is also in a couple of episodes of MacGuyver, where it looked like they might be trying the couple out for a recurring semi-sparring partnership on that series, and then let that idea go.

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   1. Hi Colleen, I’m not sure if that was mentioned here – but when OTL came up and Alyssa Davolos was discussed, we hadn’t gotten to TWWH and met Sam Melville as Amanda’s ex yet (only as a nasty baddie in murder between friends!) – so I hadn’t made the connection that this pairing was similar – a nod to their earlier careers for fans.. I like that – thanks!

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5. Pingback: A quick recap of Over the Limit..before or after Wizard?? | "Just walk with me.."

6. I couldn’t get through all the comments so if I repeat what you’ve said please forgive.
   First of all, Leslie looks like a school Marm from Little House on the Prarie…she looks plain Jane and not at all Lee’s type….I never hAve understood how he could be attracted her. I don’t think she resembles Amanda at all, other than having dark hair and she is too sticky sweet.
   I think any woman that gets the doorman to open the door and then she makes herself at home in a new boyfriends apartment is scary. I think Lee’s reaction to Leslie was shock to find her there taking over. She invaded his privacy….I don’t like Leslie, I think all that sweetness toward Amanda was just a way to find out how close of a relationship she had with Lee and if it was beyond professional….After all, how many men bring their secretaries to their apartment unless it’s for something other than work. I think Lee was back pedaling with Leslie about Amanda’s reason for being therewith him because he was afraid Leslie would misunderstand and think Amanda was there for other reasons.
   Why would a secretary know if her boss was full of surprises?? That was a fishing expedition on Leslie’s part to see how close her and Lee really were. And telling Amanda about the dress was clearly a way for Leslie to say,”back off, he’s mine”.
   I think Amanda handled it all wonderfully even though she was seething inside….I know in her mind she was thinking, “Stetson, you’re a flipping jerk”.
   Oh I could go on, but I want to get to the next post….bye for now

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   1. I’m with you Gruvy Granny – invasion of privacy big time. I would run screaming if I were Lee. I think a woman should always show a bit less interest than she feels (i’m with Jane Bennet on that!), and Amanda does that very well from season two onwards.

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      1. Well, Elizabeth Bennet, although Jane does it in practice. Look where Charlotte Lucas ended up. (yes I like P & P)

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         1. Yes poor charlotte.. oh wait.. I’m getting a room with a view and P&P mixed up now!

            Yes that philosophy secures Charlotte a husband.. but.. not one that she really wants! 🙂

            Back to work for me!

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            1. Yes poor Charlotte (room with a view) – we all wanted to be Lucy. Can’t think of any literary Charlottes that got a good deal. And yes, back to work for those of us in Australia. Thank goodness for my private office

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               1. Yep Charlotte in Charlotte’s web didn’t fare too well either.

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      2. Gruvy Granny loved your Leslie rant! 🙂 Please- keep them coming!!! 🙂

         You’re right! Why would a boss be bringing his secretary back to his apartment? hooo haaa!

         Hey learjet.. whooo love a P & P reference! I agree.. I prefer the man take the lead and do the chasing – which is probably why I love smk and why I interpret some things the way I do!!
         Hope you are well and BTW- I love drooling at your avatar!! Keep commenting!! whahahahaaa!!

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      3. I with you both Gruvy Granny and learjet. A fishing expedition for sure. And I always love a good P&P reference! I am with Iwsod as well about the man taking the lead and that being one of the reasons that I love this show.

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   2. Lol Gruvy Granny! I must of missed your comment the first time through. I’m with you here, both with the Leslie weird isms, invasiveness and ickiness. I just finished watching OTL again and she’s just all wrong. Iwsod, with you here re Elizabeth Bennett 🙂

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      1. Gosh.. I gotta remember what I said now.. I’ll get back and read the walk through Over the Limit again over the next week or so in prep for finishing up wizard and exploring the events of the two episodes..

         Gruvy Granny has been doing a fab job (from the looks of it) of catching up with our current walk!

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7. Still lovin’ Lee with a gun! I don’t even notice that jacket!

   Yep, I think the doorman must have seen Leslie with Lee at least once if not more than once. I think Lee. I think Lee is genuinely surprised here. I think he was not expecting Leslie to be at his apartment. In fact, I’d say he’d seemed to have forgotten all about her. He’s in work mode, not personal mode and I think he’s been working very hard at not having those two worlds collide. But here it is, in a surprise kaboom! I wonder what Lee was going to say to Leslie before she say Amanda and went to say hello.

   About the secretary…it’s interesting that Amanda chooses to use that cover. I bet Lee has mentioned a work secretary or errand people, just not used Amanda’s name. I really do think he is doing his best to keep work separate from this new relationship with Leslie. This is really a brand new thing for him and he is not ready to share it yet with anyone he words with.

   I don’t think Leslie is clueless, I just think she is focused on her dinner, her new dress, and her new boyfriend. She obviously doesn’t feel threatened at all by Amanda. It definitely feels like Lee and Leslie have seen a fair amount of each other. She travels, so this must have started a while ago. Hmmm.

   Leslie’s behavior toward Amanda doesn’t seem very strange. She figures Amanda must know Lee fairly well. She was coming to his apartment. She thinks they are just work acquaintances, as she is not acting threatened by Amanda’s presence. I think she just figures Amanda is a co-worker and she wants to get some info. from Lee. He’s a spy, his background is classified, so it seems as if he’s been as tight-lipped about his past and not shared much with Leslie.

   Amanda looks like she’s in a bit of a shell-shock here as Leslie walks away talking about this dress that Lee has bought her. Of course she’s putting two and two together and realizing that Leslie is very nice, sweet, kind, and a bit sophisticated. Amanda has got to be wondering what the heck is going on here! This woman is not like anyone else Lee’s had a relationship with in the past.

   I don’t see anything devious in Leslie’s questioning of Amanda about Lee or in telling her about the dress. I think she is excited about her relationship with Lee and just as excited to have found someone who knows Lee who can answer her questions. She has questions about Lee and with her work schedule and Lee’s classified past, this is probably the first time since she’s started dating him that she’s met another soul besides the doorman who knows him. And it’s a woman! They can have a bit of girl talk! If nothing else, Leslie is efficient!

   Yes, Amanda is not happy with Lee. Not. One. Bit. Any teeny tiny sliver of hope she may have had that his denial of a girlfriend was true have just burst into flames. Not only does he have a new girlfriend, but she is decidedly not a Randi type. Other than her outfit, her sweet, kind personality, I’m not sure how Amanda figures her as normal.

   Ugh – I’m with you on the TMI about trying on the dress, though. That is a bit too much gushing. Maybe she’s already had a glass of wine.

   Hahaha! Grumpy milkman! Have you been watching ROTP again, iwsod!?! That’s at least the second ROTP reference this episode! It was ROTP, right?

   The dinner invitation just tells me that Leslie might be planning to be at Lee’s for a while. A loooong while if you get my drift. So having Amanda for dinner might seem like fun when she knows she’s got all night to try on that dress and then take it off. Oh, the horror!

   Amanda is clearly uncomfortable here and I think some things are maybe starting to click for Amanda with regard to Lee and the growth she’s been seeing in him. It’s as if she’s getting a whole different perspective on Lee. The earth has shifted.

   I’m not sure that I see Lee as being stunned that Leslie is talking about the embassy party, I think he is just wanting her to stop talking so he can get Amanda out the door. I wonder if he momentarily forgot the taking Leslie to the party and now is feeling uncomfortable about it. He’s also seeing Leslie trying to get some more time with Amanda – something he obviously doesn’t want. At all. And he now knows that Amanda knows the truth about the dress conversation and it’s more than he wants her to know. No, I don’t think he’s thinking yet that he’s trying “replace” Amanda. I don’t think he wants “Amanda”, so how could he be replacing her? He may be looking for qualities that Amanda has in another woman, qualities that are not Randi-like, but not Amanda. Not the suburban mother of two with a station wagon, a mother, and a mortgage.

   You’re right, iwsod. Leslie is making an awful lot of assumptions about Lee and Amanda in this scene. I wonder just exactly Lee has told her about who he is or what he does. Leslie seems to be acting as if Lee is a regular business man with a regular secretary who knows what he does, does his errands, and goes to his apartment to pack for him when he has a short notice business trip and can’t pack for himself.

   You are too funny, iwsod with your opinion of Leslie! I think I completely disagree in my opinion of her except for the one TMI part. I like Leslie. I find her hard not to like. I remember being really mad at SMK for introducing her character and thinking it was really going to mess things up for Lee and Amanda! How could they get together with Leslie in the picture??? And damn! She was so nice, sweet and likeable! How could you not like her? It’s a free country, Lee is free to date whoever he wants. And it’s not like Amanda had been sending him signals or indicated that she would ever be interested in a real relationship with someone like Lee anyway.

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8. Since I have a minute, I’m going to take a plunge into what I think is going on with Lee right now. He’s having trouble sleeping because of Amanda. Maybe he has nightmares about the look on her face when he slapped her in BO. Maybe every time he closes his eyes, he sees her in one of the situations where knowing him has put her in danger. Whatever it is, she is intruding too much on his compartmentalized life. A new lady friend seems like a perfect distraction, but the Randi’s of the world no longer hold any attraction for Lee — he has been too much influenced and shaped by Amanda. So the woman he finds has many similarities to Amanda; she is conservative, brunette, intelligent, whatever. The primary differences are Leslie’s lack of family responsibilities, and the fact that she lives in what Lee persists in believing is his world, full of international travel and more intrigue and excitement than just a housewife.

   Francine, with her usual tact, guesses that Lee has a new girlfriend; right guess, wrong reason. The girlfriend is another symptom, not the cause. And things aren’t working out how he expected, either. The distraction isn’t enough to keep him from thinking about Amanda, and somehow Leslie seems boring. It’s much more exhilerating to be out in the field with Amanda, risking their necks with and for each other, than it is to rub elbows with the tense diplomatic world, something he’s probably always been impatient with, anyway. Something is missing. He thinks he’s got it — Leslie seems bland compared with Amanda, must be her clothes. Amanda knows how to dress. So he stumbles into the scheme of getting Amanda’s help to get Leslie dressed better. (Bad idea, Lee).

   But it is still Amanda he is comfortable with, both in work, and increasingly in down time. I think it is well pointed out that when he is with Amanda, he is so far from thinking of Leslie that he can’t even imagine she would be in his apartment. From this, I can’t imagine the relationship is very serious on his side (I know, I probably believe that because it’s what I want to believe).

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   1. Oh, I like this!

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      1. Excellent, happycamper!!! I like everything you say here! Especially the dissimilarity part between Leslie and Amanda. I think you’ve nailed Lee down!

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         1. I absolutely agree! I’m not sure he’s quite aware yet that it really is Amanda he wants, but he’s finally realized something was missing in his romantic life and is trying to replicate the deep connection he has with Amanda. He really should know better, though, with all his experience with women, than to ask Amanda about her dress in order to buy something similar for another woman.
            At least he’s realized how awkward it is for the two of them to meet up like this.

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9. I haven’t read all the other comments yet so here’s my tuppence 😉

   You know the phrase “keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer”? That so describes Leslie to me. She reveals too much personal information to someone she has literally just met, asking for gossip on all Lee’s “delicious things” (seriously who talks like that?!)…..all very subtly but plainly staking a claim on Lee. Asking her to join her for what is clearly a romantic dinner is just plain icky. Not to mention she clearly doesn’t know Lee very well and is having assistance to gain entry to his apartment so she can cook a meal. Well if Lee wasn’t freaked out I sure was!
   There isn’t a genuine smile among them, none of them reach the eyes. Lee looks like a rabbit in the headlights, Amanda looks like she wants to escape as quickly as possible and Leslie……far to ingratiating. Makes me want to puke.

   Can you tell I really don’t like Leslie LOL
   And why is it Leslie? Why isn’t it Lesley?

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   1. Wholeheartedly agree with you Bitsybeans! Icky! And for some unknown reason, names ending in i and ie instead of y become verrrry popular in America. Trends….
      PS Bitsybeans, will head over to your Sherlock blog asap. You just posted the scene that reeled me in originally. Oh boy! 🙂

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      1. As an aside… the ‘y’ becoming ‘i’ or ‘ie’ was a trend in America but Leslie isn’t one of those names. At least in America it was a male name long before a female name and has been predominantly spelled with ‘ie’ since it was a male name. I’m sure there are people in the US who spell it Lesley but that is much less common than Leslie.

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         1. Over here the female version is always spelt Lesley (not that it’s terribly popular these days, seems to have fallen out of fashion) and there was one game show host (male) called Leslie so whenever I see the name written like that I see his face LOL

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   2. Do you think Leslie’s ick factor for you is matched with Lee’s ick factor of buying her the dress? It’s just not meant to be perhaps!!! It won’t be long before the ick takes over!

      Hey, isn’t that another fish reference??? Ich is a fish disease!! LOL! Ich, ick, it’s all the same thing!

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10. I don’t hate Leslie. I remember feeling rather sorry for her because I didn’t think it would last long, and she was obviously finding this awkward. Here’s my Leslie thoughts: Since Leslie was “on-call for 24 hours,” she is dressed professionally in case she receives a call while at Lee’s. Her job involves a lot of political and social talk, obviously, since business is often discussed at social affairs. Because of this aspect of her job, Leslie has learned to be a “social butterfly.” This means that she must be able to converse with anyone on any subject at a moment’s notice. At an event, a butterfly speaks about the event or the reason behind the event. If she is familiar with a person, she might ask about their job or hobbies. In this case, the thing they obviously have in common is Lee. I see Lee and Leslie as having only had a couple of dates, and maybe some phone conversations. Lee is being cautious about this relationship because he’s “trying on” a serious one. Leslie just wants to know more about this man, and she asks the person who would know. Leslie has learned from her job that secretaries know a lot about their bosses, so she asks Lee’s secretary. She isn’t clueless; she’s just following what she knows. I do think she senses an undercurrent, and I’ll address that more later on. However, right now she’s focused on her surprise for Lee.

    And, boy, is Lee surprised! He wasn’t expecting this. He is obviously uncomfortable, I’m sure his other girlfriends never did anything like this, and if they did, they would have been out fast. In addition, he’s been having a great time working with Amanda – things are going well, and they are back on the same wavelength. All of a sudden, Leslie is here. Lee’s thrown for a loop. He’s a little happy to see her, but at the same time, she’s here at the wrong time. He’s in work mode and doesn’t switch from one to the other quickly. He doesn’t want Leslie getting too comfortable with Amanda, but he doesn’t know why. (We do.) He recovers as best he can and moves forward with work in order to get Amanda out. (He just knows he needs her out of there.) He’s in a dilemma, our Lee. Don’t worry, Lee, you’ll figure it out soon enough. hahaha

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    1. Oh, and, Iwsod, that is definitely a swoony post to start the blog with. In fact, I do find a lot of swoony Lee in this epi. Thanks for sharing it with us!

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    2. Debilyn, I’m finding this helpful to organize my scattered thoughts about what’s going on here with Leslie. It does seem plausible that both Leslie and Lee are cautious, and I don’t see her as very invested in the relationship yet. She’s lonely, and she enjoys spending time with him.

       I wonder if her response to Amanda is motivated by some misgivings about the dress. We’ve discussed how it seems quite a creepy thing for a guy to do, this early in a relationship. Maybe Leslie thought it was weird, but realizes it doesn’t quite fit with what she knows of Lee, so she doesn’t just write him off — she looks for more information. I agree with what you said about a man’s secretary knowing a lot about him, and would be actually be a likely person to consult about buying a dress to suprise a girlfriend.

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       1. I like this happycampe and what you said too, debilyn. I wonder if Leslie was trying see if Amanda had anything to do with buying the dress? Since she is his secretary and all….

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11. The first time I watched this, I thought that Lee wanted to keep Leslie from knowing about Amanda. I’ve revised that opinion: I think he wants to keep Amanda from knowing too much about Leslie. But Amanda doesn’t know that. I’ve got a lot to say about Amanda’s reactions, but I think I will save it for the next post when we see how things wind up.

    I am in the (apparently minority) camp of seeing Leslie as nice and without ulterior motives in this scene. I do think that she’s been the victim of some slap-it-together writing; that’s where we get all her weird remarks. For whatever reason, this scene has been made into an “information dump”, and that hardly ever works. I also think that the original plan was to have a more serious relationship between Leslie and Lee, and that it got downplayed, resulting in some further confusion between what got cut out and what got left in. However, the idea that Leslie is nice and normal makes the most sense to me in viewing Amanda’s reaction. It isn’t like Amanda to feel threatened by snide remarks or territorialness (is that a word?). She’s dealt with those before, so I had to ask myself, “what makes it different this time?”

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    1. Yes, agree HapperCamper, the last minute script change (or re-editing – I can’t figure out which it is) is responsible for a mash up here. I’m inclined now to try to approach it from a perspective of what the scene is intended to convey, i.e. that Lee is in a very new relationship with a woman who is much more refined than his previous “ladies”, who is very similar to Amanda but more professional and formal (buttoned up) in her look, who is more worldly in the sense that she has travelled more and moves in diplomatic and political circles so she is used to diplomacy and conversation tactics, but who is not at all secure about this new relationship and trying just a bit too hard to make it happen.
       I think they got Lee and Amanda right in this scene, but Leslie’s character has been messed around with at the last minute when it seems to have been decided that this relationship would not last beyond this episode.
       The scene would be best re-written somewhere in the middle ground between the original script which probably painted her as a bit too angelic and sympathetic (recently widowed) and the filmed scene in which she comes across as somewhat disingenuous and controlling.

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    2. I see Leslie in the same light as you, happycamper, but I guess at this point, that wouldn’t surprise you!

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12. I have never liked Leslie…she is just too icky nice!!! Who in the world tells a total stranger about their love life…ewwwww!!! Amanda is such a classy lady!!!

    Should be telling to Lee that he had forgotten about Leslie while working with Amanda all day. He definitely does not look too thrilled that she has helped herself to his apartment and he look happy about her asking Amanda about the embassy party and the dress…suffer Lee, suffer!!!

    I do wonder if at this point in their friendship how he would feel about Amanda showing up and fixing dinner. I know that he would try to make her feel like she was mothering him, but I like to think that he would be pleased that she cared!!!

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    1. That’s a really good question… how would Lee react if it was Amanda making him dinner. I don’t know if he’d be ready to be happy about it. I think it would scare the bejeezus out of him. He’s annoyed with Leslie (although not enough to prevent the make-out session on the couch) but I think he’d be terrified with Amanda.

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    2. Melissa R wrote:

       >I have never liked Leslie…she is just too icky nice!!!

       rofl! you’ve summed it up tee hee! 😉
       I’m thinking we don’t like her but we don’t hate her either.. am I right??

       Great to hear from you Melissa! haaaa… yeah I think I’ve said ‘Suffer Lee’ a few times this episode.. and ‘poor Lee’ a bit too 😉

       Gosh.. how would Lee react if Amanda did that?
       You know, I can’t imagine Amanda doing that now? I think she sees that Lee would not be comfortable with that – bringing him a cake to say thanks was one thing. but .. surprising him with dinner.. I don’t see Amanda doing that – I think Amanda knows not to push Lee into anything… and he will not respond well to being pushed into progressing the relationship. She’s always been very savvy like that IMHO and has just accepted Lee for who he is and what he wants – she doesn’t push. 🙂
       Ohh there’s so much I could say about this -but it’s jumping ahead.. can’t wait to discuss the progression of season 3 with you all!!!! 🙂

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       1. I have to agree that she wouldn’t just show up and start fixing him a meal, but I do kinda invision her showing up at holidays with a plate of food from her family’s meal and maybe some soup if he’s really sick or something. She has always seemed to care about his well being from the start (TFT). They have seemed comfortable with her in his apartment (Savior) and even in (DOA) his admits that she is familiar with his apartment. That always made me wonder why, so I agree that them coming back and waiting for phone calls is probably a norm off screen.

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13. I got to read this post on my phone yesterday before our internet kicked off again. I just got it back, so before it disappears again, I am going to make some comment.
    Iwsod, I love your take on Leslie!. I haven’t read anybody’s comments yet, so I don’t know how everybody else is reacting, bit I have always thought that Leslie was posturing here. No one, ok, most people are not secure enough to be that friendly when a man that they are hoping to build a relationship with shows up at his own apartment with another woman in toe. She might be friendly, but I think she is using that as her defense, her offense and as a tool in a fact finding mission.
    First of all I don’t think that Leslie knows Lee that well, just showing up at his apartment to surprise him is not something that Lee would love to have happen, I think it is a bit presumptuous on her part. I also think it would be a real eye opener to Lee about what a real, normal relationship would entail. Someone that you would have a serious long term relationship with would, on occasion want to surprise you with a romantic dinner. What do you think of that Lee? And which one of these women would you want to find fixing you dinner in your apartment after a days work? Hmm?
    And Yes I do think that Leslie would be a long distance relationship. Again, I think that is part of the “perfect” package. Lee, probably not consciously, can have his cake and eat it too. He can remain compartmentalized. He can have his close, caring relationship with Amanda, and have a romance with someone who is not Amanda. How is that working for you, Lee?
    And look at their body language when they are all standing there together as they make introductions; Amanda’s hands are clasped, Lee’s are behind his back and Leslie’s are crossed in front of her chest. Yup, talk about awkward.
    Yes, Iwsod, everything you say about that weird conversation between Amanda and Leslie I completely agreed with, TMI. And boy does Leslie need a lesson in chemistry. I can’t help but think that Leslie must sense that Lee has been holding back from her some and I bet when she saw Amanda peeking around the door, she identified why. She is telling Amanda to back off, and she is going to kill the competition with her kindness.
    I kind of think that by the end of this little scene both Lee and Amanda are aware of the reality a bit more, I think they will both need a time of reflection before they can assimilate this knowledge into their understanding of things, but I think Lee is seeing Leslie a little differently here. He seems to be more concerned about Amanda at the end here and it looks to me as though he is think that Leslie’s behavior is a little off. Again I agree with everything you said about that last little bit by the door, psychotic and smothering. I think Amanda is noticing it, she knows Lee, she knows how to handle Lee and this is not it. That one picture where Lee is smiling at Amanda coupled with the other ones where he is looking at Leslie like she is speaking a foreign language always stick out to me. Lee is comfortable with Amanda, they are comfortable together (even when things have become uncomfortable), Leslie is the one who seems the outsider and yet she is trying to feign familiarity.
    I know I sound harsh on the poor woman. I am sure she would be a wonderful person and I can see why Lee would pick her as a potential romantic partner due to his desire to stay compartmentalized for self protection. It just isn’t going to work. Thank goodness for this little run in, it is like tearing off the band aid. It hurts like crazy, but you just can’t leave that thing on.

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    1. Like all of this Morley.

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    2. My goodness.. can I just say like like like Morley? I agree with everything you’ve said here!! Love the band aid idea.. so true… it’s hard to watch, and I don’t like to see Lee and Amanda go through this – but it’s got to happen for them to progress 🙂

       rofl your band aid metaphor is almost as good as the one you recently shared in your story – that Dean was the saltines after a bout of gastro.. or words to that effect! tee heee..

       Yeah I was fascinated by the expressions crossing Lee’s features at his front door there as he tried to show Amanda out.
       Ohhh but I’ll hold off saying more – and just say I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the next scene – and my goodness- get that internet back up asap!!! please!!!!

       byeee for now!

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    3. >And Yes I do think that Leslie would be a long distance relationship. Again, I think that is part of the “perfect” package. Lee, probably not consciously, can have his cake and eat it too. He can remain compartmentalized. He can have his close, caring relationship with Amanda, and have a romance with someone who is not Amanda.

       Really like this part here, Morley! He does not want his work and personal worlds to collide! Unfortunately for him, that’s just not gonna work long term. He doesn’t know it yet, but I think he is too far down the close, caring relationship road driving in the trust car with Amanda as a friend to have a romance with another woman turn into anything meaningful.

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14. I know when I was young watching this (initial airing), I just saw all of the similarities between Amanda and Leslie (height, dark hair, conservative) and how awkward the entire situation was. I agree, that no matter how secure someone is, if you are in a new relationship with someone and he shows up with another woman, it would definitely throw things for a loop. And poor Amanda must feel like she’s had the rug pulled out from underneath her. I think Lee even forgot about Leslie, as the last scene, it was just Lee and Amanda and the recent past had been forgotten. I think it is like other things, where the writers left things ambiguous to let the viewers make up their own decision. It’s hard to believe that Leslie is so smart, but does not see what is going on with Lee and Amanda, but it is also hard to believe that she would be so nice when another women shows up with Lee. At least she wasn’t calling her Mandy (like Eva).
    I agree that as soon as Lee left Amanda to finish spring cleaning, that he went to buy the dress.

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    1. I do think Leslie realizes there could be something going on with them. I don’t think she imagines that Lee is actively carrying on a relationship with both of them but she’s probably insecure enough to worry about Amanda. Since that is the first time Leslie met Amanda she hasn’t seen them together so it’s not like she’s had a chance to pick up on their chemistry. She probably just views her as another woman in the life of a guy with a reputation of being a womanizer. Maybe Leslie was being so nice and inviting Amanda to join them as a kind of test. The faster Lee races Amanda out the more likely it’s not a completely professional relationship. (at least in Leslie’s mind)

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    2. Yes, LAAL. I think Lee had forgotten all about Leslie as he worked with Amanda that day, and as he entered his apartment with his gun drawn.

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15. Along the lines of what someone said in a fanfic intro somewhere… who gets the doorman to let them into their new boyfriend’s apartment to prepare a romantic dinner, wearing a blouse buttoned all the way up and a librarian’s bun? (I don’t think she came straight from work? OK, OK… so it might be normal for some people, but seriously–when you’re dating someone like Lee Stetson? Huh? I think it might be apparent that his tastes would lean more towards naughty nurse than lily-white librarian…)
    I still think that Leslie is sweet and clueless–though I can definitely see the other side of the argument that others have stated very well. I guess I just see in my mind that Lee swings to the other extreme with Leslie than with the Randi-babes. He chooses someone extremely sweet, naive, … someone maybe closer to how Amanda was pre-train station? (My Newton’s Cradle hypothesis at work, again.) Not that Amanda’s not sweet, she just has that core of inner strength when needed… I don’t quite know where I’m going with that other than to try to explain that I see Lee as going from one extreme to the other and then realizing that the sort-of middle ground is where he needs to be, but without implying that Amanda is any less of the wonderful woman that we know she is. Does that make any sense?
    And regarding the dress… I’m still hung up on what guy buys a dress for a woman he’s only just started dating? And what woman accepts that dress and is excited about it, instead of having creeper alarm bells going off…???…

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    1. lol! When I first saw Leslie, I was thinking “school marm.” It doesn’t seem quite right for a romantic dinner, does it? I suppose she’s thinking that she doesn’t need to wear anything special right now because she’s going to change into the special dress later. However, I once wore a similar outfit for a school play where I played someone’s grandmother. I did my hair the same way, too.

       Not sure about Lee and nurses, given how he feels about medical stuff. Cheerleaders might be a different story, though. Come to think of it, Amanda used to be a cheerleader, didn’t she? 😉

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    2. I did wonder if her more conservative outfit is meant to indicate that she is the complete opposite of Randi-baby, et al. If that is so it lends further weight to them not having slept together yet. If Leslie is quite conservative I would imagine she would want to be courted a while before any significant physical intimacy occurred.
       Having said that, her job probably requires that she dress reasonably formally and conservatively so she does not offend people from other cultures. And I do remember some outfits I had in the 1980’s that were similar – some blouses we would do up right to the neck, others we would wear open at the top with the collar up. To me her outfit is reasonably typical of one of the styles of the period.

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       1. again! I’m with you kiwismh! So many comments here I’m all over the place and have no order for responding.. lol..

          I didn’t make anything out of Leslie’s outfit myself – I figured it was a contrast to the randy type.. but I didn’t see it as a completely opposite reaction. (but if you did that’s cool too!) I saw her outfit here as being typical 80s career woman attire, and when in DC, Leslie is on 24 hour call..

          Plus, she doesn’t intend to wear that outfit for long.. ahem.. she is intending to surprise Lee some more with THE DRESS soon.. so she’ll vamp it up then.. just my take on it though 🙂

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          1. Yeah, I’m not thinking she is particularly conservative just because of the way she is dressed. I was just wandering down a what if path in response to KC’s comment. The outfit looks conservative to us now, but it was stylish at the time for professional or office wear.
             I think Leslie is probably just a more formal (dare I say buttoned up) version of Amanda in respect of her mode of work attire. I’m inclined not to read too much into the outfit except that it does show she is different than Lee’s former lady friends.

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             1. Yeah I agree with you kiwismh 🙂

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             2. btw- I hope Raffie stops by and shares her 80s expertise with us 🙂

                Maybe she can share some insights on Leslie’s ‘buttoned up’ look [good one!]

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    3. Yes… but note that I did say “I don’t think she came straight from work?” and I also did say that I see her as the opposite end of the spectrum from the Randi-babes… my Newton’s Cradle theory, but this time with other players. (Bouncing back and forth and slowly the arcs get shorter until they end up in the middle with each other.)
       shrug Happy Monday!

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       1. Oh, and my reasoning (?) for her not having come straight from work… she’d have to go out and buy ingredients and possibly wine, … whatever else she needed for the dinner. If you’re in another city–presumably staying in a hotel–would you go back to your hotel and change and then go out and run the errands and to your new beau’s place, or would you go straight from work? I’m leaning towards she went to the hotel first… but who knows. shrug

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          1. Gack–I need to get out the door to work, but my other reasoning for the work comment is that I agree that it would be very likely something she would wear for work. She’s a translator for the UN–high end talks, etc, important people–I’m sure she would dress very conservatively. But I still don’t think she came straight from work. 😉 😀

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             1. I think we know for sure she didn’t come straight from work. She says ‘I just got so bored waiting around at the hotel’. So I took that to mean she was at the hotel before coming over. I think those are definitely work clothes but maybe that’s what she put on as a “place holder” until she could do the big reveal of the dress he bought her. It probably makes more sense than her getting all dolled up in ‘date clothes” and then changing into the dress. Of course what makes the most sense is her waiting and showing him the dress for the first time at the embassy party. Personally I would have worn jeans if I was going to put on a dress later LOL.

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                1. Thanks–I missed the obvious: “I just got so bored waiting around at the hotel” 😀 I’m such a womble…

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                   1. Womble?!? ROFL! Don’t know the term but it made me giggle. Must borrow it please!

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                      1. LOL, Jule… it’s a Brit-type reference. 🙂 Starts singing: “Underground, overground, wombling free… The Wombles of Wimbledon Common are we…”
                         Stopping there; if you want more info we can take it over to Ned’s… 🙂

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                         1. Just YouTubed the Wombles. ROFL! Husband wondering what the heck I am into now, “SMK, Harry Potter, what next?!” He silently questions my sanity as he runs to find a safe rabbit hole of his own with car magazines in hand.

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                      2. The Wombles of Wimbledon Common are we. 🙂
                         I used to watch this show when I was little – a long, lonnnnnng time ago.

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             2. I don’t think she came from work, but she says she’s “on 24-hr call in DC”, so she has to be ready to go to work any time.

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    4. Hmmm, just read all these comments, and I’m thinking that Leslie does not know the womanizing/playboy past of one Scarecrow Lee Stetson. If he’s truly in search of a different kind of woman than the Randi’s of the world, then I think even Lee would realize he’d also have to come across differently? After using is usual charm and good looks to get past the introduction, I would think that Lee now would take a different tack than he’s taken in the past. I don’t have an definite opinion on whether or not she’s spent the night, but if I had to choose I’d say yes. Leslie may be nice and sweet, but those librarian, school-marm type will get you every time! LOL – that’s a joke!!!

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16. I agree there is more to Leslie’s super “sweetness” than meets the eye but I’m not sure it’s consciously malicious. I think she’s probably insecure about the relationship. I bet Lee is sending her mixed signals too. He bought her a dress which is pretty intimate but she knows he’s keeping a lot of his life from her. Plus since he is in love with Amanda, although he can’t admit that yet, so that has to affect his ability to really be into this relationship. So in walks a link to that part of his life he’s cutting off from her so she wants to connect with her and try to pretend it doesn’t bother her. Now personally I think Leslie is a great relationship for Lee at this stage. (let me explain before you ban me from the blog 🙂 ). Up until now he’s dated bimbos. No one with a brain. No one with any chance of a long term relationship. Lee felt safe in those relationships because there was no emotional component. It is really unrealistic to think he’d jump from that to a permanent relationship with a “suburban mom with 2 kids’. As he’s starting to feel that pull toward Amanda, he’s still fighting it so he’s trying to convince himself it’s not Amanda… maybe it’s time to upgrade his girlfriends. On paper Leslie makes sense. She’s smart, attractive, working in a career that gives them a similar background. She has more “permanent” potential without being that completely different person than Lee ever envisioned. But when it comes down to it… she’s not Amanda so Lee moves on. But she is necessary to help him complete his journey to Amanda so I can’t completely hate her.

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    1. Like this. You are right about Leslie being a necessary in-between relationship for Lee. He is dipping his toe in the water and trying a “normal” relationship but I think with Leslie he is not sure of what normal is so he’s holding back but then also doing unusual things like buying the dress for her. With Amanda everything comes naturally, with Leslie not so.

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    2. Like your reasoning here, Allofakind! It makes perfect, logical sense! I said in one of my comments that Lee is not looking for an “Amanda”. Not yet. This “Leslie model” is a good first step for him. I don’t completely hate her either. In fact, I kind of like her.

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17. It’s Easter here, so, Happy Easter, everyone!! And what a treat to wake up to in my Easter basket. Okay, so it was in my mailbox, but this post is a nice treat.

    I want to go re-watch the last few scenes because it feels like it’s been a while. The casting on SMK is always so interesting to me. When I saw that Elyssa Davalos was playing Lee’s “who says I have a new girlfriend?” it was kind of a cute surprise. She and BB had played this long-suffering couple on How The West Was Won. Her character was such a shrew in the beginning, but she was changed by love. You couldn’t help but root for them. Having her guest star here was an interesting touch.

    I like how this scene was filmed with Lee ‘stuck in the middle’ while these two women are peeking around corners. Things were going to come to a head for Lee sooner or later. The confrontation (not in a negative way at this point) of these two women is going to force him to confront himself as to why he is tossing and turning so. Right now he is again not really dealing with what’s at hand, he’s still trying to avoid it. He doesn’t really interact or engage with either Leslie or Amanda while at this point. He’s sidestepping a bit.

    I don’t necessarily see any conniving on Leslie’s part or underlying motives. She does seem overly nice, but I would think if she really were focused on it being a romantic dinner she would have been dressed a little less conservatively and not with her hair pulled back so. I also figured that since she was only a guest star she wouldn’t be around long and I wasn’t going to stress needlessly about it. I guess since this ep is about fishing you could say that Leslie was on a fishing expedition as well. And her behavior is over the limit as to what Amanda, Lee, and even any of us is willing to put up with.

    I think the writers were trying to show just how opposite Leslie was to anyone else Lee has dated. We’ve seen him approached by several women in the past, all with the same or similar look. Randi was certainly obvious in how she looked, how she was dressed, and what she wanted. She also pretty much ignored Amanda, but did exhibit either jealousy, the fact that she knew Lee was a serial dater, or both. I think they also wanted to show how much Leslie was like Amanda, not only in looks, but in behavior. Other people’s (and to a degree Lee) perceptions of Amanda is that she is so sweet and nice and somewhat naive. If Lee is trying to reconcile that what he is feeling is not really about Amanda, but about her type or someone like her then Leslie would be a representation of that. The fake or overly zealous niceties end up bringing out what the difference really is. It’s not the real Amanda, just like Karen in OOADP wasn’t. What Lee said then about preferring the real Amanda is something that is going to again eventually come into play here.

    I think this meeting of Amanda and Leslie needed to occur for Amanda and for Lee. They are both being faced with some realities and they are both going to have to deal with those realities one way or another. More insomnia in store.

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18. I notice when Amanda peeps around the door that her initial look seems to be a mix of annoyance and jealousy, but this quickly turns to shock when she sees Leslie. Not one of Lee’s usual floozies – this lady appears refined and elegant, conservatively dressed, intelligent and articulate. We’ve already seen in this episode Amanda showing signs of hurt and jealousy at the thought Lee might have a new girlfriend, who Amanda was obviously assuming would be along the lines of previous girlfriends – attractively packaged but of no substance. Amanda’s distress must be ramped up considerably now that it begins to dawn on her that this relationship might be different, more serious, more long-term.
    To her credit she is nothing but polite and cordial to Leslie throughout this encounter, despite some very awkward talking points raised by Leslie. To his credit I think Lee notices this and does appreciate Amanda’s decorum.
    Although she gets little chance to say much, I believe Amanda’s behaviour and demeanour here will resonate with Lee when he reflects on this encounter.

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    1. Yep I’m with you kiwismh!
       Leslie appears to be a classy woman.. superficially she is different to the Randi types Lee has gone for.. that tells us something..

       At the same time, maybe her conduct here overall gives Lee pause – I agree with you.. Amanda conducts herself in a truly dignified and classy way here with Leslie.. and.. then.. the door closes – LOL!
       Cant’ wait to hear your take on the next part! haaaaa!!!

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19. I think it bugs Lee that Leslie has gone ahead and come to his apartment and set up for dinner off schedule. His smile is not really genuine, covering his annoyance I think. It’s like he doesn’t consider she is so much a part of his life that she has the right to do that. Again, “Who says I have a new girlfriend?”
    I see he glances at this watch at one point – maybe he and Leslie did have a dinner planned for later, i.e. not now. There’s no way he would have brought Amanda back to his apartment if he had thought Leslie would be there. Like all men he’s probably pretty good at compartmentalising – keep this relationship in this corner and this friendship in this corner and everything should be just fine and dandy . 😉
    Lee is totally like a deer in the headlights here – only he’s got headlights coming at him from both directions, Leslie and Amanda! We can tell from his reaction that he is completely uncomfortable with the situation – Amanda meeting Leslie and vice versa is not something he wants to happen. This rouses a conflict in him that he is still not prepared to face.
    When Leslie brings up the topic of the party at the Soviet Embassy and the dress as Amanda and Lee are headed to the door I see him look at Leslie with real annoyance, like he knows she’s just playing with Amanda (like a cat with a mouse). He covers it quickly but when she persists and says, “Maybe the three of us can get together again…” he audibly sighs like he wishes Leslie would just shut the hell up. He smiles at Amanda’s gracious answer though.
    He may still be fighting his attraction to Amanda but I can see that no matter how hard he tries with Leslie she has traits that will continue to seriously “bug him”. With what we’ve seen so far I have no doubt his relationship with Leslie would eventually come to an end regardless of Lee’s feelings for Amanda.

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20. I don’t think Leslie is a bad person, however I do think she is a woman used to getting what she wants. She wants Lee but she clearly doesn’t feel she has him secured yet, and she intends to make sure she does secure him.
    Leslie clearly doesn’t know what Lee does for a living otherwise she wouldn’t be so careless as to enter his apartment and leave the door open. She must have been there before though with Lee if she convinced the doorman to let her in. I don’t think the doorman would have let her in if he wasn’t satisfied she was “okay”.
    Leslie comes across as a bit controlling to me. Maybe she and Lee had a dinner or date tentatively planned for later but she has decided to take the bull by the horns and invite herself to his place. She seems to dictate almost everything that happens in this scene, she makes virtually all the conversation and really almost directs the conversation. Even inviting Amanda to stay for dinner and setting a place for her. This seems very presumptuous but also her actions come across as very deliberate. Most women wouldn’t want another woman sticking around during their romantic dinner with a partner, so it begs the question, why?
    I suppose a good deal of Leslie’s job as an international translator involves diplomatic matters, negotiations, etc, so this is a lady who knows that you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. I think she wants to know who Amanda is and how she fits into Lee’s life and, just in case Amanda might be competition, she wants to be sure Amanda is left in no doubt that she and Lee are an item. She does it all with a smile on her face and by directing the conversation and the action towards matters that will get a reaction that might clue her into what sort of relationship Lee and Amanda have.
    Leslie may have been out with Lee a few times but she doesn’t actually seem to know much about him. She seems to think that Amanda might know a lot more about Lee, or is the line about “telling me all the delicious things about him he’d never tell me himself” a ploy to discomfort Amanda? I think it’s probably a bit of both.
    My feeling so far is that Leslie doesn’t have a particularly intimate relationship with Lee yet – she doesn’t seem to have a sense of ease and surety about the relationship despite her outward signs of geniality. The constant artificial smile and non-stop syrupy conversation suggest to me someone who is maybe covering a lack of certainty about the standing of her relationship with Lee.

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21. The Script : I just read the script for this part of the show – Leslie tells Amanda that she and Lee have been seeing each other “About a month. Whenever I’m in Washington. We’re keeping it long distance for now.” And later she says, “I’m in Washington a few times a month… not often enough.” Apparently at this point she goes to hug Lee but he “ducks away from her hug”.
    The Leslie in the script is not so artificially nice as the Leslie we get to see on screen. She seems more genuine, a more sympathetic character – apparently her husband died a year ago and she is “just…getting back into the swing of things.”
    The conversation around what she does for a living was more or less instigated by Amanda “Lee tells me you work at the UN?” (Really? In the filmed version Lee seems quite averse to discussing his “new girlfriend” with Amanda.)
    Also in the scripted version more of conversation is instigated by Amanda, even directly asking Leslie, “So…have you been seeing Lee long?”
    I’m assuming the script didn’t quite gel and a decision was made to show Leslie as more or less controlling the action and the conversation, and Amanda as polite but embarrassed and somewhat flustered, just wanting to get the hell out of there.

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22. You know, I just thought that it would be great if we found out that Lee wasn’t really dating Leslie but that he was ordered to get close to her because they suspected her of something nefarious. That could be why he didn’t want Amanda to know about Leslie or let Leslie invite Amanda to stay for dinner or make friends with her. Plot twist!

    Of course, that wouldn’t explain the whole dress thing, but I can daydream a bit, right?

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    1. It’s not that Lee didn’t want Amanda to know about her, he was specifically ordered by Blue Leader not to tell her. And the whole dress conversation was just Lee’s way of getting Amanda’s curiosity piqued so she’d go do some investigating on her own and find out that way. If Amanda finds out on her own, then Lee can share the case with her, Blue Leader be darned!

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       1. But when Lee finds Leslie at his apartment and realizes that Leslie has found out about Amanda (what she looks like, that she works with him, etc.), he starts getting worried about Amanda’s safety and tries to get her out of there as quickly as he can. Judging from the worried look on his face when Leslie practically invites Amanda to the embassy party, he may suspect that it’s actually a trap. lol!

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          1. Awwww! So Lee isn’t being a total jerk here, he is actually kind and caring. Thanks for clearing that up for me. 😉

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             1. My pleasure! 😀

                Of course, it turns out that they were mistaken about Leslie anyway, thus meaning that Amanda isn’t in danger from her, Lee can stop his association with her and let her go about her business, and then he can move on to other things with Amanda. 😉

                “And now you know . . . the rest of the episode.” — from Freakazoid

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    2. Oooh — can I play? Lee wanted to know wear Amanda got the New Year’s Eve dress because the pearl buttons would have been a perfect place to put a listening device. Unfortunately, since Amanda had made the dress, Lee had to make do and the whizzes at the Agency had to put the bug in the hem. Of course this which makes hearing the top secret Russian conversations a little more difficult but hey — you have to work with what you have.

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       1. Hey, yeah! I like the listening device idea. And it could still come in handy even if Leslie isn’t in on some evil scheme because she’s in a position where they could overhear some interesting things anyway because of her work. 🙂

          Maybe they’ll have to have someone pose as hotel staff or someone from a dry cleaning service to retrieve the bug. Side plot!

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          1. Personally, I think it was Blue Leader’s daughter June who ordered that Leslie to get close to Lee. Remember her, June, the googly-eyed one in YODT, the one with her own pass even though she’s basically 12? She wants Leslie to figure out what her, June’s, chances are with Lee and how close he really is to Amanda. Okay, I better go get my coffee and try to rewire my brain before the day has seriously begun. giggles all the way up the stairs and into the kitchen to find the elusive coffee pot and some whipped cream to put on top because that’s how I roll

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          2. Ohhh you guys I have been lol’ing at this!!! I still think the Marlin in Billy’s office is her KGB partner 😉

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23. Now this is funny, because I just loved “Leslie” when she was “Nikki” in MacGyver. 😉 Here, my way-back impression of her was she was rather superficial and really breathy. I had never considered her as being conniving, but I can certainly be convinced. One good word for her: presumptuous! And Amanda is smoking mad! Her face is full of smiles, but cover that mouth and you see nothing but daggers.

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    1. Maybe this is answers the question whether Lee was just suffering from insomnia at the beginning of this episode. Leslie was getting frustrated because things were moving too slow with Lee and decided to take matters into her own hands and set the stage for romance.

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    2. Paula wrote:

       >Her face is full of smiles, but cover that mouth and you see nothing but daggers.

       Love this Paula! so true!!! 🙂

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24. Doing open homes at the moment but just wanted to say big agree with you Iwsod re Leslie testing Lee and Amanda. When I first watched SMK in the 80s I just thought Leslie was being pleasant. Coming back to it 4 years ago this scene bugged me and kept bugging me every time I watched – with 20 more years life experience behind me I realized that Leslie’s not being pleasant. She is testing, looking for reactions, and all-together just trying too hard. With the dress dialogue she seems to be trying to stake her claim on Lee, i.e. “He’s mine. We’re so intimate he buys me a sexy dress.”. To me the relationship is quite new. Leslie isn’t confident or secure about her place in Lee’s life. However, she is cunning as a cart-load of monkeys – stay for dinner? Really?
    Gotta go. More later. Looking forward to everyone’s comments.

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    1. lol kiwismh! I love the picture you paint of running an open house while stopping by JWWM!

       kiwismh wrote:

       >When I first watched SMK in the 80s I just thought Leslie was being pleasant. Coming back to it 4 years ago this scene bugged me and kept bugging me every time I watched – with 20 more years life experience behind me I realized that Leslie’s not being pleasant.

       I’ve had the same experience! although lol the first time I saw Leslie was about 5 years ago tee heee..

       Her behaviour is just bizarre, unless it is calculated IMHO. She is either savvy or she is extremely silly! and I got the impression that Leslie was intended to be a woman of intelligence (a contrast to the randy -type Lee had previously gone for)

       I am holding off saying more about all this – as I’ve written lots in the next two posts about Lee, Amanda and Leslie..

       Am loving hearing all your thoughts on it though everyone!

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25. I always found Leslie to be very bland. Even though she is a little over the top, I don’t see any maliciousness in her behaviour (or at least I don’t think she was supposed to be written that way). I see her as a male counterpoint to Byron, who even though we saw his behaviour as bordering on inappropriate/harassing he was just a really, really nice guy.
    I am not a jealous person by nature, but if I were Leslie, alarm bells would be ring ding aligning if my special male friend regularly brought his secretary to his place. Maybe she is going out of her way to show she isn’t the jealous type. IDK.

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    1. Hmm, maybe you’re right. I might just be overly suspicious. Leslie is being nice . . . too nice. >.> <..>

       But Byron was also mildly creepy in his attempts to be nice, and curiosity about Lee’s secretary would also be natural under the circumstances.

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       1. The weird brackets after that comment were me trying to do an emoticon and messing it up. lol!

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    2. yes I think Leslie is similar to Byron – in that the aim of the writing for her character most likely missed the mark..

       At the same time though, I feel like I’ve made a picture of the character in my mind which works for what they were wanting to convey about Lee with the introduction of her character – but again, I’ve discussed that in the next post so I’ll hold off saying more for now – Lee’s response to Amanda about Leslie is very telling..and coming up next!

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       1. I wrote this comment thinking I had mentioned Byron Jordan in this post – but it is post 15 where I have mentioned him – so funny that you’ve thought of him too Cindy! 🙂

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26. I find Leslie seriously weird in this, too. When a woman is arranging a surprise romantic dinner for her boyfriend, why would she invite another woman to join in, secretary or not? Why try to encourage her to join them on future occasions, too? They might be attempting to make Leslie seem friendly, but it’s just wrong. Are her attempts to pump Amanda for “delicious” information about Lee that he won’t tell her himself her way of researching her new boyfriend (kind of creepy) or her way of finding out whether there is or has been some kind of relationship between him and his secretary (also creepy)? On the surface, Leslie seems friendly and pleasant, but really everything she says and does here is just unrealistic, unless she’s trying to intimidate Amanda and impress on her that’s she’s now a permanent part of Lee’s life (ex. If he goes anywhere with you, I’m going to be there, too.). Creepy.

    Iwsod’s theory that she’s checking to see if Amanda could be romantic competition makes sense. I guessed that part of this is for plot exposition, but I think there could be less creepy ways of doing this.

    I’m not sure how serious Lee could really be about her if she’s going to be heading back to Europe soon anyway. My impression of Lee is that he doesn’t like to be traveling constantly with no place to call home, like when he moved around with his uncle all the time when he was young. I think he likes traveling, but he also likes having a place to call home to return to.

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    1. Jestress, I’m with you and Iwsod here, I always found Leslie a bit off putting. She’s just a little too sickly sweet and confiding for me to stomach. Maaaaybe I am prejudiced (noooo, never ROFL!), but she never sat well with me. Also, I never noticed in my many viewings the meaning of being bored in her hotel room, ie long distance relationship. That says a lot about where the relationship is at. She stays at a hotel and not with Lee, she is “just getting to know him” etc. I love the expression on Lee’s face as he is caught between the two women. Such a deer in the headlights look 🙂

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       1. rofl I love it Jule.. we are all prejudiced for sure lol!!

          I say I don’t like Leslie, but only because I am a champion for Amanda.. and Lee! and I don’t like to see her put Amanda under a microscope like I think she is..

          Very true – we do learn lots of little hints about the status or history of Lee and Leslie’s relationship! 🙂

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    2. Good analysis Jestress. I like your thoughts on Lee in the last paragraph.

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    3. Creepy indeed Jestress!!! Just didn’t sit right huh..

       Ah thanks for sharing you are thinking along similar lines to me. I don’t begrudge Leslie for wanting to figure things out.. who wouldn’t want to eh?!
       I mean I don’t think Leslie is evil – she can’t be soooo awful as to make Lee choosing to date her a ridiculous folly – but at the same time, she just isn’t right – and points the way toward what really truly is right for Lee: Amanda!!!!

       jestress wrote:

       >I’m not sure how serious Lee could really be about her if she’s going to be heading back to Europe soon anyway. My impression of Lee is that he doesn’t like to be traveling constantly with no place to call home, like when he moved around with his uncle all the time when he was young. I think he likes traveling, but he also likes having a place to call home to return to.

       I think Leslie was a way for Lee to test out a serious relationship in a way that wasn’t as big a commitment as a woman he would see often!
       I loved what you said about Lee here jestress, Lee is searching for a place for his heart to call home – and has been since ‘the first time’ – here? we see him giving it a go with Leslie.. but.. something isn’t quite right 😉 my goodness.. can’t think what they could be.. ahem.. 🙂
       Just wanted to add Jestress that Lee does find that stable quality of Amanda and her family home extremely attractive.. and it’s been pulling him in from the start 🙂

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