1/14 Season Three, Episode 01: A Lovely Little Affair- Scarecrow and Mrs King (Morley’s order: Episode 05)

75 thoughts on “1/14 Season Three, Episode 01: A Lovely Little Affair- Scarecrow and Mrs King (Morley’s order: Episode 05)”

1. Pingback: SEASON 3 Quick Links | "Just walk with me.."

2. Late to the party and slowly catching up. 🙂 Dotty’s word of ‘ownhair’ reminded me of playing scrabble with my dear sweet mother-in-law except her favourite play was sticking a ‘y’ on the end of words. ‘Baldy’ , ‘Oaky’ were some of my favourites.
   And I think we need more Lee, outside in blue shirt shots.

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3. Dotty…..I imagine if I lived with her all time she would drive me nuts but she’s so funny. She can turn a word game into a dig about Amanda’s love life.
   I would say more but quite frankly I saw the jeans, the hair and the lovely blue casual shirt and I seem to have wondered off on a tangent somewhere…….anyone know how to get out of this rabbit hole? ❤

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   1. Are you sure you want to? 😉 LOL! I think I could become quite comfortable in that rabbit hole 🙂

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4. Ok, Does anyone have a theory about the necklace? She wore it for the party in Brand, but we haven’t seen it since.

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   1. Dotty’s been borrowing it…she took it to the coast with Hunter Conrad and her Rebecca’s Fantasies box…. “Go, Grandma!”

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      1. Ok, lol. But how’d she get it and why did she switch from the solitaire to the heart shaped diamond pendant? I want to play with some ideas… can you tell?

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         1. Mother’s Day present? She “forgot” about it after wearing it once until the boys reminded her to wear it? (Yes it’s happened to me many times, but I’ve never got a heart-shaped diamond pendant – mine usually involves multiple brightly coloured plastic beads, but made with great love).

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         2. hiya! LOL Morley.. so far, I have no idea if she wears the necklace the whole episode or what – I haven’t watched the whole episode yet- I know she has it on the next day though-(about to publish post 2) so that’s more than once… maybe in post 2 you can share your theories with us?
            I’m just reading through it now and will get it published within the hour.

            I’m short on time this morning – hi everyone!! so will be back to reply to more comments as soon as I can 🙂

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         3. LOL – that’s asking too much 😉 I’m the type of girl who wears the same earrings for a month until I get tired of them and then switch to a different pair for about a month…. Just cuz. 🙂

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            1. would anyone consider the idea that the necklace was a gift from Lee and the solitaire was her diamond from Joe? Just wondering???

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               1. LOL. I can honestly say that thought had never crossed my mind 🙂 Jewelry seems lie an odd thing for Lee to give Amanda. But sure how to really reconcile it with the dress gift to Leslie and the rose gift in Wizard.

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               2. If anyone could make it work though, it would be you, Morley… looking forward to what you come up with!

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                  1. There is a fanfic about it, so it wouldn’t be my original idea. I think I have mentioned it before a Ned’s? It is called “An Open Heart” I believe.

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                     1. Oh, that does ring a bell. I haven’t read it yet, obviously.

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               3. Hmmm, I think it might be too early for Lee to be buying her such an obvious romance-linked (heart) item. I don’t think he wants to do anything at the moment that he can’t explain away as something one good friend would do for another.
                  As an aside, I had a necklace just like this which I wore for several years in the late 80’s/early 90’s. I found it in a jewellery store and bought it because it was exactly like Amanda’s. Not real diamonds of course – cubic zirconia. Somewhere along the line I lost it. But by then I’d had a few life experiences that put me off heart shaped items, so I never replaced it. Don’t think I would have found another like it anyway.

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                  1. Sorry you lost your necklace Kiwismh!
                     I agree with kiwismh – forgive me if you like the idea – but I had an immediate dislike for the idea! What do you think Morley? I imagine you would have come up with your own theory 🙂

                     I don’t see Lee at this stage giving Amanda a heart necklace – waay too intimate.. not just the jewellery but the heart..
                     I think the only reason Lee gave Leslie the dress was because he was desperate to make his replacement for Amanda work- he gave it a good go (and therefore I can’t blame Leslie for assuming in OTL their relationship was closer than it actually was.. you know breaking into I mean being let into his apartment and all. Lee was thoroughly confusing, because he was confused 🙂 )

                     I don’t want to see either necklace as being given to her by a man.. I prefer to see them as Amanda buying her own jewellery – and therefore the heart necklace can mean – I’m open to love 😉 Come on Big Fella – make a move! 😉 tee hee.. though admittedly I think this message at this point would be an unconscious one 😉 but.. I suspect it’s not long now till Amanda becomes conscious of it! very conscious of it!!
                     I figured she bought it to wear to the party in Mr Brand.. and then decided it was too awesome to take off in ALLA 🙂

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                     1. I don’t see Amanda splashing out too much on jewellery – she’s still watching her budget I would think and mindful of not buying too many luxuries.
                        Maybe Amanda’s had a birthday recently and her mother gave it to her as encouragement to open her heart again (or open herself to love again after all these years of concentrating all her love on her family). Amanda has decided she likes this necklace (like your idea Iwsod about the sub-conscious hey big fella, my heart’s available message) and so continues to wear it. Maybe Lee has also commented to her recently that he likes this necklace on her, which has further encouraged her to keep wearing it.
                        When is Amanda’s birthday? Does this tie in to the time frame? Or mothers day – I could see Dotty contributing to the boys’ gift for Amanda to buy the necklace (no more hot mama nightwear!).
                        I will keep a note of this idea and maybe one day try my hand at a fanfic around it.

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                        1. Splashing out? Do you think the heart necklace is real? I wasn’t thinking it was terribly expensive and she’s certainly gone and done some clothes shopping now she’s gotten a pay rise (and what seems to be a more permanent job at IFF – wouldn’t you say? so many more references now to Amanda training and the idea of her doing part time admin seems behind us -hoo flippin ray about that! )
                           Lots of luxuries I’d agree are out of her reach but I’m thinking she’s financially comfortable now.

                           I prefer Amanda chose the heart for herself 🙂 but I can get on board with Dotty buying it for her much more than Lee!

                           No idea when Amanda’s birthday is. I’m terrible at those details. we did see her bio in You Only Die Twice though so maybe it was shown there?? (I do remember her weight was! Criminal!!!)

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                           1. I’m sure we’re told more than once that it is platinum, which makes it very expensive in my universe! We never hear about Amanda, Lee or Dotty having a birthday. And she was underweight if that computer screen was to be believed….

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                           2. We haven’t heard anything about that so far. I’ll keep an ear out.
                              Maybe Lee replaces it with a platinum one eventually 😉 I don’t know!

                              Yeah you can’t have your characters celebrate birthdays- that means they age! argh!!!

                              Oh and I would not be surprised if KJ’s BMI was on the underweight side.. tv gains pounds no? and she is tiny!

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                           3. No, I don’t think it’s diamonds but a quality piece in cz or glass in a platinum setting still won’t be cheap. (I seem to remember paying around $NZ100 for my necklace, which was about a third of my week’s pay back then.)
                              Believe me, as someone who once survived on a bag of rice for the best part of 3 weeks (as the power bill and several other accounts had to be paid before food for me) you stay frugal for a long time afterwards even when your budget gets back on an even keel. I’ve also had a couple of really lean years in the last 6 years (recessions are never easy on the self-employed) and you’re always watching the pennies because you always need to have funds in reserve. Every time I look at purchasing something that isn’t absolutely necessary I think of it in terms of how much of a mortgage payment it represents, how many basic groceries I can buy with that money, and so on. Then I make the decision to buy or not. It’s a good habit to get into – it’s amazing how much stuff we don’t really need, and it’s fun to recycle or up-cycle or create something yourself rather than go out and buy some usually not very good quality Asian made item that very quickly ends up as non-compostable landfill.
                              Amanda will still be careful with her money even though her job and income is more stable now. I can’t see her buying cheap plastic jewellery but maybe if someone got her a jewellery gift voucher (there’s another angle) for a birthday or whatever, she might have thrown in a bit of her own savings on top of that and purchased herself the heart necklace.

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                           4. LOL.. I think Amanda’s wardrobe has been upgraded and I think her buying herself a necklace is not out of the realm of possibility.. Quality costume jewellery I figured was possible.
                              Not that I’ve given this much though. lol..
                              You may be right..who knows! but I prefer to see Amanda as buying it, I think it’s possible.. so don’t mind me..

                              I gotta run. byeeee

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                        2. I do think Amanda will be spending a bit more on clothes (or making more of her own as she seems quite talented at that), which makes sense as she wants to present at the Agency as a professional woman. This is where she may have justified splashing out a bit more on a jewellery item but then a heart necklace is not really an item I can see her buying for that purpose. I think it is more personal – if she purchased it for herself it is something that she feels an affinity with at this time. Aside from herself, Dotty and/or the boys, I can’t see anyone else in her life buying such an item for her. It doesn’t seem like an antique or old piece of jewellery, so I’m discounting the fact that it was a gift from her late father or passed down through generations.

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                        3. I will look forward to reading your story! I like your ideas about it.

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                     2. Ok, I know, she bought the new necklace to celebrate her raise. How is that? I agree that lee wouldn’t have been buying her gifts like that, although I do like the fanfic I mentioned and I could kind of see it working that way. I just feel like the change of necklace has some meaning. I will have to play with it a bit more.

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                        1. I like the idea that Dotty gave it to her, especially if we find out later that it really means a lot to Amanda . . . and I don’t think it’s too old to be from her father. Maybe it belonged to Dotty first, but she gave it to Amanda as a memento of her father?

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   2. So how much does KJ weigh? She is blessed with a naturally attractive features and body shape. She is also quite tall and she does carry herself well – good posture and fitness. She doesn’t seem underweight to me – probably just the right weight and I think what she lacks in body fat she probably makes up for in lean muscle.
      Are we just getting too used to the average person being overweight these days?
      BMI is apparently a flawed system for measuring healthy weight. On that basis most of the All Blacks rugby team would be considered obese when in fact they are very fit (but not very attractive – the big muscles and thick necks are uggggly!)

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      1. I am watching YODT now. Amanda weighs 115 lb and is 5′ 7.5″. Nothing about a birthday or age, just the fact that she lives in Arlington with her mother and she is a mother of two small boys, Philip ten and Jamie eight.

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         1. The height sounds reasonable for KJ. That’s what IMDB says her height is, too. I’m not good at guessing weight though. In Car Wars, when Amanda describes the men who stole the car, she gives height and weight estimates. I can see how she could guess their approximate heights compared to her own, but the weight thing just escapes me. The best I could do would be to use terms like “thin” or “stocky” or something like that. Does anyone else know how to figure this?

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         2. So that’s 52kg or 8.2 stone – seems okay to me although she certainly wouldn’t want to be much lighter than that. Under 50kg would be too thin.

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5. Lots of blue going on…Lee is in all blue, Dotty is in all blue, Phillip is in all blue….

   Bjo, I thought the same as you about the pizza delivery guy referring to Lee as Mr. King. I mean, this is a neighborhood where Dotty knows the mailman. But if someone is willing to pay and also give a big tip, why question it?

   Lee has gone from seeing Paul as a savior to seeing Amanda as a godsend…oh he does need some rescuing doesn’t he?

   Loving Lee and Amanda in this uniquely special friendship/relationship they are now sharing.

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   1. So gad I wasn’t the only one, valerie!!

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6. I remember thinking the girl in the wheelchair must be drugged, and what will Amanda be mixed up in next? After all, we know it’s always Amanda who gets in trouble, right?

   With the very-nice-looking appearance of Lee Stetson here – in jeans – I don’t think I was very focused on what was happening next. 🙂 I do like his casual walk to the front door and the lovely interplay between them. It was nice to see them so comfortable with each other. I vaguely remember thinking, “Woohoo! Maybe these two are finally getting together!”

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7. Hi all – just popping in for a quick comment…love ALLA! I think it is one of my top 25 episodes. And LOVE Lee in his jeans and that blue shirt and the outdoors, just like you, iwsod! Hubba hubba!
   And I’ve been to Rome too! I love that city and hope to go back someday.

   I don’t think I’ll every forget the first time I saw this episode. I was in complete shock for the for the first part of this scene with Lee. I’ll blame it on the damn jeans. And the open shirt. And the outdoors. 😉 I remember watching with my mouth open, wondering why the pizza delivery guy was calling Lee Mr. King. I mean, surely he’d delivered pizza there before and knew there was no Mr. King. So does that mean that Lee is Mr. King? What? They got married in the offseason? How could the writers do that to us? But wait, why is he ringing the doorbell then? Just what the hell is going on here? Of course then I realized I was in shock and not thinking properly. Maybe the fact that I was so thirsty for SMK after the summer hiatus that I was seeing mirages.

   LOL at the random extra with his but in the air! He must be from California and is expecting an earthquake! But, oh Dotty, cheating is not nice…and you’re not old enough to get away with it. Love how close and comfy Lee and Amanda are here in this scene!! Great post, iwsod!

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8. I never noticed before how these opening scenes are all about words. First, we have loud, angry foreign words. Then the word game, Dotty and Amanda’s banter, Jamie’s calligraphy, Philip’s phone conversation –all of the normal ways we use words to communicate and play, and make art (the calligraphy). Outside the house, there are meaningful words, too (“Mr. King”). It will be fun to look for other important word references as we go through.

   The Dotty and Amanda scene seems so comfortable and natural. Great acting!

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   1. Oh, I like patterns like that. There is something else with words coming up… I wonder why they did this. Is there something about the title that alludes to using words, a song, a poem or a movie perhaps? I am just throwing that out there because there is something to this idea of yours LASinLA.

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      1. LOL yep, I have zero recollection of what you could be alluding to here Morley!

         Oh good question.. the title?.. yeah.. I don’t know.. I always straight away think of ‘an affair to remember’ but lol I don’t think there’d be a connection to that.. I’ll have to ponder on that one – If anyone comes up with anything do let us know! 🙂

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         1. Last comment I promise!
            I just noted John Le Carre has a novel which may related to the title:
            ‘The Deadly Affair’

            I think ‘affair’ comes up a lot in spy stuff.. you know like ‘the Petrov affair’ -I don’t know! byee

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            1. Also found a book called “A lovely little war” but it doesn’t seem linked.

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   2. hiya LASinLA (or should I call you ‘wordwizz’! 😉 )

      Interesting insights here! It has been a very long time since I’ve seen this episode – well basically from now on I have pretty much forgotten plots and only remember big moments (you know like a certain moment on a certain bed) – so I’ll be looking for themes etc. as I walk through, without the benefit of having seen the whole episode..

      Yeah I noted the link between Alan the art dude and Jamie’s calligraphy.. but wasn’t sure yet what it all meant 🙂 I’ll add words to the mix 🙂 there’s lots of foundational words in the declaration of independence no? 🙂

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      1. Yes, I think the Declaration’s words are the big ones in this episode, but there are some others, too. And several allusions to Italy . . .
         Wikipedia says that the Italian flag with the cross is the flag of the Italian monarchy, used from about 1861-1946.

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9. The beginning of this episode always cracks me up, from Dotty cheating at Scrabble (not the regular Scrabble because we play that all the time) from the pizza guy calling Lee “Mr. King”.

   I agree, now we see Lee getting a little more comfortable with his relationship with Amanda, and not all that perturbed about the possibility of meeting another of her family members at the door (maybe a subconscious urge to get to know her better through her family?)

   I never got the impression that he expected her to pay back the cost of the pizza. I think it was an sweet act of chivalry, the kind of things guys do for girls that they are courting, even if Lee might not realize he’s doing it at this point (or maybe he does?). It always did kind of bug me that she couldn’t help the one-upmanship about his overpaying rather than just thanking him. (I will admit that even now I cringe at paying $20 for a pizza from a pizza franchise. Thirty years ago that was a quite a tip) I’m sure she would have had a few things to say about Lee’s comments to the pizza delivery guy if she had heard them.

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   1. I wonder if Amanda is making a crack about Lee’s lifestyle. She is supposed to make sense of his expense accounts for an audit, right? Maybe the gist is that he is a bit elaborate with things, maybe that he doesn’t understand the true cost of things. Maybe her comment is a bit about how he is out of touch with normal? Maybe she is just trying to continue their friendly dialogue along the lines of him teaching her about his world and she doing the same for him.

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      1. You might be right Morely – Lee not knowing the monetary value of things does seem relevant to the audit.. I’ll be looking forward to seeing how this all unfolds!!

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   2. Cyd!!!! Great to hear from ya!!!

      LOL no wonder the pizza kid was so stoked!! 🙂 and no wonder Amanda didn’t at least offer to reimburse Lee!!

      Cyd wrote:

      >I agree, now we see Lee getting a little more comfortable with his relationship with Amanda, and not all that perturbed about the possibility of meeting another of her family members at the door (maybe a subconscious urge to get to know her better through her family?)

      Well put Cyd! I think you are spot on – it says a lot doesn’t it!! Season 1 Lee was almost terrified he might catch something from these normal people haaaaaa

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10. I do think that Lee was looking for a reason just to see Amanda. I watch my sons, when they have an interest in a young lady all of a sudden there are a myriad of important reasons to head over to her house to drop something off or ask a question. I don’t think they are even aware of what they are doing or how it looks, they often seem genuinely surprised when I ask them a question about how they feel about the young lady. I think Lee is doing that here.
    And it does seem as though he is approaching suburbia and Amanda in the context of her family differently here. He is coming in broad daylight, pulling up in front o the house, entering through the front gate and knocking on the front door. That really is a remarkable difference and I think he knows it. Maybe a part of him is glad Amanda opened the door like that, but I wonder if Lee was also hoping that there could have been a chance that Dotty or one of the boys would have opened it instead. What would he have done? I think he would have kept a cover, but inside he would be investigating what this new approach felt like.
    I love Amanda here. She is on her game. Kind, funny and has everything in perspective (or so she thinks). Love the retorts.
    And that opening dialogue with Dotty is so great. Own hair, the lovely competitiveness and game playing. Amanda’s reaction to her mother’s chiding. And the interaction with the boys. Yes, this must be a Sunday evening. I bet it was a long, lonely weekend for Lee, but a full busy one for Amanda. “Out of the woodwork he will come.” Let the fun begin!

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    1. Ohhh Morley! I think you’ve got it in one!! Lee is totally looking for an excuse to see Amanda again.
       Okay, it’s a work related excuse.. but still he comes to her home.. her front door! 🙂
       I’m loving this opening right after the tag of OTL – and.. coming up I’ve found something in the next post that confirms (for me!) that ALLA has to be after wizard!! 🙂 so can’t be first like it was in airing order 🙂 hooray..

       I love how no one (so far) has commented on the opening in Rome.. lol.. after just finishing wizard and all that harm done to women – I am over it! Wizard even opened with a woman in a foreign country being murdered. In this ep? we have a woman in a foreign country being kidnapped.. How lovely.. not!!!! grrr [another good reason why I’d prefer wizard and ALLA are not together! ugh!!] too many women in peril because of men smk! please!! give us a break! 🙂
       how did I get onto that? sorry!

       Anyway – the family interactions are indeed very charming – I’m agreeing with all your comments here Morley!

       ‘A remarkable difference’ – Indeed! I think Lee takes note of it too.. he’s certainly entering a phase where he is getting to know his true self.. and his true heart’s desire 🙂

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11. Lee seems to be both relishing and a little nervous about his daylight Sunday (?) trip to the suburbs and Amanda’s front door. He could have just kept trying to phone – Philip’s got to get off the phone eventually, huh? But no, after just one hour he decides to go to Amanda’s house. It’s easy for him now to decide to go and see her, even in broad daylight with the real risk of meeting Dotty and the boys. This doesn’t strike me as something he would have done pre-OTL.
    He seems to be flirting a little with Amanda here but I think he is schmoozing a bit because he knows he’s asking a big favour of her. But he’s enjoying it too – their friendship is so close and comfortable now. Some of Amanda’s expressions suggest to me that she can’t help but think “Oh, he’s so cute when he’s like this” but at the same time there’s a little alarm going off in her head saying, “Don’t go there, Amanda.”
    But ultimately Amanda knows how to keep a sensible head around the ol’ Stetson charm – from the way she gently chides him about the inadvisability of knocking on her front door without knowing who might answer” to the way she deals professionally and assertively with his request, letting him know she will do it but that she has other priorities right at this moment.
    I think now Lee is really appreciating having an intelligent, feisty woman in his life who can hold her own with him. He’s really enjoying their friendship now, he has immense respect for Amanda, she challenges and intrigues him in good ways, and maybe he’s beginning now to let his mind wander occasionally down the path of “what if…”.

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    1. Whoooo things are getting good!!

       I think after all the different views of Wizard/OTL – many of us have arrived at the same place by the time we get to ALLA..

       I enjoyed your celebration here kiwismh – of Lee venturing into the suburbs!!
       I agree, after the tag of OTL (which I see as right before this opening) it fits fabulously well -Lee and Amanda are now no longer pretending to be just great work mates/partners – they are now friends aside from shoptalk.. so Lee turning up and using the front entrance.. taking a little step closer to Amanda’s family work – fits beautifully!!! Not to mention the playful teasing that goes on here with Lee paying too much 😉

       Well put Kiwismh.. I agree Lee enjoyed (and IMHO has always enjoyed) how Amanda constantly takes him by surprise.. Right from the start – Remember in TFT in the garage?? ‘That’s how your mind works???!!!!’ 🙂 haaaa.. love it!

       One question kiwismh, regarding this comment:

       >He’s really enjoying their friendship now, he has immense respect for Amanda, she challenges and intrigues him in good ways, and maybe he’s beginning now to let his mind wander occasionally down the path of “what if…”.

       I remember you see the OTL tag as a date – yes? so how does this fit together for you?
       I’m sure you have a clear picture in your mind of how the story goes for you – just wondering if you can paint me a picture (your picture 🙂 ) – If by now they’ve already gone on a date or two – isn’t he doing more than letting his mind wander down the path of ‘what if’? I’m a little confused by that – but that’s because I don’t see them as dating yet..
       don’t feel you have to respond I am just curious! 🙂

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       1. In my SMK world I see Lee at the end of OTL consciously admitting to himself that it is Amanda he is interested in. It’s hard to explain but I see him feeling a pull towards her, an attraction, that he can no longer ignore or explain away to himself as mere physical attraction or admiration one might feel for a good friend.
          At the same time he’s attracted and wanting now to explore this attraction and where it might lead, he’s also a little scared of the depth of his feelings and worried that maybe he’s incapable of the making the transition to the normal, steady man she needs in her life. By that I don’t mean the is worried he will want to go back to his playboy ways, but normal life is still a bit of a mystery to him – the $20 pizza is a small example of that – he must wonder if he can learn to be normal after all these years of leading such an out of the ordinary professional and personal life.
          He needs and wants to get closer to Amanda but this type of relationship and the potential future lifestyle Amanda represents are so new to him and he has no road map to navigate his way, so he’s taking very small steps.
          Also, he’s not sure how Amanda feels at this point. I think he suspects she is interested in something more than friendship with him but he probably realises she will be wary of becoming more than friends with him until she is sure he can commit to her and normal family life.
          Whatever happens, he doesn’t want to lose her friendship.
          So, at this point he is trying to keep the pressure off her and him by keeping his approaches casual and non-threatening. That way they can spend more time together as best friends (like the dates with no shop talk) without threatening that relationship, and he can test the water every now and then – each time dipping his toe in a bit further, so to speak.
          As for Amanda, I think she definitely knows there has been a change in Lee over recent months and in particular after the events of OTL. In Wizard she must’ve been feeling that pull towards him as she saw the turmoil he was going through, and she showed her feelings for him by being the best friend she could be and supporting him through that. At the end of Wizard I thought Amanda’s defences were wavering a bit – again she is reminded she could easily fall for this guy but for the sake of her heart and her family, she can’t afford to do that unless she is sure a relationship between them could seriously work. This isn’t just about being sure of Lee either, it’s also about her having the confidence that she can be the woman that he needs. She is confident and secure in her friendship with him, and professionally she knows she also now has Lee’s respect and confidence. But after all the women he has “known” and super-confident, well-travelled professional woman Leslie, she must wonder if she has what it takes to seriously hold Lee Stetson’s interest long-term.
          I think in OTL and Wizard we see her attraction to Lee getting stronger and harder for her to keep contained. But at this point I see her as still holding back a little – still not sure if she should trust where her feelings are leading her.
          Eventually of course they will get to a point where they both need to take that definite step from being friends to lovers but for now, at least a far as Lee is concerned, it’s a possibility that is in the distance, that’s still a bit scary for him but he knows he wants to take that journey and see where it leads. For Amanda, I think she’s still got to get over that little speed bump – should I listen to my heart and follow his lead down this path?
          Others probably see it much differently, but that’s where I’m at. Sorry for the long ramble but you asked for it Iwsod. 😉

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          1. cool.. you know I don’t know that I’m that far away from your thinking kiwismh.. but I don’t label them at present as dating (but not calling it dating)-i’m thinking that’s how you are seeing it but correct me if I’m wrong.

             lol.. well I hadn’t asked for a long ramble.. whahahaaa.. but if you want to -go for it! It can be helpful to put it down in some kind of logical order huh! 🙂

             Thanks for sharing kiwismh 🙂

             byeee

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             1. Just to add my two cents. I am not sure that I think that Lee is that aware yet. I think he is more aware of his draw towards Amanda than he has been so far. And I think it is going to dawn on him soon that he can no longer deny it. But I am not sure that he is planning anything, yet. I do think that he may even be trying not to plan anything for the reasons that you mentioned above about him taking it slowly.
                As for Amanda, she has always been aware of her draw towards Lee, but at the beginning of this episode I see her as still pretty sure nothing could happen. Her tone when she says that he would come out of the woodwork kind of shows me that she still is not expecting anything from any quarter that she is aware of. Things with Lee are nice, their friendship is nice, but that is all she can expect. She is still considering that those needs (own hair, handsome can bbq and fix the sink) will have to come from someone she hasn’t met before, if at all. I don’t think that perspective of Amanda’s will last much longer though…. 😉

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                1. Yes, I don’t see Lee actually planning “This is what I’m going to do and this is what’s going to happen”. Like I said above, it’s more like “Well I guess I’ll just keep walking down this road and see where it leads… so long as it doesn’t get too scary.”

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12. Dotty and the “ownhair” totally cracks me up. She’s awesome. (But totally cheats at whatever the game is.)
    It also cracks me up that Phillip is playing with the uber-long phone wall-cord but doesn’t think to carry the phone around to the island or past it to be able to hear better! (Then again, maybe Amanda has a house rule that he can’t move the phone.)

    “I think he totally can.. he just doesn’t want to he hates it!”
    And he wants to have a halfway plausible excuse to spend more time with Amanda… 😉 😀

    “Amanda will have to be taken hostage for realism again?! 😉 episode? anyone?”
    Well, since my Ned’s sig is based on this, I’ll answer this one: Murder Between Friends
    (Billy: “Amanda, were you killed?” Amanda: “Uhhh… No, sir!” Billy: “Good for you.”)

    “Do we need anymore pics of Lee lookin dreamy in that blue shirt in the great outdoors?”
    Yes–Lee in the blue shirt in the great outdoors IN THE SHRUBBERY. 😀 (Not asking for much…)

    “KC- you like the birds chirping there?!”
    Yeah–since it’s birds chirping, and not the infernal squawking birds that the sound techs seem to like using all the time. :p
    But more than liking the birds chirping, I like Lee walking up to the front door like he belongs there (he does! he does!) and not batting an eyelid at being “Mr. King”. (Yes, I know–he’s a super spy and has to be ready for anything… but you’d think that one might’ve made him stutter slightly. Maybe if he’d met Joe already…)

    “Go feisty Amanda!!”
    I love feisty Amanda. She rocks, and we should’ve seen more of her.
    (And yes, I completely agree with your interpretation. Amanda did pull one over on him, and Lee did seem to accept it like he deserved it… And in fact, I think he kinda liked it–he leaves with a half-smile on his face… Amanda has just bested him again–challenged him, even in a little way, like no other woman has challenged him before.)

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    1. Also love feisty Amanda – shades of early season one, except that instead of feeling annoyed, Lee does seem to rather enjoy being blindsided. More of the blue-shirted Lee – pleeease! He does look great in blue.

       About Dotty’s characteristics of this “perfect man” – Lee may be handsome, have his “ownhair” or “ownair” and able to barbecue, but fix a sink??? I think not. Well you can’t have everything in one man.

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       1. Yep, love this scene! Relaxed family time, funny Dotty, lovely and patient Amanda, miniature adults, and relaxed Lee in jeans and blue shirt- arghgljgjfhgabagl! I really enjoy Amanda’s “you paid him too much” then scooting back inside while Lee has a dumbfounded look on that splendid face of his. Swoon thud

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    2. “challenged him, even in a little way, like no other woman has challenged him before”
       I just realized I need to disagree with myself here. When I wrote it, I was going to put “none of his women” but that doesn’t apply to Amanda here, and she’s really not in the same category, so I put “no other women” instead… forgetting about Emily. 🙂 I think that Emily also challenged him, but she was a mentor for Scarecrow, and probably a maternal figure for Lee for the time he was around her. He respected her, and I think Emily was a person who passed into a personal tie for him, in a career that didn’t encourage personal ties… I think that Lee maybe likes that Amanda shares the ability of challenging him along with Emily. Does that make any sense? It’s not purely just that Amanda challenges him, she challenges him like someone he respected did… now I’m rambling…

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       1. KC, I like the Emily comparison. Not rambling at all. I think it is right on! I think Emily knew this from the moment she saw the two of them together. I like the fanfics that describe what happened during the tour that Amanda gave Emily of DC before Geisterschloss (If you knoww the name of that one can someone post it at Ned’s in the fan fic section, thanks)

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       2. Fabulous KC.. I love that you’ve decided to alter and build on your previous comment!
          In my book – you’re making perfect sense!!! 🙂
          Amanda (like Emily IMHO) encourages Lee to be a better man 🙂

          ramble some more if you like! 🙂

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    3. Your comments crack me up KC!

       Ah! I knew I had recently seen that exchange about Amanda not being killed somewhere! 🙂

       chirping is acceptable.. infernal squawking not.. got it! 🙂

       Lee in the shrubbery?! rofl!!! Is there any Lee in the shrubbery in your upcoming tie patrol posts? [fyi everyone – they’ll be published once we’ve finished ALLA!]

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       1. Actually, it’s Vehicle Patrol up next–Tie Patrol will be (much?) later… 😀

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          1. oops sorry! you know what I mean.. KC patrol! 🙂

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             1. Officer KC, at your service! 😉

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13. I kinda always thought he was just bragging about paying to earn brownie points. 🙂 I love this opening with them. I am looking forward to this ep discussion. One of my faves!

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    1. I always thought so too – wanting Amanda to know he took care of the pizza guy for her. Gesture of affection perhaps?!

       I love this exchange between Lee and Amanda as well! They seem so friendly and comfortable with each other. Too cute and about time! :0)

       I also LOVE how Lee looks in this scene!! Could he look any more sexy in the shirt and jeans?!

       “I tried to call for an hour and I finally gave up.”
       I’ve often wondered what Lee might have been doing before he came over to Amanda’s. Has anyone else thought about this??? My curiosity stems from what he’s wearing. Is this what he looks like when he’s not working? If so, I approve. :0) But, if we are to assume that he is no longer seeing women socially (which I do), then he just looks too good to have been lounging around the house for the day. So, was he out and about while trying to reach her on the car phone? Or was he at the office preparing for oversight committee meeting calling her on his desk phone? Don’t ask me why I brought this up … just silly little thoughts that go through my head when I watch SMK.

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       1. Hiya Iheartsmk! [your handle btw is fabulous 😉 ] it’s been a while! great to hear from you again!

          yeah I can now see Lee may not have been asking for the $$ (which I didn’t actually mind..I would not have found that out of line – he didn’t know he had paid too much)
          Why did I not think he did something nice? maybe it’s because (uncharacteristic of Amanda) she doesn’t say thanks.. oh lol whatever! it’s all good!

          love the way your mind works iheartsmk! what was Lee doing before he showed up? tee hee.. you are surrounded by others whose mind works in a similar way 😉
          I will guess Lee was at home enjoying his little military model scene thingy while stressing about the congressional people turning up.. Can he shoot them with rubber bullets? nah.. he might have to call Amanda and get her help. LOL! I don’t know 🙂
          I don’t see Lee not being dressed properly when he leaves the house.. he’s always put together!

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    2. I always thought that he was telling her in his own way “don’t worry about paying for the pizza” both because he likes to help her and he knows he’s going to owe her for sorting out his expense accounts.
       It never occurred to me he might want her to cough up the money to repay him. I’ve thought about it and I don’t think that is what he expected. Lee knows Amanda doesn’t have a lot of spare cash so he’s helping her out in a way that doesn’t seem like charity. And like I said, he knows she’s going to be saving his hide… his very, extremely, lord have mercy, heart-stoppingly attractive hide… focus kiwismh, focus! ahem,,,um… what was I talking about? Oh yeah, she’s going to be helping him out big time so he will owe her for the extra time and effort she will be putting in.
       Whew, casual Lee in jeans with the blue shirt should come with a health warning – Caution – in case of heart stopping, jump start with premium dark chocolate and fine pinot noir. 😀

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       1. Oh, I should add, I think the look on Lee’s face after Amanda told him he gave the pizza deliverer too much was more about “Damn! That was a suburban rookie mistake Stetson!”
          Maybe it’s got him thinking, if he’s going to be spending more time visiting the suburbs he’d best get better at blending in and learning the basics.
          What would he have done if Dotty or one of the boys had answered the door – pretended to be the pizza delivery guy? Lots of 6’2″ drop dead handsome guys delivering pizza in the US, are there? 😉

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          1. Yeah!! that works!! tee heee.. Lee does get taught a lesson in the dog eat dog world of suburbia here huh! haaaaaaa!!! [It’s a jungle! 😉 ]

             Here’s question for ya – what would Dotty have done if she had gone to the door??? After all that talk of a good man coming out of the woodwork?!!! whahahahaa… I think she would have invited Lee in for a hot chocolate with Amanda! while pointing at the back of his head and mouthing to Amanda ‘Ownhair!!’ 😉

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             1. Lol! Sounds like Dotty (or my own mother) 😀

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       2. Hey kiwismh, I see Sab and Iheartsmk agree with you.. and I can see now that Lee may have been matter of factly telling Amanda what he had done – without necessarily asking for the $$ 🙂

          I think it’s ambiguous and could have been interpreted either way in the end.. hey I am not really looking at the script for this ep – I’m short on time.. so you guys please if you can keep an eye on the script and feel free to share any insights it offers!!! What does the script make of this I gave the kid a 20 moment? just curious!!

          Learjet (who transcribed this episode) has warned me there’s a big surprise in the script!!! Since I’m not looking – I do hope someone will share it with us – when we get up to that part of the episode!!!! 🙂 pretty please?! 🙂

          Soooo kiwismh, you OD’d on the pinot and cacao?? 😉

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    3. Hi Sab! Great to hear from ya!!!

       Hey this is new to me! I went and watched the ‘I paid the kid a 20 for the pizza’ moment again – I had never thought that Lee was not asking for the $$ [maybe because I didn’t see it as rude lol]

       But I can totally see that you have a point! He may not have been asking for the money!!!
       I guess his statement of fact could be taken either way..
       but there is no doubt that Lee doesn’t know the going rate of a pizza + tip in the suburbs 😉 soooo Amanda still has her gotcha moment – whether Lee is assuming she’ll reimburse him or not.. I guess!

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    4. I agree with you that Lee is looking for “Thanks” or points or something. His comment is very off-handed and he waits for Amanda’s gratitude. Good for her that she threw him off balance! 🙂

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    5. I think Lee is fishing for some “words of affirmation” from Amanda when he tells her about paying.

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