Picking up where we left off..
Lee and Amanda are quiet a moment.. Lee seems to be enjoying Amanda’s compliment that he always finds the silver lining.. but Amanda? Her thoughts are elsewhere..
Amanda: Lee?
Lee: Mmm? (thumb stroking!)
Amanda pauses a moment.. not sure how to say what it is she wants to say.. Lee listens, waiting for what Amanda will say..
Amanda: If we don’t make it—
(Amanda hesitates to continue, Lee gives Amanda’s arm another thumb stroke)
Lee gently: Hey, we—
Amanda: We— If we don’t,
(whoooo haaaaa! slowing this down to pick the photos- I just realised right here- Amanda glances at Lee’s mouth!!!)
(she hesitates a moment.. they are silent for a beat and Lee turns his head away from Amanda..his hand continues to comfort her… oh my…but he suddenly seems intense.)
…I just want you to know that—
(she pauses again, now Lee has turned back to look at her- a serious look on his face.. then he glances away again..)
Oh by the way everyone- I am soooo sorry that I am short on detail here.. I wish I could add more.. but.. 😛 tee heee…
… I—
(Lee seems to snap back to look at her and Amanda pauses again.. man! Lots of hesitating and pausing going on!??!)
..reeeeaaaally am glad to have known you. 🙂
Amanda seems relieved to have gotten that out!
LOL!! I think that Amanda was going to say something deeper.. but I think Lee thought she was going to declare her undying love here and so when his head snaps back around – Amanda reads that he isn’t ready to hear the true depth of what’s going on for her.. So she reveals as much as she feels he can cope with – I like that she is still honest about what she is thinking and feeling..
Was Amanda about to say she loves Lee?? What do you think?
I’ve hesitated up to this point, in describing Amanda as fully in love.. I haven’t had a set moment in mind where I thought this changes.. but.. maybe this is it???? With death staring her in the face – maybe Amanda has now fully realised the true depth of her feelings for this great man?!! Come on!! do tell – what do you think?
Anyone else think Lee thought Amanda was going to make a declaration?? I think deep down he already knows..
Oops sorry I ramble.. I’ll continue with this scene..
Lee seems to linger looking at Amanda laughing and declaring she is really glad to have known him. So sweet isn’t it Lee?!
He just silently looks at her.. his smile getting bigger and bigger (the dimples getting deeper and deeper!)
[wow!!! I love this pic!!]
He laughs, and pulls her in for a closer hug (yep that left hand of his is at it again!! I see it as the big tell of what he is really feeling in this scene! lol!!)
Amanda really looks like she is enjoying being cocooned in his arms in this moment.. I think she is relishing what she has just realised.. She’s in the arms of the man she loves and she’s gonna enjoy it!
Lee: Well the same goes here. (Lee responds lightly, superficially..)
(Lee pauses and thinks for a moment-like he is not content to leave his response so superficial.. He chooses to go deeper..) Lee continues: … You know, to tell you the truth Amanda, I—
(Here, Amanda opens her eyes.. what’s he about to say??!!!)
… well, I’ve learned a lot from you in the last couple of years.
(Amanda gives a little smile..)
[such a lovely thing to hear – but I also think Amanda’s smile is because; for a moment she wondered whether he was about to make a declaration!! I love how this mirrors Lee wondering the same thing a moment earlier – and it leads me to think that Amanda knows Lee loves her now.. but.. he isn’t ready to name it.. to call it what it is..
When Lee doesn’t make a declaration Amanda seems relieved to have read him right a moment earlier – he isn’t yet ready to put everything into words.. so instead – he puts something else very precious into words- that he has learned from her over the years – this from him is a huge step, a huge admission!!! and it’s progress!!! ]
Amanda: Really, I always thought I was pretty much of a burden.
Lee: Well, I –
[LOL! I kinda think she has been! but.. that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been great! 
]
…I..I.. – really, I…
[Lee searches for the words, patting her and re-enveloping her in his arms – this is probably all news to Lee too! Amanda has been a burden.. and yet he has learned a lot from her.. how can that be Lee? do tell!!]
…have learned a lot about people, about myself. 
…You know,
…stuff they don’t teach at the Agency.
[I think that Lee makes this realisation fully only here with her by the campfire..the full extent of what Amanda has taught him.. and how lucky he has been to have her in his life.. I think they are both coming to realise fully the richness of having the other in their life]
By the way – I always wanted to know- What exactly has Lee learned from Amanda?!
Amanda very quietly responds: That’s really nice of you to say… [Amanda is so wise, she acknowledges it but doesn’t make a big fuss over Lee’s big reveal here!]
They are quiet again, Lee’s thumb stroking Amanda’s arm.. the owls hooting.. but.. Lee begins to screw up his face. lol!
He shifts a bit and groans
Amanda: What’s the matter?
Lee really begins shifting the way they are sitting dramatically..
Through his grunts Lee answers: Well, I – I got a cramp right—
His shifting causes Amanda to shift..
Anyone not know what happens next? well since we all know I’ll skip it and move on..
Ahem!
As if!! 
They are suddenly face to face.. eye to eye.. (heart to heart?) and Lee freezes..
Amanda’s eyes widen.. she freezes too.
Queue the music.. ding!!
A switch just got turned on tee hee..
She’s got hold of his lapel She searches his eyes.. I only wish we could too darn lighting.. but we can see Lee isn’t moving away.. he’s in her tractor beam now baby!!
Amanda silently smiles a little.. as Lee looks down at her lips..
Amanda isn’t moving away either.. but nor is she moving in.. she’s waiting for what Lee decides to do.. (IMHO of course!)
I love to watch Lee’s left hand here.
It comes around Amanda’s shoulder, and slowly pulls her toward him. (swoony swoon swoon!!)
Closer..
Closer still..
Drraaat!!!! that’s as close as we get!
We hear an evil voice in the distance cry out: Over there! [It’s official-I hate these baddies!]
Lee quickly turns his head..
Amanda.. not so quickly
We see the baddies in the dark searching on foot with their torches (flashlight for you Americans) – Sacker must be paying these guys awfully well!
We cut back to Lee as he kicks that lovely warm fire out.. gah!!!
Moving fast he scrambles with Amanda to get down behind a rock.
Lee: Get down!
Pickett: I see something. There!
The baddies start shooting at the swamp..
Those Baddies are gonna pay for interrupting Lee and Amanda!!!! argh!!! Now they are sexually frustrated and mad as anything ha haaaaa..
This swamp moment reminds me of Apocalypse now!!!
Anyone else wish they could have seen a Lee moment like this:
whoooo! Then again, that would mean messing Lee’ s hair.. and that’s just not the done thing!
Sacker yells: Hold your fire! Hold your fire! You’ll wake up the whole countryside. Keep those lights pointed at ground.
(We see Lee and Amanda pop their heads up to see what’s going on)
Rogan: Did we get them?
Pickett: I’ll check it out.
Sacker: Forget it, there’s quicksand and God knows what else out there. They’ll never get through it tonight but post two men here so they don’t come out the way they came in. (Again we see Lee and Amanda listening in..)
…Tomorrow we come back in the morning and we have a good old fashioned manhunt.
Sacker is such a kind and helpful baddie.. love how he says what their plans are loud enough that Lee and Amanda can hear this way Lee and Amanda might actually get some sleep 😉
The baddies start heading home.. and we cut back to Lee and Amanda back behind the rock.
We hear Amanda groan.. like it is not so comfy back there!
We hear but don’t see them as Lee suggests: I think we ought to get a little rest, huh?
Amanda: Yeah.
Lee: We got a long day ahead of us.
Amanda: Okay.
Both Lee and Amanda give a cry of pain.. lol umm what’s going on back there?!
Lee: Amaaaaannnnda! [It cracks me up how Lee growls her name lol!! what did she do pull his arm out of socket accidentally?!] I guess not seeing it (like with Wanda earlier) makes it funnier.. but.. I really wanted to see what was going on! And in what position they ended up falling asleep! or umm is it just me?!
Amanda: Shhh. [I love how Lee sounding so grumpy doesn’t bother Amanda at all..ha!]
Lee: I like to sleep on my right.
Amanda: Yeah, well I like to sleep on my left side.
Lee: Ugghhh!!!
drat..I wanted to see them asleep together all snuggled up.. we never get to see that! ugh!! and… we don’t see them in the morning either!
I think it hints at how they slept.. the lyrics of that song go:
- Place park, scene dark, silvery moon is shining through the trees;
Cast two, me, you, sound of kisses floating on the breeze.
Act one, begun. Dialogue, “Where would you like to spoon?”
My cue, with you, underneath the silvery moon.
By the light of the silvery moon,
I want to spoon, to my honey I’ll croon love’s tune,
Honeymoon keep a-shining in June,
Your silvery beams will bring love dreams, we’ll be cuddling soon,
By the silvery moon.
I like to think the silvery moon hints that they spooned
awh!!I am thinking Sudden Death (they both slept in the bookie’s office in straight jackets), in Times they are a changin (they both slept tied together on the two chairs..) ummm.. any other times?
Lee saw Amanda asleep in Weekend.. but does that count?! Any other times??
Well!!! This post has been a long time coming! I can’t wait to hear what you all think is going on.. what you love about it.. what you’d have wished to see..
Where to start on this scene huh?! [hmm.. a cold shower might be helpful- haaa!]
While it was a shame it was so dark during this scene (made it tricky to see what was going on) – I think the dark added to the intimacy, and the fact that they really weren’t looking at each other much of the conversation, they were staring into the fire or had their eyes closed- this may have made this conversation possible..(that and the life and death situation-but they’ve been in those before!) – They both reveal a lot here to each other and let their walls down.. Amanda even nearly making a declaration..
I am now thinking they both fully realise what they feel for the other, and that the other is in love with them too – but Lee isn’t ready to admit this.. Maybe Amanda isn’t ready for it either – maybe it is a good thing she doesn’t rush into a declaration- maybe neither was ready to deal with what that would mean. For a second I wondered if Lee had a cramp on purpose.. but nah.. he was just as close to kissing her when he was comforting her about being afraid so it wasn’t a device to move closer… they both got caught up in the moment, and it pushed their relationship a bit further than they might have gone in the cold hard light of day.
Here’s a Utopia Now Almost Kissing gif I made!
(Mesmerising.. but it’s also a form of torture to watch them come so close.. and yet.. gah!!!! they don’t touch! Orr… are their top lips touching??!! rofl!!)
Here- this will balance things out a little!
[I’m pretty sure their lips touch.. but I better watch some more.. err for research!]
I’m really enjoying approaching the episodes fresh – it has given me new perspective.. I haven’t had a set journey for these two in mind.. and so I find myself for the first time believing this is the episode where they both fully realise the depth of their feelings for each other – and that the other feels it too..
While I curse the baddies for interrupting the kiss – I’m finding that I am glad they did nowadays!!! A spur of the moment kiss, which they might regret and which was not a choice, is not as meaningful as intentionally pursuing it..[Sounds too Castle orr Moonlighting for me! ugh!!]
We don’t need them to kiss to know they are both crazy about each other..
For more on where this leaves them – I’m going to need to hold off until the tag to explore it fully..
Soooo I’d love to hear what you think of this scene! what do you see going on here?
Anyone remember watching this episode for the first time when it aired?? not knowing that it was going to be a near miss kiss? I think I always knew it was a near miss kiss –sadly I missed out on what that experience would have been like..
Here is Lovesmk’s banner relating to this wonderful scene.. Lovesmk we are really sorry you had to labour over this scene.. it must have been very trying for you tee hee..
thanks for sharing it with us!!! [I’ll make it the blog header now for a bit!]
Thanks also to Kiwimsh for the wonderful transcribing.. how you managed to type the words in this swoony scene is beyond me!!
Sadly, I’m crazy busy in RL right now.. but will respond as best I can – or may have to come back to respond later.. but! Have no fear! I will be reading and relishing as you all share your wonderful Lee and Amanda insights with us all – and discuss away together!!!!
Might be a few days before I get another post written guys.. but something tells me this time- you won’t mind the delay so much
Byeeee!! (Iwsod hums.. by the light.. of the silvery moon!)
"Just walk with me.." 
OMG this scene!!!! One of my all time favorites! I remember watching this for the first time when I was 16 and being soooo frustrated that they didn’t actually kiss!!!! Ahhhh!!!! As a teen, I didn’t see all the subtleties of their body language, tender dialogue, and facial expressions. As an adult, it makes me love this scene – and them – even more!
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The body language is amazing.
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#Rewatch😍😍😍😍
I can say this is by far my most favourite SMK scene ever😍😍😍😍 I know there have been many beautiful moments..like SOS…but somehow,although,the kiss was interupted,it was truly a perfect SMK SCENE..😍👌
Lee’s big strong arms enveloping Amand as she so cutely snuggles into him😍😍😍All barriers down..no walls between them..no one around in this dark place..a place that had at that precise moment belonged to them..only them..As she looks up at him just inches away..almost saying I..LOVE YOU😍😍and yet quickly changing it..Heart pounding fast as she decides not to say it..Lee ,at that moment,knowing very well what she had wanted to say….overcome with emotions..yet taking it in slowly..hugging her even closer to him😍😍😍And just as they shift position..at their most vulnerable moment,he draws her closer to him for a kisssss…it would have been just perfect and the most romantic moment ever😍😍😍😍if they had kissed..
Now if they were not interupted….it would have been emotional..(i doubt they could go very far by being cuffed together) it would be a kiss full of emotion..unspoken words completely shown physically..both shaking ever so tenderly yet emotionally…Lee and Amanda have always been abt body language,eye speak and unspoken emotions..so,this is just PERFECT😍😍😍
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#2019 rewatch
Lee and Amanda had me so hot and bothered, I was grateful when Lee smothered the fire! My hope for them was a quiet, romantic setting for their first passionate kiss. Bullets and flashlights just don’t set the proper mood!
As for sleeping arrangements, it makes perfect sense that Lee prefers to sleep with his dominant left arm free and that Amanda wants her dominant right arm free. I wonder how much sleep they’ll get?
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I watched this again recently and I got the feeling Lee was thinking of kissing her around screen shot number 11: as he is listening to her talk he looks at her lips and seems drawn to them; he tilts his head slightly with this expression… I swear I blushed watching it! but then she smiles and he is snapped out of his thought.
I love this scene and hate it! The intensity of that moment. You were spot on in your thoughts on her feelings. But then — interrupted. I swear I screamed NOOO! When I saw it the first time.
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Just bobbing up again to say hi! I’ve actually been following this blog quite a while now, just loving the comments and the depth you all bring to this delightful show! Thanks!
I’m new to SMK – only discovered it a couple years ago – so I distinctly remember the first time I saw this near-miss kiss. I guess I must’ve been pretty dense, because I totally didn’t expect it at all! I was just enjoying their cuddly, confiding moment and then he got his cramp – and my jaw dropped and I stopped breathing and then – they didn’t kiss after all.
And then of course, I rewound and watched it a couple more times, just to find out what on earth had actually happened! Totally hadn’t expected it! And yes, I love his left hand as he moves in to kiss her. I think that’s what tipped me off that something extraordinary was happening.
Looking back, it’s more obvious, but at the time I was truly astonished (and delighted). I’d hoped of course, but never expected their relationship to reach that point!
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Welcome Melisabear! I also only rediscovered SMK quite recently but by the time I got to this episode, I’d been waiting for my season three dvds too long and had sneaked a look at this scene on youtube a few times – well maybe more than just a few times 😉 . It must have been a fantastic surprise for you!
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Welcome, Melissabear! I smiled at the thought of how I would have loved to have been able to hit the rewind button when that near miss-kiss first happened! We original viewers suffered greatly 😉
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Howdy Melisabear! I watched SMK when it first came on in the 80s and just about wore my VHS tapes of the show rewatching scenes like this and the kiss in SOS. I think I even taped the show when they did summer reruns, just in case I missed something. It’s a tough job but…… 😉
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Hiya Melisabear,
I also remember when I first saw this near-miss kiss. It was about a year ago, because this episode was never aired in Germany.
And when I first saw it, I was so angry with whovever decided back in the 80ies, not to air this and also some other “important” episodes in Germany TV.
Because the mean thing was, that there were spoilers in some German Magazines, with pictures of some very nice scenes (which I cannot metion right now, as they are in S4 episodes) and I was watching and desperately waiting for these scenes to come, but they never did. I ended up thinking that these pictures were just for advertising purposes….gggrrrr
I am so glad that it is now available on DVD. Because now the development of A&L does make a lot more sense and I can watch the important scenes as often as I want. 🙂
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Ok, I have to ask this question.
What do you all think would have happened if the kiss had not been interrupted? How far would they have gone?
Sometimes I wonder if Lee would have taken it all the way, given the depth of his emotions for Amanda and his experience with women and his way of using touch as a way of communication. Would impulse and emotion take over reason?
How about Amanda? Would she be willing to give it all away there in the dark, in a scary place?
Where would they have stopped it if the baddies hadn’t? Why would they have stopped?
I am glad they were stopped. But they were stopped by others. What would have happened if they had to determine the end by themselves. What was their frame of mind, or level of intimate impulse? What do you think?
Did I just venture into the gutter section of the rabbit hole? Not trying to go to the gutter, but we are talking about Lee, and I don’t really think Amanda is a prude… Although I guess we can’t start the did they or did they not conversation yet.
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I don’t think they would have done much more. I think it would have already felt so intimate just to take the step of kissing that they would have both been happy but freaked. I don’t think they waited for the wedding (I have an opinion on when but its too early to discuss that. :-).
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It wasn’t really a spur of the moment in the heat of fear and desire almost-kiss. They had been having a quite personal conversation in the lead up, and then when they did get face to face they took a few moments to contemplate each other before both mutually deciding this is what they wanted.
So, I think they would have kissed and enjoyed the kiss and probably had a few more besides, but I also think they would have talked more about their friendship and relationship, and this maybe could have been the beginning of the romantic part of their relationship, which would then slowly evolve over the rest of S3.
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I guess I am not convinced that they would have been able to handle things so reasonably due to what we see happen further on in this episode and also due to the very slow progression over the rest of the season. I don’t really think they would have taken things very far because I do believe that Lee has a huge amount of respect for Amanda. Actually that is one of the reasons I think he doesn’t move things along at a steady pace at first. But I do think that if they had been allowed to continue the kiss it would have brought about some confusion and even possibly some hurt, for the very reason that Lee wasn’t able to openly discuss his feelings and that would cause Amanda to close hers up, of course the tag will give me the opportunity to play with that more 😉 . But sometimes when people can’t openly communicate verbally it comes out in the physical. So who knows? If this show was filmed today, I bet they would have gone as far as possible. Glad they didn’t.
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No, I don’t envisage they would have done more than kiss. But I think the act having been committed Lee would not be able to deny it or pass it off as anything else, so he would have to “man up” and deal with it. I think he has come far enough now that he would do so in a way that wasn’t hurtful to Amanda or untruthful to himself (i.e. denying any feeling behind it). I think they would ultimately decide to work on what they have but take it very slowly.
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I guess I really can’t comment on that until we get to the tag, But it sounds like you think that if they had really kissed the tag would have been different. Do you think that? If so, I can’t wait to hear how you would have had the tag go, when we get to that of course 😉
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For me it goes without saying that if this scene had played out without interruption, the tag would be different. We can discuss further at “tag” time.
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I agree… the tag definitely would have been different – I can think of several variations but I will be good and wait for “tag” time :-). But I don’t see any scenario in which they would have consummated their relationship that night. Putting aside all the excellent emotional and physiological reasons that have been mentioned, it was cold, dirty, damp and their hands were cuffed together limiting their abilities :-). Kissing – yep… getting naked – not so much.
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Great question … what would have happened if the kiss had not been interrupted? I’m aligned with the other responses … I don’t see things progressing much further for many reasons, but most notably because of Lee’s respect for Amanda, as was already mentioned. I think it is this respect that allows him to share meaningful conversation with her, and would send up big red flags if he started feeling like he was betraying her sensibilities. His protectiveness of her would kick in if he perceived a moment of weakness on her part. As for where Amanda’s mind is here, I think she responds to a natural opportunity, but I don’t feel like she was anywhere near out of control. Quite the opposite in fact! So if the kiss hadn’t been interrupted, I think there would have been a couple more (sigh), and then they would have regrouped ( >:-| ) and decided that they have a lot to talk about. Boring, boring, I know, but then again, I confess to being a prude even if Amanda isn’t! 😉
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Whatever respiratory virus has been affecting my students since almost the beginning of the school year finally laid me low. I’m hoping that what I contribute makes some sense. I”m not necessarily a big fan of the “what if” question. I tend to just accept what is given, what is done, or what has transpired. Of course I may not like it, but I can’t really change it. Had this gone any differently we may not have ended up with all that we did.
That non-kiss caused us to return again and again, for more and more, in some ways just to see if it would eventually come to fruition. And, even now, still we return. Whatever the thought processes behind it, it worked and it worked well. I like to think that everything happened in the way it was meant to or supposed to happen. I’m good with what we got and how we got it.
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I am late to this, but I will still add my two cents.
I wish they would have got to kiss before Sacker and his goons interrupted them, like they could have had a kiss, then pulled back, had a cute moment, then as they are going in for NO 2, THEN have the whole thing with sacker happen where they shoot at them, perhaps? IDK.
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All I know is the whole nation of SMK watchers screamed NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! it originally aired and Sacker became our most hated bad guy,
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This is what I remember happening when I first watched it in the 80’s. When I watched the episode I had a muffled scream of NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (my parents would have come running if it I screamed it louder). Pretty sure a sofa cushion felt my frustration. Man, the next day at school did I ever RANT with my other friend that watched SMK. WHY NOT KISS!!!!!!!!!!!! I WANT THEM TO KISS!!!!!!! (hmmm, I might be re-living the moment a little). I too wore my video tape out watching this scene (as a result I have a fear of wrecking my DVD too). In the script the do actually kiss and the tag is different (it explains the whole fuss about the note). I am very glad it was a near miss kiss, it was the right thing to do, torture, but the right thing to do.
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See, I knew I wasn’t alone in my screaming. 🙂 * Raises fist in SMK solidarity *
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Rofl iluvsmk – I think half of us could totally relate to this!! Yeah!!! re-live away! I love to experience it through your eyes! Did we discuss the different script when we walked through the episode? I can’t remember!
Sadly, I didn’t get to watch the story unfold on tv… which probably explains why the blog is all about following the journey as it unfolds. I was totally spoiled and had heard about this near miss kiss for ages before I could even finally actually get my hands (eyes?!) on the episode to watch it!!!
What a thrill it must have been to not know they were not going to kiss! gah!!!! I bet a few TV’s were knocked over.. Cries were heard throughout the suburbs, women poured onto the streets collapsed to the ground in massive collective frustration… and anyone named Thacker got a massive kick up the pants.. tee hee..
I like to think that whatever our frustrations, Amanda’s character must have been experiencing ohh so much more frustration 😉 ahem!
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ROFL! Haha Iwsod! Great description of the collective reaction to the missed kiss 😀 That was certainly how I felt at the time!
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Jule!!!! hoorah!!! you’re back!!!! 🙂 So happy to see you here!!
ha thanks Jule – Lee and Amanda frustration would have inspired much hysteria at the time 🙂 Ohhh you felt that way too?! Did all your friends too?
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Hi Iwsod (waves happily!), I hope life has eased up a bit for you. Not one of my friends watched the shows I watched back in the 60s. Hmmmm, same today. Not sure what that says about me 😉
Cheers!
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Hey Jule! well everyone on here is going to know you have great taste in 80’s television 😉
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Hi all! I was a freshman in high school when this episode originally aired. I was minding my own business enjoying the view of Lee Stetson when all of a sudden this scene appeared. I distinctly remember getting excited and my heart beating faster thinking that this was really going to happen…and then they tricked me. I was so disappointed. I would have loved for them to have kissed first and then get interrupted. My VHS tape was worn down from me rewinding over and over just to make sure their lips didn’t touch. Your gif reminded me of that.
Where I was growing up, national shows would air one week later than in the mainland. I used to drive myself crazy wondering what I was missing since I was one week behind. This near miss kiss almost did me in….
Thanks you for your great posts and all the comments.
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I finally caught up to the episode you are current reviewing. Utopia Now. I wish I could remember my reaction to the near miss kiss, but it was November 1985, my senior year in high school. I might have been busy with applying to college. I am sure I was disappointed. But now re-watching the show after 30 years, I think the near miss kiss is brilliant. I don’t the either Lee or Amanda were ready for the next step in their relationship yet.
This show was great and I loved that they let Lee and Amanda’s relationship develop naturally, without a lot of drama. (Unlike most shows.) It is fun to watch, even with all the plot holes and at times lack of continuality. It will be fun to “walk” with everyone for the rest of Season 3 and 4.
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Great that you have caught up, Jo. It’s even more fun at JWWM when you can follow post by post; comment by comment…:)
I actually think the plot holes can be a good thing. I don’t have to bother to concentrate so hard on the plot because I know it won’t always make sense, so I can just relax and enjoy it.
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Jo & Learjet5 you put it so well into words. The side plot is the real plot. Byee
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There is another plot besides Lee and Amanda??? 😉
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LOL!
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Umm.. Lee’s jeans? they are a whole character all by themselves are they?!
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Hiya! I’ll second Learjet’s comments.. so great you have caught up Jo- hope this means we’ll get to hear more of your thoughts?! they are always welcome!!
Life ain’t slowing down any.. but the next post is up next.
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone’s thoughts on this very special part of Lee and Amanda’s story – I hope I can get back here and respond more fully to them!
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I did think Amanda was just about to say “I love you”, but broke off, not because of a look in his eyes, but because she just wasn’t quite ready to bring it out into the open like that. I think she knows, but is hesitant to make this step in case it’s the wrong one. Someone pointed out that they aren’t in danger of imminent death here, and she may have re-thought what she was going to say. And I think Lee is still a little bit behind here, in realizing what he himself feels. They don’t quite seem to the point yet of realizing what the other feels, either.
I wanted to make a point about them being chained together: I think it’s a cheesy plot device, and they didn’t really need it to teach them teamwork; they’re already better at that than the average team. But I think this night out in the sticks and forced to keep close to each other will go a long way towards breaking down any walls of reserve that remain between them. A few years ago, I went camping with a group of lifelong friends, guys and gals. We knew each other super well, but there’s just something about the nuts and bolts of surviving out there that does away with the little niceties we usually observe. Our gear got wet, and there we all were drying our underwear on sticks held over the fire. Not much room for any reserve left.
I bet it works the same for Lee and Amanda. Being chained together for that long would be awkward and embarassing, but would probably leave them with the feeling that there’s no longer a reason for any reserve.
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Iwosd, I was just thinking about the progression of the nights that they spent together. First one they were in individual straight jackets, tied yes, but tied up around their own individual selves. The second time, in Times, hey were tied together, but back to back in chairs. This time the are tied together with a chain but they are voluntarily wrapped in each others arms. Hmm?
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I never felt like Amanda was actually going to say ‘I love you’ but then saw Lee’s face and realized he wasn’t ready. I do think she feels it and knows she feels it where as Lee feels it and is completely freaked out by it. I always saw Amanda as trying to figure out how to say something that was emotional and meaningful without actually saying ‘I love you’. So she stopped and started and finally came up with something that if you really think about it is actually kind of lame but in the context of their relationship is perfect. I’ve never viewed Amanda as any less scared and hesitant about their relationship than Lee. It’s just different and she’s a bit more self-aware. But she isn’t sitting around pining. She’s scared too. A lot is made of Amanda not being the kind of woman Lee expected to date or end up with – or even that Lee would end up with one and only one woman at all. But Lee is hardly the kind of man Amanda would be attracted to either. She has two boys to think of and now she’s falling for a man who makes a living doing a secret job that could get him killed. It’s terrifying to her too. I agree with those who said that it was probably good the way it worked out here but that doesn’t prevent me from screaming at the TV every time I see this episode. I also think this came after Sour Grapes. Lee made an excuse to try to kiss her there. He says that Penny made him promise. But I think if they had already had this intimate moment he wouldn’t need an excuse. They would have already moved toward it enough that if the situation presented itself he would have just kissed her. Of course to me it seems pretty inconceivable that they got this close this time and then, even though they are together so much, don’t actually kiss for quite some time (hopefully this isn’t too much talking ahead).
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I totally agree with your take on both Lee and Amanda being scared. I don’t see Amanda pining or being ready to just go for it at the first hint of Lee’s being ready for it.
I guess everyone knows that I do think this episode should go before Sour Grapes and I can’t wait to discuss it when we are finished with our walk through of UN.
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Me three! waves from the rabbit hole with chocolate in hand
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You have space in that rabbit hole? I have chocolate with me…
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Its a whole warren! Lots of room!
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Morley’s so right! There’s loads of room and we always have chocolate, wine and fuzzy blue robes 🙂 In fact, it seems to be growing at an exponential rate with more and more lovely people! (There is also a gutter for those of us with, ahem, a slightly risqué bent- hee hee!) See you down there!
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I agree that Amanda was going to say that she loved Lee, but last minute realized that they weren’t ready to get that out in the open yet. What has Lee learned from Amanda? He’s learned to trust again (and love again, even though he is not ready to admit it yet). He’s learned that having a real relationship with a woman is so much better than the casual flings he used to have with the Randi’s of the world. He’s learned that there are people that see the good in the world and the good in other people. He has also learned that there is more than one way to accomplish things. How often has Amanda found a creative way out of a situation, when Lee knows about guns and fist fights. So we are now at our second near miss I mean kiss. I don’t know that either one would have been able to sleep after that. They both would have been thinking what just happened.
This scene confuses me as to viewing order. I see this almost kiss coming before the almost kiss in sour grapes. But I see Amanda almost admitting love coming later. Oh well.
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I was in college when this aired and I think I didn’t get to see it until the summer re-runs. I was very much in love myself and engaged to be married. I was certain Amanda was going to confess her love for Lee, but now that I look back on it, I’m glad she didn’t. Confessions of love because one didn’t think they were going to survive much longer was a little cliche’. If Amanda had meant to say those words, I think the look Lee gave her squelched that idea. I still think that they were in love with each other by this point but neither was emotionally ready to take the next step.
I had a similar reaction that others did to the interrupted kiss. I think I stood up and stomped my feet and threw a pillow at the TV. I couldn’t believe they did that to the fans, not after the other near miss kiss tease of Sour Grapes. As a twenty- something I thought it was sheer torture and I was a little afraid that the writers would eventually chicken out of putting them together.
I often wonder if the teasing was at least partly BB’s idea. I don’t know if anyone else watched Bablyon 5 (of which I was a fan before BB joined the cast). The kind of drawn out romance with one or two near miss kisses happened between John Sheridan and Delenn as well. I remember thinking Oh heavens, they are going to tease me again! Makes me wonder if BB had anything to do with it.
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I think the big tease was/is par for the course for televisions shows. I remember this dialogue from Remington Steele when they were interrupted yet again.
Laura: Why are they shooting at us?
Steele: Because we were kissing. Somebody always shoots at us when we’re kissing!
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I love that scene in Remington Steele…. it’s hilarious and I didn’t mind it nearly so much as here because they actually got to kiss before the shooting.
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Cyd, I love Babylon 5 too! I am in the middle of binge watching it and was noticing the same thing. I think that’s what helps make these shows, RS included, so appealing for me. The relationships have a great deal of depth, humor and heart.
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Ooh, that’s an idea. I have every Babylon 5 released on DVD. Maybe it’s time to dust them off and watch them again lol. I liked RS too, at least the first couple seasons. Too bad they ended it the way they did. Does anyone know if that show is out on DVD? I’m not sure I could bear to watch the last part of it.
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All RS is out on DVD now. I agree Cyd, first couple of seasons are delightful! So many rabbit holes to dive into, so little time 😉
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When I was in my second year of college the super couple, Luke and Laura got married on the soap opera General Hospital. I was not a GH fan at the time, but many on campus scheduled their classes around their soaps. On that day I’m sure that many skipped classes altogether just to watch the big event. At one very climactic point Laura’s ex show up. There was this huge collective scream that you could hear all over campus. It was crazy.
Fast forward to four years later and I’m now teaching. When I first saw this near miss kiss between Lee and Amanda I was imagining that all of the SMK fans were collectively screaming NO!! all at the same time because I know that I was. It reminded me of Luke and Laura’s wedding. I was glued to the TV at this point and so caught up in what was going on. I mean, it was just so close and then for it to not happen. I was so upset that I think I probably missed some of what happened next.
Well, that was my younger self. My younger self also didn’t clue in to the fact that Amanda was possibly about to admit the depth of her feelings to Lee. But my older self understands that while it may have been wonderful for the admission and the kiss to happen it still just wasn’t the right time. This story, this journey, this tale of Lee and Amanda was so great, because things were not rushed or pushed and didn’t happen until it was supposed to happen. Lee and Amanda needed to both be ready and in the same place at the same time. While they have progressed they just both aren’t there yet. Lee still has some firewalls up and Amanda knows this. She is one patient woman.
This is such a wonderfully intimate and revealing scene, not just for us, but for Lee and Amanda. There is no pretense, no covers, just Lee and Amanda being themselves and being okay with being themselves. It’s interesting that while they may still be chained together, that chain is out of sight for the moment. It’s not holding them back in any way at this point.
I like that Lee tells Amanda that he has learned from her. And it’s great that he admits that what he learned from her is about people and himself and that these are things he couldn’t have learned at the Agency. If anything that has been especially shown in this episode alone. Amanda is a revelation to Lee in who she is and in who he is. Love, love, love this scene and it gets played over and over and over and over again.
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I like how Raffie described Lee and Amanda’s thoughts. Perfect. I often wonder what would have happened if Sacker hadn’t interrupted and they had kissed. I think we would have had the tag but reversed. I don’t want to run ahead, but I think Lee would have felt as if he should apologize because he would be afraid that she would think he had taken advantage of a situation and jeopardizing his friendship with Amanda. I think he would have still been confused over his own actions. I bet Amanda would have clamped down on her openness with her growing feelings for him. I can explain the rest of that thought scenario after the tag.
So I am glad that their kiss was interrupted. But I am also glad that they began it. It seems to me that over the beginning episodes of season 3, so many facets of their relationship with one another had been taken from the confines they had kept them and were floating around inside of them. I still think that lack of definition and yet awareness that something was changing and growing had both Lee and Amanda unsettled at the beginning of this episode, hence Lee’s crankiness and even some of Amanda’s over enthusiasm. But as they worked on the case, spent time in the field together, the true nature of who they are together began to take shape. And then here, in the dark, in each other’s arms it suddenly takes on a very real form. I don’t think Lee knows how to label it (actually I bet he does if he allowed himself to go there, but that “L” word is still a bit of a foreign thing for him, I don’t think he is ready to acknowledge that he is capable or worthy of it. I think he is still scared of it because love=loss). I think Amanda has a bit more awareness of what is growing between them, but I still think she has her own set of fears to overcome.
It will be fun to watch them grapple with what they are now both aware exists between them.
I can’t decide if Amanda was going to tell Lee that she loved him. I do think she was wanting to go a bit deeper, but held back because she could sense Lee’s fear. She handled that well. But I do think Lee might have thought that was what she was going to say. I wonder how much he thought about that afterwards? ( I think I may have to play with that in my stories). And I kind of wonder what his “same goes here” really means. If he thought that she was going to make a declaration and held back, could he be mirroring that? Maybe not intentionally, but it is fun to think about what his pre-conscious is trying to communicate 😉
And I just have to say that even though we are dealing with a very sad season of life in our family right now, I had this warm happiness in my mind all day thinking about this post. See, this show really did do a remarkable job for it to break through my sadness and make me smile because Lee and Amanda were discovering that they really had a great gift in each other…. sigh.
I guess I should go and comment on the earlier posts, but I just couldn’t wait to get into this one…
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Morley, sorry to hear that you are dealing with some sadness. I hope that things get better for you and that you are able to smile again soon. Sending good thoughts your way.
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“Same goes here” — you’re right, Morley. That is a nice and safe and open-to-interpretation response for Lee to use when he’s not sure what Amanda is trying to say, and most definitely not sure how he wants to respond. (It’s so lovely when good writing and good acting combine so effectively … and the ambiguity, while frustrating, is great for contemplating subtleties, and probably very real-life as well.)
Morley, I too am so sorry to hear that you are wrestling with sad times. While sometimes in such times SMK can seem very trite, one of its great side-benefits is that it can brighten a difficult time through its reminders of life’s true gifts. I have been further blessed with the personal experience of an SMK friend helping me through a particularly rough period of grief. I hope you can find an oasis here, and I will send some prayers your way for you and your family.
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Thank you for all your well wishes.
So I have taken a day to just relax and escape and so my thoughts are free to think SMK thoughts (almost).
I am thinking about why I don’t think Amanda would have been about to make an admission of love. I guess I just don’t see her as the emotional leader in the relationship. I do think she may be more aware of her own feelings but I think that would make her more afraid at this stage. I am aware that she pulls back often from being emotional forthcoming herself often and I don’ think she always does it out of deference for Lee’s own emotional issues. I do think she is great at helping others become emotionally forthcoming, but she isn’t so good at it herself.
So what would she be saying here? Maybe if she was in a pressing life and death situation she might, but here in this moment Lee had just shown her the silver lining… So I don’t think she was so desperate that she would just go for it.So I was thinking that she did want to tell Lee how important his friendship is to her, and I keep hearing in my mind’s ears his words from the cafe in Wizard about how it was important to him that she care. She pulled back a bit there too and deflected the moment to him telling her about the past. Maybe here she was going to go in that direction?
Well my SMK distraction time is over. It is time to go back to the season of life we are in.
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I would guess that Lee spent at least as much time chastising himself that evening as he did contemplating how he felt about Amanda … and way more time than he did “getting some rest.” Given his past, and the not-so-long-ago relationship with Leslie, what would he expect Amanda to be thinking after the almost-kiss? That he took advantage of her friendship in a moment of weakness. Amanda. A partner. A friend. A mother for heaven sakes. A … NO! Don’t go there, Lee! But what about that elevator tantrum? Nah, that was probably just a girl thing .. women and their weird moods. Ugh. Did I really try to kiss Amanda when she was cold and scared and needed to be able to trust me? How could I have been so stupid. <- Replay through Lee's head all night ad nauseum.
As for Amanda, well, she'd already crossed a personal line in OTLimit. She was jealous, pure and simple, and at that point she would have had to have soul-searched deeply … and no doubt come to a decision that she was no longer satisfied to accept the status quo. That decision would have played heavily into her confession this evening. As I type these thoughts off the cuff (and having not read the OTLimit discussion here), I realize that this ties very nicely into your observations about Amanda throughout this scene, Iwsod. She certainly could have been willing to confess more than she did. She would have been well aware of the new ground she was stepping on, boldly but also carefully treading forward with Lee's feelings. Amanda has taken the lead in the relationship — let's here it for liberated women!
What has Lee learned from Amanda? I agree with LearJet .. people skills. And for some reason the lyrics of "You Decorated My Life" are running through my head. I'm not sure if I am allowed to post the full lyrics here, so here's a link to the lyrics. To me this really sums up how Lee developed under Amanda's influence. The groundwork was there in S1 — he was always a good man. This is one reason Amanda was so attracted right: from the get-go. But he needed someone loving to help him mature emotionally and add dimension to his life. Anyway, I ramble. Here are the lyrics:
http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/rogers-kenny/you-decorated-my-life-8530.html
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About what Lee has learnt from Amanda: I think Lee’s learnt to be more human from Amanda. If one thinks of making decisions two major ways (MBTI!), one can either decide based on logic (ie based on ‘objective’ things), or decide based on how it might affect the people involved (more subjective). I think Lee had never learnt to think beyond the logical in his decision-making. Amanda has taught him that sometimes you need take people into consideration over and above what seems ‘rational’ and fact-based.
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I’ve actually never considered that Amanda was about to say ‘I love you’, but maybe that’s reflects more about me than Amanda (I’d never risk being the one who said it first…). But it does add up. And once again, Amanda shows great wisdom in how she handles this emotionally charged situation.
I agree that Amanda now realises that she loves Lee: she’s gone from attraction to a crush to an overwhelming crush, to ‘just friends but I find him attractive’ to closer friends which has turned into real love.
I’m not convinced about Lee: yes he knows she’s his best friend and he knows that he is attracted to her but I’m not sure that he’s completely at peace with even that. I think he loves her, but I don’t think that he knows it. I think we have a couple more episodes to go for that realisation.
IMO, this is Amanda’s major crisis point, not Lee’s.
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I think your analysis is pretty much right Iwsod. I think Amanda was going to say “I love you” but avoided saying it at the last minute not only because she knows Lee’s not ready to hear it but she’s not ready to say it. An imminent life or death situation might have seen her say it, but even though their current situation is dire, they still have time and a chance of escape to safety. Amanda knows that once those words are said it could impact negatively on their friendship if Lee isn’t ready to hear those words. Awwwwkward 😳
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Yeah, I remember watching this scene when it first aired – I was about 18 or 19 years old at the time. I really thought they were going to kiss. I think I actually stopped breathing myself for a few seconds.
I also remember feeling utterly dismayed and intensely frustrated when Sacker & Co interrupted things. I wanted to grab one of them guns and shoot Sacker myself! grrrrrrr Bad Baddie! Bad!! 👿
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Yep, first time I watched this there was a very loud and vocal NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! when they were interrupted by the really mean baddies. Could two people ever gotten more closer to kissing
? – I think their lips were micrometers away! But in hindsight, I am glad it played out the way it did — this was a major turning point for Amanda — nothing like a life or death situation to clarify what is really important and true, but Lee still needs a little time for his head to catch up to his heart.
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Gah!! that must have been sooo difficult at the time!!!
Awh.. I see you agree with me Cindy, we can now see this was a blessing in disguise (or with a cover ID!)
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Seriously crazed right now- bad bad bad baddies!! Lol- I tapped the show first time around and wore out the tape replaying it.
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I taped the show when it came on syndication and I wore that tape out watching this part too trying to see if their lips actually touched lol.
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