We cut to Suburbia.. and Dotty is frazzled and looking for her keys in kitchen drawers.
Dotty: Amanda, where are the keys?
![TWWH.avi_000215749_thumb[1]](https://justwalkwithme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/twwh-avi_000215749_thumb1.jpg "TWWH.avi_000215749_thumb[1]")
Amanda: I got them right here, mother, right here.
Amanda rushes in with the keys to put away the milk.
Dotty: Are you sure you don’t need the car.
Amanda: No, I’m sure I don’t. You can just drop me off.
Dotty: I hope I don’t have to parallel park, I’m only good when I can fit in those little slots.
Love how Amanda gives a little laugh at this comment of Dotty’s.. she doesn’t even know what to call a parking spot 
So looks like Dotty managed to get her licence after all – well done Dotty!
As they leave the kitchen, the phone rings.. Amanda volunteers to answer it while Dotty heads out to the car
(parked in the driveway slot 
)
Amanda: Hello.
Joe: Amanda.
Amanda: Joe?
Joe: I hope I didn’t startle you. [This remark leads me to think Joe rarely calls]
Amanda: No, you sound close.
[Ah.. so Amanda knows it sounds different.. Maybe this means Joe did call from Estoccia.. just not very often?]
Joe: Yeah, I’m here. I’m here in DC.
Amanda: Well that’s great.
Whoa.. Joe is such a mystery.. and how Amanda feels about him is as much of a mystery at this point to me. Amanda looks excited/happy that Joe is in town.. umm is this because she’s missed him?? or is this about the boys seeing their dad? Just where is Amanda’s head and heart when it comes to Joe?
Since I haven’t seen this ep in ages – I’m yet to figure this out.. Sorry I think I’ll be doing this a bit this episode.. asking questions along the way – that we may not yet be able to answer based on where we are up to in the episode.. Hope you don’t mind. but it helps me to ponder these things!
Anyone else at this point curious to find out how Amanda feels about Joe???!!!!
Joe: Now Amanda, just listen to me please. I’m in trouble. Now you’ll be getting calls and— I think you should tell them— well just tell them you don’t know where I am because you don’t. I think it’s best that way.
Amanda: Joe—
Voice: Joe, your cab’s here.
Amanda: Joe, if you’re in trouble, please tell me. Let me help.
Joe: No, it’s too dangerous. I’m sorry Amanda, I wish I knew what else to do. But I’ve gotta stay away from you and the kids. I’ve gotta go. Now, I’m okay, so try not to worry.
hey, is Joe wearing his wedding ring?
Amanda: Joe, wait! Don’t hang—
Joe hangs up.. lol.. Amanda does Lee’s trick – she looks down the phone! 
Amanda looks very concerned for Joe..
What’s she going to do? go straight to Lee? got straight to IFF? Will she tell Dotty about the call? Hmm.. we’ll see! but from her expression.. I’d say she’s off to do something to help Joe!
On to IFF, we find Lee sitting alone and looking thoughtful as he hears Billy across the way discussing a new case..
Billy: Joe King is the fugitive’s name? Joseph King with the EAO? [Umm does Billy know Joe King or Joseph King? He must be joking Okay.. had to get that out of way – I think it was Jestress who pointed out that Joe King sounds like Joking! and.. I love it!! tee hee.. ]
Billy and Francine are in the bullpen talking with an agent on a radio of some kind.
Agent’s Voice: That’s him. They want him back before the state funeral or all hell’s gonna break loose. They closed the airport but they think he’s already back in the States.
Francine: How long have we got to find him.
As the agent answers, we see Lee get up and head to the printer to retrieve a print out.
Agent’s Voice: I guess, 48 hours. The Estoccian government is bracing for a revolution. They’re sending one of their cops to supervise your investigation. [why 48 hours? it’s always 48 hours! ]
Francine: How good is their case?
Agent’s Voice: His prints are on the gun that killed the guard. Who knows. There are rumours about theft engineered by the dead man and Joe King.
Here we see Lee reading what’s on that print out and looking mighty concerned..
[Joe’s prints are on the gun that killed the guard? Hmm.. how did they manage that? we did see him pick up a gun- so his prints were actually on the guard’s gun.. maybe this will be explained as we progress. Engineered theft huh.. how ironic!!! There’s ‘engineered theft’ alright ]
Okay guys.. sorry I’ve got to cut this scene in half.. will be back with more very soon! byeeeeeee for now!!
"Just walk with me.." 
That Joe King is a joker! He calls his ex, tells her he’s in trouble and it’s dangerous – And she’s supposed not to worry??? I mean, really! He should still know that much about her.
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Amanda does seem genuinely happy to hear from Joe. I am guessing that is because she doesn’t hear from him much. She knows he is in a dangerous situation and probably doesn’t know if he’s alive from one week to the next. Notice the information that he is in trouble does not come as a surprise. It’s probably hard putting on a brave front for the boys and constantly having to explain why daddy doesn’t come around much. I am sure she is glad he sounds close may be the kids might get to see their dad. Go figure. Stranger things have happened. I don’t think at this point there is much revelation into Amanda’s feelings for Joe. She is probably just happy to hear from him when she does, and to know he’s okay.
Onto the bullpen. Does Billy really not know that Joe is Amanda’s ex-husband? I am sure they have done background checks on her. Either way the name king would sound familiar. It does to Lee right away, of course I guess Amanda probably has mention Joe’s first name in passing. Still doesn’t seem like he is much of spy if Billy doesn’t notice right away.
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I am not sure whether Amanda still loves Joe in her amicable sense? I watched this episode a couple of times and I am a bit surprised that they holding hands and kissing lovingly even after their divorce surprises me. Does that mean she has a soft spot for Joe or she is only being nice to him because of her kids? I also was not pleased with Amanda’s reply when Lee tried to ask her more about her divorce. She tried evading that question and she refused to answer him. What is the reason? It is nothing personal now as they already know each other for almost two and half years. She finally relented and told him the truth at Dooley’s. In We are off to See the Wizard of Oz, Lee was so concerned that what happened to the rest of the women may happen to Amanda and he wanted to safeguard her so much that he raised his voice to tell her to go home. However, later when he sees Amanda, he actually opens up to her his fears and insecurities. He trusts her enough to tell all his secrets and about his partner on how she dies right infront of him. Why can’t Amanda trusts Lee by telling him right away the real reason of her divorce? Does she not trusts Lee or she is not prepared to let him on into her private life?
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Welcome Hilda!! so great to hear from you – I see you’ve made 4 comments.. because this was your first time commenting here they went into moderation.. but i’ll go ahead and approve them now – and I’ll be back later today to read and respond to your comments fully – so glad you found us and have jumped into the fun!!!
(hi everyone! back later today!)
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Missing you, Iwsod. Hope you’re getting some good work done.
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Awh! thanks Valerie!! I missed you guys too!
I was so busy I didn’t read the blog or comment for a whole day.. didn’t even sneak them in on my phone! that hasn’t happened in years! 🙂
and I hope it doesn’t happen again in years! 🙂 haaaa
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Uh oh!!!! I read the first sentence here Hilda and then skimmed.. and thought ohhh noooo!! I can’t read this yet!!
Sorry Hilda – On this blog, what we do is – we follow the story and don’t jump ahead of where we are at with each post.
So what happens is, we walk through the episode, step by step – and we experience the episode as we would have back when it aired originally – not knowing or considering what is ahead.
It adds different dimensions to the story this way- we can focus more on the journey than the destination! The character don’t know how things will turn out as the episode progresses – so it keeps us right there with the characters and gives us new different insights, and new helps us to explore fully what could be happening/ the possibilities.
And from time to time, we can look back on episodes in a broader way also..
Whereas when we look at the destination (the end of the episode) and then look back on a scene – we watch the scene already having determined what is happening in the scene. This way we have good overall understanding of how things turn out, but we skip the part where we explore what could be happening, and what are a character’s options or possibilities. Am I making sense?
Basically Hilda – I’m really thrilled you’ve joined us on this journey, and I hope that you will continue to walk with us through the episodes and share with us your thoughts – but please don’t comment on what is ahead in the episode or in the show.
If you’d like to discuss the show overall and what’s ahead – you can head to Nedlindger’s (link on sidebar)and start a thread there. Others may discuss with you there – but I won’t sorry! because I am trying to approach the episodes very fresh – I have not seen these episodes I am now blogging literally- for years!!! And have forgotten a lot of the story.. and.. I try to forget how it turns out 😉 so I can just enjoy the story as it unfolds. I haven’t even watched this episode as a whole – am now just watching as I write up the episode – and I am trying hard to avoid being spoiled or thinking ahead.. it’s kinda fun!!! but.. may make my comments or questions seem a bit strange from time to time! eek! 🙂
I completely understand this is a different way of discussing an old show – I hope you’ll give it a go and see how you find it..
how do others find it?! Do tell!!! I think it has it’s pros and cons.. but I’m enjoying this way unique way exploring the episodes with you all!!! I think it’s because I didn’t get to watch the show on it’s original run- so never experience the story really unfolding!
Okay bye for now!!!
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oh man.. was that an error ridden comment.. hopefully it will make some sense.. or maybe someone can translate it into English for me! sorry!! It’s very late here.. night!
Or.. for you guys in Nth America and Europe- have a great day! byeee
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No worries, Hilda. It took me forever to get the hang of the no running ahead rule ;). Even now I have to consciously remind myself to WALK through each post. Sometimes it can be so hard, but it is always worth it because we get to really explore the story and character development together.
There are lots of ways to get all of the gems out of the episodes. Sometimes I like to look ahead and then work where they get to into my understanding of what is going on with the characters now. Ned’s really is a great place to explore other ways of looking at it. If we did that here on the blog it messes up the “research method” that Iwsod is using here.
We will keep an eye out for you at Ned’s if you want to do some running ahead with us, but so glad you found JWWM and our walk together! Enjoy!
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I’ve said it before in other contexts so won’t harp on it here, but I agree with you, Hilda — Amanda often seems much more reticent than Lee in showing her inner emotions and talking about them, and at this moment in particular when Lee is asking about the divorce, she is especially closed. I’m sure there are good reasons for her not sharing here — she is probably feeling shell-shocked and overwhelmed and has gone into protective mode — but this is Lee we are talking about here, and I feel bad for him. On the other hand, perhaps it can be equated to Lee’s reluctance to share the story behind his codename. “That’s personal.” But since their relationship has evolved far enough that Lee recently divulged that secret to Amanda, I wish she had felt similarly inclined to share this personal side with Lee. If they are going to move forward, she is going to have to remove that wall.
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Oh, and I meant to say “welcome!”, so glad you joined us 🙂
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Oh! So sorry Iwsod! That was my bad memory, not rule-breaking
I thought the above-referenced discussion had already taken place but I guess not since I was just reading in the #4 post that Lee and Amanda have not had contact yet!! (And then I went “uh oh!”) Feel free to delete the above post. I will try to bring the thought up for later … but I may not remember 
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I just made a comment about Lee being multi layered in the next post. It made me think about Amanda. She is layered too (we all are aren’t we?) By her brief conversation with Joe we can tell that their relationship is layered. Its going to be interesting to watch how and if they all open those layers up. It could either make things more difficult and locked up or it could take certain dynamics deeper…
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I went back to the DVD to watch the phone conversation between Joe and Amanda to just hear how they spoke to one another. The first thing I noticed was that Joe didn’t say hello, but just Amanda’s name and she immediately knew that it was him. Also, he doesn’t sound as if he’s being patronizing to Amanda, but just generally concerned and trying to warn her of what’s to come or give her a heads up so that she’s prepared. It also sounds as if he is confused and maybe just hearing her voice is making him feel a bit better.
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I like what you said here! I didn’t get the sense that Joe was patronizing — really, unless Amanda was a lawyer, police officer or government official (or well connected with a spy agency ;-)) there is no way she could help him in a tangible way. And I do think he gets comfort from hearing her voice and little touches like this lends to the awesomeness that is this episode (but more on that later as well get further along)
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Can I just say – I LOVE that you have gone back to watch this scene and reported back what you see!!! 🙂 now this is interactive blogging and discussing!!!!
I also love that others have explored what the phone conversation could tell us about how Joe views Amanda. fascinating!!! and I busting to find out about this!!
how does Joe view Amanda? How does Amanda view Joe?? and what happened in their marriage??!!!
but.. I have to say I agree with Valerie, Joe has no idea Amanda is now working at the agency and is actually able to help here.. Amanda is a changed woman – and Joe has no idea at this point because he hasn’t been there.. Mr Absent..
it’s all so interesting that Mr Absent is now Mr Present! Even though he is in hiding to start with – he has infiltrated everything and every character so far!! 🙂
Hey what do you make of this telephone call and Amanda’s early strong views on lying??
Wouldn’t Joe be thinking Amanda is incapable of lying? but.. he trusts her not to say he called – and I figure he called to let her know he is okay – so she doesn’t freak out once CIA/FBI people start calling and saying scary things (only Amanda now would not be finding that such a foreign thing anymore- a whole new world of knowledge and experience has opened up to Amanda now through her agency work. and Joe has no idea.. ) I can’t wait to see if Joe can see a difference in Amanda.. and how this all pans out!
I think I need to lock myself away for a few days and finish blogging this episode because I am just busting to keep on going to find out what’s going to happen!!!
(so glad now that I turned off the dvd and didn’t watch this ep right through after all!!)
bye!!
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Actually that lying thing is one of the things I noticed about the phone call. Jo says to tell anybody who calls that she doesn’t know where he is (which would be a lie). But I think he knows lying would trouble her so he adds on the bit about the fact that he hasn’t told her where he is staying so when she says she doesn’t know it is the truth. It sounds so much like how Amanda handled things early on when she was getting used to the spy business and tried to be as honest as she could about things.
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I agree with this Morley. Joe would probably know or knew how Amanda feels/felt about lying, but withholds enough just in case she has to admit that she knows he’s in DC. I wonder if Joe was also touching base to not only be the one to tell Amanda he was in trouble, but maybe to ascertain if she already heard anything or somehow let her know that he really is innocent of any wrongdoing. And the fact that she immediately offers to help, lets him know that she trusts and believes in his innocence. This again gives us some hints into their past connection and relationship.
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That’s comparable to the scene from Dead Ringer when Amanda won’t lie to her mother by telling her Billy is with the phone company (I think it was the phone company), so he tells her to tell her mother that “they said they were from the phone company.” I love that comeback!
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Hmmm, my impression is that however the divorce went down, Amanda and Joe kept thing amicable. I also got the impression that Joe didn’t call that much. My guess is there may not have been very reliable phone service where he was in Africa possibly? Then again, I don’t know anything about the made up country of Estoccia, so I may be making invalid assumptions based on what we saw in the first few minutes. Amanda certainly seems pleased to hear from Joe, but not delighted or necessarily happy. She may smile a little, but the smile doesn’t reach her eyes. I think her, “Well, that’s great!” comment is more for the boys and Joe’s benefit in that they’ll be able to spend some time together.
It cracks me up the way Billys says, “Joe King? Joseph King with the EAO?” He sounds louder and slower than normal, almost as if he’s talking to a foreigner…but we know by the other voice we hear that he’s not! LOL!
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Like this.
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I’m already enjoying the transport back to the 80’s in this episode. Not that I enjoy remembering the famine, but as was already noted, it was a big story for a long time, so SMK was being both trendy and perhaps (or perhaps not 🙂 ) trying to prompt a little social conscience. I’m a big fan of light shows still delivering a message.
But the “you sound close” line … I remember the news of when a tran-Atlantic cable had been put in place. It was before the 80’s, but the idea of a cable running across the ocean floor facilitating communications seems so 20th century! International calls meant static, delays, and dropped phone lines. By the way, I always took Joe’s line of “I hope I didn’t startle you” to be a comment on the time of day that he was calling, not how frequently he called (though I doubt he called often). Early morning phone calls always trigger that “oh, no, what’s happened?” instinct for me.
And loving the old printer! Remember the green and white paper with track holes and perforations on the sides? Remember dropping the printout and having it accordian all over the place (although this was still preferable to dropping a deck of punch cards!)?
I’m another who has been looking forward to this episode!
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Oh, Raffie…bless you for knowing about dropping punch card decks. Most of the people I work with look at me like I’m an alien when I talk about punch cards.
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Oh I do remember those days of punchcards. Drop one and you had to start all over with the stack. Still walk around amazed that we can carry a computer in our pockets like it’s no big deal. Times have change 🙂
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My dad was working in the Middle East for much of the 80s and managed a phone call to me (early teen) in the UK once a month or so. He was in a relatively developed country but even so the line was often poor and it was very expensive so for a charity worker, even a lawyer, a phone call to the US would probably have been a luxury not a regular event. My parents were also amicably divorced and would often have a proper chat before he and I spoke so the relationship between Joe and Amanda seems quite plausible to me.
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I’ve always wondered if it was so dangerous then why did Joe call Amanda in the first place. I’ve always felt this showed his selfishness in that wanting to hear a familiar voice, he puts Amanda and the boys at risk! Sorry I’ve never cared for Joe!!
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I always interpreted his actions as knowing the police and FBI/CIA would be contacting Amanda and he wanted to let her know he was safe and a little of what was going on rather than her being blindsided when the you-know-what hit the fan.
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That’s what I’ve always thought, too, Cindy.
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Moi aussi!
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I hope I don’t have to parallel park, I’m only good when I can fit in those little slots.
I don’t blame you, Dotty. I don’t like parallel parking either.
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I’m going to take the road less traveled here and comment some more about this lovely little scene with Dotty and the car keys. On the surface, it almost seems like a throw-away, but it subtly and brilliantly says and does so much without directly saying or doing anything..
First, without any fanfare it quietly acknowledges that Dotty now has her driver’s license. And, wonder of wonders, we actually see some continuity. Dotty is clearly still nervous about driving which is perfectly in line with what we’ve seen before. Yay, SMK!
Next, Dotty’s license now means that she is less dependent on Amanda. Could her dependence have been part of the tension about Amanda’s long and irregular work hours? Perhaps some of that tension ultimately pushed Dotty to finally learn to drive? In turn, Amanda now has more freedom to focus on making a career at the Agency. Maybe this also helps to explain the missing element of Amanda having to check in at home that someone (sorry, I don’t remember who!) noted in FTF?
Now that Dotty has her license, she’ll want/need the car from time to time. This may set up Amanda to get rides to/from work with a certain studly co-worker. This in turn could facilitate Lee’s introduction to the family as Amanda’s friend. (If Lee now has a legitimate reason to be at the house, though, I’ll certainly miss all those clandestine meetings in the back yard.)
The only downside I see to all of this is from the station wagon’s point of view. It certainly got its bumps and bruises in the line of duty with Amanda. I don’t even want to think of what it will face with Dotty behind the wheel! 😉
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Love this, 2Goldens! I love how you focus on Dotty – she really does play a necessary support role for Amanda, especially since her ex has been on a different continent these past few years. I think you’ve brought up so many great points, and I agree with all of them! I love the idea of Dotty’s independence enabling or coming about because of Amanda’s increasing involvement at work. I also love the idea of Amanda needing rides to and from home from a certain handsome spy. Great insights – so glad you drove down the road less traveled!
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Thanks, BJo. Just hoping I won’t have to parallel park on that road!
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Really like this.
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Yes, really like this too. It will be great if they take advantage of the opportunity for Amanda to get a lift to work by you know who. An excellent opportunity to introduce Lee to the family. If only. Fan fic writers take note. 😉
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Fashion Felony Alerts!
1. Oh Dotty, what is that plaid nightmare you are wearing?! Thoroughly heinous. Burn it immediately!
2. Amanda’s cardigan – has Aunt Lillian been knitting again? No, the yarn looks too fine. It’s a store bought one for sure – perhaps an unwelcome birthday or Christmas gift from Aunt L. It should be consigned to the same inferno as Dotty’s plaid jacket. (Third photo – this cardigan actually makes Amanda’s lovely willowy figure look dumpy 😯 )
3. Francine’s outfit – not sure, will have to wait for the next post but those gargantuan earrings are borderline. Might have to let her off with a warning this time.
Everyone else in this post – okay… for now. 😈
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Maybe Dotty found that plaid jacket of Dean’s in the closet and decided to get some use out of it 🙂
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Dotty’s jacket threw me off too when I first saw it. It doesn’t look like something she would normally wear.
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Just one question…does Amanda’s blouse and cardy both have shoulder pads? Geesh! All she needs is a helmet and leg pads and she’s ready to try out for the Pioneers herself!
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I’m assuming the excessive shoulder pads, so beloved of the 80s, were supposed to emphasise the “hourglass figure”, apparently the “ideal” female figure. But when you’ve got small hips and modest “assets” like Amanda, you look more like an upside down isosceles triangle, with legs. The wardrobe person should be put away!
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I thought the idea was also to make women look more authoritative, like their male counterparts in the workforce. (Thus the style was to wear ties,as well.) If you are small, you look like a linebacker (US football reference, not sure it translates but I guess it does thanks to Sudden Death) … or yes, definitely an iscoceles triangle!
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It was definitely a power signal — though some of the fabrics used — and the hairstyles !?! Oh boy! On the plus side, if you had a purse, the straps didn’t cut into your shoulders because of all the padding.
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Yes, pretty please, I want to find out what Amanda feels about Joe!
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Joe obviously hasn’t seen as many old murder mystery movies as I have. I always try to warn characters in Perry Mason not to pick up the gun because they’ll get their finger prints on it. They never listen to me. 😛
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Bwahahahaha! Please let us know if they ever do!
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It is hard to surmise so early on what might be going on with Amanda in this episode. What we do know about her is that she has a very strong respect for marriage and this is her ex husband and the father of her children. They have been divorced for 3.5 years. It does seem as though he hasn’t communicated, at least via phone, often. But then back then making an overseas call was a lot more difficult and especially if Joe was in a less modernized part of the world. International calls definitely sounded differently than domestic ones, especially due to the delay as words traveled across the wire.
I don’t know if that is a wedding ring on Joe’s finger. You may be right. but I think I remember noticing it the last time I watched this. I think it is a class ring or something. My memory may be wrong. If it is a wedding band that would make things very interesting.
It is noteworthy how Joe handles potential danger and his view of how to protect Amanda against the experiences that Amanda has had since the last saw each other.
And Cindy, these two actors , BB and KJ, are amazing with their non verbal acting. aren’t they?
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Okay, first of all I think that Amanda looks very pretty here. Secondly, I’m going to try to watch this again as we go through this, but only up to the end of each post. This is one of my favorite episodes for so many reasons so I’m going to enjoy the walk through this one. Amanda has always been hard to read and her reaction to Joe leads to a lot of questioning about just how the divorce happened. She’s not upset to hear from Joe and the conversation seems to have some pleasant undertones in the beginning. That alone made me wonder exactly what the status of their relationship was. Yes, it does look like Joe has on a wedding ring and it made me wonder about the rings Amanda is always wearing and if there is a connection somehow.
Not sure about the motivation behind Joe’s call. He tells Amanda that he’s in trouble and that’s it’s dangerous, but then tells her not to worry. He says he’s in DC, but then says to say she doesn’t know where he is. He certainly wasn’t reassuring. He says he doesn’t know what to do, but refuses Amanda’s offer of help. I’m wondering if he just wanted to hear her voice. Interesting that Amanda says it’s great that he’s back in DC. She’s not angry or upset but very concerned. Curiouser and curiouser. We’ve learned a lot about Lee’s past even though he tries to come across as a closed book. We’ve learned very little about Amanda’s past yet she always comes across as an open book.
Sounds like a bit of overacting on Billy’s part with the way that he enunciates Joe’s name. It’s like we won’t be able to figure out the connection unless it’s very specifically stated. I’m going to wait to comment on Lee until we get to the next post.
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I think Joe’s manner of speaking to Amanda – protective, a bit patronising IMO – maybe points to the pattern of their marriage. He underestimates Amanda’s ability to handle a difficult situation. I guess he hasn’t had much to do with her in the last few years, and she’s a stronger and more confident person than she was in the days of her marriage. But then Lee is often trying to protect her from “difficult situations” as well…
Something about Amanda brings out the “knight in shining armour” in the men around her – and she’s pretty capable of taking care of herself by this stage.
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I like what you say Learjet about this being a possible pattern in their marriage. This is our introduction to them and what they were like as a couple. We’ve had no real clues as to what their life was like together so it’ll be interesting to see how the rest of this plays out.
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“We’ve learned a lot about Lee’s past even though he tries to come across as a closed book. We’ve learned very little about Amanda’s past yet she always comes across as an open book.”
I remember making a similar comment way back in S2 I think about Amanda finding out a lot more about Lee in at least the first year of their friendship, than Lee found out about her. Although she talks a lot and seems a very open person, Amanda gives away very little of her personal self. I felt somewhere in S2 as her trust in Lee was cemented she began to open up a little more with him, although pulling back from time to time as if reminding herself not to open herself too much. Part of this may have been her cautioning herself not to fall for him. Since UN and particularly since JEG I feel her level of openness with Lee would be increasing but perhaps this chapter will be a test of her openness.
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And isn’t it funny how you don’t even realize just how much we do know about Lee’s past and how little we know about Amanda’s past until something like this comes up? I think we all agree that they’ve spent some time together away from the Agency, especially when we get those little conversations like they had in the elevator in RFTS. But we don’t get to find how just how much Amanda has revealed about herself. I agree that she in part was protecting herself regarding her feelings for Lee, but I also think she had some issues about the failure of her marriage.
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Hm. I think I’ve always thought the opposite, Valerie. Lee says he’s a closed book but he does share quite a bit with Amanda, especially as he grows to trust her and consider her his partner. Amanda appears to be open, friendly, etc. but we don’t learn much about her. What we do learn, seems to be more in her conversations with her kids and mother than with Lee.
Amanda has tons of questions for Lee, she is curious to know about “real” spy life. Lee hasn’t had too many questions for Amanda – she was a boring, suburban housewife. So I guess part of my impression is just because of the way the show is set-up.
I think Amanda tends to keep things close to the chest. She seems to be more interested in talking about and helping to solve other people’s problems than her own. She does a lot of talking, but it isn’t always about herself. It’s just an overall impression I have. I’ve never tried to document examples of this though.
Very interesting though how we can all see things so differently even though we’re both looking at the same thing!
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These comments are making me think… Amanda is open with her feelings in the moment that they are happening. In fact maybe one of the things that she has needed to learn to do is wear an agents mask. And yet I agree that she holds her own personal history close. Maybe no one feels as though she is withholding though, or they don’t feel they need to ask question to learn more about her because they feel as though they know her because of the openness in the moment, kind of a “what you see is what you get” sort of thing.
On the other hand, Lee is a mystery and it makes interested people want to dig. I wonder if Lee becomes interested in knowing more about Amanda if he will begin to realize that there is more than what he sees and dig? Sometimes the tenacity of ones digging helps to determine how well they really want to know you. Could be a good insurance policy of you have burned once or twice. I suppose that is what you all have been saying anyway.
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I always felt that Amanda is good about expressing her feelings for others, feelings of empathy, but very guarded about sharing her own feelings.
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Yes, and it was this episode that I realized that even though Amanda was very talkative, she shared little.
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I’m not sure BJo, but I think we are agreeing somewhat about how open or not these two are. Maybe I’m reading it wrong.
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Absolutely brilliant, understated non-verbal acting here by BB when he hears Joe King’s name and the EAO)and walks to the printer. When I first saw this, I missed the fact that of course Lee would have made it his business to know the name and basic facts of Amanda’s ex. (At the time, I thought he just reacted to the last name ‘King’ which is a common last name. )
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No question, BB and KJ shine in this episode from the start!
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Agree, Cindy. BB does a great job – I love how he uses his hand to steady himself at the printer. At least that’s what I see. Or want to see 🙂
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