Lee and Amanda walk down the main IFF hallway..
Amanda: My neighbourhood? What if he’s a double 
agent? [GAH!!! I’m more worried about Amanda being seen in that ghastly shirt in her neighbourhood! nook! why!!!! Why???? Why!!!! I’m sorry this one really deserves an arrest!!]
Lee: No way no way. But you see, that’s why these leaks are so mysterious. Now Dr. Zernoff is a scientist, one of their top metallurgists. He spent 25 years with the Vosha Research Complex in Minsk.
Amanda: Well, if he’s a genuine defector, why worry about it?
Lee: Well the other three are genuine defectors too but we still have the leak. You see if we don’t plug it, the future of the entire defector program is on the line.
[Lee told Amanda about the other 3 defectors? My my.. wouldn’t that be on a need to know basis? seems Lee has told Amanda lots she doesn’t really need to know! Ahhh he trusts her so completely nowadays!
Is it just me or is Lee’s hair here a bit too styled and perfectly flat.. I much preferred it in the opening scene.. oh well.. ]
Amanda: Ah, so you want me to meet him and make friends with him and just…..
Lee: -Yeah, yeah right. Now, Amanda he is starting a new life here. He’s going to need a friend, someone to talk to, and you are a good listener…
…You help him, you help us at the same time. Everybody wins.
Amanda: Okay.
I can get on board with the whole Amanda is good listener. 
It fits with her character well..
Just don’t give me a Marvin spills his life story over breakfast in 2 seconds scenario!
Soooo what do you all make of this appeal to Amanda’s being a good friend/listener? It explains why Lee left Amanda with Marvin in FFFT maybe? Do you think this fits better before or after FFFT? I’m thinking it’s fine either way.. I don’t mind.
What do you make of Lee’s compliment? It could be Lee is working on Amanda to get her to help out.. but.. I’m thinking it is a sincere compliment..while encouraging her to take the job! thoughts? and what do you make of how Amanda accepts this compliment?? She seems quite understated here..
Interesting! compare this to FFFT and Amanda’s reaction to Lee’s compliments about her stopping Barry with the boxes.. she seems more comfortable now. Or is that because this compliment was about being a good listener and the FFFT compliment was about being a good agent?? That was more out of her comfort zone – being a good listener and friendly has always been in Amanda’s comfort zone.. Hmm what are you all think about this? Any ideas?
What was her concern about? I’m thinking it wasn’t over her ability to do the job being asked of her.. Maybe it was her ability to do it so close to home?? It would be easier to do the work not in her own neighbourhood I’m thinking.. Or was it that she was worried about danger coming to her neighbourhood? or lol.. maybe both?! tee hee..
What do you guys think?
Oops sorry I’ve rambled! Very short and a little sweet this time! Life’s busy.. so just a little post today to keep things moving along Lee and Amanda’s journey. Should have more time for smk in the next few days –hooray! Thanks so much for stopping by and reading.. I’d love to hear your thoughts! byeee for now!
"Just walk with me.." 
Is this hideous blouse carried over from Hair-Don’t Season 2 somewhere? She had the weird white one on ALSALS and the post-it-note-tabby-thing one on MBF, I think? This one is giving those two a run for their money.
Also, I agree with a comment that KJ’s makeup looks beautiful here – in fact, I feel like she has a glow about her throughout the remainder of the season.
LikeLike
Back from being lazy and procrastinating…First of all, don’t like that blouse that Amanda has on. It looks a bit like something I saw at a western wear store once. Those flaps could almost be fringe. Maybe she’s attempting a more professional look at work, but I’m not getting it. I would assume she is also sporting a visitor’s pass attached at her waist.
I do like how Lee is expressing his request to Amanda about working on this case except for one little exception. I really don’t think he needed to add the bit about her helping Dr. Zernoff would also be helping them as well. Amanda has already shown her willingness to do her duty for her country. And she just indicated in the last episode that she would be willing to help Lee regardless of what the situation was. So I don’t think he needed to throw that little incentive in there.
I also like how Amanda just accepts Lee’s compliment about her being a good listener and letting her know that he’s confident in her abilities to handle this situation. He appreciates her abilities and she is happy that he does.
LikeLike
I agree BJo, Amanda accepts Lee’s compliment because it is true and genuine and he isn’t spinning it in order to sell the job. I wonder if Francine is aware of what Amanda’s involvement will be?
I think Amanda was worried about the safety of her neighborhood. She doesn’t often mix her home life with her work. I think that was her concern. But as she goes further in this work, and also in a relationship woth Lee she will have to do just that. Not that she knows that her relationship with Lee could be headed there, but I wonder if Lee is thinking a bit about that. She hasn’t yet decided if Lee could be a family man, I wonder if Lee is still deciding if Amanda could be a full partner in every aspect to a man in his line of work?
Chickens have interrupted my SMK time, time to go
LikeLike
I like that last pic of Amanda smiling at Lee. To me it’s a manifestation of her growing confidence in her professional ability, and also her growing confidence in her personal relationship with Lee. I see some admiration for Lee in that look too.
For me the last pic amounts to “time off for good behaviour” for the heinous blouse fashion felony. “You’re free to go this time Ma’am, but don’t let me catch you wearing that blouse again after this episode.” 😎
LikeLiked by 2 people
“GAH!!! I’m more worried about Amanda being seen in that ghastly shirt in her neighbourhood!”
I think Amanda’s shirt looks like a pirate shirt and a sailor’s shirt got together and… well, you know… 😉 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
ROFL!!! Snort! ROFL some more!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I once read somewhere that backgammon was a common and popular pastime on pirate ships … wink, wink, nudge, nudge
LikeLike
whahahahaa..too funny KC! the shirt is a pirailor baby! or is that a Sailate baby?
Anyway.. it deserves to go in the bin.. that flap looks like it has been stapled to her sleeve to give the shirt more width and volume.
I actually like the contrast between the tiny waist and roomy shirt.. it highlights KJ’s lovely figure.. but it’s just a little too over the top for me…
Pirailor baby you should walk the plank!
LikeLike
Ugh – that shirt! I totally agree, iwsod! What is with that partial poncho-scarf-like flap over the top of it? But I do love the color combination here. For Amanda alone but for the two of them together. Actually, I have to laugh. We just had the outside of our house painted and the walls are the color of Lee and Amanda’s shirts. The shutters are the color of Lee’s jacket and tie, the front porch floor is the color of Lee’s pants, and the front door is the color of Amanda’s skirt! LOL! So hideously-styled shirt aside, I am loving the colors here! And Amanda’s hair and make-up look fantastic!!
I love how this is starting out. It is Lee’s idea (I think) to get Amanda involved. It is perfect for her and her skill set. So different than how it all went down in TGTN. Lee truly values the skillset Amanda brings to this case and compliments her on it and knows she will do a good job. He has complete faith in her.
They seem so relaxed and comfortable with one another here. I think Amanda accepts the compliment because she knows a) it is true and b) she reads sincerity in Lee’s words, tone, and body language. Would you agree on the body language, bitsybeans?
I also think she thinks the she knows she can do this assignment. She’s got 2.5 years under her belt as a ‘spy’ and now she gets an assignment where she can just do the job – with no worry about her background or lack of training. It’s comfortable and it doesn’t seem dangerous, so sure, she’ll do it! At first she may have had a fleeting concern about the danger of the guy being a double agent, but Lee immediately addresses that concern. Because Amanda completely trusts Lee, any concern she just had a moment ago vanishes.
LikeLiked by 3 people
I completely agree on your take about the exchange between Lee and Amanda. I’m all for flattery when it is sincere. People need to hear that they are appreciated … it is good for all of us!
So you were subconsciously channeling this scene when you did your house, BJo? Sounds like you just need to touch it off with some white flags around the roof line to make it a complete recreation! 🙂
LikeLike
I am watching this episode with my daughters and (not spoiling too much) I think the fashion police are going to be quite busy. 🙂
I think Amanda is worried about this ‘assignment’ being so close to home. When the Agency is involved,it usually impacts her family (or dining room walls) in some way.
LikeLike