7/13 Season Three, Episode 14: Playing for Keeps-Scarecrow and Mrs King

Back at IFF..
Billy reports in with Lee.. I mean.. Lee reports in with Billy 
Billy: I just spoke to our people in Malawi. The communists have surrounded our security…
(A woman is fleetingly seen putting a file on Billy’s desk)
…Thank you.
[Okay.. recognise this arm??!! Guys I think this is Francine!! I think this is the outfit she was wearing at the start of the episode!

See?! I guess this is part they filmed before they knew KJ was not going to be in this ep much and therefore Francine went out into the field!]
…They suspect that Tomerson’s in their country and now they want to prove it to the world.
[Ah man..  – what was Tomerson doing in Malawi again? Hang on.. gotta look..
Billy said earlier: “A real big-wig in international business. Right now he’s in Malawi conducting top secret trade negotiations that would open up that country to the West for the first time.” okay.. I’m with it now.. I think..]
Lee: Billy, what’s that do to us?

Billy: Maybe nothing, but it’s vital to our foreign policy that Tomerson’s conference stays under wraps and succeeds.
[Whoooo Lee’s back in his high tech car (Kitt-en).. with the computer on the passenger seat. lol…okay maybe it is a clunky laptop..  and what’s that thing with the two rings? is that the telephone?!]
Lee: And if they hit Tina that’s the end of that. Look, Billy, this place is a mess of spectators and TV technicians running around. Why don’t we just pull her out of the tournament?
[Yes let’s just stop Tina from living her life because it’s easier for agents. ugh!!!! I can kinda see why Tina has had it with govt agents!!!]
Billy: No. She’s a private citizen and we can’t go in there and take her out unless she wants to go.
Lee: Well, call her dad.
Billy: I’ll try, but they’ve got him out in the boonies someplace, and they specifically do not want communication.

Lee: All right, I’ll have to have a talk with her myself then… [Lee? Boo hoo! you may have to actually talk with her! and shock- maybe you might actually listen to her too! Amanda would have listened!!]
…Maybe I can change her mind. Look, send me the latest Alert Status on the data line.
Billy hangs up..

[I wonder.. what was the script like here? Was Lee going to talk to Tina? or was Amanda??
This would be a very interesting episode to compare – and see how they made changes to allow for Francine rather than Amanda.
Ohhhhh- Yep! that’s the phone?! Ohh I think it’s  a fax machine too?? It sounds like a fax.. but.. it looks like a computer?? ‘data line’ huh.. anyone help??
me confused.. I’m not tenagogical at all ]

We see an alert come up on the computer screen.
Ohhh this is hilarious!!
Alert Alert Alert! Bad Spelling!!!
See it?? Any Germans reading are going to laugh at this one!!!
The Scorpion dude entered via ‘Frankfort am Main’??!! whahaahaaaa..  Gee.. I wonder if that is near Frankfurt am Main?! For the rest of us non Germans.. we are going to love how Scorpion dude has a ‘Tatoo’ on  his right arm. whahahaahaaaa!!!
Alert Alert Alert Really bad Spelling.. consider very dangerous!
And.. one last boo boo..
Right arm??? really??
Hmmm let’s check..

Left arm!!! ha haaaa.. As Lee would say, you need to know your left from your right!  

Well I guess this answers my question.. Scorpion dude is not Rostov.. he’s a different character! okay.. I got it!
But what’s with the name.. N L Steckler.. How can they know his middle initial but not is first name? LOL..

Time to find out what Francine is up to. She’s down by the pool..

She sees Donna join Tina by the pool, and she sees Tony on the telephone.. she heads over to hear some of his conversation..
Tony: (Phone Conversation)
There’s nothing I can do right now. Look, would you get off my back! I’m doing what I can. No, no, no. I’m warning you, I’m not taking any more of your pressure…

…All-right but you’re going to have to give me a little more time. Don’t worry about it. You and your sick little friends will be the first to get the news…

…No, no no, you let me handle Tina. I’ll take care of her.
Tony hangs up and storms off. Francine follows him..
Tony hides behind something and reveals himself once Francine has walked past asking her: Why are you following me?
Francine: Don’t get your hopes up buddy, I was just getting some ice.
[I think we can see here that Francine’s bow is actually a hair clip in the shape of a bow]
Tony: I saw you with Tina. I know what you’re up to…

[Francine doesn’t answer him]
… If you’re smart, you’ll stay away from me. You’ll know everything when it’s time.

Tony storms off again..
Whooo sounds ominous! Only.. how many bad guys do you know who talk so loudly about their evil plans and then tell an agent/stranger they’ll know about stuff in time?!
I have no idea what Tony is up to.. but I’m guessing the red tracksuit is a clue= Red Herring!

Back to Lee looking anxious.. now he knows there’s an assassin around! He’s down by the pool..
Lee: Where’s Tina?

Francine: What? (Francine sees Tina has disappeared) Oh, great!
Lee: Oh great, what?
Francine: Well she was right over there. She was asleep – I swear to you. I left for a reason alright!…

…Tony Maskell was here, he was over on the phones. I overheard him, he was spying on her. He said something—he said he’d “take care of her”.
[Is it just me or does this sound like Amanda? Not Francine?]
Lee: You heard him say that?
Francine: Yes, it was out of context but I took it as a threat and so I followed him but when I followed him he— [if you took it as a threat, why say it was out of context?! meh..]

Lee: All right, all right, all right. Just calm down…
[Again.. this sounds more Lee/Amanda than Lee/Francine- or is it just me?]
…Now, we’ll check her room and if she’s not there then we’ll go check the courts, and if she’s not there??… we’ll call out the Marines.

Lee and Francine start walking.. Cue the screeching tyres! They see Tony driving a red convertible – speeding off with Tina in the passenger seat. LOL.. almost like he wanted to be seen!
Lee: Oh no! I hope this isn’t one of her practical jokes.

We see Donna running after the car.. Lee and Francine scramble to avoid the car as it rounds the corner.
Donna joins Lee and Francine.
Donna: He’s got her, that’s him – Tony Maskell.

[I love how as Donna says this, a guy walks behind her with a tennis racket –holding it like it’s a gun!]
Lee runs for his car..
Francine: Lee.
Donna: I should have known you two were working tandem – the old bait and switch routine.

[Yeah! You should have known! they are together waaay too much! ]
Francine: Look, just tell us what’s happening, okay.
Lee pulls up..
Donna: Maskell was snooping around. I was going to tell him to keep his face away from her…

…Next thing I know he’s got Tina in the car and they’re gone.
[‘his face away from her’? hmm interesting turn of phrase]
Francine: Okay, follow us.

LOL Lee takes off.. good thing that was Donna’s car next to them or how could she have kept up with them.. did they know that was Donna’s car? Well.. she’s rubbish at parking!!! Dotty could do better!  

So we get to enjoy whole minutes of fast cars, screeching tyres and suspenseful music.. Meh.. get on with it!! See now what this car chase needed was some vintage footage to jazz it up a bit!  

Suddenly Tony stops next to a cop car.. Tina gets out and approaches him..

Officer: It’s a pleasure to see I don’t have to give you another ticket, Miss Tomerson.
[Hmm these two seem to know each other..]
Tina: Officer, there’s a man following us and he’s got a gun.
Tina jumps back into the car and Tony takes off.
The cop gets back into his car.. ready to face the man with the gun..
Lee comes around a bend and finds the cop car parked blocking the road.
He hits the brakes..

Hey how weird is it to see Francine in the passenger seat??!!!
I miss Amanda!!!!!
The cop aims his gun at the car..

OH boy.. I hope he doesn’t know about that cop Lee err accidentally/mistakenly tried to beat up in OBDOBD!

Lee: Look officer.
Officer: Alright, just hold it right there.
Lee: Officer, I’m with the Federal Government. Now inside my jacket pocket I have an ID.  (we see Donna pull up in the distance. The cop carefully approaches Lee and takes the ID out of Lee’s pocket.
He compares Lee to the picture.)

[Yeah Lee you might want to update that.. he looks so young in his ID]
Francine: Officer, we’re following that red Mercedes that was right in front of us.

Lee: Yeah, the woman passenger may have been taken against her will.

Officer: He’s been taking her against her will for the past 3 nights. Down by the creek.

[Oh my – this is rather racy for SMK.. and these days a gag about someone not really being taken against their will would not be attempted me thinks! Now this seems really wrong IMHO!]
Soooo this cop waits there so he can catch them every night for the last 3 days? tee hee… I think Lee and Francine should keep an eye on this cop.. kinda creepy! he even knows where!!!! ewww!!!  

Anyway, Lee and Francine drive some more, with Donna still following.. hunting for the pair.. Francine sees their car. Hooray.. enough already! And.. enough for this post!!! I best finish here before this post gets any larger..
We’re walking through this ep at a cracking pace.. With no sweet Lee and Amanda moments.. I’m not inspired to linger. I hope we see Amanda again soon.. I miss her! I bet Lee does too!!! Err don’t tell me if or when we see her again! But.. do tell – what do you think of this ep so far??
Has anyone remembered this whole guest star/ baddie plot for this episode? so far it’s not very memorable! Okay guys.. bye for now!! lol.. Anyone still with me on this walk??!!! byee!!