9/17 Season Three, Episode 16: The Triumvirate-Scarecrow and Mrs King

We see Lee, Amanda and Billy approaching a large run down building from a distance..
Billy: We’ll stay on Code Blue Alert until further notice.
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Amanda: Yes, sir.
A close up on this ‘triumvirate’ of sorts.. lol.. provides us with absolutely blissful justice!!!
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Lee has Amanda’s arm as they walk along the path.. not caring what Billy sees. I think the only other time we’ve seen Lee do this is when they are playing a cover of a married couple!!! Squeeeeeeee!
Oh and rofl looks like this hide out has a tennis court!
Amanda: How long am I gonna have to stay here?
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Lee: Uh, until we’re sure you’re safe.
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Lee finally lets go of Amanda’s hand as he helps her up the stairs..
Amanda: OK.  Meaning I won’t be able to go home tonight?
Billy: Well, it could be worse. The Cumberland Grand was quite a girl in her day.
Amanda: She looks closed to me.
Lee: That’s camouflage, Amanda. The Agency bought the old Cumberland about five years ago for a retreat. We’ve hosted some of Europe’s wealthiest defectors without a complaint.
[A ‘retreat’ huh.. my goodness.. is there anything the agency doesn’t own?!]
(Billy and Lee show their IDs to the agents at the desk.)
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Amanda: Well, I’m sure it’ll be fine for me but I’m worried about my mother and the boys, sir. I’m gonna need a story to get them out of the house tonight.
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Billy: Well, I know it’s short notice Amanda, but we’d all feel more comfortable knowing that you were in here and Jepard was out there.
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[Lovely thought Billy.. and sweet of you to care! … but.. If I may.. putting Amanda up at an agency retreat when they know it is people IN THE AGENCY who are taking justice into their own hands and paying Jepard to kill people does not seem like the wisest plan! Wouldn’t you put Amanda somewhere very non agency?! but.. meh.. what do I know?! ]
Amanda: Yes, sir; you’re right, sir.
Lee: Right.
(Lee motions for Amanda to head for the elevator)
Lee: Come on
Amanda: OK. See you later, sir.
As they head to the elevator, we see one of the guards give Lee his gun back.. I guess they checked it?..

As they head toward the elevator the playful music starts (lol great description Learjet!) Amanda and Lee start walking towards the elevator. Lee reaches out for Amanda’s hand (I think to reassure her) and she takes it.
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They both quietly smile  (grrr such a blurry little exchange!)
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Such a little moment.. and done so beautifully..
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They both seem so happy to be together!
Amanda sighs loudly (wouldn’t you?! I know I would Smile ). Lee lets go of her hand to hold open the elevator and usher Amanda in..
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Amanda: Thank you
He joins her..
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As Lee finds their floor button..
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Amanda reaches for Lee’s hand again…
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Want a few more images of this moment? thought so!!
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Lee seems entranced by her hand reaching for his.. He watches as it moves closer to his..
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and finally she takes his hand Smile
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Lee reciprocates and begins to take her hand in his..still transfixed by their hands touching..
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Too many images of this moment? Not possible!! Smile
Lee drags his eyes away from their entwined fingers to quietly watch Amanda with amazement.. 3.16 TT.avi_001706840
Amanda seems to be off in her own little world, worried.. but reaching out for Lee’s hand she feels better! awh..
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Lee looks away very pleased by this! Smile
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Quite thrilled wouldn’t you say?! Smile
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Lee covers Amanda’s hand with his other hand – It’s like he’s saying: I’ve got you! and I’m not letting go!!!! Smile
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As the elevator doors finally close.. we see Lee’s dimples are starting to show Smile 3.16 TT.avi_001708341
Amanda still oblivious..

And the elevator door closes. Such a wonderful moment.. a real highlight.. it seems to me to be another stand out moment: Where Lee seems to realise for sure that Amanda reciprocates his feelings and she needs him – and how good this makes him feel!!!!!
It’s like now she is fully aware of the depth of her feelings for him and has accepted that heart and head  – she is showing Lee how she feels unintentionally 🙂 She can’t hide it from him!! would you say?!
How would you describe it? I am sure you guys can do way better!!! Smile

Now that I think about it.. I wonder if the confusing little hand hold moment from earlier was suppose to be juxtaposed with this little hand hold moment between Lee and Amanda?
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The two moments are polar opposites..
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How would you compare these two moments?
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Lee is sooo different.. the women are sooo very different!
Overall.. in the first scene, Lee seems a little trapped in this unwanted attention.. in the second scene with Amanda, Lee wants to be trapped in this little moment forever Smile

Writing about the  more poignant and romantic elements doesn’t come so easily to me (as easily as say.. the nark does- ohh the shame haaaaa.. Winking smile ) …. but I share anyway because this is about enjoying the show.. not about my writing Smile I am really looking forward to hearing how you guys describe all this!!

Lee and Amanda have had many big moments in elevators.. I wonder if that’s deliberate! We could have a blog post on Lee and Amanda and elevators very easily!! They are a device used a lot!! Who can name them?!
I’ll name two.. and leave the rest to you guys to have fun coming up with!
Here’s one:

Here’s the other:

Oh my.. how things have progressed!!!! swoon emoticon

Hey Everyone!!! thanks for reading!!! How you doing? you still with us?? or have you swooned away?! Come back to us!!!

I’m going to keep this post short because it is super sweet!!!! Smile Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!!! Any and all views welcome (eerr when  you don’t jump ahead and respect others opinions of course! ) truly.. different ideas are interesting and very welcome!!!  Plenty to discuss here.. and I really want to savour these oh so fabulous moments we’ve been waiting for!!!! So next part will be published on Monday!

80 thoughts on “9/17 Season Three, Episode 16: The Triumvirate-Scarecrow and Mrs King”

  1. I love, love, love this setting of “The Cumberland”! I think they are trying to call to mind the two “grand resorts” that Washingtonians have long flocked to – the Homestead in Virginia and the Greenbrier in West Virginia. Both have ties to the espionage community. When WWII broke out, the government sent all the diplomats from Axis countries for luxurious “involuntary detention” at the Homestead. The Greenbrier was revealed in 1992 to have been home to a massive, super-secret Cold War bunker that would house all 435 Members of Congress in the event of nuclear war. (Note: this is separate from the bunker at Mount Weather in Virginia, which I believe is the inspiration for the “Underground White House” in Utopia Now). The idea that the Agency would have taken control of an abandoned historic resort for surreptitious purposes rings true to me. Love it.

    The comments below about the elevator hand-hold resonating so deeply, even 30 years after the fact, is very true for me. This is a very beautiful scene, just wonderful. BB and KJ really knock it out of the park in this episode.

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  2. I love this whole scene. I love how she tucks her arm in his and he holds her hand as they walk up the stairs. BUT THEN!!! THEN the walk to the elevator!!!! sigh I love how he reaches out for her hand and they walk silently, side by side, bravely connected as a team. And THEN!!!! When she reaches for his hand without looking, her hand knows exactly where his hand is. He smiles and covers her hand with his, grinning with his love for her. There is something to be said about being so secure in your relationship that you can reach out for them, knowing that they are there.

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    1. You put it beautifully LeeLovesAmanda. This is such a heartwarming and genuine moment for Lee and Amanda. And welcome to the rabbit hole that is SMK LeeLovesAmanda!

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      1. Thank you Jule! It’s truly a blessing that I found you all because I have really needed somewhere to gush about my obsession!!!

        edited by Iwsod: (updated spelling of ‘Jule’)

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      1. And with each episode, they are opening up to each other more, letting the other into their heart. The hand holding is more frequent. It’s almost automatic now that when they are together, they are connected by touch.

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        1. Omg..so true. Couldn’t have said it so beautifully😍…That’s one of the reasons why i loveee S3..many episodes have shown Lee’s gentler,more caring side…wanting to be with Amanda😍😍

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  3. This scene where Amanda reaches for Lee’s hand and Lee’s reaction to this is one of my absolute favorite scenes in the whole show. Just lovely. Watching the growth in this relationship never gets old for me.

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    1. Well said! How Amanda looks away while reaching for his hand and he’s a tad surprised, but pleased and takes it in both his hands is so romantic. Then that brief glimpse of Lee’s dimples flaring as the elevator door closes always takes my breath away!

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  4. Oh my gosh this is my favorite episode in season 3 just for this little part! I agree with others, even though no words were spoken verbally, VOLUMES were conveyed. That is a show of how close Lee and Amanda have grown over the last three years or so (give or take).

    Like in “Wizard” he just is all like “are you free right now?! because I need to talk!” it’s like right then and there, he decides to start the process of taking their relationship to another level. Well … I THINK he started thinking about it after “burn out” but he still wasnt ready. I think in “Over the Limit” he sees a lot of himself (or rather, his OLD self) in Leslie, carefree,always about the job, not looking for anything serious. But on the other hand, Leslie IS the closest (that we have seen) to Amanda out of all the women he’s been seen dating, most of the others were nothing but floozys.

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  5. This is one of the best part of this episode. No dialogue just Amanda unconsciously reaching for the person she knows she can rely on and his reaction….that smile that creeps over his face…….squeeeeeeeeeeeee. Makes my stomach flip every time I watch it.
    I love your contrast between the two hand holds in this episode iwsod. Aside from Lee’s facial expression his whole body language says “keep at arms length” whereas with Amanda he’s right close by her side. Although she seems to have some large shoulder pads in that cardi…..it’s a wonder he could get that close…..

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  6. Hey everyone, it’s been a long long long time since I’ve visited here and I’ve missed it. It’s going to take me some time to get caught up, but I’ve enjoyed reading all of your posts. I may go back to some older posts only because I don’t want to miss anything. Sorry to be so late for the party, but better late than never..
    This is one of my favorite episodes because Lee shows his vulnerability where Amanda is concerned…also, walking arm in arm in front of Billy was a milestone for both of them in the progression of their relationship.
    Well, I’m on to the next scene….see you all there.

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    1. Great to see you back, GruvyGranny 🙂 Yes, Lee has morphed into this lovely, vulnerable but not wimpy man in this episode….

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    2. Hey GruvyGranny – nice to see you back on the blog! You’ve picked a great spot to get back in the action! And I’m beginning the think that the concept of time passing is irrelevant down in the rabbit hole.

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    3. Welcome back GruvyGranny!!!
      What a treat to see you back again 🙂 yes do go back to older posts if you can – and share your thoughts!! It’s wonderful to be reminded of events in previous episodes – no apology needed you are free to enjoy JWWM and SMK however you like (the only rules are – don’t jump ahead of the walk and respectful always).

      LOL you could even do the walk backwards if you like 😉

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  7. I’m a little late to the party, but have enjoyed reading everyone’s comments on this lovely scene. I agree with bits of what a lot of people said. There is a lot of comforting here by Lee for Amanda. It is clear she is feeling scared and anxious for herself and her family (more on that later). Lee is doing a great job of trying to calm her by taking her arm and holding her hand. After they say goodbye to Billy and they reach for each other’s hand as they head for the elevator, they are in synch and accepting each other’s behavior. They hand hold allows Lee to protect and comfort his best friend and work partner who needs comforting from him.

    But in the elevator after they let go of each other’s hands, I think Amanda still wants to feel Lee’s comforting touch and so she consciously makes the choice to grab his hand. She is not done needing his physical touch for comfort. I think she doesn’t look him in the eye because she is trying to think of an excuse to get her mother and boy out of the house for the night and because I think she is trying to be strong. Not looking Lee in the eyes while only holder his hand provided just the right amount of comfort for her right now.

    I’ve always thought that Lee’s little grin after she takes his hand was more one of thinking how cute/sweet/whatever Amanda was by letting Lee know that she was scared and she needed her big superspy protector to hold her hand. Sort of like a little kid needing mommy to help them cross the street – but not quite like that exactly. But it’s like turning the tables for Lee and Amanda. She has always been the one who is more parent-like and Lee was the needy one (i.e. learning about people, stuff they don’t teach at the agency). But here it is the opposite, Amanda is feeling like a frightened child who needs a protector. Yes, the whole falling in love bit is in the background and progressing, but for me this scene was less about that and more about this role reversal for the two of them. Yes, Amanda is becoming more skilled and less naïve, but at the core she is still Amanda – a woman who is content to be a woman and show that she needs/wants a big, strong man – rather than trying to be super tough like a Francine.

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    1. Oops – forgot about the ‘more on that later’ part. I was just going to say that I can’t believe the Agency is doing nothing to help Amanda get her mother and the boys to somewhere safe!?!?! It was not al that long ago that someone tried to use her two sons against her and Joe. Plus Jepard knows where Amanda lives and knows she’s got kids. I guess I’ll just pretend that since Lee knows they’re going to be at Aunt Edna’s for a while, that he’ll send a phone/cable ‘repair crew’ to keep an eye out for trouble.

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    2. Hey BJo – I enjoyed these comments and this alternative view of the elevator scene!

      I think your view can totally work! [it’s just not how I view it]

      Especially interesting to read your ideas about how Amanda grabbed his hand, and that not looking didn’t mean it wasn’t a conscious choice.
      I think what you say can work, but I like the idea that she wasn’t thinking she was acting instinctively and revealing more than she realised.. because.. it plays out a little later in the episode but! I’ll pause for now on that! 🙂

      I agree that Lee likes that Amanda is not super tough – I think he appreciates her ability to be honest and vulnerable – and it has encouraged him that he can be honest and vulnerable too 🙂

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  8. Ok, this elevator scene is literally one of my favorites of the entire series. I love it, love it, love it! As a matter of fact, this is one of the scenes that I remember from my childhood. As I was re-watching all of the episodes again last year, I couldn’t wait to get to it. I couldn’t remember the name of the episode (at the time) but I clearly remembered the scene. It’s so lovely, isn’t it? I could watch it over and over and over again. Oh, and as they are walking into the Cumberland, not only is Amanda’s hand in Lee’s arm, but he is literally holding her hand on top of that ❤ ❤ Billy who?? He doesn’t seem to care! 🙂 This is such a great scene from start to finish!

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    1. See! We love this stuff! And it isn’t because we are sappy woman or that Lee is really hot! We as people, as humans, we love this real simple romance. This real honoring love for another. Why can’t we see this stuff more often? A simple hand hold and the amazement of it between a grown man and a grown woman stayed with you for 20 something years. That is an amazing impression. That is real romance, that is real love that left an impression. That is good stuff!

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      3. Oh Morley – you wrote that beautifully! The fact that over 35 years later, all of us feel a flutter in our tummies and get weak in the knees over a couple simply holding hands certainly speaks to the acting and writing. The writers and BB and KJ have carved out this couple who were at one time lonely souls and they have been slowly growing into the person who compliments the other. They are more than coworkers or partners. They are like best friends who are teetering on becoming more. It’s rewarding to watch and we cheer every touch, hand holding, hug and kiss.

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  9. I love the elevator scene. Lee looks so happy and Amanda feels so safe with him she doesn’t think about holding his hand for comfort. Excuse I need some smell salts.

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  10. That little moment in the elevator is one of my top favorites from the entire series. They play it so well, Amanda reaching for him in a distracted and unconscious way and Lee feeling so happy about it.

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    1. Hi Chrisine – great to see you stop by and great to hear from you! 🙂
      Yes it’s a favourite of mine too – I’m busting to get back here and join in this discussion more.. I’ll be back when I can 🙂

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  11. So much for the agency’s tight budget – the Cumberland is a mansion and must cost a fortune to maintain. Crazy.
    I never really took much notice of that look on Lee’s face before the smile takes over. Slowed down in the frame pics above, those initials moments of reverance and realisaton are obvious. I like that this fits in with my earlier observation about the time warp back to the wonderous feelings of first love.

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  12. Ok. I have a question. Sara just made a comment on the posts for The Wrong Way Home and in her comment she mentioned Amanda holding Joe’s hand as they walked bak into the fraternity house. So here is my question. I know its been months for us since we walked through that episode, bt for Lee and Amanda its only been maybe 4 episodes between that one and this one. Has there been any hand holding between them since then. I know Lee was very busy holding Amanda’s hand in Flight to Freedom. But then there was that unsettling bit with Joe’s return and his regretful look behind him as he saw Amanda take Joe’s hand. Has Lee held hands with Amanda in the same way he did in FTF since? He is kindly holding her hand as he escorts her into the Cumberland and he reaches for her hand as he guides her to the elevator, but those could be custodial on the surface even if he would like them to be more.But when she reaches for his hand in a moment of unsettlement and fear as if reaching for him is instinct, could that affirm to him that they are back on track like they were before Joe? Could that amazing look on his face be because he now knows that he and Amanda are in the same place again. I think he was working hard in the episodes between TWWH and this one to show Amanda that he really cared. Maybe here he gets his answer?

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      1. And that is kind of the vibe I get from the tag of FFFT too. Well, not so much “Aw, shucks” but more of Amanda making light of Lee’s plan o get rid of the chills. She even says, “Oh you do, do you” when he tells her he knows just the thing to get rid of the freezer memories, and she seems like she has her tongue firmly planted in her cheek. But here, he isn’t picking up any of that deflective attitude. she just needs his touch… HIS touch. Its not lost on him.

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    2. Love this Morley! The touching between these two always seem to mean something. And for them it sometimes seems to show some transitioning. And like their eye speak, it’s a way of communicating between them. Even in TWWH when Lee and Amanda are at Dooley’s at one point you know their hands are touching at the table. When she ultimately pulls away to go after Joe you see Lee working his hands as if he’s lost something.

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    4. Oooh… Liking this! I think you may be right about their hand holding. Although I’m still pondering FFFT and OBDOBD in case I missed a scene, there is none in PFK and TPE. Anyway, I don’t think we saw much if any hand holding in FFFT or OBDOBD. Plenty of sweet moments. That touching is important to them, like Valerie commented. So this scene is extra special for the reasons you mentioned. 🙂

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    5. Hey Morley, this is an interesting thought.. but for me, I’m not seeing this moment as being significant as it’s the first hand hold after FTF.
      I think it’s significant simply because it is Amanda reaching for Lee’s hand (unconsciously) because she needs him, and by doing this she reveals her feelings to him.

      I would see the gap in time between FTF hand hold and this hand hold as significant if before FTF they were holding hands regularly (they were not), and it had suddenly stopped.
      Plus, the context of PFK/OBDOBD/FFFT/TPE mean’t any hand holding would have been out of place anyway at least in my mind.. plus there was plenty of touching anyway.. just not hand holding..

      I guess whatever we think it seems evident Lee finds it significant.. why I guess we can come to our own conclusions 🙂 and what a terrible thing to ponder huh! Poor us 😉 tee heee..

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  14. I am so glad you included that uncomfortable hand hold int he trailer park, Iwsod. I was thinking about this one here in the elevator as I looked at that scene. The expressions on Lee’s face speak volumes. Its not about the attention from any woman anymore. It is about one specific woman. And man! Can that one woman touch our Lee down to the very core with just a simple absent minded touch! Who was musing about the setting in the 60’s and how Lee and Amanda would have encountered romance back then? This is so much a part of this scene. Who remembers how a first hand hold from the guy you liked made you giddy way back in Jr high? That is what this smile on Lee’s face reminds me of. His stomach is doing flip flops and I think he may be a little dizzy. But why? He has got to be a bit worked up that Amanda is in such danger, and because he was careless. Usually he is in full protection mode and wouldn’t let emotions get the best of him. I guess here I see him completely open to the way he feels about Amanda.
    And, yes, he is also totally receiving Amanda’s communication (even though, I agree, she is not really aware of what she is doing). She is reaching for him, she needs his comfort, his touch. She feels safe with him. And Lee is taking all that in. I think he feels a sense of honor here too. As in he honors Amanda. He isn’t going to take advantage and take the info and move things between them to another level, The way he enfolds her hand in both of his is a receiving action. I like the way one of you said he was saying “I got you”.
    The thing I notice about Amanda is that she is both strong and vulnerable. The braver she gets and the more mature she gets in the spy world, the more vulnerable she gets with Lee. This scene reminds me of how she tells Lee she is scared in UN. They are connecting on an emotional level that isn’t threatening their professional status. Maybe it is deepening their professional relationship?

    An all around lovely scene, the best of SMK!!!

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    1. Really love this reply, it kind of says what I would like to.
      I know I have a whole load of other posts to read yet and will probably be thinking the same thing of all of them. It is such a sweet moving and ‘true’ moment so seldom seen in tv.
      Of course I will have to have some complaints in as well: The Cumberland just looks too big to be a safe house – there are acres of unsecured grounds and buildings (imho) plus where was this huge building when the agency needed a safe house in the the 3 faces of Emily or in the Magda episode (just can’t think of the name of it). These are minor quibbles and I really love everything about this scene.

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        1. This can work! A legitimate safe mansion lol… I like the idea of it hiding in plain sight. But.. it is a little over the top – if it really was a cover location Lee, Amanda and Billy should have arrived with builder’s hard hats and clipboards to maintain the cover that the place is pending development or something..

          Gah! Someone (sorry I can’t find it now!!) raised the point about the cost of keeping the Cumberland in this state.. and I agree – it is ridiculous.. just what would congresswoman Faber think?!!! 😉

          EDITED TO ADD- it was Kiwismh! I knew I’d find it once I published this comment 😉 lol!

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    2. “Who remembers how a first hand hold from the guy you liked made you giddy way back in Jr high? That is what this smile on Lee’s face reminds me of. His stomach is doing flip flops and I think he may be a little dizzy. But why?”- Great thought morley. Lee’s smile is like he just hit the lottery. Maybe he missed out on that experience as a jaded, cynical boy living with his Colonel uncle & moving from military base to military base. If Amanda is the first to REALLY get to him that way, that he gets to enjoy these little things with her without having had jumped straight into a more physical relationship, which would be new for him. I know there was Eva & Dorothy, but I think he missed out on the slower more meaningful progression with them. I think that is the smile of a man in love for the first time. Not a crush, or lust or puppy love like the others. (I don’t know if I’m expressing what I mean properly! Very frustrating!)

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      1. I guess, I understand what you mean, Xiola.
        At least I like your toughts and you expressed them well. 🙂

        Sorry for being so late for the repley. 😦

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  15. Such a lovely scene! I just love how BB and KJ portray this with saying anything…swoon.

    I’m disappointed that I’m going to missing the rest of this episode walk as our family is going on a missions trip and want have computer access.

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  16. I am here! Up to my neck in real life stuff. But I read this right as I am preparing to go to sleep. So I should have time with a quiet brain to reflect and in the morning, comment.
    I do love this scene, yes my poor DVD. And I loved all of those great screen caps! This is one of those brilliant moments that you just don’t get often in entertainment anymore. How can these two do so much with a hand hold? Wow!
    And I loved the comparisons, both the hand holding ones and the elevator ones.

    Now to bed, so I may have a brain tomorrow

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  18. I love how Amanda is so totally out of it as she takes Lee’s hand. It’s — yes, it’s almost automatic. And he is so pleased by it. What a great bit of acting to make the most of what could have been a throwaway moment, just getting from one place to another. I think it’s really meaningful for Lee to see that Amanda reaches for him subconsciously like that. It seems like the people we turn to when we’re in trouble are the ones who are most important in our lives. I still remember how honored I felt when I attended a funeral for the mother of a dear friend, and at the lunch afterwards he passed up all sorts of extended family who were present, to come sit with me and my group. That’s the kind of thing I think of when I see Lee smile like that. Amanda’s reaching for him at just such a time is proof positive that he is THE person she wants to turn to.

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    2. I liked how you said that this could have been such a throwaway moment and it was so much more. Beautifully said. I think S&MK does a great job of making little moments like this special. Kind of like when Amanda hands Lee the pocket knife in Utopia Now and she grabs his butt for a second. They could have just had her hand him the knife, but that little grab – whether intentional or not – REALLY adds to that scene.

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  19. In between the squees, I do find myself wondering what the heck is so interesting on the wall of the elevator that she can’t take her eyes off it. Surely the view 180 degrees the other way is waaaaay more interesting?

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    1. Surely the view 180 degrees the other way is waaaaay more
      interesting?
      Yeah, Janet, it sure is.

      My guess: Amanda’ mind is already working on a plausible scenario she could tell her mother why Dotty and the boys have to leave the house for at least one night. She is destracted or even desperate. 😦
      Perhaps looking at Lee would have helped… 😉

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    2. Omg that is SSSSSOOOOO funny about what is so interesting on the wall of the elevator to her right. The view to her left is SO much better! Perhaps she’s so scared that she can’t even look at him for fear he would know just how scared she really is. But her hand seeking his speaks volumes to what she’s feeling.

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  20. Love, love, love this scene. My poor little DVD gets a workout when I get to it because I just rewind and rewind over and over again. However, now that we have these lovely screen caps (thank you, thank you, Iwsod!!) and can really see each and every little nuance so much better it’s even more swoon worthy. Big, deep, heavy sighs all around.

    Just like Amanda comforting Lee with her touching before, it’s Lee’s touch that is bringing Amanda some comfort now. I can imagine that she was feeling some comfort from him as they approached the Cumberland and maybe felt bereft a bit when they separated as Lee checked his gun. I’m sure that the conversation with Billy didn’t alleviate her distress. She told him she would need a story to get the family out of the house and she was quite possibly thinking he might help her with one. He didn’t.

    Speaking of elevator scenes, wasn’t there one in I AM NOT…when Amanda had amnesia? She said she needed a story to tell her mother why she wandered off and Lee started spinning a tale about a handsome man appearing. At least Lee tried to help her with a story for her mother. Billy blew right past her need.

    That touching is such an anchor for them. And Lee’s reaction and response is so priceless. Adding the second hand anchors them even more. I wonder if Lee feels as if he could swoon himself right about now.

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    1. Love, love, love this scene. My poor little DVD gets a workout
      when I get to it because I just rewind and rewind over and
      over again.

      I did the same with my poor little DVD when I rewatched it over and over again. Now I need to recover before I can comment on this one. 😉

      It’s more than late here (3:00 am) :O
      Good Night or Good Mornig to everyone – whatever fits for you. 🙂

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  21. Have to agree with Amanda and Iwsod… That building looks closed and run down. Much better on the inside. Good ol’ agency. I would have passed that place by without batting an eyelash.

    Yes! Lovely photos Iwsod! I’m sure I’ll be back to explore these further. I love that Lee is initially comforting Amanda and when he moves away, she wants the contact back.

    Poor Amanda though… She’s thinking about her boys, she needs to check in at home, she knows how concerned Dotty gets. Someone wants her dead, another agent’s been killed… She knows this is out of her hands, but it still doesn’t help. So she turns to Lee. I love that she doesn’t hold back here. It’s not just about her safety, it’s about having someone there who gives her a sense of comfort. Almost like home and family would. I think that’s what he is to her here. I think Lee acknowledges that by staying close. He turns and looks at her in the elevator… There’s probably a lot that could be said about that moment. He’s relieved that she’s safe and he’s glad to be there for her. I’m still pondering what else could be going through his mind and I’m sure many of you will come up with some good thoughts on that too.

    Billy? Hmmm… He’s seen a difference in Lee’s behavior since Amanda’s been there. He may suspect there’s something happening between them, but I’m not sure. I wonder if he goes home at night and talks about his staff to his wife? I’d love to hear that conversation.

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  22. Others who transcribe will agree that sometimes going over and over (and over) a scene gets frustrating and, yes, boring. Hearing that awkward dialogue, watching what the baddie is doing etc. This was not one of those scenes!! I rewatched this many, many times to see exactly how those hands moved and when. Very very sweet. Definitely one of those something will probably happen between us but we haven’t acknowledged it yet moments on SMK.

    I love the music in this episode particularly. They’ve done a great job of capturing the mood and enhancing my experience of the episode.

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  23. Agree Iwsod, the romantic stuff doesn’t come easy to me either. I know what it’s like in reality and it’s hard to suspend the reality to believe in real love even when it’s fictional.
    But nark and realism… well that’s comes easy. Maybe it’s an Aussie and New Zealand thing.

    Anyway, I will with great effort bend my brain away from reality for a few moments to comment on these moments of hand-holding.

    I see Amanda as being too distracted and worried at the moment to take notice of how openly she is seeking physical comfort from Lee. So, perhaps the logical/careful part of her brain that keeps her from throwing herself into his arms is so preoccupied her heart and her head get a rare chance to be in sync.
    It’s going to be tough for her to slip back into careful Amanda mode again after she has a chance to reflect on these moments. 😀
    Those are just my initial thoughts. I might have more to add later when I have thought about it a bit more. Like Amanda I have to let go of my logical/careful brain, which is always tempted to sneer, “What a load of mushy piffle!”

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    1. Aussie/NZ/Canada thing. My hubby is way more mushy romantic than I am. My brain doesn’t work that way well (I usually roll my eyes and snicker at ‘romantic’ movies) which is why my SQUEEEE! moments are so rare and why SMK holds a special place in my shriveled, cynical heart.

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      1. I’ll join in – SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

        I’ll try to get back later to reply properly.. lovin hearing from you all – and lovin this ep! bye guys I’ve gotta get to work 🙂

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      2. Oh, methinks your heart is anything but shriveled! I will add another SQUEEE to yours coz I range between mush and hugely cynical me self but am complete mush when I see these lovely photos!

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      4. “Aussie/NZ/Canada thing”- Me too! Cynical heart & all -and my husband is the more mushy romantic as well. Who knew reading JWWM posts & replies would lead to deeper self-awareness? 🙂

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  24. Ooooh SWOOOON! I will have to watch this another 30 or so times to figure out if Amanda is consciously aware that they are both ready to move forward in a relationship, or only subconsciously. Or if she is really scared and taking comfort in Lee. I wonder if Billy is feeling like the 3rd wheel here.

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So what do you think??? :)

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