The last post had Amanda almost sprinting out of Billy’s office.. and away from Lee and his poor behaviour.. but.. whatever Amanda is going through, it’s nothing compared to what Francine is experiencing right now!
Back to Beirut and Francine is lying blindfolded on a sofa..
Two men enter the room.
They sit her up.. the teapot baddie has a camera.
KGB teapot: Man Sorry for the inconvenience Miss Desmond. We’ve been busy on your behalf.
[Oh lol I love how he says her name. Dyezzzman!]
Francine: Yeah, I’ll bet. I don’t know what you think you’re doing, kidnapping an American citizen.
They hold up a newspaper next to her face and take her photo. [lol no photos of Colleen and Bart there!]
KGB teapot: It seems there are developments in your favour. Be smart Miss Desmond…
[Dyezzzman!]
…Don’t spoil our plans, we won’t spoil yours.
At this, she looks worried.. Uh oh..
Having gotten his photo.. they blindfold Francine again, and put her back on the sofa to get on with their plans 
These baddies are so bad, that they leave their lampshade tilted! whooooo..
Moving on – we’re back at that place for sale opposite Towne’s place..
We see Towne cleaning the soles of his shoes.
Towne: Damn, puddle of paint. Stupid Americans. This would never have happened in Moscow.
The room is set up with an agent listening to the bug in Towne’s house..(I guess).. Edgar (no 5) is there and so is Gregory.
[Eh? what’s with the paint? have I missed something? Is that paint he just stepped in in that house? lol I guess it might be relevant later..
Oh and – gah!!!! Lee’s right?! Towne is a Moscow Towne is dirty, I still don’t really get what’s going on.. hold tight iwsod..]
Edgar: Slide Rule.
[Edgar hands Gregory some paper]
Gregory: There’s nothing more fun to see than American vacation photographs. 
[Ahh so this must be a photo of Francine and her newspaper..]
…They arrived by courier tonight, and the American flies out of Beirut tonight…
…should be Havana tomorrow.
Towne: Congratulations. Slide Rule is ahead of schedule.
Gregory is not happy.. too soon to celebrate huh..
Gregory: So far. Popovich, getting involved with a woman was very negligent….
[So Towne’s real name is Popovich? Is he referring to big glasses MSG allergy lady?]
…We’ve gone to a great deal of trouble to convince them that you’re William Towne. Why risk the whole plan?
[Ohhhhh!!! Popovich is Popovich. Not Towne! Oh yeah.. the old doppelganger trick! 😉
Oh wait – Amanda’s right? SQUEEEEEEE!!!! Go Amanda!
Oh hey, what was that first tip from Rhonda? (post 3) “A confab about codes, cyphers. Their guest of honour was a heavy dude on the subject…. This one isn’t the American he’s pretending to be. Nationality-change operation?… No, he’s still a Russian. He just dresses up like an American”
Now I think this was Popovich trying to be convincing as Towne the traitor.. but.. the pretending to be American part was an unintended give away. What do you think? maybe Lee is thinking Towne is the Russian pretending to be an American.. When we now know it’s Popovich..
Sorry I digress from this scene, I’ve just been so confused (in a good way!) it’s good to be able to try and put a least one piece of the jigsaw into the puzzle!]
Popovich: My, er, ‘arrangement’ with Cindy was intended to be strictly professional.
[lol love the smk short hand here.. this line is full of it!
1) ends in a y.. probably not strictly professional.
2) Popovich smokes – he’s a baddie. Whahhaa]
Gregory: Intentions – that’s the best you have to offer, eh? The reality is somewhat less. The next move is worth the whole game….
…If the Americans do not make us a gift of Williams Towne, it would go very hard on you in spite of your good intentions. 
(Popovich puts his jacket on and the Towne glasses..)
Popovich: I’ll take care of it.
Popovich leaves.. whoo should we be worried for Cindy?! [Fingers crossed this is not the ‘Cindy’ we at JWWM know and love in this little corner of the smk sphere???!!!! Run Cindy!!]
You know, I’m enjoying this plot so far! gosh it’s been a while since I’ve thought that lol.. this reminds me of a fave plot of mine- the plot in Spiderweb- where the set up was so cleverly done they almost fooled the agency (though because they chose Amanda they had never fooled Lee ). So far this has a similar vibe.. a clever baddie.. with a clever plan..
It seems to me that Lee thinks all baddies are dumb. That last 4 minute action sequence should have had Lee questioning things – at least! LOL I guess based on some baddies we’ve seen I can see why haaaa.. but naughty Lee he has underestimated the Russians – and so far, he seems to be underestimating Amanda. I look forward to seeing how this one unfolds!
Back to Amanda’s the next morning.
Amanda: Oh, no, if you need me to come in today, then I’ll come in today….
Absolutely no, it’s no problem…
[Oh hey! this is a set up!! Amanda knew the night before she’d need to work Sunday morning. haaaaa.. cool! so this is a little performance for her family huh! Though lol.. it seems Dotty isn’t really buying it: she knows Amanda too well..
I wonder- does this allude to Popovich’s little performance too??!!! All is not as it seems!! Amanda isn’t buying it, she knows Towne too well!]
…No, no, I’m sure they’ll understand.
Uh huh, okay, well I’ll be there just as quickly as I can change my clothes and get in the car.
…Okay, bye bye. (Amanda hangs up) [ LOL love how KJ totally overplays this – it’s funny how Amanda tries to fool Dotty. The boys I don’t think are fussed.
Oh and LOL at the big blue clips in her hair! ]
…Okay fellas, you gonna be good guys and clean the garage like you promised.
Boys: Mmmmhhh.
Philip: I’ll give you a buck 50 if you do it.
Jamie: You don’t have a buck 50.
[Seems Jamie still has his arm in a cast]
Philip: Mom, can I borrow $2.
Amanda: No. [Lovely to see Amanda CAN say no to the boys 🙂 ]
Philip: No? (the boys take off in a flurry of activity)
Amanda: Mother, I’m awfully sorry but I’m gonna have to leave the dishes for you. 
Dotty: Since when do you have to work on Sunday?
Amanda: Mother, when you have to go to work you have to go to work.
Dotty: Are you sure this is really work?
Amanda: Mother, I’m sure.
Dotty: I don’t believe it. [I wonder if she is thinking about that man she thinks Amanda is seeing at work.]
[Dotty butters her toast.]
Amanda: Motherrrr…
Dotty: I don’t believe it.
Amanda: Mother…
[rofl. that’s not much of a comeback from Amanda haaaa… love how she says Mooootthhherrrrr!!!]
Dotty: I don’t believe it!…
(Amanda takes off up the stairs)
Dotty to herself: Hmphh, it’s getting to the point where I don’t believe it.
LOL Dotty is so matter of fact about it. It’s hilarious! I think that might be peanut butter – dare I mention it?! lol.. I suspect BG must have loved peanut butter in RL!
Lastly, love to see the Foxy Grandma pullover/jumper/sweater or whatever you call it again!
It’s interesting to see this scene when I just recently went back and read that blog post from Reach for the Sky – when Dotty got really upset with Amanda over the phone: this Dotty has come a long way!!! I’m glad there’s no anger here and Dotty has worked through things! 
We’ll pause here for the moment – looking forward to hearing from you guys!
"Just walk with me.." 
I love all these comments. What a fun loving, creative bunch you are.
I think a doppleganger Lee would have been a great device in later seasons… but we have no idea what is going to happen in the world of SMK do we? At least here on JWWM ;).
” it’s getting to the point where I don’t believe it.” I love that line of Dotty’s. I wonder if she might be reflecting some of the viewers thoughts as well about Lee and Amanda and what everyone is hoping for and wondering at this point if it will ever happen?
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Dotty’s sweatshirt was actually fashionable back then. Back in the those days there was a lot of those types of sweatshirts and jeans, etc. I had a pair of jeans that my sister gave me that said “Foxy Lady” on one of the back pockets. I liked the jeans because I thought of Jimi Hendrix whenever I wore them. They were my go to jeans in college. I stopped wearing them when I started to get comments and a male friend from high school got a little too friendly with the “Foxy Lady” area.
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We know the boys bought Amanda her “Hot Mama” shirt. Did they also buy Dotty the “Sexy Grandma” sweatshirt? And let’s also just take a moment to think about anyone being sexy in a sweatshirt! LOL!
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Haha, good point, Janet! Maybe that’s why the words had to be plastered across the front of it! Although the idea of kids buying a grandmother a sweatshirt that says “Sexy Grandma” makes me a little squirmy. Perhaps the “Over the Limit” lingerie scene made a big impression on the boys! I bet Amanda would be happy about that ;:-)
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Oooh – I bet that was exactly it. Way to go, boys!
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Haaaaa yeah good explanation Raffie!! 🙂
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Love Francine’s non-wrinkle outfit, not to mention the hair-do that puts up with being kidnapped in Afghanistan and unceremoniously bundled across the Middle East to Beirut. Bet she’ll look like she stepped right out of Vogue (the Safari issue) wherever she ends up next too! 😀
I wish they had put a bit more effort into developing the plot line that Dotty knows (or at least suspects) there’s more (and someone more) going on in Amanda’s life than working at a film company. So much opportunity and plot interest gone to waste.
Still, agree with you Iwsod, we’ve got a grittier, more involved plot here. A really believable baddie generally makes for a better plot.
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Vogue, the Safari issue… lol! She still looks good, but it also looks like she’s got a little more eye make-up on. Never thought kidnappers would care so much about her appearance. 😉
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That paint comment just cracks me up. So Russians don’t spill paint? Or don’t paint? It’s just such typical SMK nonsense (I say this in the most loving way).
Love this little scene with Dotty the Foxy Grandma and Amanda and this bit of development. And this time, she’s a bit closer to the truth in imagining Amanda is in a romantic entanglement 🙂
Not so keen on the colour of the blue clips (where they in the shape of butterflies??) but I do like Amanda’s hair off her face. And why does she need to change?
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Perhaps that’s a rhetorical question, Learjet, but I imagine she was dressed in jeans to clean out the garage and wouldn’t want to wear them to work. I don’t recall the status of business casual in the ’80s because I was in a profession that didn’t allow it, but other than maybe when popping in on her Bomber coach day, I don’t recall seeing Amanda in jeans at the Agency.
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Business casual as a term didn’t even exist in my work place until the later 80’s, and at that time, jeans were not a part of the business casual dress code, at least not where I worked. Could it be that the trend began in the mid-80’s and we see Lee picking up on it with his S3 jeans? If Amanda were trying to present a professional image in the 80’s, she would likely not have been coming to work in jeans. Of course today people wear shorts and flip-flops!
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I think it also depends on the business and the person’s actual job. I worked as a secretary for the city and we had business casual — but jeans were forbidden other than during Western Days. Later I worked as a customer service representative and we were allowed anything short of offensive slogans. My roommate also worked in an office that serves the disabled and their dress code was somewhere in between. They could wear jeans and T shirts to make the individuals more at ease, but slogans are a no-no, no matter what they say. Whereas the customer service company would allow a shirt that advertised Les Miserables or showed a flag on it (I love flag stuff) but not my Disney shirt that said “Dead Men Tell No Tales” from the Pirates ride. And we couldn’t advertise for a business.
For most of the series, Amanda is considered a clerical employee who just seems to end up in the field a lot. It makes sense that she would show up more dressed up because that’s what most clerical staff wear elsewhere. As an field agent, there seems to be a bit more latitude because of what they might have to do, hence the jeans and plaid shirts we see in the S3 finale.
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I guess I actually think that Amanda doesn’t look very professional in those parachute skirts. She looks too “mumsy” to me. (And I still got a funny look and comment from my boss when I wore jeans to work last week in my very “non-office” workplace!)
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I hear ya Learjet..
If it makes you feel better – I remember seeing Francine in a flowing skirt in Playing for Keeps..
I’m thinking Amanda’s attire is now more in line with the professional woman of the 80’s look..
It’s the fluffy cardies that bug me and make the look much less professional (in my modern eyes of course)..
I sense a Learjet 80’s women workwear post coming on?
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I’ve said it once (or probably several times now 😉 ) I can’t understand why Amanda persists with the parachute skirts and fluffy cardigans. Aside from making her seem older than her years, they are just not practical for the line of work she is in, which invariably involves serious physical activity such as falling, jumping, running, hiding, sneaking… y’know all the usual spy stuff.
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lol why does she persist? because it just so happens Kiwismh that whenever the job requires Amanda to maybe fall over, get tossed, ummm run away from cars trying to run her over.. hang on to a wrecking ball and fly through the air – she is wearing trousers… and sneakers sometimes too! 🙂
It’s quite magical.. oh and let’s not forget those spys-r-us magical adjusting heels in the triumvirate. I’m so impressed that spys-r-us is catering to the female spy more and more.. I bet they released that perfume Amanda got for Francine: Intrigue ” Very good for the spy.” 😉
To make myself feel better about Amanda’s current look.. I comfort myself that:
a) it’s not the fugly fashions of early season 2 with the earbuttons and hairdon’t..
b) it make the most of her figure..
c) it’s all a cover Amanda has chosen to embrace and utilise (Baddies won’t take fluffy cardies seriously!) – so she is underestimated and can take baddies by surprise! What was it Edgar said to Gregory in post 3?
Edgar: She didn’t look much like an agent. [Aha! part of her cunning plan!]
Gregory: Well, perhaps agent is the wrong word but I know what she does and she does it quite well…
Yep.. I’m going with that.. fluffy cardies are a powerful weapon! 🙂
I feel better already 😉
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“Gregory: Well, perhaps agent is the wrong word but I know what she does and she does it quite well…”
One of the reasons Gregory is such a great bad guy.
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I always suspected the point about Americans and paint was that they were sloppy or lazy and didn’t clean up after themselves!
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Poor little brain still confused so Gregory is still Gregory (I wasn’t sure because of SMK’s habit of recycling actors) but Towne is Towne and Popovich. So my big question is, why haven’t we seen an episode with a Lee doppleganger or two running around? (And thanks for the shout out, IWSOD, as I don’t dot my ‘i’ with a heart or smiley face, I should be good. )
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I’m sort of hoping that ‘this’ Lee that we’ve seen in this episode (i.e., cactus butt) is really a doppleganger and the real sweet Lee will show up later. 😉
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Phew!! Glad you are okay Cindy! 🙂
Oh totally.. it’s utterly ridiculous that the doppelganger trick hasn’t come up when we’ve seen it twice already!
I think Towne and Popovich were separated at birth.. their parents divorced.. the dad took Popovich back to Russia.. and the mum took Towne back to the US… Neither knew the other existed until one day on summer camp… oh wait.. no.. something is not right here.. and why am I suddenly picturing Lindsay Lohan?!
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You may be picturing Lindsay Lohan, but I’m picturing Hayley Mills!
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Eh, Janet?
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Yes, Ruth, sadly, yes.
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It’s not sad. I like Hayley Mills way better than Lindsey Lohan.
And maybe, one day, Towne and Popovich’s parents will get back together. 😉
It would be fun to hear Amanda or her kids refer to The Parent Trap (it would have to be the Hayley Mills version), but I suppose Disney wouldn’t like the reference.
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So my big question is, why haven’t we seen an episode with a Lee doppleganger or two running around?
Lee is just too handsome to have a doppelganger by nature OR by surgery (e.g. you can’t create those dimples) let alone two. Although that would have been fun. 😀
But perhaps in a future ep we’ll see something…?
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So Towne has a double! Who would have thought? I think this is the third time we have had the doppelganger in SMK (and I always love doppelgangers) . There was Francine’s double, Magda (I think that the likeness was a natural one, although enhanced) and Amanda’s double Karen (who had surgery, I think, to create the likeness?). Well, I think the agency (and especially Lee) should have considered this possibility with Towne, its not unprecedented and they must know that Amanda would not have given clearance to a Russian agent (what about trusting her instincts blind at night or something like that ).
I think that Amanda sounds and acts quite stressed in the kitchen scene. I think she is unhappy being at odds with Lee. Dotty does seem resigned. The boys look a lot older to me or is that my imagination?
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I think you’ve got them all, Michele. And SMK does love to return to it’s favourite themes – that’s one per season so far.
I think Phillip is definitely looking older here, although Jamie still looks like a cuddly little boy.
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Exactly! 🙂
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At some point, dopplegangers and secret twins must have been a real surprise, but the device has been used so much, it’s considered kind of cliche now. Even viewers half expect it, so why doesn’t Lee?
But, various shows keep using the device, and I have to admit, it sometimes works. One of the best ones I saw was a Scooby-Doo episode with twins playing vampires. The Scooby gang was confused because even though they’d captured the vampire, the vampire was still running around. 🙂 So, I guess old tricks are sometimes still the best tricks. It seems to be working on Lee right now, anyway.
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