Time to catch up with the baddies!
Sonja: Tea, Grandfather? (Sonja offers grandfather some tea)
[That’s the first thing we hear from them? Oh Rofl!!!! this is too funny!!! He’s playing chess? That’s what Russians do!! 😉 oh rofl at the chess set!!!! chess set + tea = Russian baddie, a cunning game player!]
(Alexi shakes his head)
Alexi: Chess is a fascinating game of contradictions, changing moment to moment. Hunter becomes the hunted… prey becomes predator.
Sonja: What are you, Grandfather? Hunter or hunted?
[What is he? What are you?!! Why isn’t Sonja asking what she is?! To me she seems to be a pawn in her grandfather’s chess game! oh and I love these Russian family chats – so ominous and complicated! 😉 ]
Alexi: Both. Scarecrow is alienated and alone, but he’s got time to think—to plan. He’s a wounded wolf—desperate, but even more deadly.
[I like Alexi’s accent! Not that I’d say I’m any kind of an authority on Russian accents- I just like it! and I like that he sounds Russian – unlike Gregory!]
Sonja: Forget about Scarecrow, Grandfather.
[It’s twisted, but I’m happy to see Sonja in these super fugly ugly earrings!! 🙂 ]
…Please?!. Go home to Vladivostok—live your life out in comfort…
…You’ve earned it.
Alexi: I will begin living again when Lee Stetson dies.
[Intense! A man with a singular purpose.
This scene ends there. Seems a bit of a random scene.. A little reminder for the audience of how obsessed and ruuuuuthless Alexi is.
Why is Sonja suddenly speaking with a voice of her own when in the previous episode she seemed more than willing to comply?! Hmm.. what’s going on here? I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
I think up till now we thought Alexi had succeeded in his plan – to turn the agency against Lee. Wanting Lee to die is a new additional element to this plan I think. I’m guessing Sonja was fine with the turning Lee into a traitor bit, but has had enough of this and wants it to end. Maybe that’s why she suddenly speaks up (seems sudden to me) – maybe she doesn’t want Lee to die?? Is it possible she could have a soft spot for Scarecrow after all their dinners together?! 
Or.. maybe it was the good cup of tea that finally gave her the strength to question Alexi! 😉 Of course, Alexi is in this till the bitter end..
I guess Alexi is counting on the agency issuing the D-1 manhunt.. and he is waiting around to have confirmation (somehow) that Lee is dead? In the meantime, he is on edge waiting for Lee to enact his plan – not underestimating Lee is dangerous at this point. Okay, I guess I’ve gotten it straightened out in my head so far.. I guess?! How about you? If I’ve misunderstood something, if you agree, or if you see things differently- please share!]
Moving on, we find T.P walking across a street..toward a food truck..’Delano’s Daily Delites’..
(We see a man in the truck at the grill.. )
T.P.: It’s a neat cover, Lee. How’d you manage it? [Lee??!!! cool!! Whooo he’s good!! 
I gotta say, from what we’ve seen of TP in SMK, a FOOD truck is the ideal cover to make contact with TP!]
Lee: Insurance money.
[Phew! that Russian frame up extras cover has come in handy ]
T.P.: Heh.
Lee: How’s your tail?
T.P.: Oh, the dogs are getting better, but I lost them the second turn around the Washington Monument. [Is there anything T.P can’t do? He is just the best source ever no?!]
Lee: What do you hear?
T.P.: Mucho. You two have premiered on the Agency’s most wanted chart at number three… uh, with a bullet.
[Whoooo who is 1 and 2?! Want to make some guesses?]
T.P.: And I suspect you’ll, uh… top the charts in a couple of days.
(Lee continues to make a hot dog and play the cover..as others walk by)
Lee: Well at least we know where we stand there.
Lee: Here. (Lee hands T.P a hotdog)
T.P.: Hmm.
Lee: I’m more worried about Alexi. He’s here, pulling the strings—I know it.
T.P.: Oh, uh, by the way… Sonja Chenko is Alexi’s granddaughter. [Why does that seem so anti-climactic to hear that now? I guess I was thinking it had already been uncovered..]
Lee: Who’s she working for? Rostov or Alexi?
[Oh my, finally we get a close up. Lee is lookin good! I like hot dog maker Lee!
This is definitely a ‘Daily Delight!’ Certainly can’t be referring to the food!]
Lee: Or both of them? [She’s Russian! Of course it’s going to be complicated! ]
T.P.: I don’t know. [Mark your calendars all! TP doesn’t know something! 😉 ]
Lee: Our only hope is finding Alexi before the Agency finds us.
[ROFL there’s something weird here with the sauces and T.P’s hot dog..
this..
and then super super quickly this..
Magic sauce!
Err focus on what they’re saying iwsod!!]
T.P.: Well, he probably feels the same way about you… uh, but how do two phantoms meet each other in the shadows? You can’t exactly advertise.
Lee: Maybe you can.
[Lee has a plan! and he looks really good in that t-shirt.. me like.. and a man in an apron? Unbeatable!!! 🙂 ]
We see a large block of apartments..
Inside, it looks like Rostov is home from work. He puts down his brief case, we see Rostov take off his jacket and put down his mail. [Looks like he enjoys the finer things in life!]
He pours himself a drink..
Lee: Pour me one.
Rostov freaks out! 
He turns toward a talking arm chair.. nah.. we see Lee give a dramatic and super sexy reveal tee hee..
Done with such flair!
He’s even put his outfit he likes to get stun gunned in on again. I guess it could have been laundered by now..]
Lee: I’m American. I like ice.
Rostov looks nervous..
[I guess he’s not sure what Lee has come for..to make me serve him a drink so he can then kill me?! Is that Lee’s plan? Kill Rostov and prove to the agency he isn’t working for the Russians? The reference to ‘Ice’ I think implies he could be threatening to kill Rostov..
Hmm.. but Lee intentionally setting out to kill someone doesn’t sound like a plan he’ d come up with.. Guess this is that ‘advertising’ T.P was talking about.. but exactly what Lee is up to I don’t know. I really don’t remember any of this at all!!!!!! I’m looking forward to finding out how this unfolds!]
Here’s a gif to finish off this scene..
Peak-a-boo smk style! I couldn’t resist.. it gave me the giggles.. because he looks so super suave And the arm chair is pretty ugly 😉 but then, I’m pretty sure no one was looking at the arm chair?!
Anyone have any thoughts they’d like to share?
"Just walk with me.." 
Was this a Stephen Hattman script? Because he pulled that person behind the chair gag in a Diagnosis Murder episode too, only that time the character (Mark) didn’t have a gun.
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Alexi has always been my favorite non-comical bad guy (comical goes to Zinoiev, hands-down), but this walk-through has made me actually feel for him. I never thought about it before that all Lee and Amanda are going through, Alexi went through 9 years ago and continued to go through for the last nine years because Scarecrow’s plot against him actually succeeded. He lost everything – his family, his reputation, his career and had to endure prison in the USSR, no picnic I’m sure, because Scarecrow lied about him and convinced his superiors he wasn’t loyal to them when he was. And it’s not like Alexi was really a bad guy working outside the law and indiscriminately hurting or killing people before (like a Nick Cross or Castille from VM) – Alexi’s only crime was being loyal to and working for his country just like Lee and Amanda do. What a horrible game these people were asked to play in the Cold War and are probably still asked to play today! When I watched and loved this as a kid, all I saw was good guys versus bad guys, but as an adult, these episodes that are essentially loyal Americans vs loyal Russians are so much more complicated. I love that Lee and Amanda also seem to be grappling with this here and at other times (SBTB with that Rostov and Playing Possum with Yuri come to mind) – I sense very little anger from Lee towards Alexi and Sonja. He recognizes the irony and seems more resigned and even exhausted that this is the game. I didn’t think I could love this episode any more but this walk-through is accomplishing just that.
On a lighter note, if that food truck were anywhere near my neighborhood, I would daily partake of the daily delite of watching that server make my hot dog and hand it to me! I wouldn’t even care that they were hot dogs!
Finally, when Lee says to this Rostov that he’s American and likes ice, I think it’s hearkening back to Sonja’s very cold vodka without ice at Emelio’s that told us and Lee she was Russian. At this point, Rostov may actually think that Sonja managed to turn Lee because she did deliver all the Stemwinder frequencies and Rostov doesn’t know about Alexi and the whole game he is playing. With Lee’s clever little statement that he is American and likes ice, Lee is letting Rostov know where his loyalties lie, and I think he is about to clue Rostov in on the game Alexi is playing because up to now, Rostov has been as much a player on Alexi’s chess board as Lee has. Lee’s strategy here is brilliant – he realizes that Rostov will not appreciate being played and will end up helping him for his own very different reasons. Lee is not only taking some of Alexi’s pieces but putting them to work for himself and Amanda. It’s just sad to me that Rostov and by extension the whole KGB are so much easier to convince of Lee and Amanda’s loyalty to the US than the Agency.
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OOOH, I had never made the connection with Lee declaring his loyalties with the ice statement. I was probably too busy swooning.
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Aren’t we all too busy swooning, Cindy? Aren’t we all?!
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I love that the food truck uses Delano’s name! Great shout out to SAAB!!
Learjet wrote: Personally, I think that this is Lee’s best outfit in the entire four seasons. But why is Lee wearing an apron??? 😉 Who cares about anything else in this scene….
I am 100% in agreement here. Seriously, I don’t remember him in a t-shirt ever in the series. Am I forgetting something?
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Can I just say that TP in a trench coat a la S1 Amanda in SAAB is quite hysterical to me!!! I guess TP is playing spy here just like Amanda was 😀
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The Western plaid shirt with bolo tie paired together with the trench coat, slacks and hat are quite the mismatch for an aspiring spy! Even Amanda’s trench coat fashion sense in SAAB didn’t drop to T.P.’s eccentric attire. Though she did give him a run-for-the-title at the train station with only a nightgown underneath! All joking aside, he’s still a favorite character of mine.
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One parting thought: what is it with this girl and offering food to people on park benches? First the apple for Rostov in episode one and now tea for her grandpappy. This is some serious Lucretia Borgia stuff going on here, I think…
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Baddies love to imbibe in their brewed beverage. Sonja is the second person to try to divert Alexi from his plan, but he is not to be thwarted. His comments to Sonja about Lee also seem to be about himself. Alienated, alone, and desperate is most likely how he felt or still feels. Alexi seems to feel as if he’s not really living yet. Kind of sad. Interesting that he used the term wolf. But as has been mentioned Lee is no longer that lone wolf. The Scarecrow that Alexi knew has changed.
A thought just occurred to me. It’s bothersome to think that, even fictionally, an order such as a D-1 would exist. Whatever Lee did to Alexi, he was only put in jail. But Dr. Smyth would have Lee shot? So much for due process.
Ahh! Lee in all his outside glory is a wonder to behold and swoon about. Being on the run looks so good on him. Me like very much. Love how Lee says “our” and “us”. Amanda is never far from his thoughts. Also love that TP is such a good and trusted go-to for Lee.
I guess it was appropriate that my dinner today was a Chicago dog.
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“His comments to Sonja about Lee also seem to be about himself. Alienated, alone, and desperate is most likely how he felt or still feels.”
I agree with your assessment, valeriejw, that what Alexi says is really more about himself than Lee. His erroneous assumption gives Lee and Amanda an edge.
“A thought just occurred to me. It’s bothersome to think that, even fictionally, an order such as a D-1 would exist. Whatever Lee did to Alexi, he was only put in jail. But Dr. Smyth would have Lee shot? So much for due process.”
Not sure whether Lee succeeded in his mission against Alexi while in the USA or the USSR. My guess is the USA. If so, Alexi was deported as part of a prisoner swap. He was sent to Siberia by his own country because Lee made it look like Alexi was “playing footsie” with the USA. … Dr. Smyth does appear to put protecting himself at a higher priority than protecting the highly trained agents, who are ultimately under his command. The jury is out on his leadership skills … thus far in his tenure at The Agency, I’m not impressed.
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Great insights Valerie and Nancy- really enjoyed this train of thought!
It’s been a while since I wrote the posts for this episode, but I suspect at some point I say something about how the Alexi and Sonja relationship is contrasted with the Lee and Amanda relationship.
You’ll never guess which relationship shines through as the one which wins the prize for loyalty, commitment etc…. 😉
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Love this! There are some big philosophical questions raised through this scenario that are pretty uncomfortable!!! I gotta say, it leaves me with a cold chill – how could Lee and Amanda want to ever work for IFF again?!!!!
I’ll look forward to keeping an eye on this as this ep continues.. I wonder if smk will address it, or brush it off….
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My thoughts exactly!
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Oh, I don’t know…I don’t have a problem with this. How many baddies has Lee killed with no due process and we’ve been ok with it? We know Lee only kills baddies because he is good at his core and it is usually not done via surrogate or without verbal fruit salad direction. As you’ve said earlier, Dr. Smyth is basically a baddie, so we are not okay with him doing the same thing. Dr. Smyth told Billy he thinks “Scarecrow and Mrs. King have been sticking it to us from the start”. That’s now at least 3 years of traitorous behavior – who knows how much info. Lee could have given away to the Russians in that time period? If Dr. Smyth really believes that, I would expect no less than a D-1 order. I may be wrong as I’m basing this on what I’ve seen in movies/tv, but I think historically traitors to one’s country (army, etc.) have been quick to be killed. I equate service to the Agency very similarly to military service.
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“[ROFL there’s something weird here with the sauces and T.P’s hot dog.. this.. and then super super quickly this.. Magic sauce!” …]
What are you doing, T.P.? Put that magic (looks like ketchup or bbq) sauce DOWN immediately! Stick with the yellow mustard, sweet pickle relish, dill pickle spear, onion slices, fresh tomato slices and a couple mild peppers. You NEVER – – EVER put ketchup on a hotdog … unless you happen to live in ignorance in D.C.
Must say BB, having grown up in the Chicago area, should know the proper way to “dress a dog.” Meanwhile, Lee sure looks relaxed and younger manning that food truck … that must come from knowing exactly how he and Amanda feel about each other, coupled with spending so much one-on-one time with her. BTW, where is she? Love it when we get to see him outside in natural lighting … delectable indeed!
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I was thinking it originated in Germany with those amazing wursts in bread rolls.. Love those with the sauerkraut – genius!
America: land of the free (free to dress hot dogs how they like) and home of the brave (whooooo you can even use magic sauce). Lee seems to love the chilli dogs.. or at least he did at Milo’s… I’m guessing Lee has set up somewhere near TP’s work.. no where near Milo’s Daffy Dog or he’d run Lee out of town 😉
[excuse to post a Lee pic? you bet!]
yeah! you’re right.. he does look younger. so good.. I agree, always love Lee -outside!
I love it, Amanda is the reason! 🙂
No idea! I guess we’ll see where she is in her next scene. But i’m glad she’s not the one in an apron 😉
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“I was thinking it originated in Germany with those amazing wursts in bread rolls.. Love those with the sauerkraut – genius!”
Oh many centuries ago the Germans minced and seasoned their meats, stuffed it into a casing and called it a sausage (wurst in German). The person, who sold the first Chicago hot dog (in 1929), was probably inspired by German sausage makers. Bratwurst is lightly seasoned pork or veal. Knackwurst is a blend of pork & veal or pork & beef seasoned with garlic and lightly smoked. The Chicago hot dog is 100% beef. While the Germans placed their sausage in a top quality bread roll that, “you can feel the bread between your teeth;” the Chicago hot dog bun is a soft bread, sprinkled with poppy seeds. When I visited Germany, my midday meal was a different style of sausage every day because each region has its own unique flavor — they were all excellent!
Easy to imagine Lee would position his food truck away from Milo’s and the usual Agency lunch spots, yet somewhere T.P. would be sure to stop by.
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You’re making me hungry!!! 🙂
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Those condiments could also be for french fries. Maybe Lee had those too? Not sure what T.P.’s tastes are when he also eats that Tutti Fruiti ice cream concoction (whatever that is).
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…’Delano’s Daily Delites’…
ahemmm….
“Delano’s” as the Quicky Chicky Snack Shack guy James Delano in ‘Service Above and Beyond’?
Where is the good chicken stuff?? 🍗
Although, I’d also allways take one of Lee’s 🌭 – yummy
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““Delano’s” as the Quicky Chicky Snack Shack guy James Delano in ‘Service Above and Beyond’?”
Hopefully, the owner JD is in prison for treason and that’s why Lee was able to get a good deal on the food truck. The QCSS brand is probably poison after what happened to the owner. Besides, Lee wants to unobtrusively attract his information buddy, T.P., who has beautiful blue eyes btw. In addition to his passion for tutti-frutti, it’s possible T.P. is always on the lookout to find the best hot dog!
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OH MY HECK! Lee is super duper drool worthy in his teeshirt and manly apron. Seriously am having a hard time focusing on anything else.
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Making you crave a hotdog with mustard and ketchup Cindy? Daily Delight indeed!
I can’t remember if I asked in the post – but does TP have his Tuesday plaid or Thursday plaid on?
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Personally, I think that this is Lee’s best outfit in the entire four seasons. But why is Lee wearing an apron??? 😉 Who cares about anything else in this scene….
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“But why is Lee wearing an apron???”
Here’s a risqué thought … why is he wearing anything else?
Just the apron is fine with me!
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ROFL😂- I second that Nancy!
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HOOOOOOOO HAAAAAAAAAA
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Yes, I love Lee in this navy blue t-shirt. I think navy is his color. My favorite Lee outfit is navy, but we’ve not seen it yet…I’m sure I’ll remember to point it out when we get there!
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Love Lee as a hot dog vendor. He just looks so good in blue. Yes, I’ll take a hot dog with everything! 😉 Wonder why he puts on the old clothes to go meet Rustov?
I don’t like that we don’t have much background on what happened between Lee and Alexi that makes Alexi so determined to get him. Maybe even a flashback scene as the opener, then onto present day. If that cuts into any of the episode, well, they could always take out the Sonja and Lee scenes, right? 😉 😉
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Me too!
Maybe it would have risked his cover? Rostov could have smelled the mustard, hotdogs, grease or whatever?
Personally, I’m okay with what we have.. but I can see why Alexi would be fascinating to learn more about! I think the knowledge that Lee did something similar to Alexi as what Alexi is doing to him now paints enough of a picture to appease me. Though with this scene we seem to find out Alexi wants to take it a step further and kill Lee – Lee never got Alexi killed just locked up in Siberia for ten years..
Oh okay. Now I’m on board with flashbacks haaaaaaa..
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Love Lee as a hot dog vendor.
Me three!
He looks so ho… emmmm… I mean so good in his t-shirt. Even his face is ok again, no cuts or bruises left from that nasty window…
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Lee probably puts on the suitcoat when he goes to visit Rostov for two reasons: psychological edge, and because it’s easier to conceal a handgun and still get at it easily. I remember a shoulder holster that would be covered by a suitcoat was a favorite of his in some previous episodes.
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Oh yeah.. much easier for hiding guns.. aprons not so much 😉
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Who are Number 1 and 2 on the most wanted list?
Well, we want someone with better fashion sense to dress Francine, so that’s my first “most wanted”…
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“Who are Number 1 and 2 on the most wanted list?”
#1: Alexi Makarov
#2: Dr. Smyth
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Genius Nancy! 🙂
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My votes go to:
#1 Francine’s wardrobe advisor
#2 Amanda’s hair stylist in season 2
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Nailed it!
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I’d have to put the ear-ring advisor (?? jewellery advisor) in my top 2 😀
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earbuttons! 😉
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I agree but I might amend that to Most Wanted: a NEW wardrobe advisor and a NEW hairstylist because we really want those.
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oh Rofl! I love it! Okay I gotta go with these two!
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Scarecrow is alienated and alone..
All together now in our best panto voices “Oh no, he isn’t!”
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Loudly and hopefully in tune: “Oh no, he isn’t!”
To my thinking, it’s actually a very good thing that The Sorcerer underestimates Scarecrow’s secret and most effective weapon … Glad Billy Melrose has got the reins because he was the first to acknowledge it, but Lee has certainly caught on because he knows how to trust the amazing, if delightfully unconventional, talents of Mrs. King!
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Oh no he isn’t! 🙂 [brilliant Clagjanet! 🙂 ]
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Hopefully in tune, too: “Oh no, he isn’t!” 😃
Alexi has still to learn, not to underestimate the persistence and stamina of the American housewife – especially if this ‘housewife’ is ‘his Amanda’.
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