We cut to a busy, wet DC street.
The limo pulls up in front of Sonja who was waiting by the side of the road.
She gets in, it’s Rostov’s limo!
[Ugh. she must use the same hairdresser as Lee – how can she look that put together in all that rain – I’d look like a drowned rat! ]
Sonja: I can’t change his mind.
Rostov: I thought not… 
[Then why not drug him with more than just cough medicine and ship him off somewhere?! Some of those magical crystals you snap under someone’s nose perhaps?!]
…No matter. It’s set for tomorrow morning. I’ve made the arrangements.
[So, Rostov is still trying to be King and cry ‘checkmate!’ huh.. he’s going to deal with Alexi and get Stetson?]
Sonja: Stetson’s not stupid. He could be springing a trap on us.
Rostov: He would, if he could. But because of the stupidity of the Agency and Dr. Smyth, he can’t.
[I’m quite pleased that the Russians are mocking the agency because the agency believe Lee is guilty! Poetic Justice!
I guess Sonja and Rostov don’t know about Amanda?? Strange that Sonja doesn’t – because Alexi knows about her – he had her file at the start of stem I. Sonja saw her too. I guess they underestimate Lee and Amanda’s connection/loyalty..]
(Rostov hands Sonja a piece of paper)
Rostov: Here are the arrangements. Scarecrow wants Alexi…
…and we want him. And it will all work out, Sonja…
…You just be pretty and let me worry for both of us.
[If looks could Kill!!!
Rostov would be dead!!!]
Staring contest! Staring Contest!!
Rostov loses!]
The scene ends here.
[Phew.. it’s all happening now! Danger! Excitement!!
Cough medicine!!! 
I’m still not sure what to make of Sonja. Is she standing by her uncle? Or Rostov? Or Neither?
22 years old, what a life! Ugh!!!!!!!! I think Sonja should defect and leave all these men who order her around.. all she does is have men use her! I think I said that in part 1 at some point.. this parting encouragement from Rostov sums it up pretty much!]
Back at IFF, Billy is dozing on his sofa in his office…He seems to have a file for a teddy bear
His phone rings..
Billy: Melrose.
Lee : Mind your manners, Billy.
Billy: Lee. They set me up.
Lee: You get a chance to prove it…
(As we hear Lee over the phone, the shot cuts to someone listening in..
Uh oh. It’s Dr Smyth listening in..
he nods to another agent who is also listening in and taking notes)
Lee: … but mind your manners and grab a pencil.
[Love the mind your manners reference.. good to see some continuity with this phrase from back in Reach for the sky. Hmm.. how interesting, an episode where Billy was out in the cold, Dr Smyth was looming.. and Lee and Amanda went above and beyond and helped him. And here? Billy is doing this for Lee and Amanda now. I wonder if this tie in was deliberate.. given the at times massive boo boos in this show, I’d like to think it was so we can balance things a bit! 
Sorry I digress, back to the call.]
(The agent nods back at Dr Smyth.. he’s got his pencil too! ) 
Lee: Five number groups: 8311064822.
(We see the agent writing down numbers.. Dr Smyth gives him a nod.)
[lol like- oh good. I picked a clever agent to take notes for me- this one can write down numbers!]
The scene ends there.
Oh nooo! Have Lee and Billy just been busted again??!!
This two parter is very ambitious and involved.. and kudos to smk for giving it a red hot go! I’m enjoying Stemwinders.. the multiple twists and turns are interesting..(is the title a reference to this? among other things?)
Though the premise of anyone believing Lee would leave finger prints lying around after he murdered someone is laughable.. and why go ahead with war games… Meh… that part is not worth focusing on.. but all the machinations and not knowing who will do what is fun! [at least I’m hoping you find it so.. I know I do..] I hope Sonja sells up and moves to Montevideo and opens up her own business – cooking gourmet food or something. Then she can get away from all these men who want to use her!!
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"Just walk with me.." 
Totally agreeing with the sympathy you are feeling for Sonja in this episode, Iwsod. What an awful life! And to think her grandfather has been planning this for her since she was 13! Ick!!
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I also love the tie-ins to Reach for the Sky. That’s a really great episode to highlight the relationship between Billy and Lee. Their relationship, IMO, is much like a father’s relationship with a son throughout his adulthood as he matures into a man. Though I liken it also that of a professional mentorship. Kind of a hybrid, but also uniquely Lee & Billy.
Also, I noticed a sign of “Agency Baddie”. In the Triumvirate, here is Falkan as he discovers Lance Dorn accessing that scary-numbered file: https://justwalkwithme.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/3-16-tt-avi_000584818.jpg
And now here we see Dr. Smyth:
What do they have in common??? They turn off all the lights in their offices except the desk light! Why in the world would you turn the lights low if you are obviously still in your office unless you are doing something shady? Especially, Dr. Smyth, when your smoke is kinda telling everyone you’re sitting there. Go drink some tea and get a baddie phone so you can be a little more obvious.
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whooooo good call! Okay low lighting = sneakiness! [unless it’s candlelight, then it’s hanky panky 😉 ]
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Great idea! It’s not as if the American’s would care or investigate. I guess at this point Rostov may think he needs Alexi to get Stetson? Rostov is playing his own game. I think he knows that Lee is being set up, but he believes the Agency has failed Lee, so Rostov wants to be ready to scoop Lee up. At that point, that may be the only option Lee has for any kind of life – even if it is in Russia.
No one thought to get Gregory’s thoughts on the matter…
LOL – yes, if looks could kill. Maybe that is why Sonja stays in the game instead of flying off to South America. She wants to prove to this pants’-first-thinking men that she is more than beautiful. Perhaps that is another thing she has in common with Francine (see my comment on post 12/19). At this point, I think Sonja is just watching and waiting to see what happens, but ultimately she will choose what is best for her – her uncle or Rostov.
Well, no interaction between Billy and Dr. Smyth in this scene, but I firmly believe Billy expects that Dr. Smyth is listening in on his phone calls. Knowing that, this scene is like Billy giving it to Dr. Smyth to his face. Lee must know it too, hence the codes. And it sounds like Lee has decided to trust Billy one last time – he has no other options. Good for you, Billy! I still hope there is a showdown scene between Billy and Dr. Smyth because I’m guessing only Lee and Billy (and maybe Amanda at this point) are the only ones who know how to decode Lee’s message.
Finally, a bright spot in this episode!
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I think it’s awful how the Russians have more respect for Lee’s capabilities than his own Agency. Sonja says he’s not stupid, but the Agency seems to think that he’s pretty stupid. Although I like how Rostov gives Dr. Smyth his own label of stupidity. It’s like he’s his own special branch of stupidity in addition to the Agency. I would go along with that. I had a friend that used to say someone was ‘stuck on stupid’. Dr. Smyth is for sure.
Sonja, Sonja, Sonja…this can’t be your first inclination as to what your role truly is. This can’t be the first time you’re seeing this kind of behavior out of the men you’ve surrounded yourself with. But at 22, maybe she is also her own brand of stupid. From her words about her grandfather there are obviously some limits to just how loyal she has been or plans to be, but her being conniving is not winning her any points with Rostov. This all doesn’t bode well for her.
I love how Billy’s first comment to Lee is that he was set up. He doesn’t try to talk Lee in this time or even ask how he is. Billy wants Lee to know that he can still trust him. Dr. Smyth is such an irritating jerk. Still with the cigarette…
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Is it 5 Number groups or 5-number groups? 83-11-06-48-22 or 83110-64822? No matter – fortunately we don’t have to figure it out.
But what does this tell us about both Lee and Billy’s concept if Agency loyalty that they have a code worked out that other agents wouldn’t understand? It says a lot about their loyalty to each other though and it’s obvious that Lee has calmed down enough (or Amanda has calmed him) to suspect that Billy was indeed also set up.
Oh Sonja – you have the expression of a woman who has fully realized for the first time what a long road of misery and misogyny is ahead of you in this spy game, along with a heaping doses of disloyalty and self-interest. Good luck with that – at least your hair is lovely.
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So true.. it speaks volumes – Lee hasn’t given up on Billy at the first sign of a betrayal (unlike how Francine treated Lee!!)
oh good one Clagjanet!!! 🙂
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“But what does this tell us about both Lee and Billy’s concept of Agency loyalty that they have a code worked out that other agents wouldn’t understand?”
Two names: Dirk Fredericks … Dr. Smyth
Also, consider that Billy assigned Scarecrow to “Savior” & “Burn Out” — both were undercover missions requiring him to pretend to commit treason against the USA — another purpose for an “entre-nous” code.
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You raise a good point, Iwsod. Why would Alexi have Amanda’s file and there’s clearly been no attempt to target her? Maybe they only wanted her if they couldn’t get to Lee any other way.
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Interesting. A good spy would want to know about those currently close to the target, hence he knows about Amanda. Oddly, however, it seems he does not share her status with either Rostov or Sonya as it really seems like Sonya just considers Amanda as Lee’s girlfriend and Rostov doesn’t consider her at all. If Rostov had known her to be Lee’s professional partner, wouldn’t he have tried to claim her for Russia too?
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good point katjielee, all the focus is on Lee switching sides – and Amanda is overlooked or given merely a grind her order lol.
I guess they wanted to keep the focus of the plot on Lee the spy as it started off being all about him and Makarov.
We’ve been talking about how Sonja is just a pawn being manipulated by all these men – not viewed as a threat- more of a side player..
Funny, seems Amanda is also being viewed as a side player too. [not by Lee, but by the Russians and Dr Smyth]
No way are they in the same situation here, but Amanda seems to be viewed less in the professionally important category too while all the men jostle for position.. how interesting.. Even Francine is surrounded by men in power struggles and has no voice of her own.
I know Amanda isn’t a fully fledged agent but – she had her own KGB file!
She’s beaten Gregory- twice! 😉
and Zinoiev is still off somewhere thinking she is the great scarecrow! haaaa 😉 He was able to see a female spy as more than a side player! 😉
He never would have overlooked Amanda! Is it just me or would it have been fabulous to see him again?!
Okay now I’m just rambling 😉
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I love Zinoiev. Such a wonderful, refined baddie!
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Agreed! Lee Bergere absolutely sparkled in his lone S&MK episode. He and Kate Jackson were quite the comedic duo with BB essentially playing “the stooge.”
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Aaaahhh, Zinoiev, my fave baddie!
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“Lee: … but mind your manners and grab a pencil. Five number groups: 8311064822.”
Just love this intriguing puzzle. Five number groups so: 83-11-06-48-22. Plus, I suspect, these qualifying phrases that precede the numbers: (1) “mind your manners” and (2) “grab a pencil.” Since mind your manners has been used before between Billy and Lee, this must refer to a code format known only by them and not one easy to decode by The Agency Crypto crew. In order for Billy to properly order Lee’s five number groups, his statement that there are five number groups is likely part of the deciphering; as well as Lee’s wording telling Billy to “grab a pencil.” Why not a pen? Or why tell him “to grab”? Alternate words could be used, such as “get a …” or “pick up your …” or just “write this down.” Maybe I’m quite mesmerized by this because there’s a cryptoquick puzzle (using letters) in our Friday local paper. It’s such fun straining the brain to solve them (an Alzheimer preventative of sorts!), but they always come with a one-letter clue. Lee has potentially given Billy multiple clues (think 3-dimensional chess) putting us completely in-the-dark. My fervent prayer is that Dr. Smyth and The Agency Crypto crew are equally clueless!
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LOL this being smk, I tend to assume there is no substance behind the codes!!! 😉
I’m so ashamed! 😉
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Count me in the equally clueless as the Agency Crypto Crew and Dr. Smyth.
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“I hope Sonja sells up and moves to Montevideo and opens up her own business – cooking gourmet food or something. Then she can get away from all these men who want to use her!!”
Me, too, though she’ll need to learn Spanish and adjust to life in a rather small country far from her home in the USSR. (Uruguay is just a bit smaller than the US state of Missouri.) I’m most in favor of her exiting entirely from espionage; even “trained,” she’s not on the same playing field as Amanda. Yes she’s only 22, but aren’t the Soviets known for their high quality training? It’s doubtful she would make the grade at Station One! IMO Sonja is just an expendable pretty face … bait for Rostov and Alexi to trap Scarecrow.
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yep she’s just a honey trap! It seems.. even to her grandfather!!! ugh!!!
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