5/7 Season Four Episode Eight: Photo Finish -Scarecrow & Mrs King

We see a view of a college campus, hearing a voice over from Lee.. [Yep, another one… Lots of voice overs and phone calls in this ep. What’s going on??!!! weird!]
Lee: I hear the campus cops kept pretty extensive files on ‘70s demonstrations. Let’s see what else they have.

(Interior of college security office.)
Lee: Mr. Sims, I’m Lee Steadman. This is Amanda Keene.
Amanda: Hello. We’re from the state comptroller’s office, part of the budgetary task force I’m sure you’ve heard about.
Mr. Sims: We’re always glad to help out the folks that write the checks.
Amanda: Oooh.
Lee: We don’t write ‘em, we stop ‘em.
[LOL time to turn the screws huh!]
Amanda: Mm-m.
Lee: And the task force intends to downscale this operation.
Mr. Sims: D- Downscale? What is that?

Amanda: Well, it’s part of the basic laws of economics. Fewer students, higher costs, fewer parents able to pay tuition.
Lee: Mm. What she means to say is, you can’t squeeze blood from a stone.
Amanda: Absolutely.
Mr. Sims: Well, you’re looking at the wrong place to cut back. We are overworked and understaffed as it is. Now, we got fifteen, twenty balls in the air simultaneously, huh? Come over here….

…Now, look at this. That’s a daily log of campus activities…
[As Lee takes a look at what Sims wanted, Amanda sneaks into a filing cabinet, opens the top drawer..

it must be a very quiet and well maintained filing cabinet drawer! What file is second from the top? The file she is after. Ohhh What luck! “1972 Disturbance and Unrest.”) Okay, I guess the agency was just there looking at it so maybe that could be possible! ]
…We’ve got ‘em back to the ‘50s. Now, check it out.
[lol how convenient!]
…We’re always busy with something. And that’s just the past 48 hours.
(Amanda almost gets busted snooping.. but not quite. Lee keeps him distracted)
Lee: Uh, what’s this one here?
Mr. Sims: Uh, well, that would be R.D. Frampton from IFF. It’s a documentary film company.
Lee: Ah-hah.
Mr. Sims: And we get a lot of those. [lol yeah I’ll bet he does. these agency background checks basically keep Mr. Sims in a job!]
(Lol Lee snaps the log book shut in Sims’ face to distract him from looking at what Amanda’s up to. You know, this episode is not kind to security guards!)
Lee: I see.  You know, I’m thinking that a computer would save us a bundle around here. Mm.
Mr. Sims: You don’t understand. These things have to be done in person. Now, we verify every signature to make sure nobody gets nothin’ they shouldn’t oughta have…
(Amanda gives Lee a smile. She has what she needs and follows that up with an a-okay hand gesture. which is rewarded with a Lee wink. Nice.)
(His winks are fabulous, but as a still image, they look weird lol)
…Look. Off the record, how many of my boys do you think I stand to lose?
Lee: My friend, here’s the deal. The retirement fund is killing us. We want to lose some people.
[Sims looks terrified. Awh I actually feel kinda sorry for him! even if he does only work with ‘boys’! I know I know.. this is an 80s thing.. the music signals this is for laughs but terrorizing a random security guard is a bit harsh no?! He looks like he’s about to have a heart attack. I hope the health fund is up to date. ]
Mr. Sims: Lose them? Hey, you’re talking about guys like me. You can’t do that. We got a union.
(they head straight for the door, time for a quick getaway)
Amanda: We’ll put that in our report, yes, we will.
Lee:  Ha.
(Lee and Amanda exit rapidly )
[SMK doesn’t tend to treat security guards well. lol. yeah maybe he should take that to his union!]

Moving on.. Lee and Amanda are walking…
Lee: What did you come up with?
Amanda: Aw, a list of demonstrators. Some of them were ID’d by surveillance photos from ’71, ’72. I didn’t recognize any of the names except for the Green Dragon.
Lee: The Green Dragon?
Amanda: Yeah. That’s all anybody ever called him. He was the campus agitator.
Lee: He just might be the guy to say you never had any part of this. How do we find a Green Dragon?
Amanda: I don’t know. Maybe the editor of The Skwak.
[Okay! Find editor of skwak, then find Green dragon. Sounds like a name for weed..]
(Lee opens the door for Amanda. awhhhh)

(“Sparkman Publications.” Lee and Amanda pull up in the Corvette and park in front.)
[Getting out of the car you can hear the chime that Lee’s keys are still in the car. lol. Interior light is still on too. lol. ]
Lee: Sparkman Publications, huh?
Amanda: Hello.
Sparkman: Good afternoon. What can I do for you?
Amanda: Well, we’re looking for Abbie Sparkman.
Lee: Yeah.
Sparkman: How can I help you?
Amanda: You’re the same Abbie Sparkman who used to publish The Skwak?
Sparkman: With the beard and the hair? Yeah, that’s me. I traded in the dreadlocks and earrings for this. But inside, I’m still the same Abbie.
Amanda: Uh-huh.
Sparkman: Please, have a seat. Do you want a jelly bean? My favourite’s Tequila Sunrise.
Lee: No. Thanks. Uh, we’re Steadman and Keen of the law firm Steadman and Keen…
[Okay, now that just sounds lame! lol. Hey I guess we can add ‘cheesy alias use’ to the bingo game! ]
…We recently won an important decision against the Sendrex Corporation.
Sparkman: The napalm boys?
Amanda: Yes. And tear gas. They used to use a lot of it on some of the more radical campuses in the ‘60s.

Lee: Yeah, that’s right. Now, Abbie, we’re looking for some more names of possible victims. All you had to do was even be touched by that tear gas. You know what I’m saying? A hefty, uh –
Amanda: — settlement.
Lee: Yes.
[Look at the body language here. awhhh I know they are playing a cover, but it screams ‘we are an awesome team!’ ]
Sparkman: Right on.
Amanda: We were wondering if we could look at some of the back issues of the newspaper.
Sparkman: Heh. You’ve gotta be kidding. When I was working on that paper, we didn’t think there’d be a future. Nobody thought about back issues. I think a guy named Wide Body Banks has them in his van.
Amanda: Okay. Do you happen to know where we might be able to find a guy called the Green Dragon? Do you remember him?
Sparkman: No. He’s been underground a long time.
Lee: Oh, that’s too bad. We’re paying a substantial finder’s fee. Tsk.
(Sparkman has a think for a second..)
Sparkman: You’re not cops, right?
Amanda: Nah, ch.
Lee: Heh.
Sparkman: I could make a few calls, see if he’s around. If he is and if he’s interested, I could set up a meet.
Lee: You could do that?
Sparkman: For a substantial finder’s fee.
[LOL he’s quite the activist ahem.]
(Amanda and Lee exit the door of Sparkman Publications to the sidewalk along with Sparkman.) Sparkman: Wait for me in front of the Beaux Arts Theater on Fifth. All right?
Lee: Yeah. Sure.
(Sparkman walks away down the street and Amanda and Lee get into the Corvette. As Lee gets into the driver’s side, we see Williamson waiting in a car just across the street from the Corvette.
Williamson starts his engine and follows the Corvette.)
[whoooooo hey can a guy with only one eye drive? seems a bit dangerous having no peripheral vision on one side? Whatev. this dude is bad!!!!!]

(Lee and Amanda standing in front of the theater box office.)
Amanda: I saw my first Truffaut film here.
Lee: Well, I wonder if “Leather Kittens” is, uh, Bergman or Truffaut?
[rofl!!!!! I love that Amanda looks.. uncomfortable, but there is no more of that “I told you about the Lonely Hearts Patrol, didn’t I?” from Lee. –remember that?!- She may not be comfortable but she knows it exists, and he isn’t talking down to her about it either.]
Sparkman: Come on in. He wants to have a look…

…If he likes what he sees, he’ll talk. He said I can tell you his name’s Darrell Perry.
(Sparkman leads Lee and Amanda around to the side of the building. We see Williamson sitting in his car, staring no.. glaring after them.)
[ This guy is the master of the evil squint! Muahahaha. One eye is all he needs to do it!]

(Sparkman, Lee and Amanda enter the darkened theater .)
[LOL why is someone in there reading the newspaper?! haa ]

Sparkman: Listen, why don’t you have a seat, enjoy the film. I’ll be right back.
{Lee and Amanda stand in the side aisle and speak sotto voce to each other.}
Lee: We’re going to have to handle this guy Perry very carefully. He’s been underground for fourteen years so we’re going to have to win his confidence.
(Lee and Amanda watch Sparkman approach Perry)(Shifts back to Lee and Amanda.)
Lee gets a little distracted when he catches sight of the film.
Amanda slaps him in the stomach!

[Well he did warn her has a healthy sex drive. But isn’t this kind of situation prime SMK guys?! I mean it’s all implied, a bit cheeky and all within character. I wonder if this was in the script and if it differed. Anyone care to look? If so, please share what you find?]

Lee gives Amanda a glare. Alright alright!
Lee: All right. Let’s get him out of here, okay? You get him back to Sparkman’s office.
[the images are not the greatest, but with the low lighting it’s the best I can do]
Amanda: Thank you very much.
Amanda gives the screen a quick glance. So does Lee..

tee hee… she really reeeeeaaally wants to get out of there!
[Cue the cheesy porno music.]
(Movie dialog:)
Woman: Oh, yes.
Man: Welding?
[Oh my. I cannot watch this scene without getting the giggles!! how about you?! Welding! ]
(Sparkman approaches. He returns to Lee and Amanda.)

Sparkman: He just has a changeover to make. He’ll be right out. If you need me, you know where to find me, right?
Lee: Right.
{Williamson comes into the theater. He throws a grenade in the projection room.
It explodes into fire. People yelling “Let’s get out of here.” We see Lee and Amanda on the floor, Lee shielding and holding Amanda.}
Lee directs Amanda to leave and call the fire dept, then the agency. Amanda heads off to do that, while Lee approaches the back room. He finds Darrell Perry dead.

[Uh oh. Well you guys have done it now. I mean you led Williamson straight to him! They don’t seem to be good at noticing when they are being followed lol. I guess if Lee and Amanda were there, it can place even more suspicion on them now. double uh oh. No idea if that’s what comes to pass or what. I don’t watch ahead when writing up blog posts. which lol is probably glaringly obvious to you guys given some of the dumb stuff I say haaaaa! ]

Soooo anyone got any thoughts they’d like to share? I heard about this little moment in the theatre long before I ever actually got to see it – and it totally lived up to the hype!! Top shelf SMK!!!