6/7 Season Four, Episode Nine: The Man Who Died Twice–Scarecrow & Mrs King

We find Amanda and Francine in Chinatown. Amanda leads Francine to that shop with the Rhino horn. Oh please let the purveyor offer her some haaaa.
(They enter and Amanda greets the purveyor.)
Amanda: Sorry to bother you again.
Purveyor: No bother. Something for you?
{Amanda produces the picture of Kim and shows it.}
[Missed opportunity here. He could have said: Ah! you’ve changed your mind and returned to buy rhino horn for the marriage bed?!]
Amanda: Well, I wonder if you could take a look at this picture. That’s Khai’s son, Kim. He’s seven years old. He’s probably lonely and wishes he were at home.
{The purveyor studies the picture with a half-smile on his face.}
Purveyor: All children should be at home, be safe, be happy…
… Hexagram thirteen — ‘community in the open brings progress’.
{He bows and leaves them.}
Francine: Great. That and a road map we can probably get lost…
Amanda:  ‘Community in the open’…

(Amanda seems to figure something out.. )
…Come on Francine.
(They leave and head to the Vietnamese mission.
We see Amanda and Francine are meeting with Lien. Francine appears to be taking off gloves.) 

Lien: I don’t find any ‘public instruction waivers’. Why is the Board of Education so concerned with us? We are a cultural mission. We have only a few children. I teach them.
[Is it just me or is her acting… really terrible?!]
Amanda: The Board is very strict about home instruction.
[So strict, it requires Amanda to remove her heart necklace and put back on the crucifix necklace!!! whooooo]
Francine: (reading from a manual) ‘Tutoring in an unapproved facility is a violation of regulation four- four-nine-nine, defined in statute ten- seven- six… (Puts down manual)
…A copy of which is available at your Government Printing Office at no extra charge.
(Diem enters)
Amanda: Perhaps if we could interview the children; we could clear this mess up.
Lien: It’s not possible. None of the children speak English.
Amanda: Well maybe you could translate for us.
Diem: The children are supposed to be in class. I do not wish to disturb them any further.
[that’s kind of hard when the person who says she is teaching them is standing right there in the room?]

{Amanda and Francine watch as he walks to the cabinet and shuts the door, checking to see if they could see inside it, then locking it.}
Diem: I would prefer any ‘official’ discussion about this mission be conducted through your State Department.
Amanda: Yes well, Mr. Diem, is it? If this mission had diplomatic status, well, we wouldn’t even be here. But, it doesn’t. And we are.
[oh! then what was Dr Smyth on about??!!]
(Diem rolls his eyes.)

(Francine threatens to order sending the children to public school, or to bring in lots of social workers, legal proceedings and basically harass/annoy the daylights out of him.)
[After all, education is very important!]
(Diem sends off Lien in Vietnamese and continues to try and present a pleasant front to these pesky do gooders!
Diem says they have six students, and the teacher is going to bring them in so they can meet them. 

Lien returns with six children, looks like none of them is Kim. Hmm…) 
{They bow, as Amanda and Francine smile at them and bow back. Amanda and Francine exchange a look.} whoooooo

Back at the agency.
Billy: Word on the street is that the Vietnamese still wants to make a trade… Khai for his son. Personally, I think they’re just testing the waters to see if Khai’s still alive and if we’ve got him.
Amanda: Well, we know Kim’s at the Vietnamese mission. [umm how do you know that for sure? you didn’t see him? me confused. As usual haaaaaa..]
Billy: Okay… let’s talk options. I think it’s time for Dr. Smyth to be in the picture.
Francine: Oh no… You know what that means… a full-blown search and destroy mission with Dr. Smyth himself on the bullhorn.
(Here comes  Dr. Smyth and his bullhorn.)
Dr. Smyth: My favourite position, Desmond.
[busted people!]
{Cut to Dr. Smyth in the doorway. He closes the door, scrutinizes the group with a steely look, puffs happily on his cigarette.}
… Oh, should I have knocked…? Congratulations are in order. I understand Khai is alive and in our hands… finally.
Billy: He’s with Scarecrow at a safe house.
Dr. Smyth: Corpus delecti, eh? Well, I’m satisfied everything he gave us is good, so I’m shooting a green light to the posse. ‘Kay?
{Ruth adds: “Corpus delecti” is a law term meaning the concrete evidence of a crime, such as a corpse.}
Amanda: What about Khai’s son?
[Such a heartfelt question requires the heart necklace – and… it’s back for the occasion!]
Dr. Smyth: It’s an unfortunate situation… Look, I’m as fond of children as the next fellow.
[I love how Amanda doesn’t even attempt to hide her horror at Dr Smyth here!]
…At holiday dinners, of course…preferably at a separate table… [rofl. I have to keep all Dr Smyth dialogue in this post! I love to loathe him!!!] …I don’t want this man Khai to lose his son for us. (gestures at map) …When’s all the hoopla start downtown?
Billy: They’re already lining the parade route… I figure they’ll save the action for the Chinese General Secretary at noon.
Dr. Smyth: Well, lad-a-day, what a snag. Okay, then. By the numbers. One… we move on the Viets at eleven… Two… that’s up to you fine people… You’ve got an hour. I love a parade, don’t you?
[Dr Smyth is delightfully horrible! I bet he also loves the smell of explosives.. in the morning..]

Billy, Francine and Amanda react wordlessly once Dr Smyth leaves.. 
[sooooo the deadline for saving Khai’s son is an hour.. no thanks to the agency! I guess at least Dr Smyth didn’t tell them not to save Khai’s son.. but.. isn’t willing to help either..

Now is a good time to pause before we head off to the parade, but you know what? I don’t want another post with no Lee! gah!!! tee hee… soooo let’s keep going a little longer before I finish up this post.]

(We move on to stock footage of a parade- with a Chinese dragon and vintage cars. [LOL I don’t think we are supposed to look too closely!]
Lots of close ups on children!

gah!!! They are in danger!!!)

Next, we see the corvette drive slowly past the  Vietnamese Mission. Inside the mission, we see Amanda and Francine being accompanied along the outdoor colonnade by military guards into the mission.

[given this is a ‘mission in a mission’ this calls for the crucifix necklace to make a return!]
(We see Khai and Lee hiding in the bushes outside the fence watching.
Khai: Diem’s men. We won’t get past them.
Lee: We can if Amanda and Francine work their cover. Come on.
(They move on stealthily..)

(Next, we cut to the patio area of the Mission. Amanda and Francine are rushed into the building past a row of seven boys holding various bits of sports equipment while being lectured in Vietnamese by Lien.)
[Seven!!! Not six!!!!!]

{We get a close up on Kim as Francine looks back.
Lien claps her hands and the boys head to another entrance.}
[I wonder if that sighting was originally planned to be earlier, as Francine saw him, and then Lien brought in only six children to show them. That’s how they knew Kim was definitely at the mission. Not sure why they switched it around weird!]
(Next, we cut to Lee and Khai hiding outside the staff only entrance to the Mission.

Lee’s lookin good.. and.. here’s a good place to pause I think! I think I’ll pause here.. with Lee lookin good… can’t wait to hear your thoughts!