4/7 Season Four: Episode Eleven- Santa’s Got a Brand New Bag–Scarecrow & Mrs King

(Back to the Agency. In Billy’s office, where Billy is apparently wearing his cranky pants.)
Billy: (angry – they are obviously in mid-fight) It obviously began in the Christmas tree. It happens every year.
Lee: (pacing) Bernie almost bought it with smoke inhalation. Now he’s not laid up in the hospital because he’s careless.
Billy: Look Lee, Christmas lights are fragile at best.
Lee: Yes
Billy: The insulation breaks down easily. One of the lights goes off. The fumes overcome Bernie. He falls off the ladder and he bangs his head.
[and Bernie burny! Rofl. the way Billy describes it, Christmas is a very dangerous season ahem. No wonder Lee doesn’t like it much! ]
Lee: What about the flash, huh? He said he saw a bright flash just before he hit his head.
Billy: One of the bulbs went off! …
[Is it just me or is this hard to buy? Not sure if it’s in the performance here, or if this whole Lee and Billy are fighting but not really shtick has been warn out a bit. Thoughts?]
…(beat) Look, I know Jakes is your friend. But whatever it is the police can handle it.
Lee: I see what’s going on here. You think I’m trying to invent work so that I’ll duck out on the holidays, right?
Billy: You do it every year.
Lee: What do you want me to do, huh? …You want me to, uh, write a letter to Santa Claus? Paint little reindeer on my windows? I have a friend who’s in trouble out there, Billy and if you’re not going to back me up through this Agency…I’ll handle it myself.
Billy: I know you will…but all work and no play
Lee: Makes Lee a dull boy. Are you suggesting I don’t know how to enjoy myself? [lol I thought Billy believed Lee knew how to enjoy himself too well! I don’t really get Billy’s anger at Lee not being in the Christmas Spirit. So what, let him.]
Billy: Only at this time of the year!
Lee: (with a sarcastic look) Bah humbug.
[Okay this is funny! I love this line of Lee’s!!!]
(Lee storms out while Billy frowns)
[Lee is all thinly veiled rage!!! gah!!!!
{Cut to exterior aerial shot of a busy shopping area.
We cut to an exterior shot of store as Lee and Amanda emerge. Lee is carrying two large full bags, Amanda only has one light one.}
{Clagjanet: Lee looks sooooo scrumptious in a long blue winter coat}
Lee: What’s wrong with this store?
Amanda: Nothing.
Lee: You didn’t buy anything. I’m done.
Amanda: Well I know. That’s because I wanna get something special for special people.
[Lee Lee Amanda is trying to teach you something. and.. he’s oblivious!!!]
Lee: I know, I found it. Scarves for everyone. Everybody likes a scarf, everyone needs one. One size fits all.
Amanda: (mocking) And they’re already wrapped.
Lee: (oblivious to her teasing) Hmm, you can’t beat it, can you?
Amanda: Mmmhmm.
[While I think these two are adorable, I kinda think Amanda should lay off with teaching Lee the meaning of Christmas cough cough. I mean – his love language isn’t gift giving you know? It’s totally acts of service and physical touch!!!!
What do you think? I guess Amanda’s is the gifts one so maybe she’s trying to give Lee a heads up for how she likes to show her love. Aie. Maybe someone who actually knows about this stuff can you fill us all in?!]
Lee: You know the Agency is easy but to tell you the truth, I don’t know what to get Phillip or Jamie. [not scarves Lee?!]
Amanda: Aww, they aren’t expecting anything…
[Amanda! You were just telling Lee about the value of buying presents for special people!]

Lee: Well, that’s not the point… I don’t wanna go over there empty-handed. I’ve got an obligation.
Amanda: Well you shouldn’t think of it as an obligation.
Lee: Responsibility, duty…whatever you want to call it. Look, my uncle used to take me to the department store, he’d give me an option. I’d pick out what I wanted and he’d buy it for me. (beat)
…Joe’s going to be there, right?
Amanda: Right.
Lee: He’s gonna bring them stuff, right?
Amanda: Yeah.
Lee: I just don’t wanna look bad.
{{Clagjanet: Just wear that coat, Lee. Even preteen boys won’t think you look bad in that coat}}
[Yeah! they will want to BE Lee!!]
Amanda: You’re not gonna look bad.
[Actually, I kinda agree with Lee – take a little gift for the boys. great idea!]
{They walk up to a store marked “Justin’s Toys” }
[Anyone else itching to know who is Justin? The director’s kid maybe?!]
Lee: (pointing in the store window) How about that?
{Cut to a display of toys including footballs, with a toy train running in a circuit around them.}

[whooo Walter the freaky singing frog! Just what all children are missing from their lives!]
Amanda: (off camera) Sure, the boys could use a new football.
Lee: (O.C.) No, no, not the football. The trains.
Amanda: Sweetheart.
Lee: What?
Amanda: That train must cost two or three hundred dollars…we don’t buy the boys gifts that expensive! {{Clagjanet: The prop department screwed the pooch here – that was a $10 train set at most}}
[whoa that’s hilarious!]
Lee: All right, it was just an idea. I mean, both your boys are getting much too old for this kind of stupid junk.
{They walk into the toy store and up to a display of the singing frogs Bernie showed Lee.}
Amanda: What do you mean? Like Mr. Melodious Frog? They had one of these years ago. Joe brought it home from Japan.
[Joe was in Japan?]
Lee: Years ago…
Amanda: Mmm hmmm
Lee: That’s Walter the Singing Frog, Amanda.
Amanda: No, this is Mr. Melodious Frog. I mean, I guess it’s just an updated version or something. You push his beanie and he plays everything from Beethoven to the Beatles.

{She presses the beanie but nothing happens}
…Batteries not included.
[Love Amanda’s deadpan delivery here!]
Lee: Why would Titan Toys have a lab full of MIT graduates if they’re just importing toys from Japan?
[I guess Lee filled her in about Titan toys and Bernie..]
Amanda: I don’t know.
Lee: (look of sudden realization) Amanda wait a second…(getting excited) Wait a second…
Amanda: what?
Lee: (hands her his bags) Here
Amanda: Nooooooo!
Lee: I gotta make a phone call. Take these back to the Agency for me please?
Amanda: Oh please, no.
Lee: (over Amanda’s sounds of distressed protest) One more hour. One more hour and then we’ll pick up shopping where we left off. Please… (He kisses her)
…I love you.
Amanda: (very frustrated): Ooooh.
[Oh well. at least we got a kiss, and an I love you and that overcoat. Dreamy!]
{She turns to watch him go and sighs.] 
{Cut to aerial hot (different) of a shopping area. We can hear a brass instrument playing “Good King Wenceslas”

Cut to a small bandstand where T.P Aquinas is playing the tuba while a woman is playing the triangle. They are in Salvation Army uniforms. Pedestrians pass, dropping money in the kettle, Christmas greetings are exchanged.
Lee approaches}
{{Clagjanet: Yay! Still in that coat and walking like a man who knows he looks goooooood}}.
[Oh my. Lee is a sight to behold. Very Merry Christmas ]
Lee: Sounds good, T.P.
[TP? TP is there? sorry I didn’t notice.. all I saw was.. dimples and an overcoat Hallelujah!]
T.P.: (laughs) Hi Lee!
Lee: When’s intermission.
T.P.: Right now. (to woman) Let’s take five and then we’ll swing into the Bach.
{Lee walks forward as T.P. goes to stand up, still holding the tuba.}
Lee: Whoa, whoa, whoa [rofl it sounds like he says ho ho ho!] hold on. Let me help you with that. T.P.: Oh, I don’t mind if you do.
Lee: All right
T.P.: Thank you.
Lee: (puts down tuba carefully but with a groan): There you go
T.P.: Fine
{{Clagjanet:TP is wiping his mouth with a hankie – either he’s a very good actor or he was really playing that tuba and needs to wipe off the spit!}}
Lee: (sits down beside him) So, pick anything up about Titan Toys?
T.P.: Short notice, but I collected a little IOU at the SEC. A lot of highly kinetic wheeling and dealing going on.
Lee: It’s a big business…eleven million bucks plus in eighty-five.
[these numbers sound tiny these days!]
T.P.: A moderately successful old-line toy manufacturer. But, about a year ago a fellow named Maxwell Falcon began to buy it out. Since then, he’s been selling off its assets.
Lee: He’s still making toys…that strange thing that sticks to the ceiling…toy guns.
T.P.: yeah, but under license arrangements. Barely making a profit. He doesn’t own those things anymore.
Lee: He lured away about twenty new PhD’s from some very lucrative defense jobs. Top drawer prospects too.
T.P.: Mmm-hmm
Lee: That took some quick capital!
T.P.: Uh, indeed…and if he doesn’t get a payoff for all these R & D bucks pretty soon…it’s tap city. (to pedestrian) Oh thank you, sir.
Man: (off camera) Surely
Lee: And thank you T.P.
{He stands and as he starts to leave…}
T.P.: Oh Scarecrow?
Lee: yeah?
T.P.: Haven’t you forgotten something?
{T.P. shifts his gaze to the donation bucket.}
Lee: Hmm? Oh yeah.
{Lee digs in his pocket, holds up a $20 bill

and adds to the pot and walks away with a wave.}
{{Clagjanet: Female editor/cinematographer for sure because the shot stays on Lee and The Coat walking away for longer than usual}}
[I’m pretty sure there was some useful information in there somewhere, but again – All I see is dimples and a dreamy overcoat!.. hmm I think I need to just replay this part again with my eyes closed…]
Everyone with me??   or has everyone drifted off to their happy place? Merry Christmas all.