Moving on we head back to the Marina.
TP continues to pile on the charm and loyalty with Peralta! 
Peralta outlines for TP what Jordan will be wanting in a meet location – seems it’s TP’s job to find a shortlist of six, and then Jordan will choose..
Peralta: …They all have to have a thousand-yard landing strip for a twin engine plane, or an open field with that kind of a run, fifteen miles from the city, with a vacant house.
Moving on to the Q bureau..
Francine: Lee? 
Amanda: Downstairs in the bullpen, I think, Francine.
(Francine joins Amanda. Finding her on her own, she closes the door.)
Francine: (bracing herself) Amanda.
Amanda: Uh huh?
Francine: I hope you don’t think I’m being nosy but I couldn’t help overhearing you and Lee when I was in the vault. 
Amanda: Ahh. 
Francine: Well, let’s just say that I know you and he have become a little more than friends… 
(off Amanda’s look)
…Amanda, we’ve had our differences in the past but in matters of the heart, where Lee Stetson is involved, you and I, we’re soul mates.
[Hang on. I’m distracted by these shoulder pads – this seems to be the battle of the shoulder pads here! who wins? Francine?? or Amanda??!!! My goodness they are all massive!
Sorry…distraction! what was that about soul mates?]
Amanda: Uh huh. 
[I’m with Amanda. What the heck-soul mates??!!! Oh Francine stop!!]
Francine: Do you love him?
Amanda: Well, I guess there’s no sense in trying to hide it. 
Francine: I was afraid of this… 
…Amanda, Lee is a sweet man and, in his own way,.. 
…pleasantly attractive… [Oh my gosh. Francine’s delivery here is really funny!!!] …and he’s charming…
… But, this getting romantically involved with him, it’s a big mistake…
…I have reason to know that in his heart, he is a confirmed bachelor 
[I don’t know how Amanda keeps a straight face here! She does really well!]
…who is never satisfied with just an hors d’oeuvre; he has to have the whole buffet table! 
[Whahahahaaaa!!! The man is insaaaatiable!!!!!! haaaaa.. Okay Amanda has had enough!]
Amanda: Oh Francine… (Amanda lets out a massive sigh!) …Maybe’s he’s changed.
Francine: That is exactly what I said and he dumped me like a truckload of coals… 
[You know as funny as I find Francine here, I feel for her. I think she is, in her own special way, trying to be of help here. Sadly, Lee probably didn’t treat her right! Then again, she knew what she was getting into. Had Amanda started up with Lee years ago – I’d say the same to Amanda but the changes she has seen in Lee have stood the test of time- I can’t wait to hear what you all make of this scene!]
…Amanda, trust me, the next thing you’re going to you hear out of Lee Stetson’s mouth is going to be ‘hasta la vista, kiddo’
Lee: (opening the door) Hasta la vista to you too, Francine.
[Whoa. Terminator 2 totally stole that line!] 
[Poor Francine, this is kinda humiliating!!!
Amanda did say she wanted to talk with Francine later – what was that all about?!]
(Anyway, Francine grabs her files and leaves quickly.)
[Smart decision!]
(Lee closes the door)
Lee: Oooh, such a guilty look.
Amanda: Mm-hmm.
Lee: She really unloaded on me, huh?
Amanda: Well, I wouldn’t say she really unloaded… but she did a pretty good job.
[I love how Amanda just brushes it off. Francine is not important to her. Whatevs!]
{They laugh as Amanda opens a map.}
Amanda: TP called with Jordan’s list of requirements for the meeting places. Now there are a couple of places that we can be as close as a hundred yards, but once we make our move, TP’s on the spot until we cover the distance. 
Lee: He knows. It’s how he wants it. Until we’ve got Jordan in a chokehold, TP is calling the shots.
(On to TP, he’s preparing for the big meet!
We find him at a small shed. Inside there are a number of mannequins.. TP outside, carries a few coats. 
Hanging one up outside he heads inside and talks to the mannequins. Aie. I’m starting to worry about his sanity. lol. 
Inside, he puts a coat on one of the mannequins as he speaks, the coat with loads of wires inside.. 
TP: Now then, now gentlemen, it is my belief that the current problem before us can be solved with haste and efficiency by a unanimous vote of support for the five-page outline which I have placed in the file folders before you. You see? 
[Umm why is there 4 mannequins?]
TP leaves the shed, collects the coat left outside and walks a distance away. Then, he turns, presses a key fob and the shed explodes.
Big boom boom.
TP looks pretty pleased with himself!)
[Okey dokey. So this is how TP wants this meeting to go down –or maybe I should say go up! huh… ]
(Moving on, we find Lee and Amanda in a bookstore. Lee voices doubts about working with a non professional, but they don’t have much choice. TP meets them there. Amanda hands over a file with information on eight different meet locations. TP wishes he knew which one Jordan would pick. 
Lee and Amanda give it one more try in trying to get TP to back off and let the agency handle it. [Yeah nice try. TP is fully committed.]
Lee (to TP): …the minute you find out when and where this is going down, I want you to give us a call, okay? I want to this place so well covered, you won’t be able to kick a rock without uncovering an agent. 
TP: Alright. Oh, Mrs. King, if you’re a fan of sixteenth century morality plays, why don’t you sink your teeth into that. It’s paid for. 
{He hands her a copy of a book, the cover is embossed in gothic lettering ‘Everyman”.}
As TP leaves Amanda says: You be careful!
[With a close up like that this book seems significant.. but I honestly have no idea why. lol.]
(We follow TP out of the shop, as he walks along he noticed he’s being followed by a dude in a grey suit.
TP crosses the road. Heck, lucky for TP he’s being followed by a dude who doesn’t actually know how to cross a road successfully! It takes him a number of goes.. haaaaaaa..
TP manages to lose his tail, turns a corner and bulldozes straight into a lady randomly carrying a bunch of reeeeaally light packages. lol. TP is very nice to her, helps her with the packages. And helps her back up off the ground. Doing so, she held his little man purse there for a minute, then she handed it back. 
Then, off he went.. and.. Uh oh Dr Smyth is on the case!!!!!)
Smyth (into walkie talkie): Huntsmaster to Bloodhound One. Mr. Aquinas believes he’s given you the slip, Campanella. You may go back to the lodge.
{This lady (named Mrs Peever) watches TP leave, then joins Dr. Smyth.} 
Smyth: Well, Mrs. Peever, you make a dandy fairy godmother. 
Peever: Thank you! 
Smyth: According to our sensors, Mr. Aquinas now has enough spydust on him to light up a fluorescent tube.
Peever: Oh, but Dr. Smyth. He seems so harmless. 
Smyth: (disappointed) And I had such high hopes for you, Peever. 
[Oh haaaaa!!!! Now that is hilarious!!!!]
(Dr Smyth walks off in disgust. haaaaa)
There is no worse quality to Dr Smyth than having a bleeding heart!
Time to pause…
Any thoughts or insights all? I cant wait to hear what you make of Francine so far!
"Just walk with me.." 
I love that bookstore! Those old fashioned shelves!
I will never understand the obsession with shoulder pads in the 1980s. Then again I feel like most of hair and fashion between 1960 and 1990 needs to be filed under “Forgotten” LOL
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I’ve always wondered if Lee dumped Francine because of how unpleasant she could be. We know his early taste in women didn’t put emphasis on brains but I can’t see him putting up with someone as difficult as she could be for long.
I don’t think Francine is actually concerned about Amanda persay but I don’t think she’s necessary had feelings for Lee all these years either. I wonder if this isn’t more of her old jealousy of Amanda. It’s yet one more reminder that the “Housewife” has succeeded in what she couldn’t do, get the lifelong bachelor Lee Stetson to settle down. I bet if it were any other woman Francine wouldn’t be raising this much of a stink.
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But was Francine ever “unpleasant” to Lee personally? To Amanda – yes, no question. Francine has been catty, condescending and dismissive toward Amanda. But not to Lee. I really can’t think of any examples of that, other than situations that involved Amanda, and she didn’t come on the scene until well after Francine and Lee would have “dated.” Am I forgetting something?
I also think that if we are honest, if were were to add up all the times that Lee was rude, dismissive or downright mean to Amanda – think of Seasons 1 and 2, but even sometimes in Season 3 – he would come out worse than Francine in that regard. If we are looking back to the past, which we must, if we are talking about the time when Lee and Francine would have “dated” — I see nothing to suggest that Francine was any more of an unpleasant person than young, brash, Lee was. Yet the writers of this show seem to delight in portraying her as an unrelenting “witch,” whereas Lee was “difficult” or “immature” but now he gets to be redeemed through his relationship with Amanda. I think there is a double standard at play here.
I would also suggest that “jealous” is not the right adjective for describing how Francine feels toward Amanda. Jealously implies that Francine wishes she could have what Amanda has, and I don’t think that she does. Amanda’s suburban lifestyle is everything that Francine emphatically does not want for herself (at least, we have not seen any indication otherwise at this point). “Resentful” is a better word. Francine has often resented the fact that Amanda, who started as a part-time civilian and even now is still a very junior agent, keeps getting awarded plum assignments – the kinds of assignments that she, Francine, trained hard for years and years to be able to do herself. That resentment is fully justified, in my opinion, but it should be directed toward her employer, not toward Amanda personally. Unfortunately, Francine sometimes seems to forget that. But as to whether her professional resentments would translate into “jealousy” over Amanda’s romantic relationship with Lee – no, I do not see that. Francine’s problem with Amanda is about her professional status, not about their personal lives.
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I don’t know if I recall anything specifically directed at Lee but given some of Lee and Billy’s comments, it sounds like they are both fully aware of how unpleasant she can be at times. I do seem to recall a couple times where she gets sarcastic in general — not towards anyone specific — and either Billy or Lee remarks “Not now,” or something like that. I’ve always taken her as one of those people who tries so hard to get ahead and prove herself that in some ways it’s hardened her personally and in how she deals with people.
Good point — maybe jealousy is the wrong word. But I think she does resent Amanda’s rapport with Lee because in a sense Amanda has taken her place and actually surpassed it. She made some really pointed comments on Playing For Keeps. It made me wonder if this felt like just one more place where Amanda has replaced her. She has replaced Francine in regards to professional assignments, she has replaced Francine as the closest thing Lee had to a partner, and now she has basically replaced her romantically. And she’s also really “shown Francine up” or done better than her in most respects — Amanda has done WAY better despite her inexperience than Francine at the same level, Lee has accepted her as a partner and he’s actually willing to settle down and commit.
I could be wrong though.
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Oh, goodness – none of us knows what is “right” or “wrong” about these characters’ motivations, we can only speculate! I love hearing your perspective, and everyone else’s. Certainly they have helped my own feelings about the characters to evolve. At the same time, I have created a universe in my head that answers the questions that the show itself never did, and while I continue to refine those ideas, my feelings about Francine happen to be quite firm.
So just a couple things with regard to what you wrote:
Lee and Billy have suggested that Francine is often “unpleasant.” Well, so are Lee and Billy. Lee, especially younger Lee, is/was often impetuous, quick-tempered and rude. Billy is prone to losing his temper and yelling. I don’t think either of them are any better than Francine in this regard (not Lee, anyway). She is assertive and opinionated. So are they. It doesn’t make her less deserving of their respect.
It truly has never occurred to me that Amanda has “replaced” Francine or been more successful than her. Interesting! I always thought of their roles at work as being very different, and not in competition. Francine is Billy’s assistant and second-in-command on the administrative hierarchy. Her role is more administrative than field-based these days, and it was like that all the way back to when Amanda first started. While Francine has worked with Lee in the field on past occasions, I never thought they were ever partners, or close to it, and with a few possible exceptions, I never thought Amanda was taking away assignments that would otherwise have gone to Francine. Her career just took a different trajectory than Lee’s. So we just have totally different views on that!
That said, I think you are on to something very important with regard to Amanda taking a place in Lee’s life that Francine used to occupy, and that is the role of close friend. I suspect that as Lee has become closer to Amanda, his friendship with Francine has taken more of a backseat, and maybe she is regretful and a little bit hurt by that. Again, I’m taking about her as his friend – not as his romantic partner. I don’t think Francine is jealous of Amanda romantically, at all. I think she misses her friend.
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Agreed, with fiction there is no right or wrong way to watch it, and we are free to experience the show however we like, assuming some view points will vary from time to time… its part of the fun!
interesting thoughts- sounds like we have some varying views on Francine between us…
sorry to be brief [I temporarily am down a hand lol glad I had already written these blog posts!]
Francine hurt? yeah I can buy into that being part of this…
I think Francine cant compute Amanda nabbing a man Francine could not- even if she actually doesn’t really want him! lol!
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Interesting discussion! Thanks for sharing your thoughts Molly, I think I’m still confused – and am holding off saying more for now till more events related to this unfold further into this ep… but I’ll try to come back to these ideas soon!
Really briefly, I dont mind labelling Francine as experience as jealousy! but -It’s one of many things going on her for her, I think she’s experiencing multiple, and even contradictory thoughts and feelings here.. all jumbled up, which is why I need to wait as things unfold…
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Okay, well, I guess I’ll be the one to start with the Francine-Amanda scene. What I have to say may very well provoke disagreement, which is totally great – I would love to hear how others feel.
I detest this episode’s subplot with Francine. I think it is degrading to every one of the three characters involved. As this scene is mostly about Francine, I’ll start with her.
So, it seems we are now to believe that Francine has been nursing hurt feelings for years and years because Lee unceremoniously dumped her an intimate relationship of indeterminate length that occurred long ago. This affair, fling, whatever you want to call it, was just a casual dalliance for Lee (or so Francine believes), but it was meaningful to Francine, because Lee Stetson is just so…charming, irresistible and amazing? She fell in love with him, and then he went and broke her heart.
Please. Why are we only learning about this now, after three and a half years? Keep in mind, until now, the ONLY hint we have that she and Lee might even have been intimately involved was in Remembrance of Things Past, where Lee teasingly (or jokingly) remarked that “Francine and I haven’t played backgammon in years.” Since that episode – nothing. We have also never really seen anything to suggest that Lee is even Francine’s “type.” She has always seemed to gravitate toward older, wealthier, more sophisticated and/or more powerful men. Lee, in contrast, seems more like a brother to her. They bicker, they tease one another, but in the end they are always there for each other. Now we learn that she thinks of herself as his scorned lover. Ugh.
We are also to believe that Francine was, and is still today, so affected by Lee’s breaking up with her (now many years after the fact), she cannot fathom that he could possibly be in a serious relationship with any woman, and certainly not a woman whom she considers to be less glamorous than herself. This attitude reflects very poorly on her. Isn’t it terribly self-centered? Because he didn’t want to be with her romantically, she believes Lee is so shallow and so emotionally stunted as to be incapable of ever actually falling in love and having a committed, long-term relationship? Lee is her close friend, and Francine is a highly capable agent trained in observation. Does she really not know him well enough to realize that the anguish he so obviously felt during Amanda’s kidnapping in Night Crawler was far, far more serious than it would have been, had Amanda been just his partner and work friend?
No, considering how closely Lee and Francine worked together on that case to save Amanda, I think it is utterly implausible that she would not have realized then how much he loves her. Heck, even some random guy in Crypto could tell they were in love.
I have always loved and admired the character of Francine, flawed human being that she is. A huge part of what makes her such a special character is that she functions so confidently in what is overwhelmingly still a “man’s world” kind of job. And unlike so many women around her (the steno pool, etc.), she was never one to fall under the “Lee Stetson spell.” She was never starry-eyed around him – quite the opposite, in fact. She liked to tease him for his past romantic exploits with circus performers, ballerinas, etc. She has always behaved as his friend and equal.
Importantly, Francine, like Lee, has in the past engaged in her own share of casual sexual relationships. (By “casual,” I simply mean outside the bounds of a serious, long-term relationship). I recognize and respect that some people do not consider this to be a positive trait, but I am speaking for myself here. For me, the fact that she seemed to approach dating/sex in a similar way to the younger Lee and other men she works with, was and always has been part of the “confidence” package that made her special, especially for the time period of this show. She shows us that women are as capable as men as having fun sexual experiences without being scarred or “punished” by attenuating emotional baggage forever and ever.
That’s how I always assumed her fling with Lee had been – something fun that occurred long in the past, quite possibly before they even worked together in their current positions at the Agency, like at a training camp or something. And actually, the longer the show went on without ever referring to a past relationship ever again, I had come to believe it very possible that Lee was joking with that “backgammon” line – as in, maybe they were on some assignment a long time ago when they got into playing board games. He gave her this teasing little smile that made me think, he could be pointing out that changing “bed” to “backgammon” makes it sound like “you and I were sleeping together back then, ha ha.” But whatever, it turns out that was wrong.
Francine has her demons and vulnerabilities, to be sure, but the idea that rejection by Lee Stetson is one of them is just…too much, for me. Giving him that kind of emotional power over her ruins their status as “equals.” It is terribly disappointing.
So anyway, that’s how I react to this scene with regard to Francine – it is out of character for her personality and makes her seem unobservant to the point of stupidity. I’ll save my thoughts about what this subplot says about Lee and Amanda for later (spoiler alert: nothing good!).
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So, Much, This!!!
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In the style of clagjanet: Right, On, The, Money.
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Bravo peacockdancer! This has always been my take on Francine personally and on her relationship with Lee. I vaguely remember watching this episode when it first came out, decided that it really didn’t happen and that my interpretation was the correct one. In fact I went used some brain bleach and pretend this whole thread was somebody’s bad fanfiction😄.
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While I never read Francine as being romantically jealous, your analysis adds a really interesting dimension to the scene.
And given Night crawler, I agree, Francine had to know this was different. Even though he was always more “emotional” where Amanda was concerned, Night Crawler was next level.
Now, if this episode was before Night Crawler – earlier in their relationship – maybe Francine’s reaction would make more sense. And it aligns a bit with their freezer discussion in FFFT.
What is less clear to me is whether Francine wanted to be in the field or not. Early on, she was (Understandably) frustrated that Amanda was given these assignments. So while I don’t see Francine as nursing any romantic hurts, I do think Amanda replaced her as one of Lee’s closest friends and I can see where that is hard.
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Amanda’s yes, but Francine’s massive earrings are in sharp contention with her shoulder pads!
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Everyman is a Christian allegory and, as such, religion is one of the central themes. The premise of the play presupposes the existence of God, Heaven and sin. Everyman is a Christian, who learns an important lesson in the course of the play: that the only things that matter in the end are his “good deeds,” not his material possessions or earthly wealth.
“Good Deeds” was the title of an earlier one-act morality play.
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