Hi Everyone! All set to walk through another SMK episode together?! Here we go!!!!
Thanks so so much to Sara for transcribing this episode – for JWWM, but also for Operation Sandstorm.
We salute you Sara!!!
Formatting reminder as we get started:
Sara’s descriptions are in this format- {xxx}.
Sara’s comments are in this format- {{SARA: xxx}}.
My descriptions are in this format- xxx or (xxx).
My comments are in this format- [xxx].
Whoo hoo!!! Now is a good time, for some bad timing haaaa..
{Opening scenes of the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and the Capital. Next, a view of a DC street circle, and a park with an equestrian statue in the background.}
{{SARA: My best guess is that it’s General Phillip Sheridan and that’s Sheridan Circle.}} 
[Whooooo anyone else able to speak to this?]
A close-up view of a gate with a sign..
The gate is guarded. 
Inside, there’s a meeting going on.
{On the screen, a magnified image of some bacteria.}
Man (Doneck): PD-2 is a genetically altered form of the bacterium that causes pneumonic plague. 
[He says as the bacterium is projected onto his mouth- ewwwwww. To this day, I can’t watch this scene without wanting to wipe my face.]
Doneck steps away from the front of the room, the camera pans to show others in the room. We see that he uses a cane and walks with a limp between all the seated men. 
[whoooo did Lee Stetson give him that limp?! whahahaa. and no I don’t remember anything about this ep’s baddies! which based on my comment could be really obvious haaaa.]
Doneck: Once introduced to our host, it matures in 48 hours and then remains contagious for another 72 without any physical manifestations. 
[I’ve gotta say, this whole premise takes on a new edge when watched in the times of Covid19]
{New slide of bacterium appears close up on the screen.} 
Doneck (off screen): Death to the carrier is certain soon thereafter….
{Camera returns to Doneck and others in the room, then to a new slide on the screen of a graph.}
…The bio-dissemination curve and contagion profile reflect the lethal potency of PD-2…
(Doneck sits in a chair next to the dude operating the slide show with great flair!)
…Estimated kill is limited only by extent of exposure… 
[Whoooo a scary looking bio-dissemination curve which isn’t actually a curve!]
…However, with such a situation as this, I am less concerned with numbers than with individuals…
(Cue the scary music)
…Which is why I have so carefully chosen the subject for this particular field test.
[Oh my, the suspense builds.. just who could this individual be???!!! Rofl.. this is all so over the top it’s really quite droll!] 
Doneck gestures to another man at the meeting who is controlling the slide projector. 
He clicks for the next slide and Lee’s picture comes up on the screen. In the image, Lee is holding a newspaper, glancing over the top of it. 
The camera zooms in for a closer shot of Lee.
{{SARA:Oh, does Lee look GOOD! The words on the back of the newspaper, ‘Besser leben’ translate to “Live Better.” Interesting choice.}}
[These Russians are pretty good, getting hold of an image of Lee while he was in Germany like that. And so polite of them to choose Lee with his (in my view) peak Lee Stetson look! Which, lol, I was only opining on last episode!!!
This is the best slide show ever. Lee’s looking so good!!! Oh wait, no hang on, this is an I want to kill Lee Stetson slide show. This slide show is bad!!! really really bad!!!!
But.. well here’s one more image of the close up on it, before we move on.. ahem. iwsod reaches for the smelling salts!!]
The scene ends there, and we transition to a restaurant exterior shot.. 
Lee: (Off camera) Anyway, the axle finally blew somewhere between Jidda and Medina… 
(Inside we are treated to quite a Loooong view of a fancy shmancy restaurant full of patrons while Lee talks.. Soft music is playing.. and candles! whooooo smk code for – romance!!)
Lee: (Off camera)…and there we were, surrounded by a band of Bedouin pirates who thought we’d be a big deal in the local slave trading bazaar.
(Lee laughs.)
Amanda: (Off camera) Is this the truth?
Lee: (off camera) Is this the truth?
Amanda:(Off camera) Mm-hmm.
Lee: (Off camera) My word of honor, I swear.
Amanda: (Off camera) Hmm. 
(Lee and Amanda come into view. He’s holding her hand at the table.) 
Lee: Listen to this. Luckily, Dave Sax was packing a copy of Nature Life. It’s his favorite Scandinavian nudist colony mag… I’m telling you. What can I say? The guy is weird… 
(Amanda looks sceptical!)
[Oh my this is hilarious!!! ‘Nature Life’ Magazine??!!! whahahaahaaha I like how it’s the guy’s favourite. I mean how many nudist colony mags are there in the world?! Err don’t answer that!]
…But believe it or not, we traded it for two camels, 
an old Mauser and three day’s worth of dried sheep stomach.
(Lee finishes his story with a chuckle..) 
{Amanda makes a face and shakes her head.} 
Lee: Wh— You’re not buying any of this, are you?
Amanda: Not very much of it. 
[which bit Amanda?! Nature life?! the stomach?!]
Lee: All right, all right. Enough of my convoluted stories. What do you say we…uh… 
(Lee shifts gears into sexy mode! grrr. Lee moves straight from dried sheep stomach to sexy times. I’m impressed haaaa)
{Cut to a close up of Lee holding Amanda’s hand, which shows her engagement ring.} 
Lee:…just go back to my place and um have some dessert, huh?
[Ohhhh hang on.. now this episode is coming back to me.. without giving anything away I’ll just say that I now remember this episode would often spur the whole did they/didn’t they debate in smk fandom! haaaa]
Amanda: It’s awful late. We have to be at work early. 
Lee: I know, I know.
Amanda: What are we going to do? 
Lee: The same thing we always do…
…Go home alone. Again. 
{Cut to Lee holding Amanda’s hand and tapping her ring with his finger.}
[Ohhhh the longing!!!!] 
Lee: But only for one more week.
Amanda: Alright. I’ll give you a lift.
Lee: No, no, no. Um, listen. I’m only a couple of blocks away. Uh, I think I’ll take a walk. I need to do some thinking. Hmm? 
{Cut to Amanda looking a little disappointed.} 
(The scene ends there on a bit of a sombre note.)
[So, one more week and they won’t go home alone? They will be married? Not sure I understand how this mystery marriage is supposed to work. Especially when there they are in this super romantic restaurant all lovey dovey for anyone to see..]
Next thing, we see Lee walking along the street…
{two men jump out from behind it. They grab Lee. They fight. 
A third guy joins in with a punch to the guts.
Subdued Doneck appears behind Lee.
Lee is lowered to the ground.
Another man injects him with the syringe.}
needle phobia? Look away!!! gah!!!
Doneck stands over them all watching on as his evil plan unfolds. Muahahahaahaaa.
The three men… {appear to be checking his pockets. One of them takes his wallet. The headlights of an oncoming vehicle approach.}
Doneck: Come!
The baddies flee. {The vehicle blows its horn a few times and pulls over to where Lee lies on the sidewalk. 
It’s Amanda. Further down the sidewalk, we see Doneck limping away quickly.}
Amanda: LEEEEEE!
[I swear they have a recording of that which they pull out whenever needed. rofl!]
{Amanda gets out of the car and runs over to where he is. Lee gets up slowly, holding the back of his neck. Groaning a bit.}
Amanda: Are you alright?
{Lee groans again. She helps him sit up a little.} 
Amanda: Oh my gosh!
Lee: They came out of nowhere. I don’t know…
{He checks his pockets.}
(Lee is a little out of it)
Lee: They got my wallet. They got—
Amanda: Alright, we got to get you to the hospital. 
Lee: No, I don’t want…I don’t…Amanda, I don’t need to go to a hospital.
Amanda: You got a bump on your head. You might have a concussion.
Lee: No, I don’t want to go to a hospital. I don’t like doctors, okay? [Especially after the whole The Eyes have It plot! Ohhh and the whole If Thoughts Could Kill plot!!! gah!!!] 
[Lee is as grumpy and belligerent as he always is when not well haaaa]
(He groans and leans toward her.)
Amanda: You alright?
Lee: I will take a ride home, though.
Amanda: Yeah, okay.
{Lee groans. She helps him get up and guides him toward the car.}
[Sooooo what was the timing?
Doneck: “matures in 48 hours and then remains contagious for another 72 without any physical manifestations….Death to the carrier is certain soon thereafter….”
Hmm sounds specific but is really actually quite vague! I guess we at least know that he will be contagious in 48 hrs..]
The next day, and it’s on to the agency..
Lee and Francine are talking as they walk along the hallway.
Francine: Well, that’s a pretty impressive list. 
Francine: Merchants from Paris, Agrei from Istanbul. Duktor from Berlin, Brossin from D.C.
Lee: Some of the best people in counterintelligence. It’s really exciting having them under the same roof.
[This episode is crazy to watch in Covid times!!! Lee is being set up to be basically a super spreading bioweapon and take out all the best people in counterintelligence??!!!! All under the same roof.. gah! I had to google pneumonic plague and learn a little more about it. my curiosity got the better of me…I’m curious to see how all this plays out.]
{Amanda joins them.}
Amanda: Good morning, Francine.
(to Lee): I need you…
(to Francine) Business. 
(to Lee) now! 
Francine: Oh,..
…I’ll go set up that conference room.
[My goodness, after the tag in Promises to Keep – just what does Francine make of these two these days?!!] 
{Francine gives Lee a smug look then leaves. Amanda grabs Lee’s arm.}
(Amanda pulls him along the hallway)
Amanda: Come on.
Lee: You need me, huh? My place or yours?
Amanda: Neither.
(Lee plays it all light hearted and flirty, trying to divert Amana. But she’s not having it. She’s serious!)
Lee: Well, wait a minute… 
I’ve got a very important meeting in an hour.
Amanda: What happened to my place or yours? 
[LOL too funny! Good one Amanda! I love how deadpan this is!! ]
The scene ends there with Amanda dragging Lee along off the screen.
We cut back to the Russian embassy for some good old baddie gloating.
Muahahahaaaaa..
Let’s together recap my evil genius plan!
Doneck gloats that Lee is about to have a meeting and infect people – in less than 30 hrs, Lee will have spread PD2 to the best of the best in counterintelligence..
Mr Slideshow operator seems to be Doneck’s partner in gloating..and remarks that Moscow will be impressed.
but.. Doneck does one better – the World will be impressed!! MUAHAHAHAAHHAAH!!! 
The scene ends there.
[So over the top, I find this baddie pretty funny!
Seems somewhere in amongst Lee’s allies there’s a mole keeping track of when meetings are happening. Uh oh.]
Time to pause… what do you all make of this episode’s opening??? do tell!!!! I’m soooo glad the walk is back!!
"Just walk with me.." 
Couldn’t help but think of this last scene this afternoon. Just went to get my flu shot and I like needles about as much as Lee does! LOL We’d need to drag each other !
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This discussion right here about this episode is why I love to be walking with you guys through the episodes!!!
I confess I don’t have much time to mentally focus on smk at the moment, so I am loving that others are diving in and I can read their thoughts and have my own interest in the show sparked again!!
@peacockdancer I loved how you shared your thoughts and didn’t hold back!! Go for it!!!!!! Very interesting – how something seemed off with Amanda This encouraged me to take a new look!!
I think I didn’t really stop and think very deeply about this dinner scene, and kind of mentally skipped over it. So I’m glad the discussion has led me to return to it with more focus!!
I did find the one more week reference weird and confusing, but moved on pretty quickly from it lol. I think I put it down to the whole Meh the secret marriage thing doesn’t make sense. Also, I think I didn’t mind seeing Lee work for it and pursue Amanda so I overlooked her subdued demeanor.
I agree though that yeah the scene lacks spark. It’s like the writers are going for pining, longing, and angst between these two… setting the mood for the episode as a whole. The mood is bittersweet, one more week and they will be married? Where’s the joy and excitement at their impending nuptials?! Hmmmm…
Yeah Lee needing to think ?? lol no idea what that’s about! lol.
I only watched this episode as an adult for the first time… I wonder how viewers who saw this first as a child or adolescent viewed the whole ‘one more week’ comment?
I think it’s hinting they are waiting till marriage to have sex without saying it. At the same time, I think the show also hints they are not waiting – I think the show didn’t want to commit and left plenty of hints for anyone who wanted to argue for one perspective!
Maybe we can keep this in mind as the ep continues and it may feed into something further along in the ep? No idea!!
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Agreed! this whole scene was rather confusing to me. I have watched this episode about 3 times already, i still can’t make any sense out of it.
I just think the writers were out of it when they wrote it. No matter how confusing, still love this episode.
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Kind of funny to see Sheridan Circle. Bruce went on to play Captain John Sheridan on Babylon 5!
The Soviet embassy was also the JAG headquarters. I think I also saw it used as a Soviet embassy on Murder She Wrote but I can’t remember the ep for sure. In real life it’s a Red Cross building. (Ironic when you consider on this ep Lee could end up needing the Red Cross!)
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With all the times they show Sheridan Circle on this show, the John Sheridan coincidence never occurred to me! How fun!
I am currently watching Babylon 5 for the first time with my boys. It is AMAZING. Was so thrilled when Season 2 started — Bruce is here, hurray! It took a couple episodes for him to get in the groove, but he is terrific in this role. I get such a kick out of all the expressions, speech and mannerisms that remind me so much of Lee.
We are halfway through Season 2 now. I highly recommend Babylon 5 to all, even if science fiction isn’t really your “thing.” The only other science fiction show I have ever loved is Star Trek: The Next Generation, and BB5 is every bit as good.
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There’s an ep later on in S4 where Sheridan’s fiancee/wife (can’t remember when they get married) is asking him about a traumatic experience he had had and the way he responded — both words and tone — reminded me so much of something Lee would say. It’s the ep after “Intersections In Real Time”
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I completely forgot he was in Babylon 5. I never watched it when it was on. If I can find it, I will watch it.
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Hiya!
This is not directed at anyone in particular, though I know I’m technically replying to neckieh.
Over the years when other cool topics come up that are sparked by smk discussion, it’s awesome to talk with like-minded smk fans about it!
But this blog isn’t designed for that kind of discussion. It doesn’t age well when comment threads are full of discussions not directly related to the episode.. and I view the blog as something someone could come to in 10 years time to read about an episode and add to a discussion.
By all means mention an episode’s link to Babylon 5, but when the focus of comments shift to Babylon 5 rather than the relevant episode, that’s a cue to move the discussion to a different location.
A few suggestions of other locations to converse with awesome smk fans include:
The Nedlindger’s forum – https://nedlindgers.proboards.com/
Or, the yuku forum (now a Tapatalk forum) https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/scarecrowandmrskingforum/
You can link here to the discussion to throw out an invite to others to discuss with you if they are interested.
But please don’t forget to come back here haaaaaa… I’d miss ya!
I want someone reading the comments for this ep in 2 years time to not need to wade through bablyon 5 discussion to reach Bad timing discussion. Make sense? It makes the blog hard to read – anyone who has joined the walk later in the last few yearss and caught up on earlier episode discussions will be able to attest to the value in keeping the blog comments on topic and moving other topics to a different location on the web to discuss.
Thanks!! and if you have any questions about this feel free to ask yeah?
Now…. time for me to read all these fab Bad Timing comments!!!!! 🙂
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That was my fault — sorry, I didn’t mean to take the discussion off on a tangent.
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All good peacockdancer 🙂
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Mine too! I got caught up in the fun of comparing Lee to Sheridan. I’ll try to contain myself!
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Hi, this is my first time commenting but I’ve read all the posts so far, I think — really enjoying this dive into a rabbit hole from my childhood. I remember watching this episode so many times in the 80s, on my terrible VHS recordings, and it’s wild to watch it again now as an adult. That first scene with Lee and Amanda is a weird little shot of realism, to me. I mean if you think about all the moving parts in Amanda’s life — her job, which is intense and still pretty new to her, her family, and then her this other, major, secret part — it’s no surprise to me she’s not up for sexy-time shenanigans on a school night. Like seriously, this woman is spinning a lot of plates. I do think there’s a weird continuity problem with this scene that would have allowed the same outcome without giving the impression she’s immune to Lee’s charms and is, in fact, equally frustrated, but that’s for the next post, probably. (And to be fair, she probably felt the same way we all did about having a secret marriage. It was a bad idea. Phenomenally bad, and even my 14-year-old self knew it.)
Even as a kid, I assumed they’d slept together by now, so I think Lee’s assertion that there’s “just one more week” is really a reference to their honeymoon and some uninterrupted time together. No work, no kids, no outside responsibilities, no secrets. Just the two of them, which I’m guessing almost never happens.
Also I think a lot of the mixed messages are a product of the show being 30+ years old, and television being an entirely different animal than it is now. This isn’t bad — it gave us that slow burn we all love so much — but it leaves a lot up to interpretation. I get the impression from looking at the scripts that a lot of dialogue was cut due to time constraints. How much different would things have been if this had been made the way many shows are now — as long as they need to be to tell the story in an episode? Much more fulfilling, I suspect.
Also, this episode really is crazy to watch in the middle of a global pandemic. PD-2, yikes.
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Welcome to the blog Dotty’s favourite sweater!!! You picked a great time to jump on in and discuss! 🙂
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whooooo this is interesting!!! I just commented saying I’d love to hear from anyone who saw this first as a child! 🙂
Yes!!!!!! I see it this way too!!!!
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That is funny, iwsod – I was 14 when this episode aired and I don’t know why it seemed so logical to me at the time. It was probably due to my steady diet of Judy Blume and the Cosmo mags my grandmother kept in her TV room.
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A couple other miscellaneous thoughts/observations:
Yes, that traffic circle they show at the beginning is Sheridan Circle, on Massachusetts Avenue, in the section called “Embassy Row” because of all the embassies located there. The Soviet Embassy of the mid-80s, however, was not located there. It was at 1125 16th St. NW – now the Russian Ambassador’s residence (and the Russian Embassy complex is now on Wisconsin Ave.). But kudos to the production team for at least getting the idea right, I guess!
Episodes where the KGB and Moscow are the bad guys are always among my favorites. The fact that they bring the Soviet Embassy into this episode is terrific. I wish they had done it more often. But yeah, Covid has unquestionably heightened my sensitivity to the outrageousness of the plan being carried out here. Unleashing a biological weapon in DC is INSANE, full stop. I think they should have portrayed Donneck as a renegade, not as someone whose plan is actually endorsed by the Soviet government. But then I guess we would lose the Embassy angle.
For my own peace of mind, I am just going to assume that Francine has snapped out of her temporary insanity from Promises to Keep and realizes that OF COURSE Lee and Amanda are a couple now. 😊
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so true peacockdancer – this episode is so different to see now when we’re experiencing a global pandemic!!
Haaaa – yeah that works! I think for my own peace of mind, I’ve gone with the – she’s in denial and choosing not to see it because she can’t cope with this new reality!
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Fun fact–there are actually three kinds of plague: Septicemic, which affects the blood; bubonic, which causes tumors known as buboes to grow all over you; and pneumonic, which affects the lungs. Can’t speak to the genetically altered versions, but it is possible albeit not with very good odds to survive the latter two, but septicemic is 100% fatal.
Love the scene with Amanda coming to Lee’s rescue. He’s so cute when he tries to pretend he’s okay and he really isn’t. But why didn’t he feel the injection? He’s still conscious when he gets hit in the head because we hear him groan when the second guy hit him in the stomach.
And that last scene is just too adorable for words!
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rofl. LeesMolly. a ‘fun fact’ of 3 different kinds of plague. haaaaa… your definition of a ‘fun fact’ is different than mine haaaaaa..
I love how your mind works 🙂 tee hee.
True! It’s almost a replay of The Eyes have It – Amanda drives up to an assault on Lee in progress – and the baddies miraculously scatter! lol.
Why didn’t he feel the injection? I figure he was distracted. Probably regretting the dried sheep’s stomach reference. haaaa! Definitely a mood buster haaaa..
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ROFLOL Maybe interesting fact would have been a better word choice! But I’ve always been fascinated with poison/virus storylines (albeit not quite as much in the last two years!) and got into researching more about itfifteen years ago.
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Maybe that’s what it was, the writers seemed to mess up on that one. Previous episodes had her looking very comfortable at his place.
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Just wondering if this piece, below, contributes to Kate’s “off” performance:
A morning call in January 1987, that co-star Bruce Boxleitner had the flu so filming was cancelled, prompted Kate Jackson to go for her first-ever mammogram that afternoon. It detected a suspicious growth in her left breast. “It wasn’t a lump,” she says. “It wasn’t even anything that I could feel. It was microscopic.” A biopsy result two days later showed the tissue to be malignant and, four days later, Kate Jackson was admitted to a Los Angeles hospital under an assumed name. She had a lumpectomy and, one week later, returned to filming aided by painkillers. Altogether, she missed two weeks filming. Then Kate endured five weeks of grueling radiation treatments that she managed to keep secret from everyone but Scarecrow & Mrs. King’s producer (George Geiger, Executive Producer 1985-1987; 36 episodes, including both episodes directed by Kate). “I had to be my own pillar of strength,” she says.
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It has definitely occurred to me that maybe Kate was “off” in this episode because the cancer was already affecting her, even if she didn’t realize she was ill yet. This is why I feel a bit conflicted about criticizing her performance here. On the other hand, it is also the case that Bad Timing was actually filmed in early-mid November, before Promises to Keep and Rumors of My Death, and Amanda seemed more “herself” in those two episodes. And then Kate had that mammogram sometime in January. Well, in any event, it is all very sad.
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Thanks for the information. I didn’t realize that.
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Interesting theory Nancy! Thanks for the reminder of the events taking place… I guess as we come toward the end of season 4 this topic will come up again and again from now on..
Kate was indeed a pillar of strength. She rocks!
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Amanda’s reaction to Lee’s suggestion that they go back to his place for “dessert” has always left me feeling a bit unsettled and dismayed. He is looking at her so adoringly, so irresistibly – and her response is — “We have to be at work early?” Oh dear. Only a few episodes ago, she was blowing off Lee’s “weekend at friend’s cabin” idea so she could do more work, and now this. For me, it creates an uncomfortable impression that their libidos are mismatched, and it makes me feel a little sad. I would have liked this scene much better if they had left that part out.
And then Lee’s response about how they only have “one more week” of having to go home alone, and then everything will magically be better … because they will be secretly married? How is that supposed to make it better? Being married, yet unable to be together every night will only make things infinitely harder, it seems to me. So that makes this scene doubly sad. Triply sad when Lee decides he wants to walk home by himself to clear his head.
Where is Amanda’s sparkle and sense of fun? Something seems “off” with her, to me.
I love Bad Timing, but I guess I might as well say this now: I have come to realize that I just do not care for Kate Jackson’s performance in this episode. I say that reluctantly, and I hope you all won’t dislike me for it. I’ll have more specific comments as the episode progresses. Overall, it is my third favorite episode in Season 3, and in my top 10 overall. There is much to love. But I also have some problems with it.
On a lighter note — I think Amanda looks absolutely beautiful in the restaurant scene. The rose satin blouse is so flattering on her. I think this is easily the prettiest “dressy” outfit she has worn since Season 2. Also – pink tablecloth alert! I mentioned here once that there are a TON of pink tablecloths in SMK, but I’ve since realized that they are most concentrated in Seasons 1 and 2. So it is fun to have another pink tablecloth sighting, finally!
I read or heard somewhere that Kate Jackson was very concerned and involved with the lighting on this show, and I wonder if she considered pink to be a color that reflects well against skin tones – her skin tone in particular. In any event, the rose/pink combined with the candlelight makes the whole scene look very lovely.
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I agree with you 100% regarding Amanda’s attitude during their dinner. She seemed a bit standoffish. I have watched this episode so many times, and again her attitude I don’t understand it. What gets me even more, when she saw Lee was getting jumped, where was she going? was she going to try and find Lee so she could go back to his place with him?
Now, with their upcoming marriage, Lee tells Amanda, one more week. I didn’t get why he said that, again, their mystery marriage. How was that going to solve anything? That didn’t make much since to me.
When Lee tells her he’d rather walk, he had some thinking to do. What was it he were thinking about? was he having second thoughts marrying her, considering no one could know about their marriage. That scene made me feel sad also. Amanda, by her being so standoffish towards him, and Lee wanting to walk because he had some thinking to do.
The only thing about that scene I liked, both of them looked very nice. Lee looked very handsome, Amanda looked very radiant. Other than that, not my favorite scene.
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It seemed to me like they’re (i.e., writers) still playing role-reversal with Lee and Amanda that we saw before, where they’ve both shifted their focus. Amanda’s emphasis is on becoming the best agent she can be and Lee’s relaxed. It doesn’t really work in this scene, because this is (and should be) more about them as a couple than their work life. Amanda isn’t trying to prove herself like she was in that first assignment with the floor wax (just forgot the episode title–sorry, DC traffic is taking its toll on me). Anyway, while Amanda’s being standoffish, Lee could have also explained what he needed to ‘sort out’ during his walk.
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Agreed! what was it he needed to think about? The writers did a bad job with that whole scene. Amanda’s standoffs didn’t make any since at all, and Lee having to walk home because he had some thinking to do. Without not seeing any other episodes, and watching this scene you would’ve thought they were on the outs, rather than about to get married. Bad writing with this scene.
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I really love the discussion on this episode so far. It has caused me to pay closer attention to this scene than I ever have before. After rewatching it now for a number of times, I think I have put my finger on the thing that, more than anything else, makes it “not work” well (for me). It is that one line of Lee’s: “But only for one more week.”
That line was obviously added in later, post-production – you don’t see him say it, you hear it while the camera is focused on their hands, and his voice sounds different. And that makes sense – this episode was filmed before Promises to Keep and Rumors of My Death, and it might not have been decided until quite a bit later that they would be airing it out of order, one week before “Do You Take This Spy?”. The line is confusing. It doesn’t make a lot of sense, because it suggests that their wedding is going to solve a problem rather than create a worse one. It ruins the flow of the discussion. It causes us to believe that they are thinking about their impending wedding. Some people think it means they are waiting “one more week” to sleep together, which is of course a legitimate interpretation, but I don’t think that’s what they are talking about. When this episode was filmed, the characters hadn’t even set a wedding date yet.
They’re just thinking about how crappy it feels, in general, to have to keep their relationship and engagement a secret, and what that will mean for the future. Will they even set a date at all? When will they be able to tell everyone? What is their “off-ramp”? It is bumming them out. Amanda asks, “What are we going to do?” And Lee doesn’t have an answer for that, other than to say, we just have to keep on pretending, for now. I actually think it’s good for them to have a serious conversation about this, and I am disappointed that they couldn’t have rounded it out better and not cut it off with the confusing “only for one more week” bit.
Neckieh, for what it’s worth (if anything), in the script, the reason that Amanda catches up to Lee in her car is because she heard on her radio that it was going to rain and she didn’t want him to get wet.
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And I’m thinking about the times we’ve seen Lee wet and…Sorry, Amanda, I just can’t seem to come up with a reason against it. I think she just wanted to be there in case he happened to get wet. 🤔 😏 🤭
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However that scene was supposed to work, it didn’t. The writers just added to the confusion. Especially the line, “only one more week”. I’ve too have re-watched this episode to see if I can make any sense out of this scene. I can’t, but this is one of my favorite episodes from Season 4.
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sooooo interesting! Bad Timing was filmed before Promises to Keep and Rumors of My Death? I’m not paying attention to when things were filmed and episode order much due to just not having much smk time – I use to have time for this lol. but not now! Sooooooo I’m really glad others can raise these observations and share.
Sounds like the season 4 episode order is going to be an interesting discussion once the walk through the show has been completed!
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Good thing they finished their meal BEFORE Lee starts “romancing” her with his stories of smelly camels and dried sheep stomach … sheesh!
Very glad for us to resume our walk, but next time, Lee Stetson, don’t do your thinking walking alone on a dark street!
That persimmon color suits Francine.
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Haaaaaa I love it Nancy!!! so funny 🙂
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Glad to have the walk back! And I’ll actually be walking through these episodes (from here on) from the DC area (in VA, but close enough anyway). Just moved here! (still in the ‘moving in’ process–ugh.)
This episode really got to me when I first watched it. I thought it might be interesting to transcribe. I picked up a lot more this time. I completely missed noting the response from Francine though–good thought, Iswod! I wonder what Francine must be thinking about these two. Does she assume it was easy for them to just ‘move on’ or has she decided that they’re too far into this and she’s not going to give it any more thought. It’s probably passed the peak of agency gossip news.
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Sara, does this mean you got the job you were hoping for in DC?? Yay! Welcome to Northern Virginia!
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Yep! And thanks. 🙂
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I’ve also wondered what Francine was thinking, especially when Amanda comes up, grabs Lee, and says, “I need you”. Then looks at Francine and says, “Business”.
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Agreed. Lee is pretty bad at trying to hide it here, you have to admit. 😄
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Yes he is……………
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Hey Sara, hope you are happy living in your new neighbourhood!!! If you see a silver corvette cruising the streets be sure to let us know! 🙂
Just don’t walk home on your own to think about errr something. Dodeck may be limping around somewhere nearby!
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So glad The Walk is Back. This is undoubtedly one of my favorite episodes of Season 4. Okay, the scene at the Russian Embassy when Doneck is talking about the bacteria. His expression looks as if the bacteria is in his mouth. (Remember him from the Kill Oscar episode of the Bionic Woman?)
The slide of Lee with the newspaper, yummy! ooh he looks so good. The restaurant scene, Lee is holding Amanda’s hand, looking at the ring. I got the feeling, she was stalling, making an excuse that it was late and they had to be to work early the next morning. Okay, so they’re engaged, about to be married, work at the same place, what’s wrong with going back to his place? Didn’t understand that. (Every time I watch this episode, I try and figure out her reasoning.) The scene where Lee is walking home, so Amanda pulls up in her truck, did she feel guilty, and decide to go to his apartment? hmm……..
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I think the implication was supposed to be that they’re waiting to sleep together. The original script draft is a little more obvious about it.
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I have read the script and did not get that impression at all. So I will respectfully disagree!
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Agree! if that was the case, then the previous episode where she fell a sleep on his couch while he was making the Furtado’s and pouring the champaign, she looks very comfortable, makes herself right at home, she certainly wasn’t thinking about waiting until they were married.
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