5/5 Season Four:Episode Twenty Two–The Khruschev List –Scarecrow and Mrs King

Hang on a minute!!!
Post 5/5 The Khruschev List???? How did this happen???!!!!
This is the final post in the first walk through the show!!!
GAHHHHH!!!!!!!! only took 11 years. lol!

Let’s do this all!!
It’s night time in smk land and we see a night time shot of the Capitol Building and Washington Memorial. Then it cuts to a sign for the Masai Giraffe.

(Lee and Billy are watching men with metal detectors checking the ground. The Corvette and brown sedan are visible.)
Lee: I don’t know about you but I feel pretty ridiculous digging up every giraffe cage in town.
Billy: Well what else can we do? We can’t go after the president’s own security counsel without any solid evidence.

The hunt for the giraffe is on! Lee is tempted to just squeeze Singer till he sings. Lee randomly mentions the Smithsonian warehouse is full of artefacts (oh really?! shocker.) and Billy adds Amanda (remember her?) and Francine are searching inventory books for a giraffe, but crypto are looking at it too.

Lee heads off to call the hospital to see how Meatball is going.. but first.. Francine calls him from IFF.
Lee: Scarecrow.
Francine: Lee? We hit pay dirt
Lee: What do you have?
Francine: Well, the Smithsonian just sent a breakdown of the artifacts in Warehouse 214, one of which happens to be a 19th century piano used by President Pierce.
Lee: Francine, we’re not looking for a piano.
Francine: Well, maybe we are. This one just happens to be called a giraffe piano.
Lee: You’re not serious?
Francine: One thousand pounds of giraffe, crated and sitting in the warehouse basement for over 70 years.
Lee: Wait a second. Half-inch rope and block and tackle was on Meatball’s shopping list.
Francine: Just what you need to lift a piano and see what’s under it.
Lee: Yeah. We’ll meet you at the warehouse.
Francine: All right, on my way.

On to “Smithsonian Institute Warehouse #14”. Cut to Francine at a security desk. A uniformed security officer is sitting behind the desk with a rolled blueprint in his hand. The door opens and Francine walks to meet Billy and Lee as they enter the door.

Francine: OK…Perimeter’s been checked three times. There’s no activity. Amanda’s keeping an eye on things. [lol I know I’ve previously said gah why don’t they mention why Amanda is not with Lee and what’s she doooooinng..but this is annoying me too haaaaa. I can’t be pleased!   Why would Amanda be monitoring the perimeter, wouldn’t that be a team of agents?!]
Lee: Good. This place is so understaffed, Gaddafi could walk down that hall and no-one would notice him.
Billy (to Francine): Get the guards away from the warehouse. I don’t want these hotdogs shooting at Harry by mistake.

Francine is on it and leaves.. while Lee and Bill check the layout.

Outside in the rain is Singer in a dark sedan on the phone with Quisguard, looking suspicious!… on the perimeter?! 
Quisguard: I’m going in now.
Singer: Remember the Agency is already suspicious of me. We can’t afford any mistakes. You know the back-up plan.
Cut to an old Mercedes. Christina and Harry are in the front seats. Quisguard is behind them. [oh nooooo Quisguard caught up with them from the warehouse!! uh oh..]
Qusiguard: Affirmative. (He hangs up. To Harry). Now we’re going into the warehouse just the way you planned. But if you’re planning on playing hero, I’ve got my gun in your lady’s back.
Harry: Getting in and out of the warehouse will be easier if it’s just the two of us. You can leave Christina tied up in the car.
Quisguard: I appreciate your gallantry, old man, but, uh, let’s make this a family outing. Now once we’ve cut the alarms, check your layout for a side-door entrance.
Harry: May I ask why?
Quisguard: Let’s just say that I’ll feel more comfortable with more than one exit. There might be Agency guards. While I get the tools out of the back, I want you to think about how we’re gonna get around them.
[Gosh, with Amanda keeping an eye on things I hope this lot don’t come across Amanda cough. ]

Back inside Lee and Billy are looking at the layout with the security guard.
Lee: The storage space of the piano is in this wing. I’d better get down there.
Billy: Pull Amanda [who?] off the perimeter to back you up. I’ll turn off the alarms and check the rear of the building. We don’t want them to walk out on us. [I have no idea where all these different people are and how they have not all already run into each other!]
Lee walks out. Billy picks up the phone at the security desk.

Elsewhere it looks like the Giraffe is elevated.. Quisguard orders Harry to get to work, and holds the gun on Christina.
Quisguard: Get to work, Harry…Don’t try it.
Harry starts to loosen the edges of the square in the floor with the crowbar. Outside, we find Singer is walking along with a gun in his hand. 
Back inside, Lee shows up secretly while Harry gets the box out of the trap door.
A huge huge thanks to Learjet for transcribing all this!!! I’m soooo going to rely on your transcription here!
Quisguard: Get the box out.
Harry: Can’t we make a deal. I can get you a hundred thousand if you let her go.
Christina: No, Harry. Together or not at all.
Quisguard: Is this what they call ‘love in bloom’, Harry?
[Quisguard is such a creep, he doesn’t recognise love if he sees it!]
Harry: Whoever you’re working for must realise by now that you’re the last link to the list. Why should he let you live?

Harry removes a box from the trapdoor and places it on the ground in front of Quisguard. Quisguard looks up, his gun cocked and carefully pulls the box towards him. Lee makes eye contact with Harry. Lee gives an upward tilt of his head.
Quisguard: You. You stay right next to your boyfriend, right over there. Either one of you moves, you’ll be wearing this piano for a hat.
He takes hold of the rope attached to the model boat and starts to release it.
Lee: Freeze.
Christina and Harry run for cover as Quisguard shoots at them and then towards Lee.
The rope is slowly releasing as Lee and Quisguard continue to shoot at each other. Quisguard slips on a pile of sand and screams as the piano descends from above. Lee looks down, looking stunned. The piano fall on the floor, on top of the upper half of Quisguard’s body. Just his legs are visible..
[I think this is a sneaky reference to the wizard of Oz, because this shot above reminds me of the witch’s legs shrivelling up! lol. I wonder if Quisguard has ruby shoes… (or maybe that was Brady..haaa) whatever!]
Lee runs towards Harry and Christina.
Lee: Harry? Are you all right? Come on let’s have a look. Come here.
Harry: It’s OK.
(The lights go out… and Singer makes his appearance)
Singer: I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Bring the box over here slowly.
Lee: If that’s you, Singer, it’s already too late.
Lee picks up the strong box and puts it near Singer.
Singer: Now, back towards your friends, slowly.
Lee: I’m warning you, if you open that box, it’s rigged to explode.
Singer: Your warning is very thoughtful, but please, I’m not stupid.
Singer pulls the box away.
Lee: I’m telling you, it’s rigged to explode.
[oh rofl. that’s too funny. Lee is lucky Singer didn’t respond by making Lee open it]
Singer takes the box and runs outside towards a sedan. Francine and Billy run up as Lee exits the building. He holds his hand up to stop them from moving closer to Singe errr I mean Singer.
Singer puts the box down, gets his gun and shoots at the box, as Lee yells: Singer don’t!!
The strong box explodes massively.

Whoa! The gang react.
Ouchie! Singer is fatally singed. SMK and names. I love it.

This is like in Utopia Now, where you the baddie Sacker blows himself up with the stinger but you expect to see a pair of legs still there when the blast is over. lol.
legs? Legs? we don’t see lol. so I’ll imagine they are there haaaa.

The scene ends here. Gee where was Amanda on the perimeter who was supposed to join Lee? Hmmm… Amanda who?!

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Back to IFF and Lee is on the phone inside an office.
Lee: Amanda, listen to me, will you. I thought if we made lists of each other’s quirks, we could sit down and talk everything out. You know, with reason, rationally…That list was a rough draft. I didn’t expect you to read it….OK, OK, six pages of quirks is a bit excessive. Maybe a little petty, but I..
Silence. He looks at the phone. [oh lol I always find it funny when Lee does this!]

Billy enters.
[Uh oh. He wrote a draft list and Amanda found it? that must be why she left the perimeter and didn’t join him haaaaa… sounds like it wasn’t a short or nice list!]
Lee: When will I ever learn?
Billy: Learn what?
Lee: Uh, nothing, nothing. How’s Harry.
Billy: Well, I’m happy to announce that he only had a flesh wound.
Lee: Oh, good. And what about our bogus list?
Billy: It worked really fine. The minute we announced we were taking the list to the grand jury, the phone started ringing off the hook. The two remaining members on the list decided to make a deal with the federal prosecutor. So they turned each other in. [Nice one!!!! I guess now Harry and Christina are going to be able to live freely. hoorah!]

Lee: Do you have an estimate of the damage they caused?
Billy: It’ll take a little time to add it all up but at least they won’t be causing any more damage. When you see Amanda… [Amanda who?]
[And what about that highly valuable giraffe piano, will it be okay?!]
Lee: Um.
Billy: Problems?
Lee: Problems? No, not really. No problems. (aaahhhhhhh)
Billy: Lee…
Lee: What?
Billy: Whenever Jeanie and I bumped heads, we’d both make a list about everything that bothered us. Then we’d very calmly and rationally sit down and work through the list from top to bottom. It wasn’t easy but it worked. Maybe you and Amanda should do the same thing.
[oh rofl. the look on Lee’s face!!!]
Lee: Yeah. Maybe. …Thanks, Billy.
[I’m pretty sure Billy made sure Jeannie wouldn’t find the list on her own and lol maybe his list wasn’t so long haaaa.]
Lee gives Billy a slap on the arm and starts walking towards the door.
Billy looks pleased.. but like he knows? Hmmm.. not sure..
Billy: You know partnership is just like a marriage. You’ll be getting practice for the real thing. Well, you never know, Scarecrow. I mean stranger things have happened.
[Billy seems to be genuine here – enjoying the possibility they might marry one day.
Lee: Hmm….
And Lee smiles, and leaves..
We finish the scene with Billy all smiles at his happiness for Lee and Amanda.. one day maybe getting married..

Gah. Is this the last scene of Lee and Billy? it is!!! Oh nooooo. That’s a bit of a bummer. I guess it’s nice Billy is happy.. but it’s bittersweet too..
Genuine Billy hoping Lee and Amanda might marry one day and Lee keeping it a secret they already are. Hmmm I’m feeling okay this show is winding up after this. getting ready for the final tag…
Also – Francine’s last scene? reacting to the baddie getting blow up haaaa. ]

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Well it’s the final tag time!!!

Lee opens the apartment door. Amanda [ohhhhh right yeah that’s Amanda!] is sitting in a wingback chair, her head down.
Lee: Hi… (Overly cheerful… and then he reads the room and tones it down a little) …Uh, I just saw Harry. He’s been discharged from the hospital… …He is looking great…

…Huh. What are you doing?
Amanda: I’m writing you a note.
[Uh oh]
Lee: ah, Amanda, I realise that making that list was a very stupid thing to do.
(Amanda looks up)
…I mean, everybody does silly little things that bothers the other person.
Amanda: Do you have flowers behind your back?
Lee: No.
[Love the look he gives her here – challenging her! not backing down…. and somewhat playful imho]
Lee approaches Amanda with an A4 notepad with writing and smiles.
Amanda: More complaints?
Lee: No. It’s a list of all the things that I…
(He kneels down in front of her)
…. love about you.
Lee grins..

Amanda smiles..
Amanda puts her finger on his chin.
Amanda: Awww…Better be a long list.
She smiles and kisses him. Muah!

More kissing!!!

They both smile.

End of the Episode!!!! End of the Show!!! Here’s the final frame!!!!!
Huge thanks Learjet for transcribing this episode!
We hope you had fun doing it Sooooo what do you all make of this tag??
Amanda didn’t even see Harry. I would have loved for Lee and Amanda to join Harry and Christina somewhere to celebrate but nah we have to resolve their ‘fight’ which for me I don’t find charming, I just find it kind of annoying. but at least it was resolved and we got kisses out of it.

Expectedly, it’s bittersweet and complicated for me , who loves this show, to see it end. What’s it like for you?? Do share your thoughts if you like!!
For me, I am really pleased KJ made the effort to show up as she did as much as she did, and that we got these final episodes of the show to close things out, rather than not. How can I not celebrate her bravery and hard work knowing the real life situation she was experiencing at the time?

I’m glad to see the show ended with Lee and Amanda together – smiling and kissing..

At the same time they spent most of the episode on the outs and we hardly saw Amanda so while I’ll take the breadcrumbs it’s not so satisfying. Could be worse though! I finish up the show ready to finish it… and go back to Season 1 and some laughs and levity again! lol.
I’m watching this final scene I’m thinking: whoooo how many seasons till we see them happy together like this again??!!! I will be longing to see these types of scenes again before too long on our re-walk, and I’ll be cursing Lee and his stupid cocky attitude toward Amanda and his guyliner rofl. I know it. I guess a list about me and my quirks might be quite a long list haaaaa.

Time Amanda is on screen this episode? 6 mins 8 seconds!
4 scenes – mainly the two bookends.

6 mins I’m grateful to KJ for, while I gripe about this and that!

As always – can’t wait to hear your thoughts.. on this episode? on this season? On this show as a whole???!!!!

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So what happens next on JWWM? I’m definitely re-walking and starting back at season 1 episode 1.. but how exactly we are doing that – I need to sort out the details. I’ll post a blog post once I’ve decided the details, see the side bar for current plans..
Thanks so much for stopping by and reading and sharing – this blog would not have continued without the kind and generous smk fans who visited, contributed and shared their ideas, if this were just me I would have stopped a long time ago!

Thanks to all who have contributed to Operation Sandstorm, and to the transcriptions of dialogue to keep these blog posts going we salute you!!!

Since this is the end of the first walk through – I should probably mark the occasion. The walk through The First Time started 27 November 2011. And it has finished, finally on 22 July 2023. whoaaaaaaaaa.. we went longer than the show did guys!!!
The first walk went for 11 years and 7 months.. whoa!

That means it has been more than a decade since I’ve seen some of the earlier episodes. Not kidding!!! I’m going to try and keep it fresh for the re-walk. Anyone else?

I’m keen to do it all over again

Who is with me? Spread the word to everyone you know who likes SMK – that the re-walk through The First time will be next up in October 2023…to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the show’s first airing- subscribe for further updates!!!

Thoughts everyone?