Hi all, let’s keep going.. we see the exterior of a monument. The Jefferson Memorial (?) [I think? Anyone? I think JWWM needs a resident Washington DC locations expert we can call on.. 
Anyone like to have a go?? You could give yourself an alter ego and say that you will check with TP Aquinas (DC Aquinas?!) about it if you like.. haaaaa. Sorry I digress. Already?!]
Anyway, we find Lee and Amanda briskly walking up the steps.
[It’s a gorgeous spot! ]
Lee: Anyway, I’m sorry I dragged you into all of this.
[Ohhh finally he says it!!! Okay Lee I forgive you 
]
Amanda: Yep. Sounds like a good-bye.
[I don’t know what the source is but I remember hearing this scene was shot with a hand held camera super quick because they didn’t even have a permit to be filming at this monument.. the style of this scene’s shots supports this.. anyone able to provide a source for this? an interview with BB or KJ maybe? Or someone hear this story from BB at one of the reunions? ]
Lee: It is. You have another life to get back to.
Amanda: Um, well, what about you? Don’t you have another life to get back to?
Lee: Not so you’d notice.
Amanda: So, never a Mrs. Spy, no little spies?.. 
… No girlfriends, no buddies?
Lee: Look, you’ve heard of the word “loner”?
(He indicates himself.)
Amanda: Well, I hope you don’t go to those singles bars. You will never meet a nice girl in one of those–
(Lee turns around to face her.)
[lol I can’t wait to hear what you all make of this!
Lee looks really uncomfortable with this conversation…]
Lee: Look, just don’t worry about it, okay?
[I do think Lee is being polite here, and while uncomfortable I think he likes Amanda and her showing care for him as a person…]
Amanda: You have some place to go Thanksgiving?
Lee: Amandaaaaa! 
…I happen to like being alone. You’ll notice that I don’t even work with a partner.
[Hang on. Is that the first time Lee calls her Amanda?!!!! They are certainly being Lee and Amanda here.. not Scarecrow and Mrs King! Lee called her Mrs King at Moby’s Dock, and at the Halloween party. Okay Lee introduces Amanda as ‘Amanda King’ to the alien, but that doesn’t count. other than that – yep this is ‘the first time’. A lovely nod to how Amanda is getting under Lee’s defenses here and now being seen by him as a real person – not just a case!
Hmm Let’s look for when Amanda first hears Lee is ‘Scarecrow’ I don’t think she knows this at this point.. even if she is putting together a scarecrow in the opening credits ]
Amanda: No, I hadn’t noticed. But that’s probably because we were too busy working together.
[What a great comeback! I love this. ]
Lee: No, no, no, no, no. You were not a partner…
…You were an emergency!.. 
[Ah so that’s what Lee’s internal dialogue about Amanda has been. she’s the case yep the case.]
…A partner’s a guy who laughs at your jokes, loans you his socks, and one day, takes a bullet through the head for you!
(A long pause passes between them. Amanda looks away.)
[oops. I get the impression Lee hadn’t intended on sharing that! Do you?
But somehow he did.. telling isn’t it??] 
Amanda: Were you two friends for a long time?
Lee: Not long enough. (He faces her again and takes her hand.)
[Lee seems to steel himself here, ready to cut ties with Amanda for good – for her protection, IMHO because he doesn’t want that for her, so he pushes her away..) 
….Good-bye, Amanda.
(Lee holds his hand out to her, and they shake goodbye)
Amanda: Will I see you again?
Lee: No.
(Amanda nods.)
Amanda: What are you going to do?
Lee: First of all,.. 
… I am going to lick this case, clear my name, then I thought I’d get drunk.
(Amanda smiles.) …So good-bye, and thank you very much.
(Lee walks away. Amanda turns and watches him go.)
Amanda: Good-bye!
(Lee waves over his shoulder.)
[Check out the body language on this ‘loner’ yeah he likes to be alone, that’s why he looks so… resigned!
At this point, I start to remember this Lee character is more than just a handsome guy.. and I can start to see why Amanda might connect with this guy for the first time. Finally I’m seeing who Lee Stetson is… and he’s saying goodbye… noooooo!!!! Or is it??!! ]
On to the next scene.. we see the smk cues for sexy times!
Fireplace – check! Champagne on ice- check! dimmed lighting- check!
Amanda: I missed you, Dean.
Dean: I missed you.
[Yawn! lol.
Is it just me, or do you think this scene opens in such a way that we can’t be sure if this is going to be a Lee scene or an Amanda scene before Amanda speaks? Bit of a tease? I don’t know.. but anyway, I digress.]
…D’you like the gift I brought from New York?
Amanda: Sure. (beat) I needed new bookends.
[oh that’s priceless isn’t it??!!! Amanda’s delivery here is gold!!! uh huh. I’m pretending to be really into you because it’s expected of me. Or because she’s trying to convince herself maybe.. Hmm.. What do you think?
Who buys a girlfriend bookends? They better be gold with inlaid diamonds or something!!]
(We see Philip and Jamie quietly approach, Jamie holding Philip by the scruff lol. he doesn’t seem to want to be there.. they look around confused not seeing where Amanda and Dan Don Dean is.)
Jamie: Excuse me.?! 
(Amanda’s head pops up from the couch.)
Amanda: Hmm? What is it, sweetheart?
Jamie: Phillip has something to tell you. (whispering:) Now you’re gonna get it!
(Amanda gets up and approaches Philip and Jamie. She kneels in front of him.)
Amanda: What’s the matter, sweetheart? What’s wrong?
Phillip: I . . . opened the present.
Amanda: What present?
Phillip: The one on the dining room table.
Amanda: You mean the one I put out to be mailed?
Jamie: Just like you did the last Christmas, remember?
[lol! I find it satisfying for Jamie to get one over Philip for once haaaaa.. I just noticed the transcript spells it Phillip, and I spell it Philip. I have no idea whatevs.]
Amanda: Jamie. (To Philip) Sweetheart, was that the one?
Phillip: Yes.
Amanda: How much did you see?
[rofl. Jamie gives Philip a little shove to encourage his full honest response haaaaa]
Phillip: All of it, I guess. Just a little old crummy music box.
Amanda: Right. Uh, the — the music box.
Phillip: But I’m not the one who broke it! It didn’t work before I shook it! Just a little old card fell out.
Amanda: A card. What kind of a card?
Phillip: Just a little card with a little bit of writing on it.
The scene is cut short there and we cut to another dead body. Uh oh.
The dead agent is named ‘Jeffries’. Billy laments to Dirk.
Billy: …Last night, it was Fielding and Portland. Tonight, Jeffries. I want Lee Stetson back on the job, Dirk.
With that, Billy walks away, not even waiting for Dirk’s answer.. 
And the scene ends there..
And we cut to Lee walking around at night alone. Uh oh. Is he in danger???!!!! We see the Capital Building in the background [is that right? oh DC expert pls confirm!] 
Lee seems to be looking around.. and the music suggests this meet up isn’t dangerous. lol.
Amanda: Psst! (Lee turns, trying to track the sound. Amanda sighs and gestures.)
Psssssssst!!!!!
[No wonder Lee is confused, to me she sounds like a sprinkler system] 
(Lee shakes his head,
then turns to approach her.
[I think he finds her amusing lol] 
Amanda comes out from behind a wall. She is wearing a trench coat., trying to be an authentic spy.) …Hi.
Lee: You sure know the hot spots.
Amanda: Well, we couldn’t exactly meet in the grocery store, could we? 
Lee: Hmm! [ Actually Amanda.. let’s see if that is a possibility in future hmm??!! haaaa]
…Anyway, isn’t this where you guys meet? Like in sort of isolated places, kind of creepy and stuff?
[Oh Amanda you are so cringe here lol. I hope Lee does pay out of on you! ]
Lee: Only when we wear trench coats. [Thanks Lee! haaaa] 
Amanda: Okay, okay. [haaaa! yes Amanda pull it in haaaa] 
As Amanda digs into her pockets for something, we cut to Lee watching her, and having a chuckle at Amanda’s silliness. [Dimples alert!!!! Oh he looks adorable here!] 
…Now look. I wrote this down just the way Phillip remembered it. He’s got a great memory, gets it from me. 
(Amanda starts reading): “Duck a la Nathan Hale.
Valley Forge Flapjacks. Pilgrims Peach Puff.”
(Lee silently nods and listens..)
[waiting for something that means something?!]
(She smiles, pleased with herself.)
Lee: That’s it?
Amanda: What do you mean “that’s it”? Doesn’t it mean anything?
Lee: No.
Amanda: No?
Lee: Oh, I mean, I’ll run it through our code department, but to tell you the truth, it doesn’t help an awful lot.
[I think he finds her wish to help endearing.. what are you seeing all??]
Amanda: Oh. I thought it would.
Lee: I know, I know. And I appreciate it… 
[This is surprisingly sensitive of Lee!] …Believe me. But, Amanda, I think you ought to stay away from all of this. People in my business have years of training. It could get dangerous… 
[Exactly!!!! but then this is smk so we don’t really worry about danger right?!]
…Even worse, you could screw things up.
[oh rofl Lee can’t do understanding and supportive for long but he tries haaaaaa]
Amanda (angrily): Oh, well, I certainly wouldn’t want to do that! Would I?
[uh oh Lee. She’s not letting that slide!]
…I mean, look, I’ll be glad to stay away….
…You think this is fun for me? Ho, that’s a laugh. I was only trying to help you keep your job. 
[Awh so her primary motivation was to help Lee.
I do appreciate how Lee doesn’t cut her off or seem to take issue with her being cranky with his dismissive comment. ]
Lee: I’ve got my job… 
[Amanda’s anger is gone!] 
…Billy just called and wants me back. Another murder tonight.
Amanda: Another agent got killed tonight?
Lee: Jeffries. An awful nice guy, too. The night before, it was Fielding and Portland. Anyway, they’re giving me another assignment tomorrow. [rofl. yeah Amanda needs to stay away, but tell her stuff she doesn’t need to know while you are at it. Haaa]
Amanda: Well. You’ll be careful, won’t you.
Lee: Hey.
[Why does this response remind me of the Fonz?!]
(He smiles and gives his head a shake – Hey I’m cool! don’t worry about me!!)
The scene ends there. I’ll pause here…
What are you all thinking? Back with more next weekend!
"Just walk with me.." 
Please, can someone explain to me why the hell the two of them are running up the memorial? What are they doing there? This scene makes absolutely no sense to me in this episode. There is no reason why they’re there. Yes, it’s a nice building/memorial. But other than that?
Anyway, Lee uses this moment to apologize for dragging her into all this trouble.
“Amanda: Sounds like a goodbye.”
Yes, Amanda. That’s exactly what it’s supposed to be.
“Lee: It is.”
You have your life, and he’s sending you back there. But – Amanda is as nosy as her mother here, trying to grill Lee about his personal life.
“Amanda: Um, well, what about you? Don’t you have another life to get back to? Never a Mrs. Spy, no little spies? No girlfriends, no buddies?” No, Amanda.
“You’ve heard of the word “loner?” Amanda still doesn’t get it. He, on the other hand, just wants her to leave. She has no place in his life as he imagines it.
Amanda’s caring nature gets under his skin so much that he calls her by her first name for the first time so as not to destroy their bond with her, despite his protests. Yes, he’s polite and tries to tell her in a very nice and friendly way that it’s his life and that she shouldn’t worry about him. Not even for Thanksgiving. He just likes being alone. Without a partner. After all, he works without one.
But yes, Amanda is breaking through his (inner) walls here. Which is why he becomes very defensive when she points out that they’ve both been partners for the past few days.
“Lee: No, no, no, no, no. You were not a partner…“
And then something happens that he certainly didn’t want. He drops his mask for the first time. “A partner’s a guy who laughs at your jokes, lends you his socks, and one day, takes a bullet through the head for you!”
You can see from his face that he didn’t want to tell anyone THAT, and especially not her. I think he’s horrified that he’s let his guard down and closed himself off around her so much that he quickly puts up his walls again and pushes her away.
“Amanda: Will I see you again?“
“Lee: No.“
Amanda’s last look at him makes me incredibly sad. That farewell hand gesture without a backward glance. Even if he sees himself as a “loner,” something about this woman touched him. So deeply that he was able to open his walls for her. He feels vulnerable in her presence. And that shakes and scares him. This scene gave me a lot to think about. What happened to him that he’s so careful not to let anyone close to him?
The fireplace scene.
Dean and Amanda missed each other. Great. *gag* Do we want to know? No! And what man buys his girlfriend bookends as a gift? Gosh. Okay, this was the 1980s. But seriously? Bookends? Thank goodness this cozy scene is interrupted by Jamie and Phillip. Philip has done something he shouldn’t have done because he’s done it before. But hooray, it’s finally clear what was in the mysterious package.
While the viewer learns that another agent has been killed and Billy wanting Lee back, he’s walking around DC. What’s unclear to me is how Amanda found him. Hey, she’s no Nazi either and “she has her ways.” But Lee seems amused.
Did she actually tell him Philip opened the package? I can’t find any reference to this in the scripts either..
According to the Third Draft (Feb.03,1983) version of the script i’ve read, some context is missing here. Amanda (after backgammon with Dean) calls Lee at home after he’s just finished backgammon with “Margie”, and the two (the three of them, including Margie waiting in the car) arrange to meet. Reading it… it’s a really uncomfortable, rather cringy scene, and I’m really glad they didn’t use it like that.
“Lee: That’s it?”
Yes, Lee, that’s it.
And yet he tries to get rid of Amanda again.
“Lee: It could get dangerous. Even worse, you could screw things up.“
Oh, Lee. You really are a boor sometimes. Can’t you just be nice? And again, he drops his guard… Another agent was murdered tonight, an awful nice guy. Moreover, another one the night before.
I agree with PEACOCKDANCER. Lee really seems ungrateful here. Yes, he seems more concerned about keeping his job than solving this (bloodbath of a) case.
It’s really time for Lee to become more human.
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Love the scenes filmed in DC. Too bad the show didn’t film more there. My teenager loves to use Amanda’s line, “You think this is fun for me? Ho, that’s a laugh” when asked to do something she dislikes. She loves SMK, and I have to laugh when she quotes dialogue to make a point.
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I love the scenes in DC are really wish more was done there, almost make the city a character in the show.
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I meant to write before, I really wish we had learned more about Lee’s former partner and how he died. That would have made a good episode. It obviously had a huge effect on him.
I thought Lee’s reaction to Amanda’s revealing the messages hidden inside the music box seemed a little… ungrateful? Just the other night, they were furiously combing through the post office for this package. You would think he would at least sound excited to know what was in it! Instead, he hears the phrases and acts like it’s no big deal. “I mean, I’ll run it through our code department, but…” Geez, Lee, OF COURSE it’s likely to be a code! I don’t blame Amanda one bit for getting annoyed with him here. He seems more concerned about keeping his job than solving this (bloodbath of a) case.
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An ep on Lee’s former partner would have been brilliant and seems so obvious that it seems strange it was not done. I think something mid-series two, Lee gets invited to the wedding of the fiance of his ex-partner, she has moved on and found someone new, while still loving her former partner, it would be a good message to Lee that he can move on from past hurt and heartbreak.
Lee was rude to Amanda by dismissing the clues in the package, but then again season one Lee was often rude
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I also don’t 1000% understand why they’re even going up the steps of the Jefferson Memorial anyway. I mean, other than it’s a wonderful setting and it allows Lee to waive her off with the Washington monument in the background. But it isn’t like going up the steps is on the way to anything and Lee isn’t meeting anyone there. It’s like making someone climb 8 flights of stairs just to break up with them.
But still. Great location. I think the production only ever shot in DC for this episode other than maybe picking up some B-roll here and there, so gotta use the best landscapes and put your pretty people in pretty places when you have them.
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Wish we had more of DC, Lee and Amanda in the mall area is spectacular, a great opening ep
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Poor, dull Dean with his bookends. I know we all love to hate on him, but honestly, I actually prefer the idea that Amanda and Dean have a romantic and happy relationship. It makes Lee’s impact on her life all the more significant.
Amanda seems very content. But she is getting a little too comfortable, and she is slowly going to learn that she wants more adventure in her life, and a more exciting partner.
Amanda’s line to Lee – “Well, I hope you don’t go to those singles bars. You will never meet a nice girl in one of those singles bars” – is so incredibly cringe-inducing to me. She sounds exactly like Dotty! Of course she means well, but the “mothering” tone is very off-putting. She’s acting like she’s way older (and wiser) than him, rather than the attractive young woman that she is. Lee needs to help bring out that side of her.
(Also, I hate the term “singles bar,” and I have never in my life heard anyone refer to a bar that way, but I know I am of a younger generation than the characters on this show, so whatever.)
My goodness, another agent killed. This is turning into quite the bloodbath!
Iwsod, as far as D.C. locations go, you are always welcome to call on me. I have lived and worked in D.C. and/or Arlington for 30 years now, which is hard to believe. My house is a 10-minute drive from “the Agency” (in non-rush hour, LOL) and my office is near the White House. I have always enjoyed identifying D.C. locations on this show. But I am obviously not the only one here who is well acquainted with this area!
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Agree re the bloodbath, so many agents!
It was the DC setting that first attracted me to the show and we see so much of it in the ep, lucky you living there
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I am of an age with BB and KJ, and I can tell you “singles bar” was definitely a thing in the 70’s and early 80’s. In 1983,
Aids was more the sound of distant thunder. It did not get real to many people until Rock Hudson died in Oct 1985
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Hi addystark, welcome!!!
yeah the smk years were an interesting epoch huh!
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I like that she says, “I hope you dont go to those singles bars..you’ll never….” I think it’s sweet…..
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Welcome Mother of children!
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Mostly I think Lee’s wardrobe has been quality and some of it even timeless (particularly as compared to what poor Amanda often got dressed in.). But I don’t understand the weird trench coat / jacket that he’s wearing in the last scene here. Black trench coat on the outside, gold puffy coat in the inside? Is it reversible?!
Also, I think I read somewhere that the original script had Amanda asking if he had “Mrs. Spy / little spies, no girlfriend, no boyfriend?” But “boyfriend” was changed to “buddy.” Honestly, leaving “boyfriend” as her open minded query in 1983 would have been rad.
Dean is a ridiculous boyfriend. Bookends is an absurd choice as a gift for anyone, let alone a romantic partner. Though I guess it does serve to demonstrate that there was a “before Lee” Amanda and an “after Lee” Amanda. Dean would have found himself the bookend to her life “before Lee.”
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‘boyfriend’ would have really been out there, a lot of negativity toward male same sex relationships at that time because AIDS was raging. I wish she had said it. I do not believe there was any reference to same sex relationships in entire series, happy to be corrected
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Absolutely that is the Jefferson Memorial, there is some good shots of the actual statue of Jefferson (inside the huge memorial) in the stills you posted. I love the shot of the Washington Monument over Amanda’s left shoulder. That is the Capitol lit up at night, from where Lee and Amanda are standing there is a big statue behind Amanda but I don’t know what it is.
I LOVE all the on site DC stuff, in The First Time DC was (well, for me) as much of a leading ‘character’ as Lee and Amanda. Once the series got going we mainly saw the stock shots to set the scene and I think the DC-ness got lost a little, which was a shame (all money and practical considerations)
‘You have someplace to go Thanksgiving’ Brilliant writing, tells us so much about Amanda in a few words.
Speaking of Amanda’s lines, why did she tell Dean she missed him? I don’t think that is true. Is she trying to be what Dean wants her to be? (not very Amanda)
Is this the best shot we have of Dean, I think it is. Bookends, love it!
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Ah they look so young walking at the monument and so begins his “I’m a loner and you’re better off going back to your life”,but oh Lee neither of you will be better off without the other,uh oh he just wants to get away from Amanda because she pushes his buttons and he’s off balance around her because he doesn’t know how to handle a mother who isn’t like the women that he’s used to because he’s trying to get rid of her and yet she’s concerned about him meeting a nice girl,I do agree that it makes Lee uncomfortable because he doesn’t care about meeting a nice girl,he just wants his needs met and we know what those are and he knew from the beginning that Amanda wasn’t one of those women!In his mind Amanda was put on a pedestal to not be touched and that includes him!The interesting thing is when was the last time that any woman showed genuine concern for Lee?So he’s already confused by Amanda because he’s so used to women acting a certain way and Amanda isn’t!The way that he drops his mask and admits about his partner and he looks away and you can tell how difficult it is for him but Amanda just makes him feel safe emotionally,he may not know it yet but his heart will always be safe with Amanda!Lee has all of these walls but Amanda just demolishes them and it probably scares him senseless that this young mother can make him bear his soul but Amanda is so gentle with him here,he dropped his mask but secured it again and in that moment Amanda saw the real Lee and his body language as he leaves is ‘he’s a loner because it’s all he has ever known because he’s lost so many people’! Lee’s teasing Amanda about her trenchcoat and he’s adorable because he’s enjoying her here and what a smile and I so love how Amanda snarks back to Lee “Oh well I certainly wouldn’t want to do that! Would I?Lee looks properly chastised because Amanda just let Lee have it and he got that it made her mad and it struck me throughout the show that Lee lost his temper with Amanda a lot but when he knew that she was mad at him,he couldn’t handle it and he always had to make it up to her!Lee was super cocky in the beginning but also it seemed like he didn’t care if he lived or not,which is why Amanda mattered so much because he had to take extra care to make sure she returned home to her family because he had never had anyone to depend on him before and that changed everything for him!
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At the goodbye outside at the memorial it seemed to me that Lee was a bit more like a normal person and revealed a lot about himself to Amanda. I wouldn’t think a “loner spy” would do that. I see Lee as a normal guy who uses his role as a spy as his “role” for the world. Because Amanda is so normal that resonates with him but at a subconscious level right now.
Amanda is treating Lee like a friend or at least like someone she has a “friendly” relationship with. She felt comfortable warning him about bars and asking about Thanksgiving plans.
I love the picture of Lee between those giant columns with the Washington monument behind him.
There’s a picture in the new SMK fan book of BB standing on what appears to be the steps of the Jefferson Memorial being attended to by a crew member while other crew are in the background. There’s also a camera I think on a lift nearby. I’m sure they were there for quite awhile. Too many single/close shots, mid range and wide not to have been a long time and those would all be done separately.
UGH. Amanda’s having a romantic evening with dull Dean. I’m not convinced she even likes the guy. But why would she now? Her encounters with Lee are more interesting even if not confusing and risky.
So I’m imagining that she hustled Dean out pretty quick once she had that package information. Do you suppose she told her mother she needed to go to the drug store for aspirin? Lol
Once again Amanda and Lee get drawn back together– this time at night because she has info on what was in the package. I got a kick out of the trench coat line. I feel like the whole scene was just for that line! Hahaha
As I commented in the last post I do think they have bonded but I don’t think either are able to acknowledge that yet.
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LOL, IWSOD–your commentary is so funny! And yes, you are correct about the DC locations. Lee and Amanda are at the Jefferson Memorial and in front of the Capitol. I think I spy the cherry blossoms in bloom in the background at the JM, so they must have filmed there during the spring. I especially like these early episodes that were filmed on location.
The scene at the JM is interesting in that Lee is adamant about being a loner, he’s not close to anyone, and yet he’s calling Amanda by her first name now–something you don’t do, unless you’re getting closer to a person. Lee is fighting it but Amanda is already drawing him in.
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