On to Amanda’s!!! I’ll include the full transcription from peacockdancer for this scene…
(Lee’s Corvette is parked outside.)
Dotty: Lee, let me ask you a question…
[Dotty having a direct conversation with Lee? Asking him a question? Okay okay I’m really glad we got this before the show ended… even if the show is not all so super stellar genius in these final few episodes!]
(We see that Dotty and Lee are in the kitchen. Dotty is folding laundry on the kitchen island. Lee is leaning on one arm against the other side of the island. He is clean-shaven and neat now, and wearing a sport coat and tie.)
[Ohhhhh this scene!!! I remember hearing about this scene for years before I actually got to see it!]
Dotty (continuing to fold): Are you familiar with the, uh, “fourth dimension theory” in laundry?
(Lee pauses to register the question before responding tolerantly.)
Lee: No, I can’t say that I am.
(He clears his throat, not sure what is coming next.)
[LOL I love how Dotty has the power to make Lee nervous!]
Dotty: Well, you know. You put a pair of socks into the dryer, and when you take the clothes out, one sock is missing?
Lee (nodding): Hmm.
Dotty: My theory is, that they disappear into the fourth dimension, and they reappear in somebody else’s dryer… …Now you take this sock, for instance…
(She holds up a man’s dress sock. Lee suddenly looks very uncomfortable.)
… This man’s sock appeared in a load of Amanda’s things, heh.
Lee (smiling uneasily): Huh.
Dotty: Imagine. (She examines the sock.) A beautiful sock … expensive … argyle…
(She looks knowingly at Lee.)
[haa nice continuity with the socks!]
Lee (innocently, but he knows he isn’t fooling her): What a coincidence.
(Cue the cheerful “twinkly” music.)
Dotty (looking straight at him, knowingly): Isn’t it, though?
(Lee flashes another embarrassed smile. We hear the a door open.)
Dotty: Oh – there’s Amanda. Okay… (She puts the remaining laundry in the basket and starts leaving the room.) …Well, I’ll leave you two together.
Lee (uncomfortably, raising a finger): Uh…
(Dotty hands him his sock.)
Dotty: You, ah – you three.
(She departs to go upstairs with the laundry basket.)
[The look on Lee’s face when Dotty pulls out the expensive man’s argyle sock that just happened to be in Amanda’s things is too funny… Dotty is no dummy.. she just has an interesting way of expressing herself and that SHE KNOWS Lee Stetson!!!! Assumed it was his sock!!
At this point, I think she knows pretty much everything.. except about the marriage itself.. Because surely Lee and Amanda wouldn’t be that dumb, right?!
Do you think these days this scene would play differently with a new audience? I mean these days it’s not unusual for a boyfriend’s clothes to end up in the wash no? and in the 80s it was maybe more of a sign of a serious relationship and had different meaning? anyone? ]
(Lee considers the sock uncomfortably for a moment, then quickly shoves it in his pocket as we see Amanda entering the kitchen from the back door, carrying some groceries. [Love the big smile Lee gives her! ahhh…. That never gets old!]
She’s dressed fairly casually in jeans and an oversized white sweater with large shoulder pads (sigh) and big blue patches on the elbows. This is clearly not a work day for her.)
[What is this sweater?! someone please explain this monstrosity!!!
Nothing can diminish the joy at seeing these two together again though! Hoorah… like water in a desert… we have Lee and Amanda both physically present in a scene together!!!!!]
Amanda (calling out): Hello?
Lee (happy to see her): Hi.
(Amanda seems surprised to see him and walks quickly into the kitchen.)
Amanda: Hello stranger! (She sets the grocery bag on the counter and puts her arms around his neck,
then pulls him close to hug him as his hands circle around her back.)
[Amanda seems to go in for a kiss here but then thinks not?]
…My gosh, you really look exhausted. When’s the last time you had some decent sleep?
Lee (sighing): Oh, I lost track.
(He closes his eyes and buries his face in her shoulder as they hug.)
Amanda (sympathetically): Ohh…
(They rock gently, [does Lee kiss her shoulder?] then Lee looks up, continuing to hold her close.)
[AWHHHHHH!!!!!]
Lee: Amanda, it’s this Brody case. I’m making some headway but I… It’s damn slow work.
Amanda (playing with his lapels and patting his chest): You know what? If you work twenty-four hours a day, you’re not gonna be able to think straight and you’re not gonna do anybody any good. Now why won’t you let me help you? [Wow this really is The Eyes Have It 2.0!]
Lee: Amanda, I can’t.
Amanda: This thing’s really gotten to you, hasn’t it?
Lee: Yes it has. I feel responsible for what happened to Sally Wong and Peters.
(Amanda rests her hands on his chest and looks in his eyes.)
Amanda: Look. They both knew what kind of a chance they were taking when they agreed to be your contacts. You know that, don’t you? (She says this as a statement rather than a question.)
[Sally Wong and Peters were the contacts who were murdered?? oh noo.. Sally was the nice lady who was Lee’s nurse in “The Eyes Have It” well that is sad.. Do we know who Peters was? Go SMK! Someone is trying to do continuity!!! hehehee.. well that is good… but err can continuity be on a more happy note?! haaa.
Yes they knew what they were getting into but that doesn’t mean Lee shouldn’t fight for justice.. Not really a fan of this line of Amanda’s… and it doesn’t change the fact Lee needs to have a rest so he can keep fighting…. Go Lee!]
Lee: Brody broke all the rules. Even for this game.
Amanda (shaking her head): Promise me you’ll get some rest.
(Lee pauses as the music swells sweetly.)
Lee (feeling a little better now): Yeah. I guess I will.
(He smiles. His hands are still around her back and hers have come back to rest on his shoulders.)
[It’s so lovely to see Lee welcome some tender loving care.. comparing back to the way Amanda cared for Lee back in The Eyes Have It, you can see he has really opened himself up and become comfortable with being vulnerable and leaning on Amanda for support.]
Amanda (gently teasing): Yeah, I guess you’d better. I’m worried about you.
Lee (leaning in, pulling her closer): How worried?
(They give each other a sweet kiss on the lips.)
[We get not just a scene together, but a kiss too???? well this is a treat!!!!]
Amanda: Pretty darn worried.
(Lee lets out a small laugh.)
Amanda: I love you.
Lee (softly, affectionately): I love you.
(They kiss again. Lee closes his eyes and buries his face in her neck as they hug each other close.)
[Two kisses?? Someone restart my heart!!!
The end of this scene is so sweet.. after a few little pecks.. Lee goes back for one more hug- and nuzzles into the side of Amanda’s neck for comfort.. it is lovely!
Getting close to the end of Season 4, the show is not as engaging for me, but this aspect? I’m 100% on board with!!!! I’m so glad we got to see it even in tiny amounts, before the show came to an end! I find myself missing much of the charm of earlier smk.. but I know when I go back to earlier seasons I’m going to miss this too!!
Early SMK would have had this whole 4th dimension of Laundry gag eventually relate back to the case in some way.. but here? It’s just a cute inserted side gag that takes up quite a bit of time but is nothing else. Not that I’m complaining I’d rather have it or not, but I think the show is less integrated, the charm of the show was that insertion of Amanda’s domesticity and normality into the spy world.. now, they are just separate and amusing.]
Thoughts anyone??? Do tell!!!!!