Hi All!!!! Hey, ready for the next episode??!!! There are only four more after this one to finish up Season 4, and the whole show. This episode has been transcribed by the generous and wonderful BJo!!!! BJo- we salute you!!!!! Thanks for making the walk through this episode possible… and if you wish to access the full transcript I’m pretty sure it’s on smk-land.com. If it’s not let me know.
As we start, here’s a reminder of the formatting we are going with for the walk through this episode..
BJo’s descriptions are in this format- (xxx)
BJo’s comments are as follows [BJO: xxx]
My descriptions are in this format- xxx
My comments are in this format- [xxx]
Clear as mud?! Great! Let’s continue haaaaa…
I’m approaching this walk through a little differently, in the hopes I can complete the write up a little more quickly.. I’ve actually watched this episode through completely before starting to write. First time I’ve done that.. and I’ll see how it goes!
Remember- if something jumps out at you and you wish to discuss, and I haven’t covered it: Do bring it up and share it with us all!!!! I might skip stuff well worth exploring so don’t hesitate to raise it.
The episode opens with a Washington DC vista..
We see an external establishing shot of a ‘Freedom Hall’
Inside, an older man is talking into a microphone in front of an audience..
Older man: “You say you never had a taste of getting wet or see a river rush its banks or railroad trestles bent, but when the earth is arid and the air is hot and foul,..
[rofl.. hearing the words ‘hot and foul’ we see two grumpy looking goons up the back are watching on with interest. yes yes, they seem quite foul!]
…I’ll share my secret waterfall, but please don’t use my towel.” … Let me leave you with one more thought. Our government has 7,829 nuclear warheads pointed at the Soviet Union. They have about the same amount. Do you think either of us needs any more?
(The crowd applauds… even the goons, begrudgingly!)
The old guy, named Mayfield, exits the stage, and approaches someone in the audience.. turns out she is his daughter, named Laura.
[My goodness. He has a bob! An actual bob!!]
Mayfield explains the place is crawling with agents who have come to get him, becuase he’s “… appearing on the morning show tomorrow to talk against deploying cruise missiles in Europe. If anything happens to me, this diary is the key to all my research.”
(He hands over a serious looking journal)
Laura the overacting daughter offers to talk to him in the car as she drives him to the airport.. but Mayfield declines saying it’s too dangerous.
He says I love you, and then leaves.
[Hmm he had a daughter quite late, she seems quite young to be his daughter.]
Mayfield leaves Freedom Hall to get a Taxi.
Mayfield (to taxi driver): Dulles.
[BJO: Ruh roh…man in suit we saw earlier gets into the back seat of the cab right after Mr. Mayfield.]
(He shoves Mayfield over as Mayfield protests, and demands the taxi driver drive on.)
[Oh the irony!!! Kidnapped in front of Freedom Hall!!]
(Meanwhile….in Lee’s apartment….)
We find Lee and Amanda looking all comfy and relaxed on the sofa reading their respective newspapers. Ohhh remember the days when people read actual newspapers?!
Lee: Amanda, this weekender is terrific. I’ve found at least a half a dozen good ideas for what to do with Phillip and Jamie.
Amanda: Oh, well, that’s terrific. Now look, you’ve got to realize it’s going to take them a little time to get used to you.
Lee: And vice versa. You know, everything that I have ever read on the subject says that I am the one that has to start breaking the ice as soon as possible.
Amanda: Well, that ought to be easy with Phillip. He already thinks you’re pretty terrific.
Lee: Yeah, he is the easiest, but uh… I think Jamie is going to be tough.
[Okay, where is Lee’s wedding ring??!!!
I’m liking Amanda’s hair here.. reminds me of season 1 Amanda hair..kinda.]
Amanda: Well, Jamie’s always been my baby. It’ll just take a little more time, that’s all.
[Isn’t sincere Lee here all kinds of adorable? reading up on how to build a relationship with Philip and Jamie?!
I love how Amanda looks at him here like she’s thinking the same thing..
Maybe I’m imagining things, but when Amanda says the line about it taking a little more time with Jamie – I had the sense she was thinking it had been the same between her and Lee. Lee needed time too… but they got there!]
(There’s a knock at the door. We cut to a wider shot and find Lee and Amanda have been eating their breakfast.)
[whooooo I think Amanda is wearing stonewash jeans. Remember those??!!
Whoooo love that walk to the door.. as Lee adjusts his jeans… What a lovely view Lee’s apartment has!!!! cough cough.]
At the door, Lee checks the peakhole. Ahhhh it’s Billy.
Billy: Good morning, Lee.
Lee: Morning.
Billy: Good morning, Amanda.
[BJO: hahahaha – why is there no surprise at all in Billy’s voice that Amanda is at Lee’s apartment in the morning 😀 ]
[I agree BJo, it was so telling Billy showed no reaction at all to the domestic scene he has interrupted. While Lee seems a little hmm curious about the visit.. there doesn’t seem to be any fear from Lee or Amanda hear about how Billy will react to this.
It’s a real treat to see Lee and Amanda together all domestic.. especially after so few Lee and Amanda moments in the previous episode!!! ]
Lee: Hello, sir.
Billy: Listen up you two. I’ve got an assignment.
Lee: Ah, now, wait a minute. Amanda and I are not on the active duty roster for another 48 hours.
[BJO: You go, Lee!!!]
Billy: That’s why I came here, Scarecrow. This one’s got to be completely off the record. I got a phone call from Congressman Lance Posner. A woman named Laura Mayfield has been ringing his phone off the hook. She’s the daughter of Archibald Mayfield.
Lee: Archibald Mayfield? The poet who was arrested for delaying the underground weapons test.
Billy: Among other things… [Yes! he is very possessive of his towel. So make sure you don’t use it!] … Anyway, Laura Mayfield is convinced that her father has been kidnapped by the Agency.
Lee: (incredulously) What? Kidnapped? That’s nuts.
Billy: It does sound crazy, but Posner wants to put this to bed before it hits the front page of the Post.
Amanda: Does she have any evidence?
Billy: Her father’s research in some sort of diary.
Lee: Look, Billy, this sounds to me like another of Mayfield’s publicity stunts. We could end up with a lot of egg on our faces.
Billy: That’s exactly why I want to keep this completely off the record. I also want a thorough investigation. If someone starts yelling cover-up, we’re going to look just as bad. Um, ah, here’s her address. See what she’s got. But tell her you’re from Posner’s office. I don’t want any Agency exposure.
[BJO: Hahahahaha, spoken like a true administrator!]
…I’m sorry I interrupted your day off. I owe you both one.
[Hmmm Amanda isn’t wearing a wedding ring either.. hmmm maybe we’ll see them appear later. We’ll keep an eye out!]
[The shadow on the backwall is interesting.. seems Lee has a massive feature window we never see. lol]
Billy leaves.
Lee: I can’t believe this.
Amanda: Well, let’s just get it over with.
Lee: Alright. Now there’s a guy I want to talk to who works at justice who runs down missing persons.
Amanda: Mm, hmm.
Lee: Then, we’ll follow up on Laura, here.
The next scene is an exterior of a shop.. a fifties diner.
(Man walks into light blue building…only in California.)
[BJo: Surely this isn’t D.C. If only that pesky Hollywood sign would show itself!]
[Ohhh haaaaaa yes Bjo!!! I still look for the Hollywood sign too!!!!]
Lee is meeting a guy named Brad Donaldson from the Justice Department.
LOL the way Donaldson places his order is kind of kooky. Or is it just me?? Kooky like that eye catching tie of his. I reckon it might hypnotise you if you look at it closely and long enough. Be careful there Lee.
Donaldson: So what’s shaking? You know, I thought the Agency created missing persons. I didn’t know you actually started looking for them.
[Is it just me or can this dude not act? Aie. First Laura now this..]
Lee: Yeah (sort of a little chuckle?), we got a report that Archibald Mayfield, poet, was kidnapped.
Donaldson: By who?
Lee: By the Agency.
Donaldson: Might flaky those no nukes types.
Lee: Mmm.
Donaldson: A lot of them really aren’t here even when they’re here. If you know what I mean. [Yeeah not liking this guy…]
Lee: Yeah, well politics and poetry aside, I’ve got to file a follow-up. You got anything on Mayfield?
Donaldson: Yeah, enough. The poet was peddling more than inspiration on our college campuses. The local vice guys started closing in on him and he split. Canada or Alaska. And I hear the Eskimos hate bad poetry.
Lee: (chuckles)
Donaldson: Right (waiter puts his politically incorrect meal on the table). (To waiter) Thank you. (To Lee) Power lunch, 50s style.
Lee: Heartburn.
[BJO: Bwahahahaha! Poor Lee! You are getting old!]
[Haaaa I love it!!!!]
The scene ends with Heartburn. How appropriate.. at the meal, but also at Donaldson the character and the guys’ lousy acting.
Moving on.. we see an exterior shot of an apartment building. whooo quite gothic!
[Have we seen this location before?]
It’s Lee and Amanda visiting Laura Mayfield at her apartment.. as congressional staff.. cough cough. Definitely not agents. No agents to see here!!!
Laura: I just hope it’s not too late. All these years, I never took my father’s paranoias that seriously. Having government agents poking around was more or less a fact of life.
Lee: Hm, yeah, but going from surveillance to kidnapping is quite a jump.
Laura: I know how it sounds. But when he suddenly disappeared, I took a closer look at some of his research. It’s pretty scary. (She walks over to her desk to show Lee and Amanda something). Do you know who this is?
Amanda: Let’s see. Sidney Rollins. Ah, I don’t know. Wasn’t he retired from the Agency a few years ago?
Lee: Not retired – fired..
[BJO: ruh roh].
…Drummed out for breaking most of the rules and bending the rest. He was the architect of the Agency programs that harassed people like your father for years.
[Ummm why would Lee be divulging that information in front of Laura like that?? and why would a congressional staff member know that off the top of their head? and.. why does Iwsod even wonder this stuff?!]
Laura: I think he’s still at it.
Lee: Laura, we talked to a man in the Justice Department who is very familiar with your father’s case. He says your dad’s on the run from a drug investigation.
Laura: Justice? Donaldson at the Interagency bureau, right?
Amanda: Do you know Agent Donaldson?
Laura: He ran a counterintelligence investigation of the anti-nuclear movement in the early ‘70s. My father never had anything to do with drugs. Anyone who knows him could tell you that. He gave me his diary just before he disappeared. [Donaldson? Early 70s? with his diet I’m surprised to hear he has aged so well!!!]
Amanda: Can I look at it?
[BJO: cuz we know that if a diary’s involved, Amanda will crack it!]
[Haaaa good one BJo!]
Laura: It’s coded. Nothing too hard. My dad and I used to play with codes when I was a kid.
Amanda: Dr. Carl Roberts, Royal Baker, Clifford Sawyer – do you know these people?
Laura: Teachers, scientists. All outspoken against our nuclear policies like my father.
Amanda: And all harassed by Donaldson like your father?
Laura: That’s right. And I don’t think it’s a coincidence they’re missing, too. (Lee and Amanda look a bit confused.) You are aware they’ve disappeared?
Lee: Uh, well, I wasn’t. But, uh, then again, they’re not the kind of high-profile personalities that make headlines.
Laura: I know it sounds absurd. It’s even a little crazy.
Amanda: Look, uh, we’re here to help you and we’re not going to discount anything you say.
Laura: It took me this long to convince myself and he’s my own father.
Scene ends.
Cut to Lee’s silver Corvette driving down the street.
Lee: I thought this was going to be a Sunday brunch, but when Laura mentioned Rollins’ name, I got heartburn.
[Oh rofl. Let’s see how many times we can squeeze the word Heartburn into the dialogue!]
Amanda: Was he really that bad?
Lee: Rollins surrounded himself with a gang of zealots who were going to save America from itself. And if a little thing like the Bill of Rights got in the way – well, tough luck.
[rofl this image above looks to be Amanda making her shoulders look even bigger and Lee saying they are this big!!]
Amanda: But look, he’s been out of it so long, how could he possibly have anything to do with Archibald Mayfield’s disappearance? He couldn’t!
Lee: Well, I sure as hell hope not. (They continue to walk). Here.
Camera cuts to Rollins’ washing or waxing his car.
Rollins: I wish I could do something about the Mayfield’s of this country. That’s not my job anymore.
Lee: So you’re not surprised to find your name in Mayfield’s diary?
Rollins: Hell, no. I’d be disappointed if it wasn’t. We’re fighting a war against those people.
Amanda: Those people are leaders in science, the arts, industry.
Rollins: Look, Mrs. King, they’re trying to bring this great country of ours to its knees. Every day their organization gets stronger and more dangerous. When I was head of covert action, we were winning that war. It wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t always pretty, but we were getting the job done.
[He doesn’t seem to be repentant for the reason he was fired.. uh oh.]
Lee: And hurting a lot of innocent people along the way.
Rollins: There’s a price on anything of value. I don’t apologize for anything I did. I wish I could have done more. But, then, I didn’t belong to the right clubs like your new boss, Dr. Smith. Oh, what the hell. A good car is worth more than a whole town full of politicians.
[Ohhhhhh I see. One of those self righteous, the rules don’t apply to me, whatever, the ends justifying the means types of baddies this week I think!!!]
Lee and Amanda walking back to their car.
Amanda: No question about where he stands.
Lee: Heh, Rollins always did wear his gun outside his coat for everyone to see.
[Not a bad way to convince people what you see is what you get right? When you appear so upfront, people can assume you are not hiding anything.. wrongly! this guy doesn’t talk in past tense about this fight either by the way!]
Amanda: He sure hasn’t changed.
Lee: Yeah, guys like him never do.
[Ah I see Lee is seeing right through him!]
Amanda: Thank you.
What are you all making of this episode so far ? do tell!!!!
Compared to all the angst of MOG I’d take this any day, even with all the lousy acting (and possessive about towels poetry) haaaaaa…
The domestic morning scene is all kinds of delightful. Can’t wait for more!!! Thoughts?????
"Just walk with me.." 