"Just walk with me.."

So at the end of the last scene we had this:

And bam! We cut to this:
Rather jolting!! Look what the cat’s dragged in! ha haaaa
Meeeeooow! This Sinclair is quite the man about town.. he’s stylish!

Blackthorne: Sinclair. (He sounds surprised to see him)
Sinclair: Up so late, Thomas?
[Oh my! these props are hilarious! Blackthorne is clearly compensating for something! Sure Freud would have a field day with him!]
Blackthorne: Just having a nightcap. Join me?
(Sinclair puts his jacket aside as he joins Blackthorne)
Sinclair: No, thanks. I’ll be leaving tomorrow after my speech at the Plaza, so I came to say goodbye.
Blackthorne: Oh. I know you’re anxious to get back.
[Ah Blackthorne, his modus operandi seems to be overwhelming his prey with massive amounts of empathic caring.. and then.. Pow! They’re stuffed for posterity!]
Sinclair: You must come back to Ile de Marin soon. And don’t be surprised if all the schools are named for you.

[Oh the irony! I think everyone will be surprised at that eventually   That Sinclair is so taken in could be interpreted as him being a bad judge of character.. but I’m guessing it’s more that Blackthorne is an excellent liar.
Sinclair thinks Blackthorne cares about schools and people! Look around you Sinclair! The guy likes to kill and stuff living things for recreation and then sets them up throughout his house as trophies! If you’re not careful, you’ll be next!
And.. I’m still worried about Goldie! haven’t seen him/her for a while.. hope Goldie has escaped!]
Blackthorne: Well, I’m looking forward to it. Don’t work too hard, now.
Sinclair: Don’t worry. After seven years of revolution, I think I’m due a little peace and quiet.
Blackthorne: Good. Have a safe trip, friend.
(Lots of arm slapping and fond looks.. and Sinclair heads out)
Sinclair: Thank you.
(Here comes trusty sidekick Landers for a baddie update!)
Landers: It’s all set. By tomorrow afternoon, Mr Sinclair will no longer be a problem. [this Landers is rather dull isn’t he!]
Blackthorne: Excellent. 
[Muahahahaha!
Boy have the secret service been fooled by these two – they are going to be apologising to Billy by the end of this ep!

I think on the surface this Blackthorne is rather dull, like his sidekick! But.. when I consider him more deeply, he’s beginning to become an interesting baddie. I think he has been so successful up till now with fooling people because he is excellent at identifying people’s emotional vulnerabilities. With Sinclair – it’s the love of his country and how hard he has been working.. with Lee –  Blackthorne shut him up with his so-called integrity in reporting what he heard, and capitalised on Lee’s pain and powerlessness in that moment over his parent’s fate. Blackthorne is very cluey, and seems to fly under the radar.. not the most fascinating television but LOL his home decorating style seems to make up for it – just my random thoughts on this baddie.. feel free to share your own insights and thoughts!]

Back to IFF and I guess it’s the next day.. Speech at the Plaza Day for Sinclair!
We find Lee and Amanda in the Q bureau briefing Billy.

Lee: Then in 1953, Inter-Ocean Freight was bought out by Pan-Coastal Shipping, which went bankrupt in 1954.
Amanda: And Sir, we can’t find any evidence that these companies ever actually conducted business.
Billy: So?
Lee: So, every one of these is a dummy corporation which can be traced to the same company. Redmont Supply.
Amanda: Started by Thomas Blackthorne with money that he got somehow during the war. [Ah! Soooooo Blackthorne is a crook.. that’s as much detail as I need to know 😉 ]
[Whoa! now that is information that should blow your hair back! Seems to have worked on Amanda! Only.. Billy doesn’t really have any.. which may explain his response…]
Billy: I thought I told you to lay off Blackthorne.
Amanda calmly: Sir. We haven’t been anywhere near him. This is just research.
Lee: Come on, Billy. Doesn’t this tell you something?
Billy: Yes. Yes, it tells me something. It tells me that you have developed an obsession. It tells me that you need a couple of days off.
[Okay. I gotta say. I feel for Billy’s character! We need a defender of Billy’s dignity! (A DOBD!) The writers seem to regularly give him lines that make him sound like a blockhead!

Billy knows Lee and Amanda well enough to not immediately jump to a conclusion they are obsessed! It’s obvious it’s based on something – and Billy hasn’t even inquired why they began to question Blackthorne in the first place! If Billy is going to accuse every agent who chases up their suspicions of being obsessed I think IFF should close up shop now and go play some goofy golf!]
Lee’s response to Billy’s conclusion that Lee is obsessed and needs a few days off is spot on

– he’s quite speechless!
Billy: And don’t argue with me… …I’m doing you a favour by giving you a couple of days to cool out. As of now you’re on leave. I want you to turn this material over to Francine…
(Amanda looks shocked and disappointed)
…and let her sort it out. If there’s any real crime involved, we’ll follow it up. Understood?
Amanda: Yes, Sir.
(Lee remains silent!)
[Amanda knows when to shut up and agree… but yes, understood. Billy you can’t be reasoned with because you are being unreasonable. It’s like he’s obsessed with Blackthorne and staying away from him!
Thanks for the ‘favour’ Billy! Not! I don’t really get Billy’s logic, Lee and Amanda have done further digging and uncovered evidence of potential criminal activity by Blackthorne – So therefore Lee is obsessed?! Billy knows nothing of Lee’s parents and that whole story line!
Oh and yet Billy wants the evidence turned over to Francine so she can follow up this evidence of the obsessed?  What am I missing?! They haven’t even talked to Blackthorne again! Oh whatev. Seems Billy’s door is closed on Lee and Amanda, but.. Francine may open a window  

I think at the end of this episode, the secret service and Billy will be apologising to Lee and Amanda! [Hope Amanda can adopt Goldie!!]

This scene ends with Amanda turning around to Lee – who is glaring at the back of Billy as he leaves.

I don’t think Lee’s going to take a few days off. He’s obsessed! 😉

Obsessed Lee and Amanda are walking along an IFF corridor obsessively!
Amanda: Well, we tried.
Lee: We’re not finished yet.
[What’s the verdict on Amanda’s outfit people? I love the colour, but umm.. it’s not working for me.. thoughts?]
Amanda: Yeah, I know we’re not. [LOL I love this – she knows! Of course Lee wasn’t going to sit on his hands and take a few days off! It’s amazing Billy thought it a possibility!]
…You know, I think this stuff in the margin is shorthand. [oh rofl! really?!]
Lee: Well, it’s not like any shorthand I’ve ever seen. [Why hasn’t crypto had a look at it?]
[Whooo the back corridor that never has people in it now has a guard! Gotta stop any extras from trying to walk down there and hitting the picture haaaa!]
Amanda: I know it’s not. I think this could be an old method called Pitman,
…and I think I’ve seen Francine use it before.
[So I guess I did remember the shorthand, I just didn’t remember remembering 😉 ]

[That is one massive logo!]
…Why don’t I find her and we’ll meet you back upstairs?
Lee: All right.
[Why do they split up? I dunno!]

They part ways.. and we see a shot of extras in the corridor. LOL. but can I get a clear shot of it?
Noooo.. I hope all of season 4 isn’t going to give me trouble – it’s been tricky to get clear screen captures! If it’s all of season 4 – I think you’ll be seeing less images in posts!

Interesting that IFF looks to have gotten a season 4 upgrade! Did anyone catch what the placards are indicating?
I think the first one they walked past was forensics and the second one is black something but I can’t see it. anyone?

Any thoughts on this post you’d like to share?

Back to Lee’s apartment to go over what they found in what I guess was Lee’s dad’s war room (aka bunker).
Great to see Lee and Amanda sifting through all this together. Not knowing what’s in there, Lee is placing huge trust in Amanda by not taking this all away to look through it all by himself before deciding if he will share it with Amanda. For me, this illustrates the trust Lee is now placing in Amanda Incredibly swoony stuff. Much better than a tuxedo! [okay well maybe only just! tee hee]

Lee: Another list of corporations.
Amanda: You know, I’ve never heard of any of these companies and so far none of them are listed on any of the exchanges.
(Amanda seems to be comparing these companies to the companies listed in the stock exchange results in the newspaper.)
[Ahhh so this is what people did before the internet! 😉 ]
(Lee looks over the corporations list) [deep in thought mode. I see Lee fixed his hair before tackling this lol]
Lee: These notes are 30 years old. They may very well have gone out of business.
Amanda: Every single one of them?
Lee: Uh, that would be a long shot.
Amanda: Mm-hm.[I don’t know why but it’s cute to see Lee biting on his thumb like this.. maybe it’s because it reminds me of little Lee?!]
(We see a close up on the corporations list.)
Anything of interest here everyone? I’ll leave this massive list for others to explore! I love to dig into these names and see if connections can be found. or lol bloopers. But.. I’ll leave this one to others to explore! I’m short on time 😦 Anyone here know shorthand? Are the scribbles short hand? If so, anyone able to  translate? ]

Lee: Oh, we’ll run it through the agency computer; see what it comes up with…
(Lee waves his hand over the list in close up.)
(here’s a hand close up.. but.. is it Lee’s hand? what do fans think?)
Lee:…I wonder what these symbols are?
[lol not short hand I guess. Or maybe we find out they are and I’ve completely forgotten! but errr have subconsciously remembered?! that’s possible! A bit like Lee forgetting the bunker, but remembering how to screw in the light bulb for light!]
Amanda: I don’t know. They’re all over the place. It’s funny.
Lee: What?
Amanda: Well, I don’t know. They’re vaguely familiar but I don’t know why. [Nah Amanda would know short hand wouldn’t she. She was practicing her short hand when playing the cover of Lee’s secretary in To Catch a Mongoose. I must be wrong!]
(Distracted by the funny codes, absent minded Amanda picks up a book in their collection and opens it.. )
Lee: Got to be a code of some kind.
Amanda: Yeah. Hmm.
(Amanda opens the book and immediately pauses)
Lee: You have something?
Amanda: Well, it’s, uh, a letter…to you from your mother. [What was it doing in his dad’s war room?!]
(Amanda hands the book to Lee)
Amanda (very quietly): It starts up there.
Lee reacts..

I’m sure you’ll describe his reactions here better than me..

Please do!
I’m  guessing that Lee is torn, he wants to hear what his mother has to say to him, but he knows it’s going to hurt. Lee is ready to face this pain and grief, he knows hearing what his mother has to say is precious. I’m thinking this isn’t worry about his mum confessing to being a double agent and that’s the furthest thing from his mind – what do you all think?]
Lee: “My dear son. There’s so much I want to tell you when you get older.”
(Lee pauses…)
(Lee hands Amanda the book)

…Amanda, would you?
Amanda quietly: Are you sure?
Lee quietly: Yeah.
[I think Lee is determined, but knows it’s going to hurt, so he reaches out to Amanda to help him get through this. It’s quite a symbolic demonstration of how Lee is no longer dealing with this on his own, and how now Amanda is in his life, and he has let her into this painful chapter – he can deal with this and accept and welcome her support. Err I mean, this is how I’m seeing it – what do you all  think? why does Lee give Amanda the book to read it for him?]
Amanda: “My dear son. There’s so much I want to tell you when you get older so I’m writing it all down, lest I forget.”

Amanda looks up at Lee here, and then looks back down at the book.
Lee responds with a nod.
He seems to be jumping in his seat a little – all excited. Like he’s little Lee again!

And he smiles..
[What a gift finding this is! And.. with Amanda reading it to him – he can accept this gift, even though it also hurts – IMHO!]
He’s eager to hear more..
Amanda: “I’ll start with your father. Everyone thinks… we met in the States in 1949…”
(At this point, Amanda’s voice morphs into Jennie’s voice. We see the shot transition to a flashback) [LOL why does this remind me of the end of Wayne’s World?!]
Jennie: …but it actually happened during the war in London.

Jennie: I was walking down the street one night, minding my own business, when suddenly, a cheeky Yank…
(Jennie is walking along, and we see the cheeky yank turn her around so she was walking along with him in the opposite direction.)
Matt: Excuse me, miss.
Jennie: I beg your pardon.
Matt: Look, I’m an American. [That explains everything!  haaa ]
Jennie: Huh. Really?
Matt: I’m in trouble. Someone is following me. Just…walk with me, please?
[Couldn’t you just die?! Just Walk With Me!! But why is this said with no close up?! in the dark?! booooo..]
Jennie: No, I will not!
(Jennie moves out of grasp and tries to head back in the opposite direction. But Matthew grabs her by both arms.)
[That smooth move  apparently written in Lee’s DNA.]
Matt: No, no. Please,..

Finally we get a close up!

…I’m in trouble…
(Jennie doesn’t look to be resisting much!)
… Please?
Jennie: All right. What do you want me to do?
[Aie. I am looking forward to hearing what you all make of this! If there’s a man in a red hat I’m going to lose it! We do have a red telephone booth 😉 ]
Matt: It’s urgent that this letter be delivered to the Prime Minister’s office immediately. It’s life or death.
[Does the Prime Minister have a red hat?!]
(Matthew pulls a letter out of his inside jacket pocket)
[LOL I reckon this sounds like a line! ]
Jennie: Oh, no, really, this is absurd. [So is your accent Jennie  ]
Matt: What’s your name?
[Hmm maybe he should have asked that first!]
Jennie: Huh, I don’t think that’s any of your business.

(We see Matthew realising someone is approaching and he has to go. So he hands the envelope to Jennie and starts to run.)

[If someone had seen him there it was obvious he just gave something to Jennie!]
Matt says as he starts to run: Just deliver it, please? Just deliver it.
[He says it quite loudly.. so this baddie that’s pursuing him must be blind and deaf. Hmm things are looking good for Matthew to make a getaway! ]
A couple of seconds later, two men in suits and hats run past her, in the direction in which Matthew ran.

Jennie watches this, sighing.
Seeing the two men pursuing him, she’s convinced Matthew is legit. LOL I see this and think the two guys could be Matthew’s wingmen! haaaaa…

We see the time shifting wobbles.. and re-join Lee and Amanda back in the 80’s.
Jennie’s voice morphs back into Amanda’s. [hoorah. would rather listen to Amanda’s voice any day!]
Jennie: But he said it was a matter of life and death, so I did try to deliver the letter.
Amanda: “Of course, who would let me in 10 Downing Street, and I didn’t think I should put it in the post.”
Amanda: “Then one night, there he was, peering in the window of my basement flat.”
[Is it just me or is this hilariously inappropriate?!
The vibe here is (I think) – how wonderful! Lee’s dad tracked down his mum… and it was the beginning of a fabulous love story!
But I just hear: creepy peering through the basement window of her apartment!!! whahahahaa..
At least when Lee found Amanda he reconnected with her in a public place in a totally humiliating but adorable outfit!
whahahahaaa… I suspect this is modern ears hearing this dialogue on my part.. and I appreciate that in the 80’s stalking and harassing women wasn’t taken as seriously as it is now- IMHO of course. Sensibilities here have (happily) shifted.]

Lee looks up.

Amanda: And it goes on and on….
(Amanda flips over a number of pages. A rather long letter.. Lee looks really happy!)

[What a discovery! Can’t wait to hear what you think of all this!
Do tell!!
I think the wonderment here I can see in Lee’s expression – is Lee’s wonder that his parents met in a very similar way to how he met Amanda… Lee being a cheeky yank! And.. LOL yes even some of the exact same dialogue – in case the audience couldn’t see the connection. Who knew sentence structures and mating practices were coded into DNA? tee hee..
I like to think that Matthew had told little Lee (leaving out the top secret bits) how Matthew met Jennie… and that it was subconsciously stored away and so it was one day used by Lee.. When destiny had brought Amanda along in her PJ’s and raincoat.. ahem.. I’m not a huge fan of the whole destiny romantic connection trope.. but.. I figure it’s what smk is going for and I’ll go along for the ride.]

…There’s even a family tree…

…It’s really quite a legacy.
[that and great pick up lines! ]
Amanda hops out of her seat, and moves over to sit riiiiiight next to Lee on the sofa.

She puts her arm around him…

And strokes him on the shoulder…

Lee looks up to meet her eyes.
Amanda quietly: Like father, like son.

They look at each other a moment..

And we get a zoom in on the two of them…

And Lee looks away.  Amanda seems to just be open and accepting here with Lee as he processes all this!
awhhh…
Lee looks like a dark cloud has been lifted off him here
I also think the like father like son thing implies that there is just no way Matthew (and Jennie) are double agents, baddies, common blackmailers or whatever.
Can’t wait to hear what you all think!

One last comment on this scene that would have been a total mood kill (even worse than a Wayne’s World reference I think. haaaa) I see there are plants at Lee’s apartment window.
Maybe Lee has a terrace out there but it looked to me his apartment was on the second floor?

Oh and one last thing.. if you want to go back to the blog post where Lee first turns Amanda around and says: ‘Just Walk With Me’ 🙂 – that post is HERE.

Yes, I agree it’s a travesty that the episode ‘The First Time’ was done by me in 3 posts. Criminal! I hang my head in shame!!!! And.. I’ve been fearful of prosecution ever since!!! I’ve promised I’ll go back to it, when we are done with season4, and cover it more thoroughly – as it deserves! Hope you will all still be part of this journey when that time comes (oh in about 10 years haaaaa kidding!!!)
I’m snowed under with RL at the moment, so will get back here when I can. I’m looking forward to reading all your wonderful thoughts and conversations about this! bye!