Tag Archives: episode discussion

Awhhh.. Lee is helping Amanda carry her Harrods shopping bags Well Done Lee! And asking after Amanda’s mother?? Wow!! I’m impressed!!  

I’m loving all these scenery shots of London.. yes! We believe you!! You really are in London!! Ahhh I loved the Los Angeles Olympics for forcing SMK to film overseas!!!! My fave olympics ever

Why does Amanda keep swapping hands with her bag there? did they have a sponsorship deal with Harrods too? LOL…

Lee tells Amanda all she has to do is point out Conrad Walter Barnhill and she can head home.. errr she knows him Lee – don’t you want to know what he is like?? LOL.. he doesn’t even ask her!

Amanda: I don’t understand how you can actually believe that Connie Barnhill is an international hitman. What did you call him?
Lee: The Mongoose. It’s a perfect name for him. He’s ruthless, he’s very smart, very elusive, a master of disguise.

I have always struggled with the assumptions Lee makes here in the beginning of this episode.. The mongoose leaves his calling card (basically saying-I’m the mongoose!), and a note with the name ‘conrad walter barnhill’ and a casino chip..[EDITED TO ADD: Okay Iwsod has made a boo booo here.. check out comments- smkfan(thanks!!) has clarified the casino chip and note with Connie’s name was found on Demarco- not mongoose! the same logic still stands though, when we find later- Connie has the Mongoose calling card as his passport photo.. ]  Lee thinks the clever and cunning mongoose is also saying ‘ I am Conrad Walter Barnhill’ ?? that doesn’t sound smug.. that just sound dumb to me!  The mongoose left his real name on a piece of paper for them to look up his passport photo and see the mongoose’s calling card there too-so he can yell again at Authorities – I am the Mongoose!!! tee hee.. who was it that did that- was it Dillinger? the gangster?? who yelled ‘I’m Dillinger!!!’(gangster history buffs?? ) 

In the beginning of this episode, on the boat, the American agent DeMarco was wearing a wire. They even heard the mongoose speak to DeMarco  with an english accent [Conrad is American!!]  and he told the 3 guys that anyone who knows his name doesn’t tend to live that long- remember?? soooo he just left a little note with them so the rest of the police would know his name? LOL!
Amanda: Alright. What has the Mongoose done recently?
Lee: Oh, not too much. Just killed three men and helped himself to five million dollars worth of stolen diamonds. It’s rumoured that he intends to start a syndicate of international hit men headed by himself. The diamonds are to finance his operation.
Amanda: Lee, I would never tell you how to do your job.

Lee: Oh?
Amanda: Okay. But this time I really think I’m right!   (ROFL!! And she is right ALOT!!! )
Now, Conrad Barnhill may not have been blessed with many of the social graces and he may have had that little dandruff problem,
but still, he was never a violent person.

Lee: Yeah, well, that’s the kid that you remember. Let me tell you about the man that became the Mongoose.
Now to date, forty-two murders throughout the world have been attributed to him.
Lee is much too fast to disregard Amanda’s history with Conrad.. the one person who knows Conrad! Amanda tells Lee what Connie is like (basically: he’s a goose! Not a mongoose!!)- but it is so quickly and easily dismissed by Lee!

I wonder if the person identifying Conrad hadn’t been Amanda.. if it had been Francine – would he have listened and kept an open mind? hmmm.. I wonder.. but once again, Amanda (and Conrad and the Mongoose!) are going to teach Lee a lesson or two!

Lee is so gung ho to catch the mongoose that he is gobbling up all the little breadcrumbs the mongoose has left him, like a rookie fresh out of training.. Come on Lee!

Amanda: And so that’s the reason the Agency brought me over here, to identify him, because you don’t have a picture of him? [Is it just me or is this whole concept ridiculous??!! not that I mind.. it brought Amanda to London! ]
Lee: Yeah, that’s about it. We found a copy of your high school yearbook. [Does anyone else imagine Lee asking to personally look at it?? so he can also secretly check out Amanda??!!!] Instead of a photo, there was a notice that he was absent.
Amanda: No, he wasn’t absent that day.
Lee: No?
Amanda: He locked himself in the chemistry lab by mistake.
Lee: Amanda, he doesn’t even have a passport photo on file.

He somehow replaced that with one of his calling cards. See, that’s his style. He’s arrogant. He’s always thumbing his nose at us.
I really don’t get this! screams he is not the mongoose and the mongoose is playing with him to me! Lee hands Amanda a Casino chip..
Amanda: You think we’ll find the Mongoose at this casino?

Lee: It’s called the Terrorist Club. That was found on the body of one of our agents.
Amanda: Oohhhh.
Love Amanda’s reaction on hearing that the chip she is holding was found on a dead body – like: ewwww I don’t want it! And she gives it back to Lee!!

Lee: That matches his lifestyle. He’s a high roller and he likes excitement.

Amanda: No, no. I just have to tell you that this is not my Connie Barnhill. He can’t be the same person.

Could Lee’s assumption that Conrad is the mongoose be because once Lee knew Conrad was Amanda’s friend from school and “my Connie Barnhill” he was suddenly even more convinced there had to be something wrong with this guy??? Or could this be because his attitude was that Amanda is just naive and what would she know- Lee is an expert on how tough life is and how people can let you down – and Amanda still hadn’t learned that lesson? Thoughts?? I’d love to hear from you!!

Well.. either way.. it is clear the Mongoose wants the authorities to go to the ‘terrorist club’ (good one!) to try and find him.. whether Lee is right and it’s Connie.. or whether Amanda is right and it’s not.. the mongoose left the casino chip on the dead body for a reason.. ( I think it was so we could enjoy another Lee in a tuxedo moment.. but.. I probably don’t have much evidence to support that opinion! LOL!! )

Bring on the Casino!!!! haaaa.. I shall leave it there! My studies are back in full force now.. so will most likely aim for smaller posts regularly darn real life getting in the way of my SMK time!!  

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byee all.. will be back with more soon- in the meantime.. any feedback? thoughts? memories of watching this episode for the first time? byeeeee!!

Welcome to Season Two!!
LOL.. Yep! Men we don’t know chasing someone we don’t know and killing people we don’t know in a way we don’t know?? What a boring start to what is actually a pretty good episode! and Eek! even worse.. what a start to season two!!
The episode opens alongside a London canal,  with an englishman talking into the collar of his jacket [ I tried talking to my collar but no one answered]. The white ear plug hanging out of his ear is ohhhhh so subtle.. What baddie could miss that??!! LOL.. there’s another guy doing the same thing! An old guy gets on a boat, where someone is wearing a wire to record a deal which is about to go down..

Three men are inside- they ask the guy’s name and he replies that people who know his name don’t tend to live very long- the old guy is buying diamonds from these men.. only he double crosses them all in the blink of an eye, he shoots all three of them before they have a clue what’s going on (or can even make a sound for the wire to pick up-LOL!) The baddie tells Inspector Keaton to come in and ‘collect his rubbish’.. uh oh..  he seems to have brought underwater breathing apparatus with him..  so he jumps into the canal and makes his successful getaway leaving a calling card: ‘The Mongoose’
Inspector Keaton: My God! It’s him! Duh duh duuuuhh…

Ok guys,  how does the Mongoose manages to shoot the three men one after the other without one of these men managing to pull out a gun or even a word in reaction?.. this was a tense hand over, surely they would have been ready for action? weird..

I’m thinking maybe this mongoose is not that clever and cunning, the agents are just incompetent! 😆

On to New Scotland yard..
Hoooo Haaaa! What an entrance Lee Stetson makes to Season two!!!

After waiting 5 months for the premier of season two, it must have been heart stoppingly good to see this sight again!  We find Lee looking gorgeous as ever – [no thanks to the disappearance of the side part!!!  UK Immigration refused it entry  on the grounds of Human dignity..]  Does anyone reading remember this season starting??? 

Lee is talking to Billy on the phone about the mongoose.. Let’s just take a moment and check out that view!!…..

Oh yeah.. and the view out the window of London isn’t bad either
Calling all readers in the UK! – I know you are out there!! Where geographically is New Scotland yard? Is it on the opposite side of the thames to the houses of Parliament?? With views of it across the way like that?

Oops.. so one of those men who was killed was an American agent (named ‘DeMarco’) who accidentally became involved with the mongoose.. thus why Lee is there I guess..
So, Mel Stewart earns his keep this week as a voice on the telephone a couple of times- not a bad gig if you can get it  

Seems a piece of paper with the name ‘ Conrad Walter Barnhill’ was found at the murder scene along with the calling card, and a casino chip.. LOL Lee makes it sound like their new lead on the mongoose is all down to this one american agent, DeMarco and all his ‘legwork’.. oh dear.. yes the british couldn’t have contributed anything? LOL..

Billy says they have a lead on this name.. someone who knows Conrad Walter Barnhill will be arriving that morning to help identify him.. Love how Billy tells Lee the flight this person will be arriving on- and hangs up without telling Lee who it is 🙂 I can just imagine Billy having a big grin on his face as he hung up on Lee!!

Doesn’t Lee look all determined and tough [but fashionable and very well groomed 😉 ] on the phone? Love how he gets so worked up pointing he makes the lamp on the desk wobble. hehehe..
Next thing we cut to Amanda- Amanda: Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. [I think the joke here is – this kind of thing always happens to Amanda!!  You can just
tell Lee is thinking- want a bet?! ] Amanda and Lee are sitting on the top of a double decker bus.. ( and going by all the sights – this looks like one of those tourist buses that goes on a loop lol! )

Amanda: I mean, I got to the airport, I went to the baggage claim, I picked up my bags, or at least what I thought were my bags. I mean, they looked like my bags, they’re brown with a stripe.

Lee can’t believe it.. just can’t believe it.. of all the people…  It’s amazing that Mr Tough Guy Lee can deal with Russian double agents, and hit men..but surprise him with Amanda in a tiss and he gets so worked up !!! She really gets to him in a way no one else does.. I bet he finds that really unsettling!

His reaction is very interesting!! Why do you think he reacts this way? I think there is more than one reason and a few clues…

Amanda: I went through customs, I got on the bus, I opened my small bag to get my hairbrush out, and look what came out.
Lee: Whoo! career girl!…. Amanda: Now look. These things belong to a Miss, um, Trixie Berlinger. (Trixie?.. ROFL!!) I’ve got to get her clothes back to her.
Lee: (Lee lets out a big sigh..) Ahhh.. Sure you want to give up this stuff? could be a whole new you! 
Hoo haa!! like to see Amanda in that red number would you Lee??!! Well.. it’s a good sign Lee’s distracted by the sexy outfit and forgets to be grumpy about Amanda’s arrival – just enough to tease Amanda about it.. Amanda’s look of horror as she realises others can see it and tries to quickly stuff it back into the bag is sooo funny!
Amanda: Lee, I’m serious. I feel terrible about this.

Lee: Amanda, I know you are sorry. You can just bet Trixie is sorry. I know I’m sorry. So do you think that we might be able to put all this sorrow behind us and get back to work, huh?

I think Lee was all excited to have a lead on the Mongoose.. only to find- uh oh.. he has to deal with Amanda and all the drama that comes with her ( drama: including his own reactions to her!) – I think he would have preferred not to deal with it.. Lee just wants to get on with the job without all of Amanda’s complications..
Amanda: I’m sorry — I mean —
It’s just that I’ve been in the same clothes for twelve hours and —
Lee: Only twelve?
Amanda: — London is such a beautiful — What do you mean “only twelve”?
Lee: ahh… Nothing, nothing. I can’t believe — You are the one who knows Conrad Walter Barnhill? [LOL poor Lee it is taking a while for him to grasp this isn’t it??!!]
Amanda: Yes. Connie Barnhill. We went to high school together. But I don’t want to see any old friends in clothes that I’ve been in for twelve hours!
Lee: Amanda, this business with Barnhill is not going to be some class reunion! He —
[Oh my.. I think Lee doesn’t seem to want Amanda worrying about what she looks like for another man!! ]
Amanda: Lee.
Lee: What?
Amanda: I have nothing to wear!!
Lee: Oookay. Okay, I will contact TWA, [plug plug!!] they’re very good [plug plug!!], and they will help you figure out this whole luggage problem. Then I will take you shopping. [Whooo hooo!]
Amanda: Oh, no.. you don’t . . . you don’t have to do that.
Lee: I insist. I can’t believe I’m insisting, but I am.
Amanda: Well, let’s just remember that this is an honest mistake. It could happen to anyone!
Lee bites his tongue here and just gives her a glare.. nooooo!!! this would not happen to just anyone!! This has Amanda King written all over it!  I think Lee is cross that once again he is doing something he can’t believe he is doing for Amanda.. she gets him to do things like no one else can Shopping!!!! While he is trying to catch the mongoose?? Lee is in work mode!! LOL!! But.. she manages to get him to do it Is it just me or did anyone else regret there wasn’t a scene of them actually shopping together? I would have preferred that to the boring set up of the mongoose we started with! LOL.. the scene ends with another plug for TWA.. did they sponsor the smk cast and crew to come to the UK or something??!!

I shall finish there.. Lee and Amanda off to do some shopping.. Lee looking after Amanda, Lee can’t help himself.. he tries to be grumpy with Amanda.. but he just can’t quite make it stick!  

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this reaction of Lee’s to Amanda’s arrival!! byeee

Tag Time- and Dotty in her dressing gown is still wearing heels, slipper heels!! The woman is amazing!  Amanda remarks they will have raised tons of money for charity thanks to this event..
Dotty: Well I’m not surprised. I mean the public loves a good scandal. Oh can you imagine arresting a man like Jerry Perrine?!! I can’t believe it! Federal agents swarming all over the place Ohhhh Amanda it must have been so exciting! Ha! Mrs Coleman must have been beside herself!

Love Amanda’s response: Oh yes mother, Mrs Coleman was definitely beside herself
She really was- thanks to Amanda’s bohemian flings!

Whoo love Dotty’s nightcap of galliano and milk ( maybe she and Mrs Coleman could get along after all ) Dotty wants to hear all about the drama.. but Amanda says there isn’t much she can tell her ( which is true!)..
Dotty: Amanda! you are not much for details are you! I am going to go upstairs and watch it all on the 11 o’clock news!.. wish you could tell me more! (Dotty is learning not to bother asking! or at least not to expect an answer!)
Amanda: me too mother. Good night.. Awh!! These two are great together aren’t they!

With Dotty heading upstairs, Lee taps on Amanda’s window.. man.. just how much does Lee watch Amanda and Dotty through the window?!!

You can practically feel the excitement oozing from Lee as he holds it in waiting for Amanda to slowly and quietly close the family room doors! Then, he wordlessly lifts the keys and dangles them with a big grin! I swear he is such a little boy here it’s adorable!! and Amanda is a great friend to be excited with: she doesn’t dampen his excitement at all and shares it! awhhh!

(how cute are they!! the key looks like a tiny key huh!)
Lee: Haaaa.. I picked it up today.. Hohhhh!!! pulls the road right up and corners like a track racer [I’m assuming that’s good! ]
Amanda: you got a car!

Lee: haaa yeah yeah and it’s great! ….
anyway, so I was out testing it out.. and I sort of errr.. [Lee waves his arms around!]…wound up over here

Amanda: Ohhh.
Lee: and errr… Well I mean [more arm waving! ] you were there when I lost the other one and I thought maybe you errrrrr??…[ Lee signals out towards the car, not actually finishing the question.. but non verbally asking!]

Amanda: Ohh well you know.. I’m really glad that you came over and told me about it and maybe sometime I’ll get to take a ride in it.
Lee: yeah, count on it….

I mean we will be working on another assignment err..
Amanda: Right.. I’ll count on it

What a great Tag huh!! Sooo much going on!! Where to start?!
It is quite a milestone that finally Lee is assuming Amanda has an ongoing place in his life- and he will be seeing errr ‘working’ with her again in the future! Purlease! They are friends now.. but hey small steps for Lee.. and admitting he will work with Amanda in the future is a big step for him! Another indication of Lee moving into a new phase in his life.. new car.. new work partner.. new season  

This is another tag where Lee gets a little tongue tied and waving his arms around searching for words.. you know like in the mole where they are not.. you know *as he waves his arms around* involved!

Isn’t it interesting that Lee ‘sort of’ ended up at Amanda’s???!!!!!      I think it is because he enjoys her company, and knew she would be happy for him, excited with him and understand how much it means to him.

Also, I think he wanted to include her in his joy because – she did save his life.. and he has a way of indirectly saying thank you to her! He would have really enjoyed taking her for a ride in it..but at this stage, I don’t think he really analyses what that says about their relationship- too scary!

What do you think? should Amanda have gone with Lee?

You may feel differently, but I am really glad Amanda didn’t jump at the chance, and that she turned him down – all while being very encouraging to him.. she is a clever lady! Good for her I say, he can’t just show up at her house whenever he wants.. it isn’t work related and she isn’t always available for him! and.. they don’t have a relationship yet where he has ‘earned’ that kind of access!!!!! Plus, she is in her nightgown, it’s definitely not going to happen!! Judging from what Dotty said about going up to watch the ll o’clock news- it must be nearly 11pm! that is very late to be showing up at Amanda’s window!!

When it is a matter of national security and it can’t wait 11 o’clock would be ok.. but.. to share with Amanda your good news.. while great- nope buddy! You don’t have the kind of relationship for that (Yet!). Amanda is not available whenever and however! But isn’t it fun to watch their progress??!!!   

One last thought.. I found myself wondering if this is ‘the first time’ Lee has stopped by to find Amanda dressed in her nightgown- then I realised: ‘the first time’ he met her she was in her nightgown! LOL! I realised.. Season one opens, in ‘the first time’,  with Amanda in her nightgown, and ends with her in her nightgown!! I don’t think this is a coincidence because we also see Lee’s waiter’s outfit from where they met in ‘the first time’  [and where Lee said his first words to Amanda: Just Walk With Me! ] for most of this episode!

In both episodes, Amanda helps  waiter Lee out of a tight spot!! So we see both characters have come full circle here I love stuff like this!! well done smk!! A brilliant way to end Season one ( and yes if you hadn’t noticed I think this was the final episode of the season!)

Byeeeee for now Feedback? or Questions? Anything you would like to rave about? I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts on this tag!!!