Tag Archives: SMK

Here we are – time for a new episode!
I don’t remember much about this one, other than Lear jets because Learjet keeps reminding me about this episode haaaaa!
A huge thank you to Sara for transcribing the dialogue and some of the descriptions in this episode – Sara,
Thank you!! We salute you!!!!
Like last episode, anything that’s Sara’s description will go in these brackets { }.

The episode opens with a wide shot of a plane taking off.
We cut to the Ablen Air hangar.
{Two men dressed in contamination suits pry open a large wooden crate with a missile inside.  Another man in a leather jacket steps up to see the contents.

[whoooo look at that pretty lear jet Learjet! I’ve always wanted to say that haaaa. ]
They close the lid, and as the crate is rolled away, we see “US Air Force” printed on one side. 
Two more men in dress suits enter the scene, as the crate passes by and is brought into a lab room.  The two men watch through an observation window where the missile is brought in.  Leather jacket man joins them.}
[lol weird random prop of empty desk]
Man 1 (Dursak):   How can that one missile destroy all the Tritanium?  Your target is 200 feet underground.
[Does Dursak look familiar?! we’ll come back to this!]
Man 2 (Nesbitt):   207.  But the Thermite warhead can burn through a 50-story building right into the basement.  The Plutonium combines with a molten metal and makes it hotter than Chernobyl and twice as useless.  And the free world stockpile of Tritanium is gone.  Just like that.  America’s Star Wars defense will be a memory.  How soon can we be ready?

[Well. okay. I can’t put this any better than I did the first time I commented on this episode back in 2008: Straight off starting with the baddies describing their dastardly plans to rule the world!!  tritanium? what the heck is tritanium? ‘the Thermite warhead can burn into the basement of big buildings’.. ‘Plutonium combines with the molten metal and then the world’s stockpile of tritanium is gone’..”America’s star wars defence will be a memory” .. wha??  oh man.. I am gonna need to concentrate to watch this one am I ??]
Leather jacket man (Fouts):  We’ve got to wait to pack the Plutonium and the warhead, I’d say…six hours after we get the target coordinates.
[I use to think this guy’s name was Faust. Which, I thought was fantastic – the character who made a pact with the devil. so appropriate- Maybe they are alluding to Faust.]

(So Dursak wants to know the timing of this plan, and Nesbitt won’t give a date.. cryptically encouraging Dursak to “never doubt the power of the press”)
[– Hmmm. Guess that will make sense eventually!]
(But! Not everyone is happy in the baddie camp!!)
Dursak:  I’m not so worried about the missile or the Thermites or even the target.  I’m worried about you, Nesbitt.  I don’t understand you.
Nesbitt:  Because I’m not for-hire like Fouts here?  Or some fuzzy-cheeked terrorist with hate in his eyes?
(As they talk, they watch the two workers in the suits do something to the missile)

Dursak:  Exactly.  Your newspaper is creating the panic.  How can you duck the blame?
[Gosh, I had to wait less than a minute to find out what he meant by the power of the press?! whaahaah. Whooo this dialogue seems important. I better include it all… So what is Dursak eating in the hopes that it makes this boring standing around and talking exposition scene more interesting?! ]
Nesbitt:  You’re thinking about the way it is back in Bucharest.  Here, we have freedom of the press.   I let my reporter take all the heat and I back him to the hilt, like any good publisher would.  And I don’t ask him to identify his source.  You’d be amazed at what I could get away with.

[Okey dokey, so some poor schmuck reporter is going to be set up by his boss who has evil, yet to be fully revealed, intentions. Muahahahaa!!]

{Next we see another man get out of a black car near the Airplane Hangar and walk toward it with his camera.

He takes pictures of the hangar of Nesbitt and Dursak as they leave.  They depart in two different cars.  The photographer knocks over a drum as he hurries toward his car.  Fouts comes out of the hangar and sees him leaving.}

[4 minutes into this episode? We finally get to see Lee and Amanda! I’m sure it will be well worth the wait ]
{View of the outside of Lee’s apartment, then the living room area.  We hear Amanda just before we see her carrying an armload of clothes.  Lee follows her with more clothes and jackets.}
[Whoooo we get quite a look inside Lee’s new digs. A year or two ago I would have looked at everything, all the props! but… no time these days.. soooo if someone else would like to dig into it and let us know what you find? You would be very welcome!]
Amanda:  You’re never going to clean your closet out, if you won’t throw anything away.  When in doubt, throw it out!
[Ah, so Amanda is helping Lee to clean out his closet. I like to think they are making room for her to leave her things there too.. after all they are secretly engaged. Ahem.]
Lee:  I will, I will.  It’s just that some of this is hard to part with.  It’s…it’s history, you know?  Memories.
[ha! Lee says as he holds a trench coat!]
Amanda:  Look.  Change requires a willingness to face the unknown.  The unknown is always scary.  You’re afraid of change.
Lee:  I am not.
Amanda:  Oh yeah you are.
Lee:  You’ve heard the saying, ‘You’ve got to change to remain the same’?… [Nope. I don’t know it!]
…I–I think change is very stimulating.
Amanda:  When was the last time you ever changed anything?
Lee:  Oh…ooh, this was a close one.  Look at that…

…Huh?.. 
..This was…
…uh…Paris…82…
…Chomsky, a freelancer for the Soviets—
Amanda:  This was a close one…
[oh my KJ’s delivery here is hilarious!!]

…What is this, Stetson? 
Lee:  Ah…  Could be blood?
Amanda:  Could be.
Lee:  Umm…  Could be a smear from that…uh…contact plastique that we’ve been using. [in our tuxedos!]
Amanda:  Could be lipstick.
Lee:  Yeah, could be that too.
Amanda:  Hmm.
Lee:  Amanda….
Amanda:  Hmm?
(Lee turns his back to Amanda, he seems a little embarrassed)
Lee:  This stuff has been crammed back in that closet for a long time.
Amanda:  Mm hmm.
(Amanda starts putting something on)
Lee:  Years.  Most of it is-
(Lee is left speechless when he sees what Amanda has put on!
Aha! Amanda notices the embroidery.)

[whahahaha!]
Amanda:  Very pretty.
[so Amanda, where is your engagement ring- hmm??? that would be even prettier!]
Lee:  Yeah.  Ah…  ha..
…Most of it is…work related…
…Then again, some of it is not… 
(Lee approaches Amanda to help her get that thing off asap haaa)
…But it is all history now.
Amanda:  Mm hmm.  Oh, I know. 
[but a minute ago you were saying he is scared of change and doesn’t change! I’m going to put this down to her desire to tease the daylights out of him. I love that she has fun with it.

Haaaaa… I think Lee is on to her! She’s maybe nooooot completely cool with it while she teases him!]
Lee: Yeah.
Amanda:  Mm hmm.  Yeah.
Lee:  You’re really curious, aren’t ya?
Amanda:  No!
Lee:  Huh?
Amanda:  Nooo!
Lee:  Ah-ha!..
…Yes you are!..

…I’ve got the same itch…
[Scratchy! Scratchy!]
…It’s called mutual curiosity… 
(Lee leans in slowly.)
…And it’s a very healthy thing. 
(They kiss,
The phone rings..
Amanda can’t keep a straight face haaa.

Lee chuckles to himself.
Then as Amanda keeps trying to keep a straight face: Lee cracks up laughing!!)
[Oh this scene is so good!!! So playful! Adorable! and.. sexy! It’s SMK goodness at it’s best isn’t it!!
Funny how as Lee goes to answer the phone he hides the very pretty ‘Crystal’ robe underneath a jacket! ]
Lee:  (on phone) Hello, Stetson.  Hi, Charlie.  Yeah, how you doing?.. 
(as Lee talks, Amanda checks the pockets of an old pair of trousers with super dramatic flare.)

[Oh my gosh. KJ’s delivery is so fabulous! Hilarious checking a pocket and finding it empty haaaaa!!]
(Lee seems to watch Amanda with some trepidation while he deals with his phone call.)

[LOL I mean, who knows what she might find in old pockets! uh oh!!]
…Yeah, I guess I could come down there for a little while. sure…

…Alright, I’ll be there…
(Amanda pulls a piece of paper out of a pocket, again with great dramatic flare!)
…Yeah, I’ll see you.  Okay, bye.  (He hangs up).

..That was Charlie Benton at the Telegram…
(Amanda smooths out the piece of paper, and holds it up, dramatically, to read it)
…I’ve worked with him a few times.
(Lee seems to have some trouble hanging up the phone successfully haaa)
Amanda:  Cindi, with an ‘I’.
[But did she dot her I with a love heart like Debbie?! rofl.]
[Hey Cindy – are you happy with how you’re name is spelled?!]
(Lee snatches the piece of paper out of her hand and keeps talking. He puts it in the fireplace and doesn’t verbally acknowledge it!)
Lee:  -He said he wanted to buy me a drink. He sounded real shook up. [Is it just me or is it pretty funny that with Debbie, Randi, Cindi… they are talking about.. Charlie buying Lee a drink?! probably unintended but still funny to me! ]
Amanda:  Why don’t you go on and I’ll just finish cleaning all this up?
[Who knows what else she’ll be able to find and tease him with?!]
Lee:  Okay, okay, there’s uh…let’s see…more jackets in the bedroom, suits in the hall-
…look…   He didn’t say, come alone.  You’d love Charlie.  Why don’t you come along, huh?
Amanda:  You’re worried, aren’t ya?
[rofl. of course he is!]
…You’re afraid I’m going to throw something away without asking you, don’t worry I won’t throw anything—
Lee:  I know, I know—
Amanda: -Anything away without asking you.
Lee:  I know that, it’s just that some of this stuff…you know…takes a little explaining.
Amanda:  You want to explain, I’ll be happy to listen.
[well played Amanda!! haaaa]
Lee:  I thought you might.
Amanda:  Mmm hmm.
(Lee heads to his front door, Amanda follows him)
Lee:  Amanda…  I’m a spy, my past is classified.  It’s a habit with me, I don’t know.
(Amanda helps him into his jacket)
[Oh my, I just watch Amanda this whole time, she’s hilarious!]
Lee:  Oh, thank you.  I will tell you anything almost…

…So is it gonna make a great big difference if I just keep a few secrets?
Amanda:  Nah, everyone’s entitled to a few secrets.
(Amanda gives Lee a couple of big slaps on this biceps)
(they share a quick kiss)
[two kisses? I feel soooo spoilt!!! This is. The. Best. Episode. Ever!!! haaa]
Lee:  You can have as many as you want…
[rofl. oh really? she has your permission does she?!]
(Lee walks out his front door, then turns back to Amanda)
…How many do you want?
[rofl.. no Lee, how many does she need!]
[No idea what’s going to happen with the necklace this ep, but just noticed it’s currently a love heart]
Amanda:  A-ha! 
(Amanda doesn’t answer his question, she just laughs at him.. [Hmm how many secrets she wants might be secret number 1 haaaa..]
and closes the door on him..
and then.. she laughs some more!)
[I picture Lee listening to her laugh on the other side of that closed door!]

So Lee is off to meet with troubled Charlie, while Amanda cleans out Lee’s closet and uncovers a few of his secrets! Amanda loves a good mystery!

I’m going to pause here, and I look forward to hearing from you all. What a fabulous start to this episode huh.. I mean once we got past the boring baddies set up!

Oh and did you remember where we’ve seen Dursak before? This actor played Serdeych in We’re off to see the wizard!

He looks really different huh. Totally different vibe. He must be a pretty good actor!

Okay guys, can’t wait to hear from you!!! 

So where were we? The clock is ticking… Amanda and Francine are back inside the mission, and Lee and Khai are sneaking in.. Khai’s son is there.. somewhere! time… to finish up this episode! Get ready, this post is biiiiiggg…

Back to Diem’s study, or the meeting room. [I don’t know what it is, the room with the map in the cupboard?!]
Amanda and Francine are shown in, and Diem’s run out of patience!
[I must say, I enjoy seeing them annoy him!]
(Amanda is seen to press a small button on her briefcase,
which sets off a beeper in Lee’s jacket. lol.
On this signal, Khai picks the lock and they enter the mission.

Francine and Amanda hit Diem with tons of paperwork and regulations. Ouchie!)
Amanda: And there are facility minimums . . . recreation, infirmary, fire code. It’s all part of the eight -nine -two.
Diem: Pardon me… Eight -nine- two?
Francine: It’s a new statute, limiting supervised educational services outside of a public structure. It’s all quite complete. 
(Diem starts signing forms.. lol..

We cut to Lee and Khai sneaking around inside, and avoiding guards.
They come back up and Khai gestures for Lee to follow him.
They find the classroom,
Khai signals to his son who is super cute and excited to see his dad,
but has to hide it from Lien the teacher.
What to dooo….
Lee notices the fire alarm on the wall…

We cut back to the attack by paperwork.)
Diem: {irritated} Ladies, I have another meeting in fifteen minutes. I’m tired of your bureaucratic red tape.
Amanda: {interrupts in a sing-song voice, like she’s also impatient} We all have very busy schedules.
Francine: And a lot more spare forms to sign.
(Francine drops another pile in front of Diem.)
[Torture by paperwork continues, and I’m delighted. Suffer Diem!]

(Back to Lee and Khai, Lee hits the fire alarm and they run off as it begins ringing.
The class start filing out of the room, with Kim last [–what luck.] Khai swoops in and leads him in the opposite direction, they’re undetected. Lee and Khai rush off.

Back to Diem reacting to alarm. He calls in two guards to ‘protect’ Francine and Amanda.

Elsewhere, Lien seems to have noticed Kim is missing and sends a guard upstairs to search.
Lee vs the guard, Lee wins. Ahem.
They continue on with trying to avoid guards, and run into Francine, Amanda and their protector guards.
Lee and Khai disarm the guards and lock them in a closet. [Swift. I like it. ]

Khai, Kim and Francine leave in the direction of the exit. Lee goes to join Amanda, putting his gun away.)
Amanda: There’s a locked cabinet in Diem’s office. He seemed pretty nervous about it.
Lee: Alright, come on. I have a plan.
(They walk off down the hall.

Outside, Khai, Kim and Francine keep on running to safety.

Diem has the evil map of doom [or should I say boom boom?!] out of the cupboard. He puts it on the table, there is a knock on the door and we cut to Amanda opening the double doors, smiling.)
Amanda: I’m very sorry to bother you…

…I know how busy you are but we need to do a textbook count and there’s an awful lot we…
[Gah!!!! a textbook count?! whahahaaha!!!]
Diem: Mrs. King!
Diem pulls out a pistol, and hurries toward Amanda.
[Whoa, he is reeeeaaally protective of his textbook numbers..]
Amanda: (smiling nervously) Oh my goodness! You, uh…
Diem: You have been an absolute pain…
{Amanda backs away from the pistol, Diem crosses the threshold of the door. Lee chops the pistol out of Diem’s hand. Amanda steps into the study as he and Lee begin to fight. She picks up one of the maps and studies it, then looks up as the fight picks up speed.}

(Diem karate chops Lee, Lee tries kicks of his own..([rah rah. I can’t tell you what happens in this fight because it’s too flippin hilarious watching it cut from the wide shot to the close up and it’s obvious that there are four different people in this fight.
Lee, Lee’s stunt kicker, Diem, and Diem’s stunt kicker!]
(Anyway, Diem looks like he is putting up a fight, but no one can dodge a Lee Stetson punch!)
I love how Clagjanet described this fight: {Lee and Diem tumble and turn in a fabulous martial arts battle, while Amanda winces every time Lee is hit.}  [sorry for the typo Clagjanet!!]

(Amanda rushes to show Lee the map.)
Amanda: He’s marked the parade route to the Chinese Trade Fair.
[What an idiot marking them on a map haaaaa]
Lee: Alright. We’ll check this off with Billy on the phone.
(Happy days. They leave, leaving Diem still unconscious on the table. The scene ends there..

Back at the King home… and it’s tag time.Amanda and the boys clear the table. There’s lots of busy activity bringing the washing up back to the kitchen.)
Amanda: Sweetheart, I think that was the best casserole surprise I’ve ever tasted. [Aie, I think this is probably right up there with ‘I like all your ideas’!]
Phillip: I think I left out some ingredients from last night.
[I love how Jamie’s plate seems to be still pretty full and the way he looks at it. haha. I don’t think he’s enjoying Phillip’s surprises!]
Amanda: Well, it just made it more of a surprise. {She turns and almost crashes into Jamie as he comes in carrying plates} Whoops!
Phillip: (OC) Yeah, a gastronomic experience.
Amanda: (to Jamie) How’d you like your brother’s meal?
Jamie: It was a lot better than last night’s. I’m not dizzy yet.
[rofl. Poor Jamie! I think maybe Phillip is trying to kill him haaaaa]
{We cut to angle on back door as Lee opens it quietly and waits to catch Amanda’s eye.
[Isn’t it interesting to see him no longer showing up in his suits… it’s like he use to wear them to guard himself, and keep a distance between them, but – no more! He’s open.. well openly sneaking with Amanda haaaaa]
As she looks surprised, we can still hear Phillip off camera.}
Phillip: Mom, since I cooked, it’s Jamie’s turn to do dishes!
[oh boy. Things seem to be getting so much worse for Jamie haaa]
{Lee smiles and gestures for her to join him outside.}
Amanda: (distracted, to boys) Uh-huh.
{She heads for the door}
Jamie: (OC) This isn’t cooking! It’s cruel and unusual punishment! [Exactly!]
Phillip: (OC) Wait until you try and scrape the food off your plate.
{Amanda slips outside, pulling the door quietly shut behind her. We cut to where Lee is waiting, leaning on the trellis fence, out of sight of the door.

Amanda joins him and they begin to walk.}
[Wow this backyard is quite the maze of trellis now! I can’t help but think: plenty of places for baddies to hide! lol]
Amanda: Hi
Lee: Hi
Amanda: I saw the opening ceremonies for the Chinese Trade Fair on TV.
[huh? why no kiss hello?! we was robbed!!]
Lee: Yeah, we followed Diem’s map to six spots along the parade route prewired for explosives. We saved a lot of lives today.
{They walk into gazebo and sit down as they talk.}
[whooo check out this new little gazebo! I’m going to call this their little love nest! haaa]
Amanda: You get Khai and his family on a plane?
Lee: Yup off to California and a new life…

Amanda: Will they be safe?
(Lee gives a quiet little smile)

Lee: Well, no one’s ever completely safe in this job, you know that. That’s what I want to talk to you about.
(He takes a deep breath) Amanda, uh…
…the horses and the softball games in the backyard are gonna have to wait.
Amanda: I know that.
[Why is she smiling when acknowledging this painful truth?
So that’s what you were thinking when you were telling Lee all his ideas are good?! I guess it could be a smile though you feel sad Amanda smile.]
(we cut to a much closer shot of Lee, and his hair is really different)
[lol… focus iwsod!]
Lee: But I am gonna marry you, Amanda King…

…Except it’s going to have to be a…

(laughs) …a mystery marriage.
[Oh my. I cannot wait to talk with you all about this!!!!]
{Amanda is listening intently, smiles.}
Lee: Because if it isn’t… One day our family might get in trouble, just like Khai’s.

Amanda: We’ll make the best of it.
(Lee is staring at lap, laughs half-heartedly)
Lee:  I’ve got you.

(Amanda hooks her finger under Lee’s chin to
encourage him to look up and meet her eyes.)
Amanda:  And I got you.
(They smile.)
The episode ends there. Wow.

Do you remember seeing this for the first time? And, did you know this was going to be the outcome? I never got to see these scenes and this episode without knowing the ‘mystery marriage’ was coming. I heard about it for years through fandom before I finally got to see it unfold. This must colour my experience of it.. So I wonder what’s been your experience? Love it? hate it? don’t care? do tell! all views welcome!!!!

I’m going to speak freely here about this tag and little plot twist, and it’s not going to be positive! I think the tag is meant to be… bitter sweet, with a hopeful tinge to it, but for me it misses the mark. I find this Lee and Amanda story line confusing, and unsatisfying. I don’t know if that’s because of the mystery marriage, or because of the execution. Or, maybe it’s both! 

Firstly, for me the premise doesn’t fit the arc of the show/season– at this point they’ve gone through so much danger even once their romantic relationship hit the ground running, that for them to be confronted with it now at this point feels contrived. Things have gotten plenty real in the past. Not just for Lee and Amanda, but for Amanda’s family.

Secondly, not a fan of Amanda’s arc in this episode. I think their going for conflicting emotions for her, culminating with this acceptance in the tag.  How she responds like she’s known it all along, and she smiles about it. Just doesn’t work for me!  I think this might be in the execution for this one.. 

Thirdly, one of the reasons this whole scenario doesn’t make sense is based on events in future episodes soooo I’m going to hit the pause button on sharing those thoughts and we’ll come back to it.

Let’s see can we speculate at this point together on how we think this whole mystery marriage could work?! What do you think? My first assumption would be that they would keep their relationship a secret from anyone. Certainly wouldn’t be introducing more people into their relationship..

Seems to me all the baddies already know how close Lee and Amanda are as partners already – and her family is in danger already, but what do I know!

Remember the super romantic Triumvirate scene where Amanda’s life is in danger and Lee and Amanda talk about the danger and family??? Remember Lee listening to Amanda on the phone with Dotty? Making plans to keep her family safe? See the post on JWWM HERE.
They both have already faced the reality of the dangerous job they both do- so to have gotten engaged already without not thinking through the reality of it to me just doesn’t fit.
If this is the both of them suddenly being faced with this reality due to the experiences of Khai’s family, that turns the  super romantic proposal in Night Crawler into Lee and Amanda living in fantasy land, disregarding the hard lessons they had already learned, and trying to pretend moving forward they could have a real marriage. Not a fan of that.
The proposal scene in Night Crawler itself is in a context where they are together discussing the reality that this job may cost Amanda her life!!!  And Lee is blown away by how she’s the bravest, smartest.. etc.

They don’t have to have a mystery marriage  – if they want to have a real marriage they can change jobs. And, maybe that’s where thinking about smk sometimes in detail is rewarding, but sometimes it is no help at all. Well, at least for me!

This super important conversation was way too brief for such an important decision, because they are so meant to be and of like mind huh… Lee came to the conversation having already made his decision, and seems Amanda had too. Seems they each decided separately that they’d rather stay in the work and have a mystery marriage, than leave and have a real one.
but then… that doesn’t seem to be so romantic when you put it explicitly like that does it?! [and this way the boys can get out of having to weed the garden, and Lee can avoid putting everything he owns into hock. rofl] 

Just my opinion, but this mystery marriage seems like a contrived way to keep the sexual tension happening and prevent the show from getting stale now Lee and Amanda have gotten together. Such a shame.. but…. oh well! So in the spirit of the walk, I will be interested to see what this mystery marriage means, and how it is going to play out. And, I’ll probably display nark at the decision on a regular basis. lol. I may as well have fun with it.
If there is one positive I can find in all this, it’s that I’m at least glad the show didn’t try the whole: ‘ohhh we need to break up and we can’t ever be together because of the danger’ melodrama!!

A few random comments on the credits..

There was a character called ‘Mandarin’?

And.. looks like two of Khai’s kids, these two:

have the same family name, maybe they were related in real life, maybe real brother and sister? Cute!

I resisted writing up this tag, I really wasn’t looking forward to it as it makes me sad.. but.. oh well.. On to the next episode.. next up is Need To Know!!!
Who’s with me?!!