Doing my little happy dance now!
Xenos

Neeney

About the opening: I realized that the reason Laura sounds different in this opening is that she's whispering--because she's telling us a secret. I just got that.

Clothes report: I'm loving Laura's hair and vintage outfits (I said I was going to pay more attention, and I have a feeling I'm going to be broken record on loving the hair and outfits in Season 1). I especially love the first shot of her in the fedora, and the other business outfit with the little tie. 

Best quotes: "I keep trying for a good picture" (I always love those little quips Steele makes when he has a gun pointed at him) and "I take it you want to drive." Also loved "how did you become a dick?" and "do you pack a rod?" It's so funny that he uses language from old Humphrey Bogart movies and thinks it's current American English. Laura actually looks a little like she stepped out of an old movie, so I can see how he might make the mistake.

The case: I like how in Season 1 episodes the client's situation often has a parallel with RS/Laura. In this case, the guy wanting to have his talents and efforts recognized like Laura. The way she identifies with him is interesting.

Character development: Laura--this woman is a little crazy. Instead of playing it safe and dropping the client when he demands to see Steele, she decides to go for it. Also, it's hilarious how intoxicated she is by a little adventure. Later in the series she gets stereotyped as a bit of a straight arrow, but at the heart of Laura's character is a thrill-seeking, risk-taking con artist.

Steele--I think we can see from this first episode that Steele is already a detective of sorts. The fact that he figures out Laura's ruse so easily shows how much alike they are under the surface. I wish there had been more explanation of why he decides to take on the persona of RS permanently.

Worsts of episode: Can't think of any. This is rare for me not to find something negative to say, but there's nothing that bothers me too much about the episode. Well . . . I've always thought it is stupid how Bernice tries to flirt with Steele by offering to make fresh water. What the hell does that mean? She needs to work on her flirting techniques. But, who really cares about Bernice?

Nagging question: Do private investigators really get hired to provide security for precious gems, famous paintings, etc.? The RS agency is constantly doing stuff like that, but aren't there security companies that specialize in that sort of thing, or is it also within the purview of a detective agency?

Final thoughts: What a great start to the series. So witty, charming, clever, delightful. Love it, love it, love it.

We know that Laura broke from her dictum of dropping a case if anyone insisted on meeting Mr. Steele....however,the agency was in the RED. Too much overhead, not enough business. I guess too many people wanted to meet Mr. Steele...so Laura's scheme to drum up business by inventing a masculine superior wasn't working THAT well. 

This episode was written and filmed AFTER the series was already sold...filmed in August 1982 as opposed to February 1982 when Tempered was filmed. They decided to go back and film how Remington and Laura got together and start the series from that point. Pierce is already looking starting to look tanner in this episode. He's positively pale in Tempered Steele. 

It was funny to see Bernice offering to make "fresh water", when you know later on that she acted like she loathed "Skeeziks". Remember, she offered to make some "fresh water" was before she found out that Mr. Pearson was a FAKE. Loved the look the two women exchanged behind Mr. Steele/ Pearson's back. What changed Bernices attitude toward our Mr. Steele, I wonder? Was it because by Tempered she was sufficiently annoyed at Mr. Steele's cavalier attitude toward Laura, the agency, and Murphy? Too much overspending agency funds. Too much irritating her dear friend Laura? Was it the fact that she figured out that Laura was a goner? Better to act like you hate the guy than let your friend know that you really wanted him for yourself.

Funny moments: The shot of Steele opening the closets of clothes...first one side, the the other. We see just his back, but we know that our mysterious Mr. Pearson is stunned. 

Great moment: "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Steele."

Great moment: Laura's stunned expression at the reveal of Mr. Steele. 

Great moment: Murphy's "I hate this Laura, I REALLY hate this". Again, one line shows us who Murphy Michaels was. A guy who doesn't like to take risks. 

Great moment: 

Steele: "Because you don't believe I killed Ben Pearson."

Murphy: "I do."

Steele: "You don't count "This is between Miss Holt and myself." 

I don't see HOW Murphy had a chance in HELL after this line. The show immediately becomes a "duet" between Laura and Steele. 

This episode would have NEVER worked today...not in this day/age of Internet, Google and so on. Laura would have had Mr. Pearson's picture looong before our conman stepped off the plane. 

Hate to disagree with you on this, Attagrr is the One thing I DON't MISS about the 80's...the floppy bow ties that women wore on their dress shirts. Blech. And I wasn't too enamoured of Laura's red evening gown and hairdo. Says "PROM NIGHT" to me. Sorry. I much rather liked her other evening looks....the black/silver stapless gown with pearls in Woman of Steele. The white off the shoulder Myrna Loy dress in Tempered. The dress with sequinned jacket in Etched. 

I agree that I wish there was more of an explanation of why Steele decided to forgo the gems in San Fransisco and stay with the gem of a girl in LA. Various fic deals with why...The challenge, being "smitten" with Laura, wanting to stop running. But we never actually see that in the series...No wonder Laura is wondering at what her Mr. Steele's motives are....we don't know either! We get little dribs and drabs that he's there NOT just because he likes playing detective (Steele Away with Me). In Sensitive, he admits that he was a rolling stone and liked it that way, but "that all changed the day I met you". Sigh. 

The bigger issue with Laura is NOT that she's a woman doing a mans job...no biggie today. My take is that in the stills of her in her "Laura Holt Investigations" office...she looks 16 years old. I would think a potential client would look at her and think "Where's her daddy?". 

I'm not sure what PI firms were doing in the early 80's. Nowaday's we hire security firms. We know that in later episodes, Laura would bid on various security contracts. Is that where she wanted to go with Remington Steele Investigations? I would think that they'd make a killing in the recovery business. 

DCZinger
 

You're not going to believe this, because i didn't, but I'd never seen this episode before last night! As the show started I kept thinking any minute now it will come to me. What a treat to see a virgin episode! LOL (I watched RS when it was on PAX but I know I didn't watch everyday and I don't even think I started watching until it had already been on for a bit. When I bought the DVDs this summer I didn't watch season 1 but started with the later ones I remembered.)Now I am really anticipating the show for next friday. I don't think I've seen tempered Steele either. 

So having seen LTS for the first time I have to say I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!LOVED IT! LOVED IT!

I watched it 3 times! I was actually going to take notes of my faves the 3rd viewing but I didn't want to spoil my watching. I am glad they made this the first episode(But not having seen Tempered Steele--maybe i'll think diferently next week--but it seems a natural to set up how Steele comes into her life--they did it beautifully). 

Anyway, I want to share my impression as one who hadn't seen it before BUT I have to leave right now. I'll be back this afternoon for some uninterupted posting!

Zinger, I agree on the evening dress. Too "made up" for me. To me the little tie didn't scream 80s, but an earlier era. But I'm not known for my knowledge of fashion.

Laura never strikes me as looking that young. She just seems older than her age somehow. As a teacher, I guess I have a very different image of what "youth" looks like.

My take on Bernice is that she doesn't like Mr. Steele for pretty much the same reasons as Murphy. When she first meets him as Ben Pearson, she flirts because he's a sexy guy, but once she gets to know him she sees him as a guy who is taking advantage of Laura, who can't be trusted. He is so dismissive of her that he can't even remember her correct name, and this dismissiveness (Bernice thinks) reflects his lack of respect for the agency in general and her personally. He's getting what he can out of Laura and the agency and will then leave them all in the lurch. There's also a little jealousy there because he's interested in Laura, not her. Not that she's in love with him, but she's probably just used to getting more attention from men who come into the office than Laura, but Mr. Steele expresses no interest in her at all. From a story-telling point of view it's also better to have Steele in a hostile environment where Laura stands out as the only one who believes in him.

Okay, where is everybody else? Come out! Come out!

Xenos

Earlier I also meant to second Zinger's praise of the line "You don't count. This is between Miss Holt and me." Yep, that pretty much sums up the show, especially the first season. I think that's why I like Mildred more as a sidekick because for some reason she seems to "count" whereas Murphy and Bernice never do. I suspect there are some Murphy and Bernice fans who would disagree, though.

Love Laura's big smile to Bernice after Special Agent Pearson (PB) leaves the office. Laura may be a clever and tough woman who opened her own agency but she's still a girl who appreciates a good looking man. She's not completely all business.

In the scene where the PB walks into his room to find the 2 bad guys waiting for him and they're wondering why he's always in the same place and he says "perhap we have the same travel agent". Those clever little lines seem typical of the lines they always have on RS when the moment is perilous. I like those moments. That they found his passports didn't seem like an icebox question to me for some reason (although it did when Keys found them in Steele's sweater drawer).

The sequence between Hunter and Laura where he asks her if she's ever had a dream? He tells her of efforts to succeed--3 hours of sleep, etc is somewhat like her efforts to apprentice and succeed as a detective.She says ..."I'm risking everything I have." I love scenes where what someone else is talking about mirrors Laura's (or Steele's)experiences or thoughts. This scene also made me realize that it's not just a career but dreams for Laura thus I care more about how it's going to turn out.

Oh, I liked the champagne scene! How PB walks over to Laura's table. Oh, la,la! Loved these lines... "you look thirsty". "only when I'm aroused...(with curiosity)." When she's explaining her career choice and says "I always loved excitement." and he asks "Did it fulfill your fantasies?" Somehow I don't think he expects her to say yes. Then at end of the conversation Laura says "few would be foolish enough to try" to fill Steele's shoes. he looks right at her and says "unless of course one enjoys impossible challenges." Laura pauses for a second at that. He's telling her he likes impossible challenges. But I don't see this as the point where their connection is made.

Ok, I have to take a break. I'll be back. 
 

I thought PB's expression when Hunter says he wants both of them at the airport was funny. It was a look of being stuck in an inevitable situation. When Laura in the car asks what did Hunter say and he says "he wants us both at the airport" for some reason made me laugh. While in the car Laura says to PB "you're the only one I can turn to"--the whole scene made me realize she has some vulnerablity--otherwise why is she willing to trust this guy. I'm not sure from this scene if he understands why she needs him but he's willing to play it out.

Love the brief moment when he's staring at Murphy bringing in the laundry cart (with the gems) when they return to the hotel. He knows the gems are in the cart. Wonder what is he thinking at that moment?

The elevator scene with Hunter was good--adds more to the question of Steele's existence. "I was beginning to think you didn't exist." "Plenty of Miss Holt...none of you."

The maid just lets him into the penthouse?? Not these days for sure. I lost my hotel key and had to show my driver's license to get another. I wasn't renting hotel rooms in the 80's so I don't know about it then.

6 to 8 pieces of luggage? For overnight? A closet full of clothes for 1 night?
(Was there a tux in there?)

When he stares into the mirror and says "Pleasure to meet you Mr. Steele." I wondered is this the moment he decides to assume the name? But no, I decided that's not it, though he knows now it's a hoax.

Of course, the whole party scene. Terrific. I love seeing them walk into the party together. Glad to see there must have been a tux in the closet! I liked the hair and red dress. Loved the whole scene. Hunter is talking...Laura's smiling and PB looks like he may be ill any moment. At the podium he does introduce Laura...so he does have some redeeming qualites...he didn't just bask in the limelight. If he was totally awful he would have taken the credit.

Loved the dance scene. (Notice the people around them looking as she yells at him.) I like seeing them dance :) The whole dialogue from Steele I enjoyed. "soles never seemed to have touched the ground", "bald,too"
"You invented him". I think this is the first time he calls her Laura.

The after party scene with Hunter and he says "dreams aren't all they're cracked up to be" and she agrees. I wondered what dreams is she thinking of? This job or her Steele or the good looking stranger(PB) ?

Back in the penthouse Steele explains to Murphy and Laura that for a modest commission he intended to return the gems. Should I believe him? I wonder.

Love the next part of this scene with Steele and Laura discussing calling the police as if Murphy's not even there; in fact he moves away from Laura and the screen fills with Steele and Laura face to face. One of my Favorite lines is to Murphy "You don't count" and "This is between Miss Holt and myself". And then he called her Laura again. There --for me that's when the connection was made.

In the penthouse, after the police leave and Murphy asks Laura if she'll be alright and then closes the door. Steele is in front of the door and half turned towards Laura. Oh, I had to put it on pause. Yummy!

Loved it when he says "...I might relish the role on a permanent basis..." and "after all, I'm a man who enjoys impossible challenges..." What is the challenge-- at first I thought it was being Steele but is it really wooing Laura?

At the airport when she runs up to him and realizes he's not the thief and he says "Laura, I gave you my word." That seemed significant to me--it seemed a glimpse of the real man the way he said it.

And then the ending scene. Wouldn't you just love to open an office door and find him sitting behind a desk??

And Steele says "suddenly there wasn't anything for me to do up there..."
I guess the thrill of getting the gems didn't seem that important...hummmm

I can't wait for next week!
 

First -- I have to get the silly stuff out of the way first -- did anyone else have a flashback to "PeeWee's Big Adventure" when the lady in the monkey grinder suite was paging Remington Steele in the hotel? I kept visualizing PeeWee in that same outfit paging himself. OK, I'm done. Just had to get that off my chest. Forgive me.

Seriously, though...The first thing that really grabbed me was the incredible chemistry between Laura and "Ben/Remington". It was instantaneous and so palpable! Dang, they were hot! They played off each other so well -- their timing was impeccable, the dialog was witty and I totally bought the almost immediate love/hate relationship (though "hate" isn't exactly the correct word). It was the best pilot/first episode of any show I've seen. Loved how the other relationships were set up also between Laura and Murphy, and Remington and Murphy. (The dialog has been posted before, so I won't bother re-posting it. You know the scenes, though.) Bernice was a hoot and I'm so glad "Ben/Remington" started calling her Miss Wolf right away. 

As long as it was brought up, I have to say that I always thought our mysterious con man became Remington and didn't go after the Royale Lavulite in SanFrancisco because of Laura. I didn't realize some people thought otherwise. I saw "Ben/Remington" as a guy who did what he wanted to do when he wanted to do it...and, well, he decided he wanted to do Laura! Heh-heh-heh! I think she intrigued him with her con (creating a fictitious boss) and he wanted to get to know her better. Who knows, maybe he had ADD and just lost interest in the gems. LOL!

To answer Zinger's question (I think it was Zinger's question) about detective agencies doing security...Yes, they do. My husband's PI firm did security for banks, groceries stores and bars. Of course, they did a lot more than just security, but security was definitely part of the job. (My favorite -- and my husband's least favorite -- was when he had to go undercover at a gay bar. Laughed my butt off! The hubby got so mad, he hit me with his "man bag"! Hee-Heeeee!!! But that's another story all together!)

Wardrobe. Pierce and James looked great -- their wardrobe spoke volumes about their characters! Not terribly impressed with Stephanie's, though. (Although I love her classic suits, which I've probably stated too many times already.) Her evening dress looked like a tulip swallowed her up! Almost as bad as the Tempered Steele outfit. I take that back. Actually, I think the red dress was WORSE than the Tempered outfit. I also don't like bows and ruffles -- they made her look dowy.

Favorite Scenes. Too many to name, so I'll just hit a few...The scene between Laura and Remington at the banquet dinner right up through the dance. DANG!!! The way he kept her from exploding and causing a scene, and her giving in to his charms - *sigh*. The scene where "Ben" visits the Steele Agency. After he leaves, the look on Laura's face is PRICELESS! (That could be a MasterCard commercial!) The goodbye scene where "Ben/Remington" kisses Laura on the hand! OMG! Is it hot in here?!?! Whoosh, baby!

Total score: 10 out of 10...Awesome beginning for an awesome show!!!

My favorite scene is the dance and revelation. She just looks at him and can't look away. Such power. You know she's completely gone from that moment on. She's hooked and she'll never be the same again.

What is it about this woman that he completely ditches his goals and goes for the girl? What is it about Laura that causes his 180 switch? Was stealing jewels no longer an impossible challenge that he enjoyed? Wasn't the thrill there anymore?

Five passport pictures...$500
Office space...$5,000
One fateful meeting,
And the look that changed it all...Priceless
You never know when fate interrupts.
For everything else there's MasterCard.

(Can be easily stored in a man bag )

DCZinger

I liked the red dress but not that black THING that went around it. Was that a belt or part of the dress?

And I loved the phone in the limo. Rotary dial phones.....those were the days!!! ROFL!

Neeney

Aside from wanting to do Laura or even being intrigued by her, I've always assumed there was a lot more to his desire to stay and be Remington Steele. There are so many advantages that he gets out of the arrangement, but since the show is mostly from Laura's perspective and he remains a mystery man, we have to guess about his motivations. My guesses are these: On the most shallow level, it's a job that provides him with a very good life. He seems to be doing fine as a con man, but for someone who has lived on the street, a stable life with silk shirts, a limo, fine dining, etc. would probably have its appeal. More important, though, is the prestige. For someone with a shady past, the idea of being admired and respected, renowned even, would be very seductive. Who doesn't dream of that kind of recognition? But most importantly, the challenge of living up to Laura's idea of Remington Steele. He is really attracted to the idea of being a good man, the kind that Laura would speak of in the glowing terms she uses to describe Mr.Steele. In Elegy in Steele he says something about not wanting to lose his life just when he's starting to make something of it. In LTS he implies that he would relish the impossible challenge of living up to the ideal image of Remington Steele. So I think part of his motivation for staying is that he sees this as an opportunity to make something of himself. 

Or, maybe he just wants to get in Laura's pants. We never really know.

The money he could have made off of $2.5 million in Royal Lavulite, even if he just took a 10% finder's fee is more than anything he'd get as Steele living the good life for over a year. Heck by Tempered he's making and winning $50,000 bets. The Steele agency provided a very nice lifestyle but nothing he couldn't attain financially with much more ease. We see the man break into museums and the Federal Reserve Bank with the greatest of skill. I don't think living on the street was in his immeadiate future if he hadn't become Steele. And he probably would have been able to buy a boat without bouncing a check. ;-) 

I think he liked the idea of playing detective, or just slipping into a new skin and lifestyle and getting close to Laura was a large facet of that skin. I don't think he planned to stay that long doing it but as time passed he not only became more hooked on the reality of Laura and not just the challenge of her but came to like the career and it's accompishments as well as the respectability and adulation. The longer he stayed the more entrenched he became and he liked having that name, identity, and a more stable but still adventurous lifestyle -- and of course Laura.

As for the epsiode, most of the great bits have been mentioned -- the first meeting, Steele on his knees and quipping, the Tea & Sympathy scene etc -- so I'll just give a couple of little ones. I love the way he loses the tail with the story of the stolen car and the gilding of the lily with the sick grandmother and the easy charm -- and how Laura looks so appreciative of his on the fly con. I like to think of it as a spark of recognition of one game player to another. And that little slap he gives her hand as she trying to undo his chain in his hotel room never fails to put a smile on my face because it's such a casually familiar almost intimate thing. I love that entire ending hotel scene with them, his first turn into the room, the way he kisses her hand, the way you can see her wanting to ask him to stay and how he leaves without looking back.

There's also a very funny bit when she's trying to charge away from the table after calling him a cut rate comnman -- her arms are pumping and it's the most unfeminine and graceless movement I've ever seen her make as Laura. Though it rather matches her earlier almost crass line reading of "great publicity". In both instances it almost seems as if Laura's prim ladylike facade is slipping -- first under her excitement of finally getting her due and then under her anger and fear.

Her voice is definitely noticibly deeper and raspier in this episode than any other. It's an interesting vocal choice and I still wonder why she made it, if maybe she was consciously trying something new from Tempered but then changed her mind again of if the brass didn't like it and that's why she went back to her more normal vocal register.

Fashion: The outfit he's wearing to impersonate Pearson -- very Roger Moore safari look. Aiiiyyee. I much prefer his white shirt with the pattern at the start. But he really knows how to wear a tux, even with the slightly too big 80s bowtie. LOL on Laura looking like she was swallowed by a tulip on her way to the prom. She does. :D I'm not sure any of her blouses or suits here are her best ones, even from Saeson One. Her look here is very tweedy/ librarian/ collegiate. Her best look in the entire episode IMO is the last with that turtle neck and white sweater coat. It's softer, more form fitting -- it's flattering and timeless.

Oh you've got to love that Steel travels with a movie book as well as all 5 of his passports. He certainly doesn't pack light. I wonder if he brought his scrapbooks of burglaries along as well. :D

Having worked in the hotel industry from the late 80's to 2003...I can tell you that even in the late 80's we were trained to NEVER let a guest into his hotel room on just another guests sayso. But I could see that a hotel maid WOULD, if she knew Mr. Hunter as the HUGE honcho whose responsible for the big shindig down in the ballroom, and thus a very important guest not to piss off. That is something that would have been covered in a staff meeting. Know who your guests are, and definitely KNOW who the people who are spending wads of cash in your hotel! The maid, recognizing Mr. Hunter, would NOT anger their top guest by asking the man he was with, supposedly the great detective doing security for the event, Mr. Steele, for ID. 

Later on in the series, we see Laura gain access to hotel rooms in ways that NEVER would have happened in the late 80's, 90's and CERTAINLY NOT after 9/11. 

DCZinger

Good point! lol

I meant have been in the chat, but I dont remember.

Laura: "Aw, c'mon, Where's your sense of humor?"

Steele (referring to his plaid golf pants): "I'm wearing it."
 

I'm willing to bet our dear Mr. Michaels picked out those pants (Plaid IS Murphy's forte), and Steele got his revenge by putting Murphy in that ridiculous clown suit in "Steele's Gold". 

Funny, Pierce is the ONLY man alive who could make plaid golf pants look good. 

DCZinger 

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Funny, Pierce is the ONLY man alive who could make plaid golf pants look good. 

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Neeney

DCZinger 

http://mbe8.tripod.com/media.html

Scroll to the bottom of the page for the LGF clip (taken from the DVD doc)

In Long Good Friday he does indeed wear a speedo, and he supposed to look good because he's bait. ;) 

In The Matador where it's often said he's wearing a speedo he's not, it's just black underwear -- which makes the entire scene of him in boots, with sunglasses, cigarette and chugging a beer (looking as one reviewer said like a rockstar gone to hell) on the way to the pool through the lobby of a swanky hotel even funnier.

NO ONE huh? LOL Yup speedos are scary! 

Neeney

"License to Steele" is a brilliant pilot episode for it sets the stage for future episodes. As written by Michael Gleason, we are given a taste as to what the show will become in its first season.

He starts off by giving us fantastic one liners by RS. There are too many to write about, but some of my favorites were "only when I am aroused...with curiosity" "I enjoy impossible challenges" and "I take it you wanted to drive".

Laura's physical attraction for RS is obvious in their first scene together at the office, only she thinks he is Ben Pearson. As he leaves the office, she gives Bernice a great look that reads, isn't he gorgeous.

Murphy's place in the show is set in the opening scene where he is already doing the heavy work. He suspects, rightly so, that laura is attracted to RS by saying lines like, "he sure got a lot for his lousy bottle of champagne" and
"I hope it is only the agency you are trying to protect".

I loved the clothes RS wears, but he looks great in anything. In fact, when he is introduced as RS and gives his speech he ends it with "there are far more interesting things to look at than me", and I am thinking, he's got to be kidding.

I hated the bow on Laura's business suit, but the red dress was nice.

I noticed for the first time that RS starts to call Laura by her first name while they are dancing and that we have our first movie quote in this episode. Like I said the stage is set.

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I loved the clothes RS wears, but he looks great in anything. In fact, when he is introduced as RS and gives his speech he ends it with "there are far more interesting things to look at than me", and I am thinking, he's got to be kidding.

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Xenos