Xenos

Wonderful lighting, the film noir feel of this episode. Here we have Laura in my favorite fedora, Miss Taplinger's 40's hairdo. 

Miss Taplinger...."Everything was so...tidy". That bit with Steele and the drink on his couch. "I never dreamed there were so many unique ways to ruin an evening". Thanks to Yuliya Shulman for the following list in honor of our Miss Taplinger. 

http://remingtonzeal.t35.com/Lists/Ruin.html

After this disasterous date...we don't see Steele squiring any other woman until "Gourmet Steele's" Eloise. 

Here we KNOW that Steele is "smitten", due to his reaction to Laura's date. "You really ought to get one of those little BEEPER's Laura!". Catch how he sez that he checked her apartment, when he knows by NOW that Laura lives in a HOUSE. Was this filmed BEFORE Signed,Steeled and Delivered? Hmmmmm. 

My all-time favorite exchange between Steele and Laura:
Steele telling Buddy he'll get him out of jail: "Or my name isn't Remington Steele!" 

Cut to Laura and Steele stomping to the office. 
Laura: "Your name ISN'T Remington Steele!". 
Steele: "A minor technicality" (Daniel spouts this SAME line in Season Four) 

Laura's great line: " When I'm in the market for pleasure, Mr. Phillips, I want a lot more than a smidgen." Such a line from a woman in the early 80's ( this is BEFORE Madonna, people!)is amazing.

However, great line aside, I really don't like how cruelly Laura treats poor Murphy. The guy bares his soul to her, she kisses him thisclose but not quite to his lips, thanks him, and then calls ANOTHER MAN for a date! Is she in denial? Perhaps. I get the sense that Laura is out of touch with herself in regards to the men in her life. She's strongly attracted to our Mr. Steele, but holds him off. She has Murphy in love with her, but she either doesn't or doesn't want to see it. She is interested in Creighton, but buys his speil that he's looking out for the little guy and turned down that partnership, and misses the fact that he's a cold blooded murderer. 

Note the bit when Steele attempts to close the door, only to find Creighton's foot in it. We see this bit again in Mexico for Season Five...only it's Tony Roselli's foot. 

DCZinger 

First and foremost...LOVED Laura's fedora and classic look in this episode. 

Michael Gleason's writing is phenomenal (as usual)...Bob Butler (yeah, I call him "Bob", not "Robert"...I feel like we're friends!) does a great job directing...Molly (I won't even attempt her last name cuz I know I'll butcher it) did a superb job with casting! LOVED the actor who played Buddy. Creighton, Rubio, Church, Ms. Taplinger, Buddy's wife...all so wonderful!

LOVED that Remington and Laura are so pissy (for lack of a better word) with each other when they meet each other's dates. They are SO obviously smitten with one another, it isn't even funny! *sigh* (Poor Murph!)

Favorite Lines/Exchanges: 

Creighton: Whether he stays or not, we'd better plan OUR next move. Why don't we regroup over dinner?

Laura: I make it a rule never to go out with clients.

Creighton: I'm not a client. My client's a client.

Laura: An office seems more appropriate.

Creighton: Afraid you'll have a smidgen of pleasure along with business?

Laura: When I'm in the market for pleasure, Mr. Phillips, I want a lot more than a smidgen.

(DAMN, Laura!!! You go, girl! This comment goes along very well with the famous "itchy" scene. Unfortunately, there were less and less of these kind of exchanges as RS went along.)

Creighton: Do you have something going with your boss?

Laura: What makes you ask that?

Creighton: They way you look at him. The way you hang on his every word. The way he looks at you.

Laura: Oh? How does he look at me?

Creighton: Erotically...VERY erotically.

(Double damn!)

LOVED the exchange between Murph and Mr. Steele, too...

Remington: I realize we haven't exactly been best of chums since I arrived on the scene. You've been rather mistrustful of me. Perhaps with some justification. I'll admit that my past is a little obscure - and there have been times when I've taken advantage of my situation here, overspent some of the agency's funds on occasion, intruded in areas where I didn't belong on others. Is that a fair recital of my deficiencies?"

Murph: Couldn't have said it better myself. Though I've tried a few times.

Remington: However, we do have one small patch of common ground.

Murph: Oh?

Remington: Laura. We both care very deeply for her.

Murph: She's a very special lady.

Remington: And neither one of us wants to see her hurt or misused.

Murph: You're the only one I worry about on that score.

(Such honesty between our two suitors! The last sentence speaks volumes about Murph.)

I'll stop quoting here, or I'll probably re-post the whole episode! 

Question: Did they shoot at a different place this episode for Remington's apartment? It sure didn't look like the Rossmore in other episodes!

Another question: What was the deal with the opening?! The music (Laura's Theme) was slightly different and her "Try this for a deep, dark secret..." was totally different! I wonder why they chose a different beginning for this episode.

Anyway, my post is getting way too long. I'll stop now. Oh, wait...I just have to say one more thing. If I were to change something in this near-perfect episode, I would have changed what happened in Creighton's bedroom when Remington was hiding under the bed. I would have had Laura be a bit more "into" Creighton before stopping him. It could have been shot the exact same way -- where we never see Laura and Creighton on the bed...just Remington under it. But I always LOVE to see Remington jealous. How gorgeous is that?!?! *sigh* Couldn't you just imagine the look on his face when he thinks Laura might actually have sex with Creighton?! *double sigh*

OK. I'm really done now. AWESOME episode!
 

Xenos
 

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Question: Did they shoot at a different place this episode for Remington's apartment? It sure didn't look like the Rossmore in other episodes! 

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Also, is is possible that this episode was shot right after Tempered? Shown out of filming order. That would explain why Steele refer's to Laura's place as an "apartment" as well as the different entrance used for his Rossmore apartment, and the different intro. 

Well, Judith's book will answer that one.

DCZinger 

Isabel

Laura: "We aren't involved in any cases that involve ransacking."
 

Bernice: "Can I get you anything?"
Steele: "My tailor."
 

Steele: "Remington Steele never shows up wrinkled."
 

Such great writing!!

This is not one of my favorite episodes. I like it, and enjoy watching it, but there was always something missing.....last night I realized what it was. MUSIC. This episode had almost NO music. I wonder what that was about.

And now...from my notes:

Barry Van Dyke - he's a cutie, but no match for Stephanie and Pierce. IMO, they acted circles around him. He was not bad, they were just GREAT.

Did anyone notice that when Steele was chasing the guy out of his apartment, there was a sign across the street that said "Christian Science Services". Don't know if that was supposed to mean anything, but it was a big ole sign.

The fadora.....I can't say enough about how great the fadora's are!!

When Steele gets to the office, what was with all the clients wearing 10 gallon hats? This was L.A., not Texas. LOL

Small blooper - When Steele gets back from Eagle Rock, Laura tries but is unsucessful in hanging up the phone. She just leaves it there lying half in the cradle, half on the desk. 

I love the look on Laura's face as Steele is revealing a "smidgen" of his past in London. As if to say....don't stop....go on. She is hanging on every word.

Poor Murphy, unrequited love is just so sad. But he handles it great.

Remember PacMan???

I loved the whole scene with RS jealous of her date with Phillips. "I like cotton candy" and "It's not a hard and fast rule". Ah Ha, so there is room to negotiate. LOL

I also have to comment on the summation scene. These two are masters of the whole "reading between the lines" dialouge.

Did anyone else notice the hair sample Steele held up? That was a whole lock of hair....as I remember it, he just got a few strands from the hairbrush, how did that turn into a whole lock of hair?

One final thing....When Steele "bought" the car for Laura, it reminded me of something I have always wondered. Just what was the money situation between them. I mean, she was his employer and any money he had came from RS Investigations right? Did he get a salary, or did he just use the agency credit cards? It makes it very hard to buy someone a gift when all your money comes from them anyway. 

Again, not my favorite episode, but still found lots to love.

Brenda

 

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When Steele gets to the office, what was with all the clients wearing 10 gallon hats? This was L.A., not Texas. LOL 

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One final thing....When Steele "bought" the car for Laura, it reminded me of something I have always wondered. Just what was the money situation between them. I mean, she was his employer and any money he had came from RS Investigations right? Did he get a salary, or did he just use the agency credit cards? It makes it very hard to buy someone a gift when all your money comes from them anyway.

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Steele: "I have a confession to make, Miss Krebs. I didn't file a tax return for that particular year." 

Mildred Krebs of the IRS: "Why not?"

"Because- uh, because- please. Sit here," he says, indicating a chair. "Because -because I didn't earn any income!" he insists. "It's all here in the corporate return. Remington Steele was not paid a salary," he finishes, a bit proud of himself.

"Be that as it may, Mr. Steele, but you were paid in kind."

"Paid in what kind?"

"The agency wrote off a car, a chauffeur, an apartment. The only valid reason not to declare those items as income would be if you devoted one hundred percent of your time in business."

"Oh, of course I did!" Steele insists. "I sleep, breathe, eat, DREAM, private investigating!"

Of course, Laura blew it, because Steele CAN'T claim all of his income because he doesn't devote 100% of his waking hours to detection. I guess after Mildred came to work for them, she re-arranged the finances so that Steele wouldn't have any further trouble with the IRS and thus started getting a salary THEN. As for IVY's car, of course the head of the agency that bears his name can use agency funds to buy something. Steele expected Laura to send the check for the car, so he probably signed a promissory note for the car, and Ivy gave him the keyes. Since when did "minor technicalities" bother our Mr. Steele? HE thinks it's perfectly fine to ask a woman out on a date at 5:45 the same evening!! 

Be that it may, I think that Steele DOES have a little money of his own...money from previous "jobs", money he won playing the ponies and and so forth. I believe that the piano Steele bought for Laura came from his personal funds, and Laura never saw a bill for it. 

DCZinger

Of course, they were already trying to fit murder mystery, humor, romance....ect. into a hour long show. I guess they just never got around to it. LOL

Brenda
 

Steele's money situation was always strange and hard to figure out. He should be getting paid -- he is working and providing a valuable service (and getting them nicely out of red ink) but it's never clear how he's paid and Laura always acts like he's always taking money from the Agency funds - but if he's not getting a salary how else would he pay for things? I assume Laura would draw a salary as an employee of the agency as did Mildred. Did Laura's just consider Steele one large business expense and not an actual employee? :D But then her bookeeping with the IRS seems to have been a carry over from his pre-Steele appearance and she probably wrote Steele's limo etc off as business expenses which they were. Steele only had been there physically a year (and only a few months from 1982 when would be the last time taxes had to be filed for him) by the time Mildred was after him so they actually couldn't have owed much to the IRS that was over due and would require penalties -- but then they couldn't tell the IRS that. It makes me wonder how long the agency had owned that apartment.

The episode when it first ran wasn't one of my favorites but has become so over the years. It has so many great little scenes many of which have been mentioned.

Mr Steele with Miss Tapplinger -- he has the entire routine down pat -- takes her coat-- directs her to the bedroom/bathroom to freshen up and other things most likely, turns on the music (gone from the DVD) and light the fire -- all in silence. It all speaks of something done many many times. Maybe this is the last time we see it because he's bored with the routine easiness of it. That and Laura finally admits that she might not be adverse to mixing buiness with pleasure. ;)

One of my favorite scene is when Steele taunts Laura about her lust for cotton candy and she starts to fume and says "You don't expect me to sit around while you.... " and she can't bring herself to say it though they both know she means. She's jealous of him being with heck sleeping with other women.

He quietly seethes in return -- "While I what?" since she really has no room to citicise since it's her rule about mixing business and pleasure. 

And then Laura says that her rule isn't hard and fast. Yes!

A great touch right before this when Steele contemptuously talks about Creighton personally bathing grimy little tots and he's so dissmissive of Creighton he discusses it while taking off his shoe and examining it. Now that's just a brilliant bit of acting (unless of course that direction was in the script which I don't think it was).

I love the look of wonder and interest on Laura's face when Steele is telling Buddy a bit about his past in Brixton (after also giving him very good practical info on the Bahamas as a getaway place) and the little exchange at the end.
 

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Buddy smiles, shakes Steele's hand. "I think I could love this man," he tells Laura.

"We all have special feelings for Mr. Steele," Laura says.

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Steele sizing up Creighton and finding him suspicious (not to mention an unwanted intruder) is great stuff. Their encounter in the police station makes it clear that Steele won't have Laura hurt.
 

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"Oh, professional curiosity. Speaking as her boss, I wouldn't want to see her hurt. Unhappiness tends to reduce efficiency."

"I wouldn't dream of doing anything to reduce her efficiency." 

"Good. Because speaking as her friend, I'd take serious exception to anyone who brought her pain."

"Is that a threat?"

"It's a word to the wise, Mr. Phillips. I sincerely hope you fall into that category." 

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Favorite moment of the break in though is Steele rolling under the bed and tossing the hissing cat out -- then his facial expressions as the bed gets bounced on by Laura and Creighton. Just fantastic.

Laura completely misinterpreting what Murphy says is either complete cruelty or complete obliviousness. I do think she knows he has feelings since when he later tries to tell them to her in To Stop A Steele she tries I think to stop him because she doesn't want that out there. At the same time as smart as she is at detecting clues in her line of business she is pretty clueless about her personal life. Maybe that's why she needs words and not deeds because when she gets deeds she doesn't understand them. Murphy couldn't be any more obvious in everything he's done to be near Laura -- and has been doing for years and yet she still doesn't see it when everyone else does. No wonder 4 years with Mr Steele and she didn't believe in his feelings; even when he gave the words they weren't the right words.

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Also, is is possible that this episode was shot right after Tempered? Shown out of filming order. That would explain why Steele refer's to Laura's place as an "apartment" as well as the different entrance used for his Rossmore apartment, and the different intro. 

Well, Judith's book will answer that one. 

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Steele Belted's production code is 2701. If you go by code numbers, it was filmed AFTER Tempered and BEFORE License, Steele Waters Run Deep, Signed Steeled Delivered ( where we first encounter Laura's house), and so forth. That would explain a lot of discrepancies, such as Steele thinking Laura lived in a "apartment" or "flat" ( rather than the house she actually has, and/or the different entrances to the Rossmore apartment. I always thought the flavor of this episode was more along the lines of "Tempered" than the later episodes. 
 

Steele's practiced and smooth moves in the apartment with Miss Taplinger....catching her mink as is falls from her shoulders, lighting the fireplace, pointing her to the bedroom.....it's almost as if he could do it in his sleep. Yawn. 

It must drive him crazy to meet a woman who matches him in being able to pull off a con ( the creation and execution of the idea of Remington Steele), who is as mysterious to HIM as he is to her. In any case, Miss Holt is NOT boring, and that is part of what keeps him around. 

Yes, when it truly matters to Mr. Steele, he can indeed do legwork with the best of them. It's just a rare occasion that Steele is willing to go that far. 

DCZinger

"That's what I love about you, Laura...Always willing to stick my neck out". 

Debra

If production numbers aren't in any particular order, then why have them? Makes no sense. 

DCZinger

"That's what I love about you,Laura...Always willing to stick my neck out". 

Ace, I agree with most of your assessment of Laura in regard to Murphy. It reminds me of the saying, "We do not see things as they are; we see them as we are" by Talmud. I don't think she means to be cruel to Murphy, I think she is in denial and just doesn't see that he is in love with her. If she did, she
would have to deal with it and she much rather have Murphy as the close friend he is.

On the other hand, from the moment she meets RS she is aware of her attraction to him. And by this episode she surely recognizes that she has feelings for Mr. Steele which we clearly see by her jealousy. Question is whether she 
wants to risk getting involved and getting hurt again. 

Isabel 

Debra

First things first:

Laura: "how does he look at me?"
Creeper (oh sorry, is that not his name? [biggin]): "Erotically... VERY erotically"

I have to say, that if anyone saw me while that line was being said, I must have looked like a fool because I was grinning like an idiot hehe.

Laura on the phone with Creighton while talking to Murphy; HOLY COW, that is downright mean. She can almost be classified as a tease. In my little life, I have done something similar (where you talk to a man that is SO obviously interested in you, while making plans to do something with ANOTHER man), as I'm sure SOME of you may have, and I honestly felt so horrible after when I looked back and was like "Holy cow, that was so mean, I'm surprised he didnt up and punch me in the face" lol. point being: How could Laura have acted so ... unlike herself and not feel guilty or even sorry towards Murph?

I love the interaction between our Mr.Steele and Murphy too. It's really the only time that they really really bond I think. They do have a few moments in "you're steele the one for me" but nothing as large as this.

That's all I suppose. Next week, I shall not be forgetful, and I shall take some notes so I dont seem ill-prepared *gives the fonz hand-gesture and says "heey"*

"You lived with a man who wears white belts? Am I disappointed"
CR 11/17/06

But that reminds me of one of my favorite lines --

"However, it did distress me to find you fooling around on the bed with a murderer."

The way Steele says murderer sound so Irish -- it's an R thing. ;)

TeenSteele, I don't think Laura was being a tease with Murphy because she's not leading him on -- just the opposite. She's just not interested in him romantically. She's either oblivious, cruel, would rather pretend it's not happening so it wil go away, or maybe too chicken to come right out and tell Murphy she's not interested (and maybe partially hopes this will do the trick) in making that phone call to Creighton, but she's not being a tease.

Favorite Lines

Bernice: "Mr. Steele - are you all right?"
Rem: "Hanging by a thread, Miss Wolfe."

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Rem: "It means dead on arrival."
Laura: "I KNOW what it means; what does it MEAN?"

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Miss Tap: "I'll just leave my coat where it is."
 

What did you notice about the episode that you didn't notice before?

- Murphy's car must not lock properly. In Signed, Steeled he lugs his golf clubs back & forth to the office. In this ep he brings all his 
luggage inside.

- This is one of the few eps where Rem's apartment has a doorbell instead of a buzzer.
 

Where do we see an idea that is later expanded on in another episode?

I believe this is the first (of many) times Mr. Steele gets bashed over the head.