Xenos

No, no, no...No more foreplay.

And now......let the discussion begin. LOL

After 2 weeks of titles that stretched the imagination to figure out there meaning, we finaly get one that makes sense.....NOT!! LOL

I really enjoyed the new elimante of "Teaching Mr. Steele". This show was only 8 episodes old and it was already unfolding like the layers of an onion. Further establishing who wears the pants, or skirts, in the agency. Then to have Laura stumble around while Mr. Steele smoothly flows through the clues and evidence.....very fun to watch.

SUSHI------YUCK!!! I have to agree with Mr. Steele on this one.....a few turns on the coals would have done them both a lot of good. LOL

I wish we could have heard the rest of the "The cats on the roof and we can't get her down" story. From what I could gather, the story was very relevant, but they never let him finish. How did that poor cat die??? LOL

I liked the "initial" game. How Mr. Steele refused to let Laura & Murphy keep him out of the loop with the initials. He was so determined to figure them out. And the adorable looks on his face as he tried multiple versions of what they could mean....Classic Mr. Steele.

I know you guys all LOVE Remington in a tux, but for my money....I'll take him in the all black "breaking and entering" outfit every time. MMMMMM

I also thought Laura looked guite good in the Geshia outfit. She should consider this look more often. The Kimono has great hiding places for poison, clues, ect. 

My favorite line of the episode...."Shooting a hoop?? Is it a very large animal?" 

And in closing, my favorite "80's" moment goes to the BIG ole floppy disk. Remember those?? This show did a great job of not being dated, but then someone pulls out a 4 x 6 floppy and you suddenly remember....oh yeah this was 25 years ago. LOL

Ok, that's it for me. I have to go out of town for the weekend, but I look forward to reading all of your commentaries upon my return. Have a great weekend everyone!

Brenda
 

Isabel

Xenos

No, no, no...No more foreplay!

I too didn't think much of this episode for years. I think maybe it's coming after three stellar episodes. However, You're Steele the One for Me is definitely an underrated gem. 

I think the "Teach me" scene is definitely an excellent relationship moving forward bit. You also see Steele's "icy calm" facade cracking as he pulls Laura into his office for their talk. He also looks HURT. I think they finally went TOO far with dismissing his efforts to help with the cases. "Maybe he ran out of doodles" as sneered by Laura finally did him in. In Season Three's "Puzzled Steele", they expand upon this by having Laura and Steele do their silly "bet" as to who is the better detective. 

Love Laura's suit in the first scenes...That is the SAME one she wears when giving Steele their "let's take a break" talk in Steele of Approval. Apparently, it was at the cleaners when Enterprow blew up her house. 

Love how Steele was ready, willing and able to do battle for Laura as they worked to free Mike. He had that BIIG knife out and ready for her, didn't he? 

Steele and Murphy "shooting hoops". Are they a very large animal? He he! 

I'm with everybody else? What happened to the blasted cat? 

Question: How does Laura know Mike? Classmates? Restaurant Regular? 

What are they going to do with the "Palace of Heaven" disc? Turn it over to the cops? Just keep it? 

Love Steele's line when he realizes that he's been in the wrong movie. This isn't "The Yakuza" but "The Third Man"! LOL. 
 

DCZinger

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

"I swear on my honor as a gentleman I never asked that little man to tell me anything." Heh. Love the scene of them in the hallway with Laura ignoring Steele and playing charades while Steele is getting the information. And then Laura is angry that he did it so easily. It reminds me later of that scene in Lofty where she did all that legwork and he found it out from tracing the fingerprints -- though then he was actively detecting and just doing a better job -- but she was murderous in her jealousy. 

"It hardly seems fair does it -- you holding the reins me taking the whip." What a visual. LOL 

"Where do you find these films" -- love that confused exasperated almost squeak of Laura's as Steele and Bernice exchange info on The Yakuza.

Is this the only time we actually see Steele in a movie theater watching a film? He's in a theater in Steele Your Heart Away and outside a porn one in Beg Borrow, but I don't recall ever again see him watching a film in a theater unless one counts the opening credits.

I'm sorry -- I have to agree with Steele's disbelief that Murphy found that specific girl in that neighborhood just from Laura's description. I mean-- come on! Speaking of which that's Mrs. Kim on Gilmore Girls.

I love how revved up Steele is about putting together clues outside the theater with Laura -- he's all chirpy, a tad confused and rather out of his depth but so eager to join in. 

"Scowl and Crinkle. Makes us sound like a London law firm."

"Your mother tell you that one too." "Such a wise family". I love the entire clipped exchange and the way he says wise. He maintains this great cool manner in the interview with Tanaka (great actor). It shows that when dealing with a very powerful efficient dangerous criminal class he's very much able to hold his own -- more so than Laura who completely loses her cool and almost her head.

Steele and Murphy -- I just adore them together. The mantle and the shooting hoops -- LOL!!!!

Asking Steele to autograph the death certificate? *snort*

I like that Steele the gourmand still doesn't embrace the concept of sushi. It shows that there's a still a little bit of that street kid that would prefer fish to be cooked. (maybe even with a side of chips though he might not admit it)

Love Laura's open toe sling backs that she shoves in the door (though that's got to hurt). Is that the same suit from Approval? I never noticed the three-button side motif on the Approval suit though the shawl collar and dark navy is the same. Either way -- it's easily one of her best suits. Classic and complimentary. Laura -- not that convincing a geisha -- they must have had a lot of saki before she showed up. 

Steele's blue shirts with white collars -- very 80s and I dislike them, especially when they detract from such a gorgeous 3 piece pinstripe grey suit. And yes to Steele all in black -- a thing of beauty -- it compliments his lean panther like qualities and his coloring. 

- The cat story
- C&D, E&F, QWYA, U&D
- The "teach me" conversation
- Laura vividly describing the car crash to the Japanese woman
- "The mantle of Remington Steele" conversation
- The "shooting hoops" exchange - and the follow up awhile later about "wild hoops" & Laura's puzzlement at that
 

Character development

- Laura seems to be a bit better with dead bodies by now
- Surprising Mr. Steele's not a sushi connoisseur
- Laura's reaction after the Major leaves her in the restroom - she's not unshakeable
- Bernice knows the actors in The Yakuza and that doesn't faze R or L at all
- I believe this is the first mention of Laura's crinkle - cute exchange about "Scowl & Crinkle"
- Rem's chagrin as he realizes he led the bad guys right to Mike. Laura takes his admission with great grace.
- Laura gets the swords drawn on her, but Rem recognizes the need for saving face. She's better at the detective work, but his life-experience helps them get out of the situtation.
 

Clothing & hair

- Rem gets a much-needed haircut. Laura's hair is great throughout the ep.
- Like her classy navy dress at the beginning of the ep and the beige suit.
- Love his break-in outfit...he looks so good in black
 

Favorite lines

Rem: "A man can only doodle on his napkin for so long, Laura."
------------
Rem: "Go on, Miss Holt, tell him who I am."
Laura: "Mike Ito, this....is Remington Steele himself."
Mike: "So?"
 
 

Goofs & Things That Make You Say "Huh?"

- The misspelled title card

- A look at the clock in the church reveals it's 10 am, but shortly after that Rem complains about the chamber of commerce luncheon. A little early for lunch...

- Why is there a pay phone in the ladies' room?

- Just where did they get a geisha outfit on such short notice?

- When Laura bashes the last baddie on the head, Mike is still in cuffs, but in the next shot, where they exit the room, the cuffs have vanished

- Laura does the world's fastest change from the geisha outfit, makeup and wig-smashed hair into a new outfit with gorgeous hair

I was most impressed with your points regarding character development as that is pretty important to me. Your comment of "saving face" is so interesting because it reminds me of PB's Noble House mini series. 

Isabel
 

You’re Steele the One for me

Ok, first things first. I don’t like this episode. It’s definitely in the bottom of the stack for me. So please read this with sarcasm in the forefront of all my comments.

Sorry if some of these comments have been said all ready. The guy who played Mike Ito was just a BAD actor. He wasn’t convincing at all. And what was with him yelling his lines? Was he deaf or something? Love how Steele shows up thinking its Laura who has someone at the funeral. Love the initials used through the show. C&D-Cut and dried.

“Then teach me!” Does he really want to learn or is he trying to get Laura interested in him?
-Get out your notebook...and he does.

Lesson number one in private detecting—

Go over all known facts (is this the same one that she says in the next episode when she’s telling him how to solve the case?) Is that all? Are there no more?

–Who claimed Kenji’s body, who arranged for the funeral and who were the three other people there? 

Are people at apartments always that nosey or is that a cultural thing?

Laura’s very good (NOT!) at breaking the language barrier. The little old man who finally whispers it in Steele’s ear. 

Mr. Hamada got killed by a refrigerator door?

E&F-enigmatic and frightening (WHO came up with the initials?)

Why is there a payphone in the ladies bathroom? And how did the Major know that she’d even come in there? Like the gunrunning flea term.

Palace of Heaven the BIG mystery of the show.

QWYA-Quit while you’re alive

Bernice has the best line on this one I think.... “Refer him to the advice columnist at Soldier of Fortune Magazine.”

Enter the Dragon-Bruce Lee
The Yakuza-Robert Mitchum, Brian Keith, Warner Brothers 1975. Does Yakuza really mean ruthless code of honor?

Is the Palace of Heaven a movie theater? And what is the lady from the funeral doing there and just how did she know Steele and that he’d be there? He wasn’t at the funeral when she was so she wouldn’t have seen him there.

Remington Steele is a team of course (well during Season One anyway). Who knew about Mike? And why when he was being beaten up and kidnapped did he have no business? When L & R were there earlier his business was booming.

331 ½ 1st Street. Where specifically on the street would that be? Laura’s hat is pulled so far down on her forehead that you can’t even see the darn crinkle. Love the law firm reference though-Crinkle and Scowl.

Steele’s own letters- BF (bloody fool)

What the frick is the Palace of Heaven? Have I asked that question before....LOL

U&D-Unexpected and daring.

Ok, wouldn’t you think they’d know who their own geisha’s were? And how did Murph know exactly when to drive up and get them?

Guy comes into the office and tackle the poor guy why don’t they?

“We’re in the wrong movie!” (The Third Man-Joseph Cotton and Orson Welles)

Sooo....The Palace of Heaven is computer codes that detail their whole operation in Japan? (What operations were they?) So that’s what it is? After all this I was hoping the Palace of Heaven was something else. (Anybody recognize Kenji as the gardener Sam in Steele At your Service?)

Neeney
Smile, it makes people wonder what you're up to!
 

What? There were no first rate young Japanese actors who came to LA from New York "three weeks ago"(to quote Stephanie in one of the DVD commentaries)? 

I totally forgot that the guy who played Kenji came back to do Sam the Gardener in "Steele at your Service". Then again, except for the barn scene at the end where the "Butler did it", that's one I rarely watch. 

DCZinger

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

I too did not like this episode so you are not alone. It just didn't make
too much sense to me. 

I need to put in my two cents worth here on the people in the apartment
building being just nosey or it being a cultural thing. Well, I don't know
about the Japanese but I find that most minority groups will know their neighbors. I have to do home visits in my work, and know that here where I live anyway, I can get reliable information from neighbors. Yet, that is not the case in non-minority neighborhoods. I think it is just the need to bond
together in a foreign place, especially in this case, when they did not speak
the language.

Isabel
 

knowing that imdb isn't always accurate...I see this guy did most of his work in the 80's...and not much at that...

I also found the whole acronym thing annoying...for me it would only work if it was a continuing thing in other episodes...but it only shows up in this one right? They act like this is part of their work but I don't remember it in other episodes. So it seemed pointless to make such a big deal about it in the story line

geez, I'm cranky today....

or perhaps the writer just forgot or thought it would get old fast if they did continue it

In any case, it wouldn't have hurt to use the letters ONCE in a while during the first season. Then stopping it of course after Murphy and Bernice left. 

DCZinger 

"That's what I love about you, Laura. You keep narrowing this case down to include everybody."

First, I have some questions for Mickey...The title card was misspelled?!?! I'll have to go back and check that out! What did they misspell? Also, when did MG and SZ say that this director wanted them to be serious?

I have mixed feelings about this episode...Mostly because of the actor who played Mike. (Who was he sleeping with to get this part?!?! Aaarg!!!) LOVE the developing Murphy/Remington relationship. Murphy thinking they were becoming..."friends"...Nah! Cute! The mantle of Remington Steele?!?! Shooting hoops?!?! Great stuff. I hope I'm not stepping on Lori's toes here, but she just wrote a Christmas fanfic piece and it has a paragraph in it which I think sums up Murphy's and Remington's relationship...And it goes perfectly with this episode... 

---

Over dinner, Murphy finally let himself relax. The foursome laughed and had a good time. Murphy found himself watching Laura, and though he was loathe to admit it, she seemed happy. And when he wasn't busy hating him, he actually found Steele to be a likable guy. He'd never admit that out loud.

---

I think the thing that tickled me the most about this episode (other than Pierce looking damn hot as usual) was seeing a young Stephen Lee as Mr. Dickerson, the coroner. (Stephen Lee played "Tony B." one of my favorite recurring characters on another favorite show of mine, "Nash Bridges". The guy's a GREAT comedic actor, believe me!)

That's about all I have time for. Life is crazy this time of year. I'll post more regularly come January.
 

Xenos

No, no, no...No more foreplay!

P.S. New tag line, Zinger? Good one!