Xenos

Mamma Mia!!! Pierce Brosnan...Proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy!

* I love the physicality that both actors exhibit over the course of the episode from Pierce’s horizontal hang from the fire escape to Stephanie’s escape from New Horizons.

* Even though the two characters have agreed to the Cannes agreement, you can see that Steele isn’t about to give up on the prize in his sights. Love his “we’ll deal with my lust at a more appropriate time” as well as his desire to protect her evidenced numerous times over the course of the episode. I also very much enjoy how he tries to peer through the curtain into her bedroom as she’s changing after her escape from New Horizons.

* And we also see Laura refusing to give up on finding Steele after the fire and what he still means to her even though she’s the one who drafted the Cannes agreement.

* I also like how we get to see Steele, Laura, and Mildred work well as a team. The hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil moment is very funny as is the whole street people routine. The Hobo look proves that it’s almost impossible to make Stephanie and Pierce unattractive.

* The script is well written with some very amusing interaction between Holt and Steele like the exchange in the stairwell about the harpooning techniques of the stars of different versions of the movie Moby Dick that Steele used to pad out his speech to the Save The Whales Foundation.

While not a top episode, Lofty Steele does give us some very funny moments, a feel for the comfortable partnership that has been forged between Steele and Holt as well as a glimmer of the intimacy that might yet be achieved between them. And for me, that makes it a pretty watchable episode especially for one coming out of Season Three. 

Once again, they have a good set-up...A mysterious, rather sinister-looking man being let out of jail (great casting, I might add) who we find out heads straight for Laura's loft. (Nice little bit with the mime, by the way...Though I usually hate them, I found his "stolen" kiss to be very cute.) How scary to find a creepy guy in your home, eh? You'd better believe I'd take Mr. Steele up on his offer to spend the night! (But, then again, if I were Laura, he'd ALWAYS spend the night!!!) [[winkgrin]]

There really are some good comedic scenes...

* Mr. Steele doing his "I hate steps" routine. Yes, Ace, highly unlikely that a little exercise would wind him like that. I mean, come on...Look at him!!! He obviously does the "e" word (exercise). But it is a nice little piece of comedy that they play off of throughout the series. And good Lord, does he look good in a tux!!! *salivating* (Why, oh why do they have to dress Laura so...I don't even know the word for it...when Mr. Steele is looking so delicious?! A red and purple dress with a freakin' hideous long scarf?!?! All you'd need is a fool's hat and the outfit would be complete! Good grief!)

* The scene between Mr. Matthews and Mr. Dixon at the school. "Five Thousand dollars a year, and she can't draw a straight line, and doesn't know what two and two is. But she IS expressing her true self. Well, she is pretty. Maybe she'll marry rich." (Ouch!) Then these two "wonderful" fathers don't even know what their children's teacher's name is! (Yeah, I know this is pretty much a "throw-away" scene, but it's funny in a disturbing way.)

* Finding out that Mr. Steele fumbled his way through a speech about whales using movies references. So Steele-like! Hee-heeeeee!!!

* Mr. Steele looking under Laura's bed and admitting that he'd thought about hiding there once or twice before. (Holy crap, that man just oozes charm!!!)

* Laura at New Horizons Hospital. At first, I thought the Fashion Police had committed her!

* Mildred doing her best IRS Fraud Squad Lady impersonation...Only this time as a nurse. Doris is freakin' awesome as a hard a** bureaucrat!

* The "Laura is a troublemaker" scene. Twice she asked for a plunger...And she used up two garbage cans! Horrors! Loved Mr. Steele's, "Really, Laura."

* Laura doing seemingly endless legwork and getting the run-around while Mr. Steele sends the vase in for fingerprint analysis and spends the afternoon reading the paper. HA!!! Who's the better detective NOW, Miss Holt?! LOL!

* The "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" shot. Hee-heeeeeeee!!! Just caught that this viewing, believe it or not, after Judy posted the pic on www.remingtonsteeleinvestigations.com. (Though I don't think it's still there. The website is still very much "under construction".)

Also loved the scene where Remington says, "I'm simply concerned with your safety. We'll deal with my lust at a more appropriate time." OMG! Lust?!?! Ah, HELLO...Laura?!?! Such a waste of such a wonderful emotion from such a beautiful creature!!! What the heck?!?!

I must say that I really, truly and passionately HATED the "bum" scene. (Though that's not the scene that ruined this episode for me.) I know it was supposed to be funny, but I really had a hard time with seeing our usually genteel and sympathetic Mr. Steele treating someone so callously by telling the old man to sit and stay as if he were a dog. So out-of-character and downright mean.

OK...HERE's the scene that killed this episode for me. The fire scene. Yes...The scene where Mr. Steele saves Laura's (and everyone else's) butt and home. What the heck?!?! Remington risks his life by trying to turn the water on in a burning building...And how does Laura react? Yes, she insists on looking for him after everyone else has given up -- good for her. But where are her tears? Where is the emotion? OK, so she's stunned. I get that. But even when she finds him alive she can't even shed a few tears or kiss him?! All he gets is a lousy hug?! For Pete's sake, woman! I know you two are taking a break, but THIS IS THE MAN YOU LOVE!!! My goodness!!! If it had been me, I would've leapt into his arms, kissed him thoroughly through my abundant tears of happiness, thanked God he was OK, and then done him right there and then in the cinders!!! (And, OMG, did he look good in that scene or what!? I don't know why, but DAMN if he doesn't turn me on when he's a little bit dirty!!! Ooo-la-la!!!)

So, anyway...That's my whole deal. Some nice moments, but I still can't get past that one scene...Or the lack of romance or good bickering, for that matter. But thanks, Frances, for trying to change my mind.
 

Xenos

Mamma Mia!!! Pierce Brosnan...Proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy!

Neeney

Xenos

Mamma Mia!!! Pierce Brosnan...Proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy!

Neeney
 

Memorable Stuff

- Mr. Steele making quite the production out of climbing up the stairs. Stopping to take his pulse is a nice touch.
- A few familiar faces show up in this episode
= The actor playing Cecil Cosgrove played the maitre d' in Red Holt Steele
= Susan Ruttan of LA Law as the rude clerk (Miss Livermore - bwahaha!) at the management company
= Armin Shimerman (Quark of DS9) as Nestor Bartholomew, one of the world's worst neighbors
- Steele pounding down the stairs chasing the bad guys, pushing Nestor out of the way, but stopping to check on Helga to make sure she's not hurt.
- Mildred undercover as the bossy nurse!
- Good comedy in the Mildred-breaks-Laura-out-of-the-asylum scene. The constant barrage of items thrown in the path of their pursuers is funny.
- Laura reaching across the counter to grab the receptionist's lapels. Sometimes enough is enough! LOL
- The hear-no-evil, speak-no-evil, see-no-evil moment is cute
- Doris reviving her award-winning homeless lady character - nice tribute

Character Development

- While I know Laura's certain she can take care of herself, and I know the Cannes agreement is in effect, I want to throttle her for not letting Mr. Steele sleep on the couch. Of course, perhaps deep down she didn't trust herself with having him around for the whole night. (Or I can hope that's it anyway...)
- Mr. Steele just can't help himself. Even though they're "on a break", he's sorely tempted to peek at Laura while she's changing. And the "we'll deal with my lust at a more appropriate time" statement. I just keep thinking...WHEN?!?!?!
- He's so panicked when she's been kidnapped and she's so panicked when she thinks he's stuck in the fiery building that you'd THINK they'd get a clue and end the silly Cannes agreement but nooooo..... grrrr! But I love her certainty that he's still in the building alive and that she gives him a big hug when she finds him.
- Even though they're on a personal break, they still click along quite nicely, professionally speaking. And Mildred is coming along quite well too!
 

Favorite lines

R: I don't know anything about whales. What am I supposed to talk about?
L: Start with the sanctity of all living things and work your way up to blubber.
--------------
R: All in all, I thought the evening went quite well. The audience seemed to enjoy my little talk.
L: Do you really think people care there were three different film versions of Moby Dick?
R: Oh, I thought it was quite appropriate, considering the theme.
L: I'm not at all convinced that analyzing Gregory Peck's harpooning technique set quite the proper tone for the evening.
R: Well, it was a hell of a lot better than John Barrymore's, I must say.
 

Hair & Clothing

- I like Laura's gray suit. But isn't that the same one as in Hearts of Steele? Maybe it was at the cleaners when the house blew up.
- Steele in a tux. What's not to like?
- I like Laura's purple, red & pink dress, though I know some don't (Xenos!)
- Love Laura's hair in the tag. She looks so comfy in the shirt & jeans.
- Does Mr. Putnam not know there are about 3 more buttons on each of his shirts that can be buttoned? Eeew.
 

Goofs, Headscratchers & Misc

- That flaming missile came awfully close to both Steph and Pierce!
- Why did it require two cops (who were supposed to be guarding the building) to take Mildred into the police station? 

Xenos: I can't stand Laura's dress either and I don't know how PB delivers the line about always having admired the dress with a straight face. Although I do love the opportunity he takes to check out Laura's, um, ASSets.

I love Laura's concern and desperation to get back in the building and get to Remington. The solitary firefighter comment.

I figure the Laura is already regretting the Cannes decision but of course she can't let Mr. Steele know. It has to last more than a week ---- that competitive nature of Laura's......

And as for not letting him stay at the loft or her staying with Mildred, stubborn Laura, who can take care of herself and would never admit to a weakness or being scared. You would think that she might at least stay at a hotel.......

I personally think PB's hair in this episode is the worst of the entire show, however that's not to say he looks bad.

On the other hand both LH and RS casual clothes in the tag scene are fantastic and I would kill to have hair that looks like Laura's in the tag scene.

This is one of my top 20 episodes because I think it shows that these two can be close and rely on each other without being romantically involved. I also think their feelings for each other show through so clearly despite the lack of overt romance between them.

Any episode that shows the loft is great. It is an incredible space that is like a character unto itself. Every episode that's shot in the loft captures a little peice of Laura that I had never noticed before (i.e the hats on the pipes over her bed, the pictures, how her bedding changes, etc)

I too hate the tri-colored dress. It belongs in High Flying Steele when they're at the circus (IMHO).

But I do LOVE PBs hair in this episode. It looks freshly cut and almost boyish. Combine that with the tux and he looks unbelievable.

Also, I laugh every time at Laura's acrobatics at the mental hospital. No wonder SZ earned an honorary stuntwoman's award for her work on RS!!! 

So funny to see someone riding a bicycle with a HUGE boom box tied to the front of the handlebars. I'd say we've come a long way with mp3 players but transistor radios did exist way back then. She's just a noise maker.

Did anyone see the heart necklace Steele gave Laura in Season 2 in her jewelery box? I didn't. Tsk tsk.

I do think the loft is more interesting than her house. It's more varied and open and Laura's house looks like something the town librarian or her grandmother would live in (yes I know it's SZ's real house but still). I guess it fit her wardrobe from the first season (all those librarian neck throttling blouses) but it was rather stuffy.

Steele automatically doing up his jacket when he gets out of the limo-- always perfectly attired. Love the jaunty scale up the stairs that changes into a look of oh no yet another set, and then finally taking his pulse. LOL Still, he climbs them 2 at a time practically skipping. By the second time up the jacket is undone and he's panting. By the fourth time after they've come back from the party and a trip to Nestor's he slaps his thigh to get himself going - "Once more into the breach". Hahahahahaha!

And yet that supposed aversion to exerting energy seems no where evident when he runs at full speed up the stairs to Laura's when he thinks she in danger, chasing the guys back down them at full speed, chasing them down an alley then running from a car, jumping to the fire escape and holding himself a aloft horizontally. Remarkable. Favorite moment -- when he's so pleased with himself and his horizontal hang that he lets out a huge smile and waves one arm while still holding himself up with the other! Inspired! And yet supposed this is a man that can't do a chin up. The man obviously is just adverse to unnecessary exertion. ;)

The entire bit with the save the whale speech makes me crack up even more now than then. The Moby Dick and his harpooning techniques is a riot. But more so because it's Mr. "Poster Boy for Save the Whales" Brosnan saying these things. Too funny. I wonder if the NRDC, Cousteau or Blue Planet have ever seen this episode and if so will they delete his narration on their documentaries and public service messages. :D

The "she is pretty, maybe she'll marry rich" is the BEST one liner ever given by a villain or guest star. The guest stars in this episode are fantastic, full stop. Especially Nestor.

Laura not only has hay fever but vent dust obviously gets to her as well. Isn't it remarkable how many supposedly secure buildings and rooms have easily accessible vents to crawl though?

Laura had her entire loft renovated and yet no one working on it told her about the secret passage way? And they kept it that way? Makes absolutely no sense.

Why doesn't Laura have her own plunger? Rather careless that. And the taking up the extra garbage cans-- "really Laura". LOL

"My solitary firefighter". Really if that's not enough to break the Cannes agreement well there's no accounting for Laura's sanity. I do think though that she looked upset and then relieved that he was found -- not as much as she could have been but hardly unmoved. More as if she was in disbelieving shock.

You have to love that he does up his jacket when he gets out of the coal shoot and fixes his collar. Also the way he dances through the dripping water on his way back into the building. His clothes may be a mess and he may be covered in soot but there's no need not to try and look your best. ;)

Laura's is so JEALOUS that he was the better detective. He not only figured out it was about the loft not her but he finds the needed evidence. He's done everything right and because she's wasted hours getting the same info while he was being quickly effective she tries to throttle him. It's like the hardworking nose to the grindstone straight A student being confronted with the partying, layabout, never crack a book until the last second A+ student. Unfair! The only way to calm her down is for him to give her the credit for being such a great teacher. LOL

It also shows that her gratitude at his risking his life and saving her home has lasted exactly as long as him one upping her at work. So competitive. :D

As noted the Monkey no hear, no talk no see bit is wonderfully and subtly done.

I LOVE the skid row bit, the costuming and the dialogue.
 

"I didn't give up a life on the Riviera to become a tramp in downtown Los Angeles"

"I hear you pal"

LOL! Mildred makes a brilliant bag lady and yet Steele contrives to still look like an elegant bum.

The haircut is his fresh back from Nomads - how much do you want off - take it all off - haircut. TPTB did not like it and it supposedly sent them into a bit of a tizzy as if it was character destroying. LOL! Even Cassie lamented the loss of his beautiful long hair. I actually like it. It's much shorter than at any other time on RS but it's still a great haircut. It's almost impossible to give him a bad haircut even when he's purposely trying for hair horrors. The man has spectacular hair.

Laura's hair looks fantastic in this episode -- really thick and great in her wide ponytail and even better in the last scene all loose.

The wardrobe item of the episode - Mr Steele's beautiful tux and it's gets lots of lovely screen time.

I kind of like Laura's circus dress (fits with the mime- it's a theme!). I could have done with one or two less colors but the cut and material is quite soft and flattering and I much prefer it to the over spangled dark party dress/top horrors they usually foist on her that overwhelm her and weigh her down. So it's not the best of her evening wear (that would be the pants and gold top in Puzzled) but it's far from her worse.
 

Also, one of the producers says in the commentaries that PB has the best hair in Hollywood & isn't that the truth! I like his hair best in season 4-5 and the period immediatly following RS - Live Wire. Also like it in Golden Eye. Guess I just like it a bit longer. In the commentaries he has it pretty short, but it looks good. Not sure it would look good long now that he is graying. But most Irish men gray so well - not fair at all. I have a nice Celtic gray streak in my own hair, but as long as I have a good hair dresser you will never see it. Although my hubby says he rather likes it.
 

The entire bit with the save the whale speech makes me crack up even more now than then. The Moby Dick and his harpooning techniques is a riot. But more so because it's Mr "Poster Boy for Save the Whales" Brosnan saying these things. Too funny. I wonder if the NRDC, Cousteau or Blue Planet have ever seen this episode and if so will they delete his narration on their documentaries and public service messages. :D 

Ace, you KILL me!!! I thought it was funny, too, given the time and energy he devotes to saving the whales!!! (I've even done a couple of those dolphin and whale sponsorship kits because of Pierce! LOL!)
 

Also, one of the producers says in the commentaries that PB has the best hair in Hollywood & isn't that the truth!

Heh-heh-heh...Best hair indeed!!! And best eyes (freakin' incredible!)...Best smile (whether a smirk, lopsided grin or full-on-all-teeth-showing smile)...Best shoulders (oh, to sink my fingertips into those!)...Best hairy chest (oh, yeah)...Best tushie (well, duh!)...Best voice (grrrrrrrrr)...Best hands (mmmmmmmmmmmm)...Need I go on?! (And I love his hair longer, too, Denise. Super-sexxxxxxy!!! Makes me want to run my fingers through it and kiss him like Laura did in "Steele Framed"!!! OMG, OMG, OMG!!!) *fanning myself* What was this thread about again? Oh, yeah! Lofty Steele! LOL!!!
 

XXXenos

Mamma Mia!!! Pierce Brosnan...Proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy!

This ep has a lot of funny scenes-the many scenes of the stairs getting the best of R and then him running up and down them like he owned them, the "Save the Whales" banquet which Pierce Brosnan probably attended, R thinking of hiding beneath her bed, L being accused of horrible deeds by her neighbors, R examining her bottom while looking at her torn dress, R trying to peek behind the curtain while L changed clothes, L's fiasco trying to get her legwork done while R just takes the smart shortcut,R's delight at escaping the bad guys by extending his horizonal hold on the ladder and shining his million dollar grin at no one but himself,L, R, and M playing like monkeys in at R's desk in his office (one of my fav. scenes of any episode),and of course the entire bum scene at the loft at night. Really funny stuff.

This was the only episode I ever heard advertised on local Atlanta radio. They used a sound bite from the scene where they talk about agreeing to the roadblock and talking about his lust at a more appropriate time. I was so excited when I heard that ad!!!