Interesting bit of trivia: Jack Hedley, the actor who plays G.W. Wainright/Benjamin Applegate in this episode worked with Cassie three years earlier on the 007 movie "For Your Eyes Only".
 

Xenos

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

Memorable Stuff

- The initial setup with the fake town and the whole bit is quite original.
- Laura shooting Mr. Steele's Zodiac with the spear gun! LOL! Our girl takes her competition SERIOUSLY!
- Love the slow head turn and million-dollar smile Mr. Steele lays on Mildred when she suggests looking for Miss Holt instead of for Shepherd.
- Though they try to make light of it, I don't enjoy seeing Laura manhandled on the island. Knowing what those guys intend is somehow much more disturbing to me than when some of the "toy killers" in other episodes put her in danger.
- Love how the Jack Hedley totally changes his accent as he slides from GW Wainwright to Benjamin Applegate
- If memory serves, this is the only time Laura actually shoots anyone.
- Animals do seem to have an affinity for Mr. Steele's leg: first Doolittle, now a goat
- Love all the "state-of-the-art" computer equipment Laura & Mildred find.
- Mr. Steele a pole-vaulter....hmmm. Just a bit too far-fetched.
 

Character Development

- The little discussions about fun vs. work - with neither fully understanding the other's POV
- Love the competition: trained detective vs. detective-in-training
- The tag scene with them getting back to bickering is just about like old times...they just need to kiss and make up!
 

Favorite lines

L: There's a principle involved here, Mr. Steele. Our agency cannot be bought.
R: Yes, I know that, Laura, but perhaps - perhaps - it could be rented. Hmm?
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R: In case you didn't realize it, missy, this figurehead has a mind of its own!
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M: Well, you know what Miss Holt always says: Good detecting takes 5% brain work and 95% legwork.
R: How like her. My philosophy, Mildred, is that nothing in life is worth doing unless it can be accomplished by a shortcut.
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M: How can you just stand there?!
A: I don't do reality, darling.
 

Hair & Clothing

- Love, love, love their clothes in the tag scene. Not very practical but they look smashing in them.
 

Goofs, Headscratchers & Misc

- Goof: During Laura's "legwork" montage, one bit of film was turned backwards. Laura is seen shaking hands with her left hand and writing notes with her right hand. 

    During Laura's "legwork" montage, one bit of film was turned backwards. Laura is seen shaking hands with her left hand and writing notes with her right hand.

Isabel

Plus I seem to recall seeing that mentioned on someone's site. Yuliya's perhaps?

Isabel

Things I liked alot include, Laura's fury at being "played for sport" by Imposter Wainwright and her competitiveness by speargunning Mr.Steele's dinghy. That's sounds a bit dirty and metaphorical!
Mr. Steele describing Laura as "a fairly attractive American women, brunette, late twenties, looking extremely pleased with herself" and the "harpoon-happy Miss Holt" is so on character for him. He always adds unecessary but colorful things to his descriptions. I love his philosophy that "nothing in life is worth doing unless accomplished by a shortcut". I believe we are soul mates.

Laura's escape from the prison cell is an early version of SZ's escape in "The Man in the Brown Suit". Shades of more stolen ideas, 300 foot yacht as an escape vehicle? Hello Speed 2 calling!

Okay Mickey, I don't like Laura's scene where she's surrounded by the guys either for the implied danger, but for true ickiness the colonel and his daughter, oops I mean soon to be child bride, tops it. I know the actress is an adult, but eeewww it's just soooo creepy the way he treats her. So very, very wrong!

The best scene of the episode has to be where Laura admits to getting the lockpick from Mr.Steele's pants pocket. Oh-ho-yes! I got it on the yacht she tells us. Yes, YES, Finally!!! While he was changing his clothes..---NOOO!!!!!!
There has to be a paxed scene in there somewhere...

Last scene in the gondola, lovely except Mr. Steele should leave the hats to Laura. Although since they're there, it must have meant Laura agreed to the extra week and admitted he won their bet! Does Malta have a saying like "What happens in Malta, Stays in Malta"? I'd like to think so, perhaps there's entire paxed episode there. 

 Puzzled Steele is a really good mystery, lots of twists to keep the story moving. You can never get comfortable trying to "puzzle" out  who's the actual bad guy or why this is all going on until the end.

Agreed, one of the most complex mysteries - a true puzzle.
 

Things I liked alot include, Laura's fury at being "played for sport"  by Imposter Wainwright and her competitiveness by speargunning  Mr.Steele's dinghy. That's sounds a bit dirty and metaphorical!  Mr. Steele describing Laura as "a fairly attractive American women,  brunette, late twenties, looking extremely pleased with herself"

This description and his snarky off hand way of saying it makes me laugh every time -- more so that as soon as he says "extremely pleased with herself" the other guys face shows complete recognition. LOL!

She really is awfully smug and condescending to Steele at the start of this episode (as they're debating whether to to take the bet) and due to be taken down a few pegs. I do so enjoy when he has her arrested. Too bad she did not get the similar strip search he did in Pocketful. ; D
 

The "harpoon-happy Miss Holt" is so on character for him. He always adds unecessary but colorful things to his  descriptions. I love his  philosophy that "nothing in life is worth doing unless accomplished  by a shortcut". I believe we are soul mates.

The very words to live by. ;)
 

Laura's escape from the prison cell is an early version of SZ's escape in "The Man in the Brown Suit". Shades of more stolen ideas, 300 foot yacht as an escape vehicle? Hello Speed 2 calling!

I'm not sure anyone wants to admit to inspiring anything about Speed 2. ;-)
 

Okay Mickey, I don't like Laura's scene where she's surrounded by the guys either for the implied danger, but for true ickiness the colonel and his daughter, oops I mean soon to be child bride, tops it. I know the actress is an adult, but eeewww it's just soooo creepy the way he treats her. So very, very wrong!

Yes the Major & The Minor (not nearly as appealings the charming albeit tad disturbing Ray Milland & Ginger Rogers film) have a very creepy relationship. But the threat and action of real palpable violence in RS is always disturbing for me because it is *so* rare. Most of the threats do seem to of the "toy" variety and when they're not its usually Steele on the receiving end. (like being beaten in have I Got A Steele For You)

Seeing Laura surrounded and about to be raped puts a knot in my stomach. It also brings to the forefront that the job is indeed a very dangerous one. Also that here Laura is being actually quite foolish and too sure of her own capabilities & imperviousness -- confronting a bunch of smugglers alone and unarmed in a secluded spot -- not smart at all but rather "stupidly macho".

But it's too real and not the way I wanted to see Laura taken down a few pegs. Even so, she's not because even after Steele saves her she's anything but verbally grateful. :P
 

The best scene of the episode has to be where Laura admits to getting the lockpick from Mr.Steele's pants pocket. Oh-ho-yes! I got it on the yacht she tells us. Yes, YES, Finally!!! While he was changing his clothes..---NOOO!!!!!!  There has to be a paxed scene in there somewhere...  Last scene in the gondola, lovely except Mr. Steele should leave the hats to Laura.

Au contraire, I think it's beautiful hat and as with most things Pierce wears it with suitable panache and style. That makes me wonder though, how often does he wear a hat in the series? He has the cowboy hat in Steele's Gold (fantastic) and does he wear an Irish cap in Steeled With A Kiss or is that just in the promos and off screen (for some reason my brain has a difficult time summoning up complete scenes of the 5th season)
 

Although since they're there, it must have meant Laura agreed to the extra week and admitted he won their bet! Does Malta have a saying like "What happens in Malta, Stays in Malta"? I'd like to think so, perhaps there's entire paxed episode there.

Laura admit she lost? You must be joking. :D This is one competitive woman (see: harpoon in dinghy) The most she'll ever admit to is a tie (see: Steele Crazy) even if she has to change the rules or the game afterwards and redefine what it means to win (See: lame attempts at end of Puzzled). Still as you say they are there for another week so maybe hell froze over. ;D

The clothes at the end of the episode are gorgeous and visually it's just a beautifully composed scene. 

I know some folks feel that Laura and Remington were cold towards each other in this episode, but I never thought so. They were merely playing a game. Admittedly, Laura was upset because they had been set up and she didn't *initially* get into the spirit of the game, but she overcame that grandly and proved to be a great game player.

I don't think their discussion on the boat even really qualified as a fight, much less a terrible one. They've always liked to bicker, and not all bickering is bad, eh? And on the gondola, that was just good natured jesting; they weren't fighting at all.

I also don't think she was mad that he rescued her from the pirates at the cave; she was just so used to declaring that she could take care of herself, she was just saying it out of habit. I hate to think what would have happened if he *hadn't* shown up, and I think she must have known how dangerous that situation was.

This is by far my favorite episode filmed in Malta. I've always thought "Puzzled" was a fun episode in which Laura and Remington basically have fun with each other. "Maltese", on the other hand, was just downright depressing--the absolute nadir of their relationship.

The early title of "Puzzled Steele" was "Game, Match, and Steele". I always thought this episode was a lot of fun. It always heartened me that even in the midst of Laura's Cannes' decision, they could have fun together.

Debra

With regard to the film getting flipped and Steph appearing to write with her right hand instead of her left...I'm thinking that was a conscious decision made by the editors. If they would've kept it the right way, Laura and the hotel guy would've been on the right side of the screen. It would've looked strange since every other scene -- including those with Remington -- was shot with the principals being on the left side of the screen. You have to be consistent. (It's kind of like shooting a football game from both sides of the field...They don't do it because you couldn't tell which way the players were supposed to be running.)

Auburn wrote: "Things I liked alot include, Laura's fury at being 'played for sport' by Imposter Wainwright and her competitiveness by speargunning Mr.Steele's dinghy. That's sounds a bit dirty and metaphorical!" *insert my dirty little laugh here* It does sound dirty, PW!!! There are a heckuva lot of things I want to do with Mr. Steele's dinghy...But none of them involve a speargun. [[bigeek]]

Ace wrote: "Too bad she did not get the similar strip search he did in Pocketful." I have to agree with you on this one, Ace...But, then again, that's not politically correct. It's funny if a man gets strip searched, but it's disgusting and inappropriate if a woman gets strip searched. Go figure. Though I guess I can find humor in Mr. Steele getting strip searched because that's every woman's fantasy and we end up wishing we were that prison warden. LOL! (Great! Now I'm gonna start having prison fantasies involving Pierce!!! Hee-heeeeeee!!!)

Debra...Just so you know...I absolutely LOVE this episode and would never, EVER short change it!!! It's wonderfully written (and acted, of course) -- it's smart, charming, "twisty" (which I love) and funny! Other than the lack of smooching, it's perfect!!! And yet, I wonder about what happened after the gondola ride...They looked awfully comfie leaning up against each other and playfully arguing. I consider that foreplay!!!

I, too, detested the "almost rape" scene. It really makes me uncomfortable watching that. Thank GOD Mr. Steele showed up when he did. (Laura really needed to thank him appropriately, though.)

The "young and dumb" fiancee really gave me the willies. HELLO?!?! IS ANYBODY IN THERE?!?! It's bad enough that there really are people like that out there...But to have her be the fiancee of such a distinguished older gentleman (even though he's a treacherous killer) is just icky!!! *shudder*

Parting thought...OMG, Pierce looked smashing in this episode!!! Good Lord!!!
 

Xenos

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

I guess I'm not very PC because I think it would have been very funny for it to happen to Laura as well in the fiction that is the RS universe - especially when she got such glee out of it happening to Steele and hey she actually did commit the crime unlike Steele. Just desserts. ;-). In reality it's pretty disgusting and horrible for it to happen to anyone, man or woman.

But then I'm also someone that would think it very fair and funny if Mr. Steele stomped on her foot or maybe kicked her in the skin with a pointy shoe from time to time. It might have deterred her more stomp/kick happy urges. Luckily for Laura's feet and shins that Steele is a gentleman, whereas I have no such handicap. ;)