CHALLENGE: Picac, you need to find something good about it (other than "Pierce looked damn good". That's a given!) LOL!

Happy posting,
Xenos

Neeney

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

That adult is hiding in a closet or words to that affect scene -- I love Steele's unconcealed contempt and disbelief. Obviously he can't believe Laura would stoop that low either -- Clay the weasel makes Butch Beamis look like a prize. Steele's Groucho walk to make Geena Davis look even taller. That poor astronaut shilling stuff at at the supermarket-- it's sad because it's close to reality. 

Um that's about it. Other than Pierce looking good of course. ;-)

Debra

Debra, since you won't say it I will. Your story "Steele In The Mood" with the cola is immeasurabely funnier and better written. Everyone go read it. :)

http://www.mindspring.com/~dtalley/rsfanficindex.html

Is THAT a good motivation for our Miss Holt to invent a superior and take control of her destiny? And THANK GOD her destiny decided to walk and talk and came with a killer pair of blue eyes. 

What she saw in Clay, I'll never know. 

DCZinger 

Debra

It's actually sickening to see the very lovely and damn good sport Ms. Dalrymple walk off at the end with that sleezeball. That's another thing I like in the episode, the casting is quite good but then it usually is with RS. 

Neeney

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

Second...Neeners, you seem to be getting a jump on us, babe! It's only Thursday. Most of us aren't watching until Friday night! But don't let me discourage you. Post away!!!

Third...I'm glad you're planning on posting, Debra! You're always so positive...I'm sure you can help me defend Steph and "Chips"!
 

Xenos

Neeney

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

The original script Stephanie and Robin wrote was much better than what was filmed, but the network nixed one of their storylines at almost the last minute. I've read their original version and it's really funny. Remington buys a bag of aphrodisiac cookies at Lila's Delights and keeps feeding them to an unsuspecting Laura throughout the episode. If anyone has read my fanfic "Steele in the Mood", you'll recognize that Thekla and I were inspired by Steph and Robin's original idea.

Also keep in mind that SZ and RB were given a specific time period to write for--notice PB's extremely short hair, and you can tell this was one of the earliest shows filmed 3rd season. It was supposed to take place soon after the Cannes decision, but NBC kept delaying it and delaying it until even SZ wasn't sure they were even going to air it--and when NBC did finally air it, during the sweeps period, it was *totally* out of context because R & L had already recanted the Cannes agreement and the thaw was in full swing

Things I love about "Chips":
-R on the tennis court with Ms. Dalrymple. He show us right off that *he's* the desperate man in this episode. Loves the way he comes up with an expanding 'company slogan'.

-L and R's double-take when they show each other the picture of their missing guy and realize it's the same person.

-The Agency getting ransacked numerous times and their reactions each time. Can't help laughing outloud when R takes off running into his office yelling "Ms. Dalrymple! Ms. Dalrymple". I think this is when he accidentally steps in an empty cardboard box, shakes it off and just keeps going, like the Energized Bunny. 

-The fact that Ms. Dalrymple threw up on the Agency carpet. R's busy comforting Ms. Dalrymple and L just ignores that whole situation and gets down to business on the phone getting the coroner's prelimenary report.

-The entire bomb scene is a riot and the music is just perfect! Love how they all play Hot Potato with it before L leads R into the corrider towards the elevator, physically hurls the innocent bystander out of the elevator, and then they all throw themselves on top of each other for protection from the bomb blast.

-Love how R follows L to La Boheme and seeing her kidnapped, comes up with a clever plan all on his own to rescue her. Go, Remington. Love him saying, "Julio Inglesa no es en la casa." (I don't see that phrase in Nancy's transcript, but I remember hearing it.)

-The escape in the Auburn from Varicorp after L is rescued and L jumps onto the running board and starts kicking at the bad guys chasing them.

-L holding tight to R to keep him from attacking M, and the L doing the same to him a moment later.

-Everyone running around the outside hallways of the school and the everyone meeting in the boys room. (SZ was showing us some of her scatological humor here.)

I didn't rewatch the episode before writing this, so feel free to correct any misremembrances.

Xenos, thanks for saying that I'm 'always so positive'. I do try to look for the good and not get hung up on the negative.

Ace, Thank you for the compliment about "Steele in the Mood". The story also has a lot of in-jokes based on some of the tabloid gossip columns that came out during the run of the show. Those made the story even that much more fun to write!
 

by Xenos1981    (Fri Nov 10 2006 06:29:16 )

Ignore this User | Report Abuse

---

The original script Stephanie and Robin wrote was much better than what was filmed, but the network nixed one of their storylines at almost the last minute. I've read their original version and it's really funny. Remington buys a bag of aphrodisiac cookies at Lila's Delights and keeps feeding them to an unsuspecting Laura throughout the episode.

---

Xenos

P.S. I, too, have read "Steele In The Mood". Heh-heh-heh...VERY funny indeed!
 

by dtalley    (Fri Nov 10 2006 10:34:05 )

Ignore this User | Report Abuse

Here's an excerpt from MysteryNet regarding the early draft of "Chips". It was written by Susannah.

>At one point, Steele buys some aphrodisiac cookies from Lila's Delights, with which he plies Laura throughout the episode. At one point, they go back to Munsinger's apartment to look for clues. Laura searches and suddenly announces, "I want to go to bed, now!" Steele can't believe how fast the cookies are working, and his good fortune, as he follows her into the ransacked bedroom and closes the door. Then, to his dismay, Laura displays several electronic bugs that she'd found in her search. (He looks like he wants his money back on those cookies.)

Also, the guy from Hayvenhurst, Clay, is not anyone Laura is happy to see again. When they are trading info at the restaurant, he gets drunker quicker, and his questions, and Laura's answers, more hilarious. Laura asks about the case; he answers. He asks her, "How big are your ****** ?" She replies, "38D." She asks about the case; he answers. He asks, "Are you wearing any underwear?" She replies, "No," and, delighted, he falls face down into his plate. She pulls him up by the hair and asks him another question about the case. He answers.

Later on, the no-calorie cookies and the aphrodisiac cookies get mixed up.<

Debra

Neeney

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

Hmm. That plot does sound interesting. As long as the cookies didn't actually work, which would be silly.

But how did Laura manage to not only buy a house but open an agency on that kind of salary? And how did she manage to open Remington Steele after her first agency made no money (and probaly cost her money in rent and expenses)? How did she exist being in the red before Steele came along? What was she fending off the creditors with?

Xenos

P.S. And if Laura is a 34D, I'm a 34F!!! LOL!!!

Yes, the episode is silly at times but also quite funny. The cookies looked awfully good, almost made me go buy some. I liked Laura's shorter hair and her casual clothes. The red dress, was quite lovely, that is a good color for her.

The commentary with Michael Gleason and Stephanie Zimbalist was a show in itself. Just loved all the juicy information that they gave us, like how Stephanie's pants split in one of the shows and she had no underwear. I found it interesting that SZ pointed out how PB had grabbed her boobs in this episode, and how she then found it important to let us know that it was the first time he had done that and that it never happened again. I didn't think it was necessary for her to have to explain that to us.

I noticed that it is hard for me to really like an episode when there is no meaningful scene between Laura and Remington. I wonder if SZ and her friend wrote this episode with that in mind.

Isabel

Debra

The fact that Steele and Laura are in freeze mode is not one of my problems with the episode. It's amusing to watch Laura's jealousy over Ms. Dalyrimple (sp?) and Steele's jealousy over Clay. It's subtle and I would have liked to see more, but it's definitely there. 

I don't see any sign that Laura really cares for Clay at all, and I get the feeling they are both insinuating more about their nights burning the midnight oil at Havenhurst than what actually happened. She flirts with him first to make Mr. Steele jealous and later to get information out of him, which is okay because he's an obnoxious jerk. Mr. Steele, on the other hand, does seem to have a genuine crush (which he plays up to make Laura jealous) on Ms. Dalyrimple, but who can blame him? I love Geena Davis and get a kick out of seeing her in such an early role. And I love that she throws up on the rug!

A couple of things I find odd in the episode: Why is an astronaut selling protein bars or whatever in a grocery store? Don't they give former astronauts jobs at NASA training future astronauts and developing the space program? It seems like that the astronaut gig would be easy to parlay into a pretty good job. So was this a reference to some unemployed astronaut or something that was going on at the time that I don't know about?

Also, did I miss something leading up to the final lines of the episode about "two consenting adults alone at last"? It seems like there must have been some early reference to "consenting adults" that was edited out. Or maybe it was there and I just didn't hear it??? Someone please enlighten me.

I guess that's all I have to say about this one. I haven't had a chance to listen to the commentary yet.

I think a lot of people had problems with this one because of how horribly out of place it was. As was ALL of Season 3! We were all ready for some post thaw romance and instead got the whole jealousy thing. Which was played very well IMO. At any rate, here is what I got from my notes.

This episode had probably the most amazing guest cast of the entire series. Yes, I'll say it again...Geena Davis AND Jean Smart in the same episode. How can you lose??

I loved the whole cloak and dagger beggining. The secret meeting in the park on a dark and windy night all for the purpose of a cookie! The car with one headlight out and the music. I don't know who did the music for this episode, but they totally captured the mood of the show.

The physical/slapstick comedy was great for me. Areobics in the office, running though the ransacked office, the bomb, 6 people in and around a school bathroom stall...all very funny. Mildred and the whole "Toes and knees, toes and knees, cookies please", and the "Danger is my life". They really gave Mildred some great lines. 

Did anyone notice how many times they said some variation of "Good Lord" in the episode?? By my count it was 5. I'd like to think that was Stephanie's input, but of course, I don't know.

And finaly, and this is kind of "out there" but it's in my notes, so I'm gonna mention it. At the end when they are all running around the school, Laura and Remington are discussing/figuring out the case as they run. To my knowledge, this was the first example of the "walking conference" perfected by the folks at "The West Wing" (another, more recent NBC show). 

Ok, that about does it for me...except for one nagging question that I have asked before and no one seems to know. It's not about this episode in paticular, just a general question. Stephanies ring....what is it??? I know daddy Zimbalist has one also, and I have never been able to get a close enough look to see what it is. Maybe Judith knows??

In closing, I DO love this episode. It definatly pushed the "silly" envelope a bit, but I thought they pulled it off nicely. But again, I would love ANYTHING that SZ wrote.

Brenda
 

Isabel

Debra

Here are my thoughts...in no paticular order.

I really like how Michael and Stephanie seem to be good friends. I love how he calls her "Stephie". I wonder how many people in her life call her that. 
I loved it when she talked about how skinny she was then and how fast she moved then. She was SKINNY!!! What I would give to have EVER had that body! And then Michael saying how skinny she still is. What a guy!

Did anyone else notice how her voice changed when she talked about her "daddy". I wish they would have talked more about that.

I appreciated her kudos to Pierce. And she is right...he does use that body well!!! And how she didn't even realize until now that he "felt her up". I'm glad I wasn't drinking when I heard that. I hate it when liquids comes out my nose.

Oh, and all the tidbits about Stephanies things being used in the show. IE: the fadora's, the clock, her house. It is my goal in life to own the perfect fadora!!

Thanks for looking for the RING info...I anxiously await your digging Isabel!!

Just two quick comments...Pierce as a cleaning man -- HYSTERICAL!!! Doesn't get better than that! Pierce grabbing Steph's boobs -- AWESOME!!! Doesn't get better than that! Wish it was me!

More later,
Xenos

It sounds like a bomb!

I can't go in there!

And speaking of Stephanie...She did a marvelous job of writing some very funny stuff. Loved the scene when Laura and Remington are in Walter Munzinger's apartment and Clay is hiding in the closet. Again, we see Pierce's great comedic timing when Clay is obviously flirting with Laura and Remington pushes him back into the closet. His "be quiet" comment ALWAYS makes me laugh right out loud. Also love the skin-crawling scene between Clay and Laura in the restaurant. To take a cue from Mildred's colorful language...That slimeball!!! Wonderfully written and acted, though I would have LOVED to hear Laura say that she wore a 34D bra! Hee-Heeeeeee! How funny would THAT have been?!?! Loved that Remington kept expanding on the agency's motto. Loved that Mildred was tempted by the cookies and did exercises to try to curb her appetite. (Sorry, I'm jumping around here. Stay with me. I don't have time to organize it in chronological order...I'm just typing from memory. I didn't take notes. *ducking, Neeney*) Loved the impassioned speech Mr. Stockman gave to Laura about how cities would collapse because of the introduction of this no calorie cookie. (Remember, this was the 80s...They didn't have any real good low-cal food back then. And in my humble opinion, they still don't. But I digress.) And the ending was pure fun! Poor Mildred...She probably got more exercise on that episode than she did in years!

Yep. It was a very good episode indeed. Not in my Top Ten, but truly enjoyable. 

Xenos

I'll post my notes later I suppose.

Neeney

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

Ah the heck with it. I'll ask her about it while we're talking on Monday and report back in with her response.

Xenos

I also would have loved to hear that 38D bit. Only a slim, flat-chested woman would write such a joke, which is why you almost never hear small boob jokes on tv. Well, the writers for Will & Grace did a lot of them, so maybe gay guys get it too. I have that body type, and I sometimes wear a "Yes, they're real" t-shirt.

Not to be stalkerish or anything...but it is really cool to have you as a "six degrees of separation" kind of thing going here. =)

Thanks again!!!!

Anyway, whether you want them or not, here are my thoughts on this insightful and often over looked episode of Remington Steele--Steele In the Chips. (Doesn't that just make you want a chocolate chip cookie REAL BAD?)

This is NOT one of my favorite episodes but I've gotten a new found appreciation for it lately and enjoy it more and more with each viewing. First off, love all the cloak and dagger stuff over a CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE that's moist and delicious and best of all ladies and gentlemen (drum roll please) HAS ONLY ONE FRICKIN CALORIE! Or is that no calories? Well whatever it is people are willing to spend millions on it. I thought the set up at the beginning of this episode was just a LITTLE to long though. Loved the dance in the lab and the not so amused look on Walter Munsinger's face. Question here though, did he really think that by sending a huge red tin of moist delicious chocolate chip cookies to Remington Steele Investigations that they would just automatically know what to do (or NOT do as the case may be) with them?

Love how Laura rushed Mildred into doing aerobics to take her mind off the cookies and loved the look from her bent over between the legs position when the astronaut guy (forgot his name.....darn it!) came in. I never have managed to figure out what Miss Dalrymple needed with a private detective, but hey I guess they had to have SOMEONE for him to be gaa gaa over you think? Remington and Laura both have a pressing matter.....and then comes one of my favorite lines of the episode. "You show me yours I'll show you mine!"

Does Clay just spend time lurking in closets on purpose or was he hiding from Remington and Laura? Did Laura respond positively to his butt grab because she wanted Remington to be jealous? She responded much more aggressively negative about the pats and grabs in Coffee, Tea or Steele. Geez, says a lot for Laura's taste in men (except for Remington of course). I love how even though Remington has been all over the delightful Miss Dalrymple he's still jealous over Clay and Laura. And how he tries to blow it off.

Ok, call me stupid, but how was tearing apart the office going to help whomever did it to find whatever they thought they were looking for? Did they think that maybe Walter Munzinger had mailed or given them the infamous cookie recipe? And how would THEY know that WM would have even sent/given it to them?

I love how even as he's dying on their floor they still get down to hear what he has to say.

Someone mentioned something earlier about astronauts and their jobs...and I was thinking, Yah that's what I was wondering too. An astronaut was really reduced to hawking Booster Bars to make a living. Call me stupid but I thought Nasa would take care of their own some way.

Knowing what we know about the omitted scene from the original script makes Remington's visit to Lila's Delights even funnier to think about.

Another stupid question. What was the point of the bomb? Was killing R & L going to help them get rid of the cookie? I mean logically none of them knew R & L even had the darn recipe much less the cookies! And its no wonder their landlord wanted to renig their lease in Dancer, Prancer, Donner or Steele, if they blow up the elevators a lot. 

Does Laura have a closet of clothes at the office? They go from the last scene to Laura all dressed up for her lunch date with (cringe) Clay Pratt. But since Remington is comforting Miss Dalrymple you have to assume that its pretty close after they blew up the elevator. I don't think there would have been long enough between the two scenes for her to go home and change and come back.

Boy, Clay sure can't hold his liquor. Oh wait a minute! He's been drugged. Guess its a good thing that Laura didn't drink anything or she would have joined him in laa laa land. When Remington got to Veritech love how he just automatically assumed that a guarded door meant that Laura was in there. His janitor bit with the vaccuum cleaner was great! Then running to the Auburn where Laura, in her dress, has to hang on for dear life and still kick off the assailants!

I've never seen It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Spencer Tracy, Sid Caesar, United Artists, 1963 so I can't say if its a lot like that or not. Guess I'll have to find it somewhere and watch it. 

Who put the bugs all over the place? Was it Jean Smart's character or one of the others? I would think it would be someone who had access to them but it didn't seem like any of the people involved would. 

Love all the running around the school and love how she's willing to fight a kid for this tin of cookies. How did Remington know Laura would be in the Boy's bathroom stall of all places? Is that a common hiding place? Must be, because EVERYBODY knew they were there. 

One of my other favorite lines in this ep is when Mildred is trying to prove once again that she knows what she's doing. "Danger is my life!" 

Love the chase into the gym with the marching band and how in the end the last cookie was gleefully and blissfully eaten by the billy goat mascot.

I can't believe Laura still after all that wanted to go out to lunch with that SCHMUCK! By the end of the ep, I really wanted to smack him! 

THE END.......

Now we can all sleep soundly knowing that Neeney has posted her long and anxiously awaited notes....(oh yah that's right I keep forgetting....NOT! LOL) Have a great weekend everyone!

Neeney

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

Isabel

Anyways, not too sure what you guys are doing on this board because I was too lazy to read all the comments (because there are a lot) but I just thought I'd say that I'm joining now, albeit a little later in the game.
 

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

Neeney

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

The previous weeks discussions are all still on the board (I think I might bump all of them if no one objects so they don't get rolled off)
 

Xenos

Neeney

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

Neeney

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

So we all take notes and post them up after? I don't know if I'll be good with that haha
 

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

Neeney

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

Neeney

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

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