Xenos 

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

Memorable Stuff 

- Mr. Steele trying "subtly" to suggest that the agency buy a boat. He reminds me of a small child trying to wheedle something out of a parent. 
- It appears Laura isn't listening to him, but I smile when she calls him on the "if you're days from civilization, how do you get your newspaper?" bit! 
- Aw, Mildred gets a romance! I like the sheriff better than her last beau, the guy in Malta. 
- Dr. Laura Lou Holt and Jed Steele? LOL 
- This never occurred to me before: When Laura mentions that perhaps they have to give up luxuries, including "penthouse condominiums", is she implying he should move in with her? Is this more of the "secret proof" they've already "been together"? 
- Mildred suddenly adopting a deeply country accent (which sounds nothing like any Iowans I've ever heard!) when talking over the radio 
- Bless Mr. Steele's heart! Some times a crop duster is just a crop duster. He so bravely volunteers to be the decoy. LOL at Laura as she keeps popping up out of the corn field. 
- That's my girl! Laura swinging in on the rope to tackle Jessica. 
 

Character Development 

- Laura's reading through papers on Mr. Steele's desk and he has absolutely no problem with that - as long as it's just them. When the clients show up, it's cute how he gently pushes her over so it appears HE was the one engrossed in paperwork! Ah, being the figurehead (though not JUST a figurehead anymore) is firmly ingrained. 
- I've never paid much attention to this before this viewing of the episode, but I'm not real happy about Mr. Steele writing a check on the agency's account for a boat. I know it's played for laughs and it is cute. But when I start thinking about it, he REALLY overstepped his bounds on this one. He spent $22,000 on the Peroxide Piranha, but he was on a case. He couches the boat as a business expense, but it's really a toy he personally wants. This is definitely not something he should be surprising Laura with. 
- It's so CUTE watching Preston introduce himself to Laura, trying to remind her of their time at Stanford together. He certainly remembers her, but it's clear she has NO idea who he is! Good job by SZ of looking puzzled, trying to work it out and then showing a bit of the college Laura when she finally does remember. 
- Kinda cute to see the little jealous streak Mr. Steele exhibits when they're around Preston. We all know Laura could handle herself but it's fun to see him step in to keep her from even thinking of accepting a dinner date with Preston. 
- When sitting in the truck on the stakeout, I like it that Laura's not sitting all the way in the passenger seat, but is shifted more over towards Mr. Steele. They shoulda gone in for the kiss sooner. 
- For once Mildred knows what it's like to have a kiss (or an almost-kiss) interrupted! 
 
 

Favorite lines 

L: I don't like lying to these people. If it's Agritech and the bank versus the small farmers then we're on the wrong side of this battle. 
R: On the contrary. We've lost our agricultural assets. We're going broke. We're in precisely the same boat as the farmers. And, uh, speaking of boats- 
L: I don't think it's the same thing at all. These farmers are losing their livelihoods. If we lose our investment, we just cut out a few luxuries. Lunches at Café Lautrec, Italian suits, - penthouse condominiums? 
R: Luxuries? Laura, you're talking about food, clothing and shelter. Do you understand? 
-------------- 
M: Breaker 2-9, Breaker 2-9 this is Big Mama callin' the Steele Man. 
L: Mildred? 
M: That's a big 10-4. Any action, Steele Man? 
L: No, nuthin' yet. 
M: You don't say 'no', you say 'negatory, Big Mama' 
L: I'll try to remember that 
M: Amateurs. 
 

Hair & Clothing 

- I like Laura's wine-colored suit in her first scene. Her hair looks a bit overdone to me in that scene, though. 
- Mildred's suit in the opening bit looks good on her too. Though it looks like Dorothy started getting away from classic hairstyles and giving into the 80s "big hair" 
- Mr. Steele in jeans. 'Nuff said. 
- Dressed in the casual shirt & jeans, Laura looks several years younger - even younger than she really is! I know Steph had to have enjoyed spending time in sneakers instead of high heels. 
- That dress of Laura's in the tag scene is resurrected from Season Two. I do like her hair in that scene. 
- Once again I love what that blue shirt does for Mr. Steele's eyes... 
 

Goofs, Headscratchers & Misc 

- Are there tomato farms in Iowa? 
- Would any rental agency even have a truck that old? 
- If Laura had really had nasal troubles out in the country, she should have been sneezing her head off the whole time all that grain was pouring in on them in the silo. 
- Laura Lou was the name of the best friend of SZ's character in "Centennial". 
- On Scarecrow & Mrs. King, the actor who plays Mel played a character that Amanda King referred to as "the weasel-faced man". Since then I can't look at that guy without thinking "there's the weasel-faced man"

For me, Steele buying a boat on agency funds which is at least nominally intended as an asset for the agency is less reprehensible than when he buys flowers for Laura with what is effectively her money. Anyone daft enough to give a man like Steele access to funds should expect to see those funds spent on a variety of extravagances. He has, after all, spent his entire life living on other people's money. It's a mark of how far he has come that he does try to tell Laura. 

I love the whole episode, but especially the food, clothing and shelter line. It fits so well with all that we know of Steele and all that we subsequently find out that to him, those things are just necessities and his basic priorities remain the same whatever his circumstances, but he gets the best food, clothing and shelter he can. When he has nothing, he can be very resourceful in meeting his basic needs. When he has means, he gives himself a "better perch". Laura has the typical middle class prudence of someone who has never been very poor.

Helen, though I don't care for this episode, I have to agree with most of your 
comments. Nice post. 

Isabel

I wonder where the savings netted from wardrobe went? Certainly not to any of our guest stars. I think I remember the country craze that was sweeping the nation back then, but come on folks with speaking roles, it's IOWA, not Texas! Mel looks like a dead ringer for a guy I used to work with, very similiar in mannerism too! That always freaks me out a bit. And I know that they maybe counted on the smog obscuring the view, but this Iowa had brown mountains, not green hills. This is a minor infraction compared to seeing the view out of Preston Hayes' office window. It's a lush green mountain again. It's a set for crying out loud!!! Geez, were the interns running the scenery department that week? Or were all the authentic scenes rented out to the movie studios? A side note to Preston's office, his receptionist has a map of Minnesota hanging behind her desk instead of Iowa. 

Alright, what else sucked in this episode.....hhmmm let me think....Oh right the apalling lack of romance and potted plants. Cornfields, while planted, do not count as potted! I am most adamant on this point. Now as for romance, Mildred kissing Sheriff Clifford isn't romance. It's like watching your Mom get lucky. It is to be survived and deleted as soon as humanly possible from your memory. Plus I don't think they would have been so public with their obvious affection for each other. It would have been better to have an embarassed Sheriff express his intentions with a more dignified hand holding and slight stutter of regret. 

Steele and Laura behave more like Season 3 C.A. (Cannes Agreement). Even his attempts to charm his way into an agency boat and thereby into a romantic interlude with Laura are more comedic than remotely romantic. What happened to the grown up relationship we saw in the Grappling and Forged episodes. So disappointing..... 

Speaking of the no romance scene in the truck, what is with the sound? It sounds like it was done in a tin can. I have to say though I liked the background music more in this episode. They returned to a more classical arrangement, instead of the synthesized stuff that started seeping in during season 3. I'm sure Jilly will provide better analysis of this aspect. She has the ear for that sort of thing. 

The times I busted out laughing were all because of Steele's dialogue. For example, "Is that bacon I smell cooking?" or the food, clothing and shelter line tied into a neat boat reference. Poor Laura so many times the straight man for the funny dialogue. 

I second Mickey's applause for Steph's swing from the hayloft to knock down Jessica in the barn. By the way, what was up with Jessica's eyebrows? I thought they might have pulled her off a Star Trek set. And I don't care if it was pig pellets or grain, that silo scene makes me sneeze everytime I watch it. 

So there you have it, a middle of the road episode placed in the midwest. I'll give 2 Kosher hooves up. Coincidently, I'm going to the "Big City" of Des Moines this week. I'll be sure to look up Sheriff Clifford's ex-wife and maybe do a little cow tippin'. 
 
 

Well that title pretty much sums up what the episode was...yes, I can honestly say that this is in my bottom 10 list! However, HOWEVER, what makes this episode worth a look-see again is all the funny dialog in this episode, Mr. Steele in jeans!!! and Mr. Steel's bare chest!!! 

There was no romance hardly between R and L but Mildred finds some finally!! :) 
Good for her! I loved how she got a taste of her own medicine when she had a kiss interrupted not once but twice!!! LOL HA! 

I loved the whole first scene. The whole dialog and then right into the last line from Laura..."What are you babbling about?" HA!! 
and then it just continues with the pigs and how they all find out that they are really talking about pigs. 

Just love how Steele wants to take the case because he doesn't want his check to bounce!! HA!! It's all about getting the boat and saving the check from bouncing...too funny! 

Question? Why are Laura's jeans so short? These are the light ones. The very first jeans we see her in. Are they that short to show off her socks?!! I don't get it! 

oh and how about this funny line?!!! 
R: Is that bacon I smell cooking? 
M: It would be impolite to ask. 

HAHA!!! 

Okay I just have to say this now cause I can't hold back any longer...Didn't you just LOVE Mr. Steele in Jeans!!! WOW!! 
Mickey you are correct...that blue shirt really brings out R's blue eyes!! 

Mickey I also agree with you about Laura looking younger in her jeans! She looks great and it makes me feel like she can acutally let her hair down a bit on this case! Liked the Laura look a lot in this episode. 

Okay, I have one little thing to say about the music in the scene when Buck has just told Mary he wants nothing to do with the farm anymore or her for that matter. The music transition was really good. It helped the audience to feel what was going on emotionally. Loved it! 

Did you all notice that Laura's first hunch about the case was wrong but Remington's was right!!! HA!! He's getting good at this detective stuff, eh? (Remember, he needs to save the check from bouncing too!! LOL) 

So, if I had to write all the funny things that happened in this episode, there might be more than you all expected! I know I was surprised...or maybe it was just me, but I thought that this was a good episode because of the funny dialog. There was hardly no romance at all which is okay, but I really like the romance factor to be in play too. It's one of the reasons why I liked this TV show so much. Another reason it was good is because of PB!! Love those blues eyes and his bare chest and him in jeans!!! okay enough of that!! 

This episode is still on my bottom 10 list though. :( 

Jilly 
 

I actually re-watched the episode this afternoon with the good intentions of posting, but it was so boring I just couldn't motivate myself to write any comments. I will say that both Steph and Pierce looked good in blue jeans. 

Isabel 
 

You're soooo funny!! I thought the same thing about the scenery!! And I totally agree with you on the point of Mildred's romance...LOL I liked that Mildred found someone..but yeah, it was like watching mom get lucky. LOL 

Chris...I will have to rewatch again to give a more analized report. LOL But yes, I do agree about the less synthesized stuff in this episode anyhow. I did mention in my post that I loved the background music at the one scene with Buck calling it quits with Mary and the whole farm thing!! Loved that transition music! It gave the audience a little help with what was going on emotionally. Not that the audience needed any, but hey that's what the music is for!!! LOL 

Really enjoyed your post auburn!! 

Jilly 

P.S. Loved your post too Mickey!

There were a couple of very funny scenes, though. I loved the scene where Remington tries out the chewing tobacco - his facial expressions whilst chewing are hilarious! Also liked Laura almost preening after she realised Preston had had a crush on her at college (great acting!!!) and loved Remington's expression. 

Also loved the crop-duster scene - I thought it was a great idea to include it, only for it to be a false alarm :-) 

The bacon line was also hilarious. I also agree with the comments about Mildred and her romance and it being like your mom getting lucky!!! (LOL!!!!) 

And since I read the reviews before I watched the episode, I couldn't watch Jessica with a straight face without thinking about her escaping from a Star Trek set :-) 
 

I forgot about the bit with the chewing tobacco...I just wanted to add...I guess that things haven't changed since Second Base Steele!!! 
 

Jilly