Xenos 

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

There's also the tiny problem of how someone would make an exact copy of the office (both on financial and practical grounds) and why they would bother. 

Apart from that, it's a pretty good episode and provides some lovely Laura and Steele glances that are great for vidding.

Wardrobe department didn't get much work as I saw no changes in clothes. Of course, you can't go wrong with Pierce in a blue shirt. I really liked Steph's braided hair, at least, better than when they topped her hair a mile high. 

I noticed two things that dated the show. The smoking, of course, and the 
mention of seven/eleven stores. I remember when we used to have 7/11 stores in every block, now it's hard to see one. 

Isabel 

I love almost every scene. I love the running joke about scaling the gate of the electric fence, the escape in the stolen lawn mower and Remington's ridiculous expression when the cops pass them and he gives them that silly smile as he waves as says hello to them, L & R's total confusion at finding the bogus office, R whining, "He hit me, Laura!", Laura's obvious delight in telling R that she's never been kissed by a sperm whale without protection, R and Mulch using the same steepled hand motions while stressed, L & R running away from the scene of the hit and run when they remember they have a dead body in their car, L not wanting to hear that Mildred and Mulch got a room at a motel, the morgue attendant's cheery attitude and Remington's squeaky reaction when she tells him and L that 'his' body was claimed by his widow, Mrs. Steele... and my absolute favorite scene, the entire mixed-up "Who's imitating whom?" scene in Act Four. I laugh aloud every time I watch it. It's priceless. 

Some of my favorite lines: 

-Laura: "Need I remind you, Mr. Steele, that you may have been murdered last night." 
Remington: "That shouldn't impede us from having a good time." 

-"Oh, nothing to worry about! I've been impersonated, assaulted, kidnapped, shot at, murdered - and it's not even noon yet. San Diego's quickly losing its appeal for me." 

-"I'd know Remington Steele's arm anywhere." 

-"Well, distant cousin, perhaps, but I'm afraid I'd have to deny any closer relationship than that." 

-R:"Ever been kissed a sperm whale?" 
L: "Not without protection." 

-"Call me an optimist, but I would have thought an impulsive jaunt to San Diego would lead to a somewhat more, kind of- lively tourist attraction?" 

-"Hurry up, Mr. Steele. Don't dawdle." 

-"Don't worry, Miss Holt, I'm fairly sure nothing is broken. Thanks for asking." 

-"The last thing Mr. Steele and I need getting between us is more paperwork." 

I love the delightful Mr. and Mrs. Steele feel about the whole episode - it just feels so comfy and cozy. They've reached a point in their personal relationship where they feel secure with each other. Laura was curious what Remington might be up to when she received the phone call from the San Diego morgue, but she didn't jump to conclusions. She just took him to San Diego so she could check it out. And he didn't get mad because she was suspicious about both Larry and the bogus office. There was no real concern about this turn of events breaking them up - it was just some something they had to 
deal with. As soon as Sean showed up and took them hostage, Laura was right there to offer her support. 

I didn't like the Rev. Rawlinson and wish they had shown less of him preaching and I also didn't like Vickie, but those are very minor quibbles. Like I said, I absolutely love this episode. It's just so much fun! 

Debra

Jilly

Clervaux, had no idea that the 7 eleven stores continue to be so popular. 
In my area, South Florida, there are very, very few left. Of course, I do 
remember several incidents of robberies at the stores, the publicity might 
have led to their closing. 

Isabel

Memorable Stuff 

- Laura and Mildred peering into Mr. Steele's office to be sure he's alive. LOL! I love the look on Mr. Steele face when Laura beckons him to follow them. It's almost a "what have I done now" type of look. 
- Mildred's reaction when she realizes the address in his pocket is the one where Mulch has set up shop. 
- Mulch ordering champagne for lunch and asking for some of that "Dom Perigrene" 
- Love the looks on R&L's faces when they enter Suite 101 and discover exact replicas of their offices. (Except that the red clock over the filing cabinets is missing from Laura's office.) 
- All the climbing over and getting stuck on the gates at the Underwood mansion. 
- The swapped identity of George & Mildred as Laura and Remington. 
 

Character Development 

- The exchange between Laura & Mr. Steele as they head into the Bay Building for the first time is such a perfect example of the things this show did best. Fun banter and a flirty exchange exudes teamwork and a compatibility with each other that we see more and more this season. It's so great to see Laura be the one to throw in the sexual innuendo and leave Mr. Steele to let his imagination run wild. Just love the whole "sperm whale/protection" thing! 
- But just a few minutes later, jeers to Laura for assuming Mr. Steele was behind it all. She should have asked - the question is natural given the past (though not so much the recent past) - but she should have asked instead of assuming. When he protested, she should have backed down. 
- Mulch trying to emulate Mr. Steele by using a movie reference, even though he can't quite complete the annotation. 
- Mildred emulating Laura by stomping on Mulch's foot and reminding him to be "icy calm". 
 

Favorite lines 

R: What time do you close? 
Morgue Attendant: We service the community twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Just like 7-11. 
-------------- 
L: Need I remind you, Mr. Steele, that you may have been murdered last night? 
R: That shouldn't impede us from having a good time. 
R: Ever been kissed by a sperm whale? 
L: Not without protection 
-------------- 
G: All I ever wanted was fame and fortune. Is that too much to ask? 
-------------- 
R: If we ever get out of this alive, George, I'm gonna kill you. 
G: That's fair. 

Hair & Clothing 

- Mr. Steele in a blue suit with a blue shirt. Brings out the blue in those eyes, no question. 
- I like Laura's brown jacket with the yellow blouse (and the Correia necklace). Those are good colors for her. 
 

Goofs, Headscratchers & Misc 

- Why did Laura jump in the pickup truck without first checking to see if the keys were in it? Why would she assume they are? 
- There really IS a Steele, Inc.! It's a "leading provider of visual effects finishing and services, serving Fortune 500 companies throughout the world." They're based in Santa Monica. 
 

Where Are They Now? 

- Timothy Brown (Larry) played in the NFL as a running back for the Packers, Eagles and Colts 
- John Considine (Rev. Randy) is the brother of Tim Considine who played in the Mousketeer Club serials Spin & Marty and The Hardy Boys. He's also a writer and was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Screenplay and by the WGA for Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen for A Wedding in 1979. 
- Michael Constantine's (Mulch) birth name is Constantine Joanides and he's the son of Greek immigrants. Before appearing here he'd already won a Best Supporting Actor Emmy as the principal on Room 222 and twice been nominated for Golden Globes for Room 222 and Sirota's Court, a short-lived comedy in which he was the lead. 
- Michael Lemon (Sean) played football for the New Orleans Saints, Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers 
- Ernie Lively (Dallas) became an acting coach focusing on young talent. All five of his children were or still are actors and his wife is a Talent Manager. Some of his former clients include Jason Hervey (Wonder Years), Justin Whalin (Lois & Clark) and Jason Priestly (90210). 
- Marnie Mosiman (Vickie) is married to actor John de Lancie (Eugene from DOOL and Q from ST:TNG) 
- Anne Seymour (Mrs. Underwood) died in 1988 at age 79. She was the seventh generation of a theatrical family that could be tracked back to Ireland in 1740 
 

I just love how PB's blue eyes show up from behind that newspaper!! wow!! 

Very funny line from Laura..call me a pessimist, but he could have been impersonating you. LOL 

How about the sperm whale remark and then Steele's look afterward! Very nice! It's a keeper! 

I just love the scene when Laura thinks that Steele is up to something with the creation of another office in San Diago....she goes on about Forgiving him for being framed for a murder, losing their investigators license, and gambling the agency away in a poker game but says he's gone too far this time. So, what's new! LOL 

I love love love how Mildred and Mulch take on the roles of Steele and Holt. They remind me of how Mr. Steele and Laura worked together in the beginning. Love the lines Mildred uses...functions best in a an advisory capacity and icy calm mr. steele, icy calm. haha! and then instead of a rabbit they drive off in a Pacer!!! LOL too funny!! 

I really liked when Mr. Steele and Laura head back to the morge and find out that Mrs. Steele picked up the dead RS. Love Laura's reaction...Congratulations, who's the lucky lady? HAHA!! 

Another scene i liked was when Laura gets caught up on the automatic gate and Mr. Steele says something like not to dawdle to Laura. Then Remington gets stuck up on that automatic gate too and Laura dishes right back to Mr. Steele...she says DON'T dawdle Mr. Steele. HAHA!! 

Something that I questioned. At the end, when Remington is putting Mrs. Underwood down on the couch, there is a slight movement that she makes that even if she could walk a little makes me question that she shouldn't have been able to do this. Also, depending on if she could walk at all, which was said she couldn't, she shouldn't have been able to stand that long before falling or stand at all for that matter. Other than that, the actress that played Mrs. Underwood did a wonderful job. 

I liked the hair and the outfits on PB and SZ this episode. They were nice. 

I only liked this episode because of the reappearance of George Mulch. I really liked this character a lot. Love the way Mildred and Mulch worked together. 

Jilly

Very cool opening set-up scene! So mysterious and sinister! Cut to the delightful peering-at-Mr.-Steele-while-he’s-reading-the-paper scene…So funny!!! Holy crap, ladies!!! Oh, to have a boss that looks like that, eh? I’d be early to work every single day!!! (Yeah, yeah, I know. He’s not the boss. You know what I mean. Work with me here!) There’s nothing more perfectly blue than those gorgeous eyes of his! Wow!!! (Lest I forget to mention his thick, lustrous hair and impeccably flawless lopsided grin…And don’t even get me started on his luscious body!!!) 

"Call me an optimist, but I would have thought an impulsive jaunt to San Diego would lead to a somewhat more, kind of…lively tourist attraction?" Hee-heeeeeeee!!! Only to be topped by "We service the community 24 hours a day, seven days a week…Just like Seven-Eleven.” a few moments later! (Ya’ know, generally speaking, I really like Brad Kern’s writing – especially in this episode…So what the hell happened with Season Five?!?! Oh, Brad!!! *shaking head*) 

Then…GEM!!! Yay!!! I love this guy!!! He’s so thoroughly enjoyable and amusing in his awkward and annoying way. Franchising Remington Steele Investigations…When will he learn?!?! Love that he emulates and tries to impersonate Mr. Steele. Unfortunately, he doesn’t do a very good job. LOL! Also love that he works so well with Mildred…She takes the reins while he functions in a purely advisory capacity. Hmmmmm…Sounds familiar! (I would’ve loved to see a romance between Mildred and George…Nothing major…Just a few dates here and there. He could drive her crazy…Just like Mr. Steele used to drive Laura crazy.) 

“Ever been kissed by a sperm whale?” “Not without protection.” BRILLIANT!!! (Kudos to Brad for writing such a funny and memorable line; and kudos to Pierce and Steph for selling the hell out of it!!!) Laura’s such a sly one, eh? That’s one whale I’d kill for!!! 

“He hit me, Laura.” LOL!!! Pierce’s delivery is so funny!!! Was it in the script or did he ad lib it? Anyone? 

Icebox Question #1: If Mrs. Underwood spoke to “Mr. Steele” on the phone, wouldn’t she notice the difference when talking to the real deal?! I mean, Mr. Steele has a pretty damn sexy and distinctive voice…Especially with that accent!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!! 

“I've been impersonated, assaulted, kidnapped, shot at, murdered…It's not even noon yet. San Diego's quickly losing its appeal for me." Heh-heh-heh!!! 

Icebox Question #2: Wouldn’t the postal worker become a little alarmed when Mildred and George are obviously being coerced into leaving with a shady character? 

Mrs. Steele claiming the body…Cute! Even cuter: "Congratulations. Who's the lucky lady?" Jealous, are we, Laura?! 

The running gag with the gate at the Underwood house is hysterical!!! Kudos to Steph and Pierce for making it so darn funny!!! I bet they had fun filming those scenes…They do a brilliant job baiting each other!!! 

Enter the Reverend Randy Rawlinson…HA!!! Perfectly written and perfectly cast holy-roller shyster televangelist!!! This mystery just keeps getting better and better!!! 

Loved the scene cut between scenes with George steepling his fingers and pretending he’s Mr. Steele to the actual gorgeous Mr. Steele steepling his fingers. A stroke of directing genius! 

Icebox Question #3: Is the car George and Mildred make their getaway in the same car that Leo drove in “Steele Among the Living”? (Sorry…Too busy to go and check now.) 

The Detroit/Dallas/San Francisco, Remington/George and Laura/Mildred confusion is straight out of those wonderful 1940s screwball comedies! LOVE it!!! 

And talk about your twists and turns as far as figuring out who-dun-it! So, the dippy daughter did the dastardly deed! WHEW!!! Can I get an “amen”?! LOL!!! As for the end tag…Though I would’ve preferred to see Laura and Remington in a clinch, the end was so typical and funny that I didn’t mind too, too much. I actually liked it! 

Really good episode!!! And OMG, did Mr. Steele look smashing in his blue shirt and suit!!! His eyes looked absolutely phenomenal!!! *salivating* 
 

Xenos 

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

Back to the subject at hand, I'm in Boston and can't do a refresher on this episode but I LOVE "Steele, Inc." Mulch, people, it's a Mulch scam! Love it! OK, the lack of romance and the preacher scenes knock it down from perfect but I'm with Debra here in that the dialogue is SOOOO dang funny after (IMO) some dry episodes that I just crack up whenever watching it. Laura and Remington are so comfortable with each other that it all seems so natural. Plus Doris gets some great air time! "Mr. Steele?" Mulch and Steele, "Yes?" "Ms. Holt?" Laura and Mildred, "Yes?" HAHAHAHAHAH! OK, I'm easily amused. 

Mick, I'm going to hunt down the real "Steele, Inc." you mentioned upon arrival back in my own state. 

Freezing in Bbbbbbboston! 
-Skeeziks 
 

As to Steele, Inc., it may not be on my bottom ten, but I definitely don't love it. 

Hope you took warm clothes with you. 

Isabel 
 

I really loved the Mulch-Remington, Mildred-Laura slapstick and mixups - killed myself laughing throughout the whole thing! Also the gate comedy - HILARIOUS! 

The quip "Ever been kissed by a sperm whale" and the response 'Only with protection" must be the funniest in the entire series! LOL!!! 

Liked that they got it wrong with the daughter and then had to backtrack. 

I'm not sure I like their "Mr and Mrs Steele" feel in this episode - maybe a tad too comfortable with each other? And Laura acting like the long-suffering "wife"... There's desperate need of a bit of CHEMISTRY!!!! 

But great comedy!!! 
 
 

Mighty big of her for forgiving him for being innocent and victimized. :D Really, there are things Laura could have listed that he actually was guilty of that would have made much more sense when trumpeting her forgiveness. ;) 

I love this episode, there's no romance but it's filled with great lines, some very funny physical farce and one of my favorite guest stars. I adore Mulch. It's no wonder Steele warms to him -- he's like Daniel without the looks, intellect, charm, luck and larcenous streak -- he's a dreamer and a loser but with a well meaning heart. How could Steele resist when he can rarely resist one of those facets. 

One small moment I don't think has been listed - when Steele saves the dragon lady and she's laying there and she reaches up and looks at and touches him in wonder and says "You saved me" --- proving once again that Steele is irresistible to all given enough time and a modicum of taste. :D 
 

Heh-heh-heh!!! God's Most Beautiful Creature!!! 
 

Xenos 

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