Xenos 

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

Taking that the mystery was suppose to be more of a comedy-type plot line than a real mystery, it was easier to watch. 

I really enjoyed the opening scene. Just loved the romantic set-up. They both match with the reds, the fireplace is lit, and the champagne is almost poured. Of course when we see a scene like this, you just know that something is going to happen and yes, it does!!! Interrupted once again. Also loved this little scene in the beginning too...Laura's face when Steele is telling her about the champagne and then you can tell Laura has had enough...she says "Mr. Steele (hitting the cork), pop the cork." HAHAHA!!! We are also introduced to Bing, the spoiled rich kid and his most used line throughout this episode, "Just put it on my bill." Of course Bing would be the interruption! He has to come off as annoying. So very ingenious by the writers to sway the fans to start making Bing seem annoying by no other than having him interrupt another romantic moment. Something else that was funny in this scene. Bing says something about helping him and then this is followed by, "Money is no object." Laura and Remington's faces are funny followed by R: "Be right back." and L: "Lock the door." I guess money really does talk. LOL 

Some other lines that I thought were notable: 
R: "Belly in :coughs: close enough." HAHA!! 

L, with a lilt in her voice (to R): "Besides if it was a woman, you'd want her to stay with me, wouldn't you? 

and of course the tag scene line.... 
R: "I was thinking of better relations closer to home." Laura's look said it all. She got Steele's meaning. 

I really loved PB in the shades/black pants/black tie/brown jacket/navy hankie outfit...very very nice!!! Nice Fedora Laura was wearing. Didn't care much for her hair in the tag scene. Too puffy! The beginning scene it was nice though! 

I really liked how L and R just knew exactly what to do in the motel situation at gun point. One look from L and R knew exactly what to do. Beautiful teamwork!! 

Not to be mean, but that POOR horse!! I'm glad Bing wasn't on it very long!! 

Something that I question: Mildred would definitely need a bigger spray can or a regular paint machine or something to paint that area as fast as she needed too. She was never going to get it done with that can!! NO WAY!! 

Not enough Romance in this episode for me to be able to watch this one over and over. Too bad, cause Louis Anderson is very funny! The writers write Bing in very well to suit his comedic talent. Well, I hope next week's SOTW has a little more romance in it. I'm starting to get a little impatient. I might have to go back and watch an episode with more romance if this keeps up! 

Jilly 
 

Memorable Stuff 

- Bing is a VERY memorable character, though partly because he's so annoying. But I did have to laugh at a trunk full of dry ice & caviar, sending out smoke as he fled from Strelnikov 
- GREAT job of physical comedy by both Steph and Pierce when Bing barges into Mr. Steele's condo and shakes each of them like a dishrag! 
- When Bing tells them "Money's no object" and pulls out handfuls of cash, Mr. Steele's wary expression turns to a mega-watt grin and Laura's eyes nearly pop out of their head. 
- Louie does a good job with the "trying to sleep on the sofa" bit. Nice job of trying to widen it by pulling over the coffee table. But you knew all along he was NEVER gonna fit there! 
- After tracking down a number for Denisovich in Russia, Laura thinks Mr. Steele had the easy part of the assignment. 
- That POOR HORSE (the one for the publicity shot) 
- Bing refusing to pay his bill. Oooh he's got some nerve! (But Mr. Steele has a king-size bed, not a double) 
- Sweet scene between Laura and Strelnikov at the caviar warehouse, trying to learn about each other's culture 
 

Character Development 

- Mr. Steele is normally the champion of the persecuted, but Bing is one of the few people to manage to push him past his limit. 
- Laura puts up with Bing until he finds the "straw that broke Laura's back" - the Correia lamp. (Great plug for her brother & sister-in-law's company!) Though that lamp had been around for years, I don't think we ever had any indication it was special to Laura until this episode. 
- Both of them manage to come around to like 
 

Favorite lines 

L: The man's a spoiled, overgrown brat. He should be spanked. 
R: Easier said than done. 
* * * * (Bing calls) 
R: They're trying to kill him. 
L: That's because it's easier than spanking him. 
-------------- 
R: What do you mean, you never carry change? 
B: Bills. You? 
R: Never carry change, too noisy. 
-------------- 
Ivan: To better relations between our two countries 
R (looking at Laura): I was thinking of better relations closer to home 
 

Hair & Clothing 

- Love Laura's hair in the opening and, again, she looks great in red. Both the hair and the clothes are a bit 80s, but we see more and more of that during this season. 
- Mr. Steele, of course, looks good in his suits, in his bathrobe, etc. Not fair he looks so good in so many outfits 
- What color is that suit Laura wears (with the matching fedora)? Looks kind of gray-green, but she wears it well. 
 

Goofs, Headscratchers & Misc 

- Mr. Steele's first line "Ah, ah, ah, careful Laura. You'll cloud the palate." as he stops her from eating a cracker reminds me of his first scene in Tempered Steele where he stops Nadine from eating the entire caviar-filled cracker with one bite. 
- So Bing has "been trying to get through to Denisovich all day"? Well, if it's 7 pm in LA, it's 6 am in Russia. Denisovich has been sleeping through most of Bing's "day"! 
- What kind of PI identification does Mr. Steele pull out from his breast pocket? He's not a licensed investigator - or did he have one forged? 
- Once again Mr. Steele, who can crack a door lock with a flick of the wrist, is stuck in handcuffs and can't seem to get himself out 
- Bing breaks the Correia lamp, R&L go to the warehouse to rescue him, Laura returns to the office and Presto! her lamp is in one piece and back on her desk! 
- Instead of banging on the door of the trailer after Bing locked her in, why didn't Laura just open the window on the door? 
- SueJue knew JUST how the episode should have ended: http://krebsfiles.com/steelespawningscrap.html 
 

Where Are They Now? 

- Evelyn Guerrero (Cashier) was married to the late Pat Morita 
- Peter Jason (Martin Rome) also played the construction foreman in Elegy In Steele 
- Allan Kolman (Strelnikov) won a scholarship to Yale Drama School and is quite the photgrapher. His website is www.allankolman.com 
 

My favorites: Bing not fitting on the couch, trying to mount the poor horse, 
and his jumping the fence while on handcuffs with Mr. Steele. 

Bing's nack for breaking everything in sight was hilarious, as was his "put it in my bill" statement. 

The scene in the phone booth, by the way, we don't have those booths around 
here anymore, was so very good. First, I don't know how they got both of them to fit in the phone booth and then Mr. Steele's "$1,400 between us and we don't have a quarter to make a call". 

I liked the back and forth between Laura and the Ivan, the Moscow policeman, "East and West" "left and right". And I remember both Mary Lou Retton and Olga Korbut. 

Really laughed at the scene where Laura and Bing were impersonating cops. 
"Read him is rights," Laura tells Bing. "You have the right to remain silent," Bing quotes, then goes blank. "That's it?" the guy asks, looking at him. 
"Whaddaya want, the Magna Carta?" Bing asks, grabbing his collar. "Let's go, pal." 

Was this the second time we see Mr. Steele play polo? 

All in all, a very enjoyable episode. 

Isabel 
 

Funny opening…Bing “undercover” in the grocery store (as if a trench coat and shades would make him inconspicuous), stocking up on caviar, then putting it in the refrigerated trunk. (Nice car, by the way.) Then the intrigue…The menacing man who’s after either the caviar or Bing (we’re not sure yet). Hmmmmm. Then comes the part that pisses me off to no end… 

Laura and Remington are at his place…He’s got the fire going…They’re dressed well and look beautiful…He’s got a bottle of “champers” (as Daniel once called it) ready to go…I’m all hopeful, thinking maybe – just maybe – Remington might finally get some action – at least a little smooching – when *bam* Laura starts acting annoyed. WHAT?!?! Again…WHAT?!?! Here’s this phenomenally gorgeous man whom you’ve been hot for for years, who’s giving you information about his past (which you’ve been hungering for, too) and Laura’s reaction is, “Mr. Steele…Pop the cork.”?!?! (And she was actually referring to the bottle when she said it!!! Go figure!!!)  LAURA!!! Just listening to him tell a story is considered foreplay in most circles! Have you forgotten the Xenos tale?!?! It ended with you saying, “Tonight…If you asked me…I don’t think I could say ‘no’.” *tsk tsk tsk* I just don’t get it!!! If this is what’s considered another “Mr. and Mrs. Steele moment”, you can have it! I much prefer the “itchy” couple who actually seem to want each other!!! Moving on, cuz I could bi*** about this forever… 

POOR MR. STEELE!!! First Laura tossing him aside emotionally, then Bing physically tossing him aside like a ragdoll!!! (Which is what I’m afraid Angelina Jolie might do to Pierce if she is indeed cast as the next Crown Girl!) Seriously! I think Remington really lost his footing when Bing pushed him aside as he entered Mr. Steele’s apartment! (But it was awfully funny, eh?) And so sets the tone for the whole episode…Lots of physical comedy and funny dialog, but no romance. (Aarrrgh!!!) 

Funny Bits: 

* The Commissar of Caviar. (Why, whenever I watch this, do I always end up singing, “Don’t turn around, uh-oh! *Zsa-Zsa* Der Kommissar's in town, uh-oh!”?! I HATE it when that happens!!!) Is there really such a person? LOL! Great title at any rate! 

* "Herro …No. Mr. Perret not here…So solly. Call back tomollow…Hi, Daddy…No, I was just kidding you. You know how I like to do that sometimes." Hee-heeeee!!! 

* “Chin up, chest out, belly in…Close enough." 

* Bing trying to sleep on the couch/coffee table…Then breaking Mr. Steele’s bed. 

* "Nice suits." "Brooks Brothers, I'd say." 

* The spanking bit…Though I’d have written it a little differently.  Heh-heh-heh! 

* The whole scene with Mr. Steele handcuffed to Bing. I’ll say it again…Poor Mr. Steele! “Climb, dammit! “I am, dammit!” Makes me laugh every time! 

* "You have the right to remain silent." *long pause* "That's it?" “Whadaya want, the Magna Carta?" 
 

Things I Loved: 

* Mr. Steele! Oh-ho-ho, yeh-heh-hes!!! 

* Mr. Steele playing polo!!! *Steelegasm* 

* Ivan Strelnikov…And Laura and Ivan joining forces. “East and West?” “Left and right?” 

* The scene with Laura and Bing in the barn when one of Rome’s thugs is threatening to shoot Bing. 

* Mr. Steele’s words to Bing: "There's an old Somali proverb, Bing. A brave man is afraid of a lion only three times in his life. When he first sees the tracks, when he first hears it roar, and when he first looks it in the eye…Stiff upper lip and watch your backside, eh?" (Only to find out that it’s, of course, a movie quote…and that the character got killed. “Oh, minor plot point, Laura.” LOL!) 

* Oh, and Mr. Steele looked freakin’ hot!!! 
 

As always…Thanks for reading! 
Xenos 

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

Xenos 

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