A very happy Xenos 

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

I too like this episode and the ending is probably one of my favorites. It 
was such a romantic scene, beautiful smiles and by a perfect beach. Though, I 
still would have loved to know what was written on the list. 

Wardrobe did a great job of coordinating outfits and this is the first time 
I noticed it. In the opening scene, Remington's pink tie and handkerchief 
match Laura's pink blouse. Throughout the episode, you can see that someone 
tried to match up what they were wearing. 

If the land was worth 6.5 million then, I wonder what is the value of it now, some 20+ years later. 

Isabel 

I too liked the coordination of the outfits in this episode isabel. Very nice! 
I really loved the tag scene too!! Very endearing and romantic, if you will. I wanted to know what the letter said too!!!! :) They were actually talking!!! Something they should have been doing since the Forged Steele episode! Maybe if that would have happened we wouldn't have had to see that awful fifth season!! L & R would have worked out their problems through the whole 4th season and have had a sensible wedding in the end! 

So, tell me why Laura and Remington can find their wedding bands again for this episode, but can't find them for Bonds of Steele, eh? Or better yet, for the 5th season when they're suppose to be married?!!! Dosn't make any sense what so ever!! follow through with consistency!!!!! 

Who else thought Maxine's blue eyes were fake? 

I really liked the scene with the letters, espeically at the gazebo. Laura is really wanting to talk about their relationship and Mr. Steele is into the case. Sounds a little off or flipped in roles maybe? ;) 
Really liked the dialog between them: 
L: "....hiding behind flipid remarks..." 
R: "You're the one that's always hiding... We're undercover." 
L: "Does that mean we can't explore our feelings....relationship on hold too long....shake things up a bit and see what happens." 
(sorry the quotes aren't exact, but you'll get the meaning.) 

I also liked the scene with the batakas. It gets everything out in the open. All their fears and questionable things that they've always felt. It's all coming to the surface right there!! Finally! Now, if they would just work it out!!! 

I thought the phone call between Laura and Mildred was really funny. Very nicely written. Again, sharing a room together and NOTHING HAPPENS!!!! UGH!!! How disappointing! 

Was that really PB getting into the hot tub in his skimpys!! OH MY he looks great from the back!!! I'm sure Xenos will be giving us a play-by-play in her post and sooo looking forward to it btw!! :) 

I've already mention that I loved the tag scene! Very nice! This is probably, like Isabel, one of my favorite tag scenes in the series because of the setting, the conversation, and the romantic feel to it (Steele hands Laura the letter, etc). Very nicely done. :) 

Jilly 
 

Memorable Stuff 

- Snuggle up to reality! Nice comic bits by both SZ & PB when getting snuggled by Brimsley. 
- Even when they're arguing, they're still in tune professionally. So neat to see them "flip the switch" from personal to professional when they're in the gazebo arguing, but the second Henderson comes along, they're all smiles 
- Mr. Steele's list for Laura: Well-dressed, frugal, kind to furry animals! LOL! Though I did want to smack him for not doing a "real" list. 
- The bataka scene. Very memorable. Very painful. I just HATE them yelling at each other. 
- The tag scene is wonderful. It's amazing to me how they appear both so comfortable and so uncomfortable with each other at the same time. I've always felt there's a lot of PB & SZ in this scene as much as there is Mr. Steele & Laura. Not sure if that makes any sense. After having them battling each other for a good portion of the episode, it's a great stress reliever to see them smile at each other, hug and hear the "bouncy" version of Remington's Theme, letting viewers know all is right with their world again. 
 

Character Development 

- I love Laura's willingness to actually work on their relationship and her look of anticipation as she settles down to write her letter to Mr. Steele. I also want to kick Mr. Steele for dragging his feet so much. He should know by now that he's gonna have to put in some work on the relationship if he ever expects it to advance. 
- A bit of role reversal with Mr. Steele telling Laura to get her mind back on the case and not on what he wrote in his letter. 
- Laura sounding a bit preachy (she reminds me of Frances there for a few seconds) when she says the exercises wouldn't seem so sophomoric if he took them more seriously. 
- So many things come out during the bataka scene. Mr. Steele berates Laura for her control issues, her fear of ending up like her mother, her lack of actions and Laura screeches at him for his lack of words. (PB & SZ play this scene so realistically it's scary.) 
- Mr. Steele holding the grudge all evening and into the next day. can't say I blame him too much, but when it's so obvious Laura feels rotten about what she's said, looks like he could cut her a bit of slack and at least discuss it with her. Her actions (and her words) both indicate she's sorry for what she said but he's not ready to forgive. 
 

Favorite lines 

L: The only advancement he's talking about is into the bedroom. I want more than a roll in the hay! 
R: Oh, ho, I see, so we're back to that again, are we, Laura? I mean, aren't you tired with all these old arguments? Or is it the settings that make them different? I mean, London, Acapulco, Cannes- 
Maxine: Show us how you really- 
R: Shut up. You stay out of this 
Maxine: Wonderful 
-------------- 
R: Looks like there's more here than meets the id. 
 

Hair & Clothing 

- Another instance where L&R are apparently color-coordinating with each other while dressing for work. Her pink top meshes nicely with his pink tie. However, I do like both their suits and Laura's hair looks great. 
- I'm not crazy about the cut of Mr. Steele's gray windbreaker. Very 80s, as is Laura's "Member's Only" leather jacket. 
- I like Laura's gray & tan checked shirt 
- Laura's silk pajamas are nice (and we saw them in Steele on the Air) but really, you're going undercover as husband and wife with Mr. Steele! Wouldn't you bring something sexier? (Yes, Xenos, I know you wouldn't have bothered bringing any PJs at all) 
- Mr. Steele in jeans - every bit as nice as Mr. Steele in a tux. I do like that pullover sweater on him too. 
- Laura's outfit in the tag scene suits her very well. 
 

Goofs, Headscratchers & Misc 

- Would Gerald REALLY be so stupid as to rendezvous with Ursula right out on the beach? Why not in a secluded spot on the grounds somewhere? 
- Where did they get the dummy to put into the hot tub? 
- SueJue filled in the blanks between the time Sonia was caught and the tag scene: http://krebsfiles.com/sensitivescrap.html 
- Lauryn's take on the same time period: http://andrea11.t35.com/AStudyinSteele.html 
- LoveSteele follows our duo after they left the spa once the case was solved (NC17): http://steeleinlove.com/lovesteele14.html 

Guest Cast Trivia 

- Susie Duff (Judy Fulton) is an actor and director who has devoted a great deal of her time during the past nine years to work with the incarcerated youth at two local juvenile detention centers, Camp Vernon Kilpatrick and Camp Gonzales, through the improvisational acting program known as "Locked Up in Malibu." Duff mentors and teaches classical improvisational acting technique and exercises to the young men as a way to give them a voice, imparting life skills and a therapeutic way to express themselves, helping them to find positive ways to resolve conflict. The acting troupe, through Duff's encouragement and direction, regularly puts on shows in Malibu and other locations in Southern California. (From the Malibu Times) 
- Tom Henschel (Ethan Deerfield) was trained at Julliard and now coaches senior leaders of many Fortune 1000 companies. http://www.speaking.com/speakers/tomhenschel.html 
- Yuliis Ruval (Ursula Garrikson) - aka Lillian Muller - was the Playmate of the Year in 1976 and was the chemistry teacher in Van Halen's "Hot for Teacher" video 
 

I agree with you Mick. The anger is so intense in this scene that it makes 
you wonder how actors find these emotions at the sound of "action". And, what 
happens to all the feelings when the director yells "cut"? It is scary. 

Isabel 

A 2nd rerun of this episode was aired soon after SWAK. Anyone who watched the last 6 and then watched "Sensitive" for the first time would have assumed Laura and Remington were married and not merely pretending. Definitely, the "Mr. and Mrs. Steele" factor is sky high in this episode. 

From the first scene in the office where Laura and Remington discuss the case and relate it to a past case to the spectacular and revealing walk on the beach when they talk about their feelings and their future, the episode is filled with humor, passion, love, honesty, hurt feelings, fear, hope, forgiveness, anger, confusion, understanding, despondency, uncertainty, yearning, lust, embarassment, acceptance, and romance. Indeed, "Sensitive" is proof that business and pleasure can co-exist. 

Things I love about this episode: 

-the undercover names of Laura and Richard Blaine, and Remington having to actually look at his name tag to remember who he is 

-Laura and Remington enduring the hugs from strangers at the get-aquainted session and Laura telling R, "Smile, darling" 

-Laura's delight and Remington's fear at the letter-writing exercise. I just love the way Laura reclines on one elbow and smiles as she studies Remington, who is petrified of what she's going to write about him. I love the way he swallows hard as she grins and starts writing. 

-L and R pretending to be love birds in the gazebo when the 'instructor' checks on them 

-Laura getting mad at his "doodle" list, wadding it up, and then throwing it over the cliff. I always wondered if they found it stuck on the cliffside as they tumbled over the cliff in the gazebo and held each other tight. Wonder what they talked about as they clung to each other? 

-Remington making an adolescent pass in the middle of their gazebo discussion 

-the expression on R's face when Laura asks him what their next group meeting is called and he says, "Everyone's favorite, Latent Hostility." 

-the way Remington and Laura both try to fade into the woodwork when Snuggles is asking for Bataka volunteers, and their reluctance when they have no choice but to participate. Love how R says, "On the contrary, I've always felt quite hostile towards my partner." 

-Laura holding the bataka both like a golf club and like a baby. 

-the way Remington finally bops Laura over the head with his bataka. 

-Remington being lost in thought on the cliff's edge following the bataka exercise and his obvious hurt 

-Laura's apology and her realization that she had really hurt Remington with her words. She's not a great one for making apologies, but she was brave enough to make one here. 

-Remington sulkingly making his recliner-bed while Laura talks to Mildred on the phone. It's so obvious that he's really hurt, in spite of Laura's unsuccessful attempts to make up. I love the way he pops the sheet in her face and then tries to tug the sheet out from under her bottom as she sits on the arm of his 'bed'. 

-the heartbreaking expressions on their faces as they lie in their sepapate beds in the dark. Wouldn't you love to hear their thoughts? 

-the expression on Laura's face the next morning when she awakens and 
sees that Remington's recliner-bed is empty. 

-the expression on Remington's face as he takes his lonely stroll the next morning. 

-the despondent expression on both of their faces as they talk in the room where Remington is checking out the ash on the floor. Likewise, their expressions as they continue to avoid the real issue between and check out Nathan's room. They both desperately want to make up, but Laura's too stubborn to apologize again and Remington's too hurt. 

-the way they immediately put their differences behind them after the building explodes and R rushes inside it to rescue Nathan. 

-the way Remington says good-bye to the teaching staff as he and Laura prepare to leave. 

-the nonchalant way Remington suggests he and Laura stay at the spa a while longer and take a walk together. 

-the awkwardness and hopefulness of their serious discussion on the beach. Laura is speechless that Remington actually wants to talk seriously about *them* and, true to form, he's having trouble with the words. 

-the way Laura nervously starts walking again when the conversation starts getting even more serious. 

-Laura's expression when Remington says, "I took another stab at that letter..." and his anxious nervousness as he watches her read it. 

-that wonderfully delicious laugh Laura gives while she's reading and then the awesome though somewhat awkward smiles they give each other when she's finished reading. 

-the post letter hug...makes me melt every time. The little kisses they give each other is more romantice than any kiss they might have shared. 

-Remington's attempt to lighten the mood without losing it as they continue walking, their arms around each other. 

Debra

I wondered about the dummy too. Maybe it was used at the spa for some of those sophomoric exercises.

Myrt

HOWEVER, really hated that this episode was never followed up. All that pain and moving forward in their relationship - TO WHAT? It was all backwards from this episode onwards (except perhaps with Beg, Borrow). I'm still stumped as to why the writers built the series up to this climax, where we all heaved sighs of relief and couldn't wait for the next week's episode, only to find... nothing! Why not continue with those few steps forward? It would have been so interesting to see them try to move their relationship forward from here... 

Oh, well, there's always fanfic, I suppose :-) 

I soooo agree with your post! That would be the obvious thing to do...build the relationship more and work through the problems. Keep moving forward. 

Jilly

Um...Keep your eyes peeled, ladies. SOMEONE -- ahem, you know who you are -- wrote a continuation and is planning on posting it soon!!! (That's supposed to be a big huge push, girlfriend...Short of getting out a cattle prod! Hurry up and post it already!!!) 
 

Xenos 

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

I liked the episode as well but it is much too uncomfortable for me to watch over and over. I hate to be critical because it seems to be a favorite of so many but it seemed a bit forced to me. In my mind it feels like some writers got together, brainstormed and said "I know, let's make them go undercover to a couples' therapy retreat so they can hash some things out!" I would much rather have had the writers work in some meaningful dialogue about their relationship all along rather than staging a huge knock down during which a lot of hurtful things were said by both. But I guess that's how progress is made sometimes. 

It always surprised me too that Laura keeps pursuing Steele to apologize when he said some pretty rough (however truthful) things to her as well. 

I agree with previous posters that the lack of follow up in future episodes is very frustrating. They seem to resolve some things and get even closer in this episode and then seem so far away in Bonds of Steele.

Good point about the writers working in meaningful relationship dialogue throughout the series. However, neither Laura nor Remington were ever really too keen on talking about their relationship. I know Laura said she wanted to talk, but when push came to shove, she never really talked either. It was like she wanted him to do all the talking and say the words. 

I think this spa thing was EXACTLY what they needed. They were FORCED to talk for once. Unfortunately, there was a lot of yelling, too. But, come on...After four years of celibacy, I think they were past the point of talking rationally about it. It was a no holds barred, take no prisoners, very loud discussion. But it needed to be done. 

THANK GOODNESS it was well-written and well-acted! Kudos to Pierce, Steph and Rick Mittleman...They certainly took us on one helluva rollercoaster ride! Left me breathless! It was a wonderful fight topped by an even more wonderful make-up scene at the end...Which is exactly what Laura and Remington (and we) deserved!!! 

Now, if only they had followed through with the progress made in this episode... 
 

Xenos 

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