Eric: 0:18

Hey. Welcome everybody to Steele watching the podcast for Remington Steele fans. I am Eric. I miss my toenail, and I miss being able to wear a regular shoe.

Sara: 0:29

I'm Sara, and I was late, but I'm here. I have all my toes too, so I'm good. Toenails as well.

Eric: 0:37

Alright. Season 4 episode 5, forged Steele. Do we have anything to talk about before we get going?

Sara: 0:43

I can't think of anything.

Eric: 0:45

I can't either.

Sara: 0:46

That's pretty typical for me, so I don't think so.

Eric: 0:51

Well oh, you know what? I just thought of something. Let me, real quick pull up my mail program because we did have an email which had snuck through because Yes. That's right. See?

Sara: 1:08

Remember stuff.

Eric: 1:09

Paying attention or something like that.

Sara: 1:14

I do recall this. See? You remember stuff. I don't I didn't remember stuff.

Eric: 1:18

Let's see here. Okay. Now I gotta find it. Oh, that's that's terrible when you you know you've got an email.

Sara: 1:24

Right? Because you're just Yeah. Like

Eric: 1:28

Okay. This is from a a listener, and they they said, don't know if you got a sense about this from Steele watchers as per your request. I have refrained from saying this in the group because it sounds callous and as though Laura should be punished. It's not that. How long has Steele stayed around? He has stood by her aside from shenanigans and kaan, etcetera, knowing full well her history of abandonment and being sensitive to it. Despite this painful history and given their current circumstances, what Steele obviously perceived as a breakup, I don't think he owes Laura a note or explanation. Besides, there are theories about other pieces of paper or books thereof which substitute for notes. So I I still maintain that there was a note. And and as I posted in the forum here, just just as a matter of fact, this morning.

Sara: 2:23

Eric's gonna die on this hill.

Eric: 2:25

There was a note. We didn't see it necessarily. And Laura's claim that there was no note was just hyperbole and making making a story up. Yes. She wasn't doing the argument.

Sara: 2:41

I wanted to add 1 thing to that because there was sort of a discussion in the Steele watchers group that we were tagged in with regards to Steele searching. Yes. Kinda it just bay it goes back to this.

Eric: 2:54

And that's the post I'm referring to that I posted on.

Sara: 2:57

Oh, okay. I didn't see your post.

Eric: 2:59

Yeah. It was this morning while you were out moving dead bodies.

Sara: 3:01

I was, yeah, I was I was on the road, but

Eric: 3:05

That's a joke, people. I went while she was driving back, I I sent her a a text about being late, and it it was Yeah. And Scott having a conversation, her saying something about what was that big heavy bump that we just hit and him saying, well, it was either a flat tire or a dead body. And Sara says, I elect for or I vote for the dead body because it'll take less time to take care of.

Sara: 3:27

Yeah. Exactly. But there was a the post you replied to, sorry, the comment that you replied to, basically somebody summed it up by saying that there are 2 sides. There's 2 camps here, in terms of what happened between them. Laura camp 1 is Laura rejected Steele. How much more could he take of her issues? And the she asked for some time to think about the relationship, but Steele decided to leave her for good camp. Which side are you on? And I think that I didn't see your reply, so I'm just looking at it right now.

Eric: 3:59

I kinda split the middle because I said there was a note. So I satisfied both 0.5 of that equation.

Sara: 4:06

If I have to pick a side, I'm gonna come down on the and it's 1 of those things where there's no

Eric: 4:16

Either one's bad.

Sara: 4:17

Each well, but each person there's no breakup in which 1 person comes out of any situation entirely without fault. There's always, you know, unless you've got a narcissist who is completely devoid of any and all human feeling, you're pretty much going to have 2 people contribute to a breakup. So in the case of this, I don't think Laura's behavior is perfect. I don't think his behavior is perfect. But if I had to kind of come down on a side, I would think that knowing her history of abandonment, knowing her trauma, even if he was leaving her for good, she deserved a note. And I don't think there was 1. So that's kind of where I'm at with that. Even if he was walking away forever, letting her know that would have been a decent thing to do, but I don't think she behaved perfectly either. I think they're both sort of

Eric: 5:01

See, I solved the problem because if he left a note, then he wasn't cold and callous and cruel, and she wasn't left abandoned.

Sara: 5:10

Yeah. Okay. Anyway. Anyway,

Eric: 5:15

back to where we were supposed to be this morning. Season 4 episode 5, Forged Steele. 1st aired oh, and by the way, this information that we are going to be giving here you here about the details when it aired and all this other stuff, courtesy of Judith Moose's book.

Sara: 5:31

Yes.

Eric: 5:31

Steele loved after all these years. It's been a while since we've mentioned that book.

Sara: 5:34

So still awesome. Steele awesome.

Eric: 5:36

It

Sara: 5:37

is Steele awesome. Sorry. Yeah.

Eric: 5:40

Anyway, the episode 1st aired 11/12/1985, written by Mick Mick. Written by Rick Middleton.

Sara: 5:48

Rick Riddleman.

Eric: 5:51

I will.

Sara: 5:52

Sorry. Sorry, Rick.

Eric: 5:53

Directed by Harry Harris.

Sara: 5:55

I don't think we've seen I I know we haven't seen Harry Harris because I would remember a name like that. I can't remember if we've seen Rick Middleman before. We might have.

Eric: 6:03

Yeah. I believe we have.

Sara: 6:05

But I I yeah, Harry Harris is new, and I gotta say, loving that name. I don't know. I just love a the a name where parents were like, our last name is Harris, so let's name him Harry. Like, there's a, there's a realtor in my city, and I only know this because I've seen his name on, like, benches and stuff. Right? Mhmm. Whose name is literally George Georgopoulos, and I love it because I don't know. I just I'd love to talk to his parents and be like, your last name's already Georgopoulos. Why would you do that? Anyway so Harry Harris. Yeah.

Eric: 6:40

Anyway, yes, he he started back in season 3 with 2nd base Steele.

Sara: 6:48

Oh, okay. So he yeah. Rick Mendelman grappling Steele. That 1 I recognized, but it was it was Harry Harris that I was like, I don't think he's directed before.

Eric: 6:57

So No. Anyway, I went with the DV guide listing

Sara: 7:00

K.

Eric: 7:00

Because it it pretty much sums it up. Yeah. During a 36 hour period that Steele can't remember, it seems that he gambled away the agency in a high stakes poker game, which is how it seems.

Sara: 7:14

Yeah. And and I I wanted to say this as well with regards to the Steele Watchers group. There was also a there was also a discussion that took place a few days ago on a post that I had posted, I think, like, 8 years ago on this episode. Yeah. Somebody revived it, which I was fairly impressed by. And and it was funny because I I wasn't even sure like, I just saw some of the comments popping up and I was like, where did this come from? And then I looked down and I'm like, oh my god. That was my like, 8 years ago, I made this post on this episode. And I basically, the original post was me saying that I really enjoy this episode, but I don't love his behavior with BJ Sinclair or Kristen McCall at the beginning of the episode. It feels very regressive for his character, especially since the 1st 4 episodes of this season have been very intimate with the 2 of them. Like, there haven't been any real major issues. And then he's like, fawning the same way he fawned with like, Mistel Rimpel in this episode. So, and that was what my post was on. There was a number of comments that were just sort of revived, I think, in anticipation of this episode coming. So, I rewatched it and made my notes with that in my head, wondering if my opinion on it would change or whether I would still feel the same way. And I still kind of feel like I I don't think he was actually planning to do anything with her. I think he would have turned her down had she really put the moves on him. But I do think he was enjoying that attention a little bit too much.

Eric: 8:42

Yeah. He was enjoying it. Definitely was enjoying it.

Sara: 8:44

Flirting in a way that was maybe not so appropriate considering his relationship status. And this is a pattern that he has that he has sometimes, which is weird because again, if you look at Steele and the family, he turned Clarissa down very kindly and very tactfully Mhmm. And said, I'm in a relationship. I'm working on it. Or I think that yeah. So I don't know. I just this 1 was a weird weird 1 because it felt like they were kind of putting the rewind button, pressing the rewind button in order to get that scene where he's alone with her. Anyway, I'll have more thoughts later. But it just that post came up, and I was like, that's so funny that that post got revived after 8 years of nothing. Turned into a debate.

Eric: 9:29

Past will come to haunt you.

Sara: 9:31

Yep. On Facebook always. Always. So watch what you post, kids.

Eric: 9:36

Anyway, we start with Steele in the back of the limo being driven through a well groomed neighborhood to a large estate. And it seems apparent that the house is from a past era. It's built of stone and features classic rather than a more modern style of architecture. And so we're we're talking old money, I think, here. Yeah. Steele gets out. But before he approaches the front door, he leans into the car, dismisses the fret of the day that telling him that these client interviews tend to drag on a bit, and so he'll call when he's finished. Steele walks up to the door, rings the bell. The butler answers the door, and Steele introduces himself and informs the man that he has an appointment with BJ Sinclair. He's invited in and as Steele enters the foyer, a woman in a room off to the side calls to him, telling him that she's so glad he could make it. And Steele watches as she walks over toward him and in kind of a tie up to your con or earlier comments, she definitely is his type.

Sara: 10:39

She's

Eric: 10:40

blonde. You know?

Sara: 10:41

Leggy leggy and blonde and very attractive and classy. He he tends to go for women that are classy looking, even if they're not in necessarily classy careers, like Felicia's a thief, but she always kind of looks very put together and very

Eric: 10:58

Yes.

Sara: 10:58

High class and whatnot. So, yeah, this is definitely his pre Laura type for sure.

Eric: 11:04

Well, Steele watches as she walks toward him and expresses his surprise at her being BJ Sinclair. Obviously, she is not what he expected. 1st of all, she's a woman. He was apparently expecting a man. Also, she is youngish, moderately attractive, and, of course, blonde, which is always his favorite type. And

Sara: 11:23

Except for Laura. I I do find it interesting that this show continually has these moments where he'll come face to face with with a woman in a career that's traditionally held by a man and make that mistake even though he's working with someone who is traditionally or in a career traditionally assumed as a male career. So the societal prejudice, it's it's sort of ingrained within us, and it's not necessarily that he's a bad person for assuming that. Mhmm. I would have assumed the same thing because we see images and and whatnot of CEOs on the news, and they're almost always men. And so especially with a name like BJ Mhmm.

Eric: 12:07

There's no indication.

Sara: 12:09

Got a

Eric: 12:10

comment about that 1.

Sara: 12:11

I know. But I know

Eric: 12:12

I'm suspicious of any writer who names an attractive female character BJ.

Sara: 12:17

Fair enough. But I think I was thinking more like BJ Honeycutt from MASH. Right?

Eric: 12:23

Yeah. You know, your your comment about even though he's working with somebody who's who is in that same circumstance, she's in a field and a position that is nontraditional for her gender. Yeah. But, you know, the thing is even when you're in that situation, you're working with somebody who defies the stereotype or the norm, you still think, well, this person's the exception and what's the chances of encountering somebody else who is like this too? So yeah. So there there is that tendency. But anyway, it's interesting thing. I tried to find out about how old this actress Monica Lewis was at the time of this episode.

Sara: 13:06

Right.

Eric: 13:06

But the only Monica Lewis I found to me didn't seem to fit. The 1 I found was born in 1922, which would have made her 63 at the time of this episode.

Sara: 13:14

Not 63.

Eric: 13:15

And this woman does not look 63 to me. No. Definitely she is, she's looking good for 63.

Sara: 13:21

Had some good work done. Yes. Yeah. No. She's definitely not 63 Yes. For sure. I would have put her and it's hard to judge because I find

Eric: 13:31

with Late forties?

Sara: 13:32

I I was thinking late thirties because and, again, it's hard to judge because if if we're looking at something that's 40 years old already, the costumes and the hair and the makeup might mess up your your, like, conception of age. Mhmm. I find that whenever I look at high school yearbooks of people from the eighties, I think those people all look like they're 30 because of their hair and everything. Right? But so I don't know. I would have assumed late thirties. I definitely think she's older than him, but not by too too much.

Eric: 14:03

Yeah. I used to be much better at guessing people's ages than I am now. Yeah. Because when you get old, you get get worse at that. Anyway, Sinclair asks Steele if he's disappointed at her being be BJ Sinclair. And he says, no. He just thought that the founder of BJ Sinclair Industries was and when he trails off, she picks it up saying that

Sara: 14:24

A man?

Eric: 14:24

He thought BJ Sinclair was a man. And slightly embarrassed, Steele nods. Yes. And she smiles and says, don't worry about it. It happens all the time. And Steele smiles and is very apologetic saying he should have known better. Well, she invites him to call her Billy and tells him that he can make it up to work tonight. And he's surprised. Are we going someplace? She tells him that she makes it a point to get acquainted with her business partners before getting into bed with them, so to speak.

Sara: 14:54

Right.

Eric: 14:55

Steele grins and commends this as an excellent practice.

Sara: 14:58

Yeah. See this this bed here is just I don't love it.

Eric: 15:04

Well, she slips her arm into Steel's, and as they begin to walk back toward the door, she explains that they could spend the evening talking about her corporate security contracts in this big old house, a bit dry, Steele interjects, or they can discuss it while enjoying a night out and getting to know each other as people. And Steele gulps nervously and agrees that the latter would certainly be far more personable.

Sara: 15:29

I have to wonder because he's been hit on by women before that he Mhmm. Has turned down or not been interested in. And the body language here that he's giving, he's giving 2 types of body language. 1 is, yes, sweet. She's hot. We're going out together. The other is like, oh, God, what do I do? And I I it's it's a bizarre kind of juxtaposition because we've seen him. He turned down tentacle lady in the episode with all the writers. My brain's blanking on the name of the plot. Yeah. That's it. And he turned down Clarissa, so it's not like he can't.

Eric: 16:10

Well, I I don't think it's that he has any intention of doing anything.

Sara: 16:14

No. I don't think so either.

Eric: 16:15

But he's enjoying the flattery. He's enjoying the the the flirting, the double entendres. And he's enjoying it for the sake of what it is, not Which for what he thinks it could turn into, anything like

Sara: 16:31

that. I know a few people in the the Facebook group have said that that is the same as cheating. And I don't necessarily think it is in the sense that flirting is I guess it depends on how heavily you're flirting. Right? If you're flirting and basically saying, yeah, we're we're gonna do this, this, and this together or whatnot, then it can cross a line. But I also think it really depends on the couple and where they set their boundaries and all that other stuff. So I don't think Laura would love his behavior, and I think that's why it me. It's not necessarily because he intends to follow-up on it. I don't think he does. But I think if Laura saw his behavior, she would be her Yes. Very That part is the part that I'm like, I'm not not not crazy about that. So I think that's where I land. I don't think it's cheating, but I don't think it's great either.

Eric: 17:21

Necessarily appropriate. Yes. Yeah. Anyway, they walk outside where a white Rolls Royce is waiting for them. As they move down the steps of the house toward the car, BJ says that, of course, Steele can understand why she didn't ask him to bring his associate along. Mhmm. And Steele concurs with her reasoning. And as they get in, the butler closes the door for her. And in the meantime, Steele is walking around the outside of the car, but

Sara: 17:44

He skipped seat time.

Eric: 17:45

Not only that, but as he's walking around the back, he kinda reaches out and touches the car almost as if he can't quite believe that it's real.

Sara: 17:53

I I'm wondering if he's more excited about getting in the car I

Eric: 17:56

could be.

Sara: 17:56

Than he is about the night with BJ. Like, he's he's looking at this Rolls Royce like, hello. Hello, nurse. You know?

Eric: 18:04

Anyway, Steele gets into the car, and BJ, continuing her comment from a moment earlier, says that she hopes that she, meaning Laura, wasn't offended, but she thought that Laura's presence might cramp things a

Sara: 18:17

bit. Uh-huh.

Eric: 18:18

And Steele, grinning and buying her story, says he completely understands and merely suggested that she come along to facilitate her on the job training.

Sara: 18:26

She would strangle him here. She would just outright grab him by the neck and choke the life out of him.

Eric: 18:32

I mean, she she already has to put up with enough

Sara: 18:36

Yeah.

Eric: 18:36

That's true. You know, being the associate. But yeah. Anyway, Steele suggests that once he explains things, Laura will be entirely sympathetic to BJ's point of view.

Sara: 18:48

The look, though, on his face when he turns his head towards the window Mhmm. Is hysterical. And I wish we'd had the script because I would have loved to have seen whether or not that was in the direction. But he he turns his head and sort of almost looks at the audience and kind of gets this, oh, god. I'm in trouble look on his face. Yeah. Okay. It's funny. Yeah. It's just that part was great.

Eric: 19:15

So yeah. It's I just looked at it, and it's it's almost a little bit of a look of how do I get out of this thing?

Sara: 19:21

Oh god. Yeah. I'm in trouble.

Eric: 19:23

Anyway, BJ has poured a glass of champagne, gives Steele 1 of the glasses, and they toast to the start of something special as the car leaves.

Sara: 19:31

And this is a lesson on why you should never accept a drink from somebody you don't know kids because, obviously, there was something in that drink that put him out.

Eric: 19:42

Yes.

Sara: 19:43

Or if not that 1, the next 1. Whatever.

Eric: 19:45

Yeah. 1 of them somewhere along the way. Yes. Anyway, next we see a bed in a fancy room and beneath the quilt and blankets, a figure is struggling to unbury themselves. It's Steele and he looks Terrible. Terrible, unshaven, glassy eyed, and seemingly disoriented. After a few moments of trying to gather his wits, he begins to look around, surveying his circumstances. He gets out of

Sara: 20:07

bed. Something? Mhmm. Pierce Brosnan is a beautiful man, but not even he can make Tidy Whities look good. There there's no I'm so glad that the world has moved on towards boxer briefs or boxers because no. Nope. Sorry, Pierce. You nope.

Eric: 20:30

Anyway, he gets out of the bed dressed only in briefs, steps over to the window, peers out, then stumbles over to the desk that is in the room. He grabs a glass of water, which apparently has

Sara: 20:40

It's not water. It's not water. I I looked at this a couple of times. This was driving me nuts. Cause this is like a little cart that has the the tea cup.

Eric: 20:49

It's tea. Yeah.

Sara: 20:51

The the little thing that he drinks out of is the is the thing that holds, like, the cream or the milk. Like, you pour that

Eric: 21:00

Right. Yeah. Right.

Sara: 21:01

So he's drinking

Eric: 21:02

It is the creamer.

Sara: 21:03

Yeah. It's the creamer. He's drinking the creamer, which makes the scene kind of hysterical because he does it 3 times. He just, like, guzzles it. Because I have that in my notes. I said, he makes his way over to the desk where he takes a drink of what looks to be the cream instead of the coffee. Right? And then he does it 2 more times. Well,

Eric: 21:23

yeah, he takes he takes pretty good gulp, and then he picks up the phone and calls down to the main desk. And after a moment, he says, ah, yes, mister Steele. And he looks at the key tab to get the room door. Yes. 1019. Quick question, operator. What hotel is this? Ah, the Rexford Palms, of course. A superb hostelry. Yes. Of course. Keep up the good work. And he puts down the phone, takes another glass, and and or creamer container, I guess, now, and then picks up his wallet, which is sitting on his desk. He looks through it to inspect its contents, which includes an impressive array of cash.

Sara: 22:04

Yeah. Which he normally doesn't carry.

Eric: 22:05

Yeah. I was gonna say it's too bulky. He sets the wallet back down, picks up the phone again, and again calls the main desk. And after reaching them says, ah, yes. Steele here. Another harmless query. What day is it? Are you sure? No. No. No. Nothing's wrong. At these rates, I just wanted to make sure you were on your toes. That's all. Tell me, operator, just to confirm my records, when did I check-in? 2 days ago. Yeah. Do you happen to remember if I was with anyone? Stuffed you at last.

Sara: 22:36

Stuffed you at last.

Eric: 22:36

Nice try. Good day.

Sara: 22:39

So I have a question about this scene.

Eric: 22:41

And then he takes another drink out of the creamer.

Sara: 22:44

I have a question about the scene. Where is he? Because later on, the police claim that the Rexford Palms has no record of him ever having stayed there. Mhmm. But he's clearly in a hotel room. Mhmm. And he's speaking to the operator and he says his name is mister Steele. Mhmm. And he's asking, when did I check-in? Where am I? Etcetera. So either he's not at the Rexford Palms, in which case you think he would notice that when he left. Uh-huh. Right? They maybe they like, they stashed him somewhere else and just claimed it was the Rexford Palms, or he is at the Rexford Palms, but then how did they get rid of any record of him staying there?

Eric: 23:22

Well, I would say and this comes up the same kind of a scenario comes up later in the episode. They had somebody planted there to catch the phone call in case he called down, or they had done something to the phone to redirect it so that

Sara: 23:40

Okay. Yeah.

Eric: 23:40

That would be somebody other than the hotel, the actual hotel clerk or front desk got the call, they pretended to be, and then later when they came back to investigate, they discovered, well, no, he wasn't registered because in actuality, he was not registered under his own name. He was

Sara: 23:59

Yeah. They would

Eric: 23:59

have said They just just gimmicked the phone call.

Sara: 24:02

Okay. That makes sense.

Eric: 24:05

It's kind of elaborate, but I mean It's extremely

Sara: 24:07

elaborate because you

Eric: 24:08

Given what happens at the club.

Sara: 24:10

Calling Park Club. Yeah. All that stuff too.

Eric: 24:14

Anyway, as he's takes takes this last gulp from the creamer, he's got this, I mean, deep doo doo, and I don't even know why or how it happened look on his

Sara: 24:23

face. Yeah. He's not not happy.

Eric: 24:27

Well, next we see him still disheveled, exit the elevator of the Century Towers, and then he walks toward the office. As he approaches the front doors of the office, he straightens his tie in an apparent attempt to look a little bit less like he's been out on a a days long bender.

Sara: 24:41

Yeah. It's not working.

Eric: 24:43

And then when he gets to the door, he stops. Looking through the glass doors into the office, he sees that it's been totally redecorated. More modern furniture has been replaced with older antique style furniture. There's a painting of a nude woman on the wall. It's just everything's been changed. So he enters the office, encounters movers who are hauling out a chair and telling him to move it or lose it after he tries to tell them that there's been a misunderstanding. Mildred Yeah. Comes out from 1 of the inner offices and Steele tentatively confronts her asking what's going on, editorializing that he's only begun 1 full day and she's already begun redecorating without me. And Mildred expresses relief at seeing Steele and then asks

Sara: 25:23

Yeah.

Eric: 25:23

It's not true, is it? And then she looks him over and with some concern at his appearance asked what happened to him and then pleads, you can explain everything. Right?

Sara: 25:34

Poor guy. He's so confused. Mildred does not help this situation. I will say

Eric: 25:40

Mildred's confused, but he's even more so. Yes.

Sara: 25:42

Yeah.

Eric: 25:43

Steele urges her to just relax at her seeming overreaction to his absence. After all, he says, we all miss a day of work now and then, but this is ridiculous. And sounding distraught, Mildred says that Laura has been frantic, but she's got Ruben on it and she's sure it'll be okay. Right? I mean, now that he's back and Steele, of course, is confused and asks what any of this has to do with Ruben Saltzman, their attorney. Concern deepening, Mildred near and Mildred nearly tearfully says, oh, boss, you're not well, are you? We're doomed.

Sara: 26:17

I know this. Poor like, Mildred immediately goes just the rest of the scene. We're dead. We're dead. We're doomed. We're Mildred. Way to way to win good job. Way to inspire the troops.

Eric: 26:29

Yeah. Well, it's interesting also that in a stressful situation, she reverts to calling him boss even though she is now fully aware that he is anything but the boss.

Sara: 26:38

Well, she does she does revert to calling him boss, but she's also not confident in him anymore that he's going to be able to fix it. In the past, she might have she might have been less, oh, we're doomed. We're doomed. And more, you're gonna mister Steele will figure this out. Mister Steele can do this. Mister Steele can do that. But now she she's not. And and I love the fact that and this will come up more in the later on in the episode that Mildred's knowing the secret has is reverberating through this season. This isn't it's not just that she finds out in the in the 1st episode and and then everything's fine and the same as it was before. There are consequences to this. And we've seen it already, and we're seeing it more and more as the season goes on. And this episode immediately, she she does call him boss, but she's also not convinced he's going to be any help.

Eric: 27:30

Yeah. By a long shot. Anyway, Steele is frustrated, insisting that he's fine, and that it's Mildred that's the 1 that's not making any sense. Then he says, where's miss Holt so we can get all of this? And he gestures around the office making a face and a sound of disgust straightened out. Yeah. His his it's like he's just pulled a disgusting container of rotten leftovers out of the refrigerator. That's that's kind of the look and the Tony's the the got on his face.

Sara: 28:00

Obviously. And it is the the the whole thing looks tacky.

Eric: 28:03

Oh, yeah.

Sara: 28:04

It looks like the kind of furniture you'd see in an office that was trying to look classy.

Eric: 28:10

But Exactly.

Sara: 28:10

Didn't but overdid it to the point where they just looked too. It looked tacky.

Eric: 28:15

You know? And I think I've got that something along those same lines in my notes a little bit lower. But anyway, after he he asks where Laura is, Mildred says, she's in there with him. Him? You know him. Cranston? And Mildred is really starting to get worried now. Her notion that Steele will resolve anything is dissolving quickly. And Steele repeats Cranston? Uncomprehendingly. Mildred shakes her head in surrender and says, we're finished.

Sara: 28:50

So I had a teacher librarian when I was in the 1st grade named mister Cranston. And so anytime I hear that name, I think of him because and and this is weird because I don't normally remember teachers that far back, but he was very oh my like, I don't know why he was a children's librarian because he was like he didn't he didn't like any sort of noise or mess or basically children being children. And if we sat down, if we had to go down to the library for books or a presentation or something like that, we would sit down and he would do this little song to get us to stop moving around and sitting still. And so he would sing, everybody sitting up straight and hands together. And so now, I think of that whenever he the name Cranston, like, So never obviously, it worked in some but he would be like, even if you were fiddling with a shoelace, it drove him crazy. Crazy. So I don't know. That's what I that's in my head whenever I think of

Eric: 29:45

yeah. Well, anyway, just that moment, Laura walks out of the office looking through a folder of documents. She looks up, sees Steele, who greets her with relief, and she greets him although she is yeah. She she's she's relieved to see him. She runs over and throws her arms around him, but it's yeah. She's she's not fully fully excited to see him, I don't

Sara: 30:13

think. I mean, to be fair, there's a lot going on. Yeah. True. Probably worried. She was clearly worried about him because she sees him in the 1st week she says, thank god you're okay. Yeah.

Eric: 30:24

For

Sara: 30:24

safety. She throws her arms around him. But of course, there's also the issue of our office has been taken over.

Eric: 30:31

Mhmm.

Sara: 30:31

And she's trying to juggle Cranston, where Steele is, figuring out this promissory note situation. So she's being pulled in every which direction. So I kinda don't blame her here for not spending more time making sure that he's in 1 piece because he clearly is. Yeah. So the you know, she does hug him, and then she's like, okay. We gotta figure this out. Yeah. What happened?

Eric: 30:52

She does say, you're alright. And she says it with with a sense of relief and gratitude. And Steele says, Laura, it's only been 1 day, and he's still he's still not getting it.

Sara: 31:04

Yeah.

Eric: 31:04

And to Mildred, Laura says, now maybe we can finally get some answers. And Steele, Steele, what? What? And Laura looks him over and says, you're a mess. Are you sure you're all right? And he repeats that, yes, he's fine. And he starts to ask a question, but Laura doesn't give him a chance. She plunges ahead saying that she's got Ruben checking the signature. She's sure it's phony, but when Steele tells him what happened, they'll get an injunction and then this will all be and frustration, he it's boiled over. He's he's had it. He Steele interrupts signature. What are you talking about? I feel like I've come in on the wrong reel of a movie. And Mildred, we're doing

Sara: 31:42

We're finished.

Eric: 31:42

Finished. Finito.

Sara: 31:44

She's not helping. Mildred, you're not helping.

Eric: 31:47

Yes. Because Laura is is right now she's starting to panic a bit. You know? Even though she's insisting there's no time to panic, she's definitely panicking. And Mildred gets the final say Yeah. Telling Laura that if this isn't the time to panic, she doesn't know when is.

Sara: 32:04

But to be fair, Laura's doing what Laura does when faced with a disaster or a situation that is overwhelming.

Eric: 32:12

She She forces her call.

Sara: 32:14

So, yeah, she forces I mean, obviously, she loses it a little bit when Mildred gets fired later on, but right now, she's in, I'm going to fix this mode because if she stops and pauses like Mildred is, she's gonna fall apart too. And that's not what she does. So Mildred's the 1, we're doomed. We're finished.

Eric: 32:32

Steele begins to ask, will someone kindly tell me what is? But he's interrupted by the movers again. This time, they're bringing in a huge gaudy painting that is the sort of thing that a low end but pretentious hotel might display to give the appearance of luxury and glass.

Sara: 32:48

Yeah. That's

Eric: 32:49

exactly As what it they take the painting towards Steele's office, he demands somebody finally tell him what's going on. And an unfamiliar man walks out of Steele's office, tells the movers to be careful with that, boys. That's a family treasure. Makes me wonder about his family.

Sara: 33:06

Yeah. Me too.

Eric: 33:07

Turning to Steele, he says, I thought I recognized the familiar voice out here. Keeping bankers hours. Hey, Steele? Just kidding. He laughs at his own joke as if it was actually funny. Yeah. He tells Steele to go ahead and do whatever it is he does just so long as they get results. And then he adds, and when you've got a minute, I'd like to see you in my office. Now Laura is looking at Mildred face tight as Mildred is giving Steele a hard look. Yeah. Laura turns to Steele and gives him a look that seems to say, care to explain?

Sara: 33:35

And

Eric: 33:37

Steele, realizing he's in deep doo doo, but not quite understanding what, where, when, why, and how, resorts to his oft tried but rarely successful tactic of pretending the obvious fact that he's in trouble isn't obvious. Yep. And he feigns in innocence asking, new client? Mildred gives him an are you kidding? Look. Laura rolls her eyes, and then she grabs him by the arm and begins to walk him into her own office as Mildred desperately whispers, we're

Sara: 34:07

dead. Dead. Dead.

Eric: 34:11

Inside her office, Steele sits on the edge of the desk in stunned silence as Laura questions him. You don't know that man? Never laid eyes on him before in my life. And then he asks what the man's doing in his office and what happened to Laura's office?

Sara: 34:25

Yeah.

Eric: 34:25

Laura's short response is 36 hours. Steele hesitates and supplies the annotation of James Garner, Rod Taylor, MGM 19 64. Then adds that that doesn't explain. Frustrated, Laura interrupts demanding to know where he's been for the last 36 hours at the Rexford Palms Hotel, apparently, flat on his back, apparently.

Sara: 34:44

Here's my question too. Okay? Mhmm. And and this may be something nobody wants to contemplate, but this this kind of stuff always, like, pops into my head. He's been there for 36 hours Mhmm. In bed. Mhmm. He'd have to eat and and drink and pee.

Eric: 35:07

Well, it'd certainly have to do the latter.

Sara: 35:09

Did he wake up and and go back to bed? Did they keep drugging him? Did he have a bedpan? What was the bathroom situation going on at the Rexford Palms?

Eric: 35:18

Come on. You are obsessing over this, aren't you?

Sara: 35:21

Well, I mean, if they can ask questions about whether or not the Enterprise had a bathroom, I think that this is 1 that's a valid question. Did they re drug him and he just doesn't remember it? Or what did they do? How did he pee?

Eric: 35:33

When your when your food and beverage intake lowers, you don't produce pee or True.

Sara: 35:43

The other other thing. He he clearly had some food and beverage beverages the day that they knocked him out. So there'd be something left in the tank that would have to get emptied eventually.

Eric: 35:54

Well, unless he had made a pit stop before he got over to BJ Sinclair's.

Sara: 35:57

No. But then they had drinks and stuff like that. Right?

Eric: 35:59

So At least 1, but we don't know if they had more than 1. He could have been drugged in the car as they were going along.

Sara: 36:06

I'm just saying he woulda had to pee. And then, okay, he'd be severely dehydrated when he did finally wake up.

Eric: 36:13

Which is why he was hitting the creamer heavy. Like,

Sara: 36:18

I just wonder, was there somebody there dealing with his bathroom needs, or did did he soil the bed? Like, what happened?

Eric: 36:28

You just got this weird obsession about that. Moving on. Moving on.

Sara: 36:34

Steele's Fine. No one's gonna answer my question.

Eric: 36:36

Okay. We're not. Steele says that all he remembers is that after his Wednesday afternoon appointment with BJ Sinclair, it was suddenly Friday morning. And voice slightly shaking, as if almost ready to cry, she asks if the Colony Park Club rings any bells. And hesitantly, he asks, should it? And she begins to tell him exactly why it should be ringing bells. 2 nights earlier at the Colony Park Club, he got drunk, entered a high stakes poker game, and in a hand worth a $250,000, put up the Remington Steele agency as collateral and lost. To that man in there, she gestures towards Steele's office, Harry Cranston. Steele is stunned, at a loss for words, and staring with an uncomprehending deer in the headlights look on his face. Yeah.

Sara: 37:24

This would be scary for him. Because he's never quite sure how much trust she's gonna place in him. Mhmm. And something like this would be asking a lot.

Eric: 37:39

Well, I also from the standpoint of I don't think he's a person that likes to be out of control.

Sara: 37:46

No. And and this is 1 of those things that should have clued in to Laura that there's something hanky about it, which she does believe him for the most part. But He

Eric: 37:56

doesn't Yeah. With with some with some reluctance, but yes. But yeah. He's he's not the kind of person that likes to to be out of control of himself. And so this is definitely out of character and it's uncomfortable for him to have to not only accept it, but to realize that something's happened that he can't explain and he can't even explain why it happened, much less explain how it happened.

Sara: 38:23

But the the the thing that I think that works in his favor and 1 of the reasons why Laura does have some trust in him over this is that she knows for a fact he doesn't really like to drink excessively. Mhmm. He likes a nice glass of champagne. We know that. They both do. But we've seen in Hearts of Steele that he doesn't like getting drunk. And we've also seen that when it comes to things like gambling, he has an incredible amount of restraint. He doesn't get out of control. If you look at Steel's gold, he didn't get the gold fever Murphy did. Steele was able to hold himself in check. Laura's the 1 who

Eric: 38:58

Oh, yeah. Was a bit crazy from his guys in her hands. Right?

Sara: 39:01

Laura is the 1 that is is prone to that. But I think because Laura is so in control all the time that it's it's probably more enticing to lose control and and and just go all out. Whereas Steele has lived this very tight balancing act of conning people and dice games and card games. He knows where to draw the line. He knows when he's gonna lose it all and he knows when to walk away. So I think that amount of control that he has, Laura's aware of that. This is entirely this behavior is really out of character for him if it were true for him to get that drunk and to bet that heavily when he he would have no reason to.

Eric: 39:43

Did you just call him Kenny Rogers?

Sara: 39:48

Maybe. He knows when to hold him, knows when to fold him. Yeah.

Eric: 39:52

Well, in Steele's office, Harry Cranston is meeting with 6 people, appearing to be a family consisting of a father, mother, 3 children, and possibly a brother of 1 of the parents, all wearing neck collars as if recovering from mass whiplash. Cranston is assuring them that when it comes to investigating the Los Angeles transit system, Mr. Steele has no peers.

Sara: 40:13

That's probably true.

Eric: 40:15

Yes. Mister Cranston is a private detective's version of an ambulance chaser.

Sara: 40:18

Ambulance chaser. 100%. Yep.

Eric: 40:22

Steele angrily bursts into the office hollering, Cranston, is it? And it's more of an accusation than a question. And unfazed, Cranston says, Steele, I want you to meet the Iroquois down yeah. Imola

Sara: 40:37

Pindi family.

Eric: 40:37

Pindi family from Pakistan. Greatest group whiplash opportunity you've ever seen. And he begins to introduce the various members of the family. Steele gives a cursory, charmed, I'm sure, then angrily tells Cranston that he and Steele have more important business to discuss. Smiling, Cranston tells Steele not to be so hasty, explaining that when the supermarket tabloids get wind of this, he's talking publicity like this agency has never seen before. Anger boiling over, Steele grabs Cranston by the collar and jerks him forward saying that he's talking about the business between himself and Cranston. And Laura realizing at this point that a strong offense isn't necessarily the best defense, steps in between the 2 men begins to reset the collar of Cranston's jacket, insisting to Steele that this is no way to start off a healthy relationship with their new employer.

Sara: 41:25

Yeah.

Eric: 41:25

And Laura ensures

Sara: 41:27

This is 1 of the sorry. I take back what I said because this is 1 of the few cases where he does lose control, and Laura is the 1 playing the long game, realizing that if they piss off Cranston right now, they may not have access to the stuff that they need to get access to in order to figure out what's going on. So

Eric: 41:44

But Steele isn't out of control. He's just angry.

Sara: 41:47

No. He's mad. He's just mad.

Eric: 41:48

Yeah. Laura assures Cranston that this is just that Steele is a little bit nervous about the new arrangement. And Cranston cautiously responds that he supposes that that attitude is justifiable, but Steele better understand who's the boss around here. And he starts to add that he warned Steele, but Laura cuts him off suggesting that they take their discussion out of the office and away from their clients.

Sara: 42:11

Mhmm. Yeah.

Eric: 42:12

I put that in sarcasm quotes because I would be

Sara: 42:16

just took the the neck collars off the minute they left the room. Yeah.

Eric: 42:22

Anyway, they're barely out of the office before Cranston begins telling Steele that he warned him before he signed that note to clear it and Steele cuts him off asking what note. Cranston chuckles that when Steele ties went on, he really doesn't remember a thing, does he? Extremely annoyed, Laura explains to Steele that apparently he had signed a promissory note pledging the agency and all its assets. Cranston continues that he told Steele to bet with his head, not with his heart. Oh no, he was determined. He admits that he admires Steele's spirit, and he will admit that his straight flesh was pretty well hidden, but still Steele cuts him off pointing and jabbing his finger at him, telling Laura that he doesn't know this man, never played cards with this man, and he never signed any note. Cranston calmly tells Steele to take all the time he needs to get over the shock, saying that he owes Steele that much before working his tail off.

Sara: 43:13

I think Steele's reaction there where he points at Cranston and says, I don't know this man. I've never played cards with this man. I didn't sign any note is not necessarily even about Cranston at all. This is his this is his brain putting the pieces together and thinking, need to get her to believe me because I think he's panicking here a little bit.

Eric: 43:35

Oh, yeah. He's panicking. But

Sara: 43:38

Or I need to make sure she believes me. So

Eric: 43:44

It may also be him trying to reassure himself.

Sara: 43:49

Oh, for sure. Yeah. He doesn't remember what happened.

Eric: 43:51

Yeah. Because he he doesn't remember, and he knows himself well enough to know that he wouldn't have gotten into that situation under normal circumstances. No. No. But, anyway, the phone rings. Mildred answers it with Remington Steele Investigations, a division of Cranston Industries.

Sara: 44:08

And and you can hear in her voice how that's basically just dragged out of her with the utmost reluctance, a division of of Cranston Industries.

Eric: 44:21

Still can't believe it's happening. Mildred tells Cranston that the call is for him. It's Penthouse Magazine, and Laura's dismayed response is, what?

Sara: 44:29

At least it's not Bedside Babes. It could be worse. That

Eric: 44:35

would've been good. That would've been good.

Sara: 44:37

Really funny. It's Bedside Babes. Wait. Wait. What?

Eric: 44:40

That would've been good. Anyway, so Cranston tells Laura, don't be so naive, miss Hall. And halt. She's indignant. Cranston ignores her. Dirty linen. That's the name of the investigative game today. You've got a hot case and it gets on the news wires and you're gonna have clients pounding at the door. Now I've got a Washington conspiracy case for you 2 to check out that'll make Watergate look like mother goose. And these magazine fellows are interested in the exclusive rights to the story.

Sara: 45:09

Yeah. Sure. He reads it for the articles.

Eric: 45:11

Yeah. Absolutely. Well, what I seem to recall hearing something here a couple years ago that after Hefner died and his daddy his daddy his daughter his daddy daughter took over, they were going to drop all the photographs and just go with the articles. I don't know if that's true or

Sara: 45:34

not. I remember reading that something like that as well, but I part of me thinks that it probably had something to do with the fact that we can now have the Internet.

Eric: 45:42

Well, that's, yeah, that's

Sara: 45:44

I'm guessing magazines like that aren't quite as popular as they used to be because you actually have to go into a store and buy 1, whereas anybody now that has a phone that has an Internet connection can find pretty much anything they want.

Eric: 45:56

It kinda makes me wonder how much longer those those magazines are gonna be in business if it's just for the articles.

Sara: 46:01

Honestly, I wonder if they even are because I I don't remember ever having seen 1 on the shelves in recent years.

Eric: 46:06

So Which kinda puts lie to the claim that so many guys used. I just read it for the articles. Yeah.

Sara: 46:13

Just read it for the articles. Honestly, I wow. That's the only reason why I picked it up.

Eric: 46:17

Yes. Anyway, Cranston leaves to take the call in Steele's office. Steele begins piercing with fierce agitation. Steele calls Cranston a sleazebag and a liar and then gives him a backhanded compliment acknowledging that he has a commendable grasp of marketing.

Sara: 46:32

Yeah. He does. I mean, he's not wrong. It's it's not the kind of marketing that Laura wants, obviously, but it would be marketing, and it would get you would get you noticed.

Eric: 46:42

Yes. Although not necessarily in the the way Not

Sara: 46:45

for the right reasons. No. Yeah.

Eric: 46:47

Well, as the family group leaves Steele's office, we hear Cranston tell them to take it easy, assuring them that mister Steele will be in touch with them. And as the family leaves leaving 2 men's 2 men's 2 men in Suits Center, Laura gratefully greets the shorter man as Ruben. This is Ruben Saltzman, the agency's attorney. He comes across as a nervous, perhaps less than confident incompetent and somewhat nerdy nibbish. Yep. Ruben acknowledges Laura, then greets Steele, telling him that it's a pleasure to see him again. Agitated, Steele thanks him, but saying that the joy is wasted on him. Laura immediately wants to know if Ruben has the injunction. Well, not exactly, he answers. Exasperated, Steele wants to know what none exactly means, expanding that the man in there is the biggest fraud since Tony Curtis and the great impostor. Do I have that in my notes? I don't know. I better check while I'm do I have that in my 6 hours. I was 36 yes. I do have it.

Sara: 47:55

There we go.

Eric: 47:56

So, yes, it will be in the the show notes at the end of the episode, so you can click on it and buy it if you want to from Amazon. Anyway, Ruben seems to agree that yes, the man is a fraud, but he points out that they have to prove it. And seemingly chagrin, he explains that that's why he brought mister Fairbanks so that you could hear it from him. And as a preamble, Ruben explains that at the moment, everything hinges on proving that the promissory note Steele allegedly signed is a forgery. Of course, it's a forgery, Steele asserts. Rubin uncertainly says, yes. Well, and then he gratefully turns the floor over to Fairbanks. Fairbanks introduces himself as Kenneth Fairbanks, a handwriting expert whose work has been used in major forgery cases too numerous to mention. Reference is available upon request. And an embarrassed silence follows as nobody makes the request.

Sara: 48:52

Nope. They don't.

Eric: 48:55

Fairbanks clears his throat and then continues. Not only has he examined this promissory note, but he has also shared said material and comparison signatures with 2 other eminent colleagues in his field. Reference is also available upon request. And Laura, who's been looking at Fairbanks with a stony look on her face, twitches. It's a twisted grimace as Fairbanks says this last part. And then their separate conclusions are the same. The signature on the promissory note is undeniably that of mister Remington Steele.

Sara: 49:26

I find this interesting that they planted people everywhere Mhmm. To create this con. Mhmm. But they actually used a real handwriting expert, and they actually had him sign this promissory note by having Ruben slip it in to all the stuff he signs on a daily basis. Because technically, they could have just forged the signature and then hired a fake expert to claim, yes. I'm I'm an expert in handwriting.

Eric: 49:52

Don't know that he isn't a fake expert.

Sara: 49:55

That's true.

Eric: 49:56

That is true. Ruben is behind all of this, and Ruben is the

Sara: 49:58

1 who

Eric: 49:59

brought Fairbanks in.

Sara: 50:00

That's true. But I just think it's interesting that the the signature is his. Mhmm. That they went as far as getting him to sign this promissory note, or they might have even a good way to have done it would just be to have him sign something that doesn't really have much on it and then write it on there later.

Eric: 50:18

Mhmm. Well, the the reason they would have had Steele sign an actual promissory note the way Ruben had had set up the con is because in anticipation of Laura and Steele wanting to hire the handwriting expert themselves. Okay.

Sara: 50:39

That makes sense.

Eric: 50:40

So by having a legitimate quote, in quote marks, sarcasm quotes, legitimate signature on the promissory note, it's going to match no matter who they hire.

Sara: 50:49

Right.

Eric: 50:50

But it does raise a couple of questions that we've kind of avoided until now. Given what Fairbanks has said about the signature matching the fake Mr. Seale's signature, that is the signature on the promissory note matching the sample signatures that they provided.

Sara: 51:06

Right.

Eric: 51:06

1st question is when did Laura give him authority to start signing documents as Remington Steele on behalf of the agency? And another question is we know that in the opening episode of season 2, he signed Remington Steele's tax returns as part of Mildred's efforts to straight out straighten out that tax situation. But presumably, prior to that time, most, if not all, of the agency's tax and other legal documents were signed by Laura as Remington Steele. So how did Laura reconcile the issues and potential legal problems of the signatures not matching if and when the fake Remington Steele had begun signing the documents as Remington Steele on behalf of the agency?

Sara: 51:46

I my guess would be that he's probably been signing things since London, if not maybe before that. And she probably just provided them with 1 of the documents that he signed as Remington Steele. And I see what you're saying because if it came up in court, that would probably get mentioned. But she's

Eric: 52:03

Well, not only that, but with the IRS, if Yeah. If they went back looking at at past tax returns for the agency, because, you know, they can go back 7 years, at least on personal tax returns. I don't know how far back they can go on corporate tax returns. They may be able to go back forever. But there's all kinds of situations where the signatures of earlier documents and current documents might come up and be shown to be in conflict. Now the brilliance of this situation, because I'm I'm having to think as as I say this, Ruben must have noticed something in the signatures because, obviously, Laura could easily have resolved this situation by pulling out early agency documents, including the original articles of incorporation to prove that the signature on the promissory note doesn't match the original documents signatures that she signed. But then, course, that would make an issue with all the documents that the fake Steele has signed fake, reveal the scam of the entire agency, or she can let the situation stand and as it seems likely at this point, lose her entire agency. So it's it's a from from the standpoint of Rubin's manipulation and from the standpoint of the writer plotting this out, he he he really put Laura in a tough situation. Although, I don't I'm not sure he realized how significant that that quandary is on her part.

Sara: 53:31

She's been backed into a corner and there's no good way to resolve it. And so that's why she's hoping that it's a fake signature because that's the only thing that's gonna get them out of this.

Eric: 53:42

As if it's fake to all the signatures that whether she signed it or the fake Steele did. Exactly. But yeah, it puts her in a tight situation where she could actually prove that it's a fraud in a sense, but then admit to another fraud. Anyway, as Fairbanks is giving all this information out, Steele kind of throws up his hands as if to block Fairbanks' words. And he insists that what Fairbanks says is flatly impossible And offended that anyone should question his conclusions, Fairbank indignantly says, improbable perhaps, but true nonetheless. And apologetically, Ruben mumbles that as they can see, he's a little stuck at the moment and Steele aggressively shushes him, then animatedly addresses Laura, assuring her that she's got to believe him. He didn't sign that note. And Laura, arms crossed, stony look still on her face, has been looking intently at the floor and barely moving. But without changing her expression, Laura says, I do. And Steele is frozen for a moment and then with a questioning, disbelieving tone asks, you do?

Sara: 55:01

I I think that Laura gets Laura should get actually a lot of credit here because my initial thought was that, well, she believed him readily enough in the 1st Descoign episode. Mhmm. She she didn't question that even though that could unravel her agency as well. But I think the difference between that case and this 1 is that he was being framed for killing somebody else. It it didn't necessarily have anything to do with the agency per se. She knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't murder somebody. That was that was that that's a line too far. And so she was able to readily jump on board. Yes, she assumed it was somebody from his past that was setting him up. But she was able to say, yeah, no, I know you didn't do this. I'm with you. We'll figure this out. But this is different. Yeah. This is something that presumably he would have done in his previous life. This is a con that that he could have easily He would have said done. Yeah. He would have done. And so there's there's a lot for her because not only is it he's not being framed for somebody else's murder. He's being accused of having given away her life's work in a moment of losing control, gambling, and drinking. And she's having to ask herself, how much am I going to trust him? Am I going to believe that this is something that he would never ever do to me? Am I going to get behind that? Or am I going to lose faith in him? And she doesn't. She says she believes him.

Eric: 56:39

But I think that there's she's not a 100% fully committed to backing him at this point because at the back of her mind, even and and she even says this later on. Yeah. Even though she doesn't want to think it, it still comes up. He's a con man. Maybe he's been playing the long con. No. No. No. I'm not gonna go there. I'm not gonna go there. But but what if he is? No. No. I'm gonna I'm gonna trust him. I'm at 70%. I've got 30% doubt, but I'm at 70, so that's a win.

Sara: 57:19

I actually think right now I think you're right, but I don't think that happens yet. I think right now she does believe him because she doesn't have I think it isn't until they start going to all of the places that he supposedly has been and she starts seeing all the people who supposedly recognize him, that that's when the doubt starts to creep in. I think right

Eric: 57:38

now she's Maybe she's at 90 10 right now. But I think there's still an element of doubt or hesitancy in her. She she doesn't I I don't think she wants it to be there, but I think that there's still just that touch of it. But, anyway, yeah, let's get back into the episode. Laura insists that there must be something that Ruben can do, a restraining order or something.

Sara: 58:04

You can't really can't really do a restraining order here. I mean, there's nothing there's nothing to justify it. If the promissory note is considered legal and binding and it's his signature, they say it's his signature, then you can't really

Eric: 58:20

Yeah. There's not a whole lot I I think Rubin can do in that route. I mean, there's there's probably things that can be done.

Sara: 58:28

Oh, probably. I mean, you'd probably be able to look into, yeah, lawsuits, civil suits, or even just looking into the legality of a note being enough to just take over immediately.

Eric: 58:41

Well, and then also the the the admission on Cranston's part that Steele was drunk.

Sara: 58:47

Yeah. I mean, he would be, what is it, non compost mentis, like not able to consent to signing a document of legal note like that. So you'd yeah. You definitely have stuff that he could do in a court, just you couldn't file a restraining order.

Eric: 59:00

Yeah. Anyway, Ruben sidesteps the issue or tries to, saying that, know, he's a little rusty in that whole area. But Mildred's IRS fraud squad persona comes to the fore, and she sternly tells Robin to put it in gear, buster. It's about time you started earning your retainer. Yep. He gives her a submissive, embarrassed, and almost surrendering grimace.

Sara: 59:25

Yeah. I mean, obviously, this is his I I'm I'm gonna guess that he's never really been a strong personality. No. But this is serving him well in terms of this con because Mhmm. If they don't expect him to be assertive and dominant and whatever else And

Eric: 59:42

qualified. Is if he's been this incompetent up till now, why they kept him on retainer?

Sara: 59:48

Well, a good point. Well, I guess they needed a lawyer, but, yeah, that's a good point. Why not get somebody better? Yeah. Maybe he was not that expensive. Anyway,

Eric: 59:57

next we see that Laura and Steele are on the road traveling free and easy. Partners family reference.

Sara: 1:00:03

Sorry. I got it. I got it.

Eric: 1:00:06

They're in the rabbit top down because it's gonna be a bright, bright, sunshiny day. I can see clearly now by Johnny Nash.

Sara: 1:00:13

You need to stop. You need to just stop.

Eric: 1:00:16

Laura is saying that Steele I'm sorry. Laura is say saying that Steele is obviously the victim of a very clever scam to who'd winks them out of the agency. Steele asks if she saw that from the start, but he asks it in a tone that seems to suggest that he knows that she didn't necessarily believe him fully from the start. She doesn't enhance her believability when she answers in a somewhat dismissive tone. Of course, she did. Really? Okay. Then she goes to prove further that Steele is correct by getting more and more incensed as she rants. After all we've been through together, do you really think that I believe that you would stake Remington Steele investigations, the major accomplishment of my life, a product of 6 years of hard work as collateral in a card game? Would I ever think you would be that reckless, that foolhardy, that stupid? Okay. You've just answered the question. I'm sorry.

Sara: 1:01:11

Sorry I asked. I think, though, that at this point, there's 2 things going on here because would he be that foolhardy? Yeah. He's done stuff that stupid in the past, to be fair. When it came to that 1 card game where they had, vigilance insurance is a $150,000 and he lost it. Yeah. Yeah. He has he has had instances where he swung big and missed. Mhmm. I think the key here that she's using to hold on to her trust in him, even if there is some doubt, is the fact that he was supposedly so drunk and so out of control. Because that's not him, and she knows that's not him. She she knows that he can do stupid stuff and that he has done stupid stuff, but I think that's the part where she's using to talk herself down even if she's right now talking herself on the ledge. But yeah.

Eric: 1:02:02

Well, it's just that the way she presents that Yeah. She's not helping her case. She's she's making also She sorry. She's digging herself in deeper. I mean, he already suspects that she doesn't fully trust him. And then her response, the way she gives that response is just like, okay. You know? Fine. You don't believe me. You're gonna hold it against me for the rest of my life. I can see that. Sorry I asked.

Sara: 1:02:27

I think she's got a lot of rage right now, and she's not really sure where to put it because her agency is, for all intents and purposes right now, it's gone. And he looks to be responsible, and she's trying to trust him and trying to hold on to that trust. But, of course, that tiny seed of doubt that is there is also accompanied by that, I'm gonna murder him if it's true. Yeah. Because of all people, he knows what it means to her, and he got her agency back for her not too long ago. So

Eric: 1:03:01

yeah. But but the way she presents it, Steele, obviously Yeah. I mean, he feels the need to respond to her somewhat rhetorical question, but he also realizes that anything and everything he says can and will be used against him.

Sara: 1:03:14

Yep.

Eric: 1:03:14

If he does answer, so he sidesteps the response by saying and by asking if he really has to answer her question. And not addressing Steele's obvious refusal to respond and his subtle disbelief in her alleged trust addresses the more immediate problem saying that while they let Rubin try to find the legal means to stop Cranston from turning the agency into an adjunct of the scandal sheet, they have to figure out who's behind it and how they did it and why. Steele cautiously observes that Laura's being remarkably calm about the situation.

Sara: 1:03:49

Well and it it's funny because you can see she's a coiled spring at the moment.

Eric: 1:03:56

Oh, yeah.

Sara: 1:03:56

She is ready to rip somebody's head off, and he's just trying gently to not have it be him.

Eric: 1:04:03

That veneer of calm Yeah. Is Yeah. Rice paper thin.

Sara: 1:04:09

It is

Eric: 1:04:10

really thin. As we saw by the fact that just a few moments ago, stuff was popping out from various corners

Sara: 1:04:15

of Yeah.

Eric: 1:04:16

Yeah. Anyway, Laura assures him that when Cranston entered her life yesterday, she had 1 of 2 choices. She could believe in Steele and know there's a way out of this, or she could believe Cranston, in which case she would have to hunt down Steele, tear out his heart, scatter it to the 4 winds, and jump off the nearest available building herself.

Sara: 1:04:39

It's still in the

Eric: 1:04:40

comments. Good choice.

Sara: 1:04:41

I like that. I like that she she's willing to just kind of yeah. But I I could do this, or I could tear her heart out. And poor Steele just not wanting to make it worse. Good choice.

Eric: 1:04:59

Anyway, next we see Laura and Steele pull up into the driveway at the BJ Sinclair residence as Steele muses that it must have been a drug in the champagne. And Laura agrees that it seems likely. Steele suggests that the secretive BJ Sinclair will

Sara: 1:05:13

be long gone by now. Uses the word seductive.

Eric: 1:05:17

Oh, you're you're right. I misread that.

Sara: 1:05:19

And and I I actually because you're right. He says that the seductive BJ Sinclair would be long gone right now, and Laura asked how he knows that. And I'm I find it interesting she doesn't comment or even take notice of his choice of words because she never saw BJ. She doesn't know that BJ was an extremely attractive blonde woman. And the fact that he willingly referred to her as seductive implies that there was some kind of flirtation on I think she's just so focused on her agency that it just slips right by her.

Eric: 1:05:49

Yeah. Yeah. And as as you say, Laura asks how he can be so sure that she's gone. And as they get out of the car and Laura or as Laura gets out of the car and Rastille remains seated, he answers, North by Northwest, Cary Grant, EU of Saint Marie, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, MGM 19 59. Grant returns to a mansion that was once full of spies only to find it occupied by ordinary inhabitants.

Sara: 1:06:13

I mean, they must have used the same agency that all of the other criminals seem to use when they take somebody's house who's been away for a while and turn it into something else because

Eric: 1:06:25

Airbnb for criminals.

Sara: 1:06:26

Yeah. Yeah. Laura came across the same thing, and and now you Steele it, now you don't. They've had this happen more than once. They've come hey. This wasn't like this before. They're away on vacation. Yeah.

Eric: 1:06:38

Well, Steele joins her on the porch as Laura rings the bell. Butler answers the door, and Steele flippantly asks, you remember me, don't you, Jeeves Remington Steele, to see my dear friend, BJ Sinclair?

Sara: 1:06:51

The anger, it just drips off of him right now.

Eric: 1:06:57

Contempt. Yeah. Anger. Dismissiveness.

Sara: 1:07:04

Yeah. He's just he's furious. He's just furious, and he's directing it at anybody. Not Laura, obviously, but anyone involved in this.

Eric: 1:07:13

Yeah. Yeah. Well, grinning Jeeves says that he's sorry, but miss Sinclair isn't available. And Steele, disbelievingly, but as if he expected no other answer, responds, really? And Laura suggests that perhaps miss Sinclair might be suddenly available if Jeeves told her that it was urgent. Smugly, Jeeves says that he's sorry, but they'll have to make an appointment when she returns from her ranch in Wyoming. As he begins to close the door, Steele shoves his way through followed by Laura. They walked through the foyer into the room where BJ Sinclair was 1st standing when Steele 1st met her. And we can see that all the furniture is covered with sheets. Jeeves tries to pretend that Steele has no right to come in and that they're not permitted inside. And turning around in the room, surveying the scene, Steele smacks his hand down telling Laura, I knew it. I knew it. She's flown the coop. But then the voice of BJ Sinclair is heard from outside the room. Rogers, what's all the commotion? And Jeeves, aka Rogers, and Steele and Laura returned to the foyer to see miss Sinclair coming down the stairs.

Sara: 1:08:15

Okay. Okay. Okay. This is another Americanism versus Canadianism? Mhmm. You guys say foyer. That's kind of interesting. We we would say foyer.

Eric: 1:08:23

I normally I think I did say foyer earlier, and I just I it slipped out as as foyer.

Sara: 1:08:28

Is it American Canadian thing, or is it just like there's 2 pronunciations and you can pick 1?

Eric: 1:08:33

I think there's 2 pronunciations and you can pick 1. I've I've

Sara: 1:08:36

I wasn't sure.

Eric: 1:08:37

I've always heard other people say foyer

Sara: 1:08:39

people say foyer too.

Eric: 1:08:41

Just I I try to say foyer because I know that's how it's supposed to be pronounced, but every so often, it it slips out.

Sara: 1:08:47

That's like my Descoigne Decoyne thing because the French part of my brain is like, it should be Decoin, but it's Yeah. They say Descoigne. So anyway.

Eric: 1:08:56

Yeah. And I I I sometimes get a yell out too. Upon seeing Steele, Sinclair exclaims, you with obvious disgust, prompting Laura to comment, so much for old Hitch. Yep. And Jeeves slash Roberts apologizes to BJ Sinclair reporting that they barged in. Sinclair tells Jeeves slash Rogers that it's okay and to go get her bags and she'll deal with Steele. I've always hated people who employ a domestic staff and then treat them like this. I mean, there's no courtesy, no respect for the people or of the people that do the work and are doing things on their behalf. There's there's no please, no would you be so kind as, no thank you, nothing. It's do this, do that. You know, it's We've

Sara: 1:09:42

got a comment on the foyer foyer discussion. Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt, but the comment says it's a French word Americans Americanized it decades ago. So that might be why that might be why I've heard it said as foyer on American television. Mhmm. But since Canada has French is our official language, we tend to pronounce the French words Frenchly. Frenchly. That's not right. That's not right. That is not correct. Frenchly. Anyway, I Frenchly too. I agree with you about the domestic staff. In fact, I find it weird just in general. I get that if you have a house that big, you probably are gonna need staff to maintain it, but I don't think I could do that. I think I would end up not living there because I would be weirded out by the idea of people in my house that don't live there cleaning my stuff or seeing how dirty I am. Right? And I don't think I'm I actually like our apartment is usually fairly clean, but I would still be weirded out by I would probably end up keeping it so clean they wouldn't have anything to do because I wouldn't want to be judged with the dishes and the sink or whatever else. I don't know. Just I don't But I agree that if somebody's working for you, regardless of the job they're doing, if it's a job that needs to be done, then they deserve dignity and respect for doing it. There's no I don't have this Some people have this idea of like this job is a lower job and so therefore you don't have to treat that person like a human being or you don't have to treat them nicely when they're doing it. But if you're not willing to do that job yourself, then I don't think that that needs to be the case. I I just think that everybody is worthy of that respect.

Eric: 1:11:29

They can still be your employee, your house staff, servants, whatever, but that doesn't automatically mean that you can treat them like trash or like they're some sort of lower class of person, you know, that I'm so much better than you and you're just, you know, down there.

Sara: 1:11:52

It tends to happen though with the very, very wealthy, I've noticed.

Eric: 1:11:55

Well, it's not just the wealthy. I get kind of the same thing from a lot of people I give the rides to. I mean, they don't respect my car. Me as the driver, the service I'm providing, they use my car their personal garbage can.

Sara: 1:12:09

Ugh. That would

Eric: 1:12:10

probably not. They assume that they can, you know, vape if they want to without asking. They take over the stereo. They blast their music from their phone. I mean, they stand if they've got luggage, they'll they'll stand off to the side and wait for me to come out and be the good little lackey that I'm supposed to be of picking up their luggage and putting in the trunk for them. I mean That's something

Sara: 1:12:33

because I I Or

Eric: 1:12:34

people that wanna change their trip itinerary, add stops, but they don't wanna add them into the app because they don't want to pay for for them.

Sara: 1:12:41

Yeah.

Eric: 1:12:42

You know? Yeah. They I've had people expect me to provide them with drinks and snacks and rate me down because I don't.

Sara: 1:12:49

Wow. Okay. Just

Eric: 1:12:51

because somebody's in your employee in whatever form that takes, it doesn't make them less worthy of courtesy and respect from you.

Sara: 1:12:58

I I can honestly say I have never used an Uber because by the time I like, I used to use public transit, obviously, and I used to use taxis before I had my car and whatnot, but I I Uber didn't exist then. So now that we have a vehicle of our own, we don't really have a a need to. Like, Scott sometimes takes the bus if he has to go somewhere, but Kira still has her booster seat. So it just wouldn't make any sense. So I I don't actually really know how it works, but I can't imagine I've taken taxis and I can't imagine standing there waiting for the driver to come and grab my stuff because it wouldn't even occur to me that that's something to do. I would just put my because I've taken a taxi to the airport or whatever. You just put your stuff in the trunk. Yeah, that would drive me. My dad used to drive for, London Transit. He drove a bus and he had some similar stories where people would get on the bus and they would just behave abominable, you know, just horribly abysmally. And then the reason he broke his back and wasn't able to work for the bulk of my childhood was because somebody left a pop can on the stairs of the bus, and he got off the bus, slipped on the pop can, and broke his back. So, yeah. Not cool. Yeah.

Eric: 1:14:15

Yeah. Anyway, BJ Sinclair angrily tells Steele that he she's surprised that he had the temerity to show his face. And Steele responds that he's nothing if not temeritus. No. Wait. He doesn't say that.

Sara: 1:14:31

It'd be funny, though.

Eric: 1:14:33

Laura introduces himself as mister Steele's associate to which miss BJ Sinclair expresses her condolences. Steele angrily demands that 2 women dispense with the pleasantries and demands an explanation from BJ Sinclair and he wants it now. And of course, she is flabbergasted, exclaiming, my explanation? I've never been so insulted in my entire life. And Laura repeats the word back to BJ as as a question, and she responds with, believe me, miss Holt, I understand some men have to prove their masculinity by drinking beyond their limits. Stella just lose it. Wait a bloody minute here.

Sara: 1:15:12

He's his own worst enemy right now because Laura is calmly trying to get BJ to talk. She's she's not flying off the handle or accusing her of anything because she knows that doing so is not gonna get any information that they need. She's sort of going along with it to try to coax out the story, which is what she should be doing. And Steele is just I get it. He's furious. He's ticked off. He knows that he's been used.

Eric: 1:15:45

I mean, he's basically being gaslit.

Sara: 1:15:48

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

Eric: 1:15:49

Continually. And and every time he thinks he's got a a little bit of a fleck of paint that's starting to peel off that he can he can start picking at to get to the picture underneath, somebody else comes along and and blindsides him again. And it's just like

Sara: 1:16:05

gotta be infuriating. Yeah. But he's he's really kinda sticking his own foot in his mouth because

Eric: 1:16:11

Yeah. He is. I mean but, I mean, you can you can kinda understand it. I it it would be like being accused of of something by the police. Yeah. That is just absolutely absurd and that you know that you didn't do. And every time you turn around, they're hitting you with something else. You're just gonna get to the point where you're fed up and you are going to explode and say, look.

Sara: 1:16:31

Yeah.

Eric: 1:16:31

This is obvious. You guys are obviously trying to frame me here.

Sara: 1:16:35

Well, in this particular accusation, I think, probably rankles him even more because, a, he's never been the kind of person to need to feel the to have the need to prove his masculinity. Mhmm. And, b, he knows for a fact he doesn't drink out of control. He doesn't go on binges the way she's accusing him of doing. So there's that element of that's not me. I would never do that. That's really, really made him like, I I don't believe I'd be

Eric: 1:17:06

fearless to There may be an element of of his professional pride having been Yeah. Absolutely. Because he's a con man. He doesn't fall for cons.

Sara: 1:17:19

No.

Eric: 1:17:19

And here, they're telling him he fell for a con.

Sara: 1:17:22

Yeah. They've built 1 around him.

Eric: 1:17:25

Yeah. So, anyway, Laura silences Steele, tells BJ to continue, and BJ says, well, there's not much to tell. They went to the Colony Park Club. Sinclair explains that there's always a card game in the backroom. Steele, a bit tipsy from the champagne, downed several more drinks in quick succession, then abandoned her, his host and client, in front of all her friends and entered a poker game, Laura surmises. And when it was over, dropped him off at the Rexford Palms Hotel. And she Sinclair lets out a disgusted snorting laugh and says she did no such thing. She was mortified by Steele's behavior, ordered her car immediately after Steele left her, and returned home. And Steele dismissively asks. So he was playing cards with her friends? No. Her friends wouldn't play cards with a man in his condition. Laura, somewhat disbelievingly, says it sounds like it was quite an evening, and Sinclair labels it a nightmare. Now if they will excuse her, she has a plane to catch.

Sara: 1:18:22

And she

Eric: 1:18:23

walks out, leaving them alone, looking on in disbelief.

Sara: 1:18:26

The only part of the story that would really cause question marks

Eric: 1:18:32

Mhmm.

Sara: 1:18:33

Which nobody seems to mention in this episode, is that places like the Colony Park Club, typically these upscale places, I don't think they would want a patron in their establishment that was that belligerently drunk. I would assume if you were that wasted and out of control that they would just gently kick you out.

Eric: 1:18:56

Certainly out front. But if they had a secret card room in the back where they were conducting illegal gambling sessions, back there, they might be a little more forgiving because a drunk person is a very, very Yeah. Easy Fair enough. But, yeah, you're right. If they got belligerent to some point, they would probably still throw them out. Anyway, back in the rabbit, Laura is shaking her head saying, she's very good. And Steele calls it a fabrication, every word. Laura points out that it's convincingly constructed to hold up in court. And if they're going to beat these people, it has to be as Ruben says, with proof. When Steele asks how they're gonna do that, Laura says they do it by following up this fabrication until they find a flaw. In other words, good old fashioned legwork.

Sara: 1:19:45

Yeah.

Eric: 1:19:48

Next, they pull up to the Colony Park Club. When Laura asks if it looks familiar, he responds, not in the slightest, to which Laura says, good. They get out. The parking attendant takes their car. And as they approach the front door, the doorman opens the door greeting Steele, telling them, welcome back.

Sara: 1:20:04

I'm very curious. If this was during business hours, how they managed to get their people planted in all the places they needed to have them planted. Because this doorman obviously doesn't work for the Colony Park Club.

Eric: 1:20:15

Right.

Sara: 1:20:16

And the maitre d' that they encounter when they walk in, same thing. So, I mean, did they have did they did they have these people apply to actually work there and have them work there briefly just for the con, or did they pay the did the guy pay the doorman$5 to disappear for, you know, a few minutes?

Eric: 1:20:36

Or maybe they know somebody higher up in the club, the manager, the general manager, somebody that is maybe a little bit on the shady side or on the bent side.

Sara: 1:20:48

Yeah. It could be. It could be.

Eric: 1:20:49

You know, they can they can get them to to go along. On the other hand, you know, if you dress the part and you act the part, people will assume that you are the part.

Sara: 1:20:59

True. That's true.

Eric: 1:21:01

I heard heard I think this was when I was younger, I heard something about somebody walking into, like, a grocery store where they had those little vending machines that you put in a 0.25 or a dime or nickel, whatever it was at the time, and you turn the little knob and you get candies or whatever out. Heard about somebody who walked in dressed in a kind of a uniform, the thing up and walked out. Nobody questioned it because it looked he looked like he was supposed to be doing it. He acted like he was supposed to be doing it. And

Sara: 1:21:34

That's ballsy.

Eric: 1:21:35

Turns out he wasn't supposed to be doing it.

Sara: 1:21:37

That's ballsy. Yeah.

Eric: 1:21:41

Anyway, Steele looks at the man expressionlessly and then responds giving him a side eye as he turns to enter. Inside the main club area, Steele observes that Cranston has cleverly left no un palm no no un palm no palm un buttered. The maitre d' approaches, hand out, greets Steele saying that it's good to see him again and who is the lovely lady this evening? And Laura introduces herself with thinly veiled displeasure. The maitre d'insincerely says that it's a pleasure, then asks Steele if he wants the usual, a Moscow mule iced in a pewter mug with a sprig of mint.

Sara: 1:22:18

This this should be where this all falls apart, frankly. Can you see him drinking anything out of a pewter mug? 1st of all, what is he at? The Renaissance Fair? And secondly, I looked up the recipe for a Moscow mule. It's a cocktail made with vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice garnished with a slice or wedge of lime and a sprig of mint. It's also sometimes called a vodka buck. It is popularly served in a copper mug, which takes on the cold temperature of the liquid. It I no. He's not a he's not a Moscow mule and a pure mug guy. He's he's he's a scotch or champagne guy. Mhmm. Like, those are the drinks that we've seen him. He doesn't he's not beer. He's not this is not his drink. No. But what a weird detail to include in the con.

Eric: 1:23:08

Yeah. Well, you know, sometimes it's the details that make it make it work, make it seem real.

Sara: 1:23:13

Fair enough. I kinda wanna try 1, though.

Eric: 1:23:15

It looks good. When the maitre d' asks Laura what she would like, she replies scotch. Then turning to give Steele a steely look, adds straight up. Clearly not looking good for Steele.

Sara: 1:23:26

Which apparently is not how you're supposed to drink it, and I didn't know this until scotch? Yeah. Am I supposed to drink

Eric: 1:23:32

it straight up?

Sara: 1:23:33

No. I I guess not. Because I went to when I was in university, I had this professor who I took every course he taught, even though he was 1 of the hardest markers in the whole university. And I but his lectures were always really fascinating, and and he did he taught all those sorts of history that I was really interested in. And he and a couple of other professors from the history department organized a scotch tasting. And they had people coming from Scotland and various other places that that are known for their scotch. And I went to the tasting because I was interested because they had, like, a little lecture ahead of time about all the snobby scotch stuff, like, that you learn about, single malts and whatever else. And they basically said that the the quote unquote proper way to drink it is with ice. Because if you drink it straight up, and you can, it's not like you're gonna be arrested for drinking it straight up. A lot people hope you think never that knew. A lot of people think that straight up means I'm tough. I'm tough because I'm drinking straight scotch. Look at me. I'm tough. But in actuality, in order to bring out the flavors and not just burn your throat on the way down, ice is how you're supposed to drink it. Because if you just drink if you just swig it back, yeah, it'll taste there's if you like the flavor, you're gonna taste some of that, but you're also gonna like I said, it's gonna taste like burning as it goes down. Whereas, if you put a couple of ice cubes in there and you give it some time, the ice melts into it and it sort of brings out the flavor and lessens some of that painful burning sensation. So yeah. If anybody cares, that's what I was told. If I'm wrong, somebody could feel free to correct me, but that's what the the guy giving the talk said. So

Eric: 1:25:11

I also understand penicillin can help with that burning sensation.

Sara: 1:25:14

Very funny.

Eric: 1:25:17

Well, they follow the man to the table, and in a low tone, Steele reminds Laura to look for the flaw because she's obviously starting to looking get a bad. Slow burn going.

Sara: 1:25:28

It doesn't look good. There's just so much stacking up against him here.

Eric: 1:25:32

Yes. Well, then it gets worse. A brunette rushes up, throws her arms around him, breathlessly calls him by his name. And instinctively, his arms go around to complete the hug and maybe perhaps as much to keep his balances, you know, from when she threw herself at him.

Sara: 1:25:47

Literally threw herself at him.

Eric: 1:25:49

And he releases the hug, steps back, disappointing her, she says, well, don't you remember me? Steele frowns at her suspiciously. Dolores, your good luck charm. Then she tells Laura, he was so cute. He had me blow on his cards before every deal. And Laura gives Dolores a fake smile and says, what a guy. He grabs the woman's hand, raises it to display the bracelet on her wrist. The woman grins, bragging that Remy gave it to her as a tip. Angrily, Steele grabs the woman's arm, jerks the bracelet off her wrists, and, of course, the woman is shocked, but Steele has turned and left. Laura smiles maliciously at the woman telling her, in retrospect, I don't think he was that pleased with

Sara: 1:26:32

the service. I have to wonder. ID bracelets, they're not really a a thing anymore. And I kinda wonder when they went out of fashion and why. Because I don't I've seen them in older movies and films. Mhmm. And actually, there's there's well, you've I don't know if you've gotten to that episode yet, but there's a Buffy episode where they track down a missing girl by an ID bracelet. It would be reptile boys from a prep school. But, yeah, I don't think they I don't know. I don't know anybody that's that's ever had 1. Or

Eric: 1:27:11

yeah. But is it really an ID bracelet? It it looks

Sara: 1:27:16

They call it it's it's referred to as as an identification bracelet later. It's

Eric: 1:27:21

Okay.

Sara: 1:27:22

Which is because I didn't know at 1st. I just wrote a gold bracelet, and then later on, they call it his ID bracelet.

Eric: 1:27:27

Yeah. No. I the thing is that doesn't really look like a masculine bracelet when when you look at it. It looks more almost feminine to me.

Sara: 1:27:39

But Well, but and I'm gonna say that Steele often some of the stuff that he wears isn't necessarily the most masculine, but that was kind of a trend in the eighties that they were veering away from well, it was weird because you'd have hyper masculine action heroes like Arnold Schwarzenegger, and then you'd have care actors that were considered heartthrobs that were slightly more effeminate like Matthew Broderick or even Tom Cruise that were more on the pretty side. So this I could see him wearing, but I just Googled when did ID bracelets go out of style, and the picture that it shows does look like the bracelet he was wearing.

Eric: 1:28:17

Okay.

Sara: 1:28:18

But, yeah, basically, it says here that ID bracelets particularly for fashion went out of widespread mainstream popularity in the late seventies and early eighties. Though they continued as a symbol of support for POWs. Oh, I didn't Oh, okay. And for safetymedical reasons. The civilian trend from the seventies inspired by military POW slash MIA bracelets faded from general fashion by the eighties, but other forms of ID bracelets such as those for safety or medical alerts remain in use today. I didn't know that's why they were started originally. So

Eric: 1:28:47

Well, it was, I I do remember that they were popular. They would wear them, you know, as kind of a memorial to a dead or a missing soldier. Yeah.

Sara: 1:29:00

Yeah. But it was mainly in men's fashion, which is interesting. Well, I guess it makes sense if they're using it as a tribute to soldiers and and whatnot, and women were really in combat at that point. So, anyway, that was just a random thought that I had when they mentioned the IV bracelet. Yeah.

Eric: 1:29:14

Anyway, after after the exchange, Laura hits the woman's arm with her purse and then follows Steele out. Next, we see them stepping out of elevators. Laura and Steele stride toward the office and Steele is clearly angry to the point of being on the edge of his control and sensing this. Laura says, I see calm, mister Steele. Remember? But he's apparently not in the mood. He says, Laura, there's a time to be calm, and then there's a time to be totally unreasonable.

Sara: 1:29:40

I agree.

Eric: 1:29:41

Now is the time to be totally unreasonable.

Sara: 1:29:43

I don't know. I I kind of I mean, I don't agree that now is the time for him to be totally unreasonable. I sort of I I'm still with Laura in the sense that if they play along, they're gonna find out more information. But I do think that there is a time to be calm and a time to lose your crap. And sometimes, you don't always know when that time is, but okay.

Eric: 1:30:03

Anyway, they Laura points out that thus far, haven't been able to disprove even a single aspect of Cranston's story, and so they can't afford to get fired from their own agency.

Sara: 1:30:13

Yeah.

Eric: 1:30:13

And their only chances, as you say, to stay close and see what his game is. At the door, they stop. The lettering on the door now reads Remington Steele Investigations, a division of Cranston Industries.

Sara: 1:30:26

Yeah.

Eric: 1:30:26

And the woman at the reception desk visible through the glass doors isn't Mildred.

Sara: 1:30:32

Not Mildred.

Eric: 1:30:33

And sensing that Laura is about ready to join Steele on the totally unreasonable side of the equation, Steele mirrors her her earlier comment back to her. I see calm, miss Holt. I see calm. Yep. They entered, and the big haired blonde at the desk filing her nails asks if she can help them. Steele asks who she is.

Sara: 1:30:53

I know you I know your love for sweaters, but I I think you're gonna

Eric: 1:30:55

agree with me

Sara: 1:30:56

on this 1. This one's hideous. Oh, yes. I don't know whether you brush it or take a weed whacker to it. How

Eric: 1:31:02

I think you put it on a leash and walk it.

Sara: 1:31:06

It's awful. It is. Who would look at that in a store and say, I think I'm gonna buy that. That looks

Eric: 1:31:13

I I do seem to I do seem to recall them on TV a lot.

Sara: 1:31:18

Oh, they're it's so it's so fluffy. Like, I would I would be the kind of person that if I was sitting behind somebody in a classroom and they had that sweater on, I'd be braiding it. They wouldn't know. I just have little braids all through their sweater. Anyway, sorry. I just had to had to comment on it.

Eric: 1:31:35

Anyway, Steele asks who she is and miss Rebello, the new receptionist. Where's Mildred? Laura asks. Cranston walks out in time to overhear the question, and he answers. Krebs, just candor. Steele temperature temperature and temper rising again says, you what? Cranston smiles and answers as if it should be obvious. Come on, guys. We're in the image business. Nobody wants to see an old bad lax banning the phones. And this pushes Laura over the edge. She lunges at Cranston trying to choke him, and she's yelling, animal, I'll kill you.

Sara: 1:32:10

Icy calm out the window. Gone. And I kind of wonder if this was a little wink to the fact that initially, they wanted to have an attractive woman as the secretary. And Doris Roberts was like, no, you're gonna you're gonna let me audition. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do this. But, yeah, Laura just loses. She loses it, and I love it. Because all up until this point, she's she's been rational. She's been focused. She's been like, I gotta figure this out. This is my agency on the line. But they hurt Mildred. He insulted Mildred, and you don't insult Mildred. That's not happening.

Eric: 1:32:49

Well, Steele grabs Laura, trying to pull her off Cranston. And then as you said, hollering, Icy come, Laura. Icy come at her. And of course, miss Jell O. I mean, what's her name? Rubello?

Sara: 1:33:03

Yeah. J e l l o? Yeah.

Eric: 1:33:07

Yeah. Comes around the desk trying to pull Laura's hands off of Cranston. And in the midst of all this, Mildred comes out of 1 of the offices carrying a flat box with a few small items and a potted plant.

Sara: 1:33:18

She looks so so

Eric: 1:33:19

Grim look on her face, tears beginning to form in her eyes. She walks out of the office distraught, and Laura, also distraught, follows, calling out to her. Holding a stroke, Cranston notes she's a passionate woman, referring to Laura. And he looks at miss Jell O and tells her to take a memo. She's fired.

Sara: 1:33:39

And I would like to point out that throughout this next part of the conversation, miss Jell O has not written a single thing down because she's probably trying to remember how to write her name. She picks up a pad and stares at it like, now what do I do?

Eric: 1:33:54

What what is this for? Well, straining this tie after the altercation, Steele looks at Cranston and says, not a bright idea, Harry. And how's that? Cranston inquires. Well, Steele points out that short-tempered though she may be, she is a valuable asset, part of the corporate worth, and he wouldn't wanna just throw that away, would he? Now Cranston backtracks saying, okay, she gets a 2nd chance, but that Steele has to talk to her. He grabs Steele's shoulder and says, he's glad to see that Steele's getting back into the swing of things. Steele grins a sly grin telling Harry Cranston that they're going to get to know each other really well.

Sara: 1:34:32

He

Eric: 1:34:32

guarantees it. And as they're doing this, Steele reaches over to Pat Cranston on the back and pulls out an envelope from Cranston's jacket pocket then holds it down to his side out of sight. Well, Cranston's satisfied, tells miss Jello to grab her pad and follow him in for some dictation. So

Sara: 1:34:54

Yeah. And

Eric: 1:34:55

as they exit the reception area, Steele reads the address on the envelope, Harry Cranston, 6117 Highfield Drive, Los Angeles, California 90019, which isn't an actual address as far as I could find. Anyway Interesting. Out in the hall, Laura is attempting to reassure Mildred that it's all just a temporary situation. It's all just a scam and that mister Steele is innocent of everything that Cranston and his crew are claiming, and they're going to prove it. But Mildred isn't so certain. And just then, Ruben comes up. Laura asks if there's been any any progress on the legal front. Ruben says, well, maybe. He has to file some papers with a judge downtown, but what he really needs is for either her or mister Steele to help prepare the documents beforehand.

Sara: 1:35:43

Have to think this is probably just busy work that he's using to distract them because what paperwork

Eric: 1:35:49

motions to make it look like he's doing something. Yeah.

Sara: 1:35:51

Yeah.

Eric: 1:35:52

Steele, who has also joined, comments about the interesting location for me. Mildred, who has shown a clear dislike for Ruben, nods her head toward him, explaining to Steele that Melvin Belli here is having a little trouble with his paperwork.

Sara: 1:36:05

I didn't get that reference.

Eric: 1:36:07

I I figured that there were gonna be some listeners

Sara: 1:36:09

Okay.

Eric: 1:36:10

That didn't, so I I have an answer for you. Melvin Belli was an American lawyer and writer known as the king of torts and by insurance companies as Melvin Bellicose.

Sara: 1:36:23

That makes sense.

Eric: 1:36:24

He had many celebrity clients, including Aziza Gabor, Errol Flynn, Chuck Berry, Muhammad Ali, the Rolling Stones, Jim Baker, Tammy Faye Baker, Martha Mitchell, Maureen Connelly, Lana Turner, Tony Curtis, Mae West. Wow. During his legal career, he won over $600,000,000 in damages for his clients and was also the attorney for Jack Ruby who shot Lee Harvey Oswald days after the assassination of John f Kennedy. He was instrumental in setting up some of the foundations of modern consumer rights laws In Escola versus Coca Cola Bottling, 1944, where a restaurant waitress from Merced, California was injured by an exploding Coca Cola bottle, Coke is not safe for you kids, don't drink it, Belli argued that all products have an implied warranty, that is to be foreseen that products will be used by a long chain of people and not just the direct recipient from the manufactured product, and that the neglect by a defendant need not be proven if the defendant's product is defective. Thus was born the doctrine of strict liability in product defense causes of action. After winning a court case, Bellay would raise a Jolly Roger flag over his office building in the Barbary Coast District Of San Francisco, which Belli claimed was a Goldrush era brothel. And he would fire a cannon mounted on his roof to announce the victory and impending party.

Sara: 1:37:47

That's funny because I remember that being in Mary Poppins. I wonder if that was a reference.

Eric: 1:37:52

Could have been. BellEye's firm filed for bankruptcy protection in December 1995. BellEye had been representing 800 women in a class action lawsuit against breast implant manufacturer Dow Corning. Despite several medical studies by the likes of the Mayo Clinic, which showed no increased risk of connective tissue disease and other disorders that were studied in women with silicone breast implants, and the American College of Rheumatology, which reported that the evidence was compelling that implants did not cause systemic diseases, Belli won the lawsuit. But when Dow Corning declared bankruptcy, Belli had no way to recover the 5,000,000 his firm had advanced to doctors and expert witnesses. Humorously, on the personal side, Belli was married 6 times and divorced 5. His marriage to his 5th wife, the former Leah Georgia Triff, ended with a scandalous and acrimonious divorce proceeding in 1991. Belli accused his ex wife of having an affair with archbishop Desmond Tutu Holy. And of throwing 1 of his dogs off the Golden Gate Bridge. Was fined 1000 dollars for repeatedly calling her El Trampo. At 1 point, Bella was ejected from the courtroom after accusing the judge of sleeping with his former wife's lawyer. Wow.

Sara: 1:39:09

Wow. Okay. That's definitely not Ruben.

Eric: 1:39:14

He he he was he was a personality.

Sara: 1:39:17

Sounds like a character. Yeah. I know I've never heard of that name before, so I'm gonna have to look.

Eric: 1:39:22

He appeared in Star Trek, the original series as Gorgon in in and the children shall lead. Little tribute bit there. Laura tells Steele that she has got to go through Ruben for an hour or so. Steele informs her that while she was busy being icy calm, he got a lead on Cranston, an address he says as he holds up the envelope for her to see. Laura nods, but says 1st things 1st, and she'll call when she's done. And Laura begins to re lead Ruben away. Steele seems to wanna stop her, but it's too late. Hopefully, Mildred says she's free. Steele hesitates. Then with a slight resignation says, yeah. It's his lucky day. Then he puts his arm around Mildred as they head out as well. And my question is, why does Steele seem so excited about having Mildred help him? I mean, it's unfair of him because Mildred has proven herself to be a decent investigator and all around asset to the company. I mean, even as recently as Steele Blushing, where he even called her resourceful for keeping Veenhoft from falling into the clutches of the bad guys.

Sara: 1:40:24

I only saw I I didn't see the the him putting his arm around her as yeah. The hesitation part, yes. But I when he laughed and said it's my lucky day, that to me felt warm and reassuring that he was at least grateful that Mildred was on his side. The hesitation, I think, yeah, because he wanted Laura there, but I don't know. I didn't get that vibe from from the him putting his arm around her. I I got I got it more as him trying to be kind to Mildred because he knows how upset she is. And and, yeah.

Eric: 1:40:56

To me, it came off as if he was saying, you're the 2nd 2nd place winner. You know? You're not you're not the you're not the grand prize. You're you're the runner-up. I guess part of it could be that she doesn't have Laura's physical appeal. You know?

Sara: 1:41:13

I mean Yeah. That could be.

Eric: 1:41:14

But when you're investigating a fraud, that seems to me like that should be a secondary consideration, you know, or as I have here, unless your mini me is doing all your thinking. So, yeah, I just to me, it hurt his attitude was, okay. Fine. Come on. Maybe I'm wrong.

Sara: 1:41:31

I don't know. I'm wondering how other people saw it because I saw it as as like I said, he hesitated at 1st and then he was protective of Mildred in it. It just seemed it seemed sweet. I didn't get that vibe.

Eric: 1:41:42

Yeah. So I just the also the tone of voice that he used when he said, it's my lucky day. It seemed a little bit yeah. Anyway, well, next this night, Steele and Mildred have staked out Cranston's apartment building.

Sara: 1:41:56

And Mildred has crime clothes. She's got her crime clothes on.

Eric: 1:42:00

Well, yeah. I mean, she's been there long enough. She probably went out and bought her own even if the agency didn't buy them.

Sara: 1:42:06

Yeah. She they they they probably did a shopping excursion. You know, I I could just see Laura and and Mildred doing a shopping excursion. Mildred, if you're gonna work here, you need to have some crime clothes. Okay? We're we're gonna go out and I'm gonna tell you what you need to buy and where you need to buy. Yeah. Anyway.

Eric: 1:42:25

Well, Cranston and Ms. Jello come out arm in arm. They approach the limo where the friend of the day is waiting, smiling, door open for them to enter. And unfortunately, since Harry of Harry's Hardware is no longer the Fred of the day, none of the subsequent Freds of the day have been credited in show the credits anywhere that I can find. But we can clearly see this Fred of the day's face, and he looks familiar to me, but I just can't place him. If anybody recognizes him, post in

Sara: 1:42:57

the group. Seen Have this Fred? Do you know this Fred? That's right.

Eric: 1:43:02

His picture was on the back of a milk carton. Yeah. Anyway, after Cranston and Jell O get in the car, they drive off and Steele tells Mildred to remind him to talk to Fred about the distinction between being a good soldier and an outright toady. Next, we see Steele and Mildred entering Cranston's apartment. Mildred observes that it's nice, but a bit impersonal. And Steele explains that that is the trademark of a professional con man. No signpost leading to your past.

Sara: 1:43:28

Even his own apartment Mhmm. Still kinda has that element of it. The only thing that's really personalized are his posters. Yeah. Really. That the rest of it looks as generic as it gets. Mhmm. Whereas Laura's loft looks it's filled with personality. It's clearly her space. Mhmm. So, yeah, it's kinda interesting that he still has that tendency.

Eric: 1:43:50

Well, Mildred, the the the comment doesn't pass Mildred unnoticed. She Yeah. Flashes her flashlight in his face and smirks. Well, I guess you should know. Yeah. Steele pauses, giving her a look, then continues to move through the apartment. They come to a desk. Steele turns on the lamp, which seems a risky thing to do.

Sara: 1:44:09

I thought that too, especially since they have, like, flashlights.

Eric: 1:44:14

Comment here. I think it's a little mix of both, but leaning more towards being glad to have Mildred. He's always shown such respect for her. Yeah. But I mean, there have been times in the past where she's obviously been felt made to feel like the 2nd place runner-up, you know, but I could be wrong. It has happened once before, I think.

Sara: 1:44:41

A note. Anyway,

Eric: 1:44:45

Steele turns on the lamp and then begins looking through the drawers. Mildred comments that there's not even a monogrammed handkerchief. Steele bends down beneath the desk and finds a passport taped to the underside with the name of Roy Purcell showing. As he crawls underneath to examine it closer, Mildred also kneels down to observe. Steele comments that Cranston's clever, but he's not perfect. He removes the passport from the underside, but it's not just 1. It's 3.

Sara: 1:45:11

He's got 3.

Eric: 1:45:12

In the name of Albert Nims, Australia, Roy Purcell, England, and Victor Beletsky, Sweden. Impulsively, Mildred explains, holy cow. He's another you. Steele gives her a look, and then she amends her statement to, well, kind of a former you. And with only slight humor, Steele asks why he's got the feeling that she's not entirely behind him on this 1.

Sara: 1:45:34

It must be hard for Mildred to see now, especially with this con that is being Mhmm. Perpetuated against him, to see the harm that his former occupation can cause and to think of how he would cause that he used to cause that harm. Now, granted, we know that in his case, they typically found marks that kinda deserved it or that were so wealthy, it probably wouldn't go unnoticed or it wouldn't destroy them. But

Eric: 1:46:09

Well, you know, the thing is though that most of the cons that we have heard of that he has done as an adult, once you get past the Kilkenny kid

Sara: 1:46:21

Yeah.

Eric: 1:46:21

And even that 1 was really not so much that 1 wasn't necessarily a malicious con designed to hurt people. That was just designed to take advantage of suckers who thought they were more than they were. But most of his other cons after that or most of his criminal activity past that was actually recovery in a sense.

Sara: 1:46:45

Yeah. Yeah.

Eric: 1:46:45

I mean, he he he was hunting down the

Sara: 1:46:51

The Marchesa collection, I think, was 1

Eric: 1:46:53

of them.

Sara: 1:46:54

The 5 beads of Cairo, the stones.

Eric: 1:46:56

The stones at the beginning, the royal alveoli. I mean, everything that we know of specifically or most everything we know of specifically, it was these have been stolen from somebody, and so I'm stealing them back.

Sara: 1:47:11

Yeah. Well, we also know that that he and Daniel had initially planned that blue blooded con together.

Eric: 1:47:17

Mhmm. Right.

Sara: 1:47:17

So that he was gonna pass himself off as the heir. Right. And we know that the types of cons that Daniel would pull would have a target, would have a victim, but they were typically people that were not very nice people like Hoskins, who was conning people himself. Or Mhmm. In the case of the the miners and Steele searching, they were just being he Daniel was just using them to get to the jewels that he wanted to take from the And let's face it, the earl of Cleridge is not gonna miss some jewels being taken from his I'm not saying go out and loot people's mansions, but I'm saying that even Daniel who who did typically target have a target in his cons would pick people that were either terrible people themselves or so wealthy that

Eric: 1:48:04

It it wasn't going to impact their lives.

Sara: 1:48:06

Yeah. Whereas this con is impacting not just Steele's life, but Laura's life, Mildred's life, because she's now out of a job. Mhmm. And she might not necessarily know the distinction because she doesn't know maybe as much about the stuff that he used to do, only what they've kinda told her, and she's seeing the impact that this can have. And she

Eric: 1:48:29

she's having trouble reconciling what she thought he was with what she's learned that he

Sara: 1:48:34

was. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Which is I I think this is good. I like the fact that they're continuing this with Mildred, keeping the like, scales further falling from her eyes so that she sees him as who he is flaws and all because your heroes almost always have feet of clay. You can't idolize somebody. It's never ever gonna they're never gonna live up to it. Never. And

Eric: 1:49:01

Yeah. Yeah. So Anyway, as after Steele comments that he's not that he's got the feeling that Mildred isn't entirely behind him on this, she tries to reassure him that she is, but Steele suggests that maybe it's only so that she can be ready to push him over the And next Mildred seems to think that this is time for some tough love and she speaks her mind. She tells Steele that she's seen the kind of trouble he's put Laura through and he's watched her defend him when 99 out of a 100 women wouldn't. And Mildred hopes that he's worth it. Yeah. Still doesn't take any exception to her concerns. He simply affirms them saying he hopes he's worth it too.

Sara: 1:49:41

I like this moment because it not only gives Mildred that the chance to, like you said, give him some tough love and point out that Laura's sticking with him as much as she has every reason not to, she is. Mhmm. And still allowing Mildred to see some of that vulnerability because he never really let her see that before. He was too busy being the boss that could do no wrong. Or even if he did try to let her see it, she wasn't willing to because she still thought of him as the boss that could do no wrong. So here is this moment where he allows himself to be human and says, yeah, I kinda hope I'm worth it too. Because I think in the back of his mind, no matter how much he does, no matter how hard he tries, no matter how long he stays and this has nothing to do with Laura. I think for him, because he grew up as as quote unquote nothing on the streets. No family, no people love him, nobody tell to tell him he was worthy in the most formative parts of his life where you need that presence of an adult telling you you're you're important, you matter. He didn't have that until he met Daniel. And so

Eric: 1:50:39

And even with Daniel

Sara: 1:50:41

Yeah.

Eric: 1:50:41

It was it was more about in some ways, he would Steele might have even gotten the impression that Daniel was kinda using him as part of his cons and that even though eventually their relationship grew to be close, at least initially, he might've viewed it as I'm just another, you know, another tool in his toolbox. And when I stop, you know, being of any use to him, he's gonna cut me loose too.

Sara: 1:51:10

Yeah. So for Steele, that might be how he feels sometimes with Laura, that the minute he's no longer of use or that he becomes a liability Mhmm. He's not worth fighting for. So Yeah. It's nice to have that voice even if it's not to Laura.

Eric: 1:51:25

There's no ROI there. ROI. Return on investment. It's a business term.

Sara: 1:51:32

Yeah.

Eric: 1:51:32

Yeah. Anyway, back at the Century Towers, it's after hours. Steele is skulking back to the office.

Sara: 1:51:39

Why did he go back here? This is what kills me. This part of the episode, I'm like, dude, you go find Laura. Go find her and tell her what you found because this this looks terrible. When he's found here, it looks looks really bad.

Eric: 1:51:53

The only thing I can think of is that he's trying to sneak into the office after hours to find something that Cranston left laying around that he can use.

Sara: 1:52:01

Yeah. I I have no doubt, but he should've gone to Laura and shown her the passports and said, hey. Mhmm. We got something. Come back to the office with me. Let's find something on him. Because if she'd been with him Yeah. It might have looked less I I still think he would have been arrested, but it might have caused her to believe in him a little bit more because she had I think this is where that doubt starts to really creep in is where he's caught. Yeah.

Eric: 1:52:28

Quote, unquote redhead. It might have made the the police a little more willing to look beyond the obvious. Yeah. Anyway, so he's skulking back to the office. He's not only wearing dark clothes, but dark gloves as well. So clearly he's not there for routine business. Arrives at the door, he's reached into his pocket and pulled out a door key, I guess, or maybe a lockpick, but is surprised that the door, which recently read Remington Steele Investigations, a division of Cranston Industries, has been returned to its original markings with the division of Cranston Industries removed. Steele eyes the door nervously, glances around, and kneels down to unlock the door, I guess. But as he puts a slight pressure on the door, it opens. And, he glances around suspiciously. Yeah. You probably ought to be suspicious at this point.

Sara: 1:53:19

This is the yeah. This is the part that should make you say, hey. Something's not right here. Something's very, very, very wrong.

Eric: 1:53:26

Very, very, very wrong. He slowly pushes the door open to walk inside, and then inside, everything is as it should be. It's been returned to normal, including Mildred's nameplate restored on the original desk.

Sara: 1:53:41

I wanna know the name of that moving company because they are good. Like, I if I ever move, I hope there's a branch in Canada because they got everything out and back in record time.

Eric: 1:53:55

Go to Cranston Industries website and they probably have a list of all their businesses that they own because it's probably what yeah. Yeah. Anyway, Steele moves slowly and cautiously toward his office, the door of which is standing open. Probably ought to be suspicious about that too.

Sara: 1:54:11

Dude, giant red flag.

Eric: 1:54:15

He moves inside the office only to discover a rectangular opening has been cut into the floor with chunks of plywood between the hole and his desk and sawdust from the cuttings around the hole. He pierced through the hole into an office below with a desk immediately beneath the hole. It's dark, but from the light in Steele's office shining down, it reveals a desk littered with more chunks of plywood and sawdust, several pieces of what looked like Styrofoam insulation on the floor next to the desk, and documents and a file folder on the side of the desk. Steele decides to investigate. So he drops down through the hole onto a desk in the dark office below. And as he's climbing off the desk, a shout rips from the dark. Freeze. 2 men step out from the dark. 1, a uniformed officer and 1, a plainclothes detective ordering no sudden moves. Then adding, you have the right to remain silent. If you give up the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will, and Steele interrupts telling them that they're making a big mistake. Then a familiar malicious laugh is heard. The lights go on.

Sara: 1:55:21

It's a cackle. Let's be clear. It's a cackle. That man has the James Tolkien. I adore this actor because every single movie he's in, he plays the same guy, and it's always these odious little a holes. Weables. Yeah. Exactly.

Eric: 1:55:40

Well, the lights go on to reveal Norman Keyes. Steele calls out Keyes' name in a sort of accusatory tone, and Keyes continues to laugh as he says, I'm touched you remember, Steele. Vigilance insurance. Steele insists that Keyes explain to the officers, but Keyes won't let Steele finish.

Sara: 1:55:58

Trying to shock that Steele thinks that Keyes is in any way going to to validate him being there. Did he was he paying attention at all in Vegas? Well,

Eric: 1:56:12

apparently, he has enough faith in human nature that I'm not

Sara: 1:56:17

sure if he's a human, though.

Eric: 1:56:19

Well, granted. But, I mean, Steel's giving him the benefit of that doubt too. Yeah. Anyway, Steele Keys doesn't let Steele finish, tauntingly asking if he should explain to the police that Steele didn't know his office was sitting on top of $6,000,000 in on set diamonds.

Sara: 1:56:37

I'm Wow. Okay. 1st of all, that is kind of unbelievable that Steele didn't know that. But secondly, is it common to have a diamond exchange in an office like that in a in a

Eric: 1:56:49

I don't know.

Sara: 1:56:49

Looks to be a commercial office? I would think something as security heavy as a diamond exchange would be, a, its own building, and, b, have armed guards sort of around the clock because

Eric: 1:57:01

Well, you know, I can see it being in a building like this because, generally, the building is not accessible after hours. Or if it is, access is very controlled. They could put all kinds of security in their office suites. That's not, I wouldn't think, something that would be prohibited by the property owner.

Sara: 1:57:25

Fair enough.

Eric: 1:57:26

I could see is it the best choice? Probably not. But I mean, I I could see it it working.

Sara: 1:57:30

Was a little surprising that he slipped to the point of not knowing that the diamond exchange is right below him.

Eric: 1:57:35

Yeah. Well, that's true too.

Sara: 1:57:37

Yeah.

Eric: 1:57:37

Well, where it gets even more unbelievable is Keyes steps over to the safe door, swinging it partially closed to reveal that the lock has been torched. Okay. At this point, Keyes has demonstrated that he's either a total moron or that he knows Steele was set up, and he's okay with that because it gives him a chance for revenge. I mean, the safe has already been breached. The diamonds have been stolen. Why would

Sara: 1:57:58

Steele back.

Eric: 1:57:59

Or any thief for that matter come back? Exactly.

Sara: 1:58:02

Why would they be why would they be sitting there waiting for them in the dark? Like Yeah. I understand having I understand having police on scene to look for clues and stuff. But if it's after hours, unless they expect somebody to show up for some reason, you wouldn't have a host of cops waiting plus keys just sitting around in the did it yeah. That one's a weird 1. Yeah.

Eric: 1:58:28

And yeah. And the other thing is that if Steele wanted to set up a scenario where he could claim to have found the hole in his office from to the office below, he as as you kinda mentioned earlier, he would have waited until morning or he would have brought a witness with him then to be a witness to him discovering the hole.

Sara: 1:58:47

Exactly.

Eric: 1:58:48

Yeah. You know? Because what is it? The person who finds the body is is likely the best suspect or something

Sara: 1:58:56

Exactly. Like

Eric: 1:58:57

Anyway, angrily, Steele tries to demand Keyes listen. But Keyes, who is enjoying Steele's predicament too much to listen to anything that doesn't confirm his belief that Steele needs to be destroyed at any cost, including the cost of Keys' own integrity. He tells Steele that there will be plenty hanging by

Sara: 1:59:14

a thread to begin with.

Eric: 1:59:18

He tells Steele that there will be plenty of time for chat later, but right now, these gentlemen, referring to the police officers, would like a word with him 1st. And as the officers take Steele away, Keyes lights his cigar and laughs an evil laugh.

Sara: 1:59:31

He's just so loathsome. You just hate him so much that Mhmm. It just it's perfect. It's it's great.

Eric: 1:59:41

At the police station, the detectives and Keyes are questioning Steele. We pick up the interrogation midway through with a detective asking Steele if he really wants all this on the record. Absolutely, he says. Detective, you say this woman Dolores was wearing your ID bracelet, but you've never set foot in the club before and you have no idea how she got it. Steele, correct. I assume someone took it off me after I'd been drugged. Keys, was that before or after the 6 Pakistanis with group whiplash? Steele. After. I mean, before. Someone took it off me before the Pakistanis, but I didn't discover it was missing until after.

Sara: 2:00:17

I mean, to be fair to the cops here, this sounds like the most outlandish and ridiculous story that they're expecting them to swallow with 0 proof at all whatsoever that Steele is telling the truth. Like, I I commend this is a this is a good con in the sense that Steele sounds insane.

Eric: 2:00:37

Yes. He does. Yeah. Well, a uniformed officer enters, hands the detective a file folder then leaves. Keys, come on Steele, it's a great story, but we're all a little tired of hearing about poker games and office redecorations. Where are the goodies? Steele groans. Keys, I'll tell you what I can do for you. Steele. If you really want your bloody diamonds keys, you really should be looking for Harry Cranston and BJ Sinclair or whoever they really are. Detective. Steele, I might have some rather amusing reading here for you based on the reports of my men. There's no waitress named Dolores at the Colony Park Club. The doorman doesn't know you. The waiters don't know you. The Rexford Palms Hotel has no record of you ever having stayed there. BJ Sinclair says she's never met you. And the condominium address you gave us for Harry Cranston is vacant, and we can find no trace of a receptionist named Debbie Rebello. Angry and frustrated, the detectives tell Steele that he's gonna give him the rest of the night to think the situation over, and then he's gonna get mean.

Sara: 2:01:42

I think they missed an opportunity, and possibly he wasn't available, but I would have loved to have seen Jarvis in this scene. Yeah. I I I I think it would have just been really funny to see this 3rd time that Steele crosses Jarvis's path. And once again, it looks like he's up to something. And just I don't know. I I I'm assuming that it was either they just didn't think to include him or they did and he was not available, but it would have been fun.

Eric: 2:02:11

It would have been funny. Yes. Well, Steele, who's undoubtedly as frustrated, at least as frustrated as the detective and probably as much frustrated by the detective, tells tells the detective that it really should be obvious to him that it's a scam, suggesting that the detective really should see north by north west.

Sara: 2:02:31

Yeah. It's completely obvious that everything he's like, Which, again, if it were if it were Jarvis, he could have appealed to, like, look, you've you've you know that I'm not you've been you've dealt with us before. Okay? This is and Jarvis could be like, I know, but Steele, you're really now asking me to take a lot on faith here. I mean, Pakistanis with group whiplash. Come on.

Eric: 2:02:57

I mean, that is that is totally unbelievable. But, anyway, the door to the interrogation room opens and Ruben comes stumbling in much to Steele's tentative relief. But he's still frustrated enough to chastise Ruben asking where he's been while Steele's been getting the 3rd degree. Never mind, he says, just give them the promissory note. And Ruben breathlessly apologizes saying, that's why he was late. His office was broken into and the note was stolen. Keyes bursts out laughing. The detective and the stenographer get up and leave. Yeah. Keys tells Steele that he's a real prize and that Steele almost had Keys fooled.

Sara: 2:03:39

Then

Eric: 2:03:40

he almost stumbles onto the truth when he asks Steele why he'd come back. Yeah. The safe was peeled. The stuff was gone. Was he afraid he'd left some clue behind? But he veers off course suggesting that if Steele had come back because it was a matter of him being concerned that he'd left something behind, he shouldn't have bothered because once the police had been alerted and Keyes had been alerted and he saw whose office was above the safe, he knew who pulled the job. But, of course, Keyes is too blinded by his sense of superiority, his outrage, and his lust for revenge to see the flaws in his thinking Yeah. Or to care about them.

Sara: 2:04:12

This is this is 1 of those Steele has already put 1 over on Keyes, and that's enough for Keyes to ignore any evidence to the contrary because he just wants to get Steele back.

Eric: 2:04:24

Yep. Any evidence that proves Steele innocent isn't evidence.

Sara: 2:04:30

Or even questions it. Because, again, he even says, why'd you come back? You'd you'd already gotten the the safe was broken into. Everything was like, that should be something that is raising red flags for everybody in this scene, regardless of the evidence that's piled up against him. And yet, they don't seem to think it's a big deal. Mean, if I stole $6,000,000 worth of diamonds, I'm not going back to the crime scene. I'm on a plane somewhere where there's no extradition laws. Like

Eric: 2:04:55

But but see, they have an ultimate goal in mind, and they're not gonna let a little thing like facts get in their way.

Sara: 2:05:04

Logic. Yeah.

Eric: 2:05:05

Anyway, with barely controlled anger, Steele tells Keyes that he's gonna enjoy rubbing the man's nose in this someday. Keyes, of course, doesn't take Steele seriously, saying his nose has a sense of its own when it comes to knowing who's a crook and who isn't. And when it 1st picked up Steele's scent, he knew. He insists that Steele is no private detective, and he's gonna prove it. Steele warns Keyes that he's wasting his time. But, again, Keyes isn't buying, insisting that he's gonna find the diamonds and then tell a little story about a guy who stole them, a guy with 5 passports and a Mysterioso past. And then it will be goodbye, Remington Steele. Hello, Leavenworth.

Sara: 2:05:44

Leavenworth So is a prison in The US. Correct?

Eric: 2:05:48

Yes.

Sara: 2:05:50

Isn't it like it's not in LA from what I understand.

Eric: 2:05:55

Right? Kansas.

Sara: 2:05:56

So why would he go to

Eric: 2:05:57

a prison

Sara: 2:05:57

in Kansas?

Eric: 2:05:58

It's a federal prison. It's high security federal prison.

Sara: 2:06:01

Are there no federal prisons in LA?

Eric: 2:06:03

Leavenworth has a reputation.

Sara: 2:06:05

Okay.

Eric: 2:06:05

And so even if he doesn't wind up in Leavenworth, the implication by naming Leavenworth is that he's going away to a high security prison where life will be 10 times more miserable than it would be anywhere else.

Sara: 2:06:19

Okay. Alright. I I just it's 1 of those things where I hear this this particular prison used in movies and and whatnot because, again, I'm I'm not American, but I just I don't understand why if you would anyway. Okay. Never mind. It's just it's used I get it. It's it's being used as a threat. Right. I gotcha.

Eric: 2:06:43

Let's take a look here real quick.

Sara: 2:06:45

But isn't it used mainly by the military? Thought

Eric: 2:06:48

it was okay. You know, I went over this once before, I think in my other podcast. Okay. There is a federal there is a military prison near there, and they often get confused.

Sara: 2:07:03

Okay. Yeah.

Eric: 2:07:08

It's

Sara: 2:07:09

Okay. I I just googled it, and I found a Wikipedia thing here. It says it's actually apparently been downgraded into a medium security president. It says, FCI, formerly USP Leavenworth, a civilian facility is the oldest of 3 major prisons built on federal land in Leavenworth County, Kansas.

Eric: 2:07:24

Right.

Sara: 2:07:25

It's separate from, but often confused with, The United States Disciplinary Barracks, a military facility located on the adjacent Fort Leavenworth Army post. Okay. So that's where I get confused with the military thing. Located 4 miles north of the FCI, the USCB is the sole maximum security penal facility for the entire United States military. USP Leavenworth was the largest maximum security federal prison in The United States from 19 o 3 until 2005 when it was downgraded to a medium security facility. Okay. Yeah. I got it.

Eric: 2:07:51

Gotcha. Yeah.

Sara: 2:07:53

Okay.

Eric: 2:07:53

So there you go. Anyway, Keyes slaps Steele on the shoulder in triumph and then leaves. Reuben sits down at the table. Steele slowly turns his head to look at Reuben. He reaches out, pats him on the back of the head and with a flat tone, but with the disdainful insincerity characteristic of a backhanded compliment, tells Ruben that he's been a real brick. The next day, Steele enters the visitor's room to meet with Mildred, and he's less than pleased that Laura isn't the 1 there to visit him, though he assures Mildred that he means no offense to her by that. And Mildred says, well, Laura got an urgent call from Keyes. Okay. Now Steele is really less than pleased, angrily asking what could be more important than bailing him out of. And Mildred is clearly offended by his aggressive attitude and seemingly directed anger toward her, but he recognizes it and apologizes saying he didn't mean to take it out on her, but let's just pay the bail and get out of here. Mildred gives him an uncomfortable chuckle and says, boss, the diamonds they say you took, which I know

Sara: 2:08:59

you didn't because you don't

Eric: 2:09:01

do that sort of thing anymore as she waggles her finger at him.

Sara: 2:09:05

This that's funny. I know you took it.

Eric: 2:09:09

Are worth $6,000,000. And Steele, either missing the point or wanting to miss the point, asks flatly, so? She informs him that bail has been set at $500,000 and that's a lot of shekels. Steele isn't happy with Mildred again, roughly asking if she's telling him that he's stuck in there. Well, just until they come up with something, she says. And reaching into her purse, she tells him that she brought

Sara: 2:09:32

him some good books as

Eric: 2:09:34

she holds up several cheap, cheap romance novels.

Sara: 2:09:38

I looked these up. Okay.

Eric: 2:09:40

Well, Knight or Colin Bine Cooper though.

Sara: 2:09:42

But the 1st 1 she's holding up, the the title of it is passionate passionate flame. Okay? So I tried to Google this to see if I could find a title with that name, and I could not. But there is, there's an Amazon novel that I gotta read the description for this because it's hilarious. Okay? So 1st the description that I found that just said there isn't 1 single novel titled Passionate Flame. Rather, it appears to be a common descriptive phrase or the title of several different romance romance novels, including Passionate Flames, a lustful romance story by amazon.com.au, which features the story of Emma and Jack. So here is the here is the description of passionate flames. Got lost for a romance story. Because you gotta hear this. It's hilarious. Okay. And I'm gonna headcanon that this is the 1 she gives to Steele because I would. This is hilarious. Okay. In the heart of a quaint and picturesque town, 2 souls destined for each other find their lives intertwined in an unforgettable romance. Passionate Flames, a lustful romance story by Isabelle Hart is an enthralling tale of love, passion, and intimate desires that will sweep you sweep you off your feet and leave you yearning for more. Emma, a spirited artist with a heart full of dreams, and Jack, a dedicated architect with a meticulous eye for detail, never imagined that a chance encounter at a charming local cafe would change their lives forever. As they navigate the highs and lows of passionate romance, their connection grows deeper and more intense, sparking a flame that cannot be extinguished. But, hey, I'm not gonna read the rest because it's huge. The other description of it says that it is a a hot paranormal. There there's other films by this books by the same Mhmm. Title. And other ones can be, described as Passionate Flames, a hot paranormal dragon shifter saga by Veladay. And I don't know. I'm I'm actually kind of thinking I like the idea of him getting the, paranormal dragon shifter saga. So maybe that's what he's got and what Mildred's got in their hands. Anyway.

Eric: 2:11:43

Well, I was gonna also at this point point out that Laura's decision not to pay his bail might kinda seems maybe like it might be about keeping him sidelined or at least out of Keys' sights rather than a lack of an ability to cover the bail because bail bondsman typically only cost 10 to 15% of the bail. It's a nonrefundable, which means that you in this case, they would only have to cover 50 to $75,000 to get him out of bail or get him out on bail. I mean, that's granted, that's not chump change, but, I mean, surely the agency could cover that amount? Well, I don't know. Because may be

Sara: 2:12:27

When they were, in Vegas, they couldn't scrounge up enough for the $50,000 they needed to get the briefcase back. Remember, Steele thought it would just be a matter of paying off, what's his face? And then when That's true. Mildred had to give him the assets conversation of, yeah, we've got this. So, I honestly don't think mill Laura could eventually, she could probably, but it would take more than a couple of days to get that kind of money together.

Eric: 2:12:54

Okay. Fine.

Sara: 2:12:56

Logic.

Eric: 2:12:58

Well, we we already discussed how that seems kind of absurd in that episode.

Sara: 2:13:03

So It did seem absurd. But if we're going on that as as established

Eric: 2:13:06

fact That's true. I mean, we've already established it as canon, so we have to live with it unless we can figure out some explanation out of it. Anyway, it was on the weekend. They couldn't get it on the weekend.

Sara: 2:13:17

Yeah. Exactly.

Eric: 2:13:18

Sure. Anyway, it's Thales' apartment. Laura enters as the police and keys are tearing the place apart. And I'll just say I like her dress.

Sara: 2:13:29

Yeah. It's nice. She's she's dressed well.

Eric: 2:13:32

Keyes greets her with a cheery, glad you could make it in time for the unmasking of Remington Steele. And Laura smugly grins, pointing out that that means that Keyes hasn't found anything yet. Undeterred, Keyes says they will. He steps over to the detective and begins story time saying he'd been sent to Paris once to investigate a diamond theft. He knew the guy had the stuff stashed in his apartment, but he couldn't find it until Keyes noticed the dining room light wasn't working. The detective instructs the uniformed officers to check the lightning fixtures and the switch plates. Yeah. Laura confronts Keyes saying, you wanted to see me. I'm here. Though she thought it would be just the 2 of them. Keyes begins by demeaning her, saying that he'd always thought that she was an innocent dupe. Laura sarcastically says, she's flattered. Kings continues. Back in Vegas, Steele pulled the wool over our eyes. Remember? And he winks and says, now things are a bit different. What's with the wink? Did he think he was endearing himself to her?

Sara: 2:14:33

Well and also, does does he remember that she was the 1 that hit him? Was she the 1 that hit him or was it Steele that hit him with the phone? He gets hit by a phone a lot. I'm trying to remember.

Eric: 2:14:46

I think it

Sara: 2:14:46

was her.

Eric: 2:14:47

Yeah. So, I

Sara: 2:14:49

mean, Keyes should theoretically remember that too, or maybe that got knocked out of him when he jarred a few brain cells loose. But, I mean, you would think that Keyes would know by now that she's not an innocent dupe, that she was in fact and is is still is, you know, partners with Steele. But I don't know. It just seems odd that he'd be trying to recruit her.

Eric: 2:15:12

1 of my notes here is, is he indicating that he believes that she is involved in the wool pulling and he knows it, and he's just going along with it to humor her. Don't know. Laura harshly tells Keyes that he's still my boss. And Keyes responds, he's also a thief and a liar, which I you know, what I mean is you're too smart a cookie to let him do that to you again. And Keyes steps over to the detective again to tell another story. You know, completely baffled by a guy in New Orleans once who stole some microchips, sat down in the middle of his apartment, got hungry. That was it. The detective, although seemingly starting to tire Keys' help, nonetheless tells the uniformed officers to check the refrigerator. Laura observes that Keys is really getting a kick out of this, and Keys Keys excuses his giddiness by claiming it's just his job. Bull.

Sara: 2:16:08

Bull. This is personal.

Eric: 2:16:10

Yes.

Sara: 2:16:11

1000%.

Eric: 2:16:12

Well, in a speech similar to the 1 he gave her in Las Vegas, Keyes warns Laura that Steele is gonna do some serious time. And when the sentence comes down, she can either look good or she can look bad depending on how she cooperates. And he begins to offer her a deal if she will help him wrap up the case against Steele, but she cuts him off telling him that she'd rather take her chances with the jury. And from the kitchen, we hear a detective yell, bingo. Laura sits up as he walks into the living room with 2 large blocks of Swiss cheese, dropping them onto the coffee table with the comment, this guy's a real connoisseur when it comes to cheese. Well, there in the holes of the cheese are a handful of diamonds.

Sara: 2:16:52

Yeah. And I gotta think this is the moment where Laura snaps out of whatever doubt she was feeling because even she has to know that Steele would not be stupid enough to leave the diamonds in blocks of cheese in his fridge.

Eric: 2:17:06

Yeah. Well, you're jumping ahead. You're jumping ahead.

Sara: 2:17:09

But I just mean, like, this is the point where she's like, okay.

Eric: 2:17:12

Well, and Keyes too should too. Yes. Are there in the holes of the cheese are a handful of diamonds. Keyes picks 1 up, holding it out in front of Laura who has a wondering look on her face and asks her what the jury's gonna say about that. And my note is probably the same thing Laura is asking herself and that Key should be asking himself. If Steele had actually stolen them, 1, why would he have put carelessly left them where someone could easily find them? And also, if he had carelessly left them where someone could easily find them, why would there only be a handful of them?

Sara: 2:17:44

Yeah. Where are

Eric: 2:17:44

the rest of them? Why would he This hide the rest of them so

Sara: 2:17:49

is too way too convenient. It's way too yeah.

Eric: 2:17:53

It's Well, back at the office, Mildred is supervising the temporary repairs to the floor in Steele's office when the phone rings. It's Laura calling from a payphone. She tells Mildred that they're in trouble and she needs Mildred's help.

Sara: 2:18:07

I love Mildred in this next scene. She's so good. She's so good.

Eric: 2:18:12

Keys is at a table in what appears to be a buffet style restaurant or maybe a dining room in a police station or something like that, And he's apparently doing a crossword in the newspaper. Mildred enters a Styrofoam cup of coffee on a tray. Not much of a meal and certainly not worth getting a tray for. Anyway, she moves to a table behind and slightly to the side of Keyes and sits. Then pretending not to know that it's Keyes, she leans over and asks if she can borrow the sugar from his table. Keyes turns his head to look at her and then reaches for the sugar. Mildred takes the sugar and then pretends to suddenly recognize Keyes.

Sara: 2:18:55

Yeah.

Eric: 2:18:55

He asks if he should know her. Sure, she tells him. She's Mildred Krebs, Las Vegas, the Murdoch affair? Keyes thinks for a moment and then says, you work for but despite his best efforts, he doesn't seem to really be able to place her. So Mildred helps him out. Remington Steele. I used to anyhow. Oh, that fake. Who'd have thought it? Boy, you must be on top of the world. Steele and jail and your picture and all the newspapers? Keith doesn't seem all that excited about it. Mildred asks if she can join him at his table, although it's really not so much an actual question as an announcement of intention.

Sara: 2:19:32

She just moves. She hasn't wait for him to say no. She's just like, yep. I'm coming.

Eric: 2:19:38

Well, Keith doesn't really seem too excited about having her over there saying in resignation, that's a free country. She brings her tray with her coffee cup over, sits down, picks up her coffee and toasts. Here's to Remington Steele. Long me swinging the breeze. And Keyes responds with an unexcited, and, of course, Mildred comments on his mood saying that he doesn't seem too happy for a Mountie who just got his man. That's a Canadian reference

Sara: 2:20:05

for the writer. Liked it.

Eric: 2:20:07

And he put that in because he knew that you would be here doing podcast episode today. Anyway, Keys currently tells her that he's not in the man business. That's a cop's game. He's in the recovery business. And Mildred acting slightly confused says she already got the diamonds too. Keys disgustedly says, A few rocks worth a measly 200,000. There's still 5,800,000 out there. Hello, McFly. Get a clue. Mildred dismisses Keys' frustration saying that, she's sure he'll find them in 1 of the boss's old hiding places. Key's is suddenly interested. What hiding places? He asks. Mildred casually says, don't know. It's just that he used to say that he had a few places around town where he'd stash things for emergencies. The hamster in Keys' brain starts running on its wheel. So he asked, think he put the diamonds there? Mildred shrugs saying, I don't know where else. I mean, why don't you just follow him? She pauses and chuckles as if realizing exactly the nonsensical nature of her comment and Kees' predicament. You can't do that, can you? He's in jail. Well, the hamsters inside of Kees' brain have started scratching at his skull. So he itches the side of his head with his fingers saying, well, what if he wasn't in jail?

Sara: 2:21:28

This is this is proof that Keys is really not as smart as he thinks he is.

Eric: 2:21:35

Because I mean, we knew this from the beginning.

Sara: 2:21:38

This is so obvious, like, oh, but you could do oh, but you can't. Oh, that's a shame. You could easily you know? I just yeah.

Eric: 2:21:47

So with intense seriousness, Mildred tells Keyes that knowing Steele as she does, she'd say that the minute he sees daylight, he'll cash out and make a run for it. Keyes rubs his lower lip with his finger, thinking. Now having baited the trap and having gotten Keyes' hamster sniffing at the cheese, Mildred draws him to the point of almost stepping into the trap by saying, what are we talking about? Miss Holt can't make bail. It's too high. Yep. But vigilance insurance can, Keyes says anonymously. Then I follow Steele, and when he goes for the diamonds, wham.

Sara: 2:22:21

This has to really when all is said and done, when the dust settles, this has to really piss Keys off because not only did he not get his man, so to speak. I mean, the the diamonds are recovered and the thief is found, but he wanted to nail Steele to the wall, and he doesn't. But, also, it's his money that ends up being

Eric: 2:22:41

Also, in the end

Sara: 2:22:43

Or his company's money.

Eric: 2:22:45

Steele, He humiliates him. Not publicly, but it's a private humiliation, which might almost be

Sara: 2:22:55

In some ways, it's worse. Yeah. I just wanted to quickly because you you made the comment about the the Mounties, and I just wanted to really quickly give some background context to the the Mounties always get their man, that whole saying. Mhmm. It's a famous slogan for the RCMP, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, that reflects a myth of their unwavering effectiveness and iconic heroic image. Doesn't mean they're not good at their job, but, like, this has become sort of like

Eric: 2:23:19

They didn't always get their man.

Sara: 2:23:20

Well, I mean, nobody does. Right? They you can't ever assume that every yeah. So though the phrase was popularized by Hollywood in fiction, it was 1st documented got documented in an 1877 article about the Northwest Mountain Police, the predecessor to the RCMP. The saying can be traced back to an article in the Fort Benton, Montana record from April 1877, which credited the Northwest Mountain Police and specifically major Irvine and captain Winder with their success. Phrase became widely recognized symbol of the Mounties due to its use in films and media portraying the force as chivalrous, law abiding, and relentlessly effective. So, yeah, just wanted to point that out.

Eric: 2:23:58

Well, having cut Key's hamsters in the trap, Mildred sarcastically, but admiringly, fake admiringly, tells Key's that he is some shrewd operator. Key's chuckles and tells Mildred, know, for an old broad, you're okay. And she laughs heartily as, you know, as she's supposed to, telling Keys that he's cute until he stops looking at her, then she gives him 1 of those if looks could kill

Sara: 2:24:24

He you would be a melted gooey puddle on the floor. It's just yeah. She's not playing around. She wants to stab him with her plastic fork. Yeah.

Eric: 2:24:41

Well, next, Laura is at the house of BJ Sinclair, which seems to have sprouted a for sale sign out front.

Sara: 2:24:46

Yeah. Interesting.

Eric: 2:24:47

Getting out of the rabbit, she eyes the sign then turns for the front door. She rings the bell, and the door is answered by

Sara: 2:24:54

Different gees.

Eric: 2:24:55

The previous butler Yeah. Prompting Laura to ask if this gentleman is indeed the butler. He says, he is, and you are? Laura pauses and then with a somewhat superior attitude tells the butler that she's missus Vanderhusen and she has an appointment to see the house. Butler's perplexed. Today? Laura responds that she's sure the agent called. Perhaps if he checked with and then a voice from inside the house calls out, who is it, Charles? Butler responds, a missus Vanderhusen to see the house. An older woman comes to the door and apologizes to Laura, saying that she's just not up to showing the house today, having just gotten back from Wyoming an hour ago. Laura, putting on her perplexed face, apologizes saying that she had stopped by the day before and she must have confused her with her daughter. No. She doesn't have any children. Now seemingly really confounded

Sara: 2:25:51

Yeah.

Eric: 2:25:51

Laura says, beautiful young woman, tall, blonde, lovely features. Oh, that sounds like Christy. Christy. Christy McCall from Excelsior Realty. She has the listing on this house. Lovely woman and bright, Laura Eds. Extremely bright.

Sara: 2:26:09

Well, this is this is the flaw that Laura's been looking for. So

Eric: 2:26:13

Well, back at City Hall, home of police interrogations and holding cells, Steele is walking out into the daylight with Ruben. Steele comments that he's never realized how much he missed the smog. Ruben is perplexed. He's he's never heard of an anonymous bail donor. He just doesn't get it. And Steele observes that that seems to be a pattern with you, Ruben, theorizing that he's sure that it's 1 of his many past clients who have trust in him. Ruben is of a mind that there's something fishy about this whole thing.

Sara: 2:26:43

Well, yeah, because this wasn't part of the plan.

Eric: 2:26:45

That's right. And as the car horn honks, Laura pulls up in the rabbit, Steele suggests that Ruben try to do something useful. Steele slowly walks around the car to the driver's side, serious look on his face while Laura urges him to, let's get let's go. Get in. Let's go. Steele leans his arm against the windshield, pointedly asking, you arranged bail? It was Mildred, actually, she tells him, by way of vigilance insurance. She'll explain, but come on, get in. Steele reaches in, turns the ignition key off, prompting Laura to ask what he's doing. He wants to talk for a moment, he says, as he opens the driver's door, signaling for her to get out. Laura doesn't understand. What's he doing? I mean, after all, look at the situation. She gets out of the car and they begin slowly walking. After a moment, Steele tells her that he missed her in jail, and it's as much an accusation as an observation. Laura still doesn't understand. Didn't Mildred explain? They were and is she really saying that Laura Holt, the woman who can talk her way past anyone, couldn't find a way to reach him?

Sara: 2:27:52

I'm gonna say that, yes, he is. It is an accusation, but it's a gentle 1. Not coming he's not

Eric: 2:28:00

coming at an accusation.

Sara: 2:28:01

Yeah. But, I mean, you can hear it in his tone of voice. He's it's less about being angry with her and more about him trying to understand. He he already suspects that Mhmm. Her trust wavered in him. But I really like this conversation because it feels a lot like they're finally talking without their guards up, without without that armor that they always wear. So he's

Eric: 2:28:26

Well, her especially.

Sara: 2:28:28

Yeah. Both of them. Like, he's kindly coming like, he knows that she could have tried harder. But instead of being angry about it, he's he wants to understand. So he he says, I missed you in jail. And it's yes. It is accusatory, but it doesn't sound that way. And the same

Eric: 2:28:44

It with it does. But it's accusatory in the sense of, as you said, I'm not going to get mad, but I'm also I'm not gonna let you get by without

Sara: 2:28:57

Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah.

Eric: 2:28:58

Telling me what's going on. I mean, there's

Sara: 2:29:00

That's rare. He wants to communicate at this point. You know? Laura is the 1 that's always trying to say, let's talk about this. Let's discuss our relationship and blah blah blah. And he's usually avoiding those intimate conversations, but it here, he's he's not only instigating it. He's wanting to

Eric: 2:29:17

Demanding it in a sense. I mean, gently, but still demanding.

Sara: 2:29:22

Yeah. So it's it's good. It's it's a really good moment for him. The way he says it, the way he phrases it could've come across in a way that makes her defensive, but it doesn't. It comes across more as a gentle, I need to understand this, and you need to answer my question because I know you could have gotten to me if you wanted to. Mhmm. What's going on?

Eric: 2:29:41

Well, Laura equivocates saying that once the police make up their mind, Steele cuts her off stating that really she just didn't wanna see him. No. She insists. That's that's not true. And he says, yes, it is. He can feel it. And he tells her. And then they stop. He leans against the concrete wall of the building and then continues stating that he knows that something happened when she found out about the robbery. Her trust in him wavered, even if just a little bit.

Sara: 2:30:07

So I also wanted to point out the position of their bodies here. Mhmm. He's standing against the wall, hands in his pockets. He's looking down. She's looking down too. They're not making eye contact.

Eric: 2:30:17

Oh, no.

Sara: 2:30:18

And it's there's very much visually, a distance between them. And it's it's done really well, because he's not used to being honest about his fears and about the things that make him vulnerable. So when he says that to her, I can feel it, and then he says what you were just about to say about something going through your mind when you found out about the robbery. Mhmm. This is him voicing his greatest fear, that she's going to lose faith in him, that she's going to stop believing in him. And he can't even look at her when he says it because it's it he doesn't I don't think he wants to hear the answer. Part of him does in anyway. He does because he otherwise, he wouldn't be saying it, but there's a part of him that's scared. Sorry. 1 of the comments says it was Mildred. I don't know what what I was asking there. So

Eric: 2:31:08

The the phone over the head.

Sara: 2:31:09

Oh, the phone over the head. In this episode, yes. But I we're I was talking about dice Steele. Mildred wasn't in that room.

Eric: 2:31:17

Yeah. I I'm I I don't know. For for a a few seconds there when we were talking about it, I I kinda thought it might have been Mildred too. But

Sara: 2:31:28

And then another comment that says, just love the scene. They made this look so believable. When she puts her hand when she puts her hands on her face, Stephanie makes this look so real. It does look really real because Laura's protests come across as weak and ineffective, and they are. Uh-huh. But she doesn't know what else to say because she's so afraid to admit to him the truth. And he's just being so kind about it, but also so vulnerable and open. It's just, it's a really good moment, but their their visual, positioning of their bodies is is really well done. So that goes down to the director.

Eric: 2:32:00

Yeah. So, anyway, after he tells her that he knows that her trust in him wavered, she tries to deny the allegation with a feeble look, looks at as you said, looks at the ground, unable to look him in the eye. And he says, once a thief, always a thief. Isn't that what went through your mind? And he reaches out gently lifting her chin with his fingers, forcing her face up in his direction. She lets out a breath, turns her head away, still not wanting to face him as she confesses that she didn't want to think. It just happened. Steele, wanting her to admit the truth says, tell me. And she continues to hedge saying that she knows it's crazy because she knows she can trust him.

Sara: 2:32:42

Now they've switched. She's the 1 standing against the wall. Mhmm. And he's and now they're more intimate. Right? He's leaning into her. It's not just that they're looking away and they're looking down. He's gently coaxing this out of her because she's admitted, I didn't wanna think it. And and that could he could've decided to get angry about that. He could've decided to say, how dare you not trust me after all this time? But instead, he wants to know why. Why would you think that? And

Eric: 2:33:11

that And she's she's she's still not really answering him here either yet. So he he has to prompt her again to be honest. Yeah. And here, she starts to break down. She she pauses, lets out a deep sigh and says, you must admit it's the perfect double con. You make me believe you've been set up. I worked to get you out of it. And then once we prove you're innocent, you split with Cranston and the others, and then

Sara: 2:33:39

Her voice cracks here.

Eric: 2:33:42

She stops and still says, and then what? And she turns away. She looks back at him briefly then looks down as she reveals his fear, and then you go away.

Sara: 2:33:53

And it's I love the fact that at the heart of it, it's not about the agency. It's not about what she would lose professionally. It's not about any of that. It boils down to and then you go away. Mhmm. And that's the thing she didn't wanna say because the other stuff she can like, it's easy enough for her to say, like, I want to tear your heart out and rip it apart and scatter to the 4 winds. If my business was gone, if the thing I've worked for all my life is gone. But emotionally admitting to him in front of his face that her greatest fear is that he will leave. Like, he I mean, he already sort of knows that with her past, but they she's never outright said it. She's never like, had

Eric: 2:34:35

that If he'd destroyed the agency by doing what she, you know, mentioned earlier and and such, that part about ripping out his heart, turn it, you know, limp to limp to the 4 winds, she would've had that left. She would have had the anger and the revenge

Sara: 2:34:52

and the

Eric: 2:34:53

action of of just destroying him in return as something left to her. But, yeah, here she says, and then you go away, and then there's nothing left. I can't even do anything about that anymore.

Sara: 2:35:08

There's no

Eric: 2:35:09

I I can't even respond to that because there's nobody to get angry at.

Sara: 2:35:14

Yeah.

Eric: 2:35:15

There's nobody to, you know, rip their heart out because you're gone.

Sara: 2:35:20

Plus anger is an emotion that's a lot easier to admit to out loud. And some for some reason in our society, anger is the more acceptable emotional response. So it's easier for her to admit that she'd be furious with him, that she'd want to tear him limb from limb because that keeps her defenses in place. If you destroyed my business, I'd be mad. But here, she like, this is major progress. They're talking with no accusations, no recriminations. They're just being honest, and she's, like, on at the verge of tears because her voice cracked at that last part of the sentence when and then you go away. That's

Eric: 2:35:59

Anger what anger doesn't necessarily involve hurt. It involves it's

Sara: 2:36:11

I

Eric: 2:36:14

had it in my head a minute ago, and now it's gone. It's it's a retaliatory action Yeah. That is based on a more tangible type of loss, like loss of business, loss of income. You know, it's a response to something that isn't necessarily deep, painful hurt. Go away is deep, painful hurt.

Sara: 2:36:51

Yeah. And and there's a comment here. Somebody said acceptable or do you mean accessible? Like, easier to access where anger is defensive. Both. Like, I think both because society wise, we tend to rationalize or normalize angry outbursts a little bit more than we would say somebody who bursts out crying or, you know, example would be somebody that we knew who their son had passed away in a car accident when he was only 17. And before we knew that, like, there was 1 particular day where we found this person and she was sitting in the cafe, in our village and just crying. And and everybody was awkward about it. Like, there's this person showing emotion in public. For, I think for a lot of people, anger is less awkward and less hard to handle than than than raw hurt. So Laura

Eric: 2:37:48

I I anger comes out of strength. Hurt comes out of vulnerability.

Sara: 2:37:57

Yeah. Yeah. And Laura doesn't like to be vulnerable in front of him. Has told him stories.

Eric: 2:38:04

In front of anybody.

Sara: 2:38:05

Yeah. That's true. She's told him stories about her father, and he knows that on the surface, he knows her dad left. He knows Wilson left because he's he's met Wilson and and they had that case. But he's never she's never actually said, my greatest fear is that you're going to leave. He's he's made that connection. He's put 2 and 2 together. But here she's telling him flat out, this is what scares me the most. And she's afraid to admit it. And it's beautiful the way it happens, the way he tips her chin up, the way he sort of lets go of whatever anger he might have had because he realizes that her doubt in him was not rooted in mistrust because she thinks he's a con man and he'll never change. It was rooted in, I want him here and he might go. And we know that earlier he was expressing that fear of not being worthy. It's moved

Eric: 2:38:55

from being professional to being personal.

Sara: 2:38:58

Yeah. And now he thinks, well, I must be he he's gotta be thinking, I must be worthy if she's that upset to see me leave, right, or possibly leave. Yeah. So, yeah, it's really The

Eric: 2:39:11

other thing is that I I don't wanna sound sexist in this, but guys generally don't want to be the 1st to admit any kind of, you know, moderate emotional connection to someone, you know, because that's back to that word, vulnerable. You know, a guy gets rejected would he would rather have you kick him in the nuts than reject him. Okay? By Laura admitting this emotional connection, by the fear of it going away, it now gives him a little bit of safety to admit that, you know, I I kinda like you too. Know? Because, I mean, he he doesn't wanna be the 1st because I like I say, I mean, guys just don't they don't wanna be the they don't wanna put it out there and then have it cut off.

Sara: 2:40:31

I think, I I agree with you with that in general. I think for him, specifically, it has to do more with the fact that their history and his own fears of not being worthy of her are Yeah. I mean colliding. But yeah.

Eric: 2:40:47

Putting this out there. They're all different facets of the same fear.

Sara: 2:40:51

For sure. Absolutely.

Eric: 2:40:53

So

Sara: 2:40:53

And that's where he's able to comfort her after that statement.

Eric: 2:41:00

Well, after that statement, Steele let's out of breath, and he looks around, perhaps in frustration, perhaps not wanting to look at her in order to not reveal too much of his feelings and maybe give himself a chance to gather his thoughts. He tells her that, yeah, that's what he thought she was thinking. And he admits that he's put her through a lot, and he admits that he hasn't told her often enough how glad he is that they are together. But he's telling her now. And he pulls her to him, wraps her up in a very tight hug, and promises that he's not going anywhere, but she better come up with something quick to get him off the hook, which really doesn't address her concerns. I mean, after all, if he is pulling a double con, that's exactly what he would say, which I mean, it it kinda admit it. It leaves him in a tight spot because if he is telling the truth I mean, the truth and the lie of the double con would be exactly the same. So he's kind of in a you know, how how do you how do you make the difference between the 2 clear?

Sara: 2:42:05

But her fear wasn't that it was a con. That's the cause and effect. The effect is that he goes away. He's addressing that rather than the cause. Because if he addresses the effect and says, I'm not going anywhere, then the cause per se is nullified, I guess, because if he's promising her he's staying, that means he's not it's not a double con. It's not something he's pulled. It's

Eric: 2:42:27

Well, except that if he was pulling a double con, that's exactly what he would say. He he would try to assure her that that he's not gonna go anywhere because if you accept that I'm not going anywhere, then by implication, this isn't a con, but it's a con.

Sara: 2:42:44

And This is where the trust part comes in.

Eric: 2:42:47

Yeah.

Sara: 2:42:48

This is the and I think she knows him well enough now to know when he's bull bullcrapping and when he's being honest. And the only the only quibble I have about the scene at all is the angle of the camera when he's hugging her and he's got his arm around her and it's like in this weird headlock. His arm is sort of like hanging off there and it doesn't look comfortable in the slightest. When pans around to her and she sort of closes her eyes and almost squeezes him, That looks wonderful. That looks lovely. Like, she's just grateful to be holding on to him, but, like, his that weird he's got it just looks very strange. And I'm like, why would

Eric: 2:43:27

you Well, for the needs of the shot.

Sara: 2:43:29

Yeah. I get it. It's just it's an awkward I know that she's probably a lot shorter than him, so there's probably that element of it, but it just it looked weird. I think, though, that that moment where he says where he acknowledges that, he says that he knows he's put her through a lot. He's glad they're together. He's not going anywhere. That's what she needed to hear. She didn't need to hear, it's not a con, I promise, or I didn't do anything or whatever. She needed to hear him say, I'm not going anywhere. And yeah, he could be lying, but he could be lying about everything he says. Anybody could be lying. You meet I in a relationship really know

Eric: 2:44:03

about that.

Sara: 2:44:05

I just mean like, if you're in a relationship and the person that you're with is saying, I'm not going anywhere, I'm going to stay.

Eric: 2:44:11

You want to believe them.

Sara: 2:44:14

She wants to believe him. And I think that's the difference between her mind saying, well, okay, you're right. Like you said, it it would he would say that no matter what. But he's I don't know. There's just

Eric: 2:44:27

She she feels sincerity from it.

Sara: 2:44:29

There's a genuineness, and there has been a genuineness in this entire interaction, I think, that helps to ease her fears there.

Eric: 2:44:37

Mhmm. Yeah. Well, after a moment, they pull apart slightly, then they kiss. And then at the end of the kiss, Laura tells him she has a lead.

Sara: 2:44:45

Yeah.

Eric: 2:44:46

He nods saying that he thought she might. He wraps her arm his arm around her and they start walking. Laura tells him that BJ Sinclair, the 1 that he met, is really Christie McCall, and Laura's got her address. Mhmm. Steele chuckles telling her that she's very good at this. Has she ever thought of becoming a detective?

Sara: 2:45:04

This is sweet because it it alleviates some of that tension. It's very light. It's very bantery. They go back to the the selves that they were prior to this moment that they've just had where they've kind of let all their guard down, and it's cute.

Eric: 2:45:18

Yeah. Well, next we see that Mildred is with Keyes in his car. Keyes is stalking Steele. Mildred asks Keyes if he really wants her along, and he assures her that she's earned the privilege, and he wants to be sure that she collects her share of the reward money. Well, we see Steele and Laura in the rabbit pull away from the curb and Keyes pull out behind them. Well, Laura and Steele illegally enter the apartment of Christy McCull.

Sara: 2:45:46

Ethics?

Eric: 2:45:48

Laura wonders if she skipped town already. Steele says that somehow he doesn't think so. They spot a pile of luggage in the middle of the floor. That's why Steele doesn't think so. So Steele acknowledges that it does though seem that the thought might have occurred to her. They continue to poke around and Steele wanders into another room, but Laura spots a briefcase in the living room with the initials HC on it. HC. Crandall Cransome Cranston. That's it. Harry Cranston. Yeah. From the other room, Steele calls to Laura in a tone which says, I found something and it isn't good. Laura puts the briefcase down and walks into what turns out to be a bedroom with Steele standing over what turns out to be the body of Harry Cranston. 2 bloodstains on his shirt indicating 2 bullet holes.

Sara: 2:46:40

Rut row.

Eric: 2:46:41

Steele leans over to check for a pulse and nope, Harry just ran out of aces. Behind them, Keyes says, so did you, Steele. Gun drawn, Keyes enters and adds, you too, miss Holt. Wrong choice, honey. To Steele, says,

Sara: 2:46:58

Keyes. Talk about, like, losing your wad too quickly. There's no diamonds. They haven't found any diamonds.

Eric: 2:47:09

No. Yeah. I mean, he should've let them yeah. I mean, he he can always call in the murder anonymously, but he's his his goal is supposedly to get the diamonds. But yeah, Keyes adds to Steele, I always thought you were too smart to add murder to your list of crimes. Then he tells Mildred to call the police. When she hesitates, he tells her to go ahead. It's alright. Use the phone. And Laura, with intensity, says, you heard the man, Mildred. Use the phone.

Sara: 2:47:40

So Mildred's Sorry. Just gotta pause for a 2nd here because there were more comments that I missed because I didn't scroll down. I didn't scroll down, but there were 2 comments

Eric: 2:47:50

that I Scroll down the barrel.

Sara: 2:47:52

I always love the way they walk away with their arms around each other like a real team, like real friends, like they're in this together. And then for me, the scene played just as I wanted to see it as a kid and now too. I love the scene. Did I say that? Sorry.

Eric: 2:48:05

So how do you really feel about it there, commenter? I

Sara: 2:48:08

love it too. I love it too. It's a great scene.

Eric: 2:48:10

Anyway, Mildred slides behind keys, moves to the phone that's on the headboard of the bed, picks up the receiver and then smashes keys on the head with it.

Sara: 2:48:18

She got to clunk somebody in the head. Yay.

Eric: 2:48:20

And of course, he dutifully falls unconscious. Steele grabs her arm and begins to guide her out of the room, Laura following. Steele congratulates her on the good work, but pessimistically, she says, yeah, terrific. We just became an accessory to murder. As they prepare to leave, Laura pauses long enough to grab the briefcase and then they make their exit. At a Chinese restaurant, too bad they didn't go to Mike Ito's Japanese restaurant. They're sitting at a table, and Laura's looking through papers from the briefcase when the waitress brings 2 plates of food and begins setting them down in front of them. Steele looks at his plate and then with a grimace moans, squid?

Sara: 2:48:57

This is weird. Why would he order it?

Eric: 2:49:01

Maybe he didn't. Maybe it was I don't know. Yeah. You you would think he would know what squid is.

Sara: 2:49:08

What what he ordered before it got there. But anyway. Yeah.

Eric: 2:49:11

Surprised, Mildred asks if he really doesn't want his and he grunts and slides the plate over to her. Laura tells the others that she figures Cranston brought Christie into the scam and then she got greedy. Steele concludes the thought saying, so she terminates him as they're about to take off the parts unknown with the diamonds. And he looks at Mildred who's eager eagerly, eagerly shoving the squid into her mouth.

Sara: 2:49:35

Yeah. She's scarfing on that.

Eric: 2:49:37

He gets a painfully nauseated look on his face. Yeah. And in between bites, Mildred asks how they are gonna track down Christy. Laura, continuing to look at the documents, comes up with a credit card receipt. It's a receipt for a fuel purchase Harry made from the Marina Park Causeway for a boat listed as the graceful lady. Laura stands, Steele begins to as well. And as Mildred gestures toward her food indicating that she isn't exactly happy that she hasn't had a chance to finish her dinner, Steele tells her that she should just forget about the squid, but Laura freezes. Through the window, she sees the police car and 2 officers are looking over the rabbit. So instead, they begin to make their exit out the back, but Laura lets the briefcase fall open, dropping papers to the floor. She stops intending to recover them, but Steele tells her to leave them. She abandons the papers and moves back towards Steele in the rear of the exit, but Mildred suddenly goes the other direction, back to the table. They didn't leave a tip. You've gotta leave a tip. Otherwise, people think badly of you.

Sara: 2:50:39

I thought she was just paying for it, like, in general.

Eric: 2:50:44

Oh, I thought she was leaving a tip. Oh, well, maybe she was getting

Sara: 2:50:48

for pay for it until after you're done. Right? They come around with

Eric: 2:50:50

the,

Sara: 2:50:51

yeah. I think she just didn't wanna dine and dash.

Eric: 2:50:55

Anyway, she throws a handful of bills onto the table and then turns back toward the rear. As they exit, Laura assures the waitress that it was lovely. Steele affirms that it was delightful as usual. Mildred editorializes that the squid was maybe a little bit squishy.

Sara: 2:51:09

A little bit mushy.

Eric: 2:51:10

Better than rubbery, you know, like an inner tube, like it typically is. Anyway, yeah, I can't handle squid. It's just, it is, it's like eating a bicycle inner tube. Police officers are crawling all over the rabbit outside the restaurant. Papers are dropped on the floor inside the restaurant. They are getting a look over as well. And of course, Keys is right there in the middle of it. As the officers are gathering up the papers, Keyes drops down into a chair, perplexed, but he spots something on the floor that catches his interest. He bends over to pick it up. It's the same receipt from Marina Park Causeway that shortly before had inspired Laura. He folds it up and pockets it, which would be concealing evidence?

Sara: 2:51:51

Yep. I guess. It would be. Yep.

Eric: 2:51:53

Yeah. Then he gets up and walks out. At the marina, our intrepid trio is searching the graceful lady. Laura finds the itinerary of travel for a Mr. And Mrs. Harry Cranston. She reads aloud, airplane reservations for 2 to the Cayman

Islands leaving at 05: 2:52:07

00 today. At just 2 hours away, Mildred observes. As this is happening, Steele has gone poking around in the various storage compartments and opens 1 of the doors to find the body of Christy McCall, which falls out. Mildred is confounded. 1st Cranston. Now Christy, who's left? Steele looks at her and says he doesn't know, but wagers that whoever it is, they're gonna be on a plane in 2 hours. The trio climb out of the cabin and onto the deck and the plan is obvious, head to the airport to see who they recognize trying to get on a plane to the Cayman Islands. Except that as they come back out onto the deck, they spot a car on the road above the marina and a familiar bald head climbing out of it. Keys, in return, spots the trio, hops back into the car, peels out, and heads toward the pedestrian access to the He

Sara: 2:53:00

he drives.

Eric: 2:53:01

You know, 25 feet. Yeah.

Sara: 2:53:03

Yeah. Like, he could have run faster than that. I could have run faster than that. I always found that really funny. He gets back in the car, drives a little, and then comes back out, and it's like,

Eric: 2:53:13

Well

Sara: 2:53:13

Did that make any sort of difference? I don't think it did.

Eric: 2:53:17

I mean, I've had people that I give Uber rides that I know it cost them 7 or $10, and they and they go 3 blocks.

Sara: 2:53:25

They could've walked there. Yeah. Yeah. That makes sense.

Eric: 2:53:28

They could've walked there in the time it took them to wait for me to get to them. Anyway, he jumps out of the car, runs down to the ramp, and begins to run out toward the graceful lady, except it's pulling out of the marina. Frustrated, Keyes looks around and spots a small boat coming into the dock. He runs down to the end of the dock where the boat is coming in, jumps over onto it and hollers at the driver. You wanna make a fast 50? Get me on that boat, as he points to the lady. The driver runs up the outboard motor and Keyes standing as if he's on the bow of the Titanic and declaring himself king of the silly. World.

Sara: 2:54:03

He's supposed to look all tough, but he just looks really ridiculous.

Eric: 2:54:06

He he puffs angrily on his cigar. They approach the lady, and once in range, Keyes hops over to the platform at the back, reaches over to unlatch the gate, opens it, swings it open, and then rushes onto the lady. And as he does, the man in the smaller boat departs without having collected his $50.

Sara: 2:54:25

Unless Keyes paid him up front, but yeah.

Eric: 2:54:28

Well, I suppose that's possible. Didn't say it, but it's possible. Yes. Keyes begins to approach the cabin, pulling out his gun as he does. He steps in far enough to spot the body of Christie. He looks up, exits the cabin, and begins to make his way to the cockpit. He rushes into the cockpit, gun pointing, but it's empty. No one's on board. The steering is tied with ropes to keep the lady on course. Steele, Laura, and Mildred, who all appear to be dry, no wet clothing.

Sara: 2:54:59

Yes. Thank you. Because I in my notes, I wrote how the actual f did they get there dry.

Eric: 2:55:07

Well, you know, Steele and Lauren did this once before in Greece. And when they came out, they were soaking wet.

Sara: 2:55:13

Yeah. Because they swam. So I, like, I assumed that would be the only way you could get away, but you probably wouldn't be able to swim that far that fast, firstly. And secondly, we didn't see another boat. So Well, do it?

Eric: 2:55:29

I'm guessing that while they were still kind of in the the slip, they tied it off. Oh, okay. They they engaged the motors and jumped off near the dock as the boat was going out, but they wouldn't have been able to at least 1 of them at least 1 of them had to stay on the boat long enough to get the engines up and going and steering the correct direction. Yeah. At least 1 of them would be wet.

Sara: 2:55:57

We're hand waving. We're hand waving. Anyway,

Eric: 2:56:02

Keys is confused. He looks around in time to spot Steele, Warren Mildred on the dock, waving back to them as they rush off.

Sara: 2:56:09

They take his car.

Eric: 2:56:10

Yes. He runs from the cockpit to the rear of the deck and watches as they get into his car and drive off, then he throws down his cigar onto the deck in disgust at having been outwitted.

Sara: 2:56:20

That's just the best part is they Steele his car. Well,

Eric: 2:56:26

now it's night. We are at the airport, and we see a plane marked Carabay Air behind the ticket desk bustling with people. Not quite a real airline, but I did look it up, and there is an Air Carabay or something like that.

Sara: 2:56:40

Right.

Eric: 2:56:41

So close, but no cigar. Anyway cigar.

Sara: 2:56:45

He's out

Eric: 2:56:45

of cigar. The camera pulls back to reveal Steele, Laura, and Mildred all conspicuously trying to hide behind newspapers. Super conspicuous. They slowly lower the papers and then look around. So far, nothing. Suddenly, Laura Stage whispers,

Sara: 2:57:01

look. Look.

Eric: 2:57:03

It's Debbie Jell O, former secretary of Remington Steele Investigations, the formerly division of Cranston Industries edition. Tells Mildred to Steele tells Mildred to alert airport security. She departs to alert security, and Laura tells Steele that she doesn't believe it. Yeah. Steele stiffly tells her that she's gonna love this 1. She looks his direction, and he gestures. She follows his gesture to see the agency's lawyer, Ruben Salzman. He looks around. He spots Debbie Jell O. He grins, and he waves eagerly just like a dark wood.

Sara: 2:57:40

Yeah. Oh, he's such a nerd. Laura is a go I suspect she probably would've killed him off eventually too, but that's just my theory. You

Eric: 2:57:53

think she would have killed him licensing?

Sara: 2:57:54

Think so. I don't think I mean, she come on. She's only she's only interested in him because he's got the diamonds.

Eric: 2:58:01

Well, that's true. But I you know, I guess That's my

Sara: 2:58:07

theory. I have no proof for this, and I could be very wrong, but that's my theory.

Eric: 2:58:12

Yeah. Anyway, Laura is astounded. Ruben runs to Debbie Jell O as they throw their arms around each other, and she breathlessly says his name and says, it's going to be me and you, and they kiss. Steele tells Laura that it's almost a comfort to know that the man was not as incompetent as he appeared.

Sara: 2:58:30

I mean, it kind of would be in a way. You know? They just

Eric: 2:58:34

Yeah. Kind of in 1 of those backhanded sort of ways. Yes. Steele then tells Laura that they better get a move on before the loving couple gets on the plane. They get up and rush to the happy couple and grab them, Steele telling them that this is as far as they go. And Laura apologizes for breaking in. Ruben tries to rip free from Steele's grasp, but in the process, the sleeve of his suit jacket rips, spilling out the stolen diamonds. Ruben drops to the floor attempting to pick up his scattered jewels. And of course, at that very moment, Keyes shows up, Mildred and airport police behind him. Keyes points at Seal and declares, that's him. Steele raises his arm and shouts, excellent work, Norman. Congratulations. Shaking Kees' hands, he declares, you've just broken 1 of the most brilliant diamond heists of the century, mate. And Kees is, of course, confused and angry and angry at being confused. And he hollers, what? And Steele continues announcing that he intends to give Keyes full credit for tracking down cold blooded killer and master jewel thief, Ruben Salzman and his femme fatale, Debbie Robello. He points to the floor and states, there, sir, are your diamonds, and there, sir, is your man responsible for their absence as he pats Ruben on the chest then shoves him at Keyes. Keyes angrily begins, if you think you're gonna get away with this, you're and and then there's a camera flash, and then we cut to a black and white newspaper photo of the scene with Laura's voice concluding, absolutely right, Steele. I gotta say this probably hurt Remington Steele to do this because

Sara: 3:00:07

Oh, yeah. For sure.

Eric: 3:00:08

Think of the recovery fee that he just lost.

Sara: 3:00:11

Not to mention the publicity, the fact like, his name in the paper, everything.

Eric: 3:00:15

And the agency getting credit for it. Yep.

Sara: 3:00:18

That finder's fee you just mentioned. Yeah.

Eric: 3:00:22

Well, the camera pulls back from the newspaper that we see and we read a headline, Diamond Caper solved. Insurance investigator plays key role with assist from Steele. Oof. So now he's the lovely assistant. Yeah. Then we see Laura holding the newspaper sitting on 1 side of Steele's desk, Steele on the other side. Laura continues, Ruben broke down and confessed to everything. Nice picture of keys, wouldn't you say? Steele lets out with an annoyed sigh, then sarcastically comments that the photo of Keyes is outstanding and that the curve of his lip really points out the man's inner humanity.

Sara: 3:00:57

Yeah. Right.

Eric: 3:00:59

Mildred comes in also carrying a paper. She can't believe that meek little Reuben was in fact a chronic gambler. Laura confirms that Reuben apparently had a compulsion to bet on anything with 4 legs and an innate ability to finish dead last. But Mildred still isn't clear on the details, asking, so Rubin owed Cranston some money, then what? Steele refers to the newspaper story saying that Rubin also represented the diamond exchange downstairs and knew when the big deliveries were being made. And the exposition continues between Steele and Laura saying that Ruben hatched the elaborate scheme, sold it to Cranston, happened to know a little bit about con games. Cranston roped in his girlfriend, Debbie Rubello, and her friend, Christy McCall. Ruben fell head over heels in love with Debbie, who was apparently the 1st girl to ever take off his glasses and look deep into his briefcase. Yep. Steele concludes that fueled by greed led to cross and double cross. Mildred has 1 more point requiring clarification that wasn't in the papers.

Sara: 3:02:00

Yeah.

Eric: 3:02:00

How did they forge Steele's signature on the promissory note so that it fooled the experts? Laura looks at Steele who grimaces and sheepishly admits that, well, it was his signature.

Sara: 3:02:12

Yeah. He looks a little embarrassed here.

Eric: 3:02:15

And Miller is shocked and confused. And when she asks for a repeat and explanation, Steele points to Laura who explains, Ruben was always coming in here with documents for mister Steele to sign, and we figured that 1 of those times he just slipped in the note.

Sara: 3:02:30

Yeah. Makes sense.

Eric: 3:02:31

Mildred gives a condescending look, and Steele excuses it saying, who reads those things anyway, And with a shake of the head, Mildred disappointingly says, boy, if you can't trust employers anymore, who can you trust?

Sara: 3:02:45

I agree.

Eric: 3:02:49

Well, you know, it just flashed into my head. 3 of our kids are adopted. And the lawyer we they were private adoptions. They weren't through Right. To a state agency or anything like that. The lawyer we used, he wasn't he he didn't come off as a goofball like Ruben does, but he didn't exactly come off very impressive. But the man was sharp. Yeah. I mean, a cat would be embarrassed by him.

Sara: 3:03:22

Ruben's not stupid.

Eric: 3:03:23

Well, he's not stupid. But

Sara: 3:03:25

He came I think the whole incompetence was obviously an act as part of the con, but he knew what he was doing with the con. It it failed eventually. But

Eric: 3:03:35

I'm I'm not sure that it was a total act. I I I think he was largely incompetent, but he was able to leverage it as part of the con.

Sara: 3:03:44

That's fair. That's

Eric: 3:03:45

fair. Yeah. No. This this attorney we had, he was just amazingly sharp, and and he he wasn't an impressive guy to look at him and and to just kinda interact with him on a general basis, but and he knew his stuff. Anyway, Mildred turns, walks out of the office, closing the door, leaving Laura and Steele alone. Steele standing near the door turns and begins to walk back to Laura, who's still sitting on the desk and asks, well, now that the agency is ours again, what's the 1st order of business? And as he's walking toward her, he steps on the plywood covering the hole made by Rubin's diamond robbing crew, and the plywood collapses, dropping Steele crashing down through the hole. Laura rushes over, kneeling down next to him as Steele grabs his chest in shock and fright, and we freeze.

Sara: 3:04:32

That's a kind of a weird tag that

Eric: 3:04:35

he falls through.

Sara: 3:04:36

It's funny. I like it. I'm not

Eric: 3:04:38

I'm not appropriate for the episode.

Sara: 3:04:40

I'm not criticizing it. It's it's cute. It's just yeah.

Eric: 3:04:43

Yeah. It's it's not their normal.

Sara: 3:04:45

Yeah. Exactly. It is funny, though, if any falls through it again. Yeah.

Eric: 3:04:52

Anything else?

Sara: 3:04:54

Not I mean, just this season so far has been kind of firing on all cylinders. If you think about the 2 parter, which was really quite good, then you've got Steele blushing, grappling Steele, and then this episode. I don't think we've had a single episode yet that's been I mean, there are I I don't know if they'll make my top 5, and, yes, there is a top 5 coming, but, like, they've been good. They've been really good.

Eric: 3:05:18

Yeah. They've they've been Yeah.

Sara: 3:05:21

Yeah. I like this 1. I like this 1 a lot.

Eric: 3:05:24

Alright. Well, if there's nothing else, we'll remind everybody about the website, steelwatching.com. There you will find show notes, links to Amazon USA and Canada for 36 hours, the great impostor, and North by Northwest, as well as links to other resources such as

Sara: 3:05:43

The Facebook, Twitter, Instagram pages, as well as in the show notes, you'll find ways to support us, buy us a coffee, become a monthly subscriber, whichever I don't know if anybody heard that, but that was just a massive crash of thunder behind me. So we're getting 1 heck of a storm. So just just if you heard that, just ignore it. But, yeah, all that stuff. And joining our officially unofficial group, the Steele Watchers group on Facebook. It is not officially affiliated with the podcast, but they let us they let us advertise and talk about it there. And and as we as we said at the top of the episode, there was a couple of conversations that came up recently with regards to 1 of our episodes and 1 of a a post I made 8 years ago. So there's always stuff happening, and sometimes it gets dredged up from the, you know, the past. But, hey, it's lots of fun, so join us.

Eric: 3:06:31

Yep. Next episode, we go country with corn fed Steele.

Sara: 3:06:38

Yee and haw. It's my Canadian attempt. Best I can do.

Eric: 3:06:46

Alright. Well, that's it, everybody. Thanks a lot for joining us. Bye bye.

Sara: 3:06:51

Bye bye.

Eric: 3:06:52

Well, I'm not gonna say anything. It's it's all up to you. I refuse. I refuse to participate in this fiasco, this farce, this joke of an episode.

Sara: 3:07:03

He's cute when he doesn't have a choice. Steele watchers, the moment you have been waiting for.

Eric: 3:07:10

No. You haven't. You know what? You haven't been.

Sara: 3:07:12

They have been. You haven't been, but they have been. Our top 5 Remington Steele episodes of all time because lord knows we're not doing a top 5 season 5 episode. That that just wouldn't work.

Eric: 3:07:25

So It just well, I mean, you could make it work, but it wouldn't work well.

Sara: 3:07:30

No. It would not work well. So for the entire series, send us your top fives. Doesn't matter the season. Even if it's season 5, we might question your sanity, but hey, we do you. Send them to us around the beginning of October ish. That's kinda what we're shooting for in terms of when we record this, and we are recording this. Sorry, Eric. It's happening. And, hey, maybe even my

Eric: 3:07:57

favorite head with a hammer.

Sara: 3:07:59

Add in your favorite season as well, just in general. Tell us what your favorite season was and why, and we will have some fun with that. Eric will get drunk, and, you know, we will round off the entire the entire series in in a a fun way. So

Eric: 3:08:15

In my defense, when we did the season 4 top 5, I was on pain medication, so that might have affected my ability to speak.

Sara: 3:08:22

Sure. Sure. A likely story. It was. Anyway, send us your

Eric: 3:08:28

top 5. Which further enhanced my inability to speak?

Sara: 3:08:32

Send them to the email. Eric, would you like to tell them what the email is?

Eric: 3:08:36

Steelwatching@yahoo.com. There we go. Make some comments. If you just wanna send your list, that's fine. But if you want to give us reasons why you chose these, both the episode and your top season, please do so. We will Yeah. We will read as much of it as we can. We I think proven that we don't need Yeah. Although, I I have to admit, I I missed a fan mail because it was buried the notice for it was buried in my junk mail for Steele watching. And, you know, we get all these

Sara: 3:09:10

you wouldn't believe some of

Eric: 3:09:11

the emails we get. But, yes, send it in to Steele watching and label it top 5 of all time or something like that so we we we can spot it. So there you go. You.

Sara: 3:09:22

We're looking forward to

Eric: 3:09:23

it. Kicking and screaming.