Speaker 0: 0:18

Welcome everybody to Steele watching, the podcast from Remington Steele fans. I am Eric, and what do you mean I'm gonna live?

Speaker 1: 0:27

And I am Sarah, and I'm on we it's a long weekend right now, so I'm not entirely sure I will live. But there's, fireworks every single night.

Speaker 0: 0:39

Especially after the morning, it sounds like you had. So

Speaker 1: 0:42

Oh, well, yeah. Like that nice like I said, the fireworks because right now it's you guys don't have this holiday, but it's officially Victoria Day weekend, but unofficially, we call it May 2 4 because of usually happens around the May 24, around, not always, and generally is celebrated with a 24 pack of beer, otherwise known as a 2 4. But, there's fireworks usually, so there's been fireworks pretty much every night and it's irritating. So Okay. Well

Speaker 0: 1:13

Yeah. That's your problem. Yeah. Anyway, we are season 4 episode 21, Steele alive and kicking. And before we get to that, we have an email. Yay. Yay. And it goes something like this. In fact, it goes exactly like this. Enjoying your episode on Sensitive Steele. With regard to the location filming of earlier episodes, I don't know whether they went to San Diego. I strongly suspect they did not because when they did travel, they usually made an effort to show off the scenery on screen with the principals

Speaker 1: 1:48

Sure.

Speaker 0: 1:48

And they don't do so in Steele Incorporated. Good point. While I would never miss a chance to shake my head at the corporate mentality, I do have to say, in fairness to MTM productions, the extensive location shooting at season 3 was partly necessitated by the 19 84 Summer Olympics. I think we kind of briefly mentioned that.

Speaker 1: 2:05

We did talk about that.

Speaker 0: 2:07

Yeah. Between closures and crowding, filming in and around Los Angeles, something that took up about half of each Steel's episode schedule, was all but impossible in the weeks before and during the Olympics. The trips to France, Ireland, Malta, and possibly San Francisco were expensive for the studio, but they had to find alternatives to LA. The trip to Las Vegas came much later in the season, and I think that was just an artistic decision separate from the Olympic needs. Now, I need to stop writing and get back to sensitive Steele. So there we go.

Speaker 1: 2:39

Yay. And, yeah, I you know what? I think we did touch on it, but I had forgotten about it. So hearing that email reminds me of why they did that. Yeah. Nice.

Speaker 0: 2:49

Well, do we have anything else to get to before we get to the episode?

Speaker 1: 2:52

I don't I don't think so. I have a kind of a funny story with regards to this episode in terms of, like, the episode itself because it so I mentioned before that when I 1st started watching the show, I caught it in season 5 in reruns. And for whatever reason, the station that it was on where I was, for for some reason, they didn't play seasons 1 and 2. They only played seasons 3, 4 and 5. And then they would loop it a bunch of times. And I think, possibly, you had to do something with I know there's always rights issues, weird stuff like that. For whatever reason, for the longest time, I'd only seen seasons 3, 4 and 5. And then eventually, they started playing it on a different channel and I caught seasons 1 and 2. And so, at that point, like, I was recording every episode. So I had sort of built up. And eventually, by the time the DVDs came out, I had or I thought I had every single episode on tape. I had I thought I had seen every single 1. I was certain of it. Then I started watching through the DVDs when they came out. And I came to this episode and I was like, what the heck is this? Where did this episode come from? For whatever reason, either I missed it every time they played it in the reruns or they didn't play it for some I don't know. I had never seen this episode. And this was like 2 years into me being like a really big fan of the show. And so, like, this was like a it was almost like this weird bonus because you you think you've seen everything and then suddenly, here's this episode that that you missed. And so, I mean, I'm not gonna say it's the greatest episode on the planet, but it it it has like a tiny little space in my heart being like the surprise episode that I didn't know was there until I got the DVTs. And I was like, oh, there's another 1. Cool.

Speaker 0: 4:32

Well, if you've got do you still have those videotapes?

Speaker 1: 4:35

Yeah, do. But I I I don't have any way of converting them at the moment, so

Speaker 0: 4:39

Do you have the 1 that has Laura singing satisfaction?

Speaker 1: 4:43

Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm pretty sure Well, I've got that's the thing. Keep meaning to dig them out because like the problem is they're not all in 1 tape. Like, I taped other stuff So, like, you know, they're tapes with, like, Buffy, Supernatural,

Speaker 0: 4:57

like, Fans, you are directed to inundate Sarah with emails reminding her to find that episode that has Stephanie slash Laura singing satisfaction and send that to Steve so that we can get at least that few seconds of audio clipped in, dropped into an episode and then we And

Speaker 1: 5:19

some somewhere, I also have Steele on the air where she's singing along to Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and not whatever song that was on her car.

Speaker 0: 5:25

Well, then get on the stick, girl.

Speaker 1: 5:27

So

Speaker 0: 5:28

anyway well, let's get into the episode anyway. I went with the DVD liner notes again. I've done that a few times here, yes. Which Look at me. I'm just being a wild man.

Speaker 1: 5:38

Wait. Wait. Wait. Before we do that What? When did it 1st air?

Speaker 0: 5:42

Oh, yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Sorry. I'm sorry. Somebody distracted me there. 1st aired on 05/03/1986, written by John Worth and directed by Stan Lathan. So DVD liner notes. Believing himself to be fatally ill, a man frames himself for murder so his wife can collect the reward money. But when he's unexpectedly cured, he heads to the Steele agency for help. And I I mentioned at the close of the last episode that I thought this rang a bell, that I seemed to recall something like this happening in real life. And I still stand by that, but I couldn't find any evidence of it. I did, however, find a number of references to cases where people thought they were going to die and confessed to things that they had actually done, such as having an affairs

Speaker 1: 6:32

Oh, no.

Speaker 0: 6:32

Committing murders, multiple murders in some cases. And and, yeah, those did not end well. No. Because they didn't die. And, oh, yeah.

Speaker 1: 6:44

Well, mean, if they if they committed multiple murders, they deserve to go to jail. But like, the affairs thing is kind of funny because

Speaker 0: 6:50

yeah. Well, that didn't end well either.

Speaker 1: 6:53

No. That wouldn't end well. I mean, it made me think of Breaking Bad. Right? Because you've got this show Whatever.

Speaker 0: 7:00

I don't So

Speaker 1: 7:01

Breaking Bad is a a show with Bryan Cranston and he plays a chemistry teacher who finds out he has terminal cancer. And for whatever reason, his life insurance won't kick in or something like that. So his wife and his child are gonna be pretty much destitute once he dies. And and he can't even get treatment for it because his insurance or whatever doesn't cover it. So he he basically finds runs into this former student of his who's cooking meth in a van, like, in a out in the desert. And because he's a chemistry teacher, he basically partners up with this kid to cook meth and sell meth so that he can get his cancer treatments and, like, provide for his wife and his his child once he's dead. But then midway through the show, he he recovers. So now he's become like this meth kingpin. And he's like so it is it's I mean, it's not a comedy. It's very much a serious drama, but it it kinda made me think of this episode when I rewatched it because he started down this path and by the time he he does find out that he's in remission, he can't really correct Back at

Speaker 0: 8:12

at this point.

Speaker 1: 8:13

He's he's kind of like

Speaker 0: 8:14

yeah. So Before we get started, I got a question for you. What are your thoughts on Vinny? I I have some definite thoughts. I'm just curious of what yours are.

Speaker 1: 8:25

He's just this goofy little doofus who who I just think is is really like a little cinnamon roll. He's not too bright and he you just wanna pat him on the head and give him a cookie.

Speaker 0: 8:37

He reminds me of Bing. Yeah. Correct. Not Crosby.

Speaker 1: 8:43

Bing, if Bing wasn't the most irritating person on the planet. Yes.

Speaker 0: 8:47

Exactly. Yes. Less obnoxious. But yes, very much very much reminds me of Bing Perrette. Yes. So Yeah.

Speaker 1: 8:53

Bing without the obnoxiousness. What Bing could have Yes.

Speaker 0: 8:56

That's right. Had Bing Bing been a Bing been a Had better Bing been a better person. Yes.

Speaker 1: 9:06

Try saying that 5 times fast. Try saying

Speaker 0: 9:10

it 1 time. You're right. Uh-huh. Anyway, let's get into the episode. We start in a hospital operating room. A patient is on the table being operated on. And, of course, we see various shots of medical staff doing medical things and medical equipment doing equipment things and brain X rays doing X-ray things and scans doing scan things.

Speaker 1: 9:31

He's not a doctor. He just plays 1 on TV.

Speaker 0: 9:33

That's right. That's how I can use all these technical terms. I I know those things.

Speaker 1: 9:37

All the technical terms.

Speaker 0: 9:40

Well, now we move to a doctor's office. A doctor's at his desk looking through a medical file of records and x rays as a man in a wheelchair and in a white patient gown with a large wrap of medical gauze taped around his head sits looking at the doctor. He wants to know the verdict. The doctor tells a man that the tests show no sign of the tumor whatsoever. No damaged tissue, no motor skills lost, no mental capacity cut back and dis disintegrated. And impatiently, the man tells the doctor to cut the mumbo jumbo. Oh, the doctor tells the man that by all rights, he should be dead or at the very least, brain damaged. The doctor begins to go into details, but the man interrupts asking the doctor or asking if the doctor means to tell him. Of course, he trails off. Proudly, the doctor tells the man, that's right, Vinny. You're gonna live. The man yells, what do you mean I'm gonna live? He jumps over.

Speaker 1: 10:38

Time. This poor doctor has has had this reaction probably.

Speaker 0: 10:42

That's right. Know? Vinny jumps over the desk at the doctor. The doctor partially stands trying to stop him, but Vinny's momentum carries him straight into the doctor. They both end up on the floor. Vinny's hands are around the doctor's throat attempting to strangle him, which actually doesn't look good for him later on when he tries to con convince somebody that he didn't actually commit murder because he's just now trying to commit murder. Anyway, the struggle continues for another moment, then Vinnie gets to his feet with the doctor still on the floor and apparently unconscious. Just then, there's a knock at the door. Vinny removes the receiver from the phone, rushes over to the side of the doctor rushes over to the side of the office door, receiver in hand, poised for action. A security guard rushes in, unaware that Vinny is behind the door as it opens. Vinny attacks the guard with the phone receiver and the guard promptly falls down.

Speaker 1: 11:34

Yeah. Of course, with the typical 1 hit and they're completely unconscious even though

Speaker 0: 11:38

That's right. I mean

Speaker 1: 11:38

it's not even on the head. Yeah.

Speaker 0: 11:40

Very cooperative. Yes.

Speaker 1: 11:42

I have to say too, I I don't know that I agree with the doctor's diagnosis entirely because he says that he has no no mental like, no diminished mental capacity. And given some of Vinny's actions in this episode, I'm gonna say.

Speaker 0: 11:57

Well, now, wait a minute. You're presuming that Vinny was any better before the surgery.

Speaker 1: 12:02

That's true. That's true. It's just when he says, cut the mumbo jumbo. I'm like, that's not mumbo jumbo. He was pretty clear. Nothing of none of what he said was confusing, so I'm not sure.

Speaker 0: 12:12

I I get the feeling that Vinny never was the sharpest knife in the tour.

Speaker 1: 12:15

Yeah. Fair enough. Fair

Speaker 0: 12:17

enough. And the doctor is probably right. There is no diminished mental mental capacity. Yeah. Well, anyway, Vinny rushes over to 1 of the windows, raises the shade, and then opens the window to escape. But the window has bars over it. Well, no escape there. Vinny contemplates his predicament for a moment, then begins removing the wrappings from his head. He then pauses, focusing on the gun in the guard's holster.

Speaker 1: 12:43

So I can't remember. Do we see his hair in this shot? Because we see him when he breaks into Laura's place and he has got a full head of hair. If that man just had brain surgery Mhmm. That would not be the case.

Speaker 0: 12:56

No. We we don't see we see the fringes under underneath the wrap Right. Okay. As he's trying to pull it off, but we don't see it fully removed.

Speaker 1: 13:04

No. And yeah. You're confused when he breaks into Laura's place. I gotta wonder how long it's been since he broke out because they usually shave part of your part or all of your head when you have brain surgery and there's no bald spots. Well,

Speaker 0: 13:20

you know, I suppose it could be that

Speaker 1: 13:23

Unless he's wearing a headset.

Speaker 0: 13:24

On the type of surgery, they they cut the scalp open on 3 sides, flipped it back to get access. You would still expect to see some sort of visual evidence of that, but I mean, you know, if the doctor's really really good, he might have been able to stitch it up so that it's minimally noticeable. I don't know. Hey, hand wave. Hand wave. You get to do it all the So so can I? Fine. Next, we see some close-up shots of a gerbil running on a wheel in a habitat. That's 2 parrots in a cage and a small turtle trying to escape a dish of water. Then we see Steele nose to nose with a small snake, which he's holding, and then drops back into a terrarium. Camera pulls back to reveal that we are in Laura's Loft, and we see that there's also several goldfish in a bowl. We also see that Steele is in what appears to be a somewhat obnoxious pajama shirt and that Laura is in a clown costume, has got to be the most hideous outfit they have Okay. Ever dressed her in.

Speaker 1: 14:27

Wow. I really like it. I really like it.

Speaker 0: 14:31

What? You can't be serious.

Speaker 1: 14:34

I love this outfit. I love the the the suspenders and the red and they're matching again. I think he wore this shirt in Suburban Steele. I'm almost certain he had it on in that episode too. I think this is the 2nd time he's worn that shirt. I'm certain of it. That outfit is new on her, but I like it. And I'm gonna go on record with that. It's cute. I like it.

Speaker 0: 14:58

It is cute if you're working for Barnum and Bailey.

Speaker 1: 15:01

Oh, you're no fun. It's it's so fun. I I yeah. Like, even had I think he's wearing the same shirt as he wore in Suburban Steele in my notes. And I think that's a hamster on a wheel. I don't think it's a gerbil.

Speaker 0: 15:15

Oh. Well, I I I don't know small animals.

Speaker 1: 15:18

I had a I had a hamster and a mouse.

Speaker 0: 15:20

Okay.

Speaker 1: 15:21

Actually, I had 2 hamsters. 1 of them was named ChuChu and the other was named Shakespeare. You can guess which was the smarter hamster. Go ahead.

Speaker 0: 15:31

My my Yeah. My kids did guinea pigs.

Speaker 1: 15:36

Oh, they're so cute. I love the little noises they make in the little paws. Anyway

Speaker 0: 15:40

Oh my god.

Speaker 1: 15:40

Those are a lot of pets for those kids. Like, they they there's only 3 kids. They have a hamster, a snake, a turtle, several goldfish. And what am I missing? There was something else too, wasn't there?

Speaker 0: 15:53

No. I think that's it.

Speaker 1: 15:54

Okay. That's still a lot of pets for 3 children.

Speaker 0: 15:56

That's a lot of pets. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 15:58

And leaving them with Laura, come on, Frances. Come on. Come on. I'm sorry, but that's not the brightest choice ever.

Speaker 0: 16:09

Well, in all fairness, it may not be that many pets because my

Speaker 1: 16:16

No. There's 2 birds too. They've got 2 birds in the cage. Right?

Speaker 0: 16:19

Oh, okay. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 16:20

Yeah.

Speaker 0: 16:21

My my wife and and youngest daughter were really into the guinea pigs. My other kids, not so much. But wife and the youngest daughter were in at 1 point, they had 8 or 10 pigs.

Speaker 1: 16:34

Holy cow.

Speaker 0: 16:35

They were doing some breeding. And it was funny. My my youngest daughter, I I think I've mentioned this before, she's barely 5 foot if she's standing in platform shoes. Barely 100 pounds if she's soaking wet and just had a big meal. And she had this huge what 1 of the largest guinea pigs you might have ever seen. And here here's a little girl carrying it around in a bag, a pouch bag.

Speaker 1: 16:58

That's a

Speaker 0: 16:58

girl. And she took her took took name was Teddy. Took Teddy with her everywhere.

Speaker 1: 17:03

I mean, was That's cute.

Speaker 0: 17:06

But yeah. They they 2 had a whole bunch of them so

Speaker 1: 17:09

birds, a turtle, a snake, goldfish, like, that's a lot of pets for 3 kids. And then you just dump like, you leave them with Laura again. Yeah.

Speaker 0: 17:18

That probably wasn't the best choice. Anyway, as the approaching the menagerie with a container of fish food in her hand, Laura comments that her sister wanted Laura to take care of the children's pets while they were on vacation and still grunts and then disingenuously calls it a charming collection. Laura begins shaking flakes of fish food in the bowl. But rather than stopping, which is deposited in a mountain appropriate for the fish at hand, she continues to shake out the flakes until the whole top of the water is it's completely covered in flakes. And

Speaker 1: 17:53

Those fish are gonna literally explode. She's gonna come back and it's just gonna be fish guts floating in the pool.

Speaker 0: 17:59

Yeah. Well, Laura comments that she hopes none of them dies because while she's caring for them, Frances would have a fit if they did. Right. And Steele, as you say, in observing the over enthusiastic feeding suggests that Laura cuts back on the the flakes unless she wants to see goldfish explode.

Speaker 1: 18:16

Yep.

Speaker 0: 18:17

And, of course, as just as he's saying that, Vinny, still wearing his hospital robe comes crashing through the

Speaker 1: 18:23

window

Speaker 0: 18:23

from It the fire

Speaker 1: 18:24

hasn't been long since he escaped. Nope. And also, is is she close to the hospital? Because mean

Speaker 0: 18:32

Not necessarily.

Speaker 1: 18:33

I can't imagine, like, he would have been able to get a cab in that without any money or a bus.

Speaker 0: 18:40

Well

Speaker 1: 18:40

And yet, he somehow makes it into her window, which is

Speaker 0: 18:44

Don't ask questions. Don't ask questions.

Speaker 1: 18:47

Fine. And he has all his hair and 0 sign that he's just got head brain surgery, but okay. Fine. Fine.

Speaker 0: 18:52

Yeah. Don't ask questions. Yes. As he crashes through the fire escape and then he rolls over the counter onto the floor, pieces of glass and window frame accompany him. He struggles to his feet, holding the pieces of the window frame and awkwardly apologizes about breaking the window, making the excuse that he tripped.

Speaker 1: 19:10

Yeah.

Speaker 0: 19:13

And shocked, Laura asks what he's was doing out there. But rather than answer, he looks down as he brushes his hair out as he brushes out his hair with his hand, he bends down, picks up something, and then holding it out to Laura, tells her that she's dropped her turtle. Which was very, very kind and generous of him and very You

Speaker 1: 19:34

know, turtles fun another funny story. We we found a bunch of little tiny turtles when we were kids. Like, there was Mhmm. It's like the Ninja Turtles. There were 4 of them. And I desperately wanted to keep them. I brought them home in a little bowl because it was the eighties and back then, as you know, we just ran feral. Like, our we our parents just let us leave And the eventually, we came back.

Speaker 0: 19:54

We're back in the

Speaker 1: 19:55

dark.

Speaker 0: 19:55

Know, whatever. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 19:57

So I came back. I I left for the day and came back with this bowl of turtles, like, 4 turtles in a bowl. And I was like, look, I found pets. We're keeping them. And my mom, like, I've only now as an adult realized what it was that she did, but she was like, oh, well, their habitat is outside. So we'll just put them in the bowl and leave them outside, and they'll they'll stay there. And we'll put some food for them. And of course, they left. They were not in the bowl the next day but Yeah. That was her way of of gently, like, getting rid of the turtles that I just brought home to keep. Yeah.

Speaker 0: 20:30

So And and as far as us running feral in the 19 eighties, we managed to survive somehow. We we didn't have to be bubble wrapped and

Speaker 1: 20:38

I almost got kidnapped. Everything. I legit almost got kidnapped. I had a man come up to me in a car and and try to get me into his car. I had to run and he chased me.

Speaker 0: 20:47

So But we survived. Mean, I I used to ride the back of a pickup truck down down the road, going down the road.

Speaker 1: 20:53

Yep.

Speaker 0: 20:53

Yeah. But we survived. But anyway, he has the turtle to Laura. Laura takes the turtle and turns halfway cuddling the turtle in her hands.

Speaker 1: 21:02

Poor turtle.

Speaker 0: 21:03

She then looks back at Vinny and asks who he is. Oh, Vinny Dowd, he says by way of introduction. And then pleadingly, he tells Lauren Steele that he's in trouble and needs their help.

Speaker 1: 21:12

Okay. Did Mildred give him the address? Of course.

Speaker 0: 21:18

That's what Mildred does. Oh, you wanna go to their apartment? Yeah. Here. Try this 1. If they're not there, try this 1.

Speaker 1: 21:24

Has he never heard of office hours? Like, he's obviously just escaped, but how would he know where to find their home unless he called the office and Mildred said, oh, yeah. You can find them here. Mildred.

Speaker 0: 21:33

That's right. Come on. I mean, it's the only possible explanation. Yeah. Either that or Laura's got her name and address in the phone book and he just

Speaker 1: 21:42

Bad guys. Find me here. Yeah.

Speaker 0: 21:47

Well, Steele wonder Steele wonders if it wouldn't have been easier for Vinny to just, you know, use the door. Right. And Laura, frowning at the name, suddenly has a realization. Vincent Dowd, the LeBlanc kidnapping, she asks. And desperately, Vinnie confirms her question, but then declares that he didn't do it, and they've gotta believe him. And, Remington recalls that he had been convicted for murder, life imprisonment. Yeah. Vinnie says, but he was framed. And when Steele asks who framed him, Vinnie grins and points at himself and says, gleefully says me.

Speaker 1: 22:23

He's so

Speaker 0: 22:24

proud of himself.

Speaker 1: 22:25

Yeah. He's real, like, real real, like, puffed up about this. Yes.

Speaker 0: 22:31

Well, Laura's response is harsh and disbelieving. You framed yourself and Vinnie Vinnie's grin turns to a frown as he admits that, yeah, he did a humdinger of a job, didn't he? Laura and Remington look each other for a brief moment, and then Laura turns and ducks her head and heads toward the phone. Benny rushes up behind her and stammers. Hey. Wait. Wait. Wait. Just a minute. Although Laura ignores him, Steele gestures to get her attention. And as she turns to Steele, she sees that he's pointing toward Vinny, more specifically toward the gun that Vinny's pulled out of his pocket of his hospital robe. And then they both raise their hands because that's what you do when somebody points a gun at you.

Speaker 1: 23:09

No. Yeah. Usually I mean, I've never had it happen to me, but I assume that's what I would do.

Speaker 0: 23:13

So I know you do because that's what happens on TV all the Exactly.

Speaker 1: 23:18

Well, they also put their gun down their pants all the time on TV.

Speaker 0: 23:21

Well, that's that's true too. So, yeah. There's that. Yeah. Well, in a casual tone, as as if he's just simply asking for a favor, Vinnie tells him that this is just gonna take a minute and Steele responds that, well, since he put it like that, they'll just sit down. Well, agreeing that they should take a load off, then he walks them over to the couch and then begins telling them his tale of woe. He's a school bus driver. Never been sick a day in his life. And then 1 day, bam, he blacks out. Doctor says he's got some sort of terminal brain disease. And still finds that he's not surprised.

Speaker 1: 23:57

And I I like the fact that they don't actually give a name to any to whatever his brain issue is. Sure. Because whatever it is, it's I'm gonna say, I I would call bullcrap on being able to completely cure somebody after they've been declared terminal Mhmm. Without any after effects or any, like, damage or muscle. Like so just vaguely saying, yeah, I've got some terminal brain disease kind of absolves them of having to worry about finding what it yeah. Could actually Exactly. Yeah. It's a good call.

Speaker 0: 24:27

And and and keeps it from straying into the realm of science fiction.

Speaker 1: 24:31

Yes. Exactly.

Speaker 0: 24:32

Anyway, Vinny chuckles and says, well, you know, that's the brakes. But at least his wife, Nedra, gets the insurance money. But then in a frustrated tone, he says, well, they checked the policy only to find out that it doesn't cover this sort of thing. And angrily, Laura says, we're listening. I'll continue. And then he says, well, then there's this exercise guy, Lance LeBlanc. He gets kidnapped. Couple days pass, they find a body. So his wife offers a huge reward. And in a less hostile tone than before, Laura asks, $250,000, wasn't it? In cash, Vinnie says eagerly. And then he gets an idea. He'll become the kidnapped killer, and Nidra collects the reward. Steele interrupts saying that considering his medical condition, the police would see right through that in a minute. Right, Vinnie concurs, but he's got a plan. Plant evidence against himself and then tip-off the cops with an anonymous letter claiming to be his accomplice. Well, now intrigued, Laura remembers that the alleged accomplice was never found, but somehow got away with the reward money. Vinnie moves to the couch then sits down beside Laura who recoils back. She's real. Vinnie's very careless handling of the gun. In fact, she's She's just so been waving gun around. Concerned with using it to keep Laura and Steele at bay during his entire story.

Speaker 1: 25:51

It's completely like a prop at this point. He's not even Yeah. He's not really paying attention.

Speaker 0: 25:57

Then he says, pretty smart. And the cops bust him, stake out the post office where he set up the ransom, and then he begins laughing as he concludes that the police don't know that he's already arranged to have the mail forwarded to another box in a different town. I think they would have figured that out. But anyway, where his wife picks it up, Steele concludes. And then suddenly, has a quarter of $1,000,000

Speaker 1: 26:19

He for he this is okay. So this point, you can see the look on Steele's face that he's Mhmm. Kind of impressed with Vinny and that he's buying the story at least enough to be like, you know, that again that somewhat professional respect. Because although Vinny is not a con man by nature, this is a con that Vinny managed to pull off and steals like, oh, where your wife picked it up. Okay. I see you. He's got some of He just likes the he likes the craft. Yeah.

Speaker 0: 26:48

Exactly. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 26:49

I mean It's real cute. I

Speaker 0: 26:53

mean, he he he may not approve of the particular details of the con Yeah. From this from a the standpoint that he's now Remington Steele. He's trying to stop grime. But, yeah, he admires the the quality work.

Speaker 1: 27:07

Yeah. Exact and Laura, she's at still she's still at the stage where she doesn't really believe him, but he's just kinda like, oh, okay. You slide down. Well, I see what you did. It's good.

Speaker 0: 27:16

And and it's got enough believability for Steele that he buys it.

Speaker 1: 27:21

Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 0: 27:23

Anyway, with satisfaction, Vinny says that everything was going perfect. Then a couple of months ago, he was strolling around the prison yard and started to feel dizzy. His head feels like it's gonna spit his eyeballs out or something. And then bang, he hits the deck. And he's thinking, Edra, baby, this is it. I'm history. And Laura demands. Then he tells him that next thing he knows, he's waking up in a prison ward of a hospital. Turns out some brilliant young doctor used him as a guinea pig, and he's cured. He's gonna live. And then in anguish, he says, but it's gonna be behind bars for the rest of his life for something he never did.

Speaker 1: 28:01

So I have a question. Okay. Because whatever whatever this doctor did Mhmm. Saved his saved his life and cured him. And he had been declared uncurable prior to this. So I'm wondering I know that doctors are required to get consent for major medical procedures

Speaker 0: 28:21

Mhmm.

Speaker 1: 28:22

From the patient's But if his family's not available and he's collapsed Mhmm. Whatever he did obviously cured him. But would the doctor have had the ability to just decide to do whatever experimental procedure he did, or would the doctor just be required to just save the man's life? Or if does it matter that he's a prisoner and it and he so he did whatever the heck he wanted to do because he's I'm always wondering about something like this.

Speaker 0: 28:53

Was wondering about that. Yeah. I I know that when there's a medical emergency and somebody's unconscious, they try to get consent from next to kin. And if they can Yeah. I guess that their only function at that point, the only thing they're allowed to do at that point is save save the person's life. But if saving their life cures them, I I guess it's a twofer.

Speaker 1: 29:24

Yeah. Yeah. Well, I'm I'm not saying it wasn't. I'm just I was just kind of curious because I'm

Speaker 0: 29:30

guessing At some point, that you would have thought that there would have been have to have had they that they would had to have had consent of some some sort from somebody.

Speaker 1: 29:39

What I'm guessing happened is that this maverick doctor saw him on the table and thought, this is a chance to try this new experimental thing Mhmm. And managed to and figured there was no downside to it if he died because he was already declared terminal. It would just be like a whoopsie, guess he didn't make it.

Speaker 0: 29:56

Well, and I and I wouldn't be surprised if in the real world, that sort of thing doesn't actually happen. I mean, a doctor sees an opportunity to try something and, hey, let's go for it. If it works True. Great. If it doesn't Well, he clearly assumed

Speaker 1: 30:10

that Vinny would be thrilled to be not only alive True. But completely cured. Yeah.

Speaker 0: 30:18

Anyway, so as Vinny's telling his story and and comments about being locked up for the rest of his life, Steele says that, oh, so you took a hike. Well, I panicked, and he admits. And in disgust, Laura declares this to be the most preposterous story she's ever heard.

Speaker 1: 30:35

I gotta say, like, I'm not saying that Laura should be buying this hook, line and sinker

Speaker 0: 30:40

Mhmm.

Speaker 1: 30:40

But she's she should be good at reading people. And this guy does not scream mastermind killer. Not a single part of him says diabolical, cold blooded murderer. The man can't even hold the gun right. There should be at least a kernel of doubt in her mind, the way there is with Steele, who's kind of like, yeah, okay. I can see how this could be what you did. Because he's not he's Vinny. He's just kind of a doofus. You know? It's almost

Speaker 0: 31:16

it's almost so preposterous a story that you it it almost compels you to at least consider it.

Speaker 1: 31:26

Consider it.

Speaker 0: 31:26

Yeah. Nobody in their right mind would make up such a convoluted story. Thank you. Least somewhat true.

Speaker 1: 31:33

Yeah. And if he was really the killer, he wouldn't have broken into their home and and pulled a gun. He like, if it were me, I'd be going to Mexico. I'd be getting as far away as humanly possible. I'd be on my way to a non extradition country just to like, you know, put all of it behind me. But no, he's he's gone to them to say, hey, this is what I I'm innocent. I didn't really do this. I framed myself. Please help me. Also, kind of an idiot. Yeah. Put 2 and 2 together, Laura. I'm just saying.

Speaker 0: 32:01

Yeah. Because I mean, after all, his wife has got $250,000.

Speaker 1: 32:04

She could join him. Exactly.

Speaker 0: 32:06

And they could live You know. Live in luxury down in, you know, Mexico or Baja or wherever, you know.

Speaker 1: 32:15

Well, if she wasn't also kind of awful, but

Speaker 0: 32:18

Well, yeah. But he doesn't know that. So

Speaker 1: 32:20

No. Not yet.

Speaker 0: 32:21

Anyway, Laura, who does not believe the story, starts to rise from the couch. But Vinny holds her back and holding out the gun, puts it into Laura's hand and tells her, well, if you don't believe me, go on. Take it. And as Laura Laura's holding the gun like it's a snake about to bite her. Yeah. Which is kind of funny because, I mean, we've seen her hold guns before.

Speaker 1: 32:42

Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 0: 32:43

It it just her reaction here is just kinda weird.

Speaker 1: 32:46

It is weird. Her reaction to this guy is really weird in general because even though, like, I get her being uncomfortable on the couch because he's waving But the gun he his whole being screams harmless. And usually, she's able to pick up on this stuff. Steele has picked up on it. He's not Yeah. He's not worried about the guy. And he's literally handed the gun to Laura saying like, hey, don't blame me here. Take the gun. Like, that should be I don't know. I she seems weirdly scared of him when he's not when he's maybe okay. And if we were

Speaker 0: 33:20

Concerning perhaps is appropriate but Yeah. She's overreacting to the situation.

Speaker 1: 33:25

If if this show were in any way not as episodic as it is Mhmm. 1 could read into it that because of what happened with Wally and this man's in her home

Speaker 0: 33:35

Well, that's true.

Speaker 1: 33:36

That this is you know, I don't think that that's what was intended because, again, they forget about these episodes, like, they're so episodic. But if we were to actually try to piece it together in terms of her psyche, she had somebody who kind of looked a little bit like Vinnie come into her home. Well, I mean, in the sort of like the doughy faced kind of like goofy innocent sort of like demeanor. I'm not talking about like physical, but just like the whole Yeah.

Speaker 0: 34:01

But the presence. The presentation. The personality Yeah.

Speaker 1: 34:04

And then and then bring a gun, her gun, and essentially, he seemed harmless and turned out to be very not harmless. So that part, I can sort of say, okay. But that's not what they obviously were going for. That's just me kind of putting

Speaker 0: 34:18

it in Well, anyway, as Laura's sitting there holding the gun, Vinny starts to kinda panic a little bit. He tells him that Yeah. He's putting his fate in their hands. They are his only hope only 1. They gotta find out who killed Lance LeBlanc LeBlanc and get him off the hook. And suddenly, there's a knock on the door and a voice calling out, please open up. Panicked, Vinnie grabs the gun back from Laura having suddenly decided what, you know, he better keep his fate in his own hands for a while.

Speaker 1: 34:48

Yeah.

Speaker 0: 34:48

He gets up, pats Steele on the arm telling him, you'll keep in touch. And heads toward the window that he crashed through earlier. After he departs, Laura goes to the door where the knocking is continuing. And slides

Speaker 1: 35:01

I know you don't like her outfit, but her hair looks really good here. Doesn't it? It looks It's a bit of a

Speaker 0: 35:07

different style. It's something like this before, I think. Here we go.

Speaker 1: 35:12

Because they normally have her bangs either down and framing her face or they have them like back. In this case, they've got them sort of like around her head and then like the hair is down below it. It's this is this hairstyle she's never had before. But it looks good on her because it's it's done up nicely enough that it's you can tell there she's done something to it, but it's not Mhmm. So done up that there's like, you know, so much hairspray in it that there's an extra hole in the ozone layer. So I think she looks I I think the hair looks quite nice even if you hate the really cool outfit she's wearing. I would wear that outfit. I would 1000% wear that outfit.

Speaker 0: 35:50

Oh, that scares me. That really scares me. Anyway, let's see. Where were we? I see. We did that 1. We did that 1. She walked over. Oh, yes.

Speaker 1: 36:02

She's opening the door.

Speaker 0: 36:02

Laura slides open the door to reveal a tallish man in a suit and tie. And Laura clearly knows him because she greets him as a detective and then he calls her by her name. He apologizes for bothering her, but there's an escaped con in the neighborhood and the police are going door to door. Then he asks if she's seen anything suspicious. And she begins to tell him, that they were just entertaining the convict in question. But strolling up behind her, Steele cuts her off telling the officer that they were wondering what all the commotion was about.

Speaker 1: 36:31

Good for you, Steele.

Speaker 0: 36:32

Laura, picking up on Steele's cue, although perhaps reluctantly, tells Steele, oh, you remember detective Zweigenhauer Zweigenhauer and annoyed the detective corrects her, Hoff. Zweigenhoff. And he reminds Steele that they met on the Buxton Sears case about a year ago. And I looked up the name Zweigenhoff just because.

Speaker 1: 36:55

Yeah. Because it's a weird that is a weird ass name. It

Speaker 0: 36:58

is. It's 1 of those names where you wonder how how they picked it.

Speaker 1: 37:05

And I I usually assume there's somebody on the crew that had that name and they just decided, hey, we'll go with Bob's last name. We need a name.

Speaker 0: 37:12

The surname Zwagan Half, which spelled with an a, although in the in the script, the version is spelled with an o, has its roots in Eastern European Jewish communities, particularly within the Ashkenazi tradition. The name is believed to be derived from the Yiddish words meaning branch and half, which could relate to a place or specific characteristic, possibly indicating the connection to nature or a geographical feature. Historically, surnames among Jewish populations were often adopted in the late 18th to early 19th century, particularly during the period of the Napoleonic Wars when many Jewish families were required to take on fixed surnames for administrative purposes. As such, Zweigenhof may have been originally associated with families living near a notable tree or branching river, reflecting their environment or occupation as landowners or farmers. And culturally, the surname Zweigenhaft may exhibit variations in spelling and pronunciations across different regions, particularly as Jewish communities migrated throughout Europe and then later to The Americas. Variants include Zweigenhof as we have spelled in the script.

Speaker 1: 38:19

Yeah.

Speaker 0: 38:20

Or Zweigenhof, a u f, reflecting the phonetic adoptions to local languages and dialects. So there you go. They

Speaker 1: 38:30

this is interesting because they obviously couldn't use Jarvis here given what ends up happening at the end. Right? Right. And they inch like, Laura makes a point of reminding Seal. Oh, yeah. We've met on this case a year ago. Obviously, we didn't see that. It was supposed to be a case that has happened off screen. But he makes a comment to her later on about what she was like back in Havenhurst. And I would really love to know more about what because their relationship in this episode is really antagonistic. Like, it's Yes. Extremely. Mean, I know he's he's also turns out to be the bad guy. But like, there just seems to be this hostility that feels almost over the top unless there's something that we don't know about that happened.

Speaker 0: 39:15

Well, we don't we definitely don't know about it. My my question was, had he at 1 point and I had this in my notes later on, but since you brought it up, we'll go ahead and discuss it now. My my my question was, had he actually worked for Havenhurst at the same time as Laura, 1st of all?

Speaker 1: 39:32

Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 0: 39:33

And secondly, had he left in disgrace?

Speaker 1: 39:37

I kinda wondered that too because I assumed that he had worked that was my assumption, that he had worked at Havenhurst and that he had either been kicked out or left or fired or whatever because then he decided to go through the police track and become a detective. Mhmm. It I don't see any other I mean, I guess he could have been a police detective at the time or a police officer at the time.

Speaker 0: 40:04

And they butted heads on a case that she was handling Yeah.

Speaker 1: 40:07

While at Havenhurst. More like he's referencing Havenhurst as a place where they were both together there. So, yeah. I just, I would love to know more and I wish there was at least 1 other line that's kind of like, gave us some of that background. But Mhmm. Either way.

Speaker 0: 40:24

Well, there's there's 2 fan fiction possibilities right there. Oh, I'm sorry. And

Speaker 1: 40:30

Oh, 0, yeah. Okay. Sorry. I thought you were referencing actual fan fictions.

Speaker 0: 40:34

And Zweigenhof back at Havenhurst with Laura. So Yeah.

Speaker 1: 40:38

You go. There's your homework.

Speaker 0: 40:39

That's right. There's your homework for the day. Your weekly homework. That's right. Yeah. Well, Steele looks off in the distance trying to recall the Buxton Sears case, then recalling it says or asks how the detective is doing. Disinterested in Steele, he offhandedly says, yeah, he's fine. And then peering past Laura and Remington, he catches sight of the mess that Vinny created in the kitchen. Broken glass, broken window frame, debris strewn all over the floor, and asks what it's about. And Steele glances back at the mess and then excuses it as a little accident, adding that it's a miracle no 1 was hurt. But the sound of garbage cans being knocked over out back, Zweigenhof runs into the loft toward the demolished window. He looks out, spots Vinnie, then calls on the radio. He's in the alley. He runs back from the kitchen to the front door, and as he approaches the door, there's a crunching sound underfoot. Oh, no. I hate this.

Speaker 1: 41:32

Laura I hate this.

Speaker 0: 41:34

Laura stiffens with shock mixed with fear on her face. Swagenhof looks down then at Laura and tells her, sorry about the turtle.

Speaker 1: 41:41

I okay.

Speaker 0: 41:42

I have Just casually.

Speaker 1: 41:44

I have real troubles watching anything where an animal dies. Like, I'm totally fine with watching stuff where people die. Animals, I I really struggle with. Even like turtles. Small, innocent little turtles. So every time they made this gag, I was just like so sad. And I know it's silly because it's a turtle, but like

Speaker 0: 42:02

And no turtles were harmed in the the making of this movie.

Speaker 1: 42:06

I mean, I don't know if I've told the how I don't know if I've explained this whole, I can't watch an animal die in any way shape or form in a movie, but there's a the John Wick series is a good example of this where I don't know if you've ever seen these movies. But the 1st movie basically is Keanu Reeves, and he plays like a retired hitman whose wife has passed away from cancer. And the last thing that she's given him is this puppy. And he loves the puppy, and he he runs afoul of this gang member who decides to come and Steele his car. And in the in the process of it, they kill his dog. And so he comes out of retirement and basically just kills everybody. And I really wanted to see the movie

Speaker 0: 42:44

because From the way you describe it, it sounds like his reaction might be a little over the top.

Speaker 1: 42:50

Oh, no. His reaction is totally in proportion. If someone hurt my dog, they'd be dead. But like I really wanted to see the movie. I saw the trailer, and I was like, I wanna see this. This looks so good, but I can't watch a movie where the dog dies. I can't do it. And Scott was like, we'll figure it out. We'll find a way. So we went to the theatre, and we're in the theatre, and we're at the scene where they break into his his house, and I know that it's coming. And he Scott turns to me and he says, you're gonna wanna go and get some popcorn now. And so I'm like, yeah, yeah, I do. So I go and I get the popcorn. I come back, and I asked Scott what happened, and he said, the doggy got away. And I said, oh, and he's like, yeah, it got put into witness puppy protection, and it's fine. And he's just pretending that the dog is dead so that all the criminals think the dog is dead so that nobody comes after the dog. Very that movie every time I literally every time we watch it, I leave the room, come back, and pretend he's in witness puppy protection because I can't watch. So this turtle getting stepped on it really bothers me. I get really upset.

Speaker 0: 43:48

Brilliant, Scott. Brilliant.

Speaker 1: 43:50

He's a good husband. Like, that's that's the that's the way to handle this. Right? But I just even the the turtle gag makes me sad because poor Phyllis. Didn't deserve that. No. And neither did Phyllis the 2nd.

Speaker 0: 44:02

No. Well, after, Ms. Wiegenthoff kind of apologizes about the turtle, Laura looks down. She's got a disgusted and sick look on her face as she does.

Speaker 1: 44:12

That probably doesn't look pleasant.

Speaker 0: 44:13

And I'm sure it's a gooey mess. I'm sure it's not not a pretty sight.

Speaker 1: 44:17

Thank you for that image. Appreciate that.

Speaker 0: 44:20

You're welcome. Anyway, next we're at the office and we see an exercise video playing on a monitor. And a muscular man has a set of weights in each hand lifting them and of course,

Speaker 1: 44:35

he's

Speaker 0: 44:35

shirtless. And is in Mildred is in the office with Steele watching and she appreciatively murmurs, oh, boy. Steele letters, down Mildred. And

Speaker 1: 44:49

I would like to point out he's wearing that awful suit jacket that I want to burn. Mhmm. Yep. Laura though, okay, you may not have liked her previous output, but you have to think she looks good in this green dress and the matching fedora. Mhmm.

Speaker 0: 44:59

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 45:00

Like that that looks good. But funny to see

Speaker 0: 45:03

not like

Speaker 1: 45:04

just the it's not just the fact that they're working out in this video. It's that whoever has, this is obviously either some advertisement or some promotional video. Mhmm. They've literally gone and covered these people in in in in, like, liquid to make it look like they're sweating. Mhmm. But it just looks ridiculous. Like, nobody sweats quite that much. So they're, like, oiled up and they're grunting and then Mildred, she's like

Speaker 0: 45:30

Tongue hanging out Yeah. Steals down,

Speaker 1: 45:34

Mildred. It's very very well done. I love it.

Speaker 0: 45:38

Well, and then, of course, the video pulls back from the man to reveal a woman next to him wearing call it an exercise outfit. Sure.

Speaker 1: 45:46

We'll call it that.

Speaker 0: 45:47

And and I've got my notes here. It says, and speaking of outfits, Steele is once again wearing that leather suit jacket that Sarah hates so much.

Speaker 1: 45:55

Hate this jacket. Why can't we burn it? Kill it with fire. It's horrible.

Speaker 0: 46:01

Well, Lauren comes in carrying a box that looks like it could contain Chinese takeout. Steele turns off the video as Mildred complains. What a waste. Lance LeBlanc? Laura asks. Lunch? Steele asks, gesturing to the box in Laura's hand. No. A replacement for Phyllis. Who's Phyllis? Mildred asks. A turtle, Laura replies. And confused, Mildred asks, what turtle?

Speaker 1: 46:27

That is weird. It is weird to see her wander into the office with a turtle in a box. Like, that would be completely out of left field without an explanation.

Speaker 0: 46:35

Turtle in a box. Turtle a box. Turtle in That's a turtle. Make a fast food place out of it. Turtle in a box.

Speaker 1: 46:42

Oh, I was just thinking, am I not good enough for the turtle club? Turtle turtle. It's Saturday night. I think it's Saturday Night Live. Anyway

Speaker 0: 46:51

Turtle in a box where they they serve yes. Anyway Yeah. Steele is lucky to documents in a file and he tells Mildred that he'll explain later. Then to Laura, he says, about this case. Laura interrupts, incredulous. Don't tell me you believe that story we heard last night. Steele says that he and Mildred have been going over the case and he thinks and Laura interrupts again, pointing out that the man was a condemned murderer, and condemned men will go to great lengths to escape their fate. Now, Steele is incredulous, saying that she just saw the video. Does she really think that Vinny killed that man? And he begins reading from the report with a blow to the head with a blunt object. And unwilling to concede the point, Laura insists that she does believe it. Mildred argues that Lance would have pulverized the man just by flexing. Okay.

Speaker 1: 47:44

Yes and no. I'm gonna push back on this a tiny little bit because I knew I knew a person who was a bodybuilder, like, did Mhmm. Competitions and stuff like that. And the thing that you don't realize is that they don't look like that all the time. But when they're coming up to competitions, there's certain things not talking steroids. Just certain things that they do to basically maximize the muscle and and what you see like when they get up on the stage, so they can do their, you know, this and this and whatever. And usually, they're extremely weak on competition days. And I'm not saying that this would have been because we don't know if Lance was

Speaker 0: 48:23

They're weak on

Speaker 1: 48:24

competition because of severe dehydration and sodium manipulation. Drain the fluid. Basically, they they stop drinking water because it actually makes the muscles stand out. It it when water is stripped away, it achieves kind of like a dry look on stage and the muscles shrink, but they alter the mechanical leverage fibers and basically allow them to like I know this sounds all, like, weird, but like when they do the the posing and whatnot, it actually makes aggressively cutting water and salts kind of like messes with their electrolyte imbalance and it makes the muscles kind of pop more. It it so it yeah. It but it it causes them to be extremely fatigued. It causes them to be very weak on these competition days. And that's why, like, you'll see pictures of, Arnold Schwarzenegger when he's on on stage and he's like, you know, you can see, like, it just looks like he's about to like, his arms are gonna explode because they're, like, huge. But then Mhmm. You see him in some movies where he doesn't look quite as big, it's because he's not dehydrated.

Speaker 0: 49:29

So Okay. But the rest of the time, they've got strength. And so unless unless he was killed on a competition day, he would have been at regular regular eating, regular strength.

Speaker 1: 49:42

And Well, no. Because there is still a lot of restriction when they're when they're prepping for this. Because like I said, I I a friend of mine used to do this, he would have, like when he was leading up to and again, I don't we don't even know if Lance competitions. I'm just kind of like saying Right. Doesn't it's not he's not necessarily going to be super duper strong because if he was doing that, when you're leading up to competitions, you're restricting, restricting, restricting. Yes. You are working out a ton, but there's also a lot that your body's not getting. Mhmm. And so it it actually you cycle. So my friend would do this and he would like, 9, 10 days before competition, stop eating this, stop drinking this, stop doing this, stop doing this. And then, of course, afterwards, he'd go to Burger King. And he would just, like, you know, pound the pound the past food back. So it and again, I don't know if Lance Blanc was a bodybuilder at all, like, he was competitions or whatever. But when she says, like, he'd pulverize him just by flexing, I thought, well, it depends. If it's game day, not necessarily. He'd be very Well,

Speaker 0: 50:44

the other thing is that we don't get a whole lot of detail about the impact on Lance LeBlanc's head, where it was, and that sort of thing. So it's entirely conceivable that somebody who's a 98 weakling could have actually taken him out Yeah. With the right tool, right utensil

Speaker 1: 51:02

Oh, yeah.

Speaker 0: 51:02

Right device

Speaker 1: 51:03

Get somebody

Speaker 0: 51:04

sneak up behind him, whatever, you know.

Speaker 1: 51:06

By surprise, they're not gonna be able to do too much if you're if they don't see it coming. Yeah.

Speaker 0: 51:10

And and leverage is an amazing thing.

Speaker 1: 51:12

Yeah.

Speaker 0: 51:13

And so if you got the right tool with the right leverage, yeah, you can you can you can do some damage.

Speaker 1: 51:18

Anyway, that's just my my excuse to randomly inject that knowledge that I have about bodybuilding because

Speaker 0: 51:24

I have nothing to do with the episode. We just kind of shoehorned it in and It does. It ended.

Speaker 1: 51:29

When when she made that comment, I thought, well, it depends. Is he is he doing this for competition? But then, you know, I don't we don't know. We don't get that information.

Speaker 0: 51:37

Well, Steele argues that Vinnie went to a lot of trouble to see them. And so how about if they just go over and see Vinnie's wife? And if she doesn't confirm the story, then they'll drop the whole thing. Promise? Laura asks sternly. Absolutely, Steele says. Which is code for, no, not really, but I'll see whatever have to to get my way.

Speaker 1: 51:56

Yeah. Not a chance.

Speaker 0: 51:58

And then after considering for a moment, Laura hands the box to Mildred, instructing her to make sure Phyllis has enough water.

Speaker 1: 52:04

I would If I were Mildred, I'd be like, this is not in my job description, so there's gonna need to be some sort of raise. Turtle sitting is not in my list of responsibilities.

Speaker 0: 52:14

Well, and as Laura and Steele leave the office, Mildred peeks into the box and gives a disgusting She's

Speaker 1: 52:20

apparently not offended. Turtles are cute. Darn And

Speaker 0: 52:23

and they're kinda clean animals, guess.

Speaker 1: 52:26

They're pretty harmless. Yeah. They crawl around and look adorable.

Speaker 0: 52:30

Mhmm. Anyway, at the Dowd home, Laura and Steele are on a couch with Nedra who is asking in surprise, he told you he was cured? Laura ignores the question, instead asking if the woman's husband was telling the truth. Well, just then, a crashing sound comes from behind and above. Glass and window framing material fall from the ceiling followed by Vinny Dowd.

Speaker 1: 52:52

K. I'm gonna call bullcrap on this 1 too because we used to have a skylight in our kitchen. Mhmm. And those things, you could not crash through that skylight if you wanted to. They are thick, thick plexiglass. Like, you can't just fall through a skylight. Especially not the type of skylight that the the camera sort of pale pans up to it for half a 2nd. Like, we had 1 like that in our kitchen and we used to climb out onto the roof Mhmm. For fun. We used to go through the used to go through the bathroom window onto the garage roof, and then we'd climb up and we'd go and look down into the skylight and be like, hi, and scare the crap out of my mom because it was fun. Those things were like, you could not break them. I'm I don't know. I I cobble.

Speaker 0: 53:36

Well, I'm gonna say that probably most would be, especially nowadays, designed as you're you're describing and probably many at this time would have been described like that or designed like that, but maybe not all of them. So I I'll I'll say there's a possibility. You're right. It probably isn't a huge possibility or a probability, but I I I think the possibility is there. So we'll we'll hand wave. Hand wave, your favorite thing to do. Hand wave. Anyway, the 3 jump up startled at the sound and then Nedra rushes around the couch calling out, Vinny. She helps him to his feet and they hug. After a moment, Vinny asks, new skylight, It caught me by surprise. Nothing faces this guy.

Speaker 1: 54:21

Not at all. He's just totally even when he finds out at the end, he's just like, yeah. Okay. That's fair. Like, it's just like, what? Dude.

Speaker 0: 54:33

Halnedra asks if it's really true that he's cured and yet he veneishes her that it's true. He hugs her again and then looks up what's left of the skylight desks. So what? Did you put that 1 in yourself? Vinny, Vinny, Vinny. She says, no. She had it done, which I mean, I I suppose if she's really, really handy, she might have been able to do it herself,

Speaker 1: 54:55

but probably wouldn't have. See that being something anybody would do themselves. But that doesn't

Speaker 0: 54:59

Not when they got $250,000 to spend. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 55:02

Well, unless you're, like, a really knowledgeable home reno type person. Yeah. That's something you're gonna hire somebody for. That's not something you do yourself.

Speaker 0: 55:11

Yeah. Water leaks are are are not a good thing. No. So anyway, she says she had it done and Vinny begins looking around admiring the house, observing the the place looks great and commenting that it must have cost a fortune. And as he looks around fortune. Yes. As he looks around, he's he jumps startled to see Remington and Laura, and Steele gives him a finger waggle wave as Vinny asks what they're doing there. Steele tells him that they've decided to take the case, except that Laura, of course, isn't gonna say mine is Steele.

Speaker 1: 55:44

Yeah. She

Speaker 0: 55:45

asks Vinnie to excuse him for a moment and pull Steele aside, asking if he's aware of the ramifications of aiding and abetting an escaped felon.

Speaker 1: 55:52

Oh, come on. Like, they haven't done it before.

Speaker 0: 55:55

That's right.

Speaker 1: 55:56

This is not the 1st time. And sometimes, Steele was the known felon. So

Speaker 0: 56:01

Yes. But, you know, this is different.

Speaker 1: 56:04

Sure.

Speaker 0: 56:06

I mean, that that that's the time worn excuse that everybody uses when they wanna

Speaker 1: 56:11

Yeah. But this one's different.

Speaker 0: 56:13

Be hypocritical. This is different. Anyway, Steele suggests that unless somebody aids and abets him quickly, he is gonna slice himself to death by falling through windows. Which is a point. Laura insists on knowing why he's so determined to help Vinny. And offhandedly, Steele tells her, oh, let's just say he reminds me of a young man I once knew who was in trouble and on the run. And Laura calmly concludes that Steele really believes that Vinny's telling the truth, doesn't he? And there's a noticeable shift in her attitude from I don't and get it to and from I don't get it and you've gotta be kidding disbelief to kind of a compassionate acceptance.

Speaker 1: 56:53

Yeah. And this is the season 4 effect that I'm that we've been pointing out because this would not have happened in season 2. She would have fought him until she saw evidence that Vinny was innocent or that he she would not have just trusted him on his word or his instincts the same way that she's doing here. Because she's I mean, and and his off handed I knew a young man that was on the run once. Mhmm. I mean, he's probably talking the most about himself.

Speaker 0: 57:20

Sure. And she picks up on that.

Speaker 1: 57:22

Yeah. It's even even with that, even without that Mhmm. I think that if he had just said, listen, I have a feeling, it's an instinct, call it whatever, but I think he's innocent, I think she still would have gone with it. She doesn't really fight him after this. She she basically just says, alright, I trust you, your instinct on this, and she goes with it, which I like.

Speaker 0: 57:42

Mhmm. Well, he says, yes, he does believe that Vinnie's innocent. So softly, Laura says, alright. She turns to Vinnie and Nedra and confirms that, okay. Yes. They will take the case. And Vinnie is happy until Laura adds a condition. He's got to turn himself in. Oh, no, Vinny. And says, he can't do that. Nedra pulls her arms around and pleads, oh, please don't make him go back. In desperation, Vinny begins, I can help. After all, who knows more about the whole blood kidnapping than I do? Presumably, the kidnapper, Steele, suggests. Yeah. And Yeah. Well, yeah. Besides him, Vinny says and Steele frowns and then, as an aside, tells Laura that he has a point. And dismayed, Laura asks what they're gonna do with him. Steele stammers that he could stay at Steele's place. And of course, Vinny's excited and he runs to get his clothes. And Laura tells Steele that she doesn't like this. No. Vinny comes back in, confused, wondering what happened to all this stuff. Hello, Vinny.

Speaker 1: 58:52

Yeah. This this should not surprise him, this this this part. Because Yeah.

Speaker 0: 58:56

I mean

Speaker 1: 58:56

I mean, the rest of the stuff with Nedra, obviously, I'm gonna go ahead and guess she probably never visited him in prison. And that should have been a sign.

Speaker 0: 59:05

Mhmm. But

Speaker 1: 59:06

And yeah.

Speaker 0: 59:07

Yeah. I mean, she she says, well, I didn't think you were coming back, which hello? Yeah. I

Speaker 1: 59:13

mean That makes sense.

Speaker 0: 59:14

That makes Why didn't she think of that?

Speaker 1: 59:17

Because she thought he was terminal. But we don't I mean, and this is just my assumption based on what we find out about Nedra at the end. But I'm assuming she never once came to visit him, and it didn't clue into Vinny that that wasn't that something wasn't right about that. Because if you would think that if she truly loved him the way that Vinny thinks she does, that she would have come and visited him whenever she could because she would have known that his time was short and would have wanted to yeah. Well,

Speaker 0: 59:47

sounding as if almost as if he's on the verge of tears, he asks, so you got rid of all my stuff? And when she nods, he says, my bowling ball? Nods again. And Vinny sighs, glances down at his hospital robe, and then in resignation says, well, I guess I can go like this. Well, Nedra remembers that there's still a bag of clothes for the thrift store, suggesting that maybe there's something in there. What else would there be, Nedra?

Speaker 1: 1:00:16

Yeah.

Speaker 0: 1:00:17

The 2 run out of the room leaving Steele and Laura. Well, next, Steele and Laura are in the rabbit, top down, driving through the sunny streets.

Speaker 1: 1:00:26

With a known felon in the back of the car.

Speaker 0: 1:00:30

Except we don't see that yet. Laura's driving and complaining. Lance LeBlanc was murdered over a year ago. They have no clues and a cold trail at that. Steele points out that they don't have to solve Lance LeBlanc's kidnapping. They only have to prove that Vinnie didn't do it. Oh, Laura counters that it's too bad Vinnie doesn't have an alibi. And then we hear Vinny, still in seat, but as you said, hiding in the back seat say, wait a minute, I do. He sits up wearing a bright Hawaiian shirt and extremely dark sunglasses. Looking ridiculous.

Speaker 1: 1:01:02

A more a more, like, loud outfit. He picked the loudest outfit in that proof bag.

Speaker 0: 1:01:08

That's right. Well, I mean, in all fairness, it might have been the only thing left in there. True. But, yeah, it's probably not the best choice, let's say. Anyway, he sits up, and he tells Steele and Laura that the night that LeBlanc was kidnapped, he was bowling with the guy he used to work with. Steele waves Vinnie back down out of sight, and Laura asks, what guy? Vinny sits up again responding to Laura's query. Frank Dunn said that I was supposed to meet him at bowling alley that night, but that I never showed up. This time, Steele reaches back and shoves Vinny down. And Lark Lark can't believe it. He perjured himself for you? Well, sure, Vinnie says. I give the guy a grand. And Steele asks where he lives, and Vinnie begins directing them.

Speaker 1: 1:01:53

This is what kills me. And, not that I would do this, but anytime I see court shows or or trials in in movies and stuff like that, where you've got somebody on the stand that has something to hide, and they they're like, well, you have I have to tell the truth. I can't commit perjury. I think to myself, well, you can. It it's it's And you might

Speaker 0: 1:02:15

even get away with it too.

Speaker 1: 1:02:16

You might I'm not I'm not saying anybody should. Please do not take this as an endorsement to commit perjury. But I just I I strongly suspect a lot more people do

Speaker 0: 1:02:25

Oh, sure.

Speaker 1: 1:02:26

Than you would think. Because especially if they're hiding something they don't want other people to know, they're probably gonna lie in the hopes that it's not gonna get caught.

Speaker 0: 1:02:36

Or they tell a version of the truth.

Speaker 1: 1:02:38

Yeah. Exactly.

Speaker 0: 1:02:39

That they can later defend as being the truth, but they left out enough stuff or they said it in such a way as to mean something to them.

Speaker 1: 1:02:49

And in terms of Frank Dunn, this would have been sort of an easy thing to do because Vinny is the 1 asking him to do it. Nobody else is going to know that he

Speaker 0: 1:02:58

That's right.

Speaker 1: 1:02:59

That he this is literally just he's given him 1000 dollars to say, oh, yeah. He didn't show up. And then he's the only 1 that can correct that story and he's gonna And die

Speaker 0: 1:03:08

is the Born and Alley head video. But

Speaker 1: 1:03:10

Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 0: 1:03:11

Yeah. Talking about lying on the stand or

Speaker 1: 1:03:13

Don't do it. I'm not saying that you should do it. I'm not endorsing

Speaker 0: 1:03:17

say, telling a shaded version of the truth on the stand. Not to pick on police officers, but I used to work with a bunch of them. And I did security and law enforcement for the Air National Guard for about 6 years. And so I know how things can be stated in a way

Speaker 1: 1:03:33

Yeah.

Speaker 0: 1:03:34

Says something that it doesn't really say. For example, the suspect the suspect admitted to repeatedly striking the person or striking the child. Well, that sounds terrible.

Speaker 1: 1:03:46

That does. Yeah.

Speaker 0: 1:03:48

They were spanking them. Yeah. Not exactly the same thing.

Speaker 1: 1:03:51

But

Speaker 0: 1:03:51

technically technically, spanking them is striking. So

Speaker 1: 1:03:56

Yeah.

Speaker 0: 1:03:56

When you you can say it in a way that makes it sound worse or better than it actually is just by changing the words. I mean, newspapers, TV, news I do this. They do that all

Speaker 1: 1:04:06

the time. Yeah. I do this with my students when we're talking about bias and how Mhmm. Headlines can tell a different story. And I use the example of hundreds injured in plane crash versus only minor injuries in plane crash. Mhmm. 1 obviously sounds far more dramatic and far more dangerous. The other is like minor injuries. Okay. But hundreds injured in plane crash. Oh my gosh. Minor injuries in plane crash is the same thing and neither 1 of them is lying. It's just how they're telling it. So Yeah.

Speaker 0: 1:04:34

Yeah. So anyway, next, we cut to a shot of the rabbit parked in front of an apartment building. No 1 apparently in the car, but parked in front of a red curb, which means no parking Right. Or

Speaker 1: 1:04:46

this is she's trying to get him thrown in jail anyway. Right. He knows that he's he's not gonna go willingly. She figures, okay, someone's gonna come up, they're gonna see him, and he'll just get tossed. His butt's gonna get So tossed in

Speaker 0: 1:05:02

the next, we see Lauren Remington climbing stairs inside the apartment building. Laura's telling Steele that she hopes that Mildred is taking good care of Phyllis. He has no idea what she had to go through to find that particular turtle. And Steele doesn't seem to understand the issue, suggesting that if you've seen 1, you've seen them all. Not if you're a 6 year old, she replies. Offended on behalf of all 6 year olds. I mean, she is really offended by that.

Speaker 1: 1:05:27

I wonder too if this I mean, did they replace the 2nd Phyllis and did it actually pass muster with you know what I mean? When they when the turtle was, this doesn't look like Phyllis. Yeah. It's Phyllis. Well

Speaker 0: 1:05:42

Fact is

Speaker 1: 1:05:43

1 2nd.

Speaker 0: 1:05:44

I mean, Steel's got a point. If you've seen 1, you've kinda seen them all. They they all look very unless there is something very unique about 1 particular turtle, You know, some weird marking on the shell the image or whatever. They they they print they they all look alike. Anyway, outside a police car pulls up behind the rabbit. The officer gets out and steps to the back of the rabbit to record the license plate number. And as he does, he sees Vinny lying down on the floorboard of the back seat of the car. The officer walks around to the passenger side of the car, the side nearest Vinny's head, and asks if Vinny's okay. And Vinny sits up and asks the officer, me? And then patting his pockets says, he can't find his car keys.

Speaker 1: 1:06:24

Oh, Vinny.

Speaker 0: 1:06:25

And the officer Hey. Looks over at the ignition switch where Laura's keys are hanging and

Speaker 1: 1:06:31

This could have been avoided really easily, Vinny. Right?

Speaker 0: 1:06:33

Yeah. Don't park in no parking zone.

Speaker 1: 1:06:35

Well, not not even just that. 1st of all, don't say that don't say you're looking for your car keys. Don't even pretend the car is yours. Just because you're in the car doesn't mean that you're you're driving it. He could have said, yeah. I lost my wallet, and he's looking for it or or something. And and then by pretending he was that like that, just say this is a friend. They're inside. They parked. This isn't my car. That's pretty normal.

Speaker 0: 1:06:59

Or or I've had a long day some with some friends Yeah, there son. Talking to somebody. I I've been tired. You know, I I was taking

Speaker 1: 1:07:07

Exactly. A It's not hard to to make up a story. But then he he says the thing about the keys and then he has to double down to pretend that he dude, don't pretend it's your car. Don't pretend just say, I'm a friend of mine's inside. I'm waiting for them. I I dropped something. Man, he's Yeah. You're right. He's Bing. If Bing wasn't the most irritating human being on the planet.

Speaker 0: 1:07:32

Well, Vinnie notices, the officers look at the ignition and then the questioning and expression that he gets. And Vinnie gives a slight coughs, that points to them and says, uh-huh. As if to say, yeah, that's where they are. Silly me. The officer asks if he drive has a driver's license. Well, Vinny takes a deep breath and then answers, yes. Not on me. And he checkles and with uncertainty adds, not on me, but I do have 1. Well, back He inside

Speaker 1: 1:08:03

can't get in trouble for this because he's not physically driving the car. So Well,

Speaker 0: 1:08:08

yeah. You're right. Although, you never know because if you are inside of a car, in the back seat, don't the keys aren't in the ignition. They it's just in your pocket wherever. If you are drunk, you will get arrested for drunk driving.

Speaker 1: 1:08:27

Fair enough. I just mean that, like No.

Speaker 0: 1:08:29

I mean, if you're in the back seat, you're not driving. You are physically not driving. The car is parked. You are in the back seat by yourself. You can be arrested for drunk driving.

Speaker 1: 1:08:41

I I I do I don't disagree with that or I don't like, it's silly. That's silly. Yeah. Right? But it just I don't I I could be wrong. But I don't think if you're sitting in the back and and there's no evidence that you've been driving the car that you can get in trouble for not having a license.

Speaker 0: 1:08:57

No. Might You be in trouble for not having ID because generally, it's it's a legal requirement that you have some sort of identification on you, believe it or not.

Speaker 1: 1:09:09

I wonder I wonder if that's the case here.

Speaker 0: 1:09:12

I'm sure it probably is.

Speaker 1: 1:09:13

I'm gonna have to Google that.

Speaker 0: 1:09:16

Anyway, inside the apartment building, Steele and Laura slowly enter Frank Dunn's apartment. Frank, dressed in slacks and a t shirt is stretched out on the couch, unmoving. Stepping inside, we see that Steele is wearing a belt made with leather studs on it. He's Oh, okay. Rated Johnny Todd's costume for accessory deal with the leather suit jacket.

Speaker 1: 1:09:39

It's not a legal requirement to carry ID on you in Ontario. We have the right to refuse, and police generally cannot detain or search you simply to find your identification. So when driving, if you're operating a motor vehicle, you are legally required to present your driver's license as proof of insurance, but that's only if you're driving. Mhmm. When detained or arrested, if the police have reasonable grounds to arrest or detain you, you must identify yourself verbally. Refusing to do so may result in arrest until your identity can be confirmed. If you are participating in heavily regulated activities like hunting or fishing, you must present required permits. Casual encounters or random street stops, police are required to inform you that you are not legally obliged to provide identifying information or answer any questions. That's now. I don't know if that was the case in the eighties. So

Speaker 0: 1:10:25

Yeah. According to an website called findlaw.com, states it it's not necessarily a federal requirement, but states can require it.

Speaker 1: 1:10:38

Cool. Okay. It might and again, it might have been the case too in in the eighties, but I just know it's it's not I just looked it up for now. It's not required.

Speaker 0: 1:10:46

But it doesn't look good if you don't have some sort of ID.

Speaker 1: 1:10:49

No. It really doesn't because most people have at least something on them that says their name, even if it's not a driver's license. Because for the longest time, I didn't have a license. I but we had

Speaker 0: 1:10:58

a Issue thing on ID. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 1:11:00

Yeah. We well, in Ontario, we have a thing called an age of majority card, which I think is now something different. But it's kind of like a license where basically just it is your government ID Mhmm. And it gives your name and your age and whatever else. But Yeah.

Speaker 0: 1:11:13

In in The US, states issue a an ID, which again looks similar to a driver's license, but it is the ID that you can get when you turn, I think, 18 in most places.

Speaker 1: 1:11:27

But Yeah.

Speaker 0: 1:11:28

Yeah. You you can get that and that that's your ID.

Speaker 1: 1:11:30

We also have technically technically, we're not legally obliged to show these, but we our health cards also have our pictures on them and their government ID, so you can also show a health card. But you can't use a health card to get into a bar or something like that for some reason. I'm not sure why.

Speaker 0: 1:11:47

Anyway, Frank is stretched out on the couch unmoving and Steel's got that leather studded belt or metal studded belt. Laura and Steele look around the apartment as they slowly approach what turns out to be Frank Nunn's body. And Steele looks down, inspects the blood on the t shirt, sighs and then softly says, oh, Frank.

Speaker 1: 1:12:10

Yeah. Outside He's he's annoyed with Frank for being dead.

Speaker 0: 1:12:14

It it is. It is.

Speaker 1: 1:12:16

He is. Oh, come on, dude. We we came here to ask you some questions. This is really rude. How dare you just be dead? Dare you get shot before we can question you?

Speaker 0: 1:12:27

And he is. He is very unhappy about it. Anyway, outside, the officer is holding up a vehicle registration. He gives Vinny a sideways look suspiciously asking, I thought you said your name was Remington Steele. Doubt it. That's that's that's what I said, Vinny. Answers nervously. Looking back at the registration a moment, the officer tells Vinny that the registration says that the car belongs to a Laura Holt. And he turns back to Vinny and asks, who's she? Oh, my sister. Vinnie responds a little bit too eagerly. The officer gives a slight shake of his head saying, no. I don't think so. My aunt? He suggests. Dude. And pocketing pocketing the registration, the officer orders Vinny out of the car. But instead, Vinny, who is now in the front seat, starts the car, throws it into drive, and then peels out racing down the street and around the corner. The officer runs to his squad car, hops in and begins the pursuit. And as he does, Steele and Laura come out of the apartment building. And they stand on the sidewalk looking after the police car, which has also rounded the corner.

Speaker 1: 1:13:35

I okay. I just realized something. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. This is totally random, but I just realized something. Today is Pierce Brosnan's birthday.

Speaker 0: 1:13:42

Oh. Happy birthday, peanut butter.

Speaker 1: 1:13:46

Peanut butter? Okay. Phoebe. Phoebe. Got it. Okay. I just I I realized I looked at the date and yeah. Happy birthday to Pierce. We are recording this on his birthday. Also, the rabbit. Mhmm. They just had to get 1 more in.

Speaker 0: 1:14:02

That's That's right.

Speaker 1: 1:14:05

This seems malicious at this point from the writer's

Speaker 0: 1:14:08

perspective. Gotta gotta wreck that car. Anyway, we

Speaker 1: 1:14:12

haven't We haven't destroyed the rabbit in a while. We need to do That's we need to do 1 more time.

Speaker 0: 1:14:18

We have a time jump and we see that the rabbit has come to rest up against the dumpster. Large quantity of discarded objects now

Speaker 1: 1:14:24

covering What the did do to it? What? How? How did he even

Speaker 0: 1:14:32

how? I don't know. But he managed. I mean, he is Vinny after all.

Speaker 1: 1:14:40

Yeah. I just it's it's like in pieces. I mean, yeah. I would I would I would understand it more if it was like, it it hit something and the front's all dinged up or whatever. But like, stuff's falling off the car. Yeah. That's fine

Speaker 0: 1:14:59

German quality manufacturing. Anyway, yeah. Discarded objects are covering the now partially crumpled front end. Laura and Steele are removing debris with Steele daintily using only 1 hand. Yeah. Apparently, because using 2 hands might result in his clothes getting dirty, I guess.

Speaker 1: 1:15:18

Yeah.

Speaker 0: 1:15:18

Yeah. Zwagenhof, standing in front of the police car next to the rabbit, he's leaning over against the rabbit and looking on with bemusement and says, I'm starting to think last night was no coincidence. And I say to myself, why would the prettiest PI, a woman who's good enough to run her own shop, be working for a guy like Dowd? And so

Speaker 1: 1:15:39

I was This is an interesting line too. Prettiest PI, 1st of So you gotta wonder if maybe Zwagon She turned him down. For her back at yeah. But also, he's he very rarely do the cops or anybody recognize that Laura is just as good or, you know, better than I mean, they have both have their strengths. I don't wanna say one's better than the other because they're different. But very rarely does she get recognized in this way. Mhmm. More often than not, it's it's especially for men. It's him that gets all the the the praise. And if there is a guy that's sniffing around her, it's somebody she knew from before Mhmm. Who just had a thing for her who she turned down or maybe she dated like that cliff idiot or what have you. But like, this guy knows how good she is. Mhmm. So that lends to the interpretation that he was at Havenhurst with her because then he would have seen her in action.

Speaker 0: 1:16:40

Mhmm.

Speaker 1: 1:16:40

Good enough to run her own shop. He's he's I I almost like him for that line alone, but then he turns out to be complete swine. So yeah.

Speaker 0: 1:16:53

But I I don't know. It seems like there's a a little bit of hostility even to that

Speaker 1: 1:16:57

line. Oh, 100%.

Speaker 0: 1:16:59

That line in the the city's city's prettiest PI. It's almost It's it's almost a backhanded compliment. Yeah. It's it's I'm going to insult you while I'm praising you.

Speaker 1: 1:17:11

Yeah. It's demeaning and also acknowledging her her intelligence at the same time. It's actually quite quite a yeah. Like you said, a backhanded compliment because the prettiest PI is very pat pat, you're so pretty, pat pat. But then he knows that she's good. He knows she's smart. She could do she could be running her own show.

Speaker 0: 1:17:33

But she, you know, she she could be, but, you know, her only real tool that she has is her looks. That's kinda what he's

Speaker 1: 1:17:46

smart she is because he says good enough to run her own show, meaning that she's also very, like, good at her job.

Speaker 0: 1:17:51

But Yeah. But but but that's that's the secondary thing. It's she's pretty. She's she she can use that. She can manipulate guys and and clients because she's pretty.

Speaker 1: 1:18:02

But not Zwagenhof because he's too smart.

Speaker 0: 1:18:04

That's right.

Speaker 1: 1:18:05

Right.

Speaker 0: 1:18:06

Anyway, Steele tells the detectives that they aren't working for Dowd. Come on, Zwiegenhoff says, the guy in the car matches the description. Or what? You maybe you just lent him the car. The car was stolen, Laura retorts. It happens in this city.

Speaker 1: 1:18:21

Uh-huh. She's not lying. The car was stolen.

Speaker 0: 1:18:23

It was. Absolutely. See, again, that's 1 of those things where you're telling the absolute truth and you know what they're going to conclude by that statement, but it's not what really happened, but you

Speaker 1: 1:18:37

didn't want She had some other stuff. But, yeah, she did not give him permission to take that car. He took that car without permission. That is stealing. That's right. So

Speaker 0: 1:18:44

Anyway, pointedly, he says, the question is, what happened to Laura? She would have never pulled a stunt like this at Havenhurst. And sitting in the passenger seat cleaning the lenses of his sunglasses with his tie, Steele, not looking up, says, something tells me you've got a point, zwagon heel.

Speaker 1: 1:19:03

I love that. Zwagon heel. Like, he he deliberately goes out of his way to get the guy's name wrong and and also ins Oh, yeah. Inserts an insult in the bargain Yes. Which I like.

Speaker 0: 1:19:18

Swaggenheel. Hey, I like that. Swaggenheel smirks as he walks around to the passenger's side to address Steele. He states that his name, for emphasis, is Zwaggen Hoff and then tells Steele that he does have a point. Somebody off that guy in that apartment back there and Zwagandoff says thinks it was Dowd. And he thinks maybe Lawrence Steele know where he's at. Well, Steele puts on his sunglasses, still refusing to acknowledge Zwagendork. And

Speaker 1: 1:19:47

we're Now now we're getting into Benedict Cumber Cumbercukwat territory here. Have you seen the you probably don't know anything about this. The okay. You know who Benedict Cumberbatch is. Right?

Speaker 0: 1:19:59

Yeah. He played, Sherlock

Speaker 1: 1:20:01

on Exactly. On the

Speaker 0: 1:20:02

series Sherlock.

Speaker 1: 1:20:03

Yeah. Somebody came up with this. I don't know if it's still there. I'm googling it right now. It's still there. Okay. Someone came up with this Benedict Cumberbatch name generator. And basically, you click on it, and it gives you a it basically mangles his name and comes up with something like burglary cuckoo clock is the 1st thing that comes up here. Bunsen burner camel toe. Syphilis camouflage. Broccoli cummerbund. Bumble shack car Charmander. Buckyball custard wheel. And you can just keep doing it. And it'll keep giving you, like, really bizarre variations of his name, like, blubber dick cripple horn. So the more you mangle Zwagonhoff's name, the more I think, Bumble Dick Crumplehorn. And I love it. Thank you for thank you for doing that.

Speaker 0: 1:20:50

Well, I still got 1 more. Laura puts on a hat and then expressionly looks at Zwagandam and and he reminds them that harboring a fugitive is a felony in this state. Actually, it's a few it's a felony pretty much anywhere in the It's

Speaker 1: 1:21:06

probably a felony everywhere, would think. But

Speaker 0: 1:21:10

And Steele says, we're aware of that. And then he finally finally glances at the detective as he rolls up the car window, which is totally pointless since the convertible top is There's a But it's an insult to Zwaggenhof.

Speaker 1: 1:21:30

Oh, And

Speaker 0: 1:21:30

the insult is not lost on him.

Speaker 1: 1:21:33

No. Steele I love the the way Steele deals with this guy because he's not even the past, he might have even gotten a little jealous because there's clearly some sort of history, even if it wasn't romantic between him and Laura. But he doesn't even think that this guy is worth acknowledging or That's right. He's not even worth insulting. He just kind of doesn't even look at

Speaker 0: 1:21:53

Well, except for the 1. Yeah. That's why I He can

Speaker 1: 1:21:55

knew 1 time, but then he just, like, basically treats him like a fly that's buzzing around his head, which I I I got to And think

Speaker 0: 1:22:02

for almost the entire conversation, he doesn't even look at the guy.

Speaker 1: 1:22:06

Nope. He's inconsequential. And then

Speaker 0: 1:22:08

to close the conversation, he raises the window on a convertible.

Speaker 1: 1:22:14

Like, I'm gonna go out of my way to do this to show just how pointless you are. Kind of like how pointless it is for me to roll up this window. Right.

Speaker 0: 1:22:23

And Zwiegenhoff says, 3 years is a long time to be away as he's attempting to get them to crack. Not too good for business either, he opines. Laura starts the car and coldly tells him, thank you for the friendly reminder. And Zwagenhof sarcastically calls out after her that, hey. He's a friendly guy. Well, Laura backs out the rabbit from

Speaker 1: 1:22:44

the Zwagenhof.

Speaker 0: 1:22:47

Laura backs out the rabbit from the, dumpster. And as she does, the front passenger side fender falls off. She stops. Gives Steele an astonished look as he peers up over the windshield at the wayward This

Speaker 1: 1:22:59

poor car. They're gonna get to the mechanic, and he's just gonna be like

Speaker 0: 1:23:04

Again?

Speaker 1: 1:23:05

Well, we're gonna be able to put another 1 through college. The rabbit's back, you know?

Speaker 0: 1:23:11

Steele opens his door, steps part away out of the car, hesitates, glance over toward Zegenhoff, who has a silly grin on his face. And then with as much dignity as he can muster, Steele steps over to the fender, picks it up, walks back to his car door, gets in and holds his fender in

Speaker 1: 1:23:30

front of

Speaker 0: 1:23:30

him he just sits in the seat. This is very dignified.

Speaker 1: 1:23:36

I just love the like, some of these visual gags that they do on this show that are are very very funny and not at all, like, relevant to the plot. This didn't need But to be it's just so the the way that he carries himself, look at his face, the fact that he puts it in the seat and then it it's just funny.

Speaker 0: 1:23:59

Yes. Anyway well, next, Lauren Steele returned to the office only to be greeted by Mildred telling them that they've got trouble. She gestures towards Steele's office and accompanies them as they walk in and discover Vinny kicked back in a chair, feet up, reading him a newspaper.

Speaker 1: 1:24:17

At least the window's intact. Yeah.

Speaker 0: 1:24:21

He jumps up when he hears them enter, tosses the paper, then turns to them apologizing about the car. He panicked. Steele tells him that the car can be fixed, but his alibi needs tending to. And Vinnie seems confused. Like, didn't Frank vouch for him? Frank won't be vouching for anyone anymore to kill him. He was murdered. And, of course, Vinnie is shocked at the news. And then just then, Nedro rushes in to tell Vinnie that Frank Dunn is dead. And the police came to the house, they think he killed Frank. Vinnie looks at Steele, concerned on his face. Remington murmurs that proving Penny didn't kidnap LeBlanc no longer seems to be a viable solution. Nope. Mildred half jokes that Steele and Lure have their work cut out for them, don't they? And annoyed Steele asks, us kids, whatever happened to that team spirit? It waned.

Speaker 1: 1:25:12

Yeah. It waned when they asked her to babysit a turtle. Like, she's

Speaker 0: 1:25:16

Well at

Speaker 1: 1:25:16

this point, you

Speaker 0: 1:25:17

know Could have been

Speaker 1: 1:25:17

yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 0: 1:25:20

Well, Steelehuffs, Laura sidesteps Mildred's abandonment of the cause, admitting that whatever they do, it won't be easy with Zwagenhoff. Is bringing down their decks. Says she misnames him and Hof, Steele corrects her. Swaggen Hoff, she repeats with slight annoyance. Steele realizes that they need to hide Vinny somewhere before he causes any more mayhem. The question is where? I just I just had a thought. Oh, who who's it that what insurance company? That that guy that does the mayhem commercials for the insurance.

Speaker 1: 1:25:57

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That

Speaker 0: 1:26:01

seems to be that's Vinny.

Speaker 1: 1:26:03

That's Vinny. Yeah. That's Vinny. Well, like you said, yeah, I I didn't make the Bing connection, the minute you said it, was like, oh, yeah. He destroys everything in sight, but he's a lot more likable than Bing. He's he's just so What

Speaker 0: 1:26:16

a more pathetic.

Speaker 1: 1:26:17

Yeah. He's yeah. This is what they should've done with Bing. Like, they should've leaned into the patheticness instead of the

Speaker 0: 1:26:23

Obnoxiousness.

Speaker 1: 1:26:24

Whatever. I don't care. Put

Speaker 0: 1:26:27

it on my bill. Yeah. Yeah. You're gonna bill me for defective merchandise?

Speaker 1: 1:26:34

Yeah. Anyway,

Speaker 0: 1:26:37

at the question of where to hide Vinny, the a slightly pained look crosses Laura's face. Steel's question has prompted an idea, but she is clearly conflicted. After a moment, she acknowledges that she's gonna regret this. Oh, yeah. Her sister is away on vacation with her family and her place is empty.

Speaker 1: 1:26:57

Definitely gonna regret it. 1000%.

Speaker 0: 1:26:59

She lets the statement hang in the air, not quite wanting to complete the thought, lest she responsible for the actually making the suggestion and is the responsible for the consequences. But, of course, Vinny picks up on the unspoken offer saying, Nedra and he can camp out there. Oh. Nope. Nedra's going home, Laura says. And Nedra demands to know why. Steele tells you that the police are likely still watching their house and it would be suspicious if she were to suddenly disappear. And Vinny wants to know who's gonna stick with him. Steele and Laura slowly look at each other, evil grins on their faces, and then they turn to look at Mildred. Welcome back to the team.

Speaker 1: 1:27:40

Is babysitting Vinny a step up from turtle? Or is that a is that a lateral

Speaker 0: 1:27:46

a lateral move.

Speaker 1: 1:27:48

So I'm thinking that I'm thinking the turtle probably causes less trouble than Vinnie.

Speaker 0: 1:27:53

That's true. Although, he he can't hold up a conversation quite as well. Yeah. True. Anyway, we are now at an exercise Vim. Exercise Vim. Exercise gym. Laura and Steele are looking for missus Heather LeBlanc.

Speaker 1: 1:28:08

It's the oh, no. This isn't okay. Sorry. For a minute there, thought it was the other place, but this is yeah.

Speaker 0: 1:28:15

That is they're looking for missus LeBlanc if Steele can stop ogling the other scantily clad Definitely,

Speaker 1: 1:28:21

his eyes are wandering for

Speaker 0: 1:28:22

sure. Yes. Steele introduces themselves and then Laura tells the woman that they'd like to ask her a few questions. And she assumes that they're interested in the gym's facilities and services or whatever those services might be. Mhmm. And she asks if they're interested in bulking up or just redefining what they've got. And Steele grins, I'm not sure what he's thinking, but he Not

Speaker 1: 1:28:48

sure either, but he yeah.

Speaker 0: 1:28:52

Laura starts to clarify, but miss LeBlanc continues on undeterred, telling Laura that she looks to be in pretty good shape, but a little more bulk wouldn't hurt. On the other hand, Steele could definitely use a little more bulk.

Speaker 1: 1:29:03

This is funny on 2 levels. 1, because we know Laura is an athlete and she does work out, and she does run, and she does all this stuff, and Steele gets gets winded going upstairs. So it's funny on that level, but it's also funny on the level that the eighties were a weird time for male leading men. They were either Schwarzenegger or they were Michael J. Fox. Like, they were either super burly, brawny dudes or they were skinny I wouldn't use guys.

Speaker 0: 1:29:34

I wouldn't use Schwarzenegger. I'd have used Stallone,

Speaker 1: 1:29:37

Van Damme. Like, these are all your action heroes that were Tonic. True. But, like, these are all sort of bigger guys is my point. Right. And then you've got, like, people like Matthew Broderick or Michael j Fox or, you know, some of these small like, Tom Cruise even, because he's not that tall and he's more on the leaner side. Mhmm. So there's sort of 2 kind of, like, competing types of leading men. And Steele or Brosnan all all obviously, was on that leaner side as well. Not that he needs any any bulk. He's a very handsome man. But it's just funny to hear this woman look at Laura, she's like, no. No. You're good. You can poke a little bit, but you you definitely need some muscles. But

Speaker 0: 1:30:18

he doesn't need them because he's got the looks.

Speaker 1: 1:30:21

No. He's got the looks. Happy birthday, Pierce. You still have the looks. Just saying.

Speaker 0: 1:30:27

Anyway, where were we? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. As as she's telling Steele that he could definitely use a little more bulk, he glances down into himself, opens his jacket to show off his proportions as he does, and then jokingly tells her that he prefers the lean look. It's easier on his tailor. Yeah. Laura tells the woman that they are private investigators looking into her husband's murder. Well, she gets a hard look on her face and says the police told her that that animal had escaped. She begins walking away from them to assist a gym patron, and they follow. And Laura states that it's as in as impossible as it might be this to hear, but it's possible that that animal was falsely convicted. Heather flatly states that she doesn't believe that. And Steele tells her that he doesn't mean to sound impertinent, but if the man who was convicted of kidnapping her husband were innocent, is there anyone she can think of who might bear a grudge I up against

Speaker 1: 1:31:25

know that that, obviously, all these characters have something to hide. Right? Mhmm. But if she had this would this would come across as really insensitive if if it were a cut and dry situation of

Speaker 0: 1:31:42

Mhmm.

Speaker 1: 1:31:44

Like, this this person was convicted, and now they're showing up and saying, hey. If if he didn't really do it, anyone else might have done it. Well, you know,

Speaker 0: 1:31:54

people do that all the time. I mean, there's, whole podcasts Oh, I know. Devoted to doing that. Yeah. And there's ways of asking the question that would soften it a bit. And I think I think Steele did a pretty good job of of saying it here and trying to soften it. Saying, you know, if this were the case, is there somebody else who might have been

Speaker 1: 1:32:21

Fair enough.

Speaker 0: 1:32:22

Somebody who would have been a suspect. Well, Heather decides that maybe she should lawyer up, which is always a always a sign of of Yeah.

Speaker 1: 1:32:32

That's not good.

Speaker 0: 1:32:33

Either either guilt or intelligence. I'm not it depends on whether they're guilty or not, but, you know

Speaker 1: 1:32:37

Well, but in this case

Speaker 0: 1:32:38

though the the the innocent need lawyers more than the guilty.

Speaker 1: 1:32:42

Yeah. But in this case though, it it looks more guilty than anything else because they're Right. They're only asking if she knows of anyone who'd wanna hurt her husband. They're not asking they're not implicating Yeah.

Speaker 0: 1:32:52

No. They're just saying, hey. If there was somebody else. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 1:32:55

Yeah. To immediately assume she needs legal representation, that would be throwing off alarm bells in my head if I were Steele and Laura because why would you? Yeah. At this point, no.

Speaker 0: 1:33:06

Yeah. Well, she begins to walk away again. This time, more to remove herself from the conversation than to find a client to assist. And as Steele and Laura follow, Laura gently pleads that it's important that a man's life may be at stake. Well, recognizing that they're not gonna drop the conversation until she gives a more definitive response, she decides to go a bit over the top, declaring that it's inconceivable that anyone could have possibly had a grudge against Lance. He was a star. Everybody loved him. And the only thing she can think of is that some sicko got it into his head that he could get rich quick by kidnapping her husband.

Speaker 1: 1:33:43

Yeah. This is really over the top. But also, anytime anybody says the word inconceivable in anything on TV or movies, all I can think

Speaker 0: 1:33:52

of Suspect is them. Suspect them.

Speaker 1: 1:33:54

No. No. No. Actually, I all I can think of is The Princess Bride, which is a movie where it's it's a fantasy film, but there there's a whole sequence where the the characters have kidnapped the princess, and they're trying to get away these these bad guys. And the 1 character played by Mandy Patinkin keeps asking, do you think anyone's following us? And and the other character says, it's inconceivable. And then he asks him again. He says, inconceivable. And he asks him again, inconceivable. And eventually, he says, you keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. And so now whenever I hear anyone say inconceivable, I think you'll keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Speaker 0: 1:34:33

You know, and there's there's a myth about that movie. A lot of people think that the it's either the movie or the book. A lot of people think that there were parts of it left out.

Speaker 1: 1:34:43

Okay. So this

Speaker 0: 1:34:44

is But it wasn't because that's what the author actually writes or has 1 of the characters say is, I'm telling you this story, young young man, but I'm gonna leave out parts.

Speaker 1: 1:34:55

So this is the book. The movie doesn't do this, but the book does this because literally, the book is the author writing the story as if he had been read the story as a child Mhmm. And then he wanted to read the story to his own child, but when he found the text, he realized his dad had left out parts, and it was the boring part. So he's only gonna read the good parts. I used to teach this book. It was 1 of those my students' options in in 1 of my English classes, because it's kind of a satire Mhmm. Of fairy tales. And I would tell them that if they could find the original S. Morgenstern and compare it, then they're they'd get a higher mark. And, you know, they they they attempted sort of half heartedly and give up. I had 1 kid come to me, like, halfway through the course or, like, 2 months into the semester, miss, I can't find this book anywhere. I've gone to the library. I've gone to the university. I've asked I've asked bookstores. I've asked I'm just like, oh, no. I'm so sorry.

Speaker 0: 1:35:52

Did you actually read the book? Because it gives you the answer right in the

Speaker 1: 1:35:57

book. See, doesn't. The book at no point at no point does the book ever state that s morgenstern didn't exist. It's it's it's it's not not even at the end. The the author, William Goldman, writes it as if it's a straight fact that he had he's just using the good parts. And so you're like, But I had read his autobiography, which lie did did I tell? And and the I'd seen the movie and and the movie is sort of structured the same way. So it it I knew, but this poor kid anyway.

Speaker 0: 1:36:35

So he he has an autobiography out?

Speaker 1: 1:36:39

Well, I don't

Speaker 0: 1:36:40

And know if it he admit and he says all this in in the autobiography.

Speaker 1: 1:36:43

Yeah. The the book is called Which Lie Did I Tell? And it's yeah. He wrote I don't it was I don't know if it was a memoir or if it was an autobiography, but it it he did write it. It's called More Adventures in the Screen Trade and it's basically just about his life as a screenwriter. Mhmm. He it was his 2nd book. He had written 1 called Adventures in the Screen Trade in 1982, and then he wrote another 1 as a follow-up to kind of, like, add to it because he had done more books. He devotes an entire chunk to The Princess Bride because he says it says here, Goldman then tells the unfortunate story of how he became mixed up in the film adaptation of Memoirs of an Invisible Man before The Saving Grace of The Princess Bride brought him his 1st screen credit in nearly 9 years. And so that basically tells the whole, like, background to The Princess Bride, it getting made into a film and stuff like that. Yeah.

Speaker 0: 1:37:38

Anyway, let's see. Where were we here?

Speaker 1: 1:37:41

Sorry. I derailed that, but inconceivable always makes me think of the princess side.

Speaker 0: 1:37:45

Yes. Laura Laura says that a man's life may be at stake. Not dropping the conversation. Okay. So, yes. Laura asks if there was anything that happened either before or after the kidnapping that she might have neglected to tell the police. With a prove I'm lying attitude, Heather says, no. Not really. And, you know, she's that also should be kind of a red flag because Laura did not accuse her of holding back with information. She asked if there was anything that she neglected to tell because she might have forgotten it. So, yeah. It's this woman's throwing out red flags all over

Speaker 1: 1:38:27

the place. Yeah. She's a walking red flag.

Speaker 0: 1:38:32

Anyway, Laura gives Heather a business card asking her to call if she thinks of anything. And each side turns away from the other with Heather having a concerned look on her face. As Lauren Steele head out, Steele stops at a rack of hand weights and trying to show off, grabs 1 for each hand then begins swinging them in an alternating rhythm except he lets go of 1 on the back swing and it goes flying. And Steele stiffens in embarrassment, and Heather gives him a contemptuous look as she reaches through the phone.

Speaker 1: 1:39:01

So funny because he's, like, trying to just, like, look like he knows what he's doing and then he That's right. Throws him backwards. He's just he's so and it's funny because what's funny about it is that it would be funny if he were not as good looking as he is. Right? But you've got this man who is objectively very handsome and doesn't need to be super mass, macho, muscle bound dude, who's pretending he knows what he's doing just because she made that offhanded comment about him needing more bulk.

Speaker 0: 1:39:34

And him pretending to know what he's doing just makes it all the more funnier.

Speaker 1: 1:39:39

It just makes yeah. It just makes it funnier because he's obviously never lifted weights in his life. That's right.

Speaker 0: 1:39:46

Well, Heather blindly, blindly, I tell you, dials a phone number, which must have been a long distance number because the 1st number she dials is a 1. As Steele fumbles trying to return the weights to the rack, at least the 1 that he didn't throw throw away. And as Laura Steele finally exits, Heather speaks on the phone telling the person on the other end that they've got trouble. Remember that phrase.

Speaker 1: 1:40:12

Yep. In

Speaker 0: 1:40:15

limo, Steele is recounting that according to the newspaper accounts, the last person to see Lance LeBlanc was a fellow named Tony Pettz. Pettz used to work for the LeBlancs, and now he's about to open his own gym. Just what the city needs, another health club, Laura says dismissively. Well, next they arrive at the aerobatorium.

Speaker 1: 1:40:36

Yeah. This is I had to, like What a name. Had to say this a few times out loud because I'm like, aerobatorium? A Okay. Do you want people coming to your to your establishment? Because this is gonna be a marketing nightmare. It really is.

Speaker 0: 1:40:55

Well, I mean, it's it's unique. It's it's memorable in that it's unique. Yeah. Memorable in that it's not pronounceable.

Speaker 1: 1:41:04

Yeah. Exactly. Like, you I get that he's going for aerobics and Mhmm. What? What's the what's the Torium part that he's trying to attach this to? Is what I'm

Speaker 0: 1:41:15

wondering. Auditorium? Because it's Gymatorium, I

Speaker 1: 1:41:19

don't know. It's supposed to be this kind of, like, weird immersive experience. Mhmm. I don't know. There's gotta be a better name than a robotorium, is all I'm saying. Yeah.

Speaker 0: 1:41:28

Well, there's a huge sign on the side of the building that reads, grand opening. And inside, Tiny Pets is on a Roing machine. It's placed in front of a photographic background of a jungle enhanced with a few fake plants. As he explains to Lauren Remington as he's rowing, that he could just be in another health club in town. But then, check this out. He reaches over and presses a button on a small box similar to what 1 might find in a drive in movie theater for sound. And suddenly Yeah. Jungle sounds can be heard. This is

Speaker 1: 1:42:01

so ridiculous. This is so silly.

Speaker 0: 1:42:03

It is.

Speaker 1: 1:42:04

And it says grand opening, but there's nobody in the building, and it's clear that it's not even built. Like, it's not even fully finished yet. So what is happening? I don't think he's the best businessman, is what I'm getting at No. I don't know that he's, like do you care if you're in a jungle while you're on the rowing machine? Does it matter if you're in Hawaii? Like, I just can't

Speaker 0: 1:42:30

I'll I'll I'll drop it in here. It actually is later in my notes. But since you bring it up, we'll go ahead and go this. The idea that some people might think they they are working out in all of these different places around

Speaker 1: 1:42:43

the

Speaker 0: 1:42:43

world because a photographic background and some sound effects are there

Speaker 1: 1:42:47

Yeah.

Speaker 0: 1:42:47

It's would be funny if it weren't so pathetically true. I mean, we have thousands of so called social media influencers who not only sell the idea that they're living a high life because they can fake photos of themselves or videos of themselves doing these seemingly amazing things in amazing places, but many of them worse seem to believe that their own fakery is somehow genuine. You know? They they they pose I I saw, a meme that just kinda illustrates this perfectly. And on the 1 side, you see this person seemingly flying up over the clouds looking out through the window of a jet airliner. And then the next, see that what's actually happening is the person is in front of a background holding up a toilet seat that looks like Ugh. The shape of a window. And it's all fake. You know, people people in social media get caught all the time. Oh, look at what I've got. No. You rented it for 5 hours that day for the photoshoot. You you you know

Speaker 1: 1:43:53

What's worse is the are the ones that try to use their quote unquote influencer clout and then offer back exposure? Saw a TikTok video of of this guy who and admittedly, he does have a very large following, but he wasn't talking about himself. He was talking about being in a cafe, and there was someone beside him who was, like, filming something while she was eating her meal. And then when the bill came, she basically said, well, I have, I think it was something like 40,000 followers, so you should give this to me for free, and I'll I'll use it as exposure. And the lady was like, sorry, but you need to pay for your meal. And she basically threw a hissy fit. And this Mhmm. This guy who who was making the TikTok, he was like, ma'am, I have over 1000000 followers. And at no point would I ever consider myself famous enough to try to exchange a muffin for clout. You need to sit down.

Speaker 0: 1:44:47

Well, I think I I think if this is the same story I'm thinking of, the so called influencer actually tried to destroy the business on social media by

Speaker 1: 1:44:57

Yeah. There's a few that have done that. Ripping it. Yeah.

Speaker 0: 1:44:59

Yeah. But, you know, the whole thing reminds me of the the video gaming mentality where

Speaker 1: 1:45:04

Yeah.

Speaker 0: 1:45:05

People who genuinely think that they're great ball players or great soldiers or great race drivers or whatnot because they can push the correct buttons on a game console controller quicker than anyone else. And some of these people have actually gotten themselves into some pretty serious situations by Yeah. Assuming that their ability to punch a button on a controller translates into actually being able to do the thing.

Speaker 1: 1:45:30

Well, maybe Tony has maybe Tony's got his pulse his finger on the pulse of a new a new craze.

Speaker 0: 1:45:37

Finger on the oh. Yeah. That's bad. That's bad.

Speaker 1: 1:45:42

And also okay. His name is Tony Petz, as in like, a pet that you take care of. Correct?

Speaker 0: 1:45:48

P e t z.

Speaker 1: 1:45:49

Yeah. Oh, okay. Petz. Okay. Doesn't does Laura say at 1 point does Laura call him pecks as in his?

Speaker 0: 1:45:55

Yes.

Speaker 1: 1:45:56

Okay.

Speaker 0: 1:45:56

That's in my notes Okay.

Speaker 1: 1:45:58

I was confused when she because I was like, wait. Did I get the name wrong? Because go back to calling him pets, and I'm like, that's good. If that's a joke, that's funny.

Speaker 0: 1:46:05

That's a joke. That's that's with Laura being Yeah. Yummy. Yummy.

Speaker 1: 1:46:12

I don't think she was sizing him up. I think she was Oh. Camping in Oh.

Speaker 0: 1:46:16

You are so wrong.

Speaker 1: 1:46:17

I think it was more sarcastic. I don't think

Speaker 0: 1:46:19

she's Not obviously not obviously sizing up, but definitely in her mind, she was yeah. She was she was. Yes.

Speaker 1: 1:46:28

I don't I don't think so. But, wait, maybe it's something about that name Tony. I don't know.

Speaker 0: 1:46:34

Oh. Too soon. Sorry. No. Don't go there. Don't go there.

Speaker 1: 1:46:38

Oh, we're getting there. We're gonna be there soon.

Speaker 0: 1:46:42

Anyway, as I said, he pushes a button, similar to on a box similar you might find in a drive in movie theater for sound and suddenly, the jungle sounds can be heard. He adjusts the volume and the gym is filled with the sounds flowing water, jungle birds calling, and other sounds of nature.

Speaker 1: 1:46:58

So wouldn't that annoy everybody else around you? Because if you're in Hawaii and you can hear the monkeys over in in Brazil The corny area. But I'd be irritated. Yes.

Speaker 0: 1:47:07

Well, Steele grins, presumably at the cheesiness of it. Yes. Laura is stunned, definitely not in a positive manner. No. And Pet stands, turns off the sounds and explains, you know, it still has a few bugs like the people in Hawaii or on Yes. Exactly. They can still hear this. Yeah. My question is, was the few bugs, was that a a bad pun about South America or something like that? Jungle bugs? I

Speaker 1: 1:47:36

wondered that too. But you would think the better way to do this would be with headphones.

Speaker 0: 1:47:40

Yes.

Speaker 1: 1:47:41

They put on headphones as they're doing because that would interfere if it's a rowing machine. You're getting headphones.

Speaker 0: 1:47:46

Although, I haven't seen it brought out in the marketplace, presumably because of the cost. I remember about, oh, I don't know, it must be 20, maybe 30 years ago now. I remember reading an article in an audio magazine that somebody had developed a system where they could actually focus sound to a very, specific area similar to what they can do with with a a light beam. I don't know if it was a I don't remember when it was published. I it could have been an April fool's joke, but I don't recall it being taken that way. So, I mean, there there might be some technology that he's in employing that that could help focus that sound. But anyway but, yes, you're right. Headphones would would definitely be a better choice. Yeah. And calling it a total environmental experience

Speaker 1: 1:48:53

Right.

Speaker 0: 1:48:53

Tony Petz enthuses that working out now becomes an adventure, a fantasy. And he leads them through the various themed areas. If somebody doesn't like the jungle theme, they've got space. And if space isn't someone's thing, they've got Hawaii. And within the month, their circle vision pool will be completed so patrons can imagine swimming anywhere in the world without leaving the club.

Speaker 1: 1:49:14

Yeah. I can't tell you how much it's always been my dream to work out on on the moon like that. Wow. Well, hey. Finally.

Speaker 0: 1:49:22

You're you're you're 40% lighter. You don't have to lose weight now.

Speaker 1: 1:49:27

It's not my dream to work out anywhere, frankly.

Speaker 0: 1:49:30

Well, that's So

Speaker 1: 1:49:33

so adding the moon is not going to to draw me in. Put me in a bakery

Speaker 0: 1:49:38

with real with real

Speaker 1: 1:49:40

baked goods, and that may maybe.

Speaker 0: 1:49:42

Waffing the smell of fresh bread.

Speaker 1: 1:49:44

Yeah. Exactly. And then I'm just gonna do what I do, and then I'm gonna leave and go and get some cupcakes.

Speaker 0: 1:49:52

Cinnamon rolls. Anyway, Laura asks the obvious question. What does any of this have to do with exercise? Well, Tony, Scotch, they're not selling exercise, they're selling lifestyle. She wants exercise, drop and do 30. But if you wanna be part of what's happening, you gotta join orbit a robotorium.

Speaker 1: 1:50:10

See, I wanna say arboretum, which is wrong. I

Speaker 0: 1:50:14

almost said that, I guess.

Speaker 1: 1:50:15

I'm never gonna say it right.

Speaker 0: 1:50:16

And as soon as this place catches on, he's gonna make millions. Well, Steele lightheartedly tells Tony that he hopes he's put away a little bit of something for the day until the aerobatorium becomes successful. Well, Tony doesn't find any humor in that. He says, this place has gotta make it. And Laura prompts him to talk about Lance LeBlanc. Tony grins. Tony gave him his start. He was a 98 pound weakling until he met Lance. Did he get that line from 1 of those Charlies Charlie Atlas? Char Charles Atlas ads at the back of the old time comic books?

Speaker 1: 1:50:52

I always saw them in Archie comic books, but Same same idea. Yeah.

Speaker 0: 1:50:57

And they were they they're Charles Atlas ads. They literally said, I was a 98 pound weakling until I met Charles Atlas. Yeah. While Tony walks over to a machine, grabs up reaches up to grab the grips and starts doing suspended leg lifts and continues explaining that Lance was the 1st bodybuilder to break away from the all brawn, no brain syndrome. Chicks love the guy. Yeah. He drops back down to the ground and motions for Steele to emulate. Steele grabs the grips and pulls himself up off the floor slightly, but then struggles to do anything beyond that. And through his struggles, he grunts out that according to his wife, everybody loved the guy. And off to the side, Laura is trying hard to suppress the grin as she gestures, up up up with

Speaker 1: 1:51:45

She's her just like she's oh, she's trying to help him out. Bless his.

Speaker 0: 1:51:51

Bless his heart.

Speaker 1: 1:51:55

Yeah. This is a bless his heart moment. This is a oh, look, he's he's trying. He's he's giving it a shot.

Speaker 0: 1:52:02

Face his heart. Well, that's just the kind of guy Yeah. Lance was, Tony says. As Steele gives up the fight, drops the very short distance back to the ground and releases the grips.

Speaker 1: 1:52:13

Yeah.

Speaker 0: 1:52:14

And since Tony was the last person to see Lance on the night that he was kidnapped, they asked him to recount the event. Well, Tony was working for him at the time.

It was about 05: 1:52:22

00 in the evening. Gym was closed. He went out. And apparently, the poor guy never made it out to his car. But Tony didn't see anything. When Lance went out, Tony went to take a shower. No. When Lance yeah. When Tony yeah. Lance went out, Tony went to take a shower. Got it right. Okay. I was confused I I I about lost my mind. Yeah. I panicked.

Speaker 1: 1:52:43

I panicked. Sorry. I panicked.

Speaker 0: 1:52:48

Now, the trail then walked into Tony's office. When Laura asks if he can think of anyone who might have had a reason to kidnap Lance, Tony mimics Heather's dismissal of the idea repeating that Lance was a great guy with a killer body. It was just probably 1 of those freak things. And what? Like getting hit with a meteorite? Getting bit by a radioactive spider and gaining superpowers? Freak thing.

Speaker 1: 1:53:09

Also, Or it's weird to me that it's weird to me that he says he he was a great guy with a killer body, as if that's a reason not to kill someone. Like Yeah. I'm I'm not saying it's weird to say that about about another guy because, obviously, as a bodybuilder, that's something you're gonna notice about another Yeah. Another Right? But, like, this is he's using this as a reason why you wouldn't wanna kill him. No. There'd be no reason. He was a great guy with a killer body. Like, okay. And? Like

Speaker 0: 1:53:37

Why would anybody kill him? He had a cool car.

Speaker 1: 1:53:40

He had a great body. Why would you kill him?

Speaker 0: 1:53:44

But, you know but calling it a freak thing I mean, getting kidnapped and murdered, that's

Speaker 1: 1:53:48

not No. A freak The freak thing is, like, when

Speaker 0: 1:53:52

you Get bit by a radioactive spider Yeah. Superpowers.

Speaker 1: 1:53:56

Yeah. Yeah. Or when you see some guy doing push ups off his jeep in a gas station. Everyone has that's a freak thing. This, not so much. This this Yeah. This sounds like a plan, you know?

Speaker 0: 1:54:09

Well, as Tony admires himself in the mirror, Steele observes

Speaker 1: 1:54:11

He's literally standing in front of the mirror, like like, he'd be keeping If making out with Steele wasn't in the room, he'd be making out with that mirror and saying, hey, you're hot. You're a hot man. Hey, hot stuff. He's He's very much in love with himself.

Speaker 0: 1:54:29

Yes. Steele observes that the theory that everybody loved the guy and that it was just some sort of a freak incident seems to be the common consensus.

Speaker 1: 1:54:35

Yeah.

Speaker 0: 1:54:36

And as she is looking at the mirror at pets, Laura says, thank you calling him mister Pex by mistake because that's he's in there flexing.

Speaker 1: 1:54:45

I took this as sarcasm. I took this as sarcasm. No. No. No.

Speaker 0: 1:54:51

That is her mind wandering down below the letter. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 1:54:56

Alright. We're gonna have to

Speaker 0: 1:54:57

throw this out

Speaker 1: 1:54:57

to to the Steele watchers to to weigh on on this because I

Speaker 0: 1:55:02

I think it's sarcastic. You don't wanna do that because you are going to get humiliated.

Speaker 1: 1:55:07

Alright. Someone okay. Everybody, when you listen to this, comment in the Facebook group if you're in the Facebook group. Is she is she being sarcastic or is she salivating? We need to know.

Speaker 0: 1:55:18

Salivating. Yes. I mean, the only thing she's missing is the napkin to wipe it to drool off her chin. Anyway, as Laura and Steele walk toward the door, Laura exits, but Steele hangs back and then closes the door to keep the impending exchange quiet. He asks Tony, if I were to bulk up a bit, do you suppose I might make out better with the chicks?

Speaker 1: 1:55:41

Okay. Hearing Because him say chicks is probably my favorite thing in this episode because he just says it so like, he sounds like, hello, fellow kids. I'm trying to talk like a young person. Would I work work out better with the, chicks? It's like, oh, no. It's like hearing him say, babe. It just doesn't work. It's it's not him.

Speaker 0: 1:56:08

Well, Tony, still admiring himself in the mirror, laughs. Are you kidding? Guaranteed. And then sounding a bit nervous, Steele asks, you guys do pretty well. And Steele grins stupidly like a kid when Tony calls that the understatement of the year, asking if Steele really thinks that money is the only reason he's in this business. And then Steele laughs suggesting that, well, Lance must not have known what he was missing. Well, Tony doesn't seem to know what Steele means. You know, marriage being tied down, all that kind of thing, Steele observes. Tony laughs, telling Steele that he'll let him in on a little secret. Then ask if Steele knew where Lance was supposed to go the night that he was snatched. Tuddles. Restaurant? Steele asks, confused. No. A mansion in Beverly Hills. And Tony doesn't think Lance was ordering off the menu, if if you know what I mean.

Speaker 1: 1:57:02

This this this whole bit, obviously, he didn't talk to Laura ahead of time about it because she comes back in wondering what the heck happened to him. But this is really smart, to come back to talk to to talk to Tony and pretend that he's I don't think Steele's really interested in bulking up. Like Yep. But that but that whole

Speaker 0: 1:57:19

Playing up to his his ego and and

Speaker 1: 1:57:21

Playing up to the ego, the attempted male bonding, you know, the comment about, hey. Does this help you get women? Like and then leading into the, oh, well, Lance, I guess he was really it was what a dummy to get married. I mean, what a moron. Right? He just basically saw the stupidity of Tony Petz and let him walk right into what he wanted to know. And it's really well done. It's quite masterful. So I I gotta say, compared to Laura's attempts at undercover, which are not always the most subtle, Steele does a really good job here with getting this information from Tony.

Speaker 0: 1:57:57

Well, Laura does peek in through the window of the door to the office, then steps in, calls to Steele and gives him a, are you coming gesture?

Speaker 1: 1:58:04

Yeah.

Speaker 0: 1:58:04

And as they start to leave, Tony calls out to Steele that and, hey, the next time he wants to work up an appetite, and he gives Steele a point of his finger and Steele points back saying, gotcha. Then he and Laura leave, but not before Laura gives him an inquisitive look. And then once the door closes, Tony frowns. He walks to the phone, picks up the receiver and dials. And after a moment, he says, we've got Well, at the Piper Residence, Vinny is joyously cooking, singing and calling out Spaghetti for 2.

Speaker 1: 1:58:37

That's apparently the only thing anybody ever cooks in this house because the last time we saw Laura cooking, it was her special spaghetti. Now Vinny's That's right. Spaghetti.

Speaker 0: 1:58:47

Mildred can't believe it. She tries to be upset with him but his attitude is too infectious. So when she asks, how can he be so jolly when he's in the jam that he's in? It comes out almost more admiring than distressed. Yeah. And he he he looks up from his cooking and with a grin reminds her that, hey, he's supposed to be dead.

Speaker 1: 1:59:06

I can see where Vinny's coming from here. In in the sense that if he It could

Speaker 0: 1:59:10

have been worse. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 1:59:12

He did not expect to still be alive. So for him, there's at least still hope as opposed to the alternative, which would have been he's dead and

Speaker 0: 1:59:20

He's already in the walks 6 feet under

Speaker 1: 1:59:22

the He's already 6 feet under the ground. So

Speaker 0: 1:59:24

yeah. Yes. Well, Mildred suggests that at this point, he's not much better off. And as you said, Vinny tells her quite optimistically, at least there's hope. Yeah. And he scoops up a bit of spaghetti sauce into a spoon and hands it to Mildred to taste test. She tastes it, frowns, and hands the spoon back saying it needs salt. Benny takes a taste.

Speaker 1: 1:59:46

She looks she

Speaker 0: 1:59:46

looks almost

Speaker 1: 1:59:47

offended by her suggestion that it needs salt.

Speaker 0: 1:59:50

Yeah. Salt? No. Oregano, maybe. But salt? No. Voila. At least that spices things up a bit. And then suddenly shots ring out. The round shatters the kitchen window and the saucepan lid goes flying from Vinny's hand.

Speaker 1: 2:00:03

I mean, if Francis was upset before that somebody had the audacity to just die in her kitchen

Speaker 0: 2:00:08

Oh, she never there are

Speaker 1: 2:00:09

bullet holes in the wall, are you really gonna piss her off.

Speaker 0: 2:00:13

Oh, yes. Well, Mildred yells, hit the deck as she dives behind the kitchen island, and then Vinnie runs around to join her. More shots ring out, shattering windows and glasses. Then the shots stop. Mildred and Vinny rise up to peer over the top of the cabinet, then they see an arm shrouded in a large green rubberized jacket and a hand covered in a glove shatter the window at the back door then reach through to turn the knob. Mildred hollers, Vinny, run. They rise, turn, and run out of the kitchen into the living room. Next, we see that the garage door is opening. But before the motorized opener has a chance to open it completely, the Piper station wagon peels out of the garage, ripping the door off the track, carrying it down the street, where the car reverses direction then races off down the street, leaving the garage door behind.

Speaker 1: 2:01:03

Oh, that car. That, like, poor I mean, it's 1 thing for Laura to, like, you know, destroy the rabbit every other week, but now Francis' car has become a casualty.

Speaker 0: 2:01:14

Well and and their garage door, their kitchen, their dining Well, we see the heretofore unseen man run out of the garage wearing that same green jacket and gloves and holding a pistol? Yeah. To me, those shots in the kitchen sounded like a rifle.

Speaker 1: 2:01:32

I could

Speaker 0: 2:01:32

be wrong, but to me, they sound more like a rifle.

Speaker 1: 2:01:35

But anyway I would not ever know the difference. So they're clearly hoping for viewers like myself who just noticed gun.

Speaker 0: 2:01:42

Yes. Well, a pistol has a less low end on the on the initial crack. Sure. The rifle does. Anyway, at any rate, the station the station wagon is too far down the street and rounding the corner for the man to do anything about it. So in frustration, he turns and runs back into the garage and then to the house. He runs into the kitchen, grabs the phone, dials, and then after a moment says, those 3 simple words we've come to know and love so well. We've got trouble. Trouble. Right here in River City.

Speaker 1: 2:02:14

It's

Speaker 0: 2:02:14

capital t and rhymes with p and that stands for pool. That stands for pool. No. Sorry. Music Man. My Yeah. My my oldest son loved that movie when he was a kid. And I was in the orchestra when we did that in high school.

Speaker 1: 2:02:29

Oh, cool.

Speaker 0: 2:02:30

Love that show. Love that show. Love love being in the the orchestra for the for the musicals.

Speaker 1: 2:02:35

What did you play?

Speaker 0: 2:02:37

Trombone.

Speaker 1: 2:02:38

Oh, okay. I could see that. I I was a flautist.

Speaker 0: 2:02:42

You shouldn't admit something like that out in public.

Speaker 1: 2:02:45

Yeah. You know what? Actually, playing the flute at the time that I did was was the wrong choice because that was the time that the movie American Pie came out.

Speaker 0: 2:02:53

I did.

Speaker 1: 2:02:54

And there is a

Speaker 0: 2:02:55

Right over my head.

Speaker 1: 2:02:56

So Allison Hannigan, plays Willow on Buffy, was also in that film.

Speaker 0: 2:02:59

Of course, there has to be a Buffy reference.

Speaker 1: 2:03:01

No. This is an American Pie reference because she she's in that film, and she plays

Speaker 0: 2:03:05

a Buffy. Word came out of your mouth.

Speaker 1: 2:03:08

You would know who that is. That's the only reason I said anyway.

Speaker 0: 2:03:11

I gotta find a little improvement reference in this episode somewhere. I've gotta find 1.

Speaker 1: 2:03:15

She plays a band geek in that in in that film, and she but she she keeps telling stories about having been to band camp over the summer, and they're always, like, extremely overly sexualized stories to the point where they're, like, quite shocking. And 1 of her more well known lines that people would come up to quote to me all the time because I play the flute was, and I'm not gonna say the whole thing because it's 1 time at band camp, I stuck a flute up my bill in the blank here. Yeah. People when I Starts with a p, you get yeah. So she so people would say, oh, hey, you play the flute. Did you stick it? No. I didn't go to band camp and I didn't no. Just stop. Just stop. I wish I had I regretted my choice of instrument after that film came out. That would that would hurt. Okay? Going back to the doctor doctor, what's her face from Feel on the Air, There's certain things that just should not go up there, and that's all I'm gonna say.

Speaker 0: 2:04:17

Well, we come back from a commercial, and we see the limo pull up to the Piper Residence only to find several police cars and a small crowd of onlookers. Laura, mouth hanging agape, gets out, followed by Steele who takes off his sunglasses. The classic gesture of someone who wants to show that they are serious and concerned. Whether they are or Yeah. Steele raises her hand to her face and then exclaims, good lord. Wait till Francis sees this. Oh, never mind Francis, Steele challenges. What about Mildred and Vinny?

Speaker 1: 2:04:48

Yeah. Yeah. It's funny that that's the 1st thing that Laura thought of. Not, hey, are Mildred and Vinny okay?

Speaker 0: 2:04:55

Francis is gonna kill me. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 2:04:58

That's funny.

Speaker 0: 2:04:59

Anyway, a look of concern crosses Laura's features and then the 2 rush into the house where they find officers pulling bullets out of the wall of the kitchen and detective Zweigenhoff eating eating spaghetti He's so

Speaker 1: 2:05:10

the stove,

Speaker 0: 2:05:11

which really really dumb. Glass shatters when it's hit by things like bullets. It sends fragments, shards, slivers everywhere. Yep. How does he know that he's not gonna get a piece of glass and a bite that he takes?

Speaker 1: 2:05:25

Maybe if we're lucky, it tears up his stomach lining as it goes all the way down. That's true. There was 1 particular time where a particular politician that I deeply dislike, I won't I won't name names, but he's the provincial premier. And he was doing a press conference, and he swallowed a live bee Mhmm. As he was talking. Like, he was speaking, and then he I've just swallowed a bee. And I thought, Sorry. It was it made me happy. So maybe, Zweigenhoff will have something similar take place and and that shard will hurt.

Speaker 0: 2:06:05

Well, anyway, Zwiegenhoff, trying to be funny, tells Laura that they have to stop meeting like this. Laura is not amused. No. Zwiegenhoff points to the pot, observing that someone was working on a delicious meal. Shame it had to go to waste.

Speaker 1: 2:06:20

What jerk.

Speaker 0: 2:06:21

Steele is walking through the kitchen toward the back door when Zwagenhof calls out to him and then says, there's nobody's here. Nobody was killed. He dips a piece of bread into the sauce and pops it into his mouth as the report or as he reports that there was nobody here at all by the time the police arrived. So you just let yourself in, Steele Keesus.

Speaker 1: 2:06:41

Yeah. Because I mean, well, I guess if they had they had cause with gunshots, that makes sense, but still. Well Helping himself doesn't.

Speaker 0: 2:06:51

Well, Zwiegenhoff says, well, the key was in the mat, as if that makes it all okay. And I'm not sure that they really

Speaker 1: 2:06:59

I think if they

Speaker 0: 2:06:59

caused to enter the house.

Speaker 1: 2:07:00

I think if they believe somebody to be in danger, they can they can go in. And if the neighbors reported gunshots, that probably they could use that as as their excuse. Although, to be fair, getting there and not hearing any gunshots

Speaker 0: 2:07:14

I think the word is where I get it. Is excuse. Oh, for sure.

Speaker 1: 2:07:18

Mean, it's 100% an excuse. Yeah. Absolutely.

Speaker 0: 2:07:21

See and and that's the things you know, a lot of people don't understand the difference between a reason and an excuse. A reason is justified. An excuse is, well, I've gotta say something to make it seem like I was justified, so I'll just yeah. This is

Speaker 1: 2:07:35

100% a technicality that he

Speaker 0: 2:07:37

Yes. But but when he says the key was under the mat, he says it like, well, that makes it all okay.

Speaker 1: 2:07:42

Yeah. What a complete jerk.

Speaker 0: 2:07:45

Yes. Like Anyway, he continues no. I don't either. I I think we've probably got good reason to not like him, but maybe not. I don't know.

Speaker 1: 2:07:53

Aside even if he wasn't the villain, I just don't like him.

Speaker 0: 2:07:56

Yes. Continues saying that it looks like they had quite a wild party here. Though, of course, the neighbors weren't too happy about it. They didn't mind all the singing. It was the gunshots that bothered him. And he pulls out a notepad from his pocket and begins reading. Donald Piper, dentist. Wife, the former Francis Holt. That would make her, what, your sister? He says to Laura. And then just then, the clatter of glass dishes being dropped cuts through the room, sending Laura's already sky high tension into orbit. She rushes over to the oath of a police officer who's doing his impression of the proverbial bull in the china shop and hollers at him to please be careful. Steele, trying to calm her, says It's the wrong it's a little bit too late for that. I'm sorry. That's that's not helping Steele. That doesn't really help right now.

Speaker 1: 2:08:45

That's not not not useful. Not useful at all.

Speaker 0: 2:08:49

Well, Zwiegenhoff's prior attempts at badgering having failed, he starts mixing in a little sarcasm, telling Laura that things aren't adding up too well for her and mister GQ here, referring to Steele. He says that he knows they're working for Dowd. He knows that Dowd was here, and he suspects that Francis isn't gonna be too happy with the way he left the place. And indignant, Laura retorts that, well, his boys aren't doing much better.

Speaker 1: 2:09:13

Yeah. Right?

Speaker 0: 2:09:15

You know, that's that's the thing is that there have been instances where the police will raid a house. The I mean, just they'll just knock out every door and window, basically destroy the place. And they and they were at the wrong address. So they destroyed an innocent person's home. Yeah. And their response is, yeah, not our problem. That really bugs me when that happens.

Speaker 1: 2:09:40

Yeah. It it it I felt the same way when they basically tore through our car at customs. That 1 time where we Mhmm. Said that we hadn't spent any money and we hadn't, but they didn't have any like, they didn't care whether or not they, like, ripped the car or something like that. It was just like a secondary thing to, we're gonna look through all your stuff and hopefully

Speaker 0: 2:10:00

Your find your job cleaning it up. We made the mess. We destroyed something. We destroyed your car. We destroyed your house, whatever. But we Yeah. Are not responsible because we made it we because we're allowed. Okay. We were wrong. So what? Yeah. To me, that's not that's not good manners. Anyway Yeah. Zwagunov says that he doesn't understand why she's working for the guy. She knows how he feels about him. And, well, you know, facts don't matter to guy like Zwiegenhoff. And I guess his attitude is as long as I don't like the guy, then everything I do is justified.

Speaker 1: 2:10:39

And You get the impression that even if he wasn't crooked, that's would have been how he would have

Speaker 0: 2:10:43

responded. Yeah. Yeah. And so because he doesn't like the guy, Laura shouldn't like the guy and she can he can badger her into whatever. But yeah. I mean, great police work there. Forget the facts, just operate on on feelings and emotions and the fact that you don't like somebody. Anyway, as Wagenhof is ranting, Steele cites Convicted, John Ford, Broderick Crawford, Columbia 1950. Ford plays an innocent man convicted of life imprisonment for a crime he didn't commit. And then an older officer here in Steele cite the movie turns and adds, Ruth Roman played the dame. Right? Oh, Dorothy Moynne, actually. Steele corrects. The officer smiles and tells Steele, oh, yeah. I was in love with her too.

Speaker 1: 2:11:23

This is cute. I like that exchange.

Speaker 0: 2:11:26

Well, Zwiegenhoff gives the officer a really dark look and then scolds him with a simple statement of his name. To Lauren Steele, he asks, I take it you guys think doubt is innocent. Arms crossed, Laura simply says, it's possible. Zweigenhoff tells Laura to come down to the station. He'll show her the case file, and he thinks that she'll change her mind. Cold tone in her voice and eyes, Laura declines. She Okay. Steele.

Speaker 1: 2:11:53

Here's my thought for this because we know that we know that Zwagenhof is is the bad guy. So his offer

Speaker 0: 2:12:00

guys. Show

Speaker 1: 2:12:01

Yeah. 1 of them. His offer to show them the case file is obviously not on the level. However.

Speaker 0: 2:12:06

No. Probably is.

Speaker 1: 2:12:07

Because Or you know what I mean? Like, he's he's trying to dissuade them.

Speaker 0: 2:12:10

Right.

Speaker 1: 2:12:11

But if he hadn't been if he wasn't the bad guy or even you would think it would be more information that they could use to piece things together, at least in their benefit to look at what the police had on Vinny to try to compare it with what they know. If I were Laura, I would have been like, yeah. Okay. Sure. Let's go and have a look at the case file. Not even if it just looks like they're playing ball, like they've done with Jarvis in the past. Right?

Speaker 0: 2:12:37

Mhmm.

Speaker 1: 2:12:37

And it could there could be something in that case file that might help their own investigation. So it seems kind of odd to me that she basically just turns them down flat. I get that there wasn't enough time in the episode, and that's why they didn't do it. But

Speaker 0: 2:12:51

But I think within the context of the episode, whatever happened in the past between Laura and Zweigenhoff

Speaker 1: 2:12:58

Oh, yeah. It's enough It's to so

Speaker 0: 2:13:02

it galls her so much that she doesn't wanna have she doesn't even wanna she doesn't even wanna take that advantage

Speaker 1: 2:13:11

That's fair.

Speaker 0: 2:13:12

Simply because she doesn't wanna have anything to do with him. That's how much she

Speaker 1: 2:13:16

detests Like, this again, we don't know what happened, but in my mind, it would be something like he made a move, didn't take no for an answer, she had to kick him somewhere, you know?

Speaker 0: 2:13:24

Could very well have been that. So I was just thinking that as as you started down that path. But yeah.

Speaker 1: 2:13:30

Because he seems like that kind of guy. Yes. Well, as

Speaker 0: 2:13:34

she and Steele turn to leave, Swagenhof calls after them, warning them that he hopes that he catches up to Dow before they do. And his voice is thick with snark as he suggests that he wouldn't wanna be the guy to have to put them out of business. He likes them too much.

Speaker 1: 2:13:50

Ugh. Like, I just wanna punch him too, like, duh.

Speaker 0: 2:13:55

And then as Laura exits the dining area, Steele follows, but pauses and then looks back at Zwagenhof and tells him to lock up when he leaves.

Speaker 1: 2:14:05

Yeah.

Speaker 0: 2:14:06

That that's yeah. A little sarcasm there from from Remington. Yeah. Good good job, buddy. Yep. Back in the limo, Laura is surmising that someone must have followed Mildred and Vinny from the office. Steele doesn't disagree, but he points out the question is, where are they right now? Well, the car phone rings and Steele grabs a coin, Mildred? As soon as he does, Then he set herself, oh 0, Francis. Laura panics, shaking her head, waving her arms, smouthing. No. No. All in a futile attempt to dissuade Steele from admitting her presence.

Speaker 1: 2:14:39

Oh, no.

Speaker 0: 2:14:40

Steele, either wisely afraid to get between 2 sisters or stupidly forgetting to be afraid of the wrath of Laura says, oh, yeah. She's right here. And so Laura No. This is

Speaker 1: 2:14:51

totally his this is totally Steele not thinking, straight and wanting to just torment Laura's. He he thinks it's you know, those times where he thinks it's funny and not realizing it's gonna come to kick him in the ass later.

Speaker 0: 2:15:06

Or somewhere else. Anyway, Laura Laura gives him a dirty look, takes a couple of seconds to try to get her irritation, that Steele under control, and then speaks to Frances. And even though we don't hear Frances' side of the conversation, we see the expressions on Laura's face and hear the frustration in her voice as she tries to calm Frances who's clearly distraught and angry. But Laura can't seem to get a word in edgewise. Nope. Finally, she says, you got a call from a neighbor? Yes. Well, no. No. No. It's not that bad. Couple thousand maybe. 5,000 at the most. Look, Francis, I can't talk right now. I have to keep this line open. Yeah. And, of course, during the conversation, if it can be called that, she repeatedly rolls her eyes at Steele who smirks as she listens. It's like, oh, man, just

Speaker 1: 2:15:58

He's enjoying that way too much. So that was 100%

Speaker 0: 2:16:02

intentional.

Speaker 1: 2:16:03

For now. For now. Yeah. He's well, if he if he if he plays his cards right, she might forget it later. But No. At this point Well,

Speaker 0: 2:16:13

not gonna be any any hugs and kisses tonight. No. That's for sure.

Speaker 1: 2:16:16

No. There is not.

Speaker 0: 2:16:17

No. Certainly nothing more than that. After she hangs up, she turns to Steele, prepared to read in the riot act for forcing her to deal with Francis under the present circumstances. Steele, seems ready for her verbal assault, he's already got his hands up as if to block her verbal barrage. He begins to speak, but they're interrupted by the phone ringing a 2nd time. This time, Laura picks up the phone and assuming it's Francis calling again. But no, Smeltrud, where are you? Where? Laura's eyes grow wide. Panic? Dismay? It's not good. It It's not not The limo turns into a large parking lot at a school bus yard. But as they're entering, a tow truck is exiting, towing an oddly familiar object.

Speaker 1: 2:17:03

Yeah. I had I had, where is it? Station wagon, which is barely a car.

Speaker 0: 2:17:11

Laura sits up horrified at what she's seen. Steele says that unless he's mistaken, that hunk of scrap metal was her sister's car. Laura plops back into the seat and tells Steele that they never solved this case before their own 1 man wrecking crew gets his hands on anything else. The limo pulls up beside a large building. Steele and Laura get out and then look around until they hear a whistle. They see Meldred and Vinny hiding between several of the buses. When Laura and Steele get to Meldred and Vinny, Vinny immediately begins to apologize about Frances's car.

Speaker 1: 2:17:44

I panicked.

Speaker 0: 2:17:45

You panicked. Steele completes the apology. Yeah. And Vinny's surprised that Steele could guess. Laura demands to know what happened. Well, somebody tried to put our lights out, Mildred explains. And when Steele asks that they gotta look at the guy, Mildred asks, are you kidding? And I Vinnie and I were running for our lives. Suddenly, Mildred pulls her arms out and shoves Vinnie back further behind the bus. Zwagenhof has arrived, parks his car right next to the limo, and then steps over to speak to the Fred of the Day.

Speaker 1: 2:18:17

So I'm wondering, does Fred of the day have instructions on how to deal with people asking about their comings and goings? Because sometimes there's a body in the trunk, sometimes they're they're doing crime or whatever it is. Does, like, Fred have a standard script that he has to repeat? Probably.

Speaker 0: 2:18:32

Probably. Something along the lines of I I don't know, you know. I just drive the car. I I Yeah.

Speaker 1: 2:18:39

I just drive the car. I just work here. No.

Speaker 0: 2:18:42

They've got the privacy glass up. I can't hear a thing. I can't see a thing. I don't I don't know what's going on back

Speaker 1: 2:18:46

No idea. Yep.

Speaker 0: 2:18:49

Anyway, Laura says, oh, terrific. Vinnie asks, well, what do we do now? Zwiegenhoff still by his car in the limo, starting to look around. And not getting an answer, Vinnie starts to panic asking, so what do we do? Well, next we see a school bus traveling down the road.

Speaker 1: 2:19:07

1st, we see a How? How? How did they get on that bus?

Speaker 0: 2:19:12

How? Which, of course, would never be allowed in real life unless they were the class parents for a class field trip. That's

Speaker 1: 2:19:18

Yeah. Well, yeah. You don't

Speaker 0: 2:19:20

section of the notes.

Speaker 1: 2:19:21

You don't have random adults onto your school bus. Like, that's not a thing you do.

Speaker 0: 2:19:25

Well, I you know, maybe they do. I mean, this is Los Angeles after all.

Speaker 1: 2:19:29

I know Vinny was a a school bus driver. Mhmm. But he couldn't use his contacts because he's supposed to be imprisoned for life. You would think that would be a red flag too.

Speaker 0: 2:19:38

Unless unless he's got a a buddy who's willing to bend the rules for him for 1000 dollars. But Maybe.

Speaker 1: 2:19:43

But the staring contest between Steele and the kid is quite funny. Yeah.

Speaker 0: 2:19:48

So, yeah, we see a girl sitting backward in the seat or kneeling backwards in the seat staring. And she's staring at Remington who is staring back at her.

Speaker 1: 2:19:57

He's got a grinning.

Speaker 0: 2:20:00

Yes. Our quartet has taken refuge in a in a bus full of school kids. Thinking out loud, Laura says that the whole thing just doesn't add up. Lance Lavaugh is kidnapped in broad daylight from right in front of his own gym. There are no witnesses. And 2 days later, the wife receives a note demanding the ransom be dropped in a phone booth at a busy intersection where it's never picked up. Steele contributes. Meanwhile, no 1 hears from the kidnappers again, she concludes. And this triggers a thought from Mildred who recounts that according to the newspaper, the coroner had determined that Lance was already dead by the time the ransom note was delivered. And Steele, who was continuing to return the girl's stare, asks the girl what she thinks.

Speaker 1: 2:20:44

It's cute.

Speaker 0: 2:20:44

And Laura

Speaker 1: 2:20:45

It's cute.

Speaker 0: 2:20:46

Laura considers the possibility that Lance was actually simply murdered and the kidnapping was a ruse to hide the motives of the real hide the murderer's real motive. Vinny, visibly upset at the idea, asks, you mean I framed myself for kidnapping that never happened?

Speaker 1: 2:21:02

Poor Vinny. I mean, I get like, at the time, this seemed like the It seemed

Speaker 0: 2:21:08

like a good idea.

Speaker 1: 2:21:09

But now he's like, man, I'm in prison for a crime I didn't commit, and I don't even I didn't even need to this really sucks.

Speaker 0: 2:21:17

The crime I didn't think I was framing myself for.

Speaker 1: 2:21:19

Yeah. Exactly.

Speaker 0: 2:21:21

Well and then it gets worse because the girl who's been staring at Steele breaks eye contact, turns toward Vinnie and offers her assessment of the situation. What an idiot.

Speaker 1: 2:21:29

Yeah. Well, you can always count on kids to be honest. Right?

Speaker 0: 2:21:32

Yes. Art Linkletter made a fortune out of that.

Speaker 1: 2:21:36

Yeah.

Speaker 0: 2:21:36

Vinnie gives out with a pathetic groan and nod of affirmation. Well, then we see the bus stop and several kids get off followed by our quartet. Vinnie realizes that whoever did it must have thought that they had it made in the shade when he confessed.

Speaker 1: 2:21:50

Oh, yeah.

Speaker 0: 2:21:51

And he's probably quaking in his boots until Vinnie is behind bars, Mildred adds. Or dad, remains. Vinny's head snaps around to look at Steele, his face dropping at this gruesome analysis. Oh, yeah. A potential panic coming on. Yeah. Yeah. But Laura quickly tells him not to panic. You know, they may not have much to go on, but they're ahead of the game. She instructs Mildred to go back to the office and check Lance's insurance records for whomever might have benefited from Lance's untimely demise. And Steele tells Mildred that in the meantime, he and Laura are going to go pay a visit to 1 of Lance's closest friends.

Speaker 1: 2:22:29

Well,

Speaker 0: 2:22:30

we are at a very large mansion and inside we see a middle aged or perhaps somewhat older than middle aged woman in a sweat suit, walking on a treadmill.

Speaker 1: 2:22:40

This is a weird outfit.

Speaker 0: 2:22:42

It is. It is just totally weird. Guess it's supposed to be a a sweatsuit, you know, like the sweat cabinets. Only this allows you to sweat the fat off. It doesn't really do that while you're exercising on the treadmill or whatever.

Speaker 1: 2:22:57

Right. But she she has to get Steele to unzip her, which leads me to wonder how would she have gotten out of it if they weren't there?

Speaker 0: 2:23:04

Well, she's got staff.

Speaker 1: 2:23:07

Well, okay. Yeah. I guess they're just they're nowhere to be seen in this scene. So I was just like, when she says, like, unzip me, I'm thinking, okay. Well, how would you have how would you have gotten out otherwise? Yes.

Speaker 0: 2:23:19

Well, in a hurry, she would've would've been in trouble, but, yeah, she's got staff to help her in and out. So yes. So she's in a sweatsuit walking on a treadmill. It's missus Tuttle, and she may or may not be related to the famous or perhaps more correctly, infamous Captain Tuttle of the Mash 04/00/1977.

Speaker 1: 2:23:36

Oh, I didn't the infamous Captain Tuttle. Yeah. Good old Captain Tuttle. He's such a great guy, Captain Tuttle.

Speaker 0: 2:23:45

For anybody who doesn't know what we're talking about, there was an episode where they invented a Captain Tuttle. Nobody ever saw him, but they were using his his pay to help a I think it was a an orphanage, a

Speaker 1: 2:23:58

Korean orphanage. Yeah. They were.

Speaker 0: 2:23:59

And somebody got wise and they had to kill off Tuttle. So they killed him off, got his insurance money, and then everybody is there. The I think it was Henry Blake and

Speaker 1: 2:24:12

Yep.

Speaker 0: 2:24:12

A general and whatever. All they're eulogizing captain Tuttle. They knew him. He

Speaker 1: 2:24:18

was

Speaker 0: 2:24:18

a You great know? That what what what do you call it? That thing where you remember things that didn't happen? Yeah.

Speaker 1: 2:24:26

Yeah. Oh, 0, okay. I'm sorry. You because you made a comment about this woman's age, so I was curious and I looked it up and ouch. Ouch. She's my age. She's 43.

Speaker 0: 2:24:43

Oh.

Speaker 1: 2:24:44

Yeah. Well, that's embarrassing. Yeah. Right? Because

Speaker 0: 2:24:49

Well, you you you carry it better than she did.

Speaker 1: 2:24:52

Here's the thing. I'm not going to say because I did I don't disagree with you. I thought she was way older than me too. And I'm not saying that I am, the the perfect picture of of youth, but okay. Yeah. She's born she was born in '90 I did the math.

Speaker 0: 2:25:12

Yeah. She she doesn't carry it as well.

Speaker 1: 2:25:15

She's you're right. She has this, like, aged look about her.

Speaker 0: 2:25:19

Mhmm. And and when you look at her in some of the shots where it's Yeah. Fairly close-up, I mean, it's obvious that she's hiding some of her age under makeup, so

Speaker 1: 2:25:29

Yeah. Yeah. Anyway And there's no makeup here. Just saying, look how.

Speaker 0: 2:25:33

Yes. Oh, boy. That's embarrassing. Anyway

Speaker 1: 2:25:39

She's 43.

Speaker 0: 2:25:42

She's telling Steele and Laura and Vinny who's hiding behind dark glasses that she doesn't know how she can be of any help. Lance LeBlanc was her coach. That's all. I mean, she really didn't know him that well.

Speaker 1: 2:25:52

Right.

Speaker 0: 2:25:52

And Steele challenges her statement saying that according to their sources, Lance was more than just her coach. She steps off the treadmill, steps down, and then commands Steele to unzip her. Doesn't ask. Commands.

Speaker 1: 2:26:05

She's like, unzip me. Okay.

Speaker 0: 2:26:06

And then as he unzips her, revealing a woman who is somewhat shapely despite the initial impression given by the suit, she declares that she doesn't have to talk to them. But you are though, Steele states, adding the subtle warning, why is that, I wonder? Laura goes the less subtle route suggesting that perhaps they should speak to her husband about it. No. She responded sharply to Laura, then to Steele. I always heard private detectives were sleazy. Steele moves behind Laura to grab Vinny by the arm. He informs missus Tuttle that their distinguished colleague, mister Enrique, shoving Vinny to the front, is from south of the border, and he has an impeccable reputation. Sure. Ratching yeah. Ratching up the pressure. Laura reminds her that it's not mister Enrique's reputation that's on the line now, is it? And she was with Lance on the night he disappeared. Wasn't she missus Tuttle? And, of course, she frames it as a question, but it's not. It's a direct accusation. Yeah. The woman shoves her way through them to her purse sitting on a nearby table demanding to know how much they want. Steele informs her that what they want is the truth. Grudgingly, she admits that, yes, she was with Lance that night, but she didn't have anything to do with the murder. Laura asks if her husband realized the extent to which she and Lance were working out. Yeah. She insists that he didn't. And then it was just a fling, both her and Lance. I mean, after all, he was never gonna leave his wife. She was the brains behind the business. He wanted out, but he couldn't afford it. Laura asks where he was going the night that he left that evening. Missus Tuttle says she doesn't know. She just knows that he said that he had a problem that he needed to take care of. And to Laura, Steele says, it might be prudent if they had another talk with Heather LeBlanc. And then to mister Enrique, he asks, don't you agree? Cut in mid mid gulp of the drink he was drinking, Vinny quickly swallows and answers, see? Vinny Vinny Vinny. He didn't even try to make it sound, you know, like he speaking genuine Hispanic. He just yeah. See? It's night at the LeBlanc gym. Inside, Laura, Steele, and Vinny are skulking around in the dark.

Speaker 1: 2:28:23

Now, I guess they didn't have time to go home and and and get Vinny some crime clothes because they're Yes. They're not in their crime clothes.

Speaker 0: 2:28:32

Nope. They're in their regular street clothes. Steele, having apparently picked the lock, which impressed Vinny who asked Steele if he could teach him how to pick a lock like that. Laura shushes him as they continue to wait make their way through the facility. But even in the dark, something catches their attention. They close in to investigate. It's Heather LeBlanc, dead, pinned under a set of barbells. And just as Vinny says, holy magnolia. Detective Zweigenhoff steps out of the dark, pistol out and aimed in the direction of the trio and corpse and announces himself with, don't say I didn't warn you. Now, Vinnie panics. Of course, he does. Yeah. And he runs. And this is where another red flag should be going up. Zwiegenhoff fires at Vinny once, twice Yeah. Missing both times. He's got no cause to fire.

Speaker 1: 2:29:22

No. He doesn't. And that I mean, to be fair though I mean

Speaker 0: 2:29:28

Do we have to

Speaker 1: 2:29:28

be fair? It's not as It's weighing off. We don't have to be fair.

Speaker 0: 2:29:32

We don't like the guy. You know how we feel about him.

Speaker 1: 2:29:35

And I'm also suddenly thinking of I I don't know if you've ever seen the show Letter Kenny. Probably not, but it's like a Canadian sitcom. It's quite vulgar in some ways. But like, anytime the characters say, to be fair, the others chime in and they all go, to be fair, to be fair, to be fair. So that's what I was thinking when I said that. But to be fair, it's not as if there aren't actual real life situations in which the cops have fired at somebody that turned out to later be unarmed. That being said Well you shouldn't be firing at a suspect at random. It is. Yeah. No evidence to indicate that Vinny has any weapon on him at all.

Speaker 0: 2:30:12

So Yeah. Now, usually, the police in a in a split 2nd of a situation think that they are in danger from something that they visually interpret to be a weapon, which, yeah, often turns out not to be the case. But, you know, it's 1 of those split 2nd things. But this is a totally different situation. Vinnie's turn, he is fleeing. He is not presenting any form of danger to Zwagenhof. And basically, Zwagenhof is trying to do the old bad guy from a western type thing. Shoot the guy in the back. Yeah. That's that's that's a hard 1 to defend under any circumstances.

Speaker 1: 2:30:57

Yeah.

Speaker 0: 2:30:58

So anyway, Zwagenhof takes off in pursuit. But as he passes Steele preparing to take another shot, Steele kicks up with his foot, hitting Zwaggenhoff's arm, throwing off his aim. And angrily, and with just a tad too much pleasures, Zwaggenhoff tells him that they're under arrest. Yeah. Well, next we see Mildred, Laura and Steele walking out of police station? Court building?

Speaker 1: 2:31:21

Yeah. It looks like it.

Speaker 0: 2:31:22

Police station. I'm not sure, 1st of all, that they would have been able to get a court bail hearing at that night. And certainly not that that much quickly. And then Mildred comments that Zwiegenhoff really must have it in for Lawrence Steele because the bail was pretty steep. Cops don't set bail. And as far as I know, really have no influence in bail calculations except perhaps by the number and type of criminal charges that they manage to lodge against the suspect.

Speaker 1: 2:31:49

So Sometimes if they have like a if they have a rapport with a judge or something like that, they might be able to

Speaker 0: 2:31:56

To influence them. But Yeah. That's But again, that has to do as as much with the type and number of criminal charges they file against the suspect, as well as any kind of background that they can present. I mean, the a judge has to, in theory, although here in the last few years, we've seen a lot of judges ignore facts, ignore history of suspects, and just let people who have a history of violent crime and murder off with minimal or no bail and just let them walk and say, okay, just promise you'll be back for for for the trial when when it comes up. But usually, they have to justify or be able to justify their their bail decisions. So I I don't I I think Mildred's comments are off. I think the walking out of the police station or court building this quickly after the events is off.

Speaker 1: 2:32:52

He managed to get an entire cast on his leg after falling down the elevator the same day. Yeah. I think we Yeah. Think we just need to hand wave this.

Speaker 0: 2:33:01

Yeah. Unfortunately, this is a pretty big hand wave. I think this is both hands waving. Anyway, when Laura asks what Mildred dug up on Lance, she admits that there wasn't much to dig up. No life insurance. Most of his business holdings were in his wife's name. He had patents on his exercise equipment, copyrights on his diet programs, stuff like that. A lot of money, no debts. Laura rants in frustration that 2 people are dead. They've been arrested. Vinny's on the loose, and they have no suspects. When Steele asks if Mildred had any word from Vinny so far, the answer is no better than the previous news. Not a peep. Back at the Dowd house, Vinny drops back in. Literally, he drops in from the skylight he previously crashed through. And Nedra, dressed in a robe, comes running in from the bedroom. Excited, Vinny grabs her into a hug, picks her up, and then begins to twirl her around and tell her to pack her bags. When she asks where they're going, he tells her, Mexico.

Speaker 1: 2:33:55

Oh, Vinny.

Speaker 0: 2:33:56

And they kiss and hug and Petra doesn't seem quite as excited at the prospect as Vinny is.

Speaker 1: 2:34:03

No. Poor Vinny.

Speaker 0: 2:34:04

It's it's still night, and we see the limo pull up in front of a seedy pool hall. But Laura isn't happy, insisting that they haven't got time for a game of 8 ball. Mhmm. Not addressing her concerns, Steele points out that Lance LeBlanc wanted to get out of his marriage, but that he couldn't divorce Heather because the very things that made him rich and famous were in her name. Miss Tuttle said that that night he had left her to go off to solve this problem. Scowling, Laura tells him that she liked it better when he came up with old movie quotes to solve cases because right now, she's not following him. Steele admits that he might be grasping at straws here, but he thinks Lance hired someone to kill his wife. Well, then how does Steele explain the fact that Lance was the 1 who ended up dead? She asks. Well, he can't. But if he had the same problem, Lance did. He knows who he talked to. Well, inside a rather scuzzy looking gentleman, and I use the word in the most generous and accurate manner imaginable.

Speaker 1: 2:35:02

I was gonna say that seems like a very loose term for this guy. Okay.

Speaker 0: 2:35:06

He's lining up a full shot. And although we don't get his name used in dialogue of the episode, his name, according to the script, is Weasel.

Speaker 1: 2:35:12

Weasel. Yeah. It is used once. Is it? Yeah. Because I I didn't see the script and and I had it down. I had his name down there somewhere, so they did actually mention his name at some point.

Speaker 0: 2:35:24

I I missed it then. Anyway, when we see more of the pool hall, it's your typical TV pool hall. The air is hazy from the thick smoke of cigarettes. Yeah. The lighting is low and tinted because when it comes to making poor decisions at night in a bar, sometimes bear goggles aren't enough.

Speaker 1: 2:35:44

Yeah. That's true.

Speaker 0: 2:35:45

Steele makes his way through the crowd, comes up behind the man at the pool table, slaps the butt of the queue with his palm. Man looks up, perhaps ready to bust the head of the jerk who messed up his shot, but recognizes Steele and greets him enthusiastically. Before they get a chance to say anything, Laura comes up slowly. Weasel notices and ignoring Steele's hand gesture to keep it down asks, you still hanging around with Mary Magdalene here? Good light, I love that.

Speaker 1: 2:36:11

This isn't the same guy that they met in the junkyard. Right? In that episode with Rocky Sullivan where she was is it the same guy? I don't think it

Speaker 0: 2:36:24

That might.

Speaker 1: 2:36:27

I can't remember. I can't remember. Like, I don't remember if his name was Weasel or not. But that's kinda what I thought of. Because like, he seems to recognize and know Laura, so Mhmm. I can't remember what the the guy's name was mentioned in that other episode.

Speaker 0: 2:36:44

K. Robert Pestarelli. Now you Steele it. Now you don't yeah.

Speaker 1: 2:36:50

Was it him?

Speaker 0: 2:36:51

Same guy.

Speaker 1: 2:36:52

Oh, okay. Yep. I remember something. Do it for me.

Speaker 0: 2:36:55

Same guy. Yeah. It was. Okay.

Speaker 1: 2:36:57

Yeah. Okay. So, yeah, it was a guy in the in the junkyard.

Speaker 0: 2:37:01

Yes. So, anyway, before they get a yes. Mary Magdalene, Laura informs Weasel that Cruella DeVille was busy.

Speaker 1: 2:37:07

I like that line. That was

Speaker 0: 2:37:08

good. And Weasel seems to find that amusing. He asks Steele what he can do Steele out of Steele asks if he remembers a bodybuilder by the name of Lance LeBlanc. Weasel says he does and recounts the basics of the case. Steele says he thinks the guy may have put a hit out on his wife before he was killed.

Speaker 1: 2:37:26

Mhmm.

Speaker 0: 2:37:26

Distracted, not seemingly paying attention, Weasel says, nice guy. Laura, clearly not impressed with Weasel, says that they thought he might have heard something. Nope, is the response, and Weasel walks around the table for

Speaker 1: 2:37:40

another those times where Laura has to has to sit back and let Steele do his thing because everything that she does here only makes him less likely to talk to them. Mhmm. It's not until Steele kind of, like, pays him, which is obviously what he's waiting for, that he gives up any information. And and it feels like he does so reluctantly because he's annoyed that Laura's hearing it too.

Speaker 0: 2:38:05

Mhmm. Well, he's he's just annoyed by Laura.

Speaker 1: 2:38:08

Yeah. Well, because she's to be fair, like, you would be too if the guy if somebody was standing there looking at you like you were scum on the bottom of their shoe.

Speaker 0: 2:38:16

Mhmm.

Speaker 1: 2:38:17

Yeah. Because that's basically what she's doing. And this is another reason why I'm like, she she sticks out like a sore thumb in here, and not because she's she's dressed well, because he's always dressed well. Mhmm. She sticks out like a sore thumb because she she sort of like comes across as as

Speaker 0: 2:38:35

She's out of place. Yeah. Her attitude, her her perspective, her opinion of the people that are there.

Speaker 1: 2:38:44

Yeah. She does she makes it very obvious what she thinks of every of of the place and everybody around her, and it just doesn't do them any favors to do that. Like, you wanna get information, you wanna ingratiate yourself with the person you're speaking to. Steele knows how to do that. Yeah.

Speaker 0: 2:38:59

But And if if she hadn't been there, Steele would have probably gotten more information more easily. Yeah. Probably still had to pay Weasel, but he Yeah.

Speaker 1: 2:39:07

I think he still need to pay for it. But

Speaker 0: 2:39:09

But he would probably gotten more and gotten it more easily. Yeah. But anyway, what Weasel walks around the table for another shot, making sure to force Laura to step back to let him through. And Laura, certain that Weasel is not being forthcoming, insists that he must have heard something dismissively. He says, hey, lady. It was a long time ago. And his use of the term lady is clearly not intended to be respectful. No. Thank Laura demands. Well, clearly, Laura is starting to get on his nerves. His tone is harsh as he fires back, hey, what's with you? Then to Remington, is she always like this? Steele, who has pulled out a water bills, tosses several into the corner pocket, points to them, tells Weasel that's part of her charm. Weasel dips into the pocket, pulls out the bills and shoves them into his pocket. And suddenly, he remembers that

Speaker 1: 2:40:00

It jogs his memory a little bit.

Speaker 0: 2:40:02

Something going around about that at the time. But when he doesn't continue, Laura looks at him, leans into the pool table, and shakes her head at him saying, any names? Never are, he answers. He makes a move as to line up a shot, but Steele stops him with advice. 6 ball, corner pocket. Weasel lines up the shot and the ball rolls into the pocket. Weasel remembers something else. Lance had a buddy. He used to dabble in the area of artificial persuasion. He's never heard of the guy erasing anybody. That's Steele's term to prompt for a name, gesturing around to the side of his head with fingers for emphasis. The name Weasel gives him is Tony Petz. And annoyed at the entire situation, the local people, Weasel, Laura sternly tells Steele, let's go. She starts to walk off, but Steele stays and asks Weasel if he could take

Speaker 1: 2:40:58

a shot.

Speaker 0: 2:40:59

Laura notices that Steele isn't following, so she stops and starts waiting for him. Weasel hands Steele the cue. Steele tracks it up and then lines up on the 3 balls that are left on the table, altogether near near the side rail next to the center pocket. He takes a shot sending 1 ball into the adjacent side pocket, 1 into the corner pocket on the same side, and 1 other in the corner pocket on the other side, which knocks in a 4th ball in the process. He hands the cue back to and tells him, clean living, does wonders, mate.

Speaker 1: 2:41:28

Yeah. Weasel looks kinda shocked and Laura The only part of her her behavior in this scene that I do kinda like is the kiss that she blows them as they leave. That's kinda funny.

Speaker 0: 2:41:40

This reminds me of a story from the original Dick Van Dyke show. There was an episode called Hustling the Hustler, and it involves Buddy Sorrell's black sheep brother coming back. And he was a pool hustler in a previous life. Well, Rob Petrie, Dick Van Dyke, has a pool table down in their basement, so they start playing pool. But he's smart. He's not gonna he's not gonna play he's not gonna gamble with with Blackie, the buddy's brother.

Speaker 1: 2:42:08

Right.

Speaker 0: 2:42:09

Because he he he doesn't do that. So they're play for matchsticks, except the matchsticks turn into dollars. And he winds up losing a lot of money and and the story goes on and everything works out fine and and resolves in the end. But at the end of the episode, he's wanting to play a game with Laura but she wants to watch a TV show. And so she says, well, tell you what. If I if I can make this shot, can I go up and watch my TV show? He's, sure. Fine. And so they've got this shot lined up for her to take. The original plan was for her to take the shot, probably miss it, guaranteed miss it. Then they would cut to a shot of the cue ball hitting and sending these these other balls into the pockets as designed, but somebody else having taken the shot. So there's a cut there, so you didn't see that. Except that on the very 1st take, Mary Tyler Moore hit it perfect. All the balls went in. And so so when you're watching the episode and she is astounded and Dick Van Dyke is just those are genuine reactions because they absolutely did not anticipate that going that way.

Speaker 1: 2:43:27

That's funny.

Speaker 0: 2:43:28

It it's very similar to this this

Speaker 1: 2:43:30

Yeah. Yeah. So I I like the scene. It's a good scene. And then

Speaker 0: 2:43:34

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 2:43:35

Like the fact that they brought Weasel back because,

Speaker 0: 2:43:37

like I like him.

Speaker 1: 2:43:38

Yeah. I like him too.

Speaker 0: 2:43:42

Well, back at the Eurobatorium, Steele and Laura walking on 20 pads.

Speaker 1: 2:43:46

You said it right.

Speaker 0: 2:43:48

Walking on a 20 pads and doing a workout on a freestanding piece of equipment. Laura cuts straight to the chase. Laura, you gotta learn I know. A little bit of She's not. A little bit of tech. Anyway Yeah. She says, let's talk about the contract Lance Llbaugh put out on his wife. Tony laughs, steps out of the stand, and then suddenly throws it back into Steele and Moore as he takes off on a run. And suddenly, the lights go out. How? Who turned them off? It wasn't Tony Pets. He was nowhere near the the light switch.

Speaker 1: 2:44:20

So I assume it's whoever shot him.

Speaker 0: 2:44:26

Yeah. Maybe. But it just it to me, it just doesn't fit. Not yet. Anyway, Steele and Laura begin to slowly move through the dark and then suddenly Tony is behind Steele, grabs him and throws him into the jungle rowing machine. In the process, Steele hits the button on the controls causing the sound effects to come on. Laura is moving through the moonscape when there is a shot. Steele calls out to Laura just as another shot rings out. Laura runs to the door, out into the lobby, and then outside just in time to see a car racing away. But she can't do anything more, so she turns around and goes back inside. She once again enters the darkened workout area. Justice Steele has found the light switch. Well, Tony Petz is dead in Hawaii. Or at least Hawaii the Hawaii themed workout area. 2 bullets in his chest. We're at the office. Mildred is working on the computer when the phone rings. It's Vinny calling from the bus terminal, and he's wearing the worst cheesy fake mustache anybody's ever seen.

Speaker 1: 2:45:23

Is the like, I I yeah. Because in my in my notes, I Vinny has an exaggerated fake mustache, and I'm just like, oh, man. If you're trying to to avoid being seen, the last thing you wanna is put something on visible.

Speaker 0: 2:45:39

That's right.

Speaker 1: 2:45:39

You've got, like, this Hawaiian shirt that could be seen from space, and now you've added a mustache. Like, no. No. That's Yeah.

Speaker 0: 2:45:49

It's just it's a horrible it's a horrible fake mustache. Bought it's like something he bought at a joke shop. Yeah. Anyway, he's wearing this cheap cheap fake mustache and Nedra is standing next to him. He tells Mildred that he's just calling to say goodbye. Well, Mildred doesn't understand, asking him where he's going. South of the border, he tells her.

Speaker 1: 2:46:10

Yeah.

Speaker 0: 2:46:11

He says that Nedra tells him that they can live like kings down there. Now Mildred tries to talk him out of him out of it, telling him that they shouldn't go anywhere until he talks to mister Steele. Well, Vinny apologizes, but it's too late. Their boss leaves in 20 minutes. They'll Steele, he said, nice try, and he'll send him a postcard.

Speaker 1: 2:46:28

Sweet, stupid Vinny. Yes. Yes.

Speaker 0: 2:46:35

And he hangs up and he and Nedra walk away. And on the other end, Mildred is pounding on the phone as if pounding on the phone will magically return Vinny to the other end of the phone and reconnect the call. Anyway, next we see a car driving the streets at night. It's Zwagenhoff. He gets a call on his radio. The voice on the radio reports that the tap on Steele's phone has paid off. Dowd is at the bus station and they're on their way. Zwiegenhoff tells the voice that he's right behind them, and then he orders that nobody makes a move until he gets there. He mounts his fleece strobe on the roof of his car, flips on his siren, and then goes flying. Back at the Eurobatorium, Laura and Steele are going through the desk drawers and file cabinets, trying to find something to help them sort it all out. Laura is also trying to construct the sequence of events and the relationships between all the players, recounting that if Lance hired Tony to kill his wife, then who killed Lance? Well, the same person who killed Tony Pets, Steele suggests. Well, who killed Frank Dunn?

Speaker 1: 2:47:32

Laura asks.

Speaker 0: 2:47:33

Who killed Heather? Steele responds. Who's left? Laura wonders.

Speaker 1: 2:47:41

I was thinking that too because I couldn't remember who the the criminal was when I rewatched this because like I said, this is like this bonus episode that I forgot existed. Wait a minute. We're kinda most of the people are dead. Who are we missing?

Speaker 0: 2:47:54

Well, while working on the filing cabinets, Steele notices a photo in a newspaper clipping that is framed and hanged on the wall. He calls out to Laura to look at it. As she steps over, Steele reads the caption, bodybuilder whips police into shape. Laura reads the 2nd part of the caption. Detective Steve Zweigenhoff presents certificate of appreciation to Tony Petz. She is shocked, asking, Zweigenhoff new pets? Steele wonders I what that

Speaker 1: 2:48:22

gotta say, the names in this episode are all very bizarre. When you think about like, you've got Nedra. Nedra is not a common name that you hear a lot. You've got Tony Pets, which is weird. You've got Wagonhoff, Weasel. It just it like it feels like they went

Speaker 0: 2:48:41

LeBlanc, even.

Speaker 1: 2:48:43

Yeah. They they they went the extra mile in coming up with the most crazy the craziest names they could think of for these characters. I

Speaker 0: 2:48:51

guess they wanted to avoid Smith and Jones and

Speaker 1: 2:48:53

Yeah. True.

Speaker 0: 2:48:57

Laura says she doesn't know what it means, but the skin on the back of her neck is beginning to crawl. Yeah. Steele counters that something tells him that they'd better find Vinny before Zwagenhof does. So they head out to find Vinny. We see Zwagenhof racing to the bus depot in his car, and Laura and Steele are racing to, apparently, nowhere in particular in the

Speaker 1: 2:49:18

I would assume the office maybe because they probably wanted to catch up with Mildred and see if she's her

Speaker 0: 2:49:24

Out of the phone.

Speaker 1: 2:49:25

Yeah. I don't know. I don't

Speaker 0: 2:49:27

Which is what happens. Laura's on the phone to Mildred trying to find out if there's been any contact from Vinny. I mean, it seems to it seems to me that they probably wouldn't wanna be going much of anywhere until they knew where they were going. But anyway, when Laura gets the word that Vinnie's at the bus depot, they direct Fred to the actual destination. When Zwagenhof arrives, he's told by an officer that Vinnie is inside, and Zwagenhof tells the officer that he's going in alone. When the officer questions the instructions, Zwiegenhoff lies telling the other that Vinny is armed and dangerous, which by the way is a great title for an album and it's a great album by a guy named Matthew Ward.

Speaker 1: 2:50:06

So Okay.

Speaker 0: 2:50:07

I'd just say it's a great great great album and a great title song too. Anyways, Wagenhof tells the other officer that he's going in alone because he doesn't want a bloodbath. Wagenhof goes inside and begins looking for Vinnie. Lauren Steele arrive and head inside as well. Waggenau spots Vinnie playing a video playing a video game with Ned just standing next He's to him as he just so,

Speaker 1: 2:50:29

like, he's just so innocent, Vinnie. He's just such a like like I said, a sweet little cinnamon roll because, like, he's on the run. He's he's a convicted felon and he's Mhmm. Playing an arcade game Yeah. And kissing his wife who he thinks loves him.

Speaker 0: 2:50:47

Well, 1 you could understand. But Yeah. I know. The video game is probably not a good choice. No. Anyway, Vinny and Nedra kiss and Nedra moves away. Once Vinny is alone, so to speak, Zwiegenhoff approaches and addresses Vinny by name. And then when Vinny looks up from his game, Zwiegenhoff opens his jacket, showing his gun and then tells Vinnie to run. Oh, Vinnie, understandably, doesn't understand. No. Zwiegenhoff again opens his jacket to expose the gun and then with a growl in his voice, orders Vinnie to run. When Vinnie hesitates, Zwiegenhoff pulls his gun and again orders Vinnie to take off. Laura, Steele, and another officer enter the depot lobby area just in time to see all this happen. Steele hops over a barrier and rushes Zwiegenhoff while Laura and the officer rush around the barrier. Steele grabs a sailor's loaded duffel bag from the floor as he passes it, hollers to get Zwagenhof's attention, and then swings the duffel at him.

Speaker 1: 2:51:45

That must have felt real satisfying.

Speaker 0: 2:51:47

Oh, yeah. Zwagenhof goes down, tries to get up while shifting his gun's aim towards Steele, but Steele kicks the gun out of his hand. Then as Zwiegenhoff again tries to get up, Steele punches him in the face, sending him down onto his back.

Speaker 1: 2:52:02

Again, satisfying. Yeah.

Speaker 0: 2:52:05

Probably a little painful, but,

Speaker 1: 2:52:07

yes, satisfying. Yeah. He does that thing where he's holding onto his hand afterwards, ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.

Speaker 0: 2:52:12

Laura rushes up with the other officer telling him, here's your murderer, sergeant. Well, sergeant is surprised, as is Mildred, who also comes running up. Steele tells her that it's a surprise to them too. Mildred is still confused telling Laura that he's not the guy that came after them at her sisters. Laura doesn't understand reminding Mildred that she said she didn't get a good look at him. Well, yeah, but it was a good enough look to know that that wasn't him, she insists. Steele expresses his confusion in a word and Laura rhetorically asks, you mean there are 2 people trying to stop Vinny? And just as she says that, 2 more shots ring out, but these are from outside the depot. They rush out accompanied by several officers. Outside, we see Vinny running, then he dives into the open underside luggage compartment of a bus followed by the man that we saw earlier shooting up the Piper home. Yeah. And he also dies in the luggage compartment of the bus followed by Steele doing the same. And then we see Vinny crawling out of the other side as Laura rushes up to him on that side as well. What took Vinny so long to get through that luggage compartment? And, I mean I don't know. What were he and the other band and Steele doing in there altogether at the same time playing cards?

Speaker 1: 2:53:22

No clue.

Speaker 0: 2:53:22

I mean Yeah.

Speaker 1: 2:53:23

Maybe. Maybe. Just chilling out and hanging. Who knows? I mean,

Speaker 0: 2:53:27

that's a 1 2nd slide from 1 side to the other. But no, Vinny's gotta take his time. Anyway, Laura shoves the compartment door down causing it to smack on the head of the other man as he's trying to come out. And then we see the other police officers come running up out of the depot. Vinny grabs Laura's hand and begins shaking it and thanking her. At the same time, Nedra arrives as the other police officers do. 1 of the officers opens the compartment door, and Steele shoves the man out onto the ground. Benny looks at the man and in surprise says, wolf.

Speaker 1: 2:53:58

I got another bird's name.

Speaker 0: 2:54:01

Steel's also surprised. You know him? Benny chuckles saying, sure. It's his downstairs neighbors. What's he Oh. And then he pauses, realization slowly donning on his face. He looks at Nedra who shrugs and gives him a sad smile and apologizes. Vinnie can't believe it. Her and Wolf? Steele realizes that Nedra knew that if Vinnie cleared himself, she'd have to give back the money. Nedra pragmatically says, well, she figured she could always get another husband, or where could she get another $250,000?

Speaker 1: 2:54:33

I hate this woman. I hate this woman. I really, really hate this woman because Vinny, poor sweet Vinny, like, he's just

Speaker 0: 2:54:45

Vinny I mean, he's he's actually understanding, far more understanding than 1 might expect, certainly.

Speaker 1: 2:54:51

No. I think

Speaker 0: 2:54:52

Far more understanding than most people would be. He he admits, well, you know, she has a point.

Speaker 1: 2:54:57

I think it's probably because he probably has such little self esteem. Like, he probably thinks so little of himself that to him, it's like, well, yeah, I guess you're right.$250,000 is better than a like, it just I just

Speaker 0: 2:55:12

feel She can definitely do better than me. That's for sure. Yeah. This poor

Speaker 1: 2:55:16

guy goes through literally hell to make sure that she's provided for after his death. And then she

Speaker 0: 2:55:22

Misuse of the word literal, folks.

Speaker 1: 2:55:26

It doesn't sound as good saying he went through figurative hell. Okay? But he did. He goes through hell to make sure that she's provided for. He frames himself for a crime he didn't commit, which meant

Speaker 0: 2:55:39

To take care of her.

Speaker 1: 2:55:40

Yeah. To take care of her, which means that if even if he had died, he would have spent his last days in a prison

Speaker 0: 2:55:47

Mhmm.

Speaker 1: 2:55:47

Not surrounded by people who care about him, and he does this all for her, and then she just ugh. I hate her. I hate her. Hate her. I hate her.

Speaker 0: 2:55:55

Well, and he's still doing it for her. He's he's sympathizing with her and and I know. Understanding her decision. I mean, it's

Speaker 1: 2:56:01

Poor Vinny. Like, he he loved her and he obviously doesn't think as much about himself, like, that he's worthy enough to be worth more than $250,000 and I just wanna hug him. I wanted to kill Bing, I wanna hug Vinny. That's where we're at. You know?

Speaker 0: 2:56:19

Anyway Well, now we have a time jump and now we are in the offices where Laura and Steele are explaining to Mildred that it's really all very simple once she gets the player straight.

Speaker 1: 2:56:29

Yeah.

Speaker 0: 2:56:30

And yes, I love the sweater.

Speaker 1: 2:56:31

Yeah. I was gonna say, she's I've got I literally in my notes. Okay. I wrote back at the office, Laura is wearing that sweater Eric likes that she wore in Ireland.

Speaker 0: 2:56:43

Well, they explained to Milton that Lance LeBlanc hired Tony Petz to kill his wife. Tony took the money, but found that he couldn't carry out the deed. So Tony hired his pals, Wagenhof, to kill Heather. Only as Wagenhof fell in love with her. On the night that Zwagenhof was supposed to kill Heather, Lance surprised them by coming home early. There was a fight, and Zwagenhof killed him. That's when Heather and Zwagenhof concocted the kidnapping plan to cover up the murder. They concluded that it would have worked too if it hadn't been for Vinny. During the explanation, though, Mildred seems distracted. Wandering around and looking. More she seems to get more distracted as the explanation progresses, eventually getting up and beginning to slowly walk around Yeah. Looking down as if she's looking for something or if she's lost. And at the end of the explanation, Steele, in a somewhat offended tone, says that Mildred doesn't seem to be interested in their explanation or appreciative of their efforts to clarify it all to her. Oh, no. No. She she is, she insists. It's just that, Phyllis has gone AWOL. Phyllis? Steele asks. The turtle, Bora reminds him. Mildred grabs her chin in contemplation, wondering if maybe she shouldn't have gotten her a leash.

Speaker 1: 2:57:56

How would you how would you leash a turtle? How would you leash a turtle?

Speaker 0: 2:57:59

How would you get a leash that even fit a turtle?

Speaker 1: 2:58:02

That's my point. Like, what would you do? Tie string around its little neck? Like Well,

Speaker 0: 2:58:07

just then, Vinny bursts through the front doors into reception, excitedly calling out, hey, guys. Guess what? No. But he slips, and there's the sound of a crunch underfoot.

Speaker 1: 2:58:16

Phyllis, r I p. We barely knew e.

Speaker 0: 2:58:20

Laura looks toward the source of the sound, horrified. Mildred looks shot. Steele looks perplexed. Betty also looks down toward the source of the sound, then looks back toward our trio as they groan, and we freeze.

Speaker 1: 2:58:34

Phyllis the 2nd, r I p.

Speaker 0: 2:58:38

Soon to be replaced by Phyllis the 3rd.

Speaker 1: 2:58:40

I was gonna say 1 has to think that they went that day to another pet store to find another turtle.

Speaker 0: 2:58:46

Hopefully hopefully, they get a Phyllis and not a Phil.

Speaker 1: 2:58:48

Yeah. But this is my point. Like, what if they picked up a a different Yes. Anyway. Anyway. Although I don't know how you would tell the difference between a male turtle and a female turtle, and I really don't feel inclined to look.

Speaker 0: 2:59:03

Allow me to buy you a book.

Speaker 1: 2:59:04

Certain things should be remain a mystery is all I'm saying.

Speaker 0: 2:59:09

Anything else? Any any additional comments?

Speaker 1: 2:59:12

No. I mean, this like I said, this was this is a bizarre episode for me because I I hadn't seen it until I got my hands on the DVDs, and so I always see it as sort of like a bonus. It's not a it's not the best episode ever. I think the last couple episodes of the season heading towards Bonds were they're okay.

Speaker 0: 2:59:30

It's a decent episode. It's not great.

Speaker 1: 2:59:32

Yeah. Compared to some of the others in this season, like, unfortunately, when you're comparing it to something like Sensitive Steele or Premium or some of the other really, really good strong episodes of this season, it comes out a little bit meh. But there's some good moments. Yeah. I enjoyed it.

Speaker 0: 2:59:47

But, you know, your comment about it being a bonus episode for you because you you hadn't seen it, and it was like as you were saying that earlier, it reminded me, and I didn't say anything about it at the time, but I I guess I'll still go ahead and throw it in here now. There was I sometimes I have well, I I don't dream real often. I I know what people say. Yes, you do. You just don't remember them. But no, I when I dream, I wake up. It it ruins my night's sleep. So I I usually know when I I dream. And when I do this, they're usually very bizarre and thematic about a theme that I don't wanna get into. But occasionally, I have these dreams that I remember them not as dreams, but as actual memories of events. And for for years and years and years, I remembered seeing a Star Trek episode that I could not identify. It was nowhere

Speaker 1: 3:00:43

Oh, no.

Speaker 0: 3:00:44

Nowhere in any of the series. And it it had to have been a dream. I've because I've gone I I I know the entire original series, and there is no episode that that fit what I remember in this dream. And so I that was kinda like a bonus episode for me too.

Speaker 1: 3:01:04

That's crazy. That is crazy.

Speaker 0: 3:01:06

So anyway, so if we don't have anything else, website, steelwatching.com. We got show notes. We we will list convicted but we don't have a link for it. There does not Laura seem to be

Speaker 1: 3:01:21

does reference herself as Cruella DeVille, so you could put a 101 donations on there. Okay. Fine.

Speaker 0: 3:01:28

Okay. Hang on. Let me add it real quick. 101 Dalmatians. Okay. So we'll we'll get that 1 in there. But yeah, we won't have a link to convicted with John Ford and Broderick Crawford because it doesn't seem to be available in the Region 1 North America market.

Speaker 1: 3:01:45

Right.

Speaker 0: 3:01:45

Now, if you happen to have a player that will handle Region 2 European, there

Speaker 1: 3:01:52

Cheap are some PVD players.

Speaker 0: 3:01:54

There are some copies of that on Amazon. But since most people don't really have the ability to I think

Speaker 1: 3:02:03

she'd be surprised. Like, again, this is something that we found out kind of the hard way because we were specifically buying multi region players. And then we found out through a friend who told us that basically, like, if it's cheap enough Mhmm. If the DVD player is cheap enough, the likelihood that they would have even put those protections on it are low. Mhmm. And you're probably gonna be able to get away with it or a Blu ray player will do it, Or ours does. No. Ours play

Speaker 0: 3:02:33

Blu ray Blu ray players are are both region encoded for Blu rays and DVDs.

Speaker 1: 3:02:38

Ours ours definitely plays both both Scotts, British DVDs and my American DVDs. So like again, if it's a cheap enough if it's a cheap enough Blu ray player, it'll play it. There are also ones where and you can look it up, but you can, look up hacks to literally hack your DVD players and and get them to play. Because this is something that we've had to care about because Scott brought his entire DVD collection from The UK. And so it's either, like, we find a expensive multi region player or we hack into or find a cheap enough DVD player that it plays all the stuff.

Speaker 0: 3:03:13

Yeah. Because the the actual content is is still there and accessible Yeah. If you can get past the gates, gatekeepers. And basically, what it is is it's like somebody standing at a a door to a restaurant saying, you got some ID?

Speaker 1: 3:03:27

I don't like your shoes. You're not coming in.

Speaker 0: 3:03:29

You're not a member of this club, so you can't come in. Yeah. But if you can get around the guy, you can eat. Well, it's the same with the DVDs and Blu rays. If you can get around the the the encoding, the encoding is there just deliberately to keep you from accessing the content Yeah. Unless you can pass the test. But if you can get around the test, it's all there to watch.

Speaker 1: 3:03:49

Anyway, the next episode is the

Speaker 0: 3:03:52

1 we've all been You waiting you you forgot you forgot. Oh. In addition to all the stuff Sorry. On the website for show notes and such, we've also got Yes.

Speaker 1: 3:04:02

We have the Facebook page, the Twitter, and the Instagram page along with the officially unofficial Steele Watchers Facebook fan group, which is not our official group. We don't own it or run it, but we are a part of it. And we encourage everybody else to become a part of it as well because there is lots of fun discussions, and usually, leading up to an episode, people will start putting up clips and and creating discussion, it's just fun. So come and Well, join

Speaker 0: 3:04:28

the next 1 is a somewhat

Speaker 1: 3:04:31

A controversial fan favorite. A a Controversial. Reverend joy in the episode we've all been waiting for.

Speaker 0: 3:04:38

The sarcasm drips from your fangs.

Speaker 1: 3:04:42

Bonds of Steele.

Speaker 0: 3:04:44

Yes. Alright. Well, it will be On

Speaker 1: 3:04:51

that note.

Speaker 0: 3:04:53

Bye bye, everybody.

Speaker 1: 3:04:54

Bye bye.