DOA: DELIRIOUS ON ARRIVAL

Picture supplied by Swoopes and BruceFanB5

One evening, Lee turns up for a meeting in an underground car park. He leaves his car outside and sets it’s alarm, then goes into the building but a guy comes out and breaks into his car and tampers with it. He then gets out and goes to leave when the car’s alarm goes off alerting Lee. The guy runs off before Lee gets back to his car and switches off the alarm. Suspicious, he checks all around, inside, out and underneath then carefully opens his door. He gets in then puts the key in the ignition and turns it only to have a recording start up with a man’s accented voice saying that he’ll be in touch.

Next day at the Agency, Lee arrives with the cassette recording from his car. Francine makes a few teasing comments about him being in on time and Lee says she won’t be laughing when she hears the tape. Francine again teases him about it being an audio recording of his date the night before but Lee isn’t amused and tells her it’s Hans Retzig. She stops laughing and the head in to see Billy.

At Amanda’s house, she’s in a rush as the Agency have asked her to come in. Dotty tells her she should have some breakfast before she leaves as it’s the most important meal of the day. Amanda reaches for some cereal but there’s none left and so grabs an orange for later then leaves.

At the Agency, Lee and Billy are holding a meeting regarding Retzig. Billy explains that he’s made his money doing arms deals. Lee adds that Retzig never touches the hardware though, it’s mainly schematic’s, paperwork…things that can moved quickly and easily. Because Retzig always sets up his buyers first, Lee wants all the agents to check with their contacts straight away and see if they can come up with someone as a possible buyer. Finally, they warn everyone that although Retzig plays games, he’s dangerous and if anyone gets a lead on him they should call for back-up. Lee then says that they probably don’t remember Operation Thunderhead but Retzig cost them two of their top agents and rubbed their noses in it to boot. Billy then tells everyone to get started.

Lee head out into the bullpen to where Amanda’s working with her still untouched orange on her desk. He asks her to make a few copies of a document he’s holding then they talk briefly about Retzig. As Lee speaks, he picks up Amanda’s orange. Billy then enters and calls out to Amanda. She turns to acknowledge him but when she turns back, Lee has walked off with her orange. She’s not happy!

Lee leaves the Agency to go and see his informant, Augie Swan. Lee asks him about Retzig, but Augie is reluctant to say anything. Lee threatens Augie with the IRS and the informant folds, saying that he’ll keep his ear to the ground.

Back at the Agency, Lee enters the bullpen and Amanda calls him over asking if he has her orange. He looks sheepish and says that he didn’t realise that it was hers. She says that she hasn’t eaten anything and just then Francine walks in with sandwiches. Lee explains that they’d planned to work through lunch so she can just have his. She says no, but as soon and Francine tries to hand the food over to Lee, Amanda snatches out of her grasp and opens it up. She checks that Lee’s sure and he says yes as the thing with Retzig has him too worked up to eat. He then goes into Billy’s office while Amanda happily tucks into the chicken sandwich.

In Billy’s office the phone rings and it’s Retzig. Billy hands the phone to Lee who asks what he wants. Retzig says that one of the Agency’s departments has access to blueprints of the new Striker One Anti-aircraft missile. He tells Lee that he’ll give him eight hours to get him a set. Naturally, Lee asks why he should do that and Retzig replies that if he doesn’t he won’t get the antidote for the poison he put in Lee’s sandwich. Shocked, Lee turns and looks at Amanda through the office window and sees that she’s nearly finished his tainted sandwich.

Later, the Agency has tested the sandwich in their lab and Freun, the scientist, says that they’ve identified all the chemical substances apart from one which appears to be an experimental drug. He goes on to tell them that although they don’t think it’s lethal, they’re not sure. There’s also evidence of hallucinogens in some of the substances Amanda ingested but they can’t say if they’ll affect her or not. However, if they do, she could have anything from minor mood swings to paranoid delusions through to radical personality changes. Lee asks if there’s an antidote, and Freun says that they could come up with one if they find out what that elusive substance is but that could take days, even weeks. Billy says that they can’t allow her to be out on the streets for that long no knowing how she’s going to react to the drug. Freun suggests that they keep her in for observation for a while. Billy looks at Lee and asks who’s going to tell her. Lee just resignedly replies that it was his chicken sandwich.

The tests finished, Francine wheels Amanda in a wheelchair to where Lee’s waiting. He explains that the poison isn’t lethal but she needs to stay for observation as they don’t quite know what’ll happen. She’s disappointed that she probably won’t be able to take the boys to Goofy Golf that evening but adds that she doesn’t really feel up to it anyway. Billy then enters and tells Lee that Augie wants to meet him with some information.

They meet at a hotel and Augie points out a man sitting at a table. His name is Deersing and he’s in the market for missile plans. He doesn’t know if Retzig has approached him yet but suggests that Lee might be able to bluff his way through. After paying Augie off, Lee heads over to Deersing and makes his play. After convincing Deersing that he’s not a Fed, Lee says that his represents a large South American country and is willing to buy a copy of the missile plans off of Deersing or, Deersing could give him his contact’s name and he’d pay him a finder’s fee then deal with the person himself. Just as Deersing seems interested, Amanda suddenly turns up telling Lee she’s sorry she’s late and sits herself down at the table with them. Lee is naturally shocked but covers by saying she’s his associate. She then begins to take food off of Deersing’s plate saying that she’s hungry so Lee asks if he can talk to her. They stand up then Amanda loudly ask Lee if Deersing is Retzig which causes Deersing to get up and leave.

Lee grabs Amanda’s arm and takes her back into the hotel saying that he thinks the drug may have starting taking effect. Amanda says that she doesn’t take drugs and Lee reminds her of the chicken sandwich but she doesn’t remember. They walk off not knowing that Retzig had been sitting with his back to them the whole time they spoke. He looks after them then gets up and leaves.

Lee checks in with Billy who tells him that they may have a lead on Retzig’s hideout. Amanda is raring to go but Lee says it’s dangerous and she’d be safer at the hospital. She says she isn’t sick and Lee tells her to trust him. Coyly, she smiles and nods.

Lee takes Amanda to the Galilee General and leads her to a room where a doctor and nurse are waiting. As soon as she walks through the door, the drug kicks in and the doctor and nurses’ faces are all distorted, scaring her. She grabs hold of Lee’s jacket and asks if they look funny to him and then hides her face against his chest begging him not to leave her. Lee manoeuvres her over to the bed with her still protesting and then she suddenly collapses in his arms. Concerned, Lee lays her on the bed and tells them to take good care of her before leaving.

Lee goes to meet Billy and Duffy so that they and two other agents can try and nab Retzig in the place he’s supposedly holed up. They go in but the only people there are a young couple who Retzig has hired to house sit for him. Lee knows they’ve been had.

In hospital, Amanda is still out and she’s having a dream about entering the Agency and finding her mother sitting at the reception desk instead of Mrs. Marsden. She tells Amanda that she’s known about Amanda being a spy and that she’s also one, along with the boys. Amanda is shocked and asks why they didn’t tell her and they say she didn’t have a need to know. When she awakes, Retzig is standing over her bed and cups his hand over her mouth so she can’t speak.

Lee arrives at the hospital sometime later to find Amanda missing and Francine quizzing the nurse on her whereabouts. The nurse explains that she had an emergency to deal with and was only gone a few moments but when she got back Amanda was gone and there was a cassette tape left on the bed. Francine sighs then glances out the window and sees Amanda walking along the balcony ledge. She alerts Lee and they rush to the window. Francine says she go to the other side and cut her off while Lee climbs out the window nearest her room. Taking it slowly so as not to startle the drugged woman, they close in just as she starts talking about being able to fly if you put your mind to it. She then begins to lose her balance but Lee grabs her in time and pulls her to safety. Amanda asks what happened and Lee decides to take her back to the Agency.

Back at the Agency, they listen to the tape that Retzig left. He tells them that he won’t stop until the plans for Striker One are in his possession. He wants Lee to be in Denwood Park in three hours and then adds that if the proper antidote is not administered ion four hours then the effects of the poison become permanent. Francine tells Billy that Amanda is in the lab but doesn’t remember Retzig’s visit and Lee informs him that they’re still running tests for the antidote. A General and two of his men are also present and he tells them that although he feels sorry for Amanda, he won’t give the plans over. Lee confronts him and they argue until the General says that he will lend them the blueprints on the understanding that he sends in his own crack team of commando’s to surround the place. Lee is reluctant but Billy says that since there’s no better idea that they’ll agree.

Just then, the doctor from the lab knocks on the door and asks if anyone had seen Amanda. Billy is rather scathing in his response and then there’s a loud crash followed by the sound of glass shattering. They go out into the bullpen and see that one of the doors glass has been smashed. Two security guards then walk up with Amanda who’s holding golf club. Apparently she was practising for Goofy Golf. While they discuss what to do with her, Amanda keep practising her putting capabilities until it’s agreed that Francine should take her to Lee’s apartment. Grudgingly, Francine leaves with Amanda.

At Lee’s apartment, Francine asks Amanda what she can do to make her feel comfortable and Amanda says to light some candles. Francine enquires whether Lee has had her over for a candlelit dinner and Amanda replies, ‘all the time’. Francine is surprised but Amanda is now busy plumping up the cushions on Lee’s couch. When she yawns, Francine suggests she take a nap but Amanda says she’s not sleepy…and then passes out! Cue another dream – this time with Lee as the star and the both of them re-enacting a scene reminiscent of Casablanca. In his candlelit apartment, Amanda is wearing white and Lee’s in a white tux. She says she can’t leave him but he says she has to then hands her a baseball telling her that’s it to remember him by. She replies that she’ll never forget him and then they have a heated kiss. Amanda awakes abruptly just as Francine blows out the candles. Smiling, Francine comments that she must have had a good dream and asks who Rick is.

Meanwhile, Lee’s at Denwood Park waiting for Retzig. A man shows and Lee suddenly realises that it’s Augie but the General’s men have broken camouflage thinking it’s Retzig. Augie tells Lee that he had an anonymous tip that a deal he might be interested in was going down. A fair distance away from them, Retzig is watching the soldiers and Lee and Augie through a pair of binoculars. He comments to himself that Stetson had a nice try but that now he was going to higher the stakes.

Back at Lee’s apartment, Francine is making sandwiches when Amanda wakes up from another nap. Francine asks how she is and Amanda replies that’s she’s feeling woozy. Francine tells her that she’s making them sandwiches but as Amanda stares at her, all she sees is Francine wielding a knife threateningly at her. Francine tries to calm her down but when she turns to get Amanda a glass of water, Amanda picks up a large vase and smashes it over Francine’s head.

Later, Lee turns up at his apartment and sees the door open. Gun drawn, he enters cautiously and finds Francine just coming around. Lee asks what happened and is shocked to discover that it was Amanda that had knocked her out. He decides to call Billy to gat an APB out on her and hopes that she isn’t in trouble.

In the meantime, Amanda has gone home. Giving her family the most cursory of greetings, she heads straight upstairs. Dotty assumes that she didn’t get her raise and gives the boys their milk and cookies. Amanda then comes down holding her hairdryer and asks her mother why it isn’t loaded before picking up the phone to call Billy. As she gets through, she ‘loads’ her hairdryer with batteries and asks for ‘Melrose’ saying that it’s ‘King’ here. When she speaks to him, she calls him ‘Bill’ and talks as if she’s taking over the Retzig case. Billy tells Lee to pick up the phone, who, upon hearing her aggressive talk, mutters a comment asking if it’s Amanda or John Wayne. He listens in some more and then says he’d better get over there. Billy, meanwhile, is respectfully replying, ‘Yes, Ma’am,’ while trying to keep the smile off his face.

At home, Dotty overhears Amanda’s tone of voice and comments that assertiveness is good. Amanda concludes the call then rushes out telling Dotty that she has some unfinished business at the office. When she goes outside, Retzig turns up and Amanda mistakenly believes he’s from the Agency and there to pick her up. She gets in, telling him to drive safely and, not believing his luck, Retzig does as she says.

As Lee speeds over to Amanda’s house, he notices them coming the other way and turns the car around to give chase. Upon seeing Lee’s car, she asks Retzig if that was him and he replies that Lee is running back-up for the operation. Amanda is pleased and sits unfazed in the seat next to him and the chase hots up. Retzig pulls up at the back of an old theatre and tells Amanda to secure the inside while he waits for Lee. She goes in and as Lee arrives Retzig pulls out his gun and starts shooting at him. Lee follows him up into the theatre and then tries to find him. Lee yells for Retzig to let Amanda go but he doesn’t reply. Amanda, who is near Retzig, turns to him suddenly remembering that she’d seen him at the hospital. He threatens her with a gun and forces her to walk ahead of him.

Lee jumps onto the stage and has a spotlight shone on him but he jumps down into the pit and shoots the light out and heads backstage. Retzig turns on the stage lights, blinding Lee momentarily and then drops after goading him about where he is, he then drops a sandbag from the ceiling. Lee gets out to the way but is caught by one swinging at him from behind and goes down. Retzig comes onto the stage with Amanda and kicks Lee’s gun away. He goads Lee a little and then holds up the bottle of antidote but Amanda is so drugged that she can’t quite grab it. Retzig asks Lee for the plans but when the agent tells him that he doesn’t have them, Retzig pushes Amanda and she falls onto the sand on the stage.

Retzig turns to Lee and threatens to shoot him but Amanda gets up, covered in sand, and tells him to drop it while holding the hairdryer at him. He turns, saying that he’s going to kill her first but she blasts him with the dryer and blows sand into his face allowing Lee to knock the gun from his hand before they then get into a fight. Lee finally knocks Retzig out and then approaches Amanda, who’s aiming the dryer at the unconscious man. He tells her that she won’t be needing it anymore and she hands it over to Lee then tells him he’s done a good job and that ‘Bill’ will be pleased before walking off.

Later, Amanda takes the antidote and feels fine but can’t remember anything from when she ate Lee’s sandwich. Billy, Francine and Lee glance at each other and then her and Amanda gets nervous, thinking she’s done something embarrassing. They tell her that she hasn’t and then Billy and Francine turn to go. Lee calls Francine back and asks if she’s seen his baseball as it’s been in the family for years and he couldn’t find it. Francine says no and walks away then Amanda steps up and produces it from her handbag, telling him that he’s been keeping it in her purse again.

SCENE’S TO WATCH OUT FOR:

Lee and Amanda arguing over whether she should have his sandwich.

Lee turning up and ruining Lee’s chat with Deersing. Also the way she takes food from the plate and then nicks a roll off another person’s plate when Lee isn’t looking – very funny!

Amanda’s denial that she takes drugs and Lee trying to remind her of the poison she consumed.

Amanda getting frightened at the hospital and grabbing onto Lee because the drug is making both the doctors’ and nurses’ faces distorted – also listen out for when Lee tells her Francine’s coming over and she replies with a horrified, “Oh no!” – excellent J

Amanda’s dreams.

Amanda walking up and down on the hospital ledge telling Lee that he ‘missed the cartwheel’ – Lee’s and Francine’s expressions are priceless.

The car chase where Retzig takes a turn at high speed and Amanda tells him that it was a good bit of driving.

Tag.

ROMANCE:

I love the strong undercurrent of caring that Lee portrays for Amanda from the moment he realises that she’s been poisoned. True, I think some of it may be a little to do with guilt because it was his sandwich she ate, but a vast majority is definitely due to genuine affection. The way he remains so patient with her even though she totally disrupts his meeting with Deersing is amazing really – usually he’d go off at her but realising it’s the drug he’s more considerate. He’s so sweet trying to remind a clearly hungry and completely clueless Amanda of the poison she ingested and seems gutted when she laughs a trifle maniacally.

At the hospital his concern becomes even more apparent when her vision starts getting distorted and she becomes agitated, clinging to him and asking him not to leave her. Her panic upsets him and he sounds choked as he tells the doctor and nurse to take good care of her after she suddenly collapses in his arms – it’s a sweet moment that shows us the extent of his worry and concern.

Later, at the Agency when the General is dismissive of Amanda, Lee immediately confronts him, standing up for her in an outburst that obviously fuelled by emotion. He cares for Amanda and he’ll be damned if anyone or anything will jeopardise her life – yeah…just friends…right ;)

Of course, then there’s Amanda’s very romantic dream regarding Lee. If that’s not her sub-conscious telling her exactly what feelings she has for Lee then I don’t know what is! Okay, she never actually says that she loves him but she talks about their feelings for each other so I take it that she does and I think the kiss at the end pretty much confirms it too, LOL!

So, all in all a great episode that shows us how much Lee cares for Amanda and gives us a glimpse of Amanda’s real feelings for Lee.

QUOTES:

FRANCINE: Well, what have we here? (looks at Lee) A new year’s resolution to be in on time or just still up late from last night.

AUGIE: What's more scary than death and violence?

LEE: How about the IRS?

DOCTOR: Well, the good news is we don't think it's lethal.

LEE: What's the bad news?

DOCTOR: We're not sure.

LEE: I promise you before this day is out we're gonna nail that creep and get your antidote.

BILLY: How's Amanda?

LEE: Don't ask.

AMANDA: Boys, why didn't you tell your mother you were spies?

JAIME: Mum, you didn't have a need to know.

AMANDA: Lee, you missed the cartwheel.

RETZIG: If the proper antidote is not administered within the next four hours the effects of the drug become permanent.

LEE: We are talking about a woman's life here, a mother of two young boys.

GENERAL: Sometimes it's necessary to sacrifice a squad in order to save a battalion.

LEE: Well not in this outfit pal!

LEE: I want this to go down on the record there's only one reason I'm going through with it.

DREAM AMANDA: I can’t leave you.

DREAM LEE: You’ve got to. Where you’re going, I can’t come. You’ve got a job to do. I can only get in the way.

DREAM AMANDA: But what about tonight? The way we feel about each other? 

DREAM LEE: Look, our feelings don’t add up to a pile of chicken salad in this crazy mixed up world. If I went with you, you might not regret it today, next week, next year. But one day you'll look at yourself in the mirror and you'll say, I should have asked my mother.

LEE: Where could she have gone. In her condition she's so vulnerable. She could be in danger right now.

FRANCINE: In her condition, society is in danger right now.

LEE: Is it Amanda or John Wayne?

AMANDA: Good work Scarecrow, Bill will be pleased. Let's get this dirtbag down town.

LEE: Yes Ma'am.

AMANDA: Oh, you're all looking at me awfully strangely. I certainly hope I didn't do anything embarrassing.

BACK TO EPISODE LIST

NEXT EPISODE