Carstairs Considers....: TV Show Review: Scarecrow and Mrs. King

Monday, February 11, 2013

TV Show Review: Scarecrow and Mrs. King - Season 3

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun stories with great lead characters

Cons: Continuity and story arcs could be better developed

The Bottom Line:

Good 80's spy show

Story arcs could be better

But characters fun

Little Things Make the Continuity Very Confusing

For some reason, I was thinking that there were big changes in season 3 of Scarecrow and Mrs. King. While there were some minor ones, they weren’t as big as I thought they were. But even then, things could have been more ironed out.

I’m not talking about the big plots of each episode. When it comes to 80’s espionage, this show still has it all nailed. Lee “Scarecrow” Stetson (Bruce Boxleitner) is one of the top agents at The Agency. His partner in his cases is Mrs. Amanda King (Kate Jackson), a suburban housewife. While this continues to rile fellow agent Francine (Martha Smith), boss Billy Melrose (Mel Stewart) is happy because the two make a great team. On the home front, Amanda is constantly trying to keep her dangerous job a secret from her mother Dotty (Beverly Garland) and two sons Phillip and Jamie (Paul Stout and Greg Morton).

Over the course of the season, Lee and Amanda get involved in a couple of cases from Lee’s past, including one that explains just how he got his nickname. A British accountant shows up claiming to have uncovered a dangerous plot. The former secret files of J. Edgar Hoover surface, causing all kinds of chaos. Dotty gets caught in danger when she befriends their new neighbor, a defecting Russian (guest star Harold Gould). Amanda's ex-husband comes back to town on the run from being framed as an assassin. Retired agents keep disappearing and reappearing overnight. And they must team up with their Russian and Chinese counterparts to keep nuclear detonators from falling into the wrong hands.

As I said, all these stories and more (there were 22 episodes this season), are fine. Yes, they are filled with 80’s TV conventions, like foreign spies talking in their native language or cars exploding in accidents, but they are fun. Many of the plots revolve around Cold War plots, so they definitely date the show. Okay, they’re also formulaic, but I don’t mind. I like spending time with Amanda and Lee and watching just how they’ll solve the latest case.

The problem comes with continuity between episodes. The big change is that Lee gets an office upstairs, which becomes home base for Lee and Amanda. Yet we see them working out of the office before he actually gets it. That’s annoying, but the bigger issue is their relationship. Yes, this show thrived on the sexual tension between the leads and the will they/won’t they dance. There are a couple of very fun moments that revolve around this, especially after an episode where they spend the night on the run. However, the season sends out mixed messages on that front. In one episode, they are seen holding hands or with their arms around each other, and in the next they hardly flirt at all. I thought season three brought a big change to their relationship, and I was beginning to think I had missed it, but it was just a case of poorly done story arc. Meanwhile, Amanda is increasing her training in fits and starts and becoming more of an asset and less of the damsel in distress.

I was amazed at how big Amanda’s sons are in this season. They’ve moved on to jr. high, and they’ve definitely gotten older. Not that we see much of them. They and Dotty often get one or two scenes an episode and maybe a sub-plot if they are very lucky. Billy usually fairs only slightly better, just being there to help with exposition. The surprise this season is Francine. They actually work to develop her some as she goes on a case with Lee or spends some quality time with Amanda. Oh, they don’t do much with it, but it’s nice to see a different side of her.

While the supporting cast all does great in their parts, the real stars here are Kate Jackson and Bruce Boxleitner. And they shine. I believe the chemistry between them, and I’m sure the reason I love the characters so much is how the actors bring them to life.

The guest stars are always great as well, but I have to mention two in particular. One episode features Stanley Kamel as an assassin. I got a kick out of this since he played Monk’s psychiatrist for so long on Monk, and this was a very different character for him. But the most fun for me is Peter Jurasik. He and Bruce had already shared a small scene in Tron. In the 90’s they would co-star for four years on Babylon 5, my favorite show of all time. What’s even more fun, Peter’s Russian accent here sounds much like the voice he used for his character on that later show. And watch for two appearances by James Cromwell over the course of the season.

The 22 episodes are preserved on 5 discs. They are in their native mono and full frame. Having said they, they look and sound good for a show that’s over 25 years old. Some of the stock footage used for establishing shots looks pretty bad, but the majority is just fine. Extras? Just like the first two sets, there aren’t any.

Despite the poor handling of the story arcs, I still find season 3 of Scarecrow and Mrs. King to be lots of fun. If you can just let that go, you’ll absolutely love it.

Season 3 Episodes:

1. A Lovely Little Affair

2. We're Off to See the Wizard

3. Over the Limit

4. Tail of the Dancing Weasel

5. Welcome to America, Mr. Brand

6. Sour Grapes

7. Utopia Now

8. Reach for the Sky

9. J. Edgar's Ghost

10. Flight to Freedom

11. The Wrong Way Home