Scarecrow And Mrs. King, Season 2

Reviewer: Alyice Edrich

Movie

Plot

A drama that ran in one hour segments from 1983 to 1987. A divorced mother of two boys works part-time as a spy for the United States.

Starring

Kate Jackson, Bruce Boxleitner, Paul Stout, Greg Morton, Beverly Garland, Martha Smith, Mel Stewart, and more.

The Review

While Mrs. King takes on a more active role in the agency, she struggles with having to keep her job a secret from her mother—whom she has always been 100 percent honest with. On top of that, she finds herself genuinely interested in being more than just an office worker or decoy, and therein lies the conflict.

Throughout season two, Mrs. King pushes to be taken more seriously, but when Billy (the boss) finally gives the okay for her to take the official agent training courses, her performance is less than stellar…which to me is kind of ironic.

Mrs. King’s less than stellar performance during official training is often the “in” needed to close the case when she and Less are in the field. You see, while the agents see circumstances based upon their official training, Mrs. King sees things from an outsider’s viewpoint, often seeing things that trained eyes gloss right over.

And then there’s the romance that continues to brew between Scarecrow and Mrs. King. While it is evident that Mrs. King has a crush on Scarecrow, many aren’t sure about Scarecrow’s feelings. In fact, some have argued that Scarecrow never gives the audience a clue as to his growing feelings towards Mrs. King. I, however, have always sensed that there was more to the story; especially when we find him lingering a little longer than necessary, or purposefully trying to distance himself one minute, then showing grave concern for her safety the next.

Personally, I don’t think they make good, clean, family films like this anymore…and it’s a shame. There’s something charming about the way the writers bring Mrs. King’s character to life. She’s clearly out of place as a decoy or field agent, she’s naïve on so many levels, and yet, she’s smart as a whip and brings a much needed, fresh perspective to the agency.

Your Task

Host a Scarecrow And Mrs. King marathon with your children. Order pizza, make a big batch of popcorn, and mix up a bowl of punch. And in between episodes, talk to your kids about various events that take place and how they may apply today. Dads, for instance, can share their love of history with the kids by talking about what a Cold War is, why there might actually be one (as portrayed in the series via London, Munich, Salzburg, or the Caribbean), and what our country could do to keep things from escalating into a full-fledged war.