Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2013 23:15:21 GMT -5
(Spoilers ahead)
Benton Fraser is possibly one of the most idealistic people to ever exist on TV.
I say that lovingly because that’s what makes the duo of him and Ray Vecchio work so well. While Benton tends to be naïve at times, Vecchio is cynical and sees the world in a very black and white way.
But in this episode, Benton’s idealism does pay off.
Early in the episode a woman’s purse is stole by a boy named Willie (Christopher Babers) and Benton, Ray and Diefenbaker all chase after the boy. When he pulls a gun on Benton, the Mountie simply talks the boy out of shooting the gun. While Ray would have arrested the boy, Benton takes the gun and lets the boy off with a stern warning.
As it turns out, the gun Willie was holding was used to shoot someone during a heist at a bank, which we see occur early in the episode. Willie swears he wasn’t at the crime and Benton believes him. As it turns out, the boy wasn’t at the scene of the crime and he did find the gun somewhere else. But Benton’s willingness to believe Willie is innocent, even though he does have a history of charges, ends up helping the duo out because they have the kid on their side.
Two men and a woman committed the bank heist, with a bank employee in on the job. I’m sure somewhere in this episode there’s a message that could derived about how you should look for the best in people and how the fat cats in banks are the real crooks, but who cares? This episode is immensely fun as there are three chase sequences, including one were Fraser commandeers a horse and carriage and chases after the bank crooks through the park.
Which is possibly the best part of Due South in its early years: the fun you have watching it. How many police shows do you know of that feature a chase scene through a park?
Finally there’s a b-plot in this episode regarding Fraser’s crappy apartment. Rather than continuing to stay at the hotel, Fraser grabs a unit that makes a Chicago Housing Authority apartment at its lowest point look like the Taj Mahal. I could see how this would be groan-worthy because at a certain point a viewer could go, “We get it! Fraser’s apartment is awful.” However, having lived in a neighborhood of Chicago a few people are afraid to go into, I appreciate the plot.
NOTES:
This would be longer, but I have the flu and I tend to actually be concise when I’m sick.
Fraser: “Is my lanyard straight?”
Ray: “He’s a slumlord!”
Dief goes flying out of the apartment building and a guy on the stoop remarks, “Looked like a wolf.”
Fraser’s apartment is lit by an outdoor lamp.
Willie: “Fraser? Do you know even crack dealers are afraid of going into this neighborhood?”
Fraser: “Goodnight, Willie.”
ASK THE CHICAGOAN ABOUT LOCATIONS: Fraser’s apartment looks like it’s on the near West Side. That area has massively gentrified now. Also, we see the Thompson Center at the start of the episode.
The chase scene through the park is fantastic, guys.
One of my favorite gags in this episode is Fraser’s hat is shot when him and Ray are trying to apprehend the bank thiefs and there being a hole in his hat devastates him.
VECCHIO’S HIDEOUS SHIRT CORNER: In this episode, Ray sports a blue shirt with a square pattern.
The YouTube videos of this episode can be found here here here and here.
Benton Fraser is possibly one of the most idealistic people to ever exist on TV.
I say that lovingly because that’s what makes the duo of him and Ray Vecchio work so well. While Benton tends to be naïve at times, Vecchio is cynical and sees the world in a very black and white way.
But in this episode, Benton’s idealism does pay off.
Early in the episode a woman’s purse is stole by a boy named Willie (Christopher Babers) and Benton, Ray and Diefenbaker all chase after the boy. When he pulls a gun on Benton, the Mountie simply talks the boy out of shooting the gun. While Ray would have arrested the boy, Benton takes the gun and lets the boy off with a stern warning.
As it turns out, the gun Willie was holding was used to shoot someone during a heist at a bank, which we see occur early in the episode. Willie swears he wasn’t at the crime and Benton believes him. As it turns out, the boy wasn’t at the scene of the crime and he did find the gun somewhere else. But Benton’s willingness to believe Willie is innocent, even though he does have a history of charges, ends up helping the duo out because they have the kid on their side.
Two men and a woman committed the bank heist, with a bank employee in on the job. I’m sure somewhere in this episode there’s a message that could derived about how you should look for the best in people and how the fat cats in banks are the real crooks, but who cares? This episode is immensely fun as there are three chase sequences, including one were Fraser commandeers a horse and carriage and chases after the bank crooks through the park.
Which is possibly the best part of Due South in its early years: the fun you have watching it. How many police shows do you know of that feature a chase scene through a park?
Finally there’s a b-plot in this episode regarding Fraser’s crappy apartment. Rather than continuing to stay at the hotel, Fraser grabs a unit that makes a Chicago Housing Authority apartment at its lowest point look like the Taj Mahal. I could see how this would be groan-worthy because at a certain point a viewer could go, “We get it! Fraser’s apartment is awful.” However, having lived in a neighborhood of Chicago a few people are afraid to go into, I appreciate the plot.
NOTES:
This would be longer, but I have the flu and I tend to actually be concise when I’m sick.
Fraser: “Is my lanyard straight?”
Ray: “He’s a slumlord!”
Dief goes flying out of the apartment building and a guy on the stoop remarks, “Looked like a wolf.”
Fraser’s apartment is lit by an outdoor lamp.
Willie: “Fraser? Do you know even crack dealers are afraid of going into this neighborhood?”
Fraser: “Goodnight, Willie.”
ASK THE CHICAGOAN ABOUT LOCATIONS: Fraser’s apartment looks like it’s on the near West Side. That area has massively gentrified now. Also, we see the Thompson Center at the start of the episode.
The chase scene through the park is fantastic, guys.
One of my favorite gags in this episode is Fraser’s hat is shot when him and Ray are trying to apprehend the bank thiefs and there being a hole in his hat devastates him.
VECCHIO’S HIDEOUS SHIRT CORNER: In this episode, Ray sports a blue shirt with a square pattern.
The YouTube videos of this episode can be found here here here and here.
