Post by NewHereAgainoZach on Dec 5, 2013 23:48:56 GMT -5
“We are no longer in the Yukon; this is a big city, and you can’t just run around freely anymore.” -Benton Fraser
Our stalwart Mountie is making his mark on the big city. Most of the doors in his apartment hallways are still being slammed when he greets his fellow residents by name, but one neighbor allows him to help her by carrying a bag of groceries and a crying toddler up a few flights of stairs. PROGRESS! When he meets the dejected Lucy, daughter of battered mug Charlie, he’s asked “are you a policeman?” After a needlessly complicated affirmative answer, she sets the case of the week in motion: her dad’s off to hurt himself, but Fraser, the policeman, always has a few minutes to help someone in need.
Diefenbaker, meanwhile, has ignored Fraser’s very articulate instructions to remain in the apartment, due to his lack of wolf license, and the presence of Animal Control officers. Every time Fraser leaves, Dief jumps out the window to explore the mean streets, collect cookies from old ladies, get in line to go down a playground slide, and be an carefree wolf-about-town.
The episode keeps Fraser away from the Consulate, and sets about building patterns of the universe. He draws upon knowledge gleaned from books in his grandparents’ Innuvik Public Library. His politeness gets him quick results, from an irritated receptionist and Hugo, the vending machine maintenance man. Benton continues to be flustered by women, and is always scrupulously honest.
One of those women that flusters him is Mackenzie King, an excitable reporter with Lois Lane’s enthusiasm for getting into sticky situations, a hate-on for cops, and a travel case for her Jump-To-Conclusions Mat. Vecchio is not happy to have her join the team for their investigation of Charlie’s situation, one that his history of boxing injuries has rendered potentially fatal.
Getting ready for a date with Mackenzie King
There’s a lot to like here. While the pacing seems slow by today’s standards, Gross’ charisma still carries the day. Supporting characters’ bafflement over Fraser’s mannerisms hasn’t yet got old, and wolves waiting in line to go down a slide will always be adorable. Sure, some of the actors around the edges aren’t great, but the building blocks are there. The important relationships are sound, and there’s just enough at stake – without grisly murders or sensationalistic, “Ripped From the Headlines” stories to “Keep Things Fresh”. This is a pretty genial show, and it’s still fun to watch – although one could easily get away with it being on in the background, rather than paying it their complete attention.
NOTES:
Fraser prefers the direct approach: when the subject he and Ray are following hides in traffic, he climbs a crane to get a better view. When he’s just read the lips of the bad guys plotting Charlie’s death, he attempts to ascend via raingutter. “Hey!” Vecchio says. “The stairs are right there!”
Mackenzie King is named after William Lyon Mackenzie King, Prime Minister of Canada from 1935-1948.
Ray, trying to sound legit: “…So, I figured, ‘kill a guy or not, sooner or later, I gotta get back in the ring…’”
“Your old man teach you how to box like that?”
“My grandmother, actually.”
“I am perfectly capable of handling myself in any situation. I am! I am a Mountie.”
Wardrobe nightmares: Vecchio’s got a couple of choice jackets, but the real killer is Mackenzie’s mom jeans. Holy shit, are they bad.
The wardrobe department hates us, Fraser!
Frasier’s Words of Wisdom: “When I was thirteen years old, I found a caribou trapped on a mountainside. I tried to coax him down, but his fear of me only drove him higher. By the time he’d let me near enough to him, he was so weak from the cold, I couldn’t save him, and he died on that ledge.”
Frasier's Fridge: 2 wrist corsages, a mystery pitcher, and some maple syrup.
