Melanie's Review
Laurie's Review
Melanie's ReviewWhile I do like this episode very much, I have a problem with it, too. Fraser's confusion about the mysterious Ray-substitution was played a little too broadly for my taste. To quote Buck Frobisher, it seemed that everyone had been "hit with the dumb stick."
Throughout the episode Fraser makes it extremely clear to anyone who will stand still long enough to listen that he doesn't know what's going on! Now I do realize that the confusion was central to the comedy and emotional tone of the episode, and I have no problem with that. I do think, however, that they could have handled it more deftly. For example, there are these exchanges that I thought were quite good:
Ray: You talked to Welsh, right?
Fraser: Yes, I did.
Ray: Good, so we're on the right track.And later,
Francesca: I mean, I know what you know, you know, and what everybody else knows, and all of that is known. Do you know what I'm saying?
Fraser: I have no idea what you're saying.Here we have people who are under the distinct impression that Fraser has been fully briefed, but in many other scenes with Ray himself, Fraser makes it abundantly clear that he is not in the know and he does not want to just play along! And yet Ray insists, teases, cajoles, and basically makes a game out of it instead of just telling Fraser, point blank, the reason for the switch. (Until it's too late, that is. He gives a partial explanation while Fraser cannot hear him. Too little, too late.)
But if Ray had simply explained everything, where would the story be? I can think of two ways they could have kept the hour-long mystery while still maintaining a better degree of believability. One would have been for Fraser and Ray to have spent less time together. If Fraser had been on his own, or if he'd been bouncing back and forth between people (Huey, Elaine, Frannie, Thatcher, etc.) who think that he knows the score, then he could have been trying to solve the puzzle without having the guy who knows the solution sitting in the driver's seat beside him--steadfastly refusing to tell.
The second solution would have been for Welsh to give Fraser a warning up front: "Never mind why, it's just vitally important that you go along with this. I'll explain later." Then Fraser could have spent the hour enduring the enthusiasm of the stranger beside him, perhaps trying to extract an explanation from him by devious means.
Instead, we have a storyline that is quite funny, but not terribly believable. Unfortunately, I'm known for being a stickler for believability. [sigh]
The phone call scene was inspired, and very well acted by David Marciano. It was heartbreakingly sad, especially when Ray packed up his box and left the (strangely) deserted and darkened bullpen. The silent exchange with Welsh, which seemed almost as much challenge as concern, left me spinning with questions. I got the impression that neither man was pleased with the turn of events.
The destruction of Fraser's apartment was well done, but I wish they'd have followed up on it more, both in Burning Down the House and in subsequent episodes. Fraser had been close to his neighbors; while I didn't expect them to follow up on every one of them, it would have been nice to see him show at least some concern for them.
Bob's appearance (both on Racine St. and later in the Vecchio home) were priceless.
One scene that truly impressed me was the interrogation of Zoltan Motherwell. RayK is somehow able to bamboozle the arsonist with nothing more than the intensity of his personal charisma--and this, somehow, I can believe.
Ray: All right, okay, I've had enough of this. You see, my friend here, he's Canadian. He's polite. He'll let you ramble on about his namby-pamby art crap. But me? I don't know what art is. But I know what I like, and you, dirtball, I don't like.
Motherwell: Who are you?
Ray: Hey, shut your trap! You look into my eyes! You look deep into my eyes! What do you see? You see the guy? Do you see the guy? The guy that put you in here?! Right?! Right?! Right?! Right?! Good!.(It helps that Motherwell is not quite sane.) As a coda to the scene, the sight of the arsonist longingly trying to reach the abandoned lighter with his lips is eerie.
Duesies:Bob: Your mother and I had a cabin north of Clyde River. Burned right to the ground. A kerosene error. My fault. Your mother and I slept in an igloo for 4 months while I rebuilt it. The longest time we spent together.
Fraser: I didn't know that.
Bob: Well you weren't born yet, son.
Fraser: Oh.
Bob: In fact, all that time spent in that igloo sort of started the ball rolling, conceptionally speaking. . . .Welsh: Constable. You've returned. Upon reflection, I imagine that pleases me.
Fraser: I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude, but I rarely forget a face and I am very confident that you and I have never met. Now, my name is Constable Benton Fraser, Royal Canadian Mounted Police. I first came to Chicago on the trail of the killers of my father and for reasons that, well, they don't need exploring at this juncture, I have remained attached as liaison with the Canadian Consulate, and over the course of my time here I have formed what you would call a duet with the person that I am currently looking for, one Raymond Vecchio, Detective First Grade, Chicago Police Department.
Ray: Raymond Vecchio, Detective First Grade, Chicago Police Department. Everyone here knows who I am, Fraser, how about you?Ray: God! Stop it!
Fraser: Stop what?
Ray: What he's doing to me, the things he's doing to me!
Fraser: It could be a sign of affection. . .
Ray: Or what?
Fraser: . . . or a prelude to lunch.Fraser: Geiger was an escaped convict sworn to vengeance on a legendary Mountie who bore an uncanny resemblance to the Canadian actor and comedian, Leslie Nielsen.
Bob: Who has yet to receive the Order of Canada.
Fraser: Long overdue.Fraser: Yes, and in each case the accelerant was. . . ?
Ray: Perfume.
Fraser: Give me five, Detective.
Ray: Fraser, you got ink all over my fingers.
Fraser: Terribly sorry.
Ray: What was that all about?
Fraser: Ah, it's just a little thing we do.
Ray: A little thing we do, huh?
Fraser: Yeah, one of our little things.
Ray: We have a lot of fun, don't we, you and I?
Fraser: More fun than a barrel of monkeys.
Bob: Very smooth, son.
Fraser: Thank you.
Ray: Don't thank me yet. Zoltan Motherwell is in the Evanston Institution for the Criminally Insane.Ray: We might be too late. I think she is planning to switch countries. 'How to Become a Canadian in Ten Easy Steps.'
Fraser: The Consulate.
Ray: Step 1: Get a big hat. Step 2: Lick electrical sockets. Step 3. . . .Fraser: Sandwich?
Ray: We're chasing a torch and you're thinking about food?
Fraser: Well, we have to keep our strength up. Here, bite down. . . Oh! Wrong sandwich.
Ray: What was that?
Fraser: Window putty.
Ray: What else you got? You got any pastrami?Fraser: Wait--it is too dangerous. This is a public thoroughfare; pedestrians may be afoot.
Ray: What is this, some kind of superfire?
Fraser: No, you shouldn't have pressed the hot wax option.Bob: We have to find somewhere to live.
Fraser: What do you mean 'we'?
Bob: That's a cruel joke, son. I've been thinking about an office. I think I need an office.
Fraser: What the hell would you do with an office?
Bob: Office work, memoirs, catch up on my taxes. . . .
Fraser: Taxes! You've been dead for two years.
Bob: Oh, they find you, son. They find you. . . .
Little known fact:The only on-screen confirmation we have that Turnbull's first name is Renfield comes in this episode.
Fantasy Moment of the Week:Fraser standing on the river bottom, his legs through holes in the rowboat bottom, holding the boat in place.
Dief Moment:The goldfish. No. . . it's the guilty expression (perhaps a bit of nausea, too) immediately afterward.
Snack to eat while watching Burning Down the House:A window-putty sandwich.
Question to Ponder:How did Fraser know how long Ray Vecchio's nose is?
Grading:
Arson! C Who is this new guy? B The Phone Call A+ Overall Grade B+
Laurie's Review:This is a fabulous ep, from beginning to end. I can't get enough of scruffy Fraser, Canada, telephone poles, rambling expositions to superiors. What a treat! I love the parallels to The Pilot. It was such a sad moment when I realized the few minutes with Ray Vecchio during the phone conversation would be the last we would see of him. Sad, sad, sad. And such a bittersweet ending. Both Rays were brought together very creatively.
Unlike The Pilot, though, in which Fraser truly is a fish out of water in Chicago, when he returns from his vacation, he's coming home. He knows the city, it has become part of him, and he's part of the 27th. Over the course of time he has obviously come to consider Jack Huey enough of a friend to bring him a gift. I guess enough time has passed since Juliet is Bleeding for wounds to heal.
Fraser attempting to prove that Ray Kowalski is not, in fact, Ray Vecchio is brilliantly funny. I think Burning Down the House successfully bridged any gaps between the seasons. I didn't see Burning Down the House in its first run so I appreciated Fraser's explanation in subsequent eps about how he came to be in Chicago. But I always felt like I was missing something; namely, what happened to the real Ray Vecchio. I had only a vague recollection of David Marciano from snippets I saw when dS was on in prime time. I wasn't interested in it then but I was mildly entertained by a couple eps (All the Queen's Horses & Some Like it Red) that I saw scenes from. I had seen most of Season 1 and all of Season 2 before this ep, and rather than feeling disappointment as some people did, I was convinced anew that this show and everyone associated it with it is unbelievably talented. Yes, I would have liked more Ray V throughout Seasons 3/4, but like any other show, it couldn't focus on someone who was no longer in the cast. Still, he's out of sight, but certainly not out of mind.
Ray Vecchio's presence is strongly felt in this ep, and Fraser doesn't take the disappearance of his friend casually. When he sees the postcard in the final scene, it's clear how strong their friendship is. He also pays tribute to the character of the man when they arrive at the burning Vecchio home:
Fraser: Right. You take the back, I'll take the front.
Ray: Whoa, whoa, whoa. This is a fire. We wait for the fire department.
Fraser: Lives are at stake.
Ray: Look, pal, I don't risk my neck for anybody.
Fraser: Ray Vecchio would.One thing I've always had a problem with is that Insp. Thatcher didn't know who Ray K was. Wouldn't the 27th have fully informed her? At least shown her a picture of Ray K to avoid any confusion? She probably knew about Vecchio going undercover but she wasn't expecting someone who looked like Ray K. All bases should have been covered.
Dief moment:Dief drinking the goldfish!
Duesies:Welsh: Constable, you've returned. Upon reflection, I imagine that pleases me.
Francesca: I mean, I know what you know, you know, and what everybody else knows, and all of that is known. Do you know what I'm saying?
Ray: They said he was agile. He's not agile, he fell off the car.
Recommended reading:A Burning Question by Melanie Mitchell.
Grade: A
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