Laurie's Review
Melanie's Review
Laurie's Review: Yes, this ep has flaws but it's still perfect! Fraser first came to Chicago on the trail of the killers of his father; he goes back to Canada on the trail of the killer of his mother, among other things. The parallels are brilliant, there's enough drama and action to keep viewers riveted, and the humor equals what we've seen in the best of Due Soth, minus the fart jokes!I love the camerawork, from the upside down shots to the bird's eye views to the strobe-like effect during the gunfire scene, but my favorite is when Bob kicks down the wall of his office and steps into the Yukon. The panorama is breathtaking, and Ben is as awed and impressed as the rest of us. Call of the Wild is an epic and a theater screen would have done it justice. And let's not forget the ferris wheel. How unique is that?
I enjoy the evolution of the characters. Francesca has truly become her own woman and is willing to finally let Fraser be just a friend. Meg is treated like the strong woman she is, except for the bath scene. I though it was interesting that she referred to Fraser as her second in command (not subordinate) when she told Francesca that he was going to Toronto with her. Later she's willing to go someplace else (for him) if it means they will be posted together. Turnbull is much less a clown in this ep than any other, and proved himself to be a good detective when he, Fraser and Ray were studying Bob's journals. Bob and Ben have finally come to terms with their issues. Ben learned much of what he knows about his father from his journals, but in this ep, along with Hunting Season and Bounty Hunter, Bob confided in him and allowed his son to see the real man. Fraser has changed yet remains essentially the same. He has influenced those around him and been influenced by them. He's come full circle.
I love the scene when Fraser and Ray are trying to bring Big Toe Blake into custody, not unlike bulldogging a steer or wrestling an elephant. It looks like they had a great time filming it. When they finally arrive at the station and call for Huey and Dewey, Fraser doesn't say Detective before Huey. Is this a first? For those who may be unaware, the actor who played Toe Blake was also Carl in Witness, and I think he may have been in the bar in The Pilot. I still haven't decided what I think of Ray's hat. I like it but it seems almost out of character since this is the only time he wears it.
Back to the reservoir and the hole in the ice (I don't know anything about guns or poisonous gas so I pick on ice). The body had to have been dumped in through an open area, possibly near an intake or outtake valve. The killers, even stupid ones, wouldn't have risked leaving tracks all over the snow-covered ice. Besides, there aren't many footprints in the area where Ben is fishing.
There are so many outstanding scenes: the opener and the conversation between Ben and Bob; Mort's revelation that he was in a concentration camp; Ray thinking he's been gassed; the previously mentioned capture of Big Toe Blake; the return of Ray Vecchio, the "who are you?' "Who, me?" conversation between the Rays, and Ray and Fraser's reunion; Ray and Ray's encounter at "their" desk, the near fight and Francesca stepping in to diffuse the situation; Bob heading out into the snowy landscape, and visiting Caroline's grave; Ben and Ray reminiscing in the car; the ferris wheel; Ben's conversations with Bob and Ray at the hospital.
Did I mention I love this ep?
As much as I love the first part of Call of the Wild, I find the second part more satisfying and entertaining. I know the beautiful landscape contributes to that feeling, and Fraser is more natural, understandably, on his own turf. He's finally in his element. So much adventure, so much action, so much drama and comedy, so much fun! In this last hour alone, we hear Fraser and Ray screaming on three separate occasions!
I don't intentionally look for parallels between The Pilot and the final ep but sometimes they're so obvious. For instance, in the first moments of The Pilot, Bob says, "You're going to shoot a Mountie? They'll hunt you to the ends of the Earth." In the final moments of Call of the Wild, he says, "You cross a Mountie, he'll hunt you to the grave. He'll hunt you from beyond the grave."
One of my favorite conversations comes from Ben and Ray's campfire dialogue:
Ben: When I first came to Chicago, I felt as though I was from another planet.
Ray: Which you are.
Ben: Which I have come to accept. Everything was unknown and at times frightening, and I felt as though I was an explorer, an urban explorer.
Ray: Urban explorer.We were witness to Ben's urban explorations time and time again as he navigated the streets of Chicago.
The campfire conversation about partners and partnership should be enough to reassure anyone that Fraser will remain friends with both Rays, whether they're in the same place or not.
When Meg and Ben are saying goodbye at the camp, it does seem as though they don't expect to see each other any time soon, and certainly not in Chicago after they wrap up the case. An aside: even though the American version of Call of the Wild didn't show the kiss, Ray had an excellent view.
While I was rewatching Part 2, I noticed something for the first time. When Buck is giving his talk he says those who aren't there will feel sort of crappy, and Ben nods his head in agreement. Funny.
The scene in the mineshaft when Ben is reunited with his mother and then has to watch his parents leave is one of the most touching moments from Due South. Simple, succinct, to the point, much like the Frasers.
Flaws notwithstanding, I wouldn't change anything in the epilogue except for Ray V's fate. I can accept what becomes of the other characters, tongue in cheek or not, but a bowling alley in Florida? I don't think so.
Least favorite scene:Meg's embarrassing, gratuitous bath. It wasn't funny and it did nothing to enhance or advance the story.
Minor Nitpicks:Where did Fraser get RCMP snow pants? He was wearing jodhpurs when they got on the plane.
How coincidental that they had the right paraphernalia for attaching the hammock to the mountainside. Amazing that they even had a hammock.
When Ray and Fraser are trapped in the crevasse and the camera shot pans out to include Bob while they're singing Northwest Passage, Ray is sprawled on the ice instead of trapped in the fissure. It's so noticeable, I'm surprised that shot was used.
When Buck starts to give his pep talk, the bad guys are visible in the background, tied up.
Why doesn't Fraser use a gun when Bolt and Muldoon show up? Everyone else does, including Ray, who surely didn't have time to get a permit to use one in Canada.
When the guys are in the sub, they don't duck out of the way until after Muldoon starts shooting at them. Didn't they think he would use the gun that was pointed at them?
Isn't it odd that there's a lone snowmobile away from everyone that Muldoon can take off on? It looked like all the snowmobilers stayed together. The one Muldoon rode was a considerable distance from the others.Why would someone park it there and then join his comrades on foot?
Duesies:When Meg asks Fraser about the connection between Muldoon and his mother:
Meg: Oh, I was quite sure that Frobisher said your mother, but as I understand it, he's been having some digestive problems. Do you ever think about it, Fraser?
Fraser: Digestive problems?
Meg: Home.In Bob's packed up office:
Ben: Why have you... er... why, why?
Bob: Finish your sentence, Son. An incomplete sentence is an early indicator of a softening mind.When the ATF and FBI show up for the meeting with Muldoon:
"Damn" (Welsh)
"Damn" (Kowalski)
"Darn" (Fraser)When Fraser and Ray are on the wing of Muldoon's plane:
Fraser: Are you all right?
Ray: You know, being your partner has certain drawbacks.
Fraser: Such as?Ray: Excuse me, Henchmen, it would be very much appreciated if you were to throw down your weapons of mass destruction and surrender yourselves to my partner and myself. Okay, Dolphin Boy. . . .
I have to echo Fraser, "Dolphin Boy?" Where did that come from?
Fraser explaining to Ray what it will feel like after they jump out of the plane, "It should be like falling into a duvet."
Delmar to the trapped Fraser & Ray: "So, you boys want out or are you okay where you are?"
Grade:A+! Even riddled with flaws it's perfect.
Melanie's Review:It's not easy to write a review for all of Call of the Wild, because the episode's two halves are very different in style and content. The first episode is stark and brooding, full of dark alleys, garages and undergound passages. The overall tone is heavy and forboding, with frequent foreshadowings of endings and death. In contrast, the second half of the story is wide open and bright with the brilliant light of a snowscape, with an abiding sense of fun that seems to override the rapidly approaching, final "The End." Like Mountie on the Bounty, part two of Call of the Wild asks the viewer to set aside all skepticism and just hang on for the ride.
Part one has a strong cohesiveness, as if the characters were moving together through the story in a group hug. We get to see interactions that haven't happened before: Ray Kowalski and Thatcher, Francesca and Thatcher, Ray and Ray. There's almost a claustrophobic feel to the episode, aided by the darkness in many scenes and the frequent use of interior spaces.
Central to this, of course, is the homecoming of Ray Vecchio. His character had always stayed in the back of my mind during his absence, as if there were always a gap in the cast. From that gap a fragile thread extended from Chicago in a generally south-west direction, a tenuous tie that I always hoped was still anchored to a person who was alive and well and longing to be home again. Suddenly, halfway through this episode, Ray Vecchio is present in the flesh--and immediately the scene feels, closer, richer, almost claustrophobic.
The episode is full of interesting character interactions. There are many scenes in which characters who do not normally interact are brought together. Frannie has a heart-to-heart talk with Thatcher. Buck talks nonsense with Turnbull. Fraser, RayK, Turnbull and Bob work together on predicting Muldoon's next move. Welsh shares a stakeout car with the Duck Boys. RayK bares his heart to Thatcher. Some scenes are even crowded: Fraser, RayK and the Duck Boys interrogate Big Toe Blake while Thatcher and Frannie watch; Ray V briefs Welsh, RayK, Fraser, the Duck Boys and Frannie in Welsh's office.
And of course, central to all of this, are Ray and Ray--two characters who had never even laid eyes on each other before, yet who are connected more intimately then two strangers have any right to be. Quite frankly, I would have been disappointed if they hadn't struck sparks off each other. It may not be pleasant to watch them argue, but at least it's honest.
As glad as I was to see Ray Vecchio return, I was disappointed at how little screen time he got and how little of that screen time was spent with Benny. Yes, he got to be a hero by jumping in front of a bullet to save Fraser's life, but that courageous action only served to take him out of the story. Oh, that they could have sent both Rays north on the wing of that plane!
Part two breaks up the group hug of part one and flings the characters across great distances, never to be fully reunited; the epilogue drives home the message that these people are all going in different directions and that the series is well and truly over. The amount of luggage that Thatcher packs for the trip says a great deal: I'm taking everything with me; we are not coming back.
For a while, the cops back in Chicago have something to offer to the plot; yet, in the long run, their contribution is extremely small. Although they identify Muldoon's customer, they are unable to learn what is being sold nor are they able to prevent the meet from going down. They do get a vague notion of where the deal is going to be completed ("Franklin Bay? Hardly a precise location.") but it is Dalmar who provides the specific rendezvous point. Once they've provided this paltry bit of information, there's nothing left for them to do but sit around and wait.
Sit around and wait they do, and we have to watch! As the episode spins to its dizzy climax, the view cuts back and forth: brave people in Canada doing heroic deeds / lazy people in the US sitting around and drinking. And then to add insult to injury, there's RayV and Stella making googly-eyes at each other in what has to be the most clumsily scripted "love at first sight" relationships I have ever seen.
As the story reaches its climax, the heroic ones are surrounded and out-gunned. Reinforcements are desperately needed. Okay, I admit that the "ParaMounties" thing was cute, but in my heart of hearts I wish that it had been a squad of Chicago detectives who arrived just in time to even up the score.
I absolutely adored Dalmar's scene. He was a wonderful character, and I loved his monologue about getting away from this wilderness rat-race! However (and this is a big "however") I thought that the reference to the Argentine soccer team "eating each other" at the site of their plane crash to be in extremely poor taste--especially since neither Fraser nor RayK seem to think that this is of any consequence whatsoever.
I have a hard time choosing a favorite scene for part two, because there's a lot of quality here. For emotional impact, there the whole sequence in the mine shaft. As beautiful as Ben's moment with Caroline is, I'm more impressed by Bob's departure. "I thought you were permanent." (As we say goodbye to the series, this statement packs a double-whammy.) For humor, I love Dalmar. I really believe that he would have left Ben and RayK in that crevasse if they had said they were OK where they were! For action, there's nothing to match the sled-ride down to King's Creek. ("Tent! Tent! Tent! Fire!")
I really appreciated Thatcher's speech about the stark beauty of the arctic, and how she knew she would not be happy there. This fits well with her Toronto/shopping/cafe lattes speech from part one.
Overall, part two was just too inconsistent. It was all over the map: the good parts were way-cool excellent, and the bad parts (RayV/Stella, the Argentine soccer team, Thatcher's bath) were awful. A great episode that needed a bit of polish in spots.
The Epilogue:Huey and Dewey opened The One Liner, and played to marginal audiences for a long time.
This one gets partial credit for having some basis in an earlier storyline, from Mountie on the Bounty. It might have been a little more believable if they had consistently included references to Huey and Dewey's comedy ambitions in the episodes in-between Mountie on the Bounty and Call of the Wild, but given their relatively small roles in the series, I'm not quibbling too much. The image of the usually-dignified and dapper Jack Huey grinning like a fool while playing an extended rim-shot was good for a giggle.
Constable Turnbull went into politics, but his career was cut short when he was run over by his own campaign bus.
A rather gruesome fate for poor Renfield, who surely never did anything to deserve such a horrible ending. And then he got hit by a bus, too! [evil grin] This one doesn't make any sense to me, as it has no precedent in the series that I can see and because Turnbull, politician makes about as much sense as Ben Fraser, contract killer.
Francesca Vecchio had a world record six Immaculate Conceptions; she loved her babies as though they were her own.
Unlike the other "endings," this one was inspired by real-life (Ramona Milano's pregnancy) rather than by anything--ANYTHING--shown during the series. I was disappointed in this bit, because it was a lame inside joke, it had nothing to do with anything from Frannie's back-story, and because they got their religious references wrong. Considering the fact that Francesca had expressed a desire to become a cop in Odds and then indicated in Hunting Season that she had indeed applied to the academy, I think it's a crying shame that they didn't follow up on that they way they did with the Duck Boys' comedy club. At least they could have shown her cuddling her children while wearing an officer's uniform.
For the record, "Immaculate Conception" refers to the Roman Catholic teaching that the Mary was born without Original Sin--not the more commonly held doctrine (by all Christians, not just Catholics) that she became pregnant with Jesus while still a virgin.
Lt. Welsh stayed at his desk--which is where he belongs.
It's comforting to know that some things don't change. Under the circumstances, however, I got the impression that the writers just couldn't come up with anything better.
Margaret Thatcher joined the CSIS and helped overthrow several dictators.
This one surprised me almost as much as Turnbull's turn in politics. Throughout Call of the Wild Thatcher seemed so passionate about going back to Toronto (". . . the shopping, the cafe lattes. . . .") and she's always seemed to be very focused on her career track as an administrator. The only precedent I can think of for this future is her envelope-speech from Mountie Sings the Blues: "Danger! As if those pencil-neck geeks in Industry, Trade and Commerce would know danger if it jumped up and pierced their spleen with an ice pick. I know danger. I live [lick, lick] danger."
Perhaps she joined CSIS on the rebound from Fraser. She had dreams of Toronto that included Ben, and without Ben. . . ?
Ray Vecchio coughed up the golden bullet (probably not medically possible, but a cute metaphor) and moved to Florida with Stella Kowalski to open a bowling alley. (I'm getting Ed crossover flashes: Stella stands up in court and says, "I'm a lawyer, and I own a bowling alley. Two different things.")
I truly believe that the RayV/Stella pairing (gagh!) was a clumsy attempt to give Vecchio some kind of "consolation prize" for getting left behind. They had no on-screen chemistry, and their flirting was out-of-place in the story and badly written, to boot.
"And as for Ray, or should I say Stanley Kowalski, Sergeant Frobisher geared us up with tack and tallow, and lead by Diefenbaker we set off, Ray and I, on an adventure."
Notice the use of the past tense! Fraser's voiceover is not the voice of the man preparing the sled. It's the voice of the future, telling us what has already happened. We did set off an adventure (in the past) and we haven't found the hand yet; many other events--Frannie's kids, Vecchio's bowling alley, Turnbull's accident--have also happened, and if we do find the hand (in the future) we'll let you know.
Fraser doesn't know the outcome of the search of the Hand of Franklin, becuase the search isn't a three-week vacation jaunt. It's an epic, mythic journey that never ends. Fraser and Kowalski could search for the Northwest Passage for the rest of their lives and never find it. They're up there to stay. I see the "search for the Hand of Franklin" as a metaphor for the adventure of living in the far north.
As for chronology, I have always maintained that Fraser and Ray Kowalski left on this adventure immediately after the capture of Muldoon. This has gotten me into some interesting debates with those who prefer to imagine a triumphal return to Chicago followed by an indeterminate period of time in which Fraser worked with both Rays. I offer the following proofs that they left on their adventure immediately:
1. They were both wearing the same clothes when they began their journey that they were wearing when Muldoon was captured--right down to the plaid scarf on Dief. (Frannie, on the other hand, was not only wearing different clothes in her "future," her hair was much longer than it was in the series.)
2. They were kitted up with "tack and tallow" by Sgt. Frobisher, not by an outfitter in Inuvik.
So in the balance, I think the epilogue was a good thing. Uneven, unsatisfying, sometimes downright infuriating, but it gets a teacher's pet's A+.
Duesies:Frannie: Well it turns out that your car body was an associate of your fishing body, name was Caesar Callil. Simple sheet, receiving stolen goods, receiving stolen goods and oh look! Quelle surprise, receiving stolen goods.
RayK: So he was a fence.
Welsh: Detective, your powers of deduction make a guy's head spin.Buck: Inspector, one word. Diethylaminoethoxycyanophosphine oxide.
Thatcher: Oh, my God.
Buck: One milligram of that could kill a man.
Thatcher: Or a woman.RayV: Who are you?
RayK: Who me?
RayV: Yeah you.
RayK: What do you mean?
RayV: What do they call you?
RayK: Who?
RayV: Am I not speaking English here or what?RayV: For a full year I'm deep undercover, never waiting in line, always getting the best tables at the best restaurants. I live in a nine thousand square foot adobe house at the edge of the desert, with a butler named Nero who brings me buttermilk night and day. And everywhere I go, I sit in the back of a black limosine with my elbow on the gangster lean--and all this, all this, you wipe out with one word?
Fraser: It's good to see you, Ray.
RayV: It's good to see you too, Benny.
RayK: Oh "Benny"--that's cute.Welsh: Damn!
RayK: Damn!
Fraser: Darn!RayK: You know, being your partner has certain drawbacks.
Fraser: Such as?Welsh: All right. We got a major smuggler who deals in dangerous weapons. They have an unknown buyer and an unknown objective. Okay, keep your ears to the ground and work your snitches. Just remember we've got two missing officers out there. There'll be no vacations, there'll be no leave--
Frannie: --and no sleep for anybody. Which means we work 24 hours a day 8 days a week which comes out to exactly 11,520 minutes every week. We're going to break out the plastic hoses on this one, guys. We want these suspects sweating between the ears. We. . . . The floor is yours, Harding.RayK: It's okay, don't sweat it, don't sweat it. I'll do it your way.
Fraser: All right.
RayK: Excuse me, henchmen. It would be very much appreciated if you were to throw down your weapons of mass destruction and surrender yourselves to my partner and myself. Okay. . . dolphin boy. . . .RayK: Fraser I'm not up to this. My idea of health is a cup of coffee without sugar. I'm not fit--I mean I'm fit, I'm city fit. I'm just not snowshoe fit.
Delmar: How you doing?
Fraser: Oh you know, a bit stuck.
Delmar: It's good to see you. It's been what--since grade four.
Fraser: Yeah, at least.
Delmar: God I loved grade four. So you boys want out or are you okay where you are?
RayK: Out. Out would be good.
Fraser: Yeah.
Delmar: Okay.RayK: Tent! Tent! Tent! Fire!
Buck: They have called this day "The Eleventh of March." And whom-so-ever of you gets through this day, unless you are shot in the head or somehow slain you will stand a hipnal when e'er you hear the name again and you will get excited at the name March the Eleventh. We happy few, we few, we band of brothers; our names will be as like household names: Those who are not here, be they sleeping or doing something else. They will feel themselves. . . sort of crappy. Because they are not here to. . . to join the fight. On this day, March the Eleventh!
Runner-Up Inquiring Minds Want to Know:How much did Air Canada pay for that unique product placement?
Inquiring Minds Want to Know:
When Thatcher tells Welsh the name of the poison gas, they are walking across the bullpen and being filmed from behind. Is it just me, or does it look like the blocking was planned so that Camilla Scott would not have to memorize all that chemical gobbledy-gook? You can't see her face during the whole recitation; the dialog could have been looped in later.
Third Runner-Up Nitpick of the Week:Ray didn't have to break his cover. They were in Muldoon's room ("It's your room, pal!") so why was Muldoon the one to leave? And since it was Muldoon's room, it follows that any dead bodies in the bathroom would be Muldoon's problem; Ray could have left Fraser and Kowalski behind and left the hotel with his goombahs, his cover still intact. And sincer there weren't any dead bodies in the bathroom, there wouldn't have been any problem. Ray's goons would have assumed that Muldoon took care of the bodies; Muldoon would have assumed that Armando took care of the bodies.
Second Runner-up Nitpick of the Week:
When I saw Call of the Wild for the first time, I was absolutely floored by the cliffhanger (actually wing-hanger) ending to part 1. I spent the next 24 hours (thank God it wasn't a week) trying to figure out how those two managed to survive the flight hanging onto that wing! As the next episode began, I was very disappointed to see Ben and RayK climbing into the plane--without any explanation of how such a maneuver is possible! Too easy, too easy.
Runner-up Nitpick of the Week:
How in the world did Frobisher figure out hat Muldoon was involved in the poison gas shipment, and that Chicago was the destination? They were way beyond vague, bordering on the intentionally obtuse.
"Russian in origin--and there seem to be any number of clues, none of which I can recall at the moment, that indicate they cause a dire threat to the city of Chicago. . . . There's a darker thread to this story and it has all the tell tale signs of Muldoon. One of the foulest scum who ever walked the earth--next to Howard Stern, that is. But it doesn't make sense, 'cause he's been dead for thirty years."
All it would have taken for all this to make sense would have been for Buck to have found some kind of invoice with the gas:
Nitpick of the Week:
6 cans diethylaminoethoxycyanophosphine oxide for delivery 17-FOC-76
4 March 1998
Chicago Ill.(signed) H. Muldoon.The good guys are going to quietly stake out a hush-hush meeting between a mobster who is really an undercover cop, and a murderous arms dealer. Correction: a murderous CANADIAN arms dealer. Why in God's name did Fraser and Thatcher show up for that operation wearng their dress red uniforms? For Fraser it might just be a matter of long-standing habit (he wore the dress uniform more and more as the series progressed) but I cannot imagine what possessed Thatcher to get hers out of the mothballs. And even Fraser had to change his clothes, because he was in civilian clothes for the rest of the episode.
Second Runner-Up Moment of the Week:Frannie breaking up the tussle between the two Rays. Way to take charge, girl!
Runner-Up Moment of the Week:
Fraser's reunion with his mother, and his farewell to his father. ("I thought you were permanent.")
Moment of the Week:
The look of boundless joy on Fraser's face when he saw Ray Vecchio in Muldoon's hotel room--and the look of frozen terror in Ray's eyes at the same moment.
Runner-up Cringe-worthy Moment of the Week:Thatcher's bath.
Cringe-worthy Moment of the Week:
Dalmar's casual reference to the starving Argentine soccer team--and Fraser's equally casual dismissal of the news. Bad enough they told the joke once; repeating it was nearly unforgiveable.
Dief moment:Of course, this has to be Dief as a paratrooper.
Snack to eat while watching Call of the Wild:A big ol' sack of potato. . . chips. With buttermilk, night and day!
Grading:
Part One: Ray Vecchio returns A- Part One: Muldoon A Part Two: North A Part Two: Chicago C Part Two: Epilogue B Overall Grade B+
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