Laurie's Review
Melanie's Review
Laurie's Review:This ep may not be one of the more popular ones (in fact, I think it's underrated, relatively overlooked and much maligned) but I like it, quite a lot actually, and for many reasons.
First of all, Ray is great. His sense of frustration and helplessness is captured so well. This is his Edge episode; he feels as if he has lost something even though he hasn't. We learn about his early years as a cop, his failing marriage, and we see Angie again. We're also treated to a glimpse of him at home. Don't you love seeing him in his robe and pajamas?
Francesca is wonderful and her continuing growth as a character is showcased. She still has it bad for Fraser but she's not nearly as predatory as in earlier eps. Fraser is less concerned with her sudden presence in his apartment than he is with the changes she has made. He's not nervous around her. Just as we see Ray at home, we have an opportunity to see her there as well, in a very natural state.
Ben and Ray are a very good team in this ep and complement one another beautifully. I think they work together more as equals here than in almost any other ep. Neither one stands out as taking the lead. A very even give and take. I love the way Ben refuses to answer Greco's questions about Ray. It personifies their friendship and loyalty.
Carver is very chilling, all the more so because he comes across as so "normal," but, then, most of the bad guys on Due South aren't stereotypical villains.
Huey is very likable in this ep. He's friendly to Fraser, solicitous to Ray and even offers to call the Consulate or drive by Fraser's place to check on him.
I've noticed several parallels to other Due Southeps. For example, this is the second time Fraser's apartment has undergone a makeover. Whose do we prefer? Frankie's or Frannie's? This is the second time a vehicle has been driven into Lake Michigan to avert disaster. In The Duel and The Ladies Man both Rays looked up to a senior officer only to find out later that they tampered with or withheld evidence. This is also one of two times we see trailer homes (Jim Kelly's and Wilson Welsh's).
This is a change-of-pace episode. It's not overly suspenseful, dramatic or humorous, but it's even without being boring. There are enough holes but the characterizations more than compensate for them.
I adore the ending, with Ben and Ray leaning against the Riv, talking about Carver, trains and speed. I especially like Carver unfolding the picture of Ray, and that huge grin plastered on his face.
Nitpicks:Would Fraser be allowed to attend the parole hearing? He wasn't involved in the Carver case, he's not a member of the Chicago PD and he's not a member of the American public.
The turkey in the shower just doesn't fly, but I guess it's as good a way as any to get Ray to come to the ASA's apartment.
When Ray is helping the passengers get out of the bus, he tells them to watch the water but it's obvious that they're stepping onto dry land, even though the bus is in the water.
Some of the people in the park react before the bomb in the stroller explodes.
It seems like it took a long time for Ray and Fraser to figure out the Riv was bugged. Of course, Carver brought that to Ray's attention.
How did Fraser get to Will Kelly's place?
Duesies:Carver: I was arrested and convicted for a crime I didn't commit.
Fraser: There was physical evidence.
Carver: False evidence. Could I have been as stupid as they suggest?
Fraser: You know, Mr. Carver, even the brightest light bulbs burn out.Francesca: You know, you're always honest, I know that. But you're always polite too, so sometimes I can't know if you're being honest or, you know, you're being polite. If I babble too much you have to tell me.
Francesca: So, how about that Iditarod?
Fraser: Which one?Francesca: [Big sigh] I love it when you're logical.
Fraser: You're pretty much going to like anything I say, aren't you?
Francesca: Anything.Fraser: The train is traveling 100 kilometers an hour,"
Ray: 62 miles per hour,"
Fraser: 62.14. And I'm traveling 100 kilometers an hour. Where would the most logical place for us to intersect be?
Ray: Who cares?
Fraser: Fine answer.
Dief moment:His reaction to Frannie's touches in the apartment.
Grade:This is a very solid ep. I give it a B.
Melanie's Review:I'm of two minds about this episode. There are parts of it that I despise, and parts of it I admire.
As has been discussed already, The Duel has plot holes you could drive a bus through. That's not surprising, many of the best Due South episodes are chock full of major plot holes and and still manage to get listed in many viewers' top ten lists. Call of the Wild, for example, is a rollicking good story despite its many oft discussed coincidences and inconsistencies. The difference is that Call of the Wild is fun; The Duel is a harsh, brooding story with serious issues and deep emotions. There's no wild ride to distract the viewer from the intricacies of the plot.
The best thing about this episode is Ray's story--not the cat and mouse game he plays with Carver, but the story of his first partner, his idolized lieutenant, and the evidence that put Carver in prison in the first place. And here's the best of the best:
Angie: I'm sorry, Ray. They were asking me questions. I had to tell them.This scene resonates with doubts and suspiscions, with mistrust and disappointment. The amazing thing is, at this point in the story we don't know for sure that Ray *didn't* plant that heel!
Ray: You did right.
Angie: Oh, man. Listen, I told them that I thought you were more committed to catching bad guys than anyone I know on the force.
Ray: You told them that?
Angie: Yeah, I did. Shouldn't I have?
Ray: It's not that. It's - uh - they think that maybe I was too committed. They think I planted evidence.
Angie: Yeah. The heel of the shoe.
Ray: Yeah.
Angie: Listen, Ray, every cop in the district wanted that squirrel off the streets. I mean, he was creepy. He was doing weird things. But you know, it seemed like, you know, if you could do something that would get him off that street that wasn't going to hurt anyone, that wouldn't be a bad thing.
Ray: What are you saying, Ange? That I planted that heel?
Angie: Well, it's kinda weird, Ray. A guy that careful leaving a heel like that, and your coming home carrying it in your pocket?
Ray: You really think I would do something like that?
Angie: I think you wanted him off the streets. I think you were right.
Now for the bad stuff. I've already posted an opinion about Carver, how he reminds me of "Silence of the Lambs" arch-villain Hannibal Lechter. Carver is way too "arch" a villain, over the top in his smarmy evilness. The headset, the smooth voice, the ultra-polite obsequiousness. . . too much for me. He's as shallow and slick as a comic book drawing.
There was one scene in this episode that bothered me more than any other. It's the scene in the park, were Fraser and Ray search for the stroller that is rigged to explode. I can almost believe that Frannie would be the one watching the baby at the house, but she plainly stated that Maria would be taking her to the park. So where was Maria? If they couldn't get Paulina Gillis back to play Maria, they could have hired a different actress. If they couldn't justify the expense of paying another actress for just that one scene, they could have had Frannie take the kid to the park. The fact that we never saw Maria or the baby in that scene sucked all the emotion out of it. (Think about it! Ray wouldn't have been looking for the stroller for God's sake, he would have been looking for his SISTER!)
The main plot, with Carver stringing Ray along with a succession of close-calls and toys, was carefully structured but uninspired. Each crisis, each little clue was just another step along the way. The final confrontation was a big let-down. I can't believe the "master criminal" fell for such a simple trick!
The scene with Fraser and Frannie in his apartment was a bright spot. It's always been clear to me that they are two people who are totally not meant for each other; this scene plays that up to the nines. He's soap and water, she's two kinds of moisturizers. This scene contains the only exchange from "The Duel" that I think is worthy of being called a duesie:Francesca: I could really get used to this politeness stuff. You know, sometimes I think it would actually be better if married people treated each other like strangers.
Fraser: Well, that may be. But it doesn't follow, therefore, that strangers would be better off if they treated each other as if they were married.
Francesca: I love it when you're logical.
Fraser: You're pretty much going to like anything that I say, aren't you?
Moment of the WeekIn the hallway of 221 West Racine, Fraser sniffs a piece of twine and then licks it. The next note of music is strangely out-of-tune, just before Fraser starts to collapse. What a nice touch!
Snack to enjoy while watching The DuelLasagne
Guest Star of the WeekDavid Marciano's wife Katyoun Amini as Angie Vecchio.
Grading
The cat and mouse game C Ray's history w/ Carver A Carver as archvillain D Frannie & Fraser B+ Overall Grade B-
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