Melanie's Review
Laurie's Review
Melanie's Review:The fascinating parallel in this story is not between young Ben's and older Quinn's quests; rather it is in their choices about how to help one another find a moral center. Quinn probably should have brought young Ben back to his grandparents (who were probably frantic with worry) but he didn't. Fraser probably should have forced Quinn to return the jewels, but he didn't. Each allowed the other to seek his own answer--Quinn helped Fraser find a caribou, Fraser helped Quinn find a fence.
The editing of the flashback scenes in and among the "current" storyline was masterful. As Laurie said, Trevor Blumas (the young actor who played Ben at age 12) did an amazing job at channeling Fraser's solemn calm and earnest politeness. Gordon Tootoosis was also wonderful as Quinn.
The jewel theft part of the plot was slim but substantial enough to fill a few scenes in the background of the story. The only significant twists to that plot was Kelly's impersonation of his partner's attorney, and Welsh's subsequent tirade. (Nitpick: "Storey's done with his lawyer." "OK. Good, round...round two." What the heck? The attorney leaves and we start the interrogation again? The very fact that the attorney left without even talking to the detectives should be clue enough that he was bogus.)
Turnbull's reaction to the kidnapping: adorable.
The whole standoff at the warehouse: YAWN.
About RayK's father. I doubt that Damien's criticism of his son's career choice is anything more significant that simple disappointment that he (Ray) didn't finish college. On the other hand, Damien might have had some strong opinion about the Chicago PD in particular, not just a police career in general. "He said uh, you're gonna have a stink on you all the same, bad people." Hmmmm. . . . I wonder what Damien Kowalski was doing in 1968? I absolutely adore Mrs. Kowalski.
Duesies:Quinn: It's here we saw the cougar. Here. . .is where Lipless Mulcahy got his mouth frozen to the side of the portable toilet.
Fraser: The caribou, the elk, the beaver, they too can talk?
Quinn: I've been getting into this native roots and it seems to work. Besides, I thought the Tonto act might impress that little jackass.Young Fraser: What's it supposed to taste like?
Quinn: Oh, I don't know. I wouldn't put that in *my* mouth.
Fraser: It's more important to know where the game is going than where it's been.
(Very true. Dief must have been known this, because he managed to take a short cut to the power company in pursuit of Kelly. How did Dief know where Kelly was going?)Turnbull: Oh, company! Gun!
Turnbull: Oh, Detective Vecchio, there's been a kidnapping.
Ray: What?
Turnbull: An abduction, an absconding, a seizure, a capture.Turnbull: Oh uh oh oh OK. I, I, I managed to uh, uh, make a quick sketch, a little something in charcoal. You see I, I left my pastels at home but, but maybe I could work it up for you later. I'm doing some lovely work in oils. . . .
Mrs. Kowalski: Stanley, oh Stanley, look at you! You haven't changed a stick! Your father and I fought from the moment we left the trailer park in Arizona, fought right across the country, 'He'll have changed' your father said, 'changed utterly'. 'Damien' I said 'that's impossible. He's our son!' Look at you! You're exactly the same as the moment you came into this world. You're hungry aren't you?
Ray: No, no, I'm not.
Mrs. Kowalski: I knew it!Fraser: You know there's a...a short entry in one of my father's journals that reads 'My adversaries appear ready to listen. I'm nearing victory.' And that entry was written the day before he was shot.
Quinn: Your father acted heroically.
Fraser: Yes. But he's not here.
Bad!Dief Moment:Dief licking up spilled ratatouille instead of helping Fraser, who was clearly visible in the doorway behind the man with the gun.
Snack to enjoy while watching "Easy Money": Ratatouille--everything you hate in one bowl. (Actually, I like ratatouille.) Dief moment: Dief watching critically while Fraser lies prone on the sidewalk.
Grading:
Fraser, Quinn and the caribou A Fraser, Quinn and the jewels B- Storey & Kelly C- The Kowalskis B Overall Grade B
Laurie's Review:I was going to fast forward through the ep and catch the highlights but watched the entire thing instead. I hadn't seen it in quite some time and much to my surprise, I enjoyed it a lot more than I used to, though it's still not one of my favorites.
Overall this is a fairly cohesive ep. The main story (the robbery and the search for Kelly) takes a back seat as the primary focus is on Ben and his relationship with Quinn. I'm quite impressed with how the flashbacks to his youth were incorporated alongside every current situation, beginning with Ben dangling from the building and the boy dangling from the cliff and Quinn pulling him up while keeping him focused. I love Kelly's almost maniacal "dilemma." That gets my vote for "best spoken word" ever in Due South.
The boy who played young Ben was very convincing, not just how he acted and talked but the way he looked. His facial features are similar enough that it was easy to accept him as 12-year-old Ben.
Fraser and Ray seem to have equal screen time but they're not shown together too much, except for the beginning and end. That's a bit of a departure from the norm. The subplot about Ray and his parents is very good and very revealing. His cute, nervous grin when he sees them in the parking lot and his father's comment that his hair looks good are wonderful touches. I liked the handshake too; a hug would have been a bit much. What I did find hard to swallow was the setup in the parking lot with the lawn furniture, fencing and grass carpet. Come on! Since they can't legally camp there, why make it look like that's what they're going to do?
Fraser's moment at the end is equally poignant. Telling Quinn that he allowed him to make one of the biggest mistakes of his life and seeing the transformation in young Ben as he watches the caribou fall. Some lessons are never forgotten, and this one played an enormous role in shaping the man.
Quinn was a character created for this particular ep but I wish there had been references to him in preceding or subsequent shows. Ben makes it clear that Quinn is a very important force in his life so it would have been fitting. In the opening scene, it appears that Fraser is dispassionate but Quinn has been in Chicago for an indefinite period of time so I guess we have to presuppose that they've already talked about the dam project and Bob Fraser. If so, some reference to it would have helped the situation.
Francesca and Turnbull shine. Turnbull is at his Turnbullish best and rather than coming across as an oaf, I find him endearing. Not much screen time but we learn a lot about him. Francesca has some exquisite moments and lines. Yeah, she screwed up while she and Welsh were being interviewed on camera but we were also treated to "Why don't you field this one, Harding?"
Nitpicks:The police show up at the warehouse with their sirens on. Is this standard procedure when hostages are involved?
The oft-mentioned hand switch. Kelly stomped on Fraser's left but Quinn takes care of the right one.
Duesies:Fraser to Dief: Oh, don't be so silly. I'm not embarrassed or bored when you sniff things.
Francesca (while looking at Kelly's rap sheet): Okay, relax. May I register my disgust?
Dief moments:Running through the streets (trying to prove himself), jumping over cars and people, etc. while in pursuit of Kelly's car. He's had similar moments in other eps and I find them almost as enjoyable as the apartment conversations.
Taking a shortcut to the power building and Fraser explaining to Ray that Dief studies maps.
Not exactly a Dief moment but I love the way Ray asks him if he wants a coffee, and the "mmmm?" that follows.
Newly discovered moment:I'm sure I saw it before but I had forgotten about it, Ben being sprayed by the street cleaner.
Minor nitpick:I think it's customary for street cleaners to be on the roads very early, often before sunrise, when there's little traffic and no cars parked on the streets.
Grade:If I had gone through the transcript, I would have given Easy Money a C+ or B- but for all that's missed while reading a transcript (expressions, gestures, nuance), I don't want to rely solely on that, especially when it involves an ep that I haven't seen recently. That being the case, the grade now becomes a B or B+. I didn't realize how much is in this ep that goes unnoticed if one isn't watching closely.
If you want to sound off, or if you'd like to add a review to the site, let me know!
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