Melanie's Review
Laurie's Review
Melanie's Review:Ray Kowalski's plot is the best of what goes on in this episode. The opening scene, set to the raucous beat of Oh, What a Feeling! was picture perfect. His lonely vigil in the cemetary was well done, and they get high points for keeping us wondering for most of the episode just why he found it so important to be there! I thought the eerie, washed-out flashback was delightfully surreal--and no, I don't think this was Ray and Stella's first meeting. From the way young Stella whispered to him, I gathered that they already knew each other. And if 13 year Ray had humiliated himself in front of a total stranger, an attractive girl nonetheless, would he have tried to look her up and establish a relationship afterward?
There were a couple of false notes in this story. The groundskeeper at the cemetary was obviously meant to be a drunk--how is it that he doesn't understand the principle of opening a bottle? More importantly, if the wait for Ellery was so overwhelmingly important to Ray that he was willing to disobey an urgent summons from Welsh, why did he abandon his stakeout in order to investigate a hunch--if he had no intention of making a clean arrest? Why would smugglers want to bury a coffin full of Cuban cigars? I can understand brining contraband into the country in a coffin, if you think that customs officers won't want to look at a corpse--but it doesn't make any sense to take the coffin to a cemetary. And why would the smugglers risk getting into a firefight with a cop (a much more serious crime than smuggling Cuban cigars)?
As for Gladys "shooting a few" into her husband's grave--that has to be one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. If you think lead'll keep the insects away, then put lead in the coffin before the internment and then leave it alone! This scene struck me as being a very awkward way to insert the older woman into the story.
Although Gladys and the smugglers made an interesting Greek Chorus for Ray's self-examination, their presence in the crypt seemed very forced and artificial to me.
Another sour note is the story about obtaining the eagle feathers for the dreamcatcher. According to information on Wolfwalker's site, only Native Americans can obtain eagle feathers in this manner, and then only for religious purposes. Here's the whole Q&A about eagle feathers from which I snip this one pertinent fact: "Native Americans cannot give eagle feathers or parts to non-Native Americans as a gift."
This is the episode that establishes firmly that RayK cannot shoot straight without his glasses. So firmly was this established that future episodes in which he pulls out his weapon and starts shooting without putting his specs on first must be counted as mistakes. But even here he spends a great deal of time shooting in between bouts of running--if he hadn't a prayer of hitting anything, why waste bullets?
Meanwhile, back a the Ranch, Lt. Welsh is nose to nose with a ugly character from his own past. Kudos to Beau Starr, Tony Craig and Catherine Bruhier for their intense scenes with IA officer Brandauer. Unfortunately, I have to take points off for Brandauer himself, who was over the top in his slimy sinister meanness. I can't help it--I like my villains to be subtle.
The solution to the 10 kg/1 kg problem is simple: Ray had written "1.0 kg" and the decimal point got lost. After all, one needs to be precise about the weight of confiscated drugs, and rounding off to a whole kilogram is far too vague. But what came after that--Ray's insistence that he be placed in a lineup--was a very risky move. Presuming that the young stoolpigeon actually knew what the real Ray Vecchio looked like, this could have spelled disaster for the undercover operation if he had simply stated that the real Ray Vecchio was not there. On the other hand, if he had seen the new Ray Vecchio in some other context, he might have been able to make a "positive" id and called Ray's bluff!
Moment of the Week:BbuubbbbububublbulbuubleSPASH! "That's a lot harder than it looks!"
Duesies:Fraser: Which one, sir?
Welsh: Which one what?
Fraser: Which Ray Vecchio? The detective formerly known as Ray Vecchio, or the current detective known as the former Ray Vecchio?Elaine: And we use the fish for...?
Fraser: For the games. Bobbing for trout. You see, I- I've organised a traditional Yukon celebration in his honour.
Welsh: Couldn't we just bob for apples?
Fraser: They're not very plentiful in the Yukon.
Welsh: It's the dumbest thing I've ever heard.
Elaine: Is that a traditional Inuit game?
Fraser: No, the locals favour something called "Twister".Caretaker: This thing doesn't work.
Ray: What do you mean it doesn't work? It's just a bottle, it doesn't work or not work.
Caretaker: If nothing comes out of it, what is it?
Ray: It's empty.
Caretaker: But it isn't empty, so it must be broken.
Ray: If it was broken it'd be empty.
Caretaker: Exactly. So it's not working.
Ray: [takes out pocketknife and smashes top off bottle] There. Now it's broken and it's working.Welsh: Who're the penguins?
Huey: The graduating class of the Grenville School of Deportment and Domestic Service. Apparently they were setting a table when a rumble broke out over the correct placement of a spoon.
(Turnbull would have been the perfect person to make this bust.)Ray: You know, Fraser, when they offered me this assignment, they made it sound kind of normal. They say, "Hey, Ray, here's a chance to start over. Ditch the past." "What's the catch?" I say. "Oh, your partner's Canadian." Canadian? I got nothing against Canadians, except for the time when they won the World Series.
Fraser: Two times.
Ray: Which I'm willing to overlook.
Fraser: Thank you.
Ray: But at no time did they say, "Oh, by the way, you'll be working with a Mountie who's got a wolf that's a florist."Fraser: No, but if you'd be so kind as to step to one side, the detective will read you your Miranda rights. I assume that weaponry you're holding is illegal.
Bert: Does a bear shop in the forest?
Fraser: In my experience bears don't shop.Ray: Huey, I don't think so.
Huey: I can do it, I can do it, I can do it, I can do it. [tries to kickbox cabbage] Aaargh!
Dief moment:Dief bringing flowers to the dog's grave. Doesn't that dog sculpture resemble Maggie the husky? Is it possible that our Dief is a widower?
Snack to enjoy while watching Eclipse:Smarties in your coffee.
Grading:
Ray and Ellery A Gladys and the Smugglers B- Brandauer and the 27th B+ Overall Grade A-
Laurie's Review:Eps that delve into the past of individual characters are especially appealing and this one is no exception in that regard. Burning Down the House was very fast paced and focused on Fraser trying to prove that Ray wasn't Ray. This ep crawls in comparison, which gives us time to focus on Ray Kowalski. It's nothing like Easy Money but there is a parallel: two young boys greatly influenced by someone who passed through their lives at an impressionable age. Even when Ray isn't in a scene we still learn much about him.
The acting is excellent and the plot has enough strength but I'm not overly fond of this ep and I'm not exactly sure why, but I suspect it has to do with when I saw it rather than the story itself. I first saw Due South during Season 3 but missed a few of the earliest eps, this one included. I then saw Season 4, most of Season 1 and all of Season 2 before I had a chance to see Burning Down the House and Eclipse. By that point it seemed almost out of place. Ray's hair didn't help either. I know that sounds lame but he didn't look or feel like the Ray Kowalski I had come to know. I feel somewhat dissatisfied, I want more but I can't pinpoint what I want more of; something's missing, but I don't know what.
Welsh is already a more prominent figure than he was in the first two seasons, even in a secondary role, and his presence is felt throughout the ep. His history with Brandauer is an interesting subplot.
There has been much discussion about what happened to the other 9 kilos of heroin. I agree that there was only one kilo, based on Huey's reaction. He was there when the shipment was seized and he's adamant that there was only one; he's genuinely surprised that Brandauer and Hallet think otherwise. He was very good in this scene.
The scene with the landlady is wonderful and she has some great lines: "He clomps. . .in rhythm." "What's your story? You work in a circus?" I love the way she stands with her arms crossed staring at Fraser while he launches into his explanation, and then tells him, "Don't take anything."
All the guest stars did an excellent job cementing the storyline. The cemetery caretaker, the two smugglers, Gladys Caunce, Brandauer and Hallet, the landlady, young Ray and Stella, and last but not least, Marcus Ellery. I don't think there were any weak links. Often there's at least one guest who doesn't work for me but that isn't the case with Eclipse.
It's still possible to spot something new while watching dS. During this viewing of Eclipse I discovered that Ray and Fraser step on Huey during the party at the end, and I noticed that the ground shakes when Ray and Ellery fall into the burial hole.
The bullpen full of butlers was kind of cute, reminiscent of all the Santas in Gift of the Wheelman and the leather bar patrons in "Chicago Holiday."
Nitpicks:I'm surprised Ray would circle where he was going and leave the newspaper open to that page. He must have known there was a good chance Welsh would send someone to look for him. I'm also a bit surprised it was Fraser and not an officer from the 27th. They are, after all, unofficial partners and hardly know each other.
Duesies:Fraser to Welsh, after Welsh explains the necessity of Ray showing up in time: Which Ray Vecchio? The detective formerly known as Ray Vecchio or the current detective known as the former Ray Vecchio?
Caretaker: This thing doesn't work.
Ray: What do you mean it doesn't work? It's just a bottle, it doesn't work or not work.
Caretaker: If nothing comes out of it, what is it?
Ray: It's empty.
Caretaker: But it isn't empty so it must be broken.
Ray: If it was broken, it'd be empty.
Caretaker: Exactly. So it's not working.
Ray (after breaking off the top): There, now it's broken and it's working.Fraser: You know, I don't mean to be critical but you might want to consider some remedial practice on the target range. Your aim is appalling.
Ray: Hey, I'm a good shot.
Fraser: By what criteria? You fired seven rounds. You haven't been within 50 meters of your target.
Ray: I'm a good shot, I just need my glasses. I also left them in the tomb.
Fraser: No you didn't. I have them right here.
Ray: Why didn't you tell me you had them?
Fraser: Well, I didn't realize you were blind.
Ray: I'm not blind, I just don't see all that good.
Dief moment:Definitely bringing flowers to the dog's gravestone. A close second is seeing him in a party hat.
Recommended episode-related fic:Together They Stand by Winston.
Grade:C+ (if I had seen it in the proper sequence, maybe I'd appreciate it more).
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