Laurie's Review:This is a good ep but it had to grow on me. It took several viewings for me to fully appreciate it. As with so many Due South eps, there's an exquisite balance of humor and drama. The funny moments and lines aren't reserved for Fraser and Ray; we get to see a light side of the senior citizens, along with their fear. I really like the way the elderly are treated here. How often do we see seniors in a pivotal role? They're usually in nursing homes or thrown in as token background fillers, and any laughs are at their expense. As the story progresses, Ray starts to see beyond the stereotypes.
The comedy bits are brilliantly inserted. They don't trivialize the issue and don't detract from the seriousness of the crime. Who doesn't love Gladys and Corky? Despite Dief's apparent resistance to doing a good turn, he certainly indulged Gladys, didn't he? He would have had no trouble at all escaping her clutches if he chose to do so. I think he got a lot more out of it than a hideous crocheted outfit!
Who but Fraser would know who the mayor of Chicago was after the fire of 1871?
I love Fraser trying to keep his balance on the trash cans in the alley, log rolling style.
Why should something as simple as this be so funny?
Fraser: That's a zed.
Ray: What's a zed?'
Fraser: A z, you meant to hit an s.Does anyone really believe Fraser was going to compliment Ray on his spacing?
And perhaps the best comic bit of all in this ep:
Fraser: Ray, sapling.
Ray: Where?
Fraser: Twelve o'clock.
Ray: Got it.Let's not forget Welsh's contribution with the following:
Fraser: Leftenant, the responsibility for this is entirely mine.
Welsh: Oh, I'm sure it is. You know, just once I'd like for someone besides the Mountie to come into my station and confess.The music is superb. I rarely make comparisons between Seasons 1/2 and 3/4 but I've always had a decided preference for the music from the first two seasons.
The scene in the park with Mr. Colling teaching the young punk how to play chess is marvelous. I remember how pleasantly surprised I was to see this segment, especially after forming a negative opinion of the boy earlier in the ep. It was also a rather Fraserish moment. Mr. Colling and Fraser have a lot in common despite the disparities in their backgrounds and lifestyles, and it takes no stretch of the imagination to picture Fraser sitting in a cold snowy park doing the same thing.
This ep gets a strong B, possibly a B+. I can find nothing majorly wrong with it.
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