Laurie's Review
Melanie's Review
Laurie's Review:What an episode! The Pilot was one of the last ones I saw, more than four years after it first aired, and I still remember how exciting it was. It came up in TNT's rotation shortly after the lost eps (which I didn't know at the time were lost) were shown and immediately following Call of the Wild. The clips from Flashback were my only exposure to it. Until I saw The Pilot, I had absolutely no idea just how good it is. I wasn't online yet so I didn't have the added advantage of pictures, transcripts or comments from others. My first viewing was such a treat and is so memorable that it's impossible for me to say anything negative about it.
The Pilot has enough excitement, adventure, intrigue, suspense, drama and humor to sustain the most discriminating viewer's interest, and I would have been hooked on Due South immediately if this had been the first ep I saw. Oh, how I wish I had been watching on April 26, 1994, but better late than never where this superb series is concerned.
The Canadian scenery is spectacular and breathtaking. Enough said.
The opening scene still moves me as much as it did the first time I saw it. Understated but chilling and extremely powerful. It sets a very somber tone.
I've mentioned on occasion that I'm particularly fond of From a Million Miles so the sequence of scenes during this number ranks high on my list of favorite moments, especially Ben hiking into the city. The scenes during this song and Superman's Song paint a stark picture of contrasts and emphasize how different his life in Canada was from what it will be in a huge American city. He is so isolated and alone and stands out in more ways than one. We're supposed to know he is somehow different and the songs point that out rather dramatically, especially From a Million Miles. And let's not forget the exquisite cabin music. The original score is so fitting.
Moments I especially like:The look on Ben's face as he reads the message about his father, preceded by the sympathetic look from the woman who delivers it.
The plane ride over the river, Ben petting Dief and his rather sad, "Yeah, everything's changing."
The funeral.
Ben donating pemmican to help feed the hungry ("If you're still hungry when you've finished eating it, drink water, it expands in your stomach.")
Giving up his cab to everyone else, having his ride stolen by the businessman and walking into Chicago.
Ben's first encounter with LeeAnn Brighton.
Ray's ability to recognize people by their noses (call it a gift).
Ray finding Ben at the diner, and the two of them talking about their fathers.
Dinner at the Vecchio home.
I don't care for the scene when Drake is shot by Gerrard but Ben's expression is perfect. I guess you could say it's a look of horror. Fabulous acting by Paul Gross.
Ben looking through his dad's trunk, especially when he unfolds the picture that he made for his dad. That entire silent scene is powerful and moving.
Ray arriving at the cabin, and everything that follows.
Ray and Ben simultaneously shaking their hands in pain after their fists impact with the jaw of one of the bad guys.
Ben telling Dief at the cabin, "I'm not carrying you. I'm not." But he does!
Duesies:Gerrard: Tell me, Constable, how long have you been on the force?
Ben: 13 years.
Gerrard: And what's the biggest city you've worked in?
Ben: Moose Jaw.
Gerrard: Yeah, and you were transferred out after 5 weeks because you couldn't adapt to such an urban lifestyle. You're like your father. Out there in no man's land there isn't a better cop in the world, but in Chicago they'll eat you alive in minutes. Sorry.
Ben: I understand. But you understand also that nothing is going to stop me from finding my father's killer and bringing him to justice.
[This said as he's removing his badge from his wallet]LeeAnn: And then the job opens up and finally I'm going to get to do something other than show my legs, and it's "I'm sorry, but we don't think you're quite ready for the job now...we need someone with kayaking experience..."
Ben: I don't recall. . .
LeeAnn: They didn't say that, Fraser. They didn't have to. They hired you. Can I be frank? I have nothing against you personally. I'm sure that you're a very nice person, that you're very good at wrestling fur-bearing animals, but I am going to do everything in my power to have you fired. This is my job. I don't mean to sound like a bitch.
Ben: No, not at all.
LeeAnn: I'm not usually like this.
Ben: No, I can see that.Ray: What's your first name, I mean, I can't keep calling you Fraser.
Ben: Benton.
Ray: What's your first name?
Ben: Benton.
Ray: Do you have a first name?Mrs. Vecchio: A man who buys his wife a leopard print housecoat is not a beast.
Ray: So, where are you from?
Ben: Is this a good time to be discussing this?
Ray: Come on, we're just two friends out for a walk. Where are you from?
Ben: Well, I grew up with my grandparents in Inuvik.
Ray: Really. Is that downtown Inuvik or more the outskirts?
Ben: More the outskirts. Then when I was 8 we moved to Alert and then Tuktoyaktuk.
Ray: Really? Let me guess, your grandparents were what? Nomadic glacier farmers?
Ben: Librarians. Do we have a warrant?
Ray: Practically.Ben to Gerrard: He was your friend, you son of a bitch.
Ray: So, we got some fishing poles, a rifle used by Chuck Connors and a bag of rice. So, what's your plan?
Ray: Let me see that bag. Being American, I also know where my strength is and that's in being as heavily armed as possible at all times. It's all completely legal, I swear to you.
Did I mention I LOVE this ep?Grade: A+
Melanie's Review:Although I did see The Pilot when it was first aired in 1995, my most vivid memory of watching it comes from 1999, when I had only just rediscovered Due South. I joined TNT's broadcast cycle in season 3, and eventually reached the end with Call of the Wild. That was on a Tuesday, I think. The very next day I settled down in front of the TV, knowing that they would now be looping around to the beginning. I saw the brilliant white, the aching cold, the haunting voice with its mysterious "Doooo-ma-a-ah. And the lone figure, looking so rumpled and disheveled. And I heard myself exclaim (even though I was alone in the room), "He's ALIVE!"
It's probably not fair to grade The Pilot in the same way as the other episodes. Paul Haggis had time to devote to writing the best damn story he could manage in order to sell the series--and he had a blank slate to write on. Once the series went into production, he had to live with time constraints, budget constraints and the limitations of the show's established "bible" (setting, cast, premise). Some episodes are excellent, some are not, but no regular episode is likelyto have the freedom and deep quality of The Pilot.
There are two plots here, as there are so many times in Due South. The first is the solving of Bob Fraser's murder; the second is the insertion of the wilderness-bred Mountie into Big City USA--and the forging of his unlikely partnership with cynical US cop. Both plots are very tightly interconnected; Fraser could not have solved his father's murder without Ray's help. The setup for their friendship is very believable and heartwarming. These guys need each other.
The blend of drama and comedy is also very well done. This is no The Man Who Knew Too Little-style farce, but the lighthearted moments (Moffat's bluster, Ray's family) help to keep the story from being leaden in its grief. Action sequences are sprinkled throughout the two hours and are, for the most part, mercifully brief. Solemn, contemplative, quiet scenes are numerous and blessedly long and beautiful. (The incredible background music helps.)
Speaking of the music--well, I don't usually get excited about the music selections, but The Pilot and Chicago Holiday are my exceptions. From a Million Miles and Superman Song are both excellent choices.
A few random thoughts:
The RCMP detachment office is so. . . ordinary. It has curtains, and cluttered black filing cabinets, a water cooler (!) and a notice about an upcoming Bingo game. It looks like the sort of place where normal cops work--I bet one of them has upwards of 41 open cases on his desk. Well, four anyway. ;-)
Why, oh why couldn't they have kept LeeAnn Brighton and Supt. Moffat? What a waste of two wonderful characters!
The reproachful look on the Vecchios' faces at the hospital is a preciously true moment. At that moment they're not interested in the how or the why--they just know that one of their family was hurt and they need someone to take the blame. Fraser is an outsider, a stranger. He was reprimanded even before Gerrard said a word. I wonder what happened to that fitness board hearing that Gerrard threatened Fraser with?
Hey you know, Ray did solve this case. Give credit where credit is due--he came up with a very good line of investigation all on his own. Add to this the fact that he was the one who identified their suspect in the first place (both by contacting the American Dental Association and by recognizing the guy's nose) and you've got a cop who is definitely not taking back seat to the Mountie when it comes to police work.
"The only people who do want you are in Chicago." I wonder who said so--Moffat or Brighton? How could they not have made a series out of it with an ending like this one?
It wuldn't be a Melanie review if there wasn't at least one complaint. And yes, there is a complaint. The climactic dog sled/snowmobile chase scene is not as bad as your typical car chase--there's stunning scenery and some fairly fun dialog to help break up the relentless action. But I found it hard to suspend my disbelief enough to accept that all those heavily armed assassins on snowmobiles could neither catch nor kill the guys in the dogsled. It's like Star Wars, where all the Storm Troopers are the worst shots in the Galaxy.
Even before the chase began, Fraser and Ray somehow managed to avoid getting killed even though they were extremely vulnerable in several instances. For example, a bad guy comes up behind Ray and Fraser clobbers him with a branch. Then the bad guy comes up behind them both and they deck him with their fists. Why didn't he use his gun? I think the whole action sequence would have been more believable and no less dramatic if there had been, say, three or four assasins instead of seven.
Duesies:Pilot: You're sure they were Americans, eh?
Fraser: They were all wearing new boots, they were driving a Jeep Wrangler and they carried big guns.
Pilot: Americans it is.Coroner: Pet, was it?
Moffet: What's the one thing you here Americans say about Canadians over and over again? 'They're such nice polite people.' So we use that against them.
Fraser: I'm not exactly clear as how we do that, sir.
Moffet: We let them underestimate us. You'd be surprised at the number of people who underestimate me, Fraser.
Fraser: I don't think so, sir.
Moffet: How many times I've been at some diplomatic cocktail party when people start to say something and then suddenly stop, realizing I'm within hearing distance and then say, 'Oh, it's just the Canadian.' It always works, though it never quite loses its sting.Moffet: Have you met Constable Brighton? My right arm. She's the best assistant a man could have.
Leeann: Yes, sir.
Moffet: You'll uh. . . give, um. . .
Fraser: Fraser.
Moffet: . . . Fraser here a full briefing on all the. . . you know, the. . .
LeeAnn: Yes sir.
Moffet: I'll just uh. . . um. . . take the um. . . uh. . . can. . . ? Well, uh. . . can. . . ? Well, uh. . . lunch.
***Ray: Hey, what's up? It's you! I didn't recognize you standing there like that. Okay, I acted like a jerk. I didn't realize it was your father. I should have checked into it earlier. I'm sorry. Anyway, you know you were right about the goombah in the cell. Now I dig around and I find that this guy is internal affairs trying to nail my butt for illegal entrapment. Can you believe that? This guy's trying to entrap me into intruding him. Cops!
In any case I figure I owed you one so here it is. Thanks.
Come on, I'm apologizing here. What else do you want from me?
You're kidding right? This is your job? This is, like, your real job? Do you believe it? This is his job. They actually pay people to do this in Canada. Sorry. Anyway, I uh checked that list of names for you and I came up with something that night be something. So we should talk.
Putting me on, right? Okay, you just let me know when you get off and I'll come back. You got a break comin up soon or something?
I'm talkin to a corpse here.
***Fraser: Excuse me. May I have your attention, please. Thank you. Anyone carrying illegal weapons, if you would place them on the bar you are under arrest. You realize I'm going to have to confiscate that?
***Fraser: Walk her to her door.
Cabby: This is Canadian.
Fraser: So is she.
(Another thing that was different between the Pilot and the series. In the Pilot, an American recognizes Canadian money when he sees it.)Ray: You got any other family?
Fraser: No.
Ray: Well I'm gonna show you why you are a lucky man. Come on.Ray: Okay. Okay. It was the mud, right? You knew it came off his shoe because when you sniffed it, it smelled like. . . mud! I mean, what else does mud smell like?
Fraser: Perhaps it was something off the floor of the bar.
Ray: Wood? No no no. Beer and maybe uh, peanut shells and when you tasted it--which by the way I can't believe you put that in your mouth--you tasted the salt from the peanut shells and knew that he had been here, right?
Fraser: Wrong. I guessed. I had a hunch.
Ray. No no no no. You don't have hunches. I have hunches.
Fraser: I had one of your hunches Ray. Felt good.Ray: One-two-seven hundred Franklin, one officer on the scene and tell 'em not to shoot the guy in the hat.
Fraser: When I graduated from the Academy, my father gave me one piece of advice. He said always . . . no, he said never . . . well actually he gave me two pieces of advice but I've forgotten the other one but the important one is, never chase a man over a cliff.
Ray: That's suppose to mean something in Canadian, isn't it?
Fraser: If you're going to take on a man, you'd better know more than he does. Our strength is I know this area better than anyone. There weakness is they think they have an advantage.
Ray: Let me see that bag. Being an American, I also know where my strength lies, and that's in being as heavily armed as possible at all times.Ray You know, we just took out seven guys. One more and you qualify for Ameican citizenship.
Fourth Runner-Up Nitpick of the Week:Do they really quarantine dogs at the US/Canada border? I mean, it's not like wild animals don't wander back and forth across the border every day. What could they possibly be quarantining against?
Third Runner-Up Nitpick of the Week:
Where did they get those kids for the "standing guard" scene? All dressed up in suits and ties. They look like they were imported from an old-fashioned British boarding school.
Second Runner-Up Nitpick of the Week:
Would the American Dental Association keep a guy on the books who hasn't paid his dues for twelve years? They need to purge their membership list more often. Seriously though, there's no reason why the script couldn't have said that the guy had been dead for two years.
Runner-Up Nitpick of the Week:
During the shootup of Bob's cabin, Ray must have found enough time to do some tidying up. The shelf of books with the round mirror got shot up twice!
Nitpick of the Week:
If the dentists came up to hunt by plane, then how is it that their Jeep Wrangler helps to prove that they were Americans? They would have to have rented it locally.
Melanie's Flight of Fantasy:LeeAnn said, "I hold the duty roster. Which means your job is pretty much whatever I tell you it is."
I've always maintained that LeeAnn invented the duty of standing guard as a way of keeping Fraser out of her way. I can just imagine Moffat looking out his office window and seeing Constable Fraser in his dress reds for the first time. "My goodness, that's nice. I wonder when we started doing that?"
Runner-Up Cringe-worthy Moment of the Week:TNT's teaser (which is at the very beginning of my tape). "Coming up next, fight Chicago crime with two cops--one who plays by the rules, the other who has no rules!" Sounds more like Lethal Weapon than Due South.
Cringe-worthy Moment of the Week:
I had no idea until M-A said so that this was based on a real event. And the episode ends with, "Phase 2 of the project is scheduled to begin construction this year... will flood a wilderness area the size of Germany." It's not the show that makes me cringe--it's the reality.
Third Runner-Up Moment of the Week:"What are you doing? Put that down--you don't know where that's been. Oh no, that is disgusting! Put that down! Don't do that! God! That is disgusting."
Second Runner-Up Moment of the Week:
"This is mine. You want meat, Mountie? Go to a Supermarket." Such a deliciously cutting put-down, with an enormous emotional impact.
Runner-Up Moment of the Week:
Ray putting his arm around Fraser's shoulder, to pose for a tourist's photo.
Moment of the Week:
"Sometimes I despair, the world will never see another man like him." (Superman Song)
Ray's Big-City Wisdom:"There's this place I know where a lot of heavyweights hang out. Kind of people who can reach out and touch somebody like Frank. Now I been workin it for months, you know, hangin' out, fittin' in. They think I'm complete scum--and down here, your reputation is everything."
The ExplanationSupt. Underhill: I talked to the super at your last job. He suggested transferring you further north.
Fraser: Well, that would put me in Russia, sir.
Snack to enjoy while watching The Pilot:Polenta--it's sorta like a yellow pemmican.
Grading:
The Trail of the Killers A+ Fraser & Ray A+ Walsh & the 27th B Moffat & the consulate A Chez Vecchio A+ Overall Grade A+
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