Laurie's Review
Melanie's Review
Laurie's Review:Eps with a sports theme tend to be among my least favorites (unless it's The Blue Line) and Mountie & Soul is no exception. It's mediocre with few standout moments and unless I'm watching it (a rare event), it's hard to remember anything about it. I don't like boxing at all so I usually fast forward through those portions. I'll admit that I like Ray and Fraser in the ring together; maybe it's Fraser's refusal to hit Ray ("Hit me." "No." "Hit me." "No." "Hit me." "No." "Hit me.") or the way he looks in his T-shirt and helmet or Ray's cute legs or the way Fraser rolls his eyes before hitting Ray. . . .
I know I'm probably being stereotypical and sexist, but I think this ep is a nod to the male demographic. A car chase wasn't required since there's a surfeit of violence.
The most clever element, one I wasn't aware of until recently when someone at RideForever mentioned it, is Fraser and Ray's walk through the precinct, where surrounding events mirror what they're discussing. A stroke of genius and brilliantly executed. This is now one of my favorite scenes from Seasons 3/4. In the past, I concentrated solely on Ray and Fraser and the background was, well, background
Cubically Contained is a fairly good song and I like the rooftop scene that accompanies it, especially Ray and Fraser signaling each other and the slow motion fall through the skylight.
I enjoy the encounter with gang leader Edwards and the discussion involving his misguided desire to expand his operation into Canada. Fraser tells him, "You know, I'm not so sure it's really a question of trade as much as it is a moral issue. I mean, the fact that you are involved in criminal activity, selling drugs, for instance. Oddly, that's something we frown upon north of the 49th Parallel." Edwards then says, "Oh, there's always some excuse."
How about the name Mason Dixon?! What a gem. I suppose the writer could have had more than one meaning in mind but I always think North (Canada) and South (U.S.) as opposed to the traditional separation of the U.S. into North and South.
Moments I like:Ray getting tangled in the ropes as he climbs into the ring.
Francesca clutching Fraser's arm when the two gangs show up.
The desk sergeant vainly trying to get Ray's attention. She leaves her desk and stands right in front of them, "Are you booking these guys or are they just part of some colorful parade?"
Francesca giving Welsh's coffee to Fraser and Ray's coffee to Welsh, leaving Ray empty handed. I can't figure out why she did this.
Welsh in the morgue. Is this the only time he makes an appearance there?
Fraser explaining his uniform to gang members: "In particular, this is the lanyard" ... "Let's say you're pursuing a criminal on horseback. Should you lose control of your weapon, you don't have to dismount. You see, you simply scoop it up and there, presto, you have it in your hand again. It's something you gentlemen might want to consider."
Fraser petting Dief, something we don't often see, and telling him, "You know, there really was no cause for worry. But I must say I do appreciate your concern. It's been very rare these days."
Ray in the locker room painfully struggling to put his shirt on and Dief trying to help.
Fraser trying to get singing Mort's attention: Mort, Mort, Mort, Mort, Mort, Mort. He only has to call Ray three or four times.
Nitpicks:BOXING
I just can't picture Francesca going to a boxing match, unless she's only there because Fraser is, which I strongly suspect to be the case. Welsh, now that's a different story.
Duesies:Ray: Uh, Levon, this is my friend Fraser.
Levon: Hey, Fraser, what's up?
Fraser: Well, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange is up, uh, Ray's hair is up.
Ray: He's Canadian.Fraser: I wasn't aware that you'd had a boxing career, Ray.
Ray: Ah, it wasn't exactly a career. It was more of a--
Francesca: A disaster?
Fraser: A hobby?
Francesca: A meltdown?
Fraser: Pastime?
Francesca: Nightmare?
Ray: Look, you're both very, very funny. But, uh, I had to quit when I, uh, got married to Stella cuz she didn't think it was, uh--
Francesca: Civilized?
Ray: That's it.
[The questions by Francesca & Fraser punctuated by Ray bouncing off the ropes]Ray: You admit that I'm right or I'll pop you in the head.
Fraser: We're not dealing with logic now, are we?
Ray: Logic, smogic. Admit I'm right or I'll pop you.
Fraser: Oh, well, gee, in that case, Ray, I guess you're right.
Ray: Thank you very much.
Fraser: You're welcome.
Ray: Levon's got a buddy up on, uh, Vacuum Street.
Fraser: You mean Hoover?
Ray: Hoover Street. . . .
[The Vacuum-Hoover bit reminds me of the Counter-Geiger line from Red, White or Blue]Francesca to Fraser: Neck rub?
Fraser: Well, no, thank you kindly. Maybe, uh, maybe next week.Ray: Francesca, can you get Tony Miller in here, please?
Francesca: You got a number?
Ray: Uh, he's in the phone book, under Cabrini Gangsters.
Fraser: Gangsters are in the phone book?Fraser: Good day, Gentlemen.
Gang member: Yo, that's a bad ass outfit.
Fraser whispering to Ray: He insulted the uniform.Edwards: We got 28,000 members. I mean, some days I don't even get to talk to all of 'em.
Fraser: 28,000? That's the population of Moose Jaw.
Edwards: Canadian.
Fraser: Yes. How did you know?
Edwards: Lucky guess.
Fraser: Ah.Ray: That's d-u-m dumb.
Dief Moment:Trying to offer whatever support he can to Ray after his sparring match with Dixon.
Keepership:Fraser's mangled use of street talk.
Grade:C+
Melanie's Review:When I peel away the elements of this story that I don't like, there's actually a very intricate mystery plot here. Suspects and red herrings abound in an investigation that takes several sharp turns. The bad guys turn out to be good, the good guys turn out to be bad, and a lot of people turn out to be painted in shades of gray. The business about the bok choy and the clothes in the locker--who took what, who put what back, what belonged to whom--was very clever.
I could have used a hell of a lot less of the actual boxing match. I don't like boxing as a sport, not one bit--and while I recognize the need to have it in this story, I just don't like watching it. Hearing Ray rhapsodize about the "sweet science," and even threaten to "pop" Fraser if he doesn't agree with him, makes me respect the character a little less. Mind you, it's perfectly in character for him (just as Vecchio's whining is in character for him) but still. . . I guess I just really, really don't like boxing.
That said, I loved seeing Ray after the sparring session, barely able to pull his shirt over his head.
Mort's observation about squeamishness is a lovely philosophical touch. But why is Fraser telling Mort not to check for prescription drugs in the dead man's system? Who's in charge here, anyway--the detective assigned to the case, the lieutenant, the medical examiner? It seems to me that a drug screen on Jamal's blood would be routine.
The thing that bothers me most about this episode, perhaps even more than the boxing, is the hip-hop gangsta culture that dominates this episode. It's not that the gang culture doesn't exist, it's just that this seems to be the only lens through which DS was willing to view the black community. I have the same problem with White Men Can't Jump to Conclusions. More about this below.
The only redeeming moment in the sequence in the Rolling 22's HQ was when Duvall Edwards complained that Canada wasn't willing to open its markets to his business enterprise. (I just noticed that Dief jumped up on a pool table at the Rolling 22's HQ. That would be pretty annoying to the guys playing pool--I'm surprised there wasn't more of a fuss.)
As far as I can remember, Mountie and Soul is one of only four episodes that actually feature African American characters as either perpetrators or victims of crime. (For this purpose, I'm not counting the two episodes that featured the same actor in supporting roles--Richard Chevolleau as Stanley Smith in DGR and Davey Abelard in "Say Amen.") Now I'm not saying that Due South should have been about race relations or anything, but it does seem odd to me that, in a city the size of Chicago, there were so few black characters. Oh, a handful of the police, federal agents and attorneys were black, but by and large the Chicago of Due South seems to be a very white city--with a smattering of Chinese or Salvadorans as the script called for them.I have no idea what the racial makeup of Chicago is, or the racial makeup of Toronto or of Toronto actors for that matter--but I think they did drop the ball by focusing two episodes (Mountie and Soul and White Men Can't Jump to Conclusions) on the black community and then making those episodes focus on gang activity. Mojo Rising is about the Haitian community rather than about African-Americans in general, but seems to be rich in cultural stereotypes as well. Among them, only An Eye for an Eye seems to treat its black characters as though they were characters first and not as representatives of a particular "type"--Herb Colling wasn't a black "type," he was just a character who happened to be black.
Andre Braugher once made an observation about working on Homicide, which was a show that strove to accurately reflect the racial makeup of the city where it was set (and filmed). He recalled a scene in which his character, Det. Frank Pembleton, had a very tense confrontation with his lieutenant, the captain, and the Deputy Commissioner. He noted afterwards that he realized halfway through the scene that all four actors were black men--but the scene wasn't about race. It just happened to be that in this show the detective, the lieutenant, the captain and the Deputy Commissioner were all black. No symbolism, just pure coincidence.
So one major problem I have with Mountie and Soul is that Chicago is suddenly *full* of African-Americans, and they're all in gangs!
Duesies:Fraser: I wasn't aware that you'd had a boxing career, Ray.
Ray: Ah, it wasn't exactly a career. It was more of a--
Francesca: A disaster?
Fraser: A hobby?
Francesca: A meltdown?
Fraser: Pastime?
Francesca: Nightmare?Fraser: And I would imagine those would also be fans?
Ray: The Rollin' 22's. The other guy's, uh, gang.
Fraser: I see. So. . . so each fighter then comes equipped with his own gang?Ray: This is Constable Benton Fraser. He first came to Chicago on the killers of his father. He's Canadian; you don't want to know. Bare knuckle fighter.
Fraser: Well, no, Ray, I don't really wrestle bears.Edwards: We're thinking of branching out up there.
Fraser: Really? You know, I'm not sure my government would look too favorably upon that.
Edwards: See now? That's the problem with you Canadians and this stink called free trade. I mean, you guys want access to our markets and still try to protect your own.
Fraser: You know, I'm not so sure it's really a question of trade as much as it is a moral issue. I mean, the fact that you are involved in criminal activity - selling drugs, for instance - oddly, that's something we frown upon north of the 49th parallel.
Edwards: Oh, there's always some excuse.Fraser: Ah, Francesca. Have you, uh, have you seen Ray?
Francesca: Yeah. He said he was going some place to think, whatever mythical place that might be.Ray: Fraser, what are you doing?
Fraser: I'm just getting down with my bad self.
(I know, I know. . . but it's cute.)
Dialog that makes me cringe:Levon: How's he doin'? How's Deron doin'?
Jamal: Well, he's got some kinda coma thing. They don't even know if he'll make it or not. Which makes him a loser. Big time.
Fraser Factoid of the Week:" . . . but artists don't tend to get hit in the head on a regular basis, although you know, it is widely rumored that Hieronymus Bosch used to repeatedly bang his skull into his easel to stimulate his vision."
Runner-Up Nitpick of the Week:When Fraser, Ray and Mason fall through the skylight, the glass of the skylight falls with them. But when they hit the mat in the ring, the glass isn't there--until somebody throws it on top of them from offstage. From the looks of things, they get hit with glass from both the left and right--but not from above.
Nitpick of the Week:
Twice--TWICE--Ray fired his weapon into the air in order to stop a fight. This is an extremely risky thing to do, because those bullets have to come down somewhere. I can't believe that a real police officer would pull a stunt like that.
Runner up Moment of the Week:Ray and Fraser's illustrated pedeconference throught the station's corridors.
Moment of the Week:
Ray's clumsy entry into the ring, followed by Frannie and Fraser's helpful list of descriptive words to describe Ray's boxing career.
Snack to eat while enjoying Mountie & Soul:Bok Choy with soy sauce.
Grading:
Boxing B- Gangs D Investigation A- Overall Grade C+
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