Melanie's Review
Laurie's Review
Melanie's Review:Given the enthusiasm shown for this episode by some listmembers, I watched it for the first time in well over a year--this time striving to pay proper attention. After about 15 minutes I was starting to change my mind; the whole sequence at the station with the polygraph was actually pretty clever and fun. But once they got onto the bus, I found my enthusiasm starting to flag.
Good drama builds toward a climax--but Starman stalls sometime before the halfway point. Instead of putting our heroes in greater and greater danger, this story brings them to the military base and then puts them in a continuous loop. (A Chronic Historesis, for you Dr. Who fans.) Despite all Ray's pleas to the contrary, it was obvious that nobody was going to shoot Ian, no matter how many times he went where he wasn't supposed to. After a couple of go-rounds, I was feeling sorry for the Colonel and the other soldiers, having to put up with all this nonsense.
I'm also put off by the whole aliens/military/secret labs theme. I'm no fan of the X-Files, Roswell, or other fiction based on the premise that the US government is in the alien business.
I think there's a substantial difference in Ian's character between The Man Who Knew Too Little and Starman, and I happen to like the Ian of the earlier episode better. In the first story, Ian was a man fighting for his freedom, and his practice of telling outrageous lies served primarily to increase his chances of saving his own skin. Fraser and Ray were his opponents, and he lied to thwart them. He seemed to know exactly what was going on, but he lied for self-preservation!
In Starman, his lies have the opposite effect. Fraser and Ray are no longer his adversaries; he has a strong incentive to treat them honestly in order to obtain their assistance in finding Audrey. His lies are counterproductive. For example, he cannot remain focused on his goal long enough to give a coherent account of the abduction. I had a great deal of perverse respect for the creative, resourceful driving force that was Ian MacDonald, fugitive; this new Ian MacDonald seems merely delusional.
Furthermore, the end of The Man Who Knew Too Little revealed that Ian had made a mature decision to face the legal system honestly and admit his perjury. It was a noble and admirable, if somewhat sad ending to that story. This episode completely ignores that character development and gives us a free and unrepentant Ian, who has apparently developed his knack for stretching the truth into a rather shady career. Knowing that the senior citizens scrimped and saved for such a rip-off vacation bothers the heck out of me.
Ian and Audrey as a couple--kind of cute. I like the idea of it. It's a shame their relationship was given such short shrift. At the end, I think she indicates that she really is interested in pursuing a relationship with Ian:
Ian: So that's the way it's going to be huh? Me and the kids waiting, dinner on the table cold, family always the last priority. None of us, none of us ever knowing when you're going to tell the truth. That's the way it's going to be?She obviously doesn't consider herself engaged, but she's clearly planning to see him again. Mind you, I'm not about to become an Ian/Audrey 'shipper. I'm just saying that this particular moment was--well, cute.
Audrey: Do you want your ring back?
Ian: No. I kept my promise--you keep that.
Audrey: You know when we met. . . .
Ian: It was like magic, like summer lightning. You took one look at me and you knew right away I was the one man you were going to spend the rest of your life with.
Audrey: No, I thought you were cute. You see, for me it takes more than 42 minutes. Maybe if we had 43? I'm going to be at the Constellation later. If somebody, say some guy wanted to buy me a Cosmopolitan I probably wouldn't say no.
Ian: I'll be there.
Audrey: Then I'll probably see you.Not much of a review, but then it wasn't much of an episode.
Duesies:Fraser: OK well let's say this hypothetical person had not been entirely honest with you, well as a matter of fact he, all right he was a pathological liar but he had helped you and in doing so had not helped you, so to speak.
Ray: Do you mind telling me which one of your friends we are talking about here?Fraser: You know Ray, every piece of the puzzle that doesn't fit, it just gets us closer to finding that piece of the puzzle that does.
Ray: Well, thank you Grasshopper, but I have other business to attend to.Ian: Ladies and Gentlemen: If you look to your left, you'll notice we're passing through Jackson. In 1983 I myself personally witnessed a spaceship suck the milk out of an entire herd of cows. Moooooooo!.
Ray: I'd rather gouge my eyes out with a dull spoon [receptionist offers him a plastic spoon]
Runner-Up Nitpick of the Week:Although President Adams passed the Sedition Acts way back in the 18th century, it is no longer a crime in the US. To outlaw sedition would violate the 1st Amendment guarantee of free speech.
Nitpick of the Week:
Why isn't Ian in jail for perjury?
Cringe-worthy Moment of the Week:Fraser's exaggerated "quotation marks" gesture when referring to track marks. These are two law enforcement professtionals, so let them talk like they know what they're talking about.
Power of Two Moment:My God Ray, what are the odds? Two boring episodes in which a nebbish attempts to wax romantic to the sand-paper strains of Willie Nelson!
Snack to enjoy while watching Starman:Dutch apple pie. (Oops, sorry--that's the movie.) Two Cosmopolitans, if you're buying.
Grading:
Ian, Fraser & Ray B Ian & Audrey B Base Invaders C- Grey Lyin' Tours C Overall Grade C
Laurie's Review:There was no doubt that I would have to rewatch this ep before attempting anything resembling a review. It's one of my least favorites and there's nothing about it that I find memorable. It's not that it's a bad ep or that it's not well written or well acted, I just find it boring. It's not Ian either - he's much less annoying in Starman than in The Man Who Knew Too Little, which happens to be one of my favorite eps. The story itself doesn't hold my interest for any length of time, maybe because I find it BORING. Unless I'm actually watching, a rare occurrence, it's almost impossible for me to think of one scene since nothing about this ep wants to stick with me.
I do enjoy the first scene with Ray and Ben and the conversation they have as they make their way through the station:
Ben: So I have your word.From this point on, the ep goes downhill so all I really need to watch is the first few minutes, minus the opening with Ian, which I usually fast forward through, or at least hit the mute because I can't stand the music. I sat on my hands through several scenes so I couldn't grab the remote, but in the end, I have to admit there are many redeeming moments - not enough to prompt me to watch again any time soon but the grade I've awarded it is higher than if I had merely gone through the transcript and relied on my virtually non-existent memories of it.
Ray: Yes.
Ben: And, you promise.
Ray: I said I promised.
Ben: Very good. Let's say you had helped someone and then you swore you would never help that person again.
Ray: This is a hypothetical question, right?
Ben: All right, Ray, sure.
[I love this line and the look on his face]
Ray: Okay.
Ben: Okay. Well, let's say this hypothetical person had not been entirely honest with you. Well, as a matter of fact, he... All right, he was a pathological liar but he *had* helped you, and in doing so had not helped you, so to speak.
[Ray has the most beautiful smile on his face when Ben says this]
Ray: You wanna tell me which one of your friends we're talking about here?
Ben: Well, I thought we'd agreed this was a hypothetical situation.
Ray: Oh, that bad, huh?
Ben: Unfortunately. Now, do you think you could find it in your heart to help him again?
Ray: Well, what specifically did this friend of yours do?
Ben: Ours.
Ray: Ours.
Ben: Yes.
Ray: Okay, what specifically did this hypothetical friend of ours do that was so bad that I would never help him again?
Ben: Let's jut say he ruined your vacation, then he caused you to be attacked by Canadian mobsters, which in turn forced you to shoot and explode your car until it was a seething fireball. Hypothetically.
Ray: No. No. No. No.
Ben: There's no room for. . .
Ray: No.Shades of The Man Who Knew Too Little as once again, Ray is traipsing around the countryside with the two people most likely to drive him to commit acts of violence. Interesting that both Ray and Ben were on duty when they took off with Ian. Think either one informed his boss?
Unlike in The Man Who Knew Too Little, I find myself feeling sorry for Ian. Behind the lies and big talk lurks a somewhat pathetic, lonely man. We only caught a glimpse of the real Ian during his first Due South appearance, but some of the layers have peeled away and his true self surfaces more often in Starman.
Rather than intrigue me, the alien/UFO storyline is incredibly ho-hum. I don't find it mysterious or convincing. I appreciate the serious, no-nonsense military. I have no experience with the Army but I thought they were very realistic, and it didn't matter that Fraser and Vecchio are cops. They didn't belong on or near the base and they weren't given special treatment. I enjoyed Ray and Ben being chewed out by someone other than Lt. Welsh or Insp. Thatcher. No smart retorts from Ray, surprisingly.
Observations:The actor playing the cop who tells Ben what an amazing friend he has also played the goon Ben battles at the end of Manhunt.
The editor of this ep was Eric Goddard. I didn't make the connection before, but that's also the name of the building in Heaven & Earth that prompts Garret to say he saw "God." Eric Goddard also edited Heaven & Earth. What a clever incorporation of his name.
When Dief gets off the bus, he's empty-mouthed, but a moment later he has Ben's stetson. Has Dief ever carried the stetson?
Favorite Moments:The above mentioned conversation between Ben and Ray.
Ray attacking Ian after Ian announces his fiancé has been abducted by aliens.
Ben, somewhat of an expert at going off on tangents, bringing Ian back on track by saying "and out of the blue she was abducted" in response to Ian's comment, "She has blue eyes, just like my mother."
The two elderly women eying Ben when they get off the bus. One says, "such a nice boy," the other comments, "I love his dog." Well, I love Dief's, Ben's and Ray's reactions.
Ray telling Ian to keep talking (after they've been arrested), telling Ben, "With any luck, they'll shoot him," Ben nodding in agreement.
Ray and Ben nodding affirmatively to the assessment of "reduced mental capacity," and the shared look when the Colonel tells Ian if he ever catches him within five miles of a United States military installation, he will personally shoot him right between the eyes.
Nitpick:Ian and Audrey had a typical one-night stand. Ian fell head over heels for Audrey but she didn't care for him. He's thinking love at first sight, he's going to spend the rest of his life with this woman. Audrey, on the other hand, says it takes more than 42 minutes for her. Okay, without making any comments about one-night stands, especially after knowing someone for all of 42 minutes, why did Audrey take the ring when Ian proposed? She had no intention of marrying him and in all likelihood didn't plan on seeing him again. This really bugs me and I don't think too highly of her because of it. I can almost excuse Ian for living in a dream world but what's Audrey's excuse? Would she have returned the ring if Ian hadn't come looking for her?
Duesies:Ray: Ian, Ian McDonald. Don't tell me this man is here because if he is I'm going to have to take out my gun and shoot myself.
Ian: Hi, guys. Am I glad to see you!
Ray: On second thought, I'm going to shoot him.
Ben: Ray, Ray, you promised.
Ray: That was hypothetically.Ben: Ray, just because someone feels compelled to lie it doesn't mean there isn't a grain of truth in there somewhere, and I'm fairly certain that he did intend to go to China.
[This said with a look and gestures of great uncertainty.]Ben: You know, Ray, every piece of the puzzle that doesn't fit, it just gets us closer to finding that piece of the puzzle which does.
Ray: Well, thank you, Grasshopper, but I have other business to attend to.Ben: Never judge a book by its cover, Ray.
Ray: Never judge a book by its cover? Nobody says that anymore, Fraser.
[Nobody says "even Steven" anymore either, except for Fraser and Huey]
Ben: My grandmother did.
Ray: Oh, I knew she was behind this.
Ben: Behind what?
Ray: Oh, never mind.
Ben: Never mind what?
Ray: That your grandmother's behind this.
Ben: You make no sense, Ray.Ray: So what was with the turtles?
Ben: Well, there were no turtles, Ray.
Ray: Well, I know there were no turtles. What were you doing?
Ben: Oh, I was simply trying to distract him so I could remove this (holds up a needle).
Ray: A needle. So, what, is he on drugs?
Ben: Oh, I didn't see any signs consistent with prolonged drug usage, aka "track marks," [I love the way he enunciates this and indicates quote marks with his fingers], and Ian hardly seems the kind of fellow who needs help to escape from reality.Bob: Wait a minute, wait a minute. Let me guess. CIA, right?
Ben: No. Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Constable Benton Fraser.
Bob: Where's your horse?
Ben: Well, I, I don't have one. I have a wolf, if, if that will help you any.
Bob: You ride him?
Ben: No, he's deaf.
[At which point Dief turns and looks at Ben]Ray: All right, that's it. Time to make a call, pal.
Ian: Well, you don't think she's crying her eyes out right now?
Ray: Not unless she's cutting onions.
Ian: You're harsh man, you're really harsh.
[I agree with Ian. Ray is brutally honest. Ouch.]
Ben (after Ray's little lecture to Ian): Well, that, that really seems to have helped, Ray.
Dief Moment:Dief is mostly ornamental in this ep but he fills up space nicely and looks cute, especially when the bus ladies pamper and feed him. Oh, mustn't forget the way he glances at Ben after he tells Bob that Dief is deaf.
Grade: C-.
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