North

[cherry_lozenge]

First, I can't believe I didn't write something yesterday. Must've been distracted by RL.

North.

North is one of those episodes that stick out mostly because none of it takes place in civilization. Possibly the only episode in S1&2 that took place out of Illinois. Even All the Queen's Horses (and was that ever one of the least liked episodes)

Comments

[aingeal8c]

I love North but then you already knew that (also not very keen on ATQH mainly because - not enough Ray he's almost reduced to a cameo even though he does help save the day

[cherry_lozenge]

(It's telling that ATQH is written by PG and not very well loved. Sometimes I think PG doesn't know what to do with the character Ray Vecchio. It may almost be a blessing that DM couldn't return for 3rd season if the treatment of Ray's character in ATQH is anything representative of PG's view on Ray.)

I find it interesting that yeah the easy route for the writers would have been to simply turn the idea of dS around and flip it to Ray the fish out of water and Fraser the guide what I love is that they don't do that but make it more complex.Exactly. There could have been just as many gags with Ray being the fish out of water and in need of Fraser's protection, but the writers don't go with the easy way out. Disabling Fraser so that he is once again still in need of Ray, this time physically instead of socially, was, I think, a stroke of genius. The Fraser-Ray dynamic still hasn't changed despite the change in location, in situation and in the specifics of their strength and weaknesses. They are always interdependent to the point of

[aingeal8c]

(It's telling that ATQH is written by PG and not very well loved. Sometimes I think PG doesn't know what to do with the character Ray Vecchio. It may almost be a blessing that DM couldn't return for 3rd season if the treatment of Ray's character in ATQH is anything representative of PG's view on Ray.)

I agree I don't think PG really got Ray in any sense. In interviews when asked to describe Ray he always says - lazy, sloppy etc. Well he's the one missing out.

There could have been just as many gags with Ray being the fish out of water and in need of Fraser's protection, but the writers don't go with the easy way out. Disabling Fraser so that he is once again still in need of Ray, this time physically instead of socially, was, I think, a stroke of genius. The Fraser-Ray dynamic still hasn't changed despite the change in location, in situation and in the specifics of their strength and weaknesses. They are always interdependent to the point of transcending time and place.I agree it was a great move on the part of the wroters to do

[cherry_lozenge]

In interviews when asked to describe Ray he always says - lazy, sloppy etc. Well he's the one missing out.

Yes, he is. It's sad that he didn't feel the chemistry between him and DM, although on screen there's quite a bit going on. I mean, their characters click so beautifully (or is that just because DM is pulling a lot of weight there?) yet PG seems completely lost when it comes to letting him figure out how the two of them should interact. Or maybe it's because PG didn't have the same vision of Fraser as Haggis did.

And it seemed that DM was the only one in the interviews who really gets the characters. He was the only one that saw through the stereotype.

Yes Fraser is a very physical person by nature, leaping over rooftops, climbing up buildings so for him to trust Ray with his physcial wellbeing, his physical self almost is key. Ray is the one who is being the part of Fraser that is ususally strong and he shapes up admirably.Of course, Ray also lacks the same kind of training that Fraser does. Unlike Fraser, Ray's more brute

[_scally]

I love North. This episode is so Due-South like, I would name id DS-classics.

I mean, how else does he manage to eat so many donuts and stay trim?

Ray and donuts... Donuts and Ray... :-)

When I watch scene from Bird in the Hand, where Fraser, Ray and the feds are sitting in cafeteria, I always want to go to the supermarkets and buy some donuts fo me. :-) BTW, Ray is the only who eats the donuts, while the others are talking! :-)