they seem to have quite an unusual brother and sister relationship.

[schmerica]

Today's topic is "due South episodes I really like that most people really don't." Today's specific illustrating example will be "Say Amen."

Reasons most people seem not to like this episode:

1) The plot is kind of boring.
2) The whole Thatcher gospel singing.
3) Generally, pretty cheesy.

Reasons why I like it, in ascending order:

1) I find Eloise and Davey kind of sweet.
2) The stuff about Ray and churches.
3) The way Dief is comforting to Eloise in the hospital.
4) Ray: To hell with his rights, he's going to do something stupid. No one has the right to do something stupid; well except. [Points at Frannie] Which is not only a lovely piece of characterization, but completely consistent with "Strange Bedfellows" -- "The Constitution is a piece of paper, a kick in the head is a jolt."
4) The beginning, with Ray having spent his spare social time seeing a movie with the three Mounties, is not only pathetically sad, but it also sets up in a really interesting way that his life really is completely centered around Fraser. This is only two episodes before "Call of the Wild".
6) The way the episode sets up the parallels of Eloise=Fraser and Davie=Ray.

Francesca: Fraser, is he all right? You know she is such a nice kid I feel really sorry for her.
Fraser: Why?
Francesca: She never goes out, she's never been to school, her parents keep her locked up in that church all the time. What kind of life is that for a kid? I mean really, what kind of parents would do that?

Ray: You finished? Are you done? Look I'm trying to help. Here's the deal of the thing. She's 17, her parents don't want you hanging around, so you got to stay away from the girl.
Davie: I can't man. Ray: Look, I know what it's like to be in love and lose the girl. You think your life is over but it isn't.
Davie: How would you know?
Ray: 'Cause it happened to me.
Davie: Well, what did you do?
Ray: What this, and that, and then I got err-
Davie: What?
Ray: I got married.
Davie: See, you didn't lose the girl man.
Ray: Yeah, but eventually I got divorced.
Davie: So what, you get over it?
Ray: Look, the point is..

Fraser: Are you all right?
Eloise: Davie was always so gentle, so nice to me. He just couldn't kill anybody. He couldn't.
Fraser: But your parents saw it happen.
Eloise: I know but, how could I be so wrong about him? About everything?
Fraser: It's difficult to know people, especially if you lack experience.
Eloise: It's all my fault.
Fraser: No, you can't be expected to predict the future.

Also: Fraser believing at love at first sight, looking at Ray. Ray and Fraser at the end, arguing about whether love can last. Dief believes it will.

(All quotes here are from the transcripts at realduesouth.net.)

Comments

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

I feel no qualms on taking responsibility for this!

(Actually, you know, I have fan-made dvds of all the RayK episodes if you wanted to borrow them for a couple weeks sometime.)