Things That Are Shiny about due South

[andraste]

Is there anything quite so happiness-inducing as blowing off work to lie on the couch watching the adventures of an exiled Mountie, his abrasive and trigger-happy partner and his deaf wolf [1]? The first season of due South was finally on sale again at JB Hi-Fi, so I've been immersing myself in it for a few days now.

I was briefly introduced to the show a while back by threewalls, who had correctly deduced that I would fall for Benton Fraser like a ton of bricks within short order. However, what with her and her DVDs being in another city, this is the first chance I've had to watch lots of it, in order.

Fandom osmosis had long ago told me that due South was about a Mountie who has sex with two people named Ray, although apparently not at the same time. Also he had sex with a woman called Victoria and was angst-ridden about it for some reason. Plus, there was a dog, who fortunately didn't seem to be involved in anyone's sex life [2].

Now I know much more! Ten things that are shiny about the first ten episodes of due South:

1. Fraser's boots. (Which are shiny in both the literal and the figurative sense.) Also his hat, his brown uniform, his red uniform, his leather jacket ... actually, just Fraser's wardrobe in general.

2. The Riviera. Other people feel the way about the Impala from Supernatural the way I feel about this car, and I'm not usually a car person.

3. Dief, and his love of doughnuts and other things that are bad for wolves. And I'm not usually a dog wolf person, either.

4. Ray's giant phone, which cracks me up every time he pulls it out of his pocket. The height of sophistication in 1994!

5. Fraser fighting crime by tasting things that really shouldn't be tasted. (He should meet the Tenth Doctor, so they can lick things together. Such as each other.) Also the way Ray is loudly disgusted by this every time.

6. Ray attempting to take a private shower while Fraser and the entire Vecchio family stroll in and out of the bathroom. Poor Ray.

7. "I'm stuck in a dark closet with a Mountie and a deaf wolf that keeps licking me. That was the wolf, wasn't it?"

8. Fraser being the most unconvincing undercover cop in the history of anything, ever. (There are plenty of charmingly implausible things in this show, but Fraser as a used car salesman tops the list so far.)

9. Fraser in a fetish club. During a raid. Everyone else's reactions to Fraser being in a fetish club during a raid.

10. Fraser's dead father giving him an imaginary gun. Fraser's dead father in general.

In short, it's a funny, charming, quirky show. You do not have to be wearing the slash goggles to appreciate it. Not that there's anything wrong with the slash goggles! Just thought this should be mentioned, given its reputation in fandom.

Speaking of which, I have not yet seen enough of Ray Kowalski to have a fully-informed opinion on Rays. My not-fully-informed opinion is that people should never say bad things about Vecchio, because he is MADE FROM WIN and a great friend [3]. Whether or not he and Fraser are/should be at it like rabid snow hares is neither here nor there.

[1] Not that I actually took a day off just to lie around watching DVDs. I just called in sick for an extra shift I had said I would work, largely because there's a function on tonight that I really didn't want to go to. If I'd gone to work, I'd have had to go to the party as well.

[2] Now I know that fandom osmosis had misinformed me: Diefenbaker is not a dog.

[3] Because it's Ray who decided to be Fraser's friend, when he apologised for being incredibly tactless by taking him away from the diner where he was sad (don't cry, emo Mountie!) and took him home for dinner. And then when he dragged himself out of the hospital and went to Canada to fight a bunch of heavily-armed men - that's a pretty awesome thing to do for a guy you barely know.

Comments

[liviapenn.livejournal.com]

RayV is wonderful, isn't he? (And Chicago Holiday is really one of my favorite Fraser/RayV episodes, even though they're not in it that much; I had an entry about it here (http://liviapenn.livejournal.com/372798.html") a while ago.)

And yes, even without the slash goggles, it's a wonderful show. :)

[andraste]

RayV is wonderful, isn't he?

He truly is!

(And Chicago Holiday is really one of my favorite Fraser/RayV episodes, even though they're not in it that much; I had an entry about it here a while ago.)

Great post - I shall have to remember to comment on it later.

And yes, even without the slash goggles, it's a wonderful show. :)

Of course, I am now up to that part of the series where the writers seem to have got hold of a long list of slash clichés that they are ticking off one by one. Ray offers to help Fraser build a Canadian shack? Check. Ray and Fraser stuck in wilderness? Check. Ray and Fraser trapped in small room filling with water? Double check.

[quixotic-sense.livejournal.com]

Vecchio is made of WIN. I miss due South. I didn't like RayK quite as much, but then again I'm biased. XD

[trishalynn.livejournal.com]

I completely agree with you. Though it'd be okay to be dancing with RayK, I'd definitely prefer to be dancing with RayV.

[andraste]

Vecchio is made of WIN.

100% pure win!

I miss due South. I didn't like RayK quite as much, but then again I'm biased. XD

I shall let you know my opinion on the relative merits of Rays once I've seen more than a couple of episodes worth of RayK.

[apathocles.livejournal.com]

I am shocked that you're a RayV fangirl. Shocked. *eyeroll*

... It seems to me that a lot of RayV fangirls are also Cox/Jordan fangirls. (All five of us.) Huh.

[andraste]

I am shocked that you're a RayV fangirl. Shocked.

What I want to know is how anyone could not love him to bits.

... It seems to me that a lot of RayV fangirls are also Cox/Jordan fangirls. (All five of us.) Huh.

How bizarre! Other than us all being people of excellent taste, I can't think of another reason for the correlation.

[honorh.livejournal.com]

Benton Fraser and Ten--the very thought makes my cute receptors go into hyperdrive.

[andraste]

Benton Fraser and Ten--the very thought makes my cute receptors go into hyperdrive.

They would be so adorable. And the alien invaders would not stand a chance!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bounce_/]

It's such a fun show, isn't it? Wait till you get to season three and NewRay. :)

[andraste]

It's such a fun show, isn't it?

Yes indeed *g*.

Wait till you get to season three and NewRay. :)

Alas, this may take some time - they haven't even released Season Two on DVD here yet.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bounce_/]

...that would be why my housemate bought them off amazon. Gosh, I'm clever sometimes. Would you like to come over and have a Due South watching day at some point?

[andraste]

Would you like to come over and have a Due South watching day at some point?

That would be lovely - if I ever have a free weekend, I'll let you know *g*.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bounce_/]

Cool!

[trishalynn.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you've been informed of this by now, but for some reason the slashfen almost never do Classic!Ray and Benton, it's always New!Ray and Benton. I never understood why until I saw Ray Kowalski in the third and fourth seasons, and then it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Still, IMO, Classic!Ray (aka Ray Vecchio) is way hotter, way cooler, and a much better partner and pal to Fraser than RayK is.

[andraste]

I'm sure you've been informed of this by now, but for some reason the slashfen almost never do Classic!Ray and Benton, it's always New!Ray and Benton.

Yes, I have definitely noticed this, in the distinct absence of fanfic I can read and a) comprehend and b) not be spoiled to hell and back by.

I never understood why until I saw Ray Kowalski in the third and fourth seasons, and then it hit me like a ton of bricks.

I've seen a couple of episode of RayK, and have to agree they were pretty darn slashy. No firmer opinion on the pairing than that, though.

Still, IMO, Classic!Ray (aka Ray Vecchio) is way hotter, way cooler, and a much better partner and pal to Fraser than RayK is.

I shall have to come back and state my relative opinions on Rays when I'm more fully informed *g*.

[trishalynn.livejournal.com]

I'm looking forward to this, because until then it means that I'll be knowing more about a fandom than you do! ^_^

[threewalls]

*squee* For me, DS is just Love, because Fraser is so... everything Canadians like to hear about themselves and not just a cliche. So, so much of DS is about Canadiana in-jokes, which I'd love, even aside from the slash.

Dienfenbaker is half-wolf, half-husky, and named after a Canadian Prime Minister.

[andraste]

*squee* For me, DS is just Love, because Fraser is so... everything Canadians like to hear about themselves and not just a cliche.

He is like the UberCanadian! (Much like the Ubermensch, only with a hat.)

Dienfenbaker is half-wolf, half-husky, and named after a Canadian Prime Minister.

That makes a lot of sense - I assume Fraser adopted him when he was a lost puppy, or something.

[trishalynn.livejournal.com]

Also, threewalls didn't mention it, but a lot of the characters are named after famous Canadians in history. ^_^

[saltedpin.livejournal.com]

Ahhh, this takes me back -- I first got into Due South nearly twelve years ago (I watched it from the second episode) and it turned into a terrible obsession that ate up all my time. I think it was my first ever fandom obsession (also the first time I accidentally looked at slash).

But yes, people who try to say bad things to me about Ray V usually have scorn poured all over them -- so Ray K was 'prettier', Ray V was wonderful and I won't hear a word against him :)

(also, I really liked the earlier series better than the later ones, which is apparently some kind of heresy to those who imagine Paul Gross is some kind of god)

[andraste]

Ahhh, this takes me back -- I first got into Due South nearly twelve years ago (I watched it from the second episode) and it turned into a terrible obsession that ate up all my time. I think it was my first ever fandom obsession (also the first time I accidentally looked at slash).

I seem to be bringing back memories for quite a few people *g*.

But yes, people who try to say bad things to me about Ray V usually have scorn poured all over them -- so Ray K was 'prettier', Ray V was wonderful and I won't hear a word against him :)

Pretty is not everything. And really, Fraser is pretty enough for two people, so it's not like there's not enough pretty to go around.

[redfiona99.livejournal.com]

>>My not-fully-informed opinion is that people should never say bad things about Vecchio, because he is MADE FROM WIN and a great friend [3].<<

For this you win forever. Vecchio is just so much fun.

[andraste]

For this you win forever. Vecchio is just so much fun.

He is!

"I always thought duty was something you got paid to do. This is voluntary stupidity."