Customer Reviews

Due South: Season Two

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Due South followed the misguided adventures of Benton Fraser, a constable in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, as he tracked his father's killers to Chicago. After closing the case, his Canadian superiors advised him to lie low, so he remains in Chicago as a liaison at the Canadian consulate and works cases with Ray Vecchio, Chicago cop. The Canadian/American and wilderness/city culture clash leads to some humorous moments along the way.

The picture quality is noticeably grainy since it was taken from videotape rather than the masters, but for the great price (I now have all the seasons for less than one season of the Canadian box set), it's a compromise that was worth it. Like the Canadian set, there are no extras, also no closed captioning. Menus are bare bones and include episodes and chapter menus (hardly "interactive" menus as stated on the box). The packaging is a big step from the clunky Canadian design, featuring an attractive foldout cardboard case with large photos of Ray, Benton, and Dief. The DVDs are single sided, meaning easier handling.

And all 18 second season episodes are here, including the supposed series finale "Flashback" (the show was resurrected from the dead for the third season, when they were already destroying sets and many of the original cast had other work). Second season standouts include Juliet is Bleeding, One Good Man a.k.a. Thank You Kindly, Mr. Capra, Some Like It Red (Benny in drag!), and All the Queen's Horses (the funniest episode on record -- singing Mounties!).

Although the picture quality is less than stellar, it certainly beats my old videotaped copies that were rapidly deteriorating, and it's wonderful to reconnect with the excellent scripts, jokes, and friendly jabs at Canadian culture (curling, hockey, bilingualism, politeness, etc.).

This Platinum U.S. DVD release is mastered from their VHS masters. Get the Canadian DVD release, it looks very good. Yes it is quite a bit more expensive (cheaper if you buy it directly from Amazon.ca, the Canadian division of Amazon).

True, the US sets are cheaper than the Canada sets (though if you buy the canada sets from Amazon.ca, they're LOTS cheaper than buying them as imports from Amazon.com). True, the Canadian sets have difficult packaging (DVD overlay and spindles that require a lot of pressure before you can pop out the disk without risk of damage). True the first two Canadian season sets use the dreaded "flipper" (2-sided) disks. True what we saw in the US as a third season of 22 (missing four episodes, by the way) was produced and broadcast in Canada as two seasons of 13 each -- and the third and fourth DVD sets are released separately too. (Does the US "third season" set have all 26?) And most ironic truth of all: if I'd known that by waiting, I'd have gotten all three sets cheaper from an American distributor, I'd've taken that route too.

However -- the Canadian sets feature pristine transfers. (I've read that the US sets use videotape as the masters; I'm not sure where this info comes from, but it doesn't make sense that the masters would be any different than what the Alliance sets drew upon, since they license the material.) The Canadian sets feature disks running at the highest speed. (The American disks are single sided because they jam twice the normal amount of eps. per side, and run at a slower speed. That, it seems to me, would account for VHS-like resolution.) The Canadian sets, for whatever it's worth, do feature accurate packaging (the right cast members listed and featured in illustrations). And finally --

-- small thing though it may be --

-- the Caniadian Final (4th) Season set does have a small but utterly delightful extra. Paul Gross does a running commentary for both parts of CALL OF THE WILD. I can live without most commentary tracks I hear, but this is one you'll return to. It's witty, wryly funny and thoughtfully observed.

I won't tell you not to save the dough on the American release, I empathize ... I'll only tell you, the Canadian sets have more vibrant sound and video. And in the end, it's what's ON the DVD that matters the most ... isn't it?

It's so great to finally have this on DVD that I don't want to complain...but.... No widescreen, no CC, no scene selection, and the quality is about what you'd expect from a VHS tape. I hear the Canadian version is better, but I can't afford that kind of money. Really, you do get your money's worth out of this set. For this price, I wasn't expecting a miracle, just _due South_ in a watchable format, which is what I got.

Due South has great characters, humor and irony. It lacks the emotional and physical violence that most of today's cop shows have. I always feel better after watching an episode.

From the stories to the picture, Due South season two did the impossible and was even better than the first season! The stories take a lighter note and are at times really funny, and some episodes are very serious and very sad. The writing has improved and it is just perfect. If you are a fan of season one, then you have to get this as well, because it just gets better.

Due South is on DVD in The US and can be shipped to the UK. Please not that the transfer is from the VHS copies. Some faults are there in the picture.

I do not know why Platnium did not use the canadian DVD copies

I am glad to see the series on a proper DVD release. It is a shame about the transfer

The Main episode where picture faults can be seen are

Julliet is bleeding
North

This is what i have noticed so far.

I give it fours stars as it is still better in other aspects

After Due South's quality first season run, CBS decided to drop the hammer on the series anyway, citing poor ratings as the reason. But the show's production company managed to dredge up enough capital to fund a second season, and Due South once again landed on the eyeball network. So here's Season 2, consisting of only 18 episodes, but each one (saved maybe the last) being eminently watchable. The entire cast is back, with the notable addition of Camilla Scott as the no-nonsense but damned attractive Inspector Margaret Thatcher. The odd couple synergy between Gross and Marciano, remains intact. As do the wit, humor, great acting, and the quirkiness, all the elements which make this show such a standout. RCMP Constable Fraser is still overwhelmingly accomodating, painfully reserved, unfailingly polite, and dogged in service of the law. Contrasting Fraser's squeaky clean image, Vecchio shows off his aggresive, in-your-face methods, his cynical tendencies, and his penchant for intense brooding. Yet, somehow, these two, opposites in nature, do mesh, if sometimes imperfectly. And the sometimes off the wall cases continue to be solved.

After Fraser's great love Victoria, it's hard to believe that Fraser would so soon again indulge in romance. But, soon, there's something in the air between the Mountie and his new superior officer, the lofty dragonlady Inspector Margaret Thatcher (yup, that's her name). Several episodes find them trading in mutually uncomfortable flirtations. These awkward shenanigans culminate in the wonderful "All the Queen's Horses." But, overall, Fraser remains obtuse when it comes to women. When Vecchio states to Fraser, "I think she wants you." Fraser's response is "For what?" Meanwhile, speaking of flirtations, this season grants Ray Vecchio equal play in that department. We meet Ray's ex-wife and witness his half-hearted attempts with a lawyer and his intense, full out feelings for his high school love, a mobster's sister.

But Season 2 sees the last of Detective Ray Vecchio as a regular. After the 2nd season ended, CBS again aggravatingly refused to renew the series. This led to David Marciano (Vecchio) signing on with a CBS show then currently under development (and which was later never picked up). When Due South's production company again came up with sufficient backing for a third season, Marciano, who also would've had to work under a salary cut, decided to opt out. Sadly, after this, we'll see Ray Vecchio in only two more episodes: the Season 3 opener and the series' definite final episode.

Highlight episodes are the intense "Juliet is Bleeding," "Some Like It Red" (Fraser in drag), and the high-tensioned "The Duel." But my favorite episode here has to be "All the Queen's Horses." This is the one with the Mounties singing "Ride Forever," a song co-written by Paul Gross. This episode also marks Gross's first writing effort for the show. He'd write a bunch more. Anyway, in 3 discs, here are the 18 episodes:

Episode 1 - "North" - Bound for the Canadian Territories, Fraser and Vecchio unwittingly board a plane piloted by an escaped convict. When the plane crashes into the wilderness, Fraser is rendered blind and concussed. But still the Mountie insists on getting his man.

Episode 2 - "Vault" - Fraser and Vecchio are trapped in a bank vault, while, outside, a gang of thieves try to drill in. This episode features Francesca Vecchio at her most irritating. Meanwhile, Fraser's consulate position is threatened by a seemingly more capable Mountie. Camilla Scott debuts as Inspector Thatcher.

Episode 3 - "The Witness" - Vecchio's witness changes her testimony, resulting in a frustrated Vecchio landing prison time for contempt of court. A concerned Frasier follows him to incarceration.

Episode 4 - "Bird in the Hand" - The Mountie ends up having to protect his father's escaped murderer. Featuring a grimmer Benton Fraser.

Episode 5 - "The Promise" - Fraser seeks a pickpocketing street urchin who's made off with the Consulate Inspector's brooch and a killer's electronic organizer.

Episode 6 - "Mask" - Ancient and invaluable handcarved masks are stolen from a museum. A family of Tsimshians from the Canadian Territories and old friends of Frasier's stays over at his cramped apartment.

Episode 7 - "Juliet Is Bleeding" - It's Ray Vecchio vs. mob boss Frank Zuko, Round 2. This time it's over Zucco's beautiful sister (Carrie Anne Moss) and the murder of a cop. But Fraser is convinced that Zuko is being framed. Yet another beautiful, fierce performance by David Marciano.

Episode 8 - "One Good Man" - The tenants of Frasier's apartment building are evicted by the new slum lord (including Frasier). The Mountie turns to journalist Mackenzie King (Maria Bello) for help.

Episode 9 - "The Edge" - Called on to be part of a joint security task force for an international free trade summit, Fraser fears he may be losing his edge.

Episode 10 - "We Are the Eggmen" - Fraser's good samaritan act results in his being sued by an egg farmer. Meanwhile, Ray is loathe to share his Lottery winnings with his sister, who paid for half the tickets.

Episode 11 - "Starman" - Pathological liar Ian McDonald (The Batman's Rino Romano) returns, claiming that his fiancee was abducted by extraterrestrials.

Episode 12 - "Some Like It Red" - To find a runaway student and to help out Vecchio's old high school friend (now a nun), Fraser becomes Ms. Fraser, a substitute teacher at a catholic school. Hilarious!

Episode 13 - "White Man Can't Jump to Conclusions" - While investigating the sounds of gunfire, Fraser loses his boots - and ends up bailing out a juvie shooter whom Vecchio had arrested.

Episode 14 - "All the Queen's Horses" - The R.C.M.P. go on a Musical Ride tour in the U.S. but their train gets hijacked by terrorists posing as a film crew. Sgt. Forbisher (Leslie Nielsen) returns; he's a gas.

Episode 15 - "Body Language" - Fraser comes to the rescue of a distressed stripper. Guest starring Milton Berle.

Episode 16 - "The Duel" - Another good one. A creepy convict (Colm Feore) is paroled and begins to play games on those who'd imprisoned him; this particularly includes Vecchio, whose key finding of incriminating evidence was crucial to his conviction. Meanwhile, Vecchio comes under investigation by Internal Affairs for possibly planting that evidence.

Episode 17 - "Red, White or Blue" - The trial of Randal K. Bolt (the wacky nutjob from "All the Queen's Horses") goes awry as the courtroom is taken over by Bolt's older, smarter brother and their armed cousins. Plus, Vecchio is mad at Fraser for getting all the media publicity.

Episode 18 - "Flash Back" - Intended to be the series's final episode, this one was lackluster. In pursuit of gun-slinging, Muslim garbed women who'd just committed a diamond heist and taken a hostage, Fraser bangs his head and suffers amnesia. This opens it up for a ton of flashback clips.

Although this item is listed as a R1 DVD it does appear to play on standard (i.e. not multiregion) R2 players & computers.
This is excellent news for the UK fans!

The re-designed package is very nice & the general video/audio quality seem fine.

I didnt know that this US release was transferred from VHS masters but I'm suprised that the Canadian ones are superior...

Amazon.ca only appear to have the original releases available for Season1(ASIN B00006RG6Y) & Season2 (ASIN B00008IHE6) ~CDN$63 & the reviews of those are consistantly about the terrible video quality & bad case design.

Very glad to see this series at a reasonable price & finally with the Pilot Episode in the correct place (!).

I do think I like season two of Due South just a bit more than one. I love the fact they brought his dead father into the show. Most of those scenes are so funny and some of the story lines just are so humorous all the way through. I wish there were shows like Due South on TV today. Thanks to Amazon for making them available. I probably buy 90% of my DVDs from Amazon.