North is the first episode of Due South's second season.
Storyline: Ray Vecchio and Benton Fraser head North to rebuild Robert Fraser's cabin. Their bush plane is hijacked by a fugitive criminal and crashes, blinding Fraser and stranding the pair in the wilderness.
Original Air Date: January 5, 1996
Written by Jeff King
Directed by Richard J. Lewis
Synopsis[]
Fraser, Ray, and Diefenbaker catch a flight out of a small bush airport in southern Canada, heading to the Yukon to rebuild Fraser's father's cabin (which was burnt down in Victoria's Secret). But not long into the flight, Fraser notices several incongruous things about the pilot leading him to believe that the man is not what he appears to be. In fact, the pilot is a dangerous fugitive who murdered both the real pilot and his police escort at the airport. When Fraser and Ray attempt to retake control of the plane, the hijacker bails out; Fraser is barely able to make an emergency crash-landing in the middle of the wild, receiving a blow to his head that temporarily blinds him. Fortunately, Ray is uninjured, but has to trust Fraser's land-navigation skills to lead him in search of civilisation. The situation worsens nonetheless when they end up right back at the crashed plane, having come full circle. The hijacker, lurking nearby, opens fire on them, but Ray drives him off; they find almost no provisions left at the crash site.
As Ray's family and colleagues anxiously await word on the duo's fate, Fraser and Ray pitch camp and attempt to start a fire. Their fathers' ghosts appear separately to each of them; Bob Fraser insists that there is nothing more important than tracking down the hijacker and taking him in, while Pop Vecchio tries to convince Ray to leave his friend behind and take care of himself. Fraser's survival skills prove their worth, and the two friends spend a chilly night beside the fire. In the morning, however, Fraser discovers that his legs are no longer responsive, forcing Ray to carry him (and most of their other gear) through the woods on his back. Meanwhile, the hijacker remains at large.
During a rest stop, Fraser strings together a bola - an Inuit hunting weapon made of rope and rocks. Not long after he completes it, he notices that he has several symptoms of dehydration. Ray gives him the last of their bottled water, and they soldier on; finally they come upon a river, where their fathers - who are aware of each other - try one last time to encourage their sons to leave one another behind for his own good. After Ray accidentally loses their inflatable raft, he and Fraser work together to make another raft out of logs, though not before he helps Fraser to regain control of his legs.
The hijacker reappears and opens fire on them, but using the bola, Ray starts an avalanche that kills him. At the same time, Fraser suddenly regains his vision (only to knock himself senseless when he bonks his head on the raft). Confident that he has mastered nature, Ray pilots the raft downstream, only for Fraser to ask him: "Ray...is that a waterfall?"
Cast[]
- Red Green (Steve Smith) as Hamish Carter
- Gordon Pinsent as Robert Fraser
- David Calderisi as Pop Vecchio
- Andrew Jackson as Hogan (Hijacker)
- Kevin Rushton as Hunter #1
- Brian Smegal as Jack
- Barry Stillwell as Cop
Memorable Quotes[]
Ray Vecchio: Hey, Benny, how long did you say this flight was anyway?
Benton Fraser: Four hours.
Ray Vecchio: Okay, so where's the john? (Fraser gives him a blank stare) Greeeeeat.
Benton Fraser: There are strange things done in the midnight sun, by the men who - (trips and falls)
Ray Vecchio: Toil for gold. Yeah, yeah, I heard that one, and then they shot that Sam McGee guy. I told you I went camping before.
Benton Fraser: 'Moil', Ray. And they cremated him. It was Dan McGrew that they shot.
Ray Vecchio: Did they catch the guy?
Benton Fraser: It's a poem, Ray.
Ray Vecchio: Oh. 'Moil', huh?
Benton Fraser: Yes. 'Moil', not 'toil'.
Ray Vecchio: Aah, moil, toil, who cares?
Benton Fraser: Robert Service, apparently.
Ray Vecchio: Who's he?
Benton Fraser: The poet.
Fraser Sr.: All right, you're going to have to move fast and drive hard if you want to bring this man in alive. Now for all we know, he's left a trail of bodies from here to the circle. Hunters, miners, sodbusters...
Benton Fraser: Dad...
Fraser Sr.: ...poachers, claimstakers...
Benton Fraser: Dad...
Fraser Sr.: ...a whole canoe full of coureurs des bois.
Benton Fraser: (shouting) Dad, I don't know if it's escaped your attention, but only very recently, I received a massive blow to my head!
Fraser Sr.: Yeh...well...you've still got a few good hours left in you. Go get him!
Benton Fraser: What?!
Fraser Sr.: Go get your man!
Benton Fraser: Oh, good! I'm glad you brought this up! Just explain this to me, once and for all, explain to me - why is it that we always have to get our man?!
Fraser Sr.: Well, it's the motto, son!
Benton Fraser: It is not!
Fraser Sr.: It is!
Benton Fraser: It is NOT!
Fraser Sr.: It's - it -
Benton Fraser: It is definitely NOT our motto! Our motto actually is 'Maintain the Right'!
Fraser Sr.: Maint - maintain the - ?
Benton Fraser: 'Maintain the Right'! Now what you're saying is that we're supposed to pursue people to the ends of the earth for a motto that isn't even our motto!
Fraser Sr.: Oh, well...it must be the new one, then. The old one just used to be go get your man, and bring him back alive, or...something. Go get him.
Notes[]
Although physically demanding, North was one of Paul Gross and David Marciano's favourite episodes to work on. Its main filming location was Elora Gorge, North West of Toronto.