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Red, White, or Blue is the seventeenth episode of Due South's second season.

Storyline: Randal K. Bolt is tried for his acts of terrorism and murder, but his family comes to his aid and takes the courthouse by force.

Original Air Date: May 24, 1996

Written by Paul Gross and John Krizanc

Directed by George Bloomfield

Synopsis[]

Ray Vecchio Benton Fraser Red White and Blue

Benton Fraser's actions in All the Queen's Horses have gained a great deal of attention from the media outlets in Chicago. Embittered at his own role being overlooked, Ray refuses to speak to him. Randal K. Bolt, the terrorist whom they arrested for hijacking and murder, is about to be tried; but unknown to Fraser and Ray, Bolt's brother Francis is planning a rescue operation. At their respective homes, Fraser and Ray are trying to talk through their feelings when they are each visited by Francis' cousins, disguised as the other. Francis takes both of them hostage thus, and reveals that the train hijacking was his plan.


Inspector Thatcher Red, White or Blue

Randal's trial begins the next day. Fraser is called to the stand, but he enters the courtroom several minutes late, walking awkwardly alongside Ray underneath an oversized Mexican poncho. Disguised as a court officer, Francis announces that the courtroom is being taken over, and reveals that both men are rigged with plastic explosives. Randal releases Inspector Thatcher to communicate his veracity to the FBI agents taking up station across the street (led by none other than the arrogant Agent Ford and his bumbling partner, Deeter). He also demands a helicopter to fly him off the roof of the courthouse within 45 minutes; but strangely, Francis orders him to be ready to leave in 15 minutes. Meanwhile, their cousins are seen attempting to crack the safe in the courthouse basement.


Diefenbaker Red, White or Blue

While Randal rants to the courtroom cameras about the deteriorating state of American politics, Thatcher learns from a junior FBI agent that a major fraud - the Gambello case - was also being tried elsewhere in the courthouse. Francis gives the order to move out, and activates the heart monitors he has attached to Fraser and Ray; a combined heart rate of 200 beats per minute will set off the explosives attached to them. Meanwhile, Randal stations a jury member on each floor and links them to another chain of explosives. Fraser determines that pulling one of the wires - red, white, or blue - will disarm the bombs, but Ray's irascibility nearly causes a detonation. Once he and Fraser are both sufficiently calmed, they work out that blue (the colour of vigilance and justice, according to the U.S. Seal) is the correct wire to pull. With the bombs disarmed, they make their way to the roof, where Fraser communicates with Thatcher by semaphore signals and learns about the Gambello case.


Bolt Brothers Red, White or Blue

Fraser realizes that the Bolts' operation is double-pronged: to spring Randal from trial and to steal the bearer bonds involved in the fraud case. In the meantime, Randal and Francis have left their cousins in the lurch inside the vault to double their own share. However, Diefenbaker snatches the money bag from Randal; Ray forces both brothers to face the truth, that they are mere thieves instead of freedom fighters. He then cleverly switches bags (as the bag containing the explosives is identical), allowing him and Fraser to trap the Bolts at the bottom of an open elevator shaft.

Cast[]

  • Kenneth Welsh as Randal K. Bolt
  • Raye Birk as Francis Bolt
  • Alex Carter as Agent Ford
  • Gary Reineke as Judge Brock
  • Ellen Dubin as Ms. Sheldrake
  • Mark Melymick as Agent Deeter
  • Shawn Wright as Constable Cooper

Memorable Quotes[]

Inspector Thatcher: I know this man. He won't leave anything to chance, he'll have anticipated this. If you send -
Agent Ford: Yeah, I appreciate your thoughts, darling, I really do. But let’s get something straight - this isn’t a train. You’re on my turf now.
Inspector Thatcher: (under her breath) He called me 'darling' again!


Due_South_-_Semaphore

Due South - Semaphore

(Fraser signals Thatcher with semaphore movements)
Ray Vecchio: Hey, Fraser, if you're gonna jump, jump! Don't just stand there waving your arms around!
Benton Fraser: I'm not going to jump, Ray. It's semaphore. In the absence of a phone, it's the best we can do. (converses with Thatcher in semaphore)
Ray Vecchio: What did she say?
Benton Fraser: She called me a moron.
Ray Vecchio: She's a very perceptive woman.


Randal Bolt: Gentlemen! You have one choice! Give us what we want, or we'll blow the building!

Ray Vecchio: You are not gonna blow the building! You are not a martyr! You're just a self-centred little creep who wants to get his face in the paper!
Benton Fraser: Are you talking about me, Ray?
Ray Vecchio: Indirectly.


Randal Bolt: I am the modern version of...DOCTOR PRESCOTT!

Francis Bolt: No, you're not! You're not, Randal, and neither am I!
Randal Bolt: What are you saying?!
Francis Bolt: See the world for what it is, Randal! We're not patriots! We're thieves! Uncommon, but thieves nonetheless! And once again, you're on the verge of ruining a perfect plan!
Benton Fraser: We seem to have hit a nerve, Ray.
Francis Bolt: Detective, there are twelve innocent people in jeopardy. Is it really worth the risk? All we want are the bonds.
Randal Bolt: That's right!
Ray Vecchio: Are you kidding me? That's all they wanted? Well, why didn't they say so in the first place? (hurls the bag at the Bolts) Take 'em!
Benton Fraser: (aghast) Ray, for God's sakes, what are you doing?! That's not ours!
Ray Vecchio: I know, it's theirs!
Benton Fraser: It's not theirs! That money belongs to someone else!
Ray Vecchio: (very sarcastic) Ohhhh, did they say BONDS? I thought they said BOMBS!
Benton Fraser: That's very clever, Ray.

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