Due South shipping meta!
I know many of you are waiting for more Star Trek meta, particularly the TMP novel analysis (IT'S TAKING SO LONG BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO MISS ANYTHING), but I've been toying with some Due South meta for a while and finally I decided to just post it already, even though it's not the fanciest thing ever and gets rambly. Also, you may notice that this post is f-locked, which is sad since I usually love sharing my thoughts to the world, but you see, this essay has so much flame accelerant in it that I had to f-lock it. Why? Because it is meta about why I ship Fraser/Kowalski over Fraser/Vecchio. Yeah, if you know anything about Due South fandom, this is akin to posting meta about why Spock/Uhura sucks, except Due South fandom is small and even though it would only be on my journal, it's a small fandom and would get linked somewhere and thus I'd have random strangers coming in and bashing me for my opinion and starting arguments about something so stupid, so thus I'll have about three or four people read this, tops. :)
Screw all that, I know how to delete terrible comments. :)
I've wanted to do some meta on Fraser/Kowalski for a while, and so I started thinking about it and realized that I wanted to give a substantial reason why I ship F/K over F/V. I thought my main reason was story structure and my personal preferences regarding relationships (I hardly ever go for the simple 'friends becoming lovers' type of pairing, with the obvious exception of TOS K/S. No wonder reboot excites me so.) It turns out that there's an intrinsic, base reason behind my preference: I see F/K as romance and I see F/V as bromance.
There's a distinct difference between bromance and friendship and bromance and romance. Bromance is being just a fraction too close. Shawn and Gus from Psych are my personal definition of bromance because they're sort of codependent. I mean, they honestly see themselves each married off one day, but plan to live next to each other and have a swimming pool that connects both their houses together. What makes their relationship bromance and not romance, then?. "Bromance" is when two guys are unusually close. Naturally, romance is where there's a sexual and, well, romantic element between two people, but unlike bromance, you don't have to be best friends first to fall into a romance. Fraser/Vecchio is, to me, a huge bromance. They are unusually close, which takes them out of the simple "we're just friends" category but they don't quite make the romance category either.
"We're friends" is an understatement for these two. They spend a heck of a lot of time together. Vecchio invited Fraser to a family dinner within a day or two of knowing him, they eat meals together, they go to games together, and they even go grocery shopping together. They go out of their way to help the other. This trait is more obvious with Vecchio, since Fraser will go out of his way to save goldfish from a burning building, but the idea is that they do things for each other that they wouldn't do for others. They engage in what I like to call play flirting ("I like a woman who's, well, a woman!" "That's just picky, Ray.") This is the unsubtle, in-your-face flirting that is put in for laughs. ("I could kiss you." "I thought we were just friends Ray." "Oh we are.") I know in Star Trek fandom everyone gets excited over the backrub scene, and yeah it's pretty damn exciting and slashy, but to me it's not the best proof for showing how slashy they are, simply because it's way too blatant and it's obvious that it was specifically written for laughs and insinuation, whereas a scene like the famous Miri eyesex scene is put in by the actors and director for some ulterior purpose. The best way to tell the difference is whether you feel like laughing during the flirting. If you want to laugh, then it's likely that it's meant as play flirting. If you don't feel the need to laugh, then it's possible that it's just plain flirting. This method is even easier when watching with non-slashers. If the flirting gets an oblivious stare or if the person comments on the strangeness of it, then that's iron-clad proof of romance right there.
But between Fraser and Kowalski, there's this sexual component added to their relationship that is not present with Fraser and Vecchio. For example: both Rays, at some point, wear Fraser's uniform (well Kowalski wore Turnbull's, but they're both MOUNTIE uniforms.) Fraser's comments to each of them in these instances? In An Invitation to Romance, Vecchio asks if Fraser is going to ask him why he's wearing it, and Fraser responds, "I just assumed it was something personal." Funny comment, meant for laughs. In Asylum when Kowalski wears the uniform, Fraser comments on the fit and says that Kowalski can always have it altered. Vecchio gets an amusing side comment, Kowalski gets body appreciation and a bit of a possessive edge because it sounds like Fraser wants to keep Kowalski in the uniform, what with getting it fitted properly and all. Let's not forget that in the same episode, Kowalski also wears Fraser's civilian clothing. There's no real reason that Kowalski needs to change his clothes. It's only been one day since he's been holed up in the consulate and come on, they're guys-it's unlikely they'll care all that much about sleeping in clothes two or three days in a row, and that facts fits both their personalities. Plus, I'm sure there's a washer and dryer somewhere, given that there's a kitchen in there and they have guests stay occasionally. Even if there was a substantial reason for Kowalski to wear Fraser's clothes, there's still something hinky about this because while Ray is wearing his own undershirt, he's wearing Fraser's jeans (which come on, we all know jeans take a while to get dirty) and when we first see him in Fraser's clothes, he's adorably barefoot and using Fraser's large plaid shirt to cover up with, and then for the rest of the episode he wears the shirt. The shirt is big on him of course, and it's kind of fucking fascinating that the only other person to wear Fraser's clothes in this series is Victoria-after sex. Hmmmmmmm.
Then there's the fact that Fraser handcuffs Ray unnecessarily at the beginning of the episode. Did he really have to handcuff him? It's not like there was someone there to watch him and it's not like he needed to transport him elsewhere. Likely he took the handcuffs off just a few seconds later. Methinks Fraser has a secret kink.
And oh, the infamous "do you think I'm attractive" moment. Vecchio has never asked Fraser if he's attractive. He's asked if his hair was thinning or how his sunglasses look, but that's not the same thing. Of course, this could possibly be that Ray Vecchio already KNOWS he's attractive, but still, these kinds of questions just never came up between them and they were friends for quite a while. With Kowalski? Barely knows Fraser and is asking if Fraser thinks he's hot. It makes sense, because their characters are so different.
Vecchio is not insecure when it comes to love and friendship. I mean he seemed pretty comfortable inviting Fraser to his house after only knowing him a couple of days, and after their first bad impression, he was quick to apologize for how he acted. Vecchio is insecure professionally and with people he doesn't like. He wants appreciation for his work, he tries and sometimes fails to keep his anger and emotions in check, and you never know if he'll brush something off like it never happened or hold a grudge for years. It all depends on what you did and how well he likes you. Kowalski is like a firecracker. He flares up, then cools off. I think this is why Kowalski tends to get along better with Welsh and Huey. Welsh seems to treat Kowalski with much more respect as a police officer (I mean, Vecchio started out with Fraser having 42 unsolved cases, so I get why Welsh was hard on him a lot during the first several episodes) and Kowalski treats Welsh less like a boss and more like a mentor. We all remember how much Vecchio disliked Huey and Louis in the first season, and really that only changed when Louis dies and Vecchio drops the animosity like a sack of potatoes. Huey actually goes to Kowalski for advice about his stinky partner and manages to throw in a joke during an intense scene when Kowalski is grilling the snot out of him in Dead Guy Running ("What's the matter with you? Are you trying to get a job in internal affairs or what?") Notice Kowalski genuinely smiles. Kowalski seems to have a more antagonisitc relationship with Dewey, and in The Ladies' Man Huey is the one to pull Kowalski back from fighting with Dewey, his partner, and even admonishes Dewey for going overboard. It's like having a schoolyard fight when you fight with Kowalski: you get in a tiff over who gets the last carton of milk, then you take a nap and suddenly you're best friends again, no hard feelings.
Yet when you think about it, Fraser and Vecchio actually get along easier. Their friendship built itself up fast and even at their worst (Red, White, or Blue) they still manage to not kill the other. Fraser and Kowalski? Constant bickering, and punches are thrown. And I'm not just talking about the infamous Mounty on the Bounty break up scene either. Look at Mountie and Soul when Ray wants Fraser to box with him and he keeps saying hit me, hit me. Fraser rolls his eyes and hits him. Of course he apologizes profusely afterwards, but this is clearly a dividing line between the Rays. Heck, Fraser and Ray aren't even really arguing with each other in Red, White, or Blue. They're talking out loud from different locations and it's the criminals who do the punching, and it's all symbolic and not in-your-face.
While we're on the subject, make no mistake that the entire show hinges on Fraser, and it's not just arguing with Kowalski that indicates that Kowalski has an influence on Fraser. For fuck's sake, in Strange Bedfellows, Fraser hits Orsini with a car door just to make Kowalski feel better. And we know it wasn't accidental because Kowalski immediately says, "thank you Fraser" and Fraser turns around and quickly shushes him. Fraser did something impolite for no overly compelling reason and they didn't even know Orsini was a criminal at the time. I can't even count how many times Fraser doesn't stoop to that level, even with people he hates. Remember A Bird in the Hand when Gerard, his father's killer, says that Fraser is like his father and would share his food and nearly kill himself to bring criminals in safely? That is just Fraser, the guy too polite to tell Frannie that he's just not interested and who never has a bad thing to say about anyone outside of terrible criminals. Name one time he casually did something that compromised his values for Vecchio. Somehow Kowalski brings out this other side of Fraser, the Fraser we see sniping at Dief and his father but no one else. Fraser will argue and get annoyed at Vecchio, very true, but really, it's passive aggresive and does he ever snipe at Vecchio like he does to Kowalski during the whole of Mounty on the Bounty? ("All right, Mr. Instinct,!") Remember in Vault when Vecchio is harassing the bank people and Fraser doesn't tell him he's being an ass?
And let's go to jealousy. Fraser and Vecchio are just not jealous of other women. I have to give credit, though, because the episode "Heaven and Earth" is one of the few times I can agree that something fishy might be going on between Fraser and Vecchio. Look, I get being protective over your sister, but good lord, Vecchio really seemed to make it personal with Frannie about possibly sleeping with Fraser, didn't he? Then again, maybe he really doesn't want her hurt, I don't know. It makes sense that he would act this way, though, because it's canon that Vecchio is almost stereotypically Italian in regard to family and we all remember when he beat the shit out of the dead guy found in the wall in Dead Man Running, Frannie using The Godfather scene of Sonny beating up his sister's abusive husband on the street to give us an idea of how far Vecchio will go to protect his family. But besides that episode, I sense no jealousy at all between Fraser and Vecchio. Hell, in Victoria's Secret, Vecchio is boyishly happy that Fraser made it with a woman. If you notice, it was only until Fraser skipped out on the pool game they had planned did Ray get truly pissed. Bromance? Yep, unusually close there. Romance? I'd buy it if Ray acted more awkward about Fraser being with a woman. In fact, if you think about it, I don't think Vecchio really saw Fraser as a sexual being until that moment, like he thought Fraser was asexual or above all that, and even after those episodes, there is still no tension of the romantic variety
Oh boy, now we get to Fraser and Kowalski. Fraser is awkward around Ray's ex-wife Stella; Ray is awkward (and pissy) around Janet; Fraser is awkward and keeps going Ray, Ray, Ray when Ray is checking out a pretty lady; Ray is awkward when Frannie or Thatcher come onto Fraser. And the most concrete evidence goes to the back-to-back green-eyed monster episodes, A Likely Story and Odds, both episodes featuring a love interest for each man. In A Likely Story, Fraser is awkward around Luanne, even interrupts a kiss between Kowalski and her (ha, he's like Spock always interrupting Kirk with a lady). In Odds, Ray is awkward around Denny, tells Fraser not to fall for her, interrupts Fraser getting a steamy massage (and might I add that I get very, erm, happy when I hear Paul Gross moaning like that. Oh god) and then there's the weird ass competition they seem to have with Maggie. Ray even asks the philosophical question "I don't know who has more sex, me or you, but at least I still think about women." He is bringing the subject of sex up and he never questions that Fraser is a living, breathing man under that uniform. In both A Likely Story and Hunting Season, Kowalski accuses Fraser of wanting the girl for himself, which is funny because in both cases, he didn't. It took a bullet to the back for Vecchio to see that Fraser was just a man, but I may be a little unfair because Kowalski would obviously have known about all Vecchio's cases and thus would know something about Victoria, so he had an unfair advantage on this point.
And finally, let's look at what Bob Fraser has to say on the subject. You know, I could be wrong, but I don't think Bob really addressed Fraser and Vecchio's partnership that much or gave him advice on Ray. He just sort of acknowledged that he was there. In Bird in the Hand he suggests that Fraser let "the yank" shoot Gerard, and then in North he encourages Fraser to leave Vecchio behind, but overall I think it's just passing comments from Bob about Vecchio. This is definitely not the case with Kowalski. In both season finales of seasons 3 & 4 does Bob compare partnership to a marriage, and both times are at crucial junctures in Fraser and Ray's relationship. In Mounty of the Bounty, Bob explicity states that partnership is like a marriage, and this comparison gets Fraser to swallow his pride and get Kowalski to go with him on one last adventure (which most definitely wasn't, because their break up didn't last too long.) That's strange enough, except it's bolder in Call of the Wild because this time Kowalski is practically dying and Bob is telling Fraser a story of he and his wife fighting to survive. Bob points out that his wife looked healthier then does Kowalski now, so he's connecting that in this scenario, Fraser is Bob and Kowalski is Caroline. Fraser ties up this metaphorical onslaught of homoeroticism by summarizing 'because that's what partnership's all about.' Yep, the show pretty much told us that Fraser and Kowalski are married, and if it seems I'm reaching too far, just understand that Bob could have used any survival story with Buck Frobisher and been just as effective. But no, he chose to connect to Fraser on a marriage level.
Just look at this last damning evidence of what Bob thinks: in two different episodes of season three, Bob Fraser has an opinion on both Rays on a similar subject. In Dead Guy Running, Vecchio is the prime suspect of a grisly murder, but he's undercover and Fraser delays reporting the body (!) so there is time to find the real killer. Bob admonishes his son about this decision, though, and encourages him to report the body so that justice will take care of it. We get a whole different message in Asylum when Kowalski is a murder suspect. Fraser is harboring him at the consulate, no less, which you'd think would get Bob's hat in a spin. Think again. Bob not only tells Fraser a story that shows that even Bob didn't always follow orders and he flat out tells Fraser that the heart is where your duty lies. I can't make this shit up, people.
So you see, this is why I ship my police husbands so hard and I'd love to hear thoughts on this and more examples, even if they're examples supporting Fraser/Vecchio because I may have missed something or got something wrong and I always like to know I'm being absolute on things.
Also, I wanted to post my thoughts on The Sentinel before I read too much fic, so for any who are interested, read on.
The Sentinel, gay as all get out. sineala
Screw all that, I know how to delete terrible comments. :)
I've wanted to do some meta on Fraser/Kowalski for a while, and so I started thinking about it and realized that I wanted to give a substantial reason why I ship F/K over F/V. I thought my main reason was story structure and my personal preferences regarding relationships (I hardly ever go for the simple 'friends becoming lovers' type of pairing, with the obvious exception of TOS K/S. No wonder reboot excites me so.) It turns out that there's an intrinsic, base reason behind my preference: I see F/K as romance and I see F/V as bromance.
There's a distinct difference between bromance and friendship and bromance and romance. Bromance is being just a fraction too close. Shawn and Gus from Psych are my personal definition of bromance because they're sort of codependent. I mean, they honestly see themselves each married off one day, but plan to live next to each other and have a swimming pool that connects both their houses together. What makes their relationship bromance and not romance, then?. "Bromance" is when two guys are unusually close. Naturally, romance is where there's a sexual and, well, romantic element between two people, but unlike bromance, you don't have to be best friends first to fall into a romance. Fraser/Vecchio is, to me, a huge bromance. They are unusually close, which takes them out of the simple "we're just friends" category but they don't quite make the romance category either.
"We're friends" is an understatement for these two. They spend a heck of a lot of time together. Vecchio invited Fraser to a family dinner within a day or two of knowing him, they eat meals together, they go to games together, and they even go grocery shopping together. They go out of their way to help the other. This trait is more obvious with Vecchio, since Fraser will go out of his way to save goldfish from a burning building, but the idea is that they do things for each other that they wouldn't do for others. They engage in what I like to call play flirting ("I like a woman who's, well, a woman!" "That's just picky, Ray.") This is the unsubtle, in-your-face flirting that is put in for laughs. ("I could kiss you." "I thought we were just friends Ray." "Oh we are.") I know in Star Trek fandom everyone gets excited over the backrub scene, and yeah it's pretty damn exciting and slashy, but to me it's not the best proof for showing how slashy they are, simply because it's way too blatant and it's obvious that it was specifically written for laughs and insinuation, whereas a scene like the famous Miri eyesex scene is put in by the actors and director for some ulterior purpose. The best way to tell the difference is whether you feel like laughing during the flirting. If you want to laugh, then it's likely that it's meant as play flirting. If you don't feel the need to laugh, then it's possible that it's just plain flirting. This method is even easier when watching with non-slashers. If the flirting gets an oblivious stare or if the person comments on the strangeness of it, then that's iron-clad proof of romance right there.
But between Fraser and Kowalski, there's this sexual component added to their relationship that is not present with Fraser and Vecchio. For example: both Rays, at some point, wear Fraser's uniform (well Kowalski wore Turnbull's, but they're both MOUNTIE uniforms.) Fraser's comments to each of them in these instances? In An Invitation to Romance, Vecchio asks if Fraser is going to ask him why he's wearing it, and Fraser responds, "I just assumed it was something personal." Funny comment, meant for laughs. In Asylum when Kowalski wears the uniform, Fraser comments on the fit and says that Kowalski can always have it altered. Vecchio gets an amusing side comment, Kowalski gets body appreciation and a bit of a possessive edge because it sounds like Fraser wants to keep Kowalski in the uniform, what with getting it fitted properly and all. Let's not forget that in the same episode, Kowalski also wears Fraser's civilian clothing. There's no real reason that Kowalski needs to change his clothes. It's only been one day since he's been holed up in the consulate and come on, they're guys-it's unlikely they'll care all that much about sleeping in clothes two or three days in a row, and that facts fits both their personalities. Plus, I'm sure there's a washer and dryer somewhere, given that there's a kitchen in there and they have guests stay occasionally. Even if there was a substantial reason for Kowalski to wear Fraser's clothes, there's still something hinky about this because while Ray is wearing his own undershirt, he's wearing Fraser's jeans (which come on, we all know jeans take a while to get dirty) and when we first see him in Fraser's clothes, he's adorably barefoot and using Fraser's large plaid shirt to cover up with, and then for the rest of the episode he wears the shirt. The shirt is big on him of course, and it's kind of fucking fascinating that the only other person to wear Fraser's clothes in this series is Victoria-after sex. Hmmmmmmm.
Then there's the fact that Fraser handcuffs Ray unnecessarily at the beginning of the episode. Did he really have to handcuff him? It's not like there was someone there to watch him and it's not like he needed to transport him elsewhere. Likely he took the handcuffs off just a few seconds later. Methinks Fraser has a secret kink.
And oh, the infamous "do you think I'm attractive" moment. Vecchio has never asked Fraser if he's attractive. He's asked if his hair was thinning or how his sunglasses look, but that's not the same thing. Of course, this could possibly be that Ray Vecchio already KNOWS he's attractive, but still, these kinds of questions just never came up between them and they were friends for quite a while. With Kowalski? Barely knows Fraser and is asking if Fraser thinks he's hot. It makes sense, because their characters are so different.
Vecchio is not insecure when it comes to love and friendship. I mean he seemed pretty comfortable inviting Fraser to his house after only knowing him a couple of days, and after their first bad impression, he was quick to apologize for how he acted. Vecchio is insecure professionally and with people he doesn't like. He wants appreciation for his work, he tries and sometimes fails to keep his anger and emotions in check, and you never know if he'll brush something off like it never happened or hold a grudge for years. It all depends on what you did and how well he likes you. Kowalski is like a firecracker. He flares up, then cools off. I think this is why Kowalski tends to get along better with Welsh and Huey. Welsh seems to treat Kowalski with much more respect as a police officer (I mean, Vecchio started out with Fraser having 42 unsolved cases, so I get why Welsh was hard on him a lot during the first several episodes) and Kowalski treats Welsh less like a boss and more like a mentor. We all remember how much Vecchio disliked Huey and Louis in the first season, and really that only changed when Louis dies and Vecchio drops the animosity like a sack of potatoes. Huey actually goes to Kowalski for advice about his stinky partner and manages to throw in a joke during an intense scene when Kowalski is grilling the snot out of him in Dead Guy Running ("What's the matter with you? Are you trying to get a job in internal affairs or what?") Notice Kowalski genuinely smiles. Kowalski seems to have a more antagonisitc relationship with Dewey, and in The Ladies' Man Huey is the one to pull Kowalski back from fighting with Dewey, his partner, and even admonishes Dewey for going overboard. It's like having a schoolyard fight when you fight with Kowalski: you get in a tiff over who gets the last carton of milk, then you take a nap and suddenly you're best friends again, no hard feelings.
Yet when you think about it, Fraser and Vecchio actually get along easier. Their friendship built itself up fast and even at their worst (Red, White, or Blue) they still manage to not kill the other. Fraser and Kowalski? Constant bickering, and punches are thrown. And I'm not just talking about the infamous Mounty on the Bounty break up scene either. Look at Mountie and Soul when Ray wants Fraser to box with him and he keeps saying hit me, hit me. Fraser rolls his eyes and hits him. Of course he apologizes profusely afterwards, but this is clearly a dividing line between the Rays. Heck, Fraser and Ray aren't even really arguing with each other in Red, White, or Blue. They're talking out loud from different locations and it's the criminals who do the punching, and it's all symbolic and not in-your-face.
While we're on the subject, make no mistake that the entire show hinges on Fraser, and it's not just arguing with Kowalski that indicates that Kowalski has an influence on Fraser. For fuck's sake, in Strange Bedfellows, Fraser hits Orsini with a car door just to make Kowalski feel better. And we know it wasn't accidental because Kowalski immediately says, "thank you Fraser" and Fraser turns around and quickly shushes him. Fraser did something impolite for no overly compelling reason and they didn't even know Orsini was a criminal at the time. I can't even count how many times Fraser doesn't stoop to that level, even with people he hates. Remember A Bird in the Hand when Gerard, his father's killer, says that Fraser is like his father and would share his food and nearly kill himself to bring criminals in safely? That is just Fraser, the guy too polite to tell Frannie that he's just not interested and who never has a bad thing to say about anyone outside of terrible criminals. Name one time he casually did something that compromised his values for Vecchio. Somehow Kowalski brings out this other side of Fraser, the Fraser we see sniping at Dief and his father but no one else. Fraser will argue and get annoyed at Vecchio, very true, but really, it's passive aggresive and does he ever snipe at Vecchio like he does to Kowalski during the whole of Mounty on the Bounty? ("All right, Mr. Instinct,!") Remember in Vault when Vecchio is harassing the bank people and Fraser doesn't tell him he's being an ass?
And let's go to jealousy. Fraser and Vecchio are just not jealous of other women. I have to give credit, though, because the episode "Heaven and Earth" is one of the few times I can agree that something fishy might be going on between Fraser and Vecchio. Look, I get being protective over your sister, but good lord, Vecchio really seemed to make it personal with Frannie about possibly sleeping with Fraser, didn't he? Then again, maybe he really doesn't want her hurt, I don't know. It makes sense that he would act this way, though, because it's canon that Vecchio is almost stereotypically Italian in regard to family and we all remember when he beat the shit out of the dead guy found in the wall in Dead Man Running, Frannie using The Godfather scene of Sonny beating up his sister's abusive husband on the street to give us an idea of how far Vecchio will go to protect his family. But besides that episode, I sense no jealousy at all between Fraser and Vecchio. Hell, in Victoria's Secret, Vecchio is boyishly happy that Fraser made it with a woman. If you notice, it was only until Fraser skipped out on the pool game they had planned did Ray get truly pissed. Bromance? Yep, unusually close there. Romance? I'd buy it if Ray acted more awkward about Fraser being with a woman. In fact, if you think about it, I don't think Vecchio really saw Fraser as a sexual being until that moment, like he thought Fraser was asexual or above all that, and even after those episodes, there is still no tension of the romantic variety
Oh boy, now we get to Fraser and Kowalski. Fraser is awkward around Ray's ex-wife Stella; Ray is awkward (and pissy) around Janet; Fraser is awkward and keeps going Ray, Ray, Ray when Ray is checking out a pretty lady; Ray is awkward when Frannie or Thatcher come onto Fraser. And the most concrete evidence goes to the back-to-back green-eyed monster episodes, A Likely Story and Odds, both episodes featuring a love interest for each man. In A Likely Story, Fraser is awkward around Luanne, even interrupts a kiss between Kowalski and her (ha, he's like Spock always interrupting Kirk with a lady). In Odds, Ray is awkward around Denny, tells Fraser not to fall for her, interrupts Fraser getting a steamy massage (and might I add that I get very, erm, happy when I hear Paul Gross moaning like that. Oh god) and then there's the weird ass competition they seem to have with Maggie. Ray even asks the philosophical question "I don't know who has more sex, me or you, but at least I still think about women." He is bringing the subject of sex up and he never questions that Fraser is a living, breathing man under that uniform. In both A Likely Story and Hunting Season, Kowalski accuses Fraser of wanting the girl for himself, which is funny because in both cases, he didn't. It took a bullet to the back for Vecchio to see that Fraser was just a man, but I may be a little unfair because Kowalski would obviously have known about all Vecchio's cases and thus would know something about Victoria, so he had an unfair advantage on this point.
And finally, let's look at what Bob Fraser has to say on the subject. You know, I could be wrong, but I don't think Bob really addressed Fraser and Vecchio's partnership that much or gave him advice on Ray. He just sort of acknowledged that he was there. In Bird in the Hand he suggests that Fraser let "the yank" shoot Gerard, and then in North he encourages Fraser to leave Vecchio behind, but overall I think it's just passing comments from Bob about Vecchio. This is definitely not the case with Kowalski. In both season finales of seasons 3 & 4 does Bob compare partnership to a marriage, and both times are at crucial junctures in Fraser and Ray's relationship. In Mounty of the Bounty, Bob explicity states that partnership is like a marriage, and this comparison gets Fraser to swallow his pride and get Kowalski to go with him on one last adventure (which most definitely wasn't, because their break up didn't last too long.) That's strange enough, except it's bolder in Call of the Wild because this time Kowalski is practically dying and Bob is telling Fraser a story of he and his wife fighting to survive. Bob points out that his wife looked healthier then does Kowalski now, so he's connecting that in this scenario, Fraser is Bob and Kowalski is Caroline. Fraser ties up this metaphorical onslaught of homoeroticism by summarizing 'because that's what partnership's all about.' Yep, the show pretty much told us that Fraser and Kowalski are married, and if it seems I'm reaching too far, just understand that Bob could have used any survival story with Buck Frobisher and been just as effective. But no, he chose to connect to Fraser on a marriage level.
Just look at this last damning evidence of what Bob thinks: in two different episodes of season three, Bob Fraser has an opinion on both Rays on a similar subject. In Dead Guy Running, Vecchio is the prime suspect of a grisly murder, but he's undercover and Fraser delays reporting the body (!) so there is time to find the real killer. Bob admonishes his son about this decision, though, and encourages him to report the body so that justice will take care of it. We get a whole different message in Asylum when Kowalski is a murder suspect. Fraser is harboring him at the consulate, no less, which you'd think would get Bob's hat in a spin. Think again. Bob not only tells Fraser a story that shows that even Bob didn't always follow orders and he flat out tells Fraser that the heart is where your duty lies. I can't make this shit up, people.
So you see, this is why I ship my police husbands so hard and I'd love to hear thoughts on this and more examples, even if they're examples supporting Fraser/Vecchio because I may have missed something or got something wrong and I always like to know I'm being absolute on things.
Also, I wanted to post my thoughts on The Sentinel before I read too much fic, so for any who are interested, read on.
The Sentinel, gay as all get out. sineala