How the Relationship between Fraser and Vecchio mirrors that of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson.
I was recently watching a documentary on Sherlock Holmes and it talked about how he and Doctor Watson were the basis for all partnership shows which have come after and I began thinking that possibly Due South comes the closest to matching the characteristics of the Holmes/Watson partnership.
In this slight essay, I will be referring to the Sir ( Read more... )
I think the character of Fraser is a fairly close match to the character of Holmes (though without the rudeness). Firstly, he is brilliant at solving crimes, he picks up clues missed by others, etc. His method is often questioned, as is Holmes’s.
Yes he is a polite version of Holmes in a lot of ways. One thing that stands out to me deduction-wise is the first scene in Ida's apartment where Fraser deduces Barry's drinking habits:
Fraser: You’re worried about someone. A man. A man who smokes too much.
Ida: How did you know that?
Fraser: Well, you don’t smoke, and yet you have ashtrays stationed everywhere in your apartment. He also drinks rather more than you would like. The indentation on the lacquer of this chest suggests that there was a decanter on it until recently. And then you became concerned and you removed the liquor so there’d be less temptation, but it didn’t work, did it?
A very Holmes like deduction. And of course Fraser mentions that he notices things that other people don't seem to in HAAH:
Fraser: Well, I’m not sure about that. Quite often I see things that nobody else seems to.
Fraser going undercover in the hospital in HAAh reminds me of Holmes going into places like the opium den in The Man with the Twisted Lip.
And like Holmes Fraser has dressed up on occassion when going undercover - like he does in SLIR.
Fraser and Holmes are both somewhat damaged characters and both have difficulty relating to women.
Yes it just manifests itself in different ways - in Fraser's case by painful shyness and Holmes more a dismissive attitude.
I do wonder if Holmes ever faced a woman in the same way Fraser did. But then I sometimes think Irene Adler has things in common with Victoria and both of them escape.
Neither Fraser or Holmes seem to care much about their own health or safety.
very true and both of them are lucky to have friends that do. Both Ray vecchio and Watson have provided the support that they've needed - saving their respective partners lives.
One thing I did just think of was the fact that neither Holmes or Fraser use guns. In both cases they rely on theor partner to be the one who is armed whilst they use their fists. Although Holmes seems keener on use of guns than Fraser as he tells Watson to bring his revolver but then again Fraser would know that Ray is always armed.
Both Fraser and Holmes have very few friends.
Yes. Holmes seen to like the city for its potential for crime and problems rather than the actual people. Neither of them are particularly socialable socialable.
Because we only know of Holmes through the writings of Watson, we don’t know if Holmes shows emotions away from Watson’s scrutiny
That would be interesting to know. Certainly with Fraser we do see him talk about Ray whilst the two of them are apart. One wonders if Holmes talks about Watson to others.
Ray Vecchio and Watson, are both extremely loyal to their friends and it is through their eyes which we see their partners, for they are the everyman.
Yes we get to know their partners through them. Holmes and Fraser reveal more in the prescence of their partners.
You are also right in that neither of them is stupid. The Granada series did an excellent job of redeeming Watson's intelligence after the films where Nigel Bruce played the part. Both Holmes and Fraser wouldn't have a partner they didn't believe capable. And yes Ray made detective without Fraser's help, he's a good cop. I agree he was going thorugh a bad patch at the time of the pilot - 41 cases and no help? Wth hints of long stints undercover? That would get to anyone.
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I'd forgotten about that one actually. They are also both in the habit of flinging themselves down on the ground to examine it, which I'd also forgotten to mention, as well as there superior senses. They both have a good sense of smell, I'm not sure whether Holmes has a developed sense of hearing like Fraser does.
And like Holmes Fraser has dressed up on occassion when going undercover - like he does in SLIR.
Holmes disguises was one of the things I was going to mention but the only similar situation I could remember for Fraser was his bad job at disguising himself as a used car salesmen, I never thought of SLIR where he does successfully disguise himself as a female teacher.
I sometimes think Irene Adler has things in common with Victoria and both of them escape.
But then Watson is careful to note that "it was not that he felt any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler", which I take to mean that he didn't love Irene the way that Fraser loved Victoria. Especially since Irene was getting married at the time.
One thing I did just think of was the fact that neither Holmes or Fraser use guns.
Holmes does use a gun in the Hound of the Baskervilles to shoot at the hound at least, though Watson also has his gun. I wonder if it's a case of Holmes worrying that he may not be able to shoot a person, whereas Watson being ex-army would presumably have done it before.
The Granada series did an excellent job of redeeming Watson's intelligence after the films where Nigel Bruce played the part.
Nigel Bruce certainly wasn't playing the same character as was in Doyle's books. However, he was the first actor playing Watson to get equal billing with the actor who was playing Holmes. Before that the character of Watson was a much smaller part. So if not for him who knows how long it would have taken before we got a good Watson. Would we have even had the excellent Granada TV series?
Both Holmes and Fraser wouldn't have a partner they didn't believe capable.
Very true. What intellectual stimulation could they have gotten out of being friends with such a person. Especially Holmes who wouldn't put up with such a person for the sake of politeness.
I agree he was going thorugh a bad patch at the time of the pilot - 41 cases and no help?
It strikes me that Fraser met Ray at a turning point in his life, he could either go one way or the other. (The other being using dubious methods which could have put him in trouble with internal affairs.) Fraser stopped him before he could start down the wrong path and from making a big mistake. Similarly, Watson was at a turning point in his life as well, he'd just come out of the army and didn't know what to do with himself. Vecchio and Watson were both suffering from a lack of self worth which Fraser and Holmes were able to instill in them through working together.
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Oh yes. They are not averse to tasting things. And they do get right doen to examine things. And they are both expert at following footprints and recognising footprints.
I can't recall any instances of Holmes having extra sensative hearing but it would not surprise me.
I never thought of SLIR where he does successfully disguise himself as a female teacher.
I think that's proof that Fraser can do it when he puts his mind to it. Part of me thinks he played dumb in P&P because he wanted Ray's help.
But then Watson is careful to note that "it was not that he felt any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler"
True. I think perhaps they both fufil the role of woman nemesis though in wildy different ways.
Holmes does use a gun in the Hound of the Baskervilles to shoot at the hound at least
I had forgotten that. Exception rather than the rule.
I wonder if it's a case of Holmes worrying that he may not be able to shoot a person, whereas Watson being ex-army would presumably have done it before.
That makes a lot of sense. And I did forget that Holmes does do target practice indoors with a gun.
Nigel Bruce certainly wasn't playing the same character as was in Doyle's books.
Indeed.
However, he was the first actor playing Watson to get equal billing with the actor who was playing Holmes. Before that the character of Watson was a much smaller part. So if not for him who knows how long it would have taken before we got a good Watson. Would we have even had the excellent Granada TV series?
That is a good point. That is soemthing to be grateful for. I doubt the Granada series can be bettered.
Very true. What intellectual stimulation could they have gotten out of being friends with such a person. Especially Holmes who wouldn't put up with such a person for the sake of politeness.
Yes yoyu get the impression that Watson did help provide intellectual stimulation and certainly helped Holmes on his cases. And the same is true with Fraser and Ray - they bounce theories off each other.
It strikes me that Fraser met Ray at a turning point in his life, he could either go one way or the other.
Yes and fortunately it went the right way, because of Fraser mainly.
Vecchio and Watson were both suffering from a lack of self worth which Fraser and Holmes were able to instill in them through working together.
That's a perfect way of putting it. I agree.
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Possibly, if that's the one where Elaine tells him something like "You're good" as he's following Ray out the door.
And I did forget that Holmes does do target practice indoors with a gun.
I think that was meant to have been during a bought of mental instability or manic depression. I don't believe that Fraser suffers from any manic depression (I would think that would be frowned upon in the police force) of course he also isn't exactly the most sane of people since he needs to ask his father who has just appeared to him as a ghost if there's any insanity in their family. It also seems to have been something which ran in their family at least going by Uncle Tiberius and his fondness for cabbage leaves. I'm sure there are other examples which demonstrate his questionable mental state other than Dead Bob (which isn't really a mental problem if the ghost is real), but that's the only one I can think of at the moment.
I doubt the Granada series can be bettered.
It's rather unfortunate that they weren't able to complete all of the canon.
yoyu get the impression that Watson did help provide intellectual stimulation and certainly helped Holmes on his cases.
I think Holmes has told him so on a number of occasions.
fortunately it went the right way, because of Fraser mainly.
He was fortunate to meet him at that time. In one of my abandoned fics I was writing a situation whereby someone (possibly Dead Bob) was showing Fraser what would have happened if he'd went with Victoria the first time around when he was tracking her. I believe I had Ray losing his job due to the internal investigations thing. I eventually gave up on it (as most likely it was too depressing) but a similar fic has most likely been already written somewhere anyway.
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That's the one.
I think that was meant to have been during a bought of mental instability or manic depression.
Ah yes that's it. Not the most sane of actions.
I don't believe that Fraser suffers from any manic depression (I would think that would be frowned upon in the police force) of course he also isn't exactly the most sane of people
Well he did manage to get himself commited by telling the truth.
It's rather unfortunate that they weren't able to complete all of the canon.
Indeed and that toward the end they had to deviate from it more and more.
I think Holmes has told him so on a number of occasions.
Yes, he did.
He was fortunate to meet him at that time. In one of my abandoned fics I was writing a situation whereby someone (possibly Dead Bob) was showing Fraser what would have happened if he'd went with Victoria the first time around
That's a very interesting idea. I don't think I've read anything like that. It's a reasonable hypothesis from canon, though yes it would be depressing. But interesting.
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They also felt the need to stretch some of the stories to 2 hours. The only shows they should have been doing this with is the full length novels. The short stories were just too short to do this with.
That's a very interesting idea. I don't think I've read anything like that. It's a reasonable hypothesis from canon, though yes it would be depressing.
I've just found the file on my computer, I don't actually seem to have gotten far enough to tell the story, it just remains a bit of dialogue between Fraser and Dead Bob leading that way. If you want I can post the dialogue I've got. I found it kind of amusing but that's probably because I've nicked the best bits from canon to get Dead Bob to sound right. I hadn't even told the depressing part at that point, it must have just been that I was depressed at having given in to writing which always seems like too much hard work, to me anyway:)
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Yes, I agree. The Sussex Vampire is one that springs to mind as being too long at two hours. Fifty minutes was perfect for the shorter stories.
If you want I can post the dialogue I've got.
I would appreciate it. I nick bits from canon all the time ;-) It works out better that way.
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I've posted it here:
http://sharon28.livejournal.com/45804.html#cutid1
This post is getting way too long to start putting snippets in it as well*G*
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