Shark Bytes

Oh, man. It didn't jump. 'Jumping' would have been to stop fighting for what was, and continued to be an awesome, unique show. I love it. What were YOU lot watching?

Without a doubt - the show jumped BIG TIME when Ray Vecchio left and was replaced by the "Look-at-me-I'm-so-sexy-and-hip" Kowalski.

The beauty of Due South during its first two seasons was the amazing chemistry that Fraser and Vecchio had together - which was understandable and realistic when you consider how they connected. That is - Fraser was at a low point in his life from losing his father, and later being exiled from Canada, and Vecchio was at a low point in his life because his career wasn't going well (he had 41 unsolved cases and no partner). And both had less-than-ideal relationships with their fathers when their fathers were alive - Fraser's was distant and unavailable, and it's strongly implied that Vecchio's was abusive toward him (when his ghost was on screen, he was always belitting his son). And both Fraser and Vecchio felt out of place and like misfits sometimes. Therefore, Fraser and Vechhio bonded because they actually had a lot in common and needed each other from the start.

Fraser and Kowalski simply didn't have that strong bond - and it showed on screen. They also weren't misfits - they (especially Kowalski) were supposed to be "cool," although I think the show tried TOO HARD to be hip and cool during the Kowalski years.

Plus, without Vecchio, the sense of Fraser being part of a family (Vecchio's) died. I really, really wish the show would have shown more of Vecchio's mother and sisters on screen during the first two seasons - as Fraser obviously needed a family very much. It would have been lovely to see more of his relationship with all of the Vecchios.

The last reason the show jumped after Vecchio left - that ugly creature Stella! She had no redeeming qualities at all. I liked Louise (the prosecutor during the Vecchio seasons) much better.

it has been quite a while, but I recall really liking the way they dealt with the new ray

all the characters except for the mountie just pretended like there was no subsitution . . . it was kinda brilliant to me

I loved this show. However, I think the "Jump the Shark" moment was when Fraser became a caricature (namely, a couple episodes into season 3). He NEVER wore anything but the red serge anymore and it annoyed me. I mean, at least in the first two seasons he would wear his other uniform. (I remember one particularly funny episode - "Vault"?? - where Fraser has a new blue uniform with a funny hat that he hates and tells Thatcher that he refuses to wear it, after which she promptly fires him!) Not to mention I also remember an episode in season 3 where Fraser seings around a bar like a gymnast in pursuit of a bad guy. Ick! And the "I first came to Chicago in search of the killers of my father..." things was getting old, too. On the other hand, I really liked Kowalski. I agree it was ludicrous to expect this blond-haired, blue-eyed Polish American to be a stand-in to a dark-haired, dark-eyed Italian American, but I liked the character. He was so insecure and short-tempered, but he had a great heart. But no one had better chemistry together then Vecchio and Fraser. Great show, though, overall. I have it on DVD.

I have to admit that I never can't stand Fraser so, changin Rays was unfortunated.

Seasons 3/4 proved that was Ray what was keeping Fraser sane, when he left and was replaced in such a stupid way, Fraser become simply unbearable. I guess many fans felt that way and that's why "Call of the Wild" can be bought on its own, and just because Ray it's there not because it's really a great episode.

If a lesson can be learnt is that not all actors have other talents, unfortunately PG become the worst enemy of what was a great show and turned it into a lame parody of itself.

This show not only never jumped, it actually "unjumped." The first two seasons seldom rose above a very simple, somewhat clichéd premise. The Culture Clash combined with the unrealistic Good Guy character got really boring after a while, and only a few episodes were anything special.
Season 3, however, brought a real breath of fresh air to the show. Fraser became a real person, and was not treated like a space alien like he had been much of the first 2 years. The new Ray (Kowalski) was likable, too. I never liked Ray Vecchio-he was a dick. I would've liked more episodes, but I'm glad to have gotten what they did make.

Ray becomes "gay" Ray.

I've heard a lot of comments over the years that people liked Ray #2 just because he was "supposedly" better looking with a cooler car. Maybe that's why Ben suddenly started going gay. He couldn't resist Ray #2 either. LOL.

In all seriousness, the Ray shift signified an entire shift within the show that spelled its doom. The show had ALWAYS been a little silly. Come'on, Mountie with a wolf running around Chicago with a cop who looks like he's always been one step away from being on the wrong side of the law, while the Mountie licks mud and jumps from roof to roof and never loses his hat. That silly worked - "gay" Ray and flat out stupid silly did not!

With the lose of Ray #1 came the lose of the interaction with his family and the way he interacted with everyone else. Without Ray #1, Ben didn't find himself in those funny situations in which he shined - like dealing with Ray #1's sister.

If Ray #1 was determined to leave, the show had no choice but to move on, but they should have found a better replacement. It was like they sought out Ray "Lite", even though they should have known the real Ray could NEVER be replaced.

This was a mixture of interesting police show and A-
Team cartoons. The mountie in his red tunic in the slum apartment was ridiculous. Also, putting the Chicago cop in those outrageous shirts was stupid.

Never one to shut up, I'll say it happened around the middle of seasons 2 that the fins came up and finally in seasons 3/4 that it happened.

Season 2 had Thatcher and the love interest scenes in a duo show, that lost it's point. Season 2 had a loss of key people behind the scenes and later a loss of focus in it's ending eps. You don't hear Body Language praised and ones like All The Queen's Horses and even The Duel, the plots are wacky and not strong.

I'd say PG's greatest folly is his plots are so out there they ignore character's as people. The comedy level becomes very mocking.
Both of which are more in seasons 3/4.

What saved season 2 for most and sunk seasons 3/4 for some was the character/actor switch. It's not the problem, but you jump on it because it's what jars people into looking.

In season 2 you could still enjoy the established and continuing friendship of Fraser and Ray Vecchio.

In seasons 3/4 you had to try an make a new connection, making you look around for it. I didn't like what I saw as a result.

I liked Ray2 better, but the stories god worse. More and more "death father", less good gags and a really ridiculous explanation for the "new Ray" made the whole thing a little bit sure. It was fortunate that they let it end when they did...in the next season the show would have been jumped for sure.

I just love this show now I have all of the seasons on DVD. They should of never cancelled this wonderful show. I just love Paul he is great..

Never jumped! I must admit I was apprehensive myself when I heard David Marciano was leaving and in fact I didn't even bother to watch the third season on the grounds that I felt it wouldn't be the same show without him. A few years later I caught some repeats of season three on TV and felt a total fool. It was indeed a different show....but just as good, if not better at times. The entire dynamic of the relationship between the cop and the mountie was quite different but the camaraderie was still very much there. OK, I didn't really buy the whole mob plotline either....but that's just a minor point. CKR added an edgy kind of cool to the show that did it no harm whatsoever.

Oct. 25/06: DUE SOUTH never jumped, even if Callum Keith Rennie (who I think resembles a slacker more than a cop) was a less believable replacement than David Marciano. I think its a sad testimonial to society that a clever, humorous, satirical comedy/drama like DUE SOUTH barely lasts 4-5 seasons, while DOG the BOUNTY HUNTER & other trashy pseudo-reality programs get all the publicity and accolades.

Regardless of how much you might like the Fake Ray, (Most of his compliments are due to his looks. People who like the new char don't really have anything good to say about him other than abstract cliches... i.e. "He's so 3 dimensional" lol) the original Ray is the 2nd half of what made the show so great. It wasn't the storylines, it wasn't the character development, it was the chemistry that Ray had with Ben. That alone is what led to the popularity of the show. If you don't believe me, just look at what happened to the show after they changed the Ray character. The ratings BOMBED, and the show got canned. (As it should have) A lot of people complain of the new time-slot or channel, but that's just BS. If the show was still popular, it would probably still be on TV today. But they ruined the show. And the character development excuse is BS too. It's alright if characters develop, but it's not ok if the character changes in a way that is completely contradictory of their tried & true personality. If it ain't broke, then you'll break it by "fixing" it. No other show jumped the shark as quickly as Due South. At least in other shows, there is usually a drop off in quality, but DS went from GREAT to AWFUL, and yes it was Paul Gross' fault. Don't deny it.

This show jumped the Shark the moment Fraser lost his innocence. He missed work, claiming to be sick and then he didn't arrest Victoria at any time and even wanted to go with her at the end. This was a completely different character from all previous episodes, this coming from a guy who was willing to see his fathers memory defiled to see justice done for a few caribou, and a guy who was willing to shoot a wolf who had saved his life whatever the reason. And that spying in Letting Go and the excuse he comes up with for Dief when he is "watching" is pathetic especially taking into account the fact that he just lost his "one true love". That three final episodes of season 1 gave a glimpse of what the rest of the seasons were to be like.