Due South (TV Series)

Gift of the Wheelman (1994)

Paul Gross: Constable Benton Fraser

Quotes 

• William Porter : All I wanted was three dollars. Three dollars for the whole year and I'da made it. I was standing there at the counter with his gift in my hand. The girl says to me you're three dollars short. I started laughing. I laughed so hard, I thought I was gonna have a heart attack right there in that department store! I suddenly realized that if I died right then and there, I'da left my son sixty-two dollars, some lousy manuscripts and a lot of excuses and that's not good enough! That's... that's not enough to leave your son!

  Constable Benton Fraser : You know, William, I think there is only one thing a father needs to leave his son, and that's a good example of how a man should live his life. Anything else, the son can learn for himself. The greatest gift my father ever gave me was the courage to trust my own abilities. And I learned that through his example. You know, you can give your son anything you want. But if you don't leave him a good example of how to be a man, you leave him nothing. That's what you'll leave Del. Nothing.

• Fraser Sr. : [Fraser continues to read his father's journal, hearing Fraser Sr.'s voice while reading]  "Sam Dalton made only one mistake: He planned everything but how he was going to spend the money. Before he hit Whitehorse he left a trail of twenties that took me right to his door."

  [Fraser Sr.'s mittened hand reaches from the back seat to point at the journal] 

  Fraser Sr. : But Sam's case was nothing like this.

  Constable Benton Fraser : No, I know, but what I can't seem to find is -

  [stops and looks in the back seat where his father's ghost is sitting] 

  Fraser Sr. : Hello, son.

  Constable Benton Fraser : [warily]  Hello, Dad. How are you?

  Fraser Sr. : I'm dead, son. Other than that, do you mean?

  Constable Benton Fraser : No, that's what I was asking.

  Fraser Sr. : Oh, that's good. Never be ashamed to ask a stupid question, son. I taught you that, didn't I?

  Constable Benton Fraser : Not specifically, no.

  Fraser Sr. : Well, no time like the present.

• Fraser Sr. : So fill me in on the case.

  Constable Benton Fraser : [staring at his father's ghost]  The case.

  Fraser Sr. : The case. The case you're working on. Something about it bothers you.

  Constable Benton Fraser : Well, in a nutshell: There was a bank robbery today, now we've identified the perpetrators, but the wheelman, that's the driver in Chicago parlance, double-crossed his partners. Now what we can't seem to figure- is there any insanity in our family?

  Fraser Sr. : No, not that I'm aware of.

  Constable Benton Fraser : Good.

  Fraser Sr. : Well, there was your Uncle Tiberius who died wrapped in cabbage leaves, but we assumed that was a freak accident.

• Ray Vecchio : [Ray comes back to the car after Fraser has seen his father's ghost in the back seat]  Anything happen?

  Constable Benton Fraser : In what sense?

• Constable Benton Fraser : [of his father]  Next he'll be trying to show me how to start a fire. You know, Ray, I've got half a mind just to tell him to pack up, move out.

  Ray Vecchio : Of your mind.

  Constable Benton Fraser : Yes.

  Fraser Sr. : [from the back seat]  Hello, son!

  Constable Benton Fraser : [mumbling]  Oh, God, he's back.

  Fraser Sr. : What's that?

  Constable Benton Fraser : Uhhh, I said, glad you're back, Dad!

  [to Ray] 

  Constable Benton Fraser : Not a word, all right?

  Ray Vecchio : Hey, no problem, Benny.

• Constable Benton Fraser : [speaking to Diefenbaker the wolf]  Now you stay in the car and keep your nose out of those packages. They are not for you.

  [to Ray] 

  Constable Benton Fraser : He's searched through every cupboard and drawer in the apartment trying to find out what I got for him, but this Christmas he will not succeed.

• Constable Benton Fraser : You know, I've always thought it was the bravest thing a man could do. Writing down his innermost feelings that any stranger could read.

• Fraser Sr. : [Benton Fraser and Ray Vecchio are pinned down by gunfire]  What you need, son, if you don't mind me saying, is a good solid plan.

  [Benton Fraser picks up a rock] 

  Fraser Sr. : Or you can just throw a rock.

  Constable Benton Fraser : Fire your entire clip on three!

  Fraser Sr. : But then he'll be out of bullets.

  Ray Vecchio : Then I'll be out of bullets!

  Constable Benton Fraser : I heard both of you!

  Ray Vecchio : Is there an entire conversation going on here that I'm totally unaware of?

  Constable Benton Fraser : Yes. One... two... three!

  [Ray comes up shooting, Fraser hurls the rock and beans Cameron in the head; Jimmy and Cameron retreat] 

  Fraser Sr. : At least you found the villains, son. There's something to be said for that.

  Constable Benton Fraser : Thank you.

  Ray Vecchio : [giving Fraser a puzzled look]  Any time.

• Fraser Sr. : [as Porter arrives to pick Del up]  That's him!

  Constable Benton Fraser : Who?

  Ray Vecchio : What?

  Constable Benton Fraser : There!

  Ray Vecchio : Where?

  [Porter roars away with Del] 

  Ray Vecchio : Right in front of the police station? Now that is cheek!

  [takes off in hot pursuit] 

• Constable Benton Fraser : [Upon discovering that Del's father is an aspiring writer]  My father was quite the writer.

  Del Porter : Professional?

  Constable Benton Fraser : No, a Mountie. But he kept journals. He must have filled up almost a hundred. You know it's odd. We never spent that much time together when we were young so it's only recently through his writing that I feel that I've gotten to know him.

• Constable Benton Fraser : [referring to Del Porter]  He wasn't scared. He knew the thief.

  Ray Vecchio : Did he I.D. him?

  Constable Benton Fraser : Yes. He just didn't intend to.

• Ray Vecchio : What are you reading?

  Constable Benton Fraser : My father's journals. I'm just going over old cases to see if there's anything similar.

  Ray Vecchio : Is there?

  Constable Benton Fraser : Not that I've found.

  [frowns] 

  Ray Vecchio : What is it?

  Constable Benton Fraser : I just wish I'd spent more time with him. There's a lot of things I should have learned.

  Ray Vecchio : I learned two things from my father. One: Timing. Mostly when to duck. And two: You never hit a kid, 'cause it doesn't teach him anything.

• Constable Benton Fraser : [referring to his father's ghost]  He's not really here. I know that. It's all in my mind. It's just that he refuses to stay there, or rather, he refuses to LEAVE there. I really don't understand it, but I tell you it's beginning to wear a little thin. I mean, does he think I'm completely ignorant? I bet the next thing he'll do is try to start a fire. You know Ray, I have half a mind to tell him to pack up and move out.

• Constable Benton Fraser : [referring to the wheelman in the bank robbery]  You know, I should be able to see his plan. I mean, there aren't that many variables. But no matter which way I twist it, I can't seem to see how he thinks he'll get away with it. I mean you don't double-cross your partners then stay around town. You don't plan a getaway and forget about your son.

  [pause] 

  Constable Benton Fraser : Unless... you don't plan on getting away with it.

• Constable Benton Fraser : Anything happen?

  Ray Vecchio : In what sense?

• William Porter : [Fraser jumps down from above, surprising Porter, who whips out a Molotov cocktail and a lighter, before smiling]  You're one unlucky Canadian.

  Constable Benton Fraser : I'd be careful if I were you. I think you're standing in a pool of gasoline.

  William Porter : I'm not interested in killing you. If you want to walk... I'll let you.

  Constable Benton Fraser : I can't do that. You know it took me a while to figure out what you were doing. One doesn't ordinarily equate crime... with self-sacrifice.

  William Porter : I guess I'm going to have to take my offer back.

• Constable Benton Fraser : You went straight, William. A long time, six years...

  William Porter : I love how people like you think that earning four dollars an hour is great and noble. I couldn't afford to buy my kid a Christmas gift. That's not noble; it's pathetic.

• Fraser : Is there any insanity in our family?

  Fraser Sr. : No, not that I'm aware of.

  Fraser : Good.

  Fraser Sr. : Well, there was your uncle Tiberius that died wrapped in cabbage leaves, but we assumed that was a freak accident.