Due South (TV Series)

Gift of the Wheelman (1994)

James Purcell: William Porter

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.

• William Porter : You want to kill me Jimmy? You want to do that? Go ahead.

  [kicks a lever that overturns barrels overhead, dousing Ray, Jimmy and Cameron in gasoline] 

  Jimmy Donnelly : [sputtering]  That erector set I got you last Christmas was obviously a mistake.

• 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.