The pilot

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

I wonder if Charlie knew Gerard was up to something and then Bob blundered into matters and got killed without a firm chain of evidence?

Do you think he wanted Benton in Chicago to cool down rather than resign, or he thought Fraser could do much as he did?

And, are we to take Fraser's rank as the result of him being unsuitable for even metropolises of Moosejaw's size?

Comments

[luzula]

Do you think he wanted Benton in Chicago to cool down rather than resign, or he thought Fraser could do much as he did?

I get the feeling that Fraser is seen as much as a weirdo in Canada as he is in Chicago. I mean, in Chicago they shrug that off and say "he's Canadian", but it's really not just that. The opening scene with people at that detachment talking about him shows that he's seen as just as weird in Canada, I think. So I think they just wanted him out of the way. Sure, they knew he could get results in the wilderness, however weirdly, but I think they thought he'd be out of his depth in Chicago and wouldn't expect him to accomplish much.

That said, it's been a while since I saw the pilot.

And, are we to take Fraser's rank as the result of him being unsuitable for even metropolises of Moosejaw's size?

I read somewhere, I don't remember where (so take this with a grain of salt), that lots of people in the RCMP stay Constables their whole career, and that there's not necessarily anything wrong or incompetent with them because of that. Fraser isn't that old, either, so I don't think it's strange that he'd still be a Constable. And he does seem to be a go-off-and-do-his-own-thing person, which might not be someone you'd promote to the task of managing your personnel.

(Comment reposted to fix html.)

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

Oh, it is clear that people younger than Bob's coterie think Benton is a madman. He brings caribou to medical examiners, he goes chasing people in horrid weather that stops snowmobiles dead, (he probably sinews his own snowshoes). I think we could say they think him weirder than Chicago does, like some sort of time capsule.

I don't know. Gerard refuses to authorize him going to Chicago, and Charlie eggs him on to go ahead. He phrases it as 'the boy is headstrong; he'll go and then he'll be ready to get back to patrolling somewhere we can't find someone to take. It's Bob's son. We owe him this.' Charlie just seems a bit, cagier, than he presents himself.

Which is good, cause Bob was wily, but a poor judge of false friends.

[luzula]

Hmm, will think about this the next time I watch the pilot! I don't have a strong memory of Charlie.