White Men Can't Jump to Conclusions is the thirteenth episode of Due South's second season.
Storyline: Constable Fraser and Detective Vecchio overhear gunshots being fired in a gang-infested neighbourhood. Vecchio's prime suspect is a young basketball player, but Fraser notices some inconsistencies in the sounds they heard, and suspects that the young man is protecting a different perpetrator.
Original Air Date: April 5, 1996
Written by David Shore
Directed by Steve DiMarco
Synopsis[]
To attend to the repair of his dress-uniform boots,Benton Fraser visits a cobbler highly recommended by Ray Vecchio, albeit in a notoriously bad neighbourhood. On the way back to Ray's car, Fraser hears gunshots being fired in an alley nearby and comes upon a young man running away with a gun in his hand. Ray pursues and arrests the young man while Fraser tends to the shooting victim, but as they leave the scene, they discover to Fraser's dismay that his boots have disappeared without a trace. In company with Diefenbaker, he canvasses the neighbourhood single handed and is accosted by a couple of street thugs to be brought to a meeting with one Lou Robbins, the manager of a local youth basketball team. Fraser learns that the shooting suspect, Tyree Cameron, is one of Lou's players; and also that Tyree's best friend, Reggie Stamp, is the rising star of the team, though Tyree's absence has had a poor effect on his game.
Despite all evidence - including a ballistics report and a paraffin test - Fraser believes that Tyree is innocent, and to much derision from the 27th Precinct, bails him out so he can prepare for a big game in a couple of days. Back at the scene of the shooting, Fraser and Ray come up with different versions of the crime based on the sounds they heard. Meanwhile, Lou orders Tyree to plead out his preliminary hearing and make a quick end of the matter. However, just as the hearing begins, Fraser has an epiphany - all three gunshots had different sounds. The judge grants a continuance, but as Fraser and Ray confront Tyree about the cover-up, they are forced to thwart a drive-by shooting in front of the courthouse. Tyree gets away, but is then upbraided by Lou, who directs him to kill Fraser to stop him from sniffing around.
A visit with Tyree's mother reveals to Fraser and Ray that even she believes Tyree is guilty, but she also makes note of the tight bond between him and Reggie. In a short one-on-one game with Reggie at the basketball court, Fraser casually states his belief that Tyree is acting as the fall guy; Reggie lets it slip that he knows the shooting victim, Taylor Thomas, was armed. At the crime scene, Ray discovers a Walther PPK buried in a patch of dirt, which accounts for one of the gunshots they overheard. Later in the evening, Tyree waits at Fraser's apartment, but is unable to go through with killing him. Lou is unamused to see Fraser at the big game the next day, and quietly dispatches two of his thugs to get Fraser out of the way.
Although Tyree, Reggie, and their teammates are victorious, a botched play during the game instigates an argument between Tyree and Reggie. Fraser, lip-reading from a distance, concludes that Reggie shot Taylor and that Tyree took another shot to set himself up for the fall. In an alley following the game, Reggie confesses to his involvement, although he claims self-defence; but Tyree refuses to shoot Fraser, who takes care of Lou's knife-wielding thugs. Ray outmanoeuvres Lou, who is taken away as a mysterious neighbourhood local returns Fraser's boots to him.
Later in the afternoon, Ray advises Tyree that the State's Attorney is considering dropping the charges against Reggie since the shooting was an instance of gang violence. To Ray and Tyree's delight, basketball star Isiah Thomas makes a surprise appearance to encourage Tyree to make his life worthwhile.
Cast[]
- Leonard Roberts as Tyree Cameron
- Chauncey B. Raglin-Washington as Reggie Stamp
- Tab Baker as Lou Robbins
- Isiah Thomas as Himself
- Alison Sealy-Smith as Mrs. Cameron
- Dayo Ade as Trevor
Notes[]
- Being centred on basketball players, the episode's title is a play on the 1992 basketball film "White Men Can't Jump."
Soundtrack[]
- "Peeps" by Cipher [album: 360*] (drive-by shooting scene)
Memorable Quotes[]
Benton Fraser: Ray, that was a gunshot!
Ray Vecchio: Yeah, if we stop for every gunshot we hear in this neighbourhood, we'll never get home. (another shot rings out) See?
(Fraser leaves his boots behind and runs toward a third shot)
Ray Vecchio: Awww, I'm off duty! (running after Fraser) YOU'RE off duty! And unless somebody shot a moose, you have no jurisdiction!
Benton Fraser: (back at the crime scene) Diefenbaker, for God's sake, you're tracking the wrong thing! You're tracking my feet, not my boots! I know my feet were there, my boots were - oh, forget it!
Due South - The Constable's Boots
Ray Vecchio: Look, Fraser. Kids from that neighbourhood, generally speaking, end up doing one of two things: basketball or crime.
Benton Fraser: Tyree plays basketball.
Ray Vecchio: Well, they all start out playing basketball. If one of them's lucky enough, he'll make it to Division I college ball. But if he's not talented enough, if he's not tall enough, if he's not dedicated enough, he's gonna wind up like that kid and make life miserable for everybody else.
Benton Fraser: (pulling a thread from his pocket) Ray, please, look at this.
Ray Vecchio: What's that supposed to be? Evidence?
Benton Fraser: The shooter wore this.
Ray Vecchio: (scowling at the thread) Well, let's hope that's not all he wore.
Benton Fraser: Well, remember back to yesterday - the first two shots had the same sound, the third shot was the bing. See, your scenario doesn't hold up, Ray. The bing was the shot that hit the garbage can, not the second shot. That was a bang.
Ray Vecchio: Oh, the judge is gonna love this. "Your Honour, we have no case because the bang is where the bing should've been."
Benton Fraser: The sounds don't lie, Ray.
Ray Vecchio: Okay, so tell me this: how does the bang being where the bing should've been -
Benton Fraser: No, that's the bing being where the bang should've been.
Benton Fraser: You're not going to shoot, either.
Lou Robbins: 'Cause I'm not a killer?
Benton Fraser: No, I think you're an evil psychopath. But if you try...Detective Vecchio will blow your brains off.
Ray Vecchio: (holding Lou at gunpoint) OUT.
Benton Fraser: 'Out.' I'm sorry, I stand corrected. He will blow your brains 'out.'