Gift of the Wheelman (15 Dec. 1994)

A gang of bank-robbing Santas are double-crossed by their own getaway driver, who plans to give the ultimate gift to his son. Meanwhile, amid lineups of countless department store Santas at... See full summary »

Director:

Jerry Ciccoritti

Writers:

Paul Haggis (creator), Paul Haggis

Stars:

Paul Gross, David Marciano, Beau Starr

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Paul Gross	...	Constable Benton Fraser
David Marciano	...	Ray Vecchio
Beau Starr	...	Harding Welsh
Daniel Kash	...	Louis Gardino
Tony Craig	...	Jack Huey
Catherine Bruhier	...	Elaine Besbriss
Ryan Phillippe	...	Del Porter
James Purcell	...	William Porter
Tom McCamus	...	Jimmy Donnelly
Gordon Pinsent	...	Fraser Sr.
David Calderisi	...	Ray's Dad
David Campbell	...	Cameron
Ben Gordon	...	Oliver
Damon D'Oliveira	...	Robert

Storyline

A gang of bank-robbing Santas are double-crossed by their own getaway driver, who plans to give the ultimate gift to his son. Meanwhile, amid lineups of countless department store Santas at the station, Fraser receives help from an unexpected source.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Comedy | Crime

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Details

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 December 1994 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alliance Atlantis Communications

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the beginning of the episode, Del is pen-shopping in a gift shop called "O. Henry". O. Henry is the pen name of short-story author William Sydney Porter, after whom James Purcell's character is named.

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Goofs

When Ray's car exits the alley toward the end of the chase scene, a Canadian flag is visible on the roof of the building across the street.

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Quotes

Harding Welsh: The last half hour I've gotten calls from seven department stores, the Salvation Army, two parade officials and the director of a children's pageant. This was further augmented by calls from four city councilmen, the Deputy Mayor and the Police Commissioner. All curious as to why we are detaining all the Santa Clauses in the city on Christmas Eve. The Police Commissioner was especially irked since his daughter was sitting on Santa's knee in a department store when said Santa was cuffed and ...

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Soundtracks

"Henry Martin"
Traditional
Arranged and Performed by Figgy Duff
Courtesy of Amber Music

User Reviews

Probably my favorite episode ever

Several factors make this episode probably my favorite Due South episode ever. First is the Christmas holiday theme, where the gang of Santas rob the bank. Number two is the incredible chase scene, with the musical accompaniment of Sarah MacLachlan's song "Steaming". I have to say that after taping and watching this episode, I was compelled to find and buy that CD, just for that song. It was a perfect song for that chase. The driving beat and her haunting voice made me a fan of hers which I remain to this day. What was so cool was that no words were really spoken during the whole chase, just that great song playing. You also see this type of scene in the "Heaven and Earth" episode later in the series, with a great Tragically Hip song "At The 100th Meridian". As you probably see coming, I also became a fan of theirs after that episode. But, back to "Gift of the Wheelman", the episode also starred a young Ryan Phillippe, pre-Reese, pre-Cruel Intentions. You could see that he was quite an actor then. Also, I believe this was the first episode where Fraser's father's ghost appears. The correlation between Fraser and his father's relationship and the one between Dell (Ryan) and William Porter (Wheelman)was kinda cool. As well as the overall theme of the show, where William Porter was willing to die to provide his son with a better life, where all the son wanted was his dad in his life was really touching. The epilogue where William Porter is in jail, and Dell gives him a gift is about the most memorable scene ever for me. Let me know what you think and what your favorite DS episodes were. Thanks for reading.