13. Anything You Can Do

[Lucy]

Original air date - 27th May 2009

Murdoch finds himself in competition with another police officer when he investigates the death of Humphrey Breen who has fallen, or was pushed, out of a third floor window. The rival is North West Mounted Police Sgt. Jasper Linney who has come to Toronto from British Columbia to interview Breen, a possible witness in a death he is investigating in his own jurisdiction. Murdoch and Linney are a lot alike in their interests and also in the way they try to use modern investigative techniques in their investigations. The murders centre around a possible mining claim in British Columbia, there is evidence of fraud. When Murdoch sees his father's name on a list of possible land speculators, he travels there with Sgt. Linney. He soon learns more about the Sergeant than he could have imagined. As for his personal life, Murdoch has to figure out how to re-connect with Dr. Ogden now he has ended his relationship with Enid.

[randomkiwibirds]

*clears throat rather loudly* AHEM. Why have we not discussed this episode yet?

Overall this is one of my favourite episodes in the entire show.

We've got annoyed William being rubbed the wrong way by Jasper. Brackenreid and Crabtree - were really steller in this episode epspecially with Murdoch complaining about Jasper.

One of the great things about Harry Murdoch is that he always manages to bring out a different side to Murdoch- at least different that the one we're used to seeing.

I thought it was really interesting how the brothers were at odds to one another (at least William was to Jasper) until their "visions" merge, and then they seemed to get on like a house on fire! (not literally)

Jasper needs to find his way back to Toronto ASAP!

And then they're all like the biggest fanboys of science-it's just great! 

Awkward flustered William at the end asking Julia if they can start again! So adorable!


One final remark. I wonder if William ever told Ogden that he took her book of poetry.

"Oh Julia by the way I borrowed your book without telling you-to try and impress you and it ended up saving my life! Other than the bullet hole it's still perfectly intact!"

[snacky]

Dec 6, 2014 5:10:25 GMT randomkiwibirds said:

One final remark. I wonder if William ever told Ogden that he took her book of poetry.

"Oh Julia by the way I borrowed your book without telling you-to try and impress you and it ended up saving my life! Other than the bullet hole it's still perfectly intact!"

This is one of the magic homburg episodes! (It's off when William almost takes a bullet)

There are a million reasons to love this episode, but the poetry book is definitely in the top three. Can you get more meta than doing something symbolic with a book about Poetic Symbolism? I think not. This episode verged on surrealism, and it's at the very least Noir Charmant.

Julia once more shows she is on the cutting edge of modernity in her efforts to be a female aeronaut - and she takes William right a long with her! A perfect model for their later marriage!

How cute is Julia in her ankle-flashing aeronaut uniform, too?

I wonder why we never heard anything else about Jasper. MM may not have been able to get the actor back: but they are so detailed, it seems like they could have left a letter or other reference lying around. Jasper is inherently interesting as a Mountie, too. He's the only Mountie ever to appear on MM, isn't he?

This is the only episode where psycho!George comes out.

[monty151]

I don't think William took Julia's book of poems. Julia's was well worn and William's looked new. I think he went and bought a copy to memorise some of the poems to impress Julia.

[snacky]

Dec 6, 2014 7:19:44 GMT monty151 said:

I don't think William took Julia's book of poems. Julia's was well worn and William's looked new. I think he went and bought a copy to memorise some of the poems to impress Julia.

I'm almost sure there's a scene that shows him stealing it...

[snacky]

Dec 6, 2014 7:19:44 GMT monty151 said:

I don't think William took Julia's book of poems. Julia's was well worn and William's looked new. I think he went and bought a copy to memorise some of the poems to impress Julia.

What would be sad/hilarious is if William was actually a fan of that McGonagall fellow that Julia and Jasper were heaping scorn upon!

[bookworm1225]

Dec 6, 2014 7:40:34 GMT snacky said:

Dec 6, 2014 7:19:44 GMT monty151 said:

I don't think William took Julia's book of poems. Julia's was well worn and William's looked new. I think he went and bought a copy to memorise some of the poems to impress Julia.

I'm almost sure there's a scene that shows him stealing it...

We see him looking at her book, but not actually taking it.

[bookworm1225]

Dec 6, 2014 7:42:03 GMT snacky said:

Dec 6, 2014 7:19:44 GMT monty151 said:

I don't think William took Julia's book of poems. Julia's was well worn and William's looked new. I think he went and bought a copy to memorise some of the poems to impress Julia.

What would be sad/hilarious is if William was actually a fan of that McGonagall fellow that Julia and Jasper were heaping scorn upon!

McGonagall sounds highly amusing.  But then, I have a high tolerance for that sort of cheese. *grin*

And here's more, if you can take it. *chuckle*

[bookworm1225]

Dec 6, 2014 14:50:45 GMT bookworm1225 said:

Dec 6, 2014 7:42:03 GMT snacky said:

What would be sad/hilarious is if William was actually a fan of that McGonagall fellow that Julia and Jasper were heaping scorn upon!

McGonagall sounds highly amusing.  But then, I have a high tolerance for that sort of cheese. *grin*

And here's more, if you can take it. *chuckle*

(Bleh - don't much like the hidden links on this.  They're en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_McGonagall and www.mcgonagall-online.org.uk/ )

[Hodge]

Dec 6, 2014 7:40:34 GMT snacky said:

Dec 6, 2014 7:19:44 GMT monty151 said:

I don't think William took Julia's book of poems. Julia's was well worn and William's looked new. I think he went and bought a copy to memorise some of the poems to impress Julia.

I'm almost sure there's a scene that shows him stealing it...

Yes, there is a scene with him stealing it or at least it's implied.

[snacky]

Dec 6, 2014 14:47:56 GMT bookworm1225 said:

Dec 6, 2014 7:40:34 GMT snacky said:

I'm almost sure there's a scene that shows him stealing it...

We see him looking at her book, but not actually taking it.

So much more romantic and character-intriguing if he takes her book, though...

[snacky]

Dec 6, 2014 14:50:45 GMT bookworm1225 said:

Dec 6, 2014 7:42:03 GMT snacky said:

What would be sad/hilarious is if William was actually a fan of that McGonagall fellow that Julia and Jasper were heaping scorn upon!

McGonagall sounds highly amusing.  But then, I have a high tolerance for that sort of cheese. *grin*

And here's more, if you can take it. *chuckle*

Let's start a meme where William actually adored McGonagall and drank all his love poetry from that eternal spring:

Forget-Me-Not

A gallant knight and his betroth’d bride,
Were walking one day by a river side,
They talk’d of love, and they talk’d of war,
And how very foolish lovers are.

At length the bride to the knight did say,
‘There have been many young ladies led astray
By believing in all their lovers said,
And you are false to me I am afraid.’

‘No, Ellen, I was never false to thee,
I never gave thee cause to doubt me;
I have always lov’d thee and do still,
And no other woman your place shall fill.’

‘Dear Edwin, it may be true, but I am in doubt,
But there’s some beautiful flowers here about,
Growing on the other side of the river,
But how to get one, I cannot discover.’

‘Dear Ellen, they seem beautiful indeed,
But of them, dear, take no heed;
Because they are on the other side,
Besides, the river is deep and wide.’

‘Dear Edwin, as I doubt your love to be untrue,
I ask one favour now from you:
Go! fetch me a flower from across the river,
Which will prove you love me more than ever.’

‘Dear Ellen! I will try and fetch you a flower
If it lies within my power
To prove that I am true to you,
And what more can your Edwin do?’

So he leap’d into the river wide,
And swam across to the other side,
To fetch a flower for his young bride,
Who watched him eagerly on the other side.

So he pluck’d a flower right merrily
Which seemed to fill his heart with glee,
That it would please his lovely bride;
But, alas! he never got to the other side.

For when he tried to swim across,
All power of his body he did loss,
But before he sank in the river wide,
He flung the flowers to his lovely bride.

And he cried, ‘Oh, heaven! hard is my lot,
My dearest Ellen! Forget me not:
For I was ever true to you,
My dearest Ellen! I bid thee adieu!’

Then she wrung her hands in wild despair,
Until her cries did rend the air;
And she cried, ‘Edwin, dear, hard is out lot,
But I’ll name this flower Forget-me-not.

‘And I’ll remember thee while I live,
And to no other man my hand I’ll give,
And I will place my affection on this little flower,
And it will solace me in a lonely hour.’

[bookworm1225]

Dec 6, 2014 17:53:49 GMT Hodge said:

Dec 6, 2014 7:40:34 GMT snacky said:

I'm almost sure there's a scene that shows him stealing it...

Yes, there is a scene with him stealing it or at least it's implied.

Watching this episode again, and no, they're definitely two different books.  The one Murdoch has is brand new.  Julia's copy has a couple of creases/bubbles on the cover, and some of the lettering of the title is wearing off.

[Hodge]

Dec 19, 2014 14:35:41 GMT bookworm1225 said:

Dec 6, 2014 17:53:49 GMT Hodge said:

Yes, there is a scene with him stealing it or at least it's implied.

Watching this episode again, and no, they're definitely two different books.  The one Murdoch has is brand new.  Julia's copy has a couple of creases/bubbles on the cover, and some of the lettering of the title is wearing off.

That may be but I think the inference is that he stole it. The fact that he has a new book would be a continuity error. I doubt he had time to buy the book before setting off for BC.

[lea]

Another ep a day til season 9!

1. First of all, annoyed William is one of my favorite Williams. I don’t know why I love seeing him annoyed as much as I do but boy do I find it hilarious! It was especially great in this episode.

2. Mr. Poundsett’s hair and mustache are so odd. He looks like Julia when she dressed up as a man!

3. Love that Jasper considered William a statistical anomaly when he didn’t look to the left when he said talking about personal matters doesn’t make him feel uncomfortable.

4. Even though the condition of the books differ slightly I do think William took her poetry book. He picks it up, sees that she’s got plans with Poundsett, and you don’t see him put it back down. He just takes off.

5. I would love it so much if they could bring back Henry and/or Jasper. I have assumed it’s because they couldn’t get the actors but even just a passing mention of them would be nice. I don’t know that William even told anyone about Jasper, though? I don’t recall him ever mentioning him.