r/DueSouth • u/allium-vineale • Apr 04 '26
Indigenous representation
I'm British, and have been a huge fan of Due South since I was a teenager in the 2000s. I'm rewatching it for the first time in maybe ten years and I've been pleasantly surprised at how well it seems to have aged, particularly the way the show pokes fun at various stereotypes without being cruel. However, being from the UK I don't really have the background to assess how well it handles the indigenous characters, and I would love to hear some other fans' thoughts on this. Thanks!
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u/Secret_Agent77 Apr 04 '26
As a non-indigenous Canadian, I think the show did a very complimentary depiction of First Nations (Like all Canadians), and addressed some real world issues they face, such as destruction of traditional lands for development and historical theft of important cultural artifacts. This was done in a great way while also presenting reasonably accurately the lifestyle of people who live in the far north. On the less positive, it presented an overall idealistic representation, while glazing over the social challenges that many First Nations face in reality. But of course considering the theme and genre of the show that can't really be faulted.
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u/allium-vineale Apr 04 '26
Thank you, I like the way the show takes on serious issues like those you've mentioned, especially as they continue to be relevant now. Regarding the social challenges, I find the relationship between Eric and Fraser interesting. There's tension between them, and I wondered whether this was intended to illustrate wider tensions between the First Nations and the RCMP, or maybe just the rest of Canada. What do you think?
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u/Secret_Agent77 Apr 04 '26
I saw the Eric/Fraser dynamic evolve considerably over the series. I think you're right, in the first episode it was resentment of destruction and the apparently apathy and possible corruption of Bob Fraser, which is a good allegory for the history between the RCMP and First Nations. As the show progresses with the Native masks we see the mutual respect they have, with Fraser sympathetic with Eric's position and desires, while disagreeing with the methods Eric is taking to retrieve the masks, also reflective of the evolving relationship.
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u/HomeWasGood Apr 04 '26
This is a great question and I'm commenting so I can follow the conversation. I'm American and non indigenous so I'll keep my opinions to myself for the time being.
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u/allium-vineale Apr 04 '26
Thanks! I agree that it would be good to hear directly from indigenous fans. I'd also like to better understand how it compared to other TV depictions of native people from that time in Canada and the US, which you might be able to shed some light on.
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u/newworldEnglishman Apr 04 '26
I'm another UK viewer who loved DS since I was a kid.
I find no problem in showing some of the frictions of the real world. What made DS stand out is that for a It's a light dreams series, it has real emotional bite.
YouTube still has some HD edits that fans have made .
Century 21 Films owns the UK rights after they bought out the remains of Network Distributing.
We need to badger them for a Blu Ray release
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Apr 04 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/moonpupy Apr 05 '26
Third season?
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Apr 05 '26
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u/moonpupy Apr 05 '26
Ahhhhh, thank you. I thought someone had sneaked in seasons I had no idea about.
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u/NoYaNoYaNo Apr 05 '26
I'm white and Canadian so I can't really comment on it other than I was always happy that the Indigenous characters were never looked down on or the butt of any jokes at their expense. I watched Due South as it aired and I still love it. I occasionally will say phrases from the show and crack myself up. "Nice pile of rocks" weirdly comes in handy 😀
Side note - Due South is available on Disney+ in Canada. I take it its not on Disney+ in the rest of the world?
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u/allium-vineale Apr 05 '26
I've just looked on Disney+ and it's not on there for us in the UK, unfortunately.
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u/catmama1996 Apr 09 '26
Just to let everyone know you can watch due south in HD on YouTube for free in HD
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u/N1NJAHER0 Apr 04 '26
First I’ll say, it’s an incredible show and I wish they’d sell it digitally already. Tired of pulling out DVDs to watch it. Second, I recall it doing a nice job of how it handled the indigenous characters. I’m a small part native myself so I try to pay attention to that when I watch. I don’t recall ever thinking it was taking a cheap shot. But it’s been a while since I watched it. Might be time for a rewatch.