This episode features two entirely separate stories that are happening at the same time. In one, a man's body has been found on a Toronto street with tyre tracks on him to show that he has been run over by a motor car. In the other, the newly-wed Murdochs are honeymooning in an upscale New York hotel when they find their plans repeatedly overturned by other people and events.
In Toronto, it doesn't take Dr Grace long to determine that the dead man was run over more than once, because his body has two different types of tracks on it. One of the drivers was very easy to trace, because he abandoned his car a few feet from the victim. Once he has been apprehended, he has very little to say for himself, on account of being so drunk in charge of his vehicle that he can't remember anything of the incident. Meanwhile, Constables Crabtree, Higgins and Jackson have clubbed together to buy a car for $50 from a woman who seems only too happy to see the back of it.
In New York, Detective Murdoch is shocked to find that even though he had reserved the Honeymoon Suite, it was not available, and whilst Julia is happy just to have any room, so long as they can be together, William's frustration is clear, and only gets worse when the bell hop complains about being given a gratuity that isn't real money, as it's Canadian. Still, at least he can spring the surprise of escorting Julia round the Museum of Natural History, except he can't, because it's a public holiday (Decoration Day, whatever that is).
Meanwhile as they take their new car for a spin, Crabtree arranges it so that they drive by the home of Edna Brooks, allowing him to invite her for a drive, to which she readily agrees. Back at the morgue, Dr Grace tells Inspector Brackenreid that the dead man was already dead before being driven over, twice: splinters in a head wound mean he was hit over the head with a heavy wooden object, on top of which his rosy skin indicated that he had been poisoned. Brackenreid muses that someone must really have wanted him dead.
A muffled voice on their hotel room telephone tells Julia that the bear will bleed and the red arrow will drop at noon. William sees some shifty armed men in the hotel lift, and begins to worry. A hotel security man is very indiscreet about a special guest. Noises in the room above theirs only serve to convince the Murdochs that something is very wrong.
In Toronto it becomes apparent that the car bought by the Constables actually belonged to the dead man, and his wife only sold it to spite him over a dalliance with another woman. Dr Grace sacrifices several rats on her way to identifying what poisoned the man, and she is very keen to accompany Inspector Brackenreid in a dash to catch up with the three Constables and their car, which has been entered in a competition in order to work out which of several candidates might be the killer. It all ends up in a white knuckle ride at the limits of the cars' speeds.
William sacrifices Julia's hand mirror and some hotel plumbing to build a periscope to look into the room above, and the sight of bloody bodies forces the two of them into a race against time to save the life of President Roosevelt. It's just as speedy and urgent as the race in Toronto.
So, will the Murdochs be in time to save the President ? Look away now from your history books if you don't want to know the result... More importantly, will the Toronto Constabulary get the killer?
This is a superbly funny episode with all of the main characters relishing some off-duty moments.
In Toronto, it doesn't take Dr Grace long to determine that the dead man was run over more than once, because his body has two different types of tracks on it. One of the drivers was very easy to trace, because he abandoned his car a few feet from the victim. Once he has been apprehended, he has very little to say for himself, on account of being so drunk in charge of his vehicle that he can't remember anything of the incident. Meanwhile, Constables Crabtree, Higgins and Jackson have clubbed together to buy a car for $50 from a woman who seems only too happy to see the back of it.
In New York, Detective Murdoch is shocked to find that even though he had reserved the Honeymoon Suite, it was not available, and whilst Julia is happy just to have any room, so long as they can be together, William's frustration is clear, and only gets worse when the bell hop complains about being given a gratuity that isn't real money, as it's Canadian. Still, at least he can spring the surprise of escorting Julia round the Museum of Natural History, except he can't, because it's a public holiday (Decoration Day, whatever that is).
Meanwhile as they take their new car for a spin, Crabtree arranges it so that they drive by the home of Edna Brooks, allowing him to invite her for a drive, to which she readily agrees. Back at the morgue, Dr Grace tells Inspector Brackenreid that the dead man was already dead before being driven over, twice: splinters in a head wound mean he was hit over the head with a heavy wooden object, on top of which his rosy skin indicated that he had been poisoned. Brackenreid muses that someone must really have wanted him dead.
A muffled voice on their hotel room telephone tells Julia that the bear will bleed and the red arrow will drop at noon. William sees some shifty armed men in the hotel lift, and begins to worry. A hotel security man is very indiscreet about a special guest. Noises in the room above theirs only serve to convince the Murdochs that something is very wrong.
In Toronto it becomes apparent that the car bought by the Constables actually belonged to the dead man, and his wife only sold it to spite him over a dalliance with another woman. Dr Grace sacrifices several rats on her way to identifying what poisoned the man, and she is very keen to accompany Inspector Brackenreid in a dash to catch up with the three Constables and their car, which has been entered in a competition in order to work out which of several candidates might be the killer. It all ends up in a white knuckle ride at the limits of the cars' speeds.
William sacrifices Julia's hand mirror and some hotel plumbing to build a periscope to look into the room above, and the sight of bloody bodies forces the two of them into a race against time to save the life of President Roosevelt. It's just as speedy and urgent as the race in Toronto.
So, will the Murdochs be in time to save the President ? Look away now from your history books if you don't want to know the result... More importantly, will the Toronto Constabulary get the killer?
This is a superbly funny episode with all of the main characters relishing some off-duty moments.
