werent u bothered when they replaced Ray?

I was fairly young when the Ray changeover happened, and so I didn’t quite ‘get’ what was going on (I think I was as perplexed as Fraser was). It didn’t help that the first episode with New Ray played the beginning like nothing was wrong/out of place/different. I thought I had missed an episode or something. It’s so long ago now, I can’t really recall what my initial reactions were other than confusion. I must say that I didn’t take to CKR’s Ray straight away. In fact, it probably took me a good long while to warm up to his character and I really missed Old Ray and his dynamic with Fraser – so much so that I think I was hoping he’d return and we’d get the old duo back.

However, by the series’ end, funnily enough I’d grown more fond of New Ray and his dynamic with Fraser. Sure, it was different from Old Ray and Fraser’s dynamic, but over time I guess I’d gotten used to it, because by the time Old Ray returned, I was feeling very conflicted about it. On the one hand, I was very happy to see Old Ray and Fraser back together again, as I’d missed that for a long time. On the other hand, I did feel a bit sad for New Ray when it seemed like perhaps he’d be forgotten about because Old Ray had resurfaced and I didn’t like the idea of Fraser just forgetting about New Ray and the friendship they’d formed (then again, I would’ve hated for him to have forgotten his friendship with Old Ray too). So, really, I wasn’t wanting *either* Ray to be forgotten about or ‘chosen’ over the other Ray – which was kind of a funny reaction from me, given that usually when one character replaces another in a show, I have a clear favourite/one that I prefer over the other (then again, I’ve seldom been in the situation that Due South presented me with).

Considering when New Ray first turned up, I couldn’t have fathomed liking him and not wanting Old Ray back with Fraser, I was surprised with myself that my reaction to the end of the show was one of contentment. I was fine the way it ended with Fraser and New Ray, but was glad Old Ray came back for the end of the show. It’s a peculiar case that I haven’t ever found with a show since, and I’ll always remember the unique roller coaster of feelings/emotions I went on regarding the two Rays.


Jack Sparrow: "Look." [shoots the monkey] "An undead monkey! Top that!"

Everyone who liked the show enjoyed the brusqeness of Marciano's Ray Vecchio against Fraser's consummate politeness, and no one was particularly pleased when the new Ray (Stanley Kowalski) showed up at the time. But you have to admit, he lent his own nervous, insecure persona to the role atop the staccato delivery of filling Marciano's fine leather shoes. There was a different give and take that still worked. Surprisingly, the last season's stories also did not lose any quality and Frasier evolved without losing his innate selfless (or maybe Queen-oriented) focus.

I thought Ray Vecchio was a lovable grouch.

Bothered me at first but i ended up liking liked the new Ray.They were both good.