Comments and queries for the week of January 25

Very important message! How can I see “The Power of Play” again? I am a grandmother of three small children. —Joan

Hi there, you can steam The Nature of Things episode, “The Power of Play,” for free on CBC’s website.


I would like to know where the [Murdoch Mysteries] writer found evidence that Dan Seavey was ever in Toronto. I do historic research on the maritime history of the Great Lakes. Dan Seavey was a pirate here at that timing, BUT on all accounts that I have found, he was located on Lake Michigan and the Lake Michigan side of the Straits of Mackinac. He did go to Chicago to sell contraband to the black market in Chicago. He was in Alaska briefly with Captain Frederick Pabst during the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush. In 1900, Seavey was was in Escanaba, Michigan. In 1904, he was in Frankfort, Michigan. In 1908, he was arrested by U.S. Deputy Marshall Thomas M. Currier for the theft of a ship named the Nellie Johnson but was not indicted. However, I have found no evidence that he was ever in Toronto. The Wanderer was his ship, but I also do not believe that he would leave his ship behind—pirates do not usually do that. No official documents actually cited Seavey under the charge of piracy and throughout his life denied all accusations of such. I think that the writer took a lot of liberty in this story but should try to stick to historic facts since people may just believe what they see. —Lori

Murdoch Mysteries may feature real people and events from Canadian and world history, it is and remains a drama series. It is not a documentary.

Very profound episode for most of the night, but it’s a shame the writers feel compelled to turn the B-story in this episode into a farce. Does not work when you are telling an emotional story and then bring us right out of it to some silly story that deals with their version of Shades of Grey. In the earlier seasons of the show, the B-story often had some relationship with the A-story. Now you have shorter viewing time, and still you add a goofy back story. Frustrating for long-time fans of the show who wonder at what the heck is going on while watching, and then the whole thing does not actually sync up. Profundity does not sync with the absurd most of the time. And also you’ve got a great historical story in this episode and then we get Shades of Grey 1906 from the Ruth character. Blah….. BTW the pirates episode was terrific. —Pierce

 

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One thought on “Comments and queries for the week of January 25”

  1. On the power of play: I enjoyed its insights. I remembered an old expression which seems apt: ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” Still true, I guess.

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