Frasier (1993) s03e01 – She’s the Boss

There are a couple big “it was the nineties” moments in the episode. Though, I haven’t watched sitcoms regularly in over a decade so maybe they’re still doing whole main plots about men (in this case Kelsey Grammer) not being able to work for women (here his new station manager, Mercedes Ruehl). But I’m fairly sure there aren’t sitcoms with ex-cops (John Mahoney) talking about how civilians shouldn’t own firearms anymore.

The firearms thing is about the David Hyde Pierce subplot, where he’s going to get a gun to protect his wife and estate. It’s a really good subplot for Hyde Pierce and keeps the supporting cast busy for Grammer’s work main plot. See, things go so bad at his first meeting with Ruehl, she exiles he and Peri Gilpin to the overnight shift.

Ruehl had wanted Grammer to prioritize “juicier” calls (as Grammer describes them) and he, of course, refused. Third season opener of his own show, after ten years or whatever on “Cheers,” and Ruehl gets in this amazing dig at all the Harvard drops Grammer always makes. Immediately she’s a great foil for him. Makes you wonder if they auditioned anyone else or stopped after they saw how well Ruehl and Grammer yell at each other.

Lots of guest callers—Matthew Broderick, Carrie Fisher, Teri Garr, Tom Hulce—who I didn’t recognize (possibly) because there’s always accompanying drama. Or snoring. Might just not have my “Frasier” guest caller ears tuned.

It’s a great season opener, with some actual unexpected turns—especially for Grammer–and Ruehl’s off to an excellent start. Also, Gilpin’s great. She’s entirely support, but she’s always right on.

Frasier (1993) s02e24 – Dark Victory

Dark Victory has three writers—Christopher Lloyd, Linda Morris, Vic Rauseo—except Morris and Rauseo are a team and Lloyd is a solo guy usually so the disjointed flow makes sense. It’s the season finale, it’s got to get to some kind of season finale moment, except it’s a sitcom and it doesn’t have a cliffhanger. I can still remember the first season finale… and I remember it being a lot more successful. Not sure if the memory would’ve been as fresh at the time.

It probably doesn’t help they continually reference a previous season episode where Kelsey Grammer forgot John Mahoney’s birthday—this episode takes place at the next year’s make-up party and Grammer wants to make sure it’s perfect.

It is not, of course, perfect, with an eventual city-wide blackout markedly improving everyone’s experience.

The episode opens with a contrived but effective enough story about Roz (Peri Gilpin) being sad she couldn’t go home for her family reunion. Basically because she’s single and doesn’t have a good enough job for her relatives to think it makes up for her being single.

There are some good cheese puns (she’s from Wisconsin).

So Grammer invites her over to the Crane apartment for the evening’s festivities, but when he arrives home, he finds Mahoney and Jane Leeves in the middle of a huge argument. What’s the problem? Mahoney doesn’t want to do his physical therapy and he’s mean about it. So they’re yelling at each other. Then David Hyde Pierce shows up yelling at Grammer because of a work thing.

They calm down momentarily when Gilpin arrives for the party, only to descend again into yelling. Just as Gilpin’s slinking out away from the bickering Cranes, the power goes out.

At this point, we still haven’t gotten to the concept of the concept episode. See, Grammer’s going to therapist to each of the cast members and it’s going to put the season to bed. Except it’s still a sitcom so he’s basically helping them with the problems they’ve mentioned in this episode alone. Sure, there’s the characters’ ground situations, but they’re not significantly different from the previous season’s.

And, worse of all, Grammer has the least. It’s his show and when it’s his turn for the “share your pain” moment… it’s contrived filler.

Thank goodness they’ve got so much goodwill—and Eddie (Moose) the dog—to save the day.

It’s fine; it’s amusing and well-acted—James Burrows’s direction is oddly flat; it’s good. It’s just not great. It’s more concerned with being a season finale than a good episode.

Frasier (1993) s02e23 – The Innkeepers

The Innkeepers is a great sitcom episode without necessarily being a great “Frasier” episode. It’s a really good “Frasier,” with the entire cast doing a great job—they just aren’t asked to do very much. John Mahoney spends a bunch of the episode doing his irate thing even after it isn’t making things funny anymore. He eventually gets reassigned and does a lot better, but then you’re just left wondering why they weren’t using him better the whole time.

After some exceptionally efficient and funny setup—including some Peri Gilpin vs. David Hyde Pierce, which is always funny and usually good—Kelsey Grammer and Hyde Pierce are proud new restauranteurs and it’s opening night. Everyone’s going to be there—Mahoney, Jane Leeves, Gilpin, Dan Butler, and Edward Hibbert. Hibbert’s the radio restaurant critic who kicks off the whole plot in that efficient opening.

It’s important to have a lot of people around—it’s a big restaurant set, with adjoining kitchen (the unmarked kitchen doors are going to come into play, obviously)—because once things start going wrong, the episode will become Grammer and Hyde Pierce trying to fix one thing while breaking two others.

The episode gives everyone in the main cast–with the asterisk next to Mahoney—some great material. Some of it’s undercooked, like Leeves and Gilpin getting angry at each other when they should be mad at Grammer or Hyde Pierce, but some of it’s gold, like when Leeves shows off her seafood-related culinary skills.

But writer David Lloyd only seems to be able to reliably write two person conversations, which is usually why Mahoney comes off shoe-horned in and superfluous, and when the action gets to the restaurant, it no longer matters what sitcom this situational comedy is unfolding on. Eventually even Hyde Pierce becomes part of the stock cast, so it’s basically about the lead having four helpers and two foils as everything goes to pot.

Innkeepers is a hilarious half hour of television. And, take off the first act, it would’ve been just as funny if it were on “The Jeffersons,” “Friends,” or, I don’t know, “Family Guy.” If the script was more of a collaborative effort, it shows. If it wasn’t, I guess it needed some collaboration.

Frasier (1993) s02e22 – Agents in America: Part 3

Agents in America: Part 3 doesn’t seem like it’s going to be a very big episode, but then the last third or so is very big scale. The first two acts(?)—see, I probably should have learned the structure of sitcom plots, I’m sure there’s proper terminology—but the first two-thirds is mostly at the apartment.

The episode opens at the coffee shop with Frasier’s unstoppable agent, Harriet Sansom Harris, telling Kelsey Grammer he needs to feign illness to force the station to pay him more money. Turns out he’s their most popular show but he’s got a terrible contract because Grammer didn’t have Harris at the time.

The action then moves to the apartment and pretty much stays there as Grammer is “home sick” until the station agrees to renegotiate. John Mahoney and Jane Leeves are around, sick of Grammer’s company, and then Harris is popping in to check on him and getting everyone pissed off at her. David Hyde Pierce shows up, Peri Gilpin shows up. Everyone gets their time and their laughs—it’s a lot of fun watching the cast play off Harris, particularly Leeves—it’s just at the apartment.

So it seems like a small episode.

But then it gets really big—bringing in Dan Butler and Eric Lutes at the station in exaggerated cameos—because it needs to rise to a big enough scale for Harris to have room to really let loose. Harris didn’t win an Emmy for this episode, which is disappointing but she didn’t even get nominated, which is shocking. She’s so good. Director Philip Charles MacKenzie directs the episode with Harris not as the protagonist, antagonist, or subject, but the natural disaster in a disaster movie. She’s the unstoppable force, everyone else are the victims in her path.

Great little stuff from Hyde Pierce, strong lead stuff from Grammer. Mahoney’s got some excellent moments too. It’s just another great one.

Script by Joe Keenan.

Frasier (1993) s02e21 – An Affair to Forget

Writer Chuck Ranberg and Anne Flett-Giordano turn in one of the instant “Frasier” classics. It involves the show’s reliable standards—Maris jokes, the radio show, David Hyde Pierce’s physical comedy–and hits spectacular heights with all three, but most impressively the Hyde Pierce stuff. The episode ends with a fantastic sword fight with Hyde Pierce versus Brian Cousins as they tear through Hyde Pierce’s extravagant living room. There’s even some sword fighting on staircases; not quite Robin Hood or Scaramouche but closer than not.

Hyde Pierce is a singular physical comedian. The way his timing scales from micro-expressions to actual big stunts here is breathtaking. It’s awesome to watch.

The story has Kelsey Grammer become convinced Cousins is the cheating fencing instructor husband of a caller (an unrecognizable until you see her name in the credits Glenne Headly, at which point it becomes immediately obvious and another reminder Dirty Rotten Scoundrels 2 probably would’ve been better than the original thanks to her) and he’s cheating on Headly with Hyde Pierce’s ever unseen wife Maris. Grammer gets some great scenes as he butts in—after dad John Mahoney tells him to sit it out and we miss seeing Peri Gilpin’s response once she’s got the whole story.

We get to see Gilpin’s reaction to Grammer acting like a jackass on the air as he panics and starts yelling at Headly, which is great and has an outstanding punchline, but Gilpin doesn’t stay involved with the plot as it continues. It’s okay because it’s great but it’s also a bummer not to get to see what they would’ve come up with for Gilpin to do.

Another foil—no pun, but there’s an amazing line from Mahoney about fencing foils before I forget, just an inspired one liner (the episode’s full of them)—is Hyde Pierce’s maid, Irene Olga López. López is excellent.

Great direction from Philip Charles MacKenzie.

It’s another standout episode, which is kind of great era “Frasier”’s thing; all of the episodes are classics, all of the episodes are standout.

It’s so good.

Frasier (1993) s02e20 – Breaking the Ice

I really wish I was keeping track of what “Frasier” writers wrote what kind of episodes, though I do know I wasn’t expecting a Crane boys outing episode from Steven Levitan. Or, at least, I would’ve expected it from other writers first. Levitan wrote an episode first season, but just the one. This episode, Breaking the Ice, fits so perfectly into the always developing relationship arc between the Crane boys—sons Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Niles (David Hyde Pierce) and father John Mahoney.

The episode opens with Grammer realizing Mahoney has never told him he loves him—Peri Gilpin, who only gets the opening scene and makes it count, has a great line about how much it explains about Grammer. But then we quickly get through Mahoney’s ice fishing buddy falling through and wanting the boys to go fishing with him.

Grammer says no, but after it turns out Jane Leeves thinks fishers are hot, Hyde Pierce is all aboard to go. Eventually, Grammer works out he wants to go with, in hunt of the illusive “I Love You” from Dad, and the episode moves on to the ice shack, which is going to be the single location the rest of the episode.

One of the other reasons it seems like the writer has got to be a regular—Levitan writes the whiny Grammer killjoy stuff perfectly. It’s happened in multiple episodes to this point—Grammer harangues Mahoney into a joint social outing then Grammer ruins it for everyone. It’s not a trope, it’s a character defect for Frasier and they do a great job with it.

And this episode seems to be headed on that path but then Levitan finds a different turn—alcohol and opera singing are involved—and gets to these phenomenal moments for the cast. Mahoney’s the best, but all three are excellent.

Lots of solid jokes too, including a somewhat long bit about Hyde Pierce’s fishing outfit, which moves from Grammer to Leeves because Levitan’s script is very strong. Again, very surprising he’s not a more frequent writer on the show.

Good direction from Philip Charles MacKenzie too.

It’s a really good episode; might be the strongest Crane Boys episode so far.

Frasier (1993) s02e19 – Someone to Watch Over Me

I figured I’d have remembered Don Seigel’s name from last season, if only for it confusing spell check, but I didn’t. I should have. His episode last season was great. This one’s pretty great too; it’s another SeaBea Awards episode, with Kelsey Grammer and Peri Gilpin sure they’ve got a chance this year if only Grammer’s stalker (Renée Lippin does the calls) lets them get to the podium to accept.

Much like last episode, this one is yet another good “Frasier” exemplar, but from an irregular writer (Seigel didn’t do anymore). They’ve got James Burrows directing, which is great—he does an excellent job managing Grammer’s manic stress in the finale, as he races around the hotel (where the awards show is being held) trying to escape fate. Meanwhile Gilpin’s got a big zit on her nose, which isn’t quite a subplot but does provide everyone something to talk about while they’re trying to decide whether or not Grammer’s in any actual danger.

Dad John Mahoney is conservative about it, but Grammer freaks out and hires a personal bodyguard anyway, which complicates the evening in its own ways.

But the big SeaBeas finish comes after the great build-up, starting with John Lithgow’s call in to the station (I was way too proud of myself for recognizing him) and then moving into Lippin as the too enthusiastic fan who starts scaring Grammer. That plot builds on its own, with the SeaBeas coming in as a subplot—it’s not for sure Grammer’s going to survive long enough to get there, even with a bodyguard—and Seigel gives lots of material to the cast. David Hyde Pierce and Jane Leeves technically get the least, but Seigel makes sure they have some solid contributions. It’s a very strong script.

And the end credits sequel is absolutely hilarious, getting a much different laugh then the episode initially closes on.

Good, good, good stuff.

Frasier (1993) s02e18 – The Club

It’s a quintessential “Frasier” if only because it plays with some very familiar, very ingrained snob tropes. Writers Elias Davis and David Pollock did another episode earlier this season—and The Club is their final contribution to the series, unfortunately—and have a great handle on the characters. The successful “guest” writers (i.e. not also an exec, co-exec, assistant, co-, or assistant co-producer) who are able to write a great “Frasier” are in some ways more interesting than the regular excellent scripts; they end up showcasing how well the pieces of “Frasier” work together.

For example, the joke here isn’t just brothers Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Niles (David Hyde Pierce) competing to join a stuck-up men’s social club, but also with Grammer having to bring Jane Leeves along as his date and Hyde Pierce having to additionally contend with that development. When the brothers start fighting, Peri Gilpin is on the sidelines and gets to participate. There’s time for a touching—well, sitcom touching—moment between John Mahoney and Grammer. It’s just a well-constructed half hour show and a fine showcase for the series and its adaptability. Specifically the cast’s adaptability.

And even though Grammer gets the big character development moment and we follow his arc, he’s really in the more reserve position this episode. The initial club stuff is a Hyde Pierce moment, the first visit to the club with Leeves gives her the best material (and reminds we don’t get to see Leeves in action enough), and then the finale is all Hyde Pierce’s. It’s such a well-balanced show.

There’s some fun Crane brothers banter before they get mad at each other, cute Eddie stuff, Gary Sinise being the guest-caller, and a truly fantastic last minute twist to get an even stronger finale.

And there’s even an “Eddie's muffin” (versus Chekhov’s gun), a familiar device the show uses often with jokes but either hasn’t lately or I haven’t noticed.

So The Club. Very good showcase episode.

Frasier (1993) s02e17 – Daphne’s Room

Once again it’s a “Frasier” where it feels like they’re trying to one-up something, but they’re not actually trying to one-up anything. It’s just Kelsey Grammer trying out an extremely physical episode—extremely physical bits are mostly David Hyde Pierce’s forte (though Grammer’s had at least one good one this season already)—but after a certain point, all the comedy in Daphne’s Room is physical comedy and it’s magnificent.

Linda Morris and Vic Rauseo contribute the script—they’ve written some of the stronger Daphne (Jane Leeves) episodes in the past—and David Lee directs. As the title implies, Leeves’s room plays a big part in the episode as Grammer invades her personal space and then bungles every attempt to repair the offense. There are multiple outstanding sequences involving him sneaking into, around, and out of Leeves’s boudoir.

It’s not just the great physical comedy, there’s also strong scenes between the cast—Hyde Pierce and Peri Gilpin get to team up against Grammer, not to mention Hyde Pierce having his own subplot with ever-offscreen wife Maris, and then John Mahoney gets involved because Grammer’s pissed off Leeves so much.

The episode’s balance—this much Grammer, this much Leeves, this much Hyde Pierce (who, of course, also wants to snoop around Leeves’s room once Grammer establishes the principle)–is exquisite. Script, director, performances. They’re all in excellent sync, which might make this one of those exemplars I occasionally call out. Yes, actually, indeed–Daphne’s Room is one of those “Frasier” exemplars. Leeves’s character arc is full of complications they can’t really address because it’s a sitcom and Leeves gets it into the performance. And Grammer does really well making everyone believe he’s so obvious the intrusions are plausible.

There’s an excellent punchline—which almost could go over the credits but they wisely keep it in the episode proper. Leeves is second-billed on “Frasier” while usually fighting for fourth with Gilpin so it’s very nice to see her get so much to do here.

It’s an outstanding, hilarious twenty-whatever minutes.

Frasier (1993) s02e16 – The Show Where Sam Shows Up

I was kind of dreading this episode—the first season of “Frasier” immediately established the show’s differences from “Cheers” and made the need for a stunt cameo from a “Cheers” cast member superfluous. So waiting to the back nine of the second season to bring in Ted Danson, who was trying to recover from the blackface incident—wait, I wonder if he was originally supposed to be in the first season and they had to push him back.

Either way, waiting until the show’s not just creatively established but also culturally and critically was a power move. As much as an NBC sitcom could make a power move. The episode has “Cheers” pedigree—writers Ken Levine and David Isaacs (who I think have only done “Frasier” for the “Cheers” crossovers), director James Burrows—but the story ends up being Kelsey Grammer’s. It’s less about Grammer as king of “Cheers-Wings-Frasier Multiverse,” taking the crown off Danson, and more about the writers trying to figure out what do to with Sam Malone outside the bar.

He’s a dim bulb, which is kind of a weird thing to bring to the audience’s attention because all it does is reveal how “Cheers” was just written at an easier joke level. Often by Levine and Isaacs. While directed by Burrows. It plays out as this de facto flex from “Frasier” about the child surpassing the parent, but seemingly unintentionally. There really is just nothing to do with Sam Malone outside a particular soundstage.

There’s some fun stuff with Peri Gilpin and Danson as two sexual predators attacking each other—sadly it goes nowhere, which would be fine if Danson did anything but he’s just sort of around; he’s available to participate in jokes, like post-scripting the “Cheers” characters and John Mahoney trying to get Danson to sit in the gross chair.

It’s fine. It’s funny. Affable. David Hyde Pierce and Danson work better together than you’d expect.

Then we get to Danson’s story—he’s got a fiancée he’s avoiding (Téa Leoni, getting an NBC test out)—but then the real story is about Grammer and Leoni. See, when Grammer says he’s met a girl in Boston, it’s not Boston, Canada he’s talking about.

The third act is a little rough and a little easy, but it’s a successful reunion episode. Danson’s fine, Leoni’s good, Grammer’s really good.

Not dreadful at all.