Frasier (1993) s06e07 – How to Bury a Millionaire

The episode opens with a car chase sequence, with Kelsey Grammer and John Mahoney in one car and David Hyde Pierce in the other. There’s some outdoor shooting (seemingly second unit) and lots of banter during the actual driving—not just Mahoney and Grammer, but Hyde Pierce (via car phone) as well. It’s a great, distinct start to the episode, complete with general setup. Hyde Pierce is trying not to be seen because his wife took away his car in the divorce, and he’s in a hatchback. It’s awesome.

It eventually works out into a Crane boys episode—Lori Kirkland Baker gets the script credit; she’s not just distinguishing herself, in general, this season, she’s doing Crane boys episodes, which require delicate balance. The episode’s got to be simultaneously sympathetic to Hyde Pierce in his fantastical money woes while still making fun of him, often from Grammer and Mahoney’s perspectives, but also making a little fun of them too. It works out. Outstanding writing for all of it, leveraging Hyde Pierce’s physical comedy as well as dialogue banter. Pamela Fryman directs; no big swings like the opening car chase, but excellent direction throughout. It’s an exemplar “Frasier.”

Some of the episode has newly broke Hyde Pierce crashing at Grammer’s apartment, but they avoid the creep potential of having him around Jane Leeves, instead focusing on how much he annoys Mahoney and Grammer. There’s a great setup for that joke, starting in dialogue then moving into sight gags and physical comedy. Fryman’s got a wonderful sense of pacing and spends just the right amount of time building to punchlines. Again, it’s an exemplar episode. Even before they get to Hyde Pierce having to look at shitty, divorced dude apartments.

Most of the laughs for that subplot come during a tour with one of the apartment managers, Michael McShane, with the episode continuing on in more dramatic territory. Grammer, Hyde Pierce, and Mahoney all get to do character development as the finale progresses, and there are a couple divine concluding punchlines.

There’s scant but good material for Leeves and Peri Gilpin. No room for the girls in a Crane boys episode (Gilpin’s scene continues she and Grammer’s overarching unemployment arc, and then Leeves can’t be around Hyde Pierce too much, it’s not a romance episode after all).

Outside missing them, it’s a delightful episode; Fryman and Kirkland Baker are quickly becoming a new “Frasier” dream team.

Frasier (1993) s06e06 – Secret Admirer

After a peculiar opening—Peri Gilpin then David Hyde Pierce interrupt Kelsey Grammer on a date with Grace Phillips at the cafe–Secret Admirer soon becomes a spirited mix of a “Grammer the jackass” episode and a Crane Boys outing. Lori Kirkland Baker gets the script credit, Pamela Fryman directs. Both do some fine work, though Fryman’s got a couple bizarre composition choices. There’s this one close-up of Grammer in particular where the shot just doesn’t work, though maybe it’s Ron Volk’s cutting or Ken Lamkin lighted it wrong; Fryman keeps relying on it, and it hurts the scene (and Grammer’s performance).

Phillips’s backstory as the love interest stands out; she used to work at the radio station with Grammer and Gilpin (only never appeared on an episode, she apparently was some kind of executive, but it’s barely implied), so she knows them. I think she also knows Hyde Pierce. It makes her seem very familiar in the opening scene without actually being familiar. Gilpin’s interruption is just for a joke, but Hyde Pierce is setting up the B plot. He’s overjoyed—the financial settlement of his divorce is finally done.

The elation continues long enough for Hyde Pierce (offscreen) to beat Grammer at squash, which leads to the A-plot complications. Someone has slipped an expensive gift into Grammer’s squash bag, and it’s an ex-girlfriend. And he’s just got to know who, even if it messes up things with Phillips. Even though Phillips isn’t around for most of the episode, she’s never out of mind because the supporting cast repeatedly reminds the increasingly boorish Grammer he’s already got a girlfriend. He just wants one who buys him diamonds (despite the plot not involving any previously introduced characters, it’s very on point for the Frasier character, leading to an outstanding performance from him here).

There’s some excellent material for Hyde Pierce and John Mahoney as they interfere (and don’t), but then there’s also the B plot where Hyde Pierce has to get the soon-to-be ex-wife to sign the final agreement. Obviously, that task will not be going as planned for him. Mahoney, who initially doesn’t get too much to do (not more than Gilpin or Jane Leeves), ends up running the last third or so of the episode, including a hilarious physical comedy bit.

So kind of shaky opening, but it all works out in the end. The credits scene is fantastic. All the acting is real good—Phillips is a great guest love interest, too bad she hasn’t been around more—with everyone getting some fine showcases.

Not quite an exemplar episode, but very, very close.

Frasier (1993) s06e02 – Frasier’s Curse

Jay Kogen gets the script credit on this episode; his name is quickly becoming a welcome sight. My rewatch of “Frasier” could be subtitled, “I should’ve tracked the writers,” but Kogen’s gotten to be memorable for being reliable. Frasier’s Curse is a very, very reliable episode. It again trades on the manufactured sympathy for star Kelsey Grammer—he’s out of work—and to great success. The episode opens with a wonderful terrible job interview where Grammer can’t stop offending radio station boss Scott Michael Campbell (who does really well in an absolutely absurd role) and then moves into a fretting episode, but a very snappily paced one.

Though it just occurred to me the previous episode was a Grammer fretting episode too. Maybe they’ve just perfected it with the unemployment story arc. Doesn’t matter, it’s hilarious (and they should be writing for the reruns here anyway).

See, it’s Grammer’s high school reunion time and he’s convinced he’s cursed to humiliate himself. At the last reunion he’d just divorced—kind of fast and loose with the show timeline but, again, whatever—and now he’s out of work. There’s a good recurring bit with Peri Gilpin going with him to the reunion, with David Hyde Pierce, John Mahoney, and Jane Leeves offering commentary and advice from the sidelines. “Frasier” feels more more focused on Grammer than it has in seasons, only they’ve got years of experience informing how to best leverage the cast. It’s real funny.

Fine direction from Pamela Fryman as well. She gets open the episode up—Grammer makes an ill-advised trip to the grocery store where he runs into an old classmate (an appropriately snotty Tim Monsion)—and keeps the great pace. There’s an abbreviated approach to the narrative, relying on Grammer to emote the results of missed scenes; same approach with Gilpin, who gets some good, justified rants.

Hyde Pierce gets the opening comic bit—which showcases Erika Christensen as a giggling teenager like her NBC show is starting in two weeks—and it gets a nice echo in the end credits.

It’s a really funny episode and the season’s off to an excellent start; I am curious if there’s momentum or just better fodder thanks to the laid-off story arc, but only on reflection. During the episode there’s too much laughing to think about that sort of thing.

Frasier (1993) s06e01 – Good Grief

It only took five full seasons to figure it out, but “Frasier” has finally realized Kelsey Grammer’s whine episodes are a lot better when he’s actually got something to whine about. Christopher Lloyd gets the script credit, Pamela Fryman directs. Both do excellent work—there’s a lot of integrated, passive wit—as Grammer has to contend not just being unemployed, but less employable than his also laid-off colleagues. It’s perfectly humanizing. Especially for Grammer and the character. The episode seems to know how to hit the right points too with it too, particularly in juxtaposing Grammer and his coworkers, then Grammer’s arc through the episode in general with David Hyde Pierce offering aside exposition to John Mahoney. It’s an exemplar episode; the best one in a while and there have been other good ones.

The episode’s also good at balancing out the cast—Jane Leeves gets a recurring arc as Grammer’s suffering unemployment sidekick (as he works his way from projects to misery) and Peri Gilpin gets in big time on the eventual intervention. Hyde Pierce and Mahoney are on the periphery without their own stories (Hyde Pierce gets the hilarious pseudo-cliffhanger) but get spectacular material, probably the episode’s best.

And it gives Grammer a great lead performance on his show. It leverages what makes “Frasier” great, with Grammer the reliable captain who can deliver, especially when the stars align. The resolution comes from some easy visual, ableist gags, but also sitcom standards. There are asterisks on all of it, but the jokes are successfully executed. Was that compliment wishy-washy enough?

Quick supporting turns from coworkers Dan Butler, Edward Hibbert, and Tom McGowan (plus Marsha Kramer as the story lady)—super agent Bebe gets mentioned in dialogue but sadly doesn’t make an appearance (makes sense, busy episode).

There’s also a great sequence with Grammer and his fan club members, who he decides to invite to the apartment to cheer him up. That sequence has Grammer playing the straight man while Hyde Pierce, Mahoney, and Leeves get to watch disaster comedically unfold in real time. It’s just a particularly great example of the multi camera sitcom medium—Fryman’s direction is always impressive—and it gets the season off to a wonderful start.

Plus cute dog tricks from Eddie.

Frasier (1993) s05e18 – Bad Dog

It’s time for the Seabees again—the Seattle broadcasting awards show where the cast can reliably have antics once a season—this time with Kelsey Grammer emceeing the event. We get a lot of exposition real quick—Grammer, Dan Butler, and Peri Gilpin are waiting for coffee. We find out Butler’s nominated too, Grammer and Gilpin don’t have a chance because emcees never win, and the reason there’s a line at the café is because Grammer had complained about sanitary conditions.

But then there’s an attempted hold-up—an attempted attempted hold-up—and somehow Butler comes through it the hero. Grammer, however, remembers the event occurring differently and after getting the advice of friends and family (though never Gilpin, who’s convinced Butler saved her from danger), the episode becomes a “Grammer obsesses about x” episode. In this case, he’s trying to get Butler to admit his dishonesty by guilting Butler’s conscience into acting.

To do so, Grammer uses the platform of awards emcee to bring in various people from Butler’s life who should produce honesty and remorse for lying. There’s plenty of good material for Grammer, Butler, and John Mahoney as everything Grammer tries fails and Butler gleefully keeps lying to everyone for his own benefit. Mahoney’s the primary advice giver in the supporting cast because David Hyde Pierce and Jane Leeves end up having a nice little subplot about Hyde Pierce getting nominated for an award too.

However, there’s not really room to focus on Grammer, Butler, and Hyde Pierce at the awards show, so Hyde Pierce has to go offscreen for a while (returning for the grand finale). Having Leeves help Hyde Pierce with his awards speech—just in case—leads to them having some private in-jokes later on and it’s a nice, deft touch. Hyde Pierce and Leeves getting material not based on him mooning over her is welcome character development.

The script, credit to Suzanne Martin, is pretty good. The punchlines have pay-off, even if Grammer’s obsessive arc is a little pat. Director Pamela Fryman’s got some weird montages but it’s also the Seabees so maybe they get a pass.

It’s a fine episode, just not particularly distinctive a Seabees one.

Frasier (1993) s05e12 – The Zoo Story

It’s a Bebe (Harriet Sansom Harris) episode, even though Kelsey Grammer fired Harris last time she was on—last season. But it’s only sort of a Bebe episode; she’s still Peri Gilpin’s agent (maybe the biggest offscreen character continuity detail the show’s had to date, actually) and she wants Grammer back as a client, but Grammer’s still angry Harris is a soulless agent. Instead, with station negotiations looming, he’s going to find a nice guy agent.

Even though everyone, including John Mahoney (who simultaneously shouldn’t have a valid opinion on the subject but is also really funny in the scene), tells him it’s impossible to find a good nice guy agent. Grammer finds one–Robert Stanton—who spends most of his time volunteering around town, not being a cutthroat advocate for his clients. But he’s wholesome and Grammer wants it to work out.

Even though everything Stanton comes up with ends in disaster—to be fair, however, Mahoney does aggravate at least one of the disasters, rather comedically—and Grammer has to weigh his morals against success with Harris and potential ruin with Stanton. Complicating things are the disasters having public ramifications for Grammer, making him Seattle’s laughing stock, something David Hyde Pierce revels in.

Hyde Pierce’s subplot has him in martial counseling troubles with estranged wife Maris, who wants him to fire their latest counselor and is withholding their weekly naughty time until he does so. Grammer convinces Hyde Pierce to take the high road and stand his moral ground, leading to some very funny lustful Hyde Pierce moments.

Most of the episode’s entirely solid and often very funny—good script, credited to Joe Keenan, and decent direction from Pamela Fryman—but the conclusion’s incredibly rocky because Fryman doesn’t seem to know how to direct Harris. Or doesn’t know how to compose shots when Harris is in a scene? It’s a very strange disconnect and rather unfortunate.

Good guest performances from Harris (not quite the usual showstopper or showcase) and Stanton. Hyde Pierce is the regular cast standout. Mahoney’s got some good material, Jane Leeves has a funny subplot about stanning a news anchor; Grammer’s the straight man throughout.

Its parts are better than the whole, but the whole’s all right.

Frasier (1993) s05e08 – Desperately Seeking Closure

After surviving a whole episode as Kelsey Grammer’s love interest, Lindsay Frost dumps him at the beginning of this one, setting Grammer off on a self-reflection whine arc for the whole show.

It’s an on-point episode as far as the character goes—Grammer’s done an obsessing episode at least once before, if not twice. Last time it wasn’t about being dumped, however.

Grammer’s good at being whiney and annoying—actually, the episode provides a fairly comprehensive list of character defects in a hilarious sequence (Peri Gilpin and Jane Leeves cracking up at the jokes in scene)—but it’s fairly tiresome given there aren’t any subplots. John Mahoney and Leeves get a joke to themselves and David Hyde Pierce gets a coffee shop anecdote at the start. Otherwise, it’s all about Grammer and what’s wrong with him. Wait, I forgot. There’s a good remote control bit and it’s the second funniest thing in the episode after the character defect scene.

There’s an eventual okay character arc from it, but in the meantime there’s just a lot of whining. Rob Hanning’s got the writer credit. He asks a lot of the actors to pull it off. They pull it off for sure—and Pamela Fryman’s direction is excellent—but it’s a fairly thin story about Grammer coming to terms with different expectations for the relationship with Frost.

Despite getting to come back for a second appearance as a Grammer love interest, a rare feat, Frost gets practically nothing to do until the last scene and even then it’s playing off Grammer being absurd. The stuff with Grammer namedropping all the celebrities he gets to meet thanks to dating famous attorney Frost (who shouldn’t be in town after the month they’ve been dating because last episode established she was just there temporarily)… I mean, Hyde Pierce being annoying with Grammer being a shallow star f*cker is good because Hyde Pierce is great at expressions and his timing of them, but they're smiles, not laughs.

Hanning can’t seem to do laughs, just smiles and monotony.

Still, the scene where Grammer forces the cast to have an intervention with him is pretty hilarious, with Mahoney, Leeves, and Gilpin all getting to shine. Hyde Pierce is excellent in it too, but the others get all the best material.

It’s fine. Well-acted, really well-directed, okay script. It’s just a bit of a cop out as far as a resolve on the relationship between Grammer and Frost. Especially since Grammer spent the entire last two and a half seasons whining about not being able to get a date.

Frasier (1993) s05e06 – Voyage of the Damned

It’s a particularly excellent episode, with the cast—minus Jane Leeves, who gets one great showcase scene and is then out—going on an Alaskan cruise. Peri Gilpin’s got a friend looking to book a celebrity entertainer and after some mild cajoling (and Gore Vidal-name dropping), Kelsey Grammer agrees to go and give a speech.

David Hyde Pierce and John Mahoney end up going with after Grammer gets home to find a despondent Hyde Pierce loitering around the apartment. Maris is giving him the cold shoulder on their wedding anniversary after he had thought it would be a good time to work on their reconnecting. Mahoney just wants the buffet.

The opening is tightly executed; Jeffrey Richman’s got the writing credit, Pamela Fryman directs. There’s just the right combination of jokes and exposition to set up the idea of the cruise, both at the radio station with Gilpin and Grammer, then back at the apartment. Because once they get on the ship, it’s a comedy of errors and the jokes are going to be fast and frequent, putting the cast through their paces.

The initial setup on the cruise is Grammer pissed off he doesn’t have the nicest room, Mahoney overeating at the buffets, Hyde Pierce fending off an amorous acquaintance (Stephanie Faracy), while Gilpin’s getting similar attention from a seventies one-hit disco wonder “The Barracuda” (Miguel Pérez). Both Faracy and Pérez have scant moments to establish themselves and both do a fine job. Pérez’s speedy character introduction has to resonate because he’s going to be very important to the rest of the episode, although he’s mostly off screen. Gilpin and Grammer become convinced Pérez has got something inappropriate up his sleeve and so they snoop around investigating, which just gets them into more and more trouble, their situation quickly becoming screwball.

Grammer and Gilpin are phenomenal this episode, handling the absurdity of their situation just right, with Mahoney’s eventual inclusion just ratcheting it up another few notches. Everyone works in great timing with one another, especially since there’s often something big joke going on around them. There’s one time you can just watch Gilpin not able to hold in the laughs in the background; it works for the scene, but it’s very clearly Gilpin.

Hyde Pierce is also excellent; he ends up with the spotlight in the beginning scenes of the cruise ship section, then fades out a bit, the episode then focusing Gilpin, Grammer, and Mahoney and their antics. Hyde Pierce gets more to do in the finale, wrapping everything together nicely.

Voyage of the Damned is an awesome episode. Definitely an exemplar. The cast and the crew nail it, with Grammer, Gilpin, and Mahoney a fantastic comedy team.

Frasier (1993) s05e03 – Halloween

Halloween buries the lede. The episode opens with David Hyde Pierce arriving at the apartment and talking with John Mahoney about costume problems. Hyde Pierce is throwing a costume party and isn’t having any luck finding Mahoney a Sherlock Holmes outfit. From background to foreground come Kelsey Grammer and Jane Leeves, who are giggling as Grammer does a Chaucer impression (preparing for the party). Hyde Pierce dislikes the convivial mood between Grammer and Leeves, especially when it turns out they’ve been on a microbrewery tour together.

Most of these elements will be important later.

Suzanne Martin’s script—outside multiple racist Native American jokes for Edward Hibbert (but we’re supposed to be laughing at him not with him)—is really well-constructed. It’s a subplots on four burners simultaneously type episode, with them all boiling over in precise unison.

The main plot comes in when Grammer gets to work to discover Peri Gilpin’s having a very off day. After very unprofessionally screaming at her to accuse her of being unprofessional (even the late nineties remain a trip), Gilpin breaks down and tells Grammer she’s having a pregnancy scare. She’s just waiting to hear back from the doctor.

What better way to take her mind of it than going to Hyde Pierce’s party—and now all subplots are in place on the stovetop—plus Dan Butler popping in to announce he’s also going to the party.

The party is going to be Hyde Pierce getting drunker and drunker—Maris has called and said she won’t be able to attend (he’s still in his apartment, complete with Baby the bird, their reconciliation seemingly stalled compared to its trajectory at the end of last season)—and getting very confused about who’s pregnant and who’s the father. He speaks with such authority, he gets Mahoney worked up (and confused), all while Gilpin’s waiting on a call from the doctor, Grammer’s hitting on a fetching fellow party-goer (then wife Camille Grammer, which is cute even if Grammer plays it too horndog), and Leeves is bouncing between the subplots.

Before it’s all over, there will be a marriage proposal, trick-or-treaters, those racist jokes from Hibbert—oh, then just a generally ableist joke regarding another guest because even though Martin’s got a bunch of solid one-liners, she’s got some big whiffs too.

The episode, which ostensibly is about Gilpin waiting for her possibly momentous news, instead of becomes a showcase for madcap Hyde Pierce and it is glorious. There’s a “To Be Continued” tag too, so it’s not like they’re abdicating the narrative responsibility on that arc, it’s just a lot more fun to have Hyde Pierce act a major fool in a fantastic situation.

Hype Pierce, Gilpin, and Leeves are the standouts. Grammer’s good and funny but he’s pretty thin when he’s ignoring everyone’s actual problems. Mahoney’s really funny but all support.

Only the end credits tag—and the shitty jokes, and then a stinker of a recurring joke where the joke is it’s a stinker of a recurring jokes—drag it down.

Excellent Pamela Fryman direction too.

Frasier (1993) s05e02 – The Gift Horse

The Gift Horse is from a one-time writer (Ron Darian), which might explain the soft retcon regarding John Mahoney’s birthdays on the show. This episode turns the gift giving into a competition between Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce, as each tries to out do the other on the gift, leading to Grammer going all out with a big screen TV only to discover Hyde Pierce still has him beat. Then there’s a lot of nice character stuff for Mahoney at the end with his eventual gift.

But the show’s had Mahoney birthday episodes every year and they’re never anywhere near as happy of events as this episode. And not just because Marsha Mason’s around trying to make sure Mahoney’s got the best “sexty-fifth" birthday party ever. Mason’s mostly in scenes with Jane Leeves, assigning her party-related grunt work; it very much does not seem any of them would be in Leeves’s job responsibilities. But whatever, it’s fine. Leeves gets to be there for some of the TV stuff and even gets a quick moment opposite Peri Gilpin, which is too rare.

Speaking of Gilpin, she doesn’t get much to do but she’s got the great opening when she’s trying to convince Grammer to help her make an ex jealous. The punchline involves Hyde Pierce and is a particular excellent one. Darian’s script might not do the continuity—I mean, it’s a sitcom—but he’s got some good jokes and his Grammer and Hyde Pierce competitiveness stuff is outstanding.

The Pamela Fryman direction is good throughout but it really shines in the finale, when Mahoney gets to do some more dramatic stuff related to the birthday and his gift. While there are some laughs in it, the scene is mostly just character development material for Mahoney who does some fine work.

There’s also a reference to Mahoney having a perm in his youth—old pictures for the birthday are a thing, though we only get descriptions—and I’m fairly sure… Mahoney did have close to a perm in at least a couple movies (Say Anything and Tin Men). It’s neat to be able to accurately imagine thanks to actual recall.

It’s a funny and good episode—the continuity “errors” are only because no one ever intended home video marathons of the show—and the end tag has a decent (albeit slightly unbelievable) resolve to a hanging plot threads. There’s also a nice character arc for Grammer and Hyde Pierce with their competitiveness.

Makes me wish Darian had come back to write more.