Greetings, reader!
Well, I recently finished watching the legendary sitcom Frasier (1993-2004), which had eluded me earlier in life. Now that this hole in my general knowledge has been filled, and the series became one of my favorite TV comedies, I have ranked my very favorite episodes from its eleven-season run. These are the very best of Frasier!
A spoiler alert is in order, as I will be discussing specific plot points through the show's run.
Here are my honorable mentions: Halloween (Season 5 Episode 3), High Holidays (Season 11 Episode 11), Mixed Doubles (Season 4 Episode 6), The Maris Counselor (Season 5 Episode 13), Three Valentines (Season 6 Episode 14).
10. Visions of Daphne (Season 6 Episode 22)
When I started to watch Frasier, my fiancée (a lifelong fan of the series) said that it's a lot more than just a sitcom. Oh, how right she was - in addition to all the laughs and shenanigans, Frasier has more heart and emotional power to it than a large majority of comedy shows, and many of the more emotionally impactful episodes made it to my top 10 (naturally, many of the most laugh-out-loud hilarious ones made it as well).
One of the central pillars of the show's emotional core is the larger-than-life love story between Niles (David Hyde Pierce) and Daphne (Jane Leeves), built up for seven seasons, and having a big impact on viewers like me for a variety of reasons (one of them being that I see a lot of myself in Niles, and a lot of Martta in Daphne, which makes the eventual romance delightfully relatable). In this season 6 episode, things look bad as Daphne gets engaged to another man, but the final moments of the episode tease the real love of her life in a clever and magical way. It was the first time that the show properly indicated to the audience that it's not just a one-way crush, but rather something 'meant to be' on a deep level, and as someone who very much experienced the show via Niles' lens, this reveal made for one of the most powerful moments in what is one of TV's greatest love stories.
9. The Good Son (Season 1 Episode 1)
It is extremely rare for a pilot episode to make it onto my top 10 of the entire series, as that calls for an exceptionally strong pilot (or a weak rest of the series). The only other examples I can think of are Lost (strong pilot) and Designated Survivor (weak follow-up), and Frasier most definitely joins Lost in the former category instead of the latter.
It does what a pilot episode is supposed to, introducing the characters and setting in an entertaining fashion, but it also goes beyond that to be just a remarkably good episode. Pilot episodes aren't usually particularly emotional, as first-time viewers aren't attached to the characters yet, but the first episode Frasier proves an exception to the rule by providing one of the show's most tear-jerking moments - Martin (John Mahoney) making up to Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) by calling his radio show after they've fought. It's so real and touching - the conflict between the characters stems from them having such different interests, but Martin wants to get along with his son so much that he makes the effort to reach out to him via his world, which showcases the show's knack for character growth right off the bat.
8. Moon Dance (Season 3 Episode 13)
Again, a rather emotional episode - I swear, we're just about to get to the funny ones (mind you, the heartstring-tugging episodes also have their share of laughs). The early seasons of Frasier have a great deal of episodes where the dynamic of a not-yet-together Niles&Daphne is utilized for laughs, tears or both, as the chemistry between the actors and the charge and build-up in their relationship is most definitely utilized to full potential time and again. One of the more memorable instances is Moon Dance, where a newly single Niles takes Daphne to a ball.
The chemistry between the brilliant duo of David Hyde Pierce and Jane Leeves is so good here that it would've been a crime to not have the characters end up together in the future. For the first-time viewer that I was, it felt like the episode might've been leading to something happening between them for the first time - only for the ending, where Niles realizes that the whole romantic tango was just a fun performance for Daphne, to absolutely pierce one's heart. There aren't many sitcom characters that I've grown as attached to as Niles Crane, and this is one of the episodes where I just really would've wanted to give the poor guy a hug.
7. Ham Radio (Season 4 Episode 18)
Now we've got one of the hysterical ones! In Ham Radio, Frasier is tasked with directing an old-timey radio-broadcast murder mystery drama. Hilarity ensues as one might expect, with the director's ambition and precise vision clashing in a delightfully expected fashion with his chosen cast.
Some of the show's beloved supporting characters, like Noel Shempsky (Patrick Kerr) and Gil Chesterton (Edward Hibbert), really get a chance to shine - although I'd argue that the true MVP ends up being good ol' Niles Crane once again, as he tries his best to master multiple roles at a moment's notice while getting fed up with his brother's antics. Classic Frasier right here, and definitely one of the episodes with the highest laughs-per-minute counts.
6. Goodnight, Seattle (Season 11 Episodes 23-24)
Ah, the series finale. The show's closing chapter is a very by-the-numbers sitcom finale - in the best possible way. A lot of thought clearly went into it - not just the individual two-part episode, but the events of the final season in general building up a scenario where each main character is at a beautiful crossroads, about to enter a new stage in life. Martin (John Mahoney) gets remarried, Roz becomes the new station manager, Niles and Daphne become parents, and Frasier moves out of Seattle towards an interesting new job opportunity. This makes for a tapestry of beautiful payoffs, nostalgic callbacks and heartfelt goodbyes throughout the episode, really maxing out that bittersweet series finale feel.
My favorite detail, one that makes the episode stand out when compared to other similar series finales, is the way in which Frasier's love life (a central theme throughout the series) is dealt with. The episodes leading up the finale had built up the charming Charlotte (Laura Linney) as a possible 'endgame' for Frasier, until her move to Chicago seemed to put the potential-filled relationship to an end. The fate of the protagonist's love life was left up to anyone's guess up until the very final seconds - in the last line of the series, we find out that the plane Frasier was on is landing in Chicago, and not San Francisco as we had been lead to believe. The delightfully interpretational ending leaves the consequences of Frasier's romantic attempt to the viewer's imagination, and for a viewer like me, it's quite the perfect outro.
5. The Two Mrs. Cranes (Season 4 Episode 1)
In the very essence of the show's signature humor, The Two Mrs. Cranes is a gift that keeps on giving, with its clever premise escalating further and further into the depths of just how funny a television episode can be. The levels of misunderstanding and deception are off the charts here, with the chain of events escalating from 'Niles must (or, let's face it, gets to) pretend to be Daphne's husband' all the way to 'Frasier pretends to be the one married to Maris, and Roz must take on the role of Maris in order for the deception to make sense'. Throw in Martin pretending to be an astronaut just for the heck of it, and you've got yourself a piece of comedy gold to open the fourth season with.
4. The Innkeepers (Season 2 Episode 23)
"An Italian soccer team was at the next table. Maris announced she was in the mood for a goose, and perhaps inevitably, tragedy ensued"
That quote alone should earn this season 2 gem a place in my top ten. The Innkeepers is a masterclass in comedy, and definitely one of the hands-down funniest episodes of the show. Frasier and Niles get the brilliant idea of buying and running a restaurant, and what starts as an ambitious pipe dream escalates in a trainwreck-you-can't-look-away-from fashion into utter chaos. There are so many hilarious individual moments, hysterical line deliveries, and details contributing to the episode's overall amusing atmosphere that the end result is simply glorious.
3. My Coffee with Niles (Season 1 Episode 24)
The season 1 finale is an unusual one, and probably a bit divisive among fans of the series (or, at the very least, not a top three -contender for many). For my specific tastes, however, My Coffee with Niles is somewhat of an obscure masterpiece.
While not as laugh-out-loud funny as many other Frasier episodes, the episode definitely provides a great deal of comedy, especially hitting the more dry and nuanced side of the show's signature humor. It's also a brilliant feat of character development, and even more so, dialogue - these elements get a chance to shine thanks to the episode's stand-out premise, as the entire thing takes place in Café Nervosa.
A conversation between Frasier and Niles about the past year works as the frame for the entire episode, although the other major characters also pop by and join in on the dialogue every now and then. While the episode is objectively untypical, I'd argue that in its own way, it feels like the series in its purest form - the sibling relationship between Frasier and Niles, and the modern-day café society atmosphere of bathing in (while also making fun of) the world of cultural elites, are such core themes of the show, and this episode goes deeper into this vibe than any other.
2. Something Borrowed, Someone Blue (Season 7 Episodes 23-24)
Yeah, I'm a sucker for long-built payoffs, as well as heartfelt love stories - and with the case of Niles and Daphne, this series combined these two in an unparalleled manner.
After SEVEN GODDAMN SEASONS of build-up, during which first-time viewers witness the gradual evolution from silly crush to lonely pining to teasing the potential of a possible romance with moments of glorious chemistry and all the way to a screaming sense of "WHEN WILL THESE CRAZY KIDS GET TOGETHER", the show finally delivered, and it was worth the wait. It's not even about the final scene for me (the one where Daphne makes her final decision and leaves her wedding in order to be with Niles, although that scene is great as well) - the episode's (and arguably the whole show's) emotional climax comes several scenes before that, when Niles finally gathers his courage and tells Daphne how he feels. David Hyde Pierce and Jane Leeves act the scene with brilliant vulnerability and raw emotion, and it just makes viewers like me realize how much they've come to care about these characters and their star-crossed story. The kiss is pretty great too.
In addition to Something Borrowed, Someone Blue being a fantastic episode for character development and a game-changer for the show's central romance (not to mention having several funny moments in the mix), I have an extra layer of appreciation for the seventh season's two-part finale due to a powerful connection to my personal love life. As I mentioned above, this love story hits extra hard because I see a lot of myself in Niles and a lot of my fiancée in Daphne - and as fate would have it, our viewing of the series from start to finish was timed so that we watched this on the very night I proposed to her. Believe it or not, this was not planned and a pure coincidence, but an extremely fitting one at that. Of course, one could joke that watching an episode about a wedding gone wrong on the night you get engaged would be a bad omen, but that point would be severely missing the larger context.
1. The Ski Lodge (Season 5 Episode 14)
Yeah, this is the crown jewel right here. The Ski Lodge reads as a stage play, and a hysterically hilarious one at that. The amount of comedic genius that went into writing this episode is off the charts - it could easily be argued to be the best-ever example of the "multiple misunderstandings are laid out as groundwork for a series of eventual payoffs" format that shows like Frasier, Modern Family and countless others love to use.
The premise is so great that the episode couldn't really go wrong if it tried: due to a few initial misunderstandings, you have the gang (and a few guest appearances) spending the weekend in a ski lodge - Frasier, who has the hots for Daphne's friend Annie (Cynthia LaMontagne), who has the hots for Niles, who has the hots for Daphne, who has the hots for ski instructor Guy (James Patrick Stuart) - who also has the hots for Niles! The ensuing chaos is glorious to follow as it unfolds, with David Hyde Pierce once again providing some of the all-time funniest TV acting with historically amazing line deliveries such as "WHAT?!" and "I'm not gay, Guy!".
But honestly, if I had to name one single favorite element from this masterpiece of comedy television, it would be the role Martin plays - unlike everyone else playing their horny shenanigans, he's just vibing along on a chill weekend, and his bad hearing leads to him consantly stirring the pot by accident, blissfully unaware of all the tomfoolery taking place around him. It's like Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, if Puck had no f**king clue what he was doing.
Thank you for reading! Tune in next week for my updated ranking of all eleven TV shows in the Star Trek franchise.
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