Critic’s Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
4.5
Good news: no guest star was wasted on Frasier Season 2 Episode 5, and even David got a coherent storyline.
The show fired on all cylinders in this smoothly choreographed outing that showcased Pretentious Frasier, Selfish Frasier, and Bebe, his evil agent extraordinaire!
This episode was the very definition of a delightful romp. It played to each character’s strengths and also allowed us to spend time with the flawless Rachel Bloom.
The episode was witty, tightly plotted, and self-assured in a way that I was afraid we might never again see on this show.
Luckily, this episode contained a ton of sparkling storylines, so let’s dive in!
Frasier Writes A Memoir On Frasier Season 2 Episode 5
Frasier is never funnier than when he’s in the throes of an ambitious but doomed project. In this case, it was a memoir, and he enlisted his friend group to read the first draft.
This was a brilliant way to get everyone in the same room for a reason other than a party, and it showed how comfortable the group has become with each other as a unit separate from Frasier.
Frasier’s cheerful inability to even consider failure was evident in the fact that the only column on his whiteboard was “What We’re Loving.”
This actually might have worked in the group’s favor when giving feedback, at least if anyone had actually read the memoir draft.
It was clear that Niles had read it, with son David as his proxy. Even if David’s line readings could have been a tad more evocative of his father, it was nice to hear Niles’ “voice” once again.
In this episode, instead of David, it was Eve who only got a handful of lines before effectively disappearing
The dynamic between Alan and Olivia was fun to watch. She may have shamelessly stolen his manuscript comments as her own, but his bemused take on her actions stole that scene.
One troubling thing I’ve noticed is how Olivia and Eve are becoming almost interchangeable characters. For example, most of their lines in this memoir scene could have been swapped without changing much overall.
It’s also worrisome that Olivia continues to be portrayed as a character who seems like she shouldn’t be in charge of anything, much less Harvard’s Psychology Department.
I feel like the show still hasn’t figured out exactly what it wants to do with Olivia, but making her this naive and easily manipulated isn’t the answer.
It was great to see Frasier flustered between burning his brie and keeping the memoir meeting on track.
His ego-driven excitement was endearing and made him completely oblivious to snarky comments from the peanut gallery.
For instance, only Frasier would have taken Eve’s Very Hungry Caterpillar-based notes as comparing his work to Kafka’s.
But it was Freddy, out of everyone else present (including Niles in absentia), who homed in on the one psychological item buried in Frasier’s dense text: calling his son an alien.
The Truth Is Out There
Frasier and Freddy would probably agree that they had no interests in common other than breathing. However, Frasier’s memoir draft showed that he’s considered his son an “alien” for decades.
It was a subtle but welcome character flip for Freddy to be the mature one and suggest that they find an activity to do together.
It was also good to see Frasier in his squash whites again, as he often was in the previous series for matches with Niles.
Even Frasier’s avoidance of telling Freddy that he didn’t enjoy their squash court time together was so very much in character that I couldn’t be annoyed with him for it.
Frasier actually lied so he could do what he really wanted and go to the opera, even as Freddy signed them up for a squash tournament.
And I was still just so happy that the Frasier I recognized was back!
Box Seats With Bebe On Frasier Season 2 Episode 5
Harriet Sansom Harris, as Bebe, graced this episode with her delectably serpentine presence, and it was as if no time at all had passed.
I both feared and loved it when Frasier’s cutthroat agent appeared on the original show because she would always lock him into yet another professional obligation he’d been trying to avoid.
But she was so incredibly entertaining while doing it!
Every episode she appeared in should’ve been renamed “Bebe” because she stole the entire show every time she was on.
It made perfect sense for Bebe to be in Boston at this moment. She always had a sixth sense for when Frasier was up to something particularly pretentious and unprofitable, and his writing a memoir fit the bill.
Frasier may have left his TV show behind in Chicago, but Bebe wasn’t about to let that cash cow starve in Boston. While Frasier may still be blind to his own flaws, his agent has definitely learned a thing or two in the past twenty years.
Bebe probably understands Frasier better than anyone, even if it’s just through the lens of her own greed.
She has long known how smart her client is and how inventive she must be in order to manipulate him.
Bebe always excelled at this, but she really outdid herself with the elaborate ruse she concocted for her client on Frasier Season 2 Episode 5.
The show slipped in a few mentions of Frasier and Bebe’s long-past dalliance, but not enough to immediately set off alarm bells.
However, that changed with the arrival of Bebe’s adult daughter, Phoebe.
From Here To Paternity On Frasier Season 2 Episode 5
Frasier was already disgruntled from not connecting with Freddy, and Bebe’s confession about not being an opera fan didn’t help his mood.
Little wonder that when he discovered a kindred spirit in Phoebe — down to having the same opera glasses! — it was enough for him to basically forget Freddy’s existence.
It was THRILL-ING to see Rachel Bloom as Frasier’s maybe-daughter! She absolutely nailed the balance of echoing his interests and mannerisms enough to make it plausible they could be related.
Even better was their (much too brief) singing duet. It made me wonder if we’ve heard Freddy sing on the show before or if that’s yet another talent he’s kept hidden. They could be the von Crane family singers!
Listening to Frasier and Phoebe snob it up in the opera box (PHANTOM fans, the horror!) made me nostalgic for his old dynamic with Niles.
I feel like having that outlet with his brother helped Frasier deal with not having much in common with Martin as they re-established their relationship.
Alan currently fills a version of that role, but his bond with Frasier is based on academia and who they were as young students rather than the blithe elitism and status-seeking of the Crane brothers.
It was good to see Frasier indulge his niche interests with an appreciative audience instead of having it played for laughs as usual with the less persnickety main cast.
Fraiser always needed (and got) his comeuppance in the old days, but it was also a secret thrill to recognize or learn about various wines and other fancy stuff from the asides he shared with Niles.
That said, the dialogue on Frasier Season 2 Episode 5 was whipsmart for all the characters, and I’m crossing my fingers that the show will operate at this level for the rest of the season.
It was so nice to just settle back and enjoy the show without worrying that it would lose its footing.
I must admit that I was hoping Phoebe might actually be Frasier’s daughter!
I also secretly hoped that Bebe had moved away from her manipulative ways, but no dice. A hat tip to her, though, for the deviously convoluted plot she engineered to get Frasier onto that TV set in Bushwick!
Frasier may have escaped Bebe’s elaborate snare this time, but now he’s got two Glazer agents to keep an eye on going forward. You know they’re both not going to drop that TV deal!
Freddy Squashes The Competition
Freddy continued his leap into maturity when he rightfully called his father out for his deceitful behavior.
It was hard not to be impressed by Freddy’s forcefully voiced removal of his father from the immediate clutches of his agents.
Frasier himself was won over when he finally saw whatever it was he thought his son had been missing. Passion? Emotion? It’s been there all along, Dr. Crane.
It was refreshing to see Freddy deal with Frasier as he is and not turn this into yet another example of his failures as a father.
It felt like the show was moving past some of those familiar childhood wounds for the benefit of their adult relationship. They can have all new problems going forward!
Frasier Season 2 Episode 5 was an unexpected delight that restored my faith in the show’s future. The stellar use of guest stars and fantastic dialogue set this episode apart and made it the best of the season so far.
What do you say, Frasier Fanatics? Did this episode stand out for you, or did you miss all the slapstick we’ve seen this season? Let us know in the comments!
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