WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.899 Welcome back to the deep dive. Today, we are 00:00:02.899 --> 00:00:05.980 cracking open a very specific, very sophisticated 00:00:05.980 --> 00:00:08.839 and frankly, a very chaotic slice of television 00:00:08.839 --> 00:00:11.560 history. Oh, absolutely chaotic. Right. We are 00:00:11.560 --> 00:00:15.419 talking about season 10 of the American sitcom. 00:00:16.369 --> 00:00:19.890 And it is a massive season to unpack. I mean, 00:00:19.890 --> 00:00:22.109 if you look at the trajectory of the entire series, 00:00:22.329 --> 00:00:25.210 season 10 is really the pivot point. Yeah. It's 00:00:25.210 --> 00:00:28.050 a season of major milestones. It's a season of 00:00:28.050 --> 00:00:31.289 genuine crisis. And honestly, it marks the beginning 00:00:31.289 --> 00:00:34.090 of the end run for the series. Exactly. Just 00:00:34.090 --> 00:00:37.030 to place us in time, because context is everything 00:00:37.030 --> 00:00:39.149 with these long -running shows, we are looking 00:00:39.149 --> 00:00:42.390 at a run of episodes that aired on NBC from September 00:00:42.390 --> 00:00:46.810 24, 2002, all the way to May 20, 2003. Right. 00:00:47.030 --> 00:00:49.409 Now, before we even get into the plot, I have 00:00:49.409 --> 00:00:51.130 to ask you about something that I missed entirely 00:00:51.130 --> 00:00:53.130 when I first watched this back in the day, but 00:00:53.130 --> 00:00:55.189 you flagged it immediately in the notes. Oh, 00:00:55.210 --> 00:00:57.429 the opening. Yes. If you were a keen observer 00:00:57.429 --> 00:00:59.590 sitting on your couch in 2002, you would have 00:00:59.590 --> 00:01:01.390 noticed something different before a single word 00:01:01.390 --> 00:01:03.670 of dialogue was even spoken. Talk about the title 00:01:03.670 --> 00:01:07.049 card. The title card. It changed. It did. It's 00:01:07.049 --> 00:01:09.769 such a subtle detail. But for television historians 00:01:09.769 --> 00:01:13.290 and, you know, diehard fans, it was basically 00:01:13.290 --> 00:01:16.230 a siren. Huh. For years, viewers were used to 00:01:16.230 --> 00:01:18.250 a certain look, the Seattle skyline, the familiar 00:01:18.250 --> 00:01:21.189 colors. But for season 10, the opening title 00:01:21.189 --> 00:01:24.049 card was changed to a metallic silver. Metallic 00:01:24.049 --> 00:01:26.670 silver. That feels, I don't know, a bit industrial. 00:01:27.310 --> 00:01:30.170 Or maybe celebratory? It's surprisingly weighty, 00:01:30.189 --> 00:01:32.939 actually. In the language of television design, 00:01:33.140 --> 00:01:36.180 it really signals a shift in eras. Like an anniversary. 00:01:36.700 --> 00:01:39.719 Exactly. It tells the audience, even subconsciously, 00:01:39.719 --> 00:01:42.420 that we are entering the quiet of the show. It's 00:01:42.420 --> 00:01:44.439 like the show is putting on its formal wear for 00:01:44.439 --> 00:01:46.099 the final act. It's not just another season. 00:01:46.239 --> 00:01:48.980 It's the silver season. I love that. The silver 00:01:48.980 --> 00:01:51.299 season. It really sets the stakes. Now, looking 00:01:51.299 --> 00:01:53.280 at our stack of sources here, we've got cast 00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:55.760 lists, detailed plot summaries of all 24 episodes, 00:01:56.000 --> 00:01:58.819 viewership data. A lot of data. So much. So our 00:01:58.819 --> 00:02:01.060 mission today is pretty clear. We need to figure 00:02:01.060 --> 00:02:03.400 out how a show that is so established. I mean, 00:02:03.420 --> 00:02:06.379 we are 10 years deep into the Crane family psyche 00:02:06.379 --> 00:02:09.419 at this point, handles massive life changes while 00:02:09.419 --> 00:02:12.539 trying to keep the comedy afloat. And that right 00:02:12.539 --> 00:02:15.590 there is the central tension of season 10. You 00:02:15.590 --> 00:02:18.469 have the classic Frazier highbrow farce. We're 00:02:18.469 --> 00:02:22.129 talking opera. Caviar cartels, exclusive spas. 00:02:22.129 --> 00:02:25.490 Right. And that clashes directly with very grounded, 00:02:25.550 --> 00:02:28.210 very human drama. Things like heart surgery and 00:02:28.210 --> 00:02:30.650 divorce. It's a huge balancing act. So let's 00:02:30.650 --> 00:02:32.569 unpack this. We have to start with the couple 00:02:32.569 --> 00:02:35.349 that basically defined the romantic tension of 00:02:35.349 --> 00:02:38.090 90s television. Niles and Daphne. Niles and Daphne. 00:02:38.189 --> 00:02:41.050 By season 10, they are together. The whole will 00:02:41.050 --> 00:02:43.370 -they -won't -they thing is finally over. But 00:02:43.370 --> 00:02:46.370 the show decides to kick things off in a, well, 00:02:46.430 --> 00:02:49.610 a very chaotic way. To say the least. Usually, 00:02:49.669 --> 00:02:51.669 you know, a sitcom wedding is the season finale. 00:02:51.889 --> 00:02:54.590 Yeah, the big payoff. Right. But season 10 opens 00:02:54.590 --> 00:02:57.009 with an episode called The Ring Cycle. And it 00:02:57.009 --> 00:02:58.689 essentially revolves around the fact that Niles 00:02:58.689 --> 00:03:01.400 and Daphne get married not once, not twice. But 00:03:01.400 --> 00:03:04.240 three separate times. Three weddings? That sounds 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:06.699 like a logistical nightmare. Is this just indecision 00:03:06.699 --> 00:03:09.259 on their part? It's less about indecision and 00:03:09.259 --> 00:03:12.120 more about that classic Fraser trope, lying to 00:03:12.120 --> 00:03:14.139 avoid a moment of discomfort. Oh, of course. 00:03:14.280 --> 00:03:16.719 It starts with pure impulse. They love each other, 00:03:16.780 --> 00:03:18.699 they just can't wait any longer, and they don't 00:03:18.699 --> 00:03:21.659 want the fuss. So they haze into a casino in 00:03:21.659 --> 00:03:23.819 Reno in the middle of the night and get married 00:03:23.819 --> 00:03:26.159 secretly. Which... Honestly, it's incredibly 00:03:26.159 --> 00:03:28.659 romantic. It's a meaty gratification. Just them. 00:03:28.819 --> 00:03:31.199 No Frazier taking over the catering. No Martin 00:03:31.199 --> 00:03:33.539 making sarcastic jokes. It is really romantic. 00:03:33.800 --> 00:03:36.439 But the comedy comes from the hangover of that 00:03:36.439 --> 00:03:39.259 decision. They return to Seattle. The adrenaline 00:03:39.259 --> 00:03:43.039 wears off. And they suddenly realize that Frazier 00:03:43.039 --> 00:03:46.620 and Martin would be absolutely devastated if 00:03:46.620 --> 00:03:49.479 they knew they missed the actual ceremony. So... 00:03:49.900 --> 00:03:51.919 Knowing the Crane Boys, instead of just sitting 00:03:51.919 --> 00:03:53.740 their father down and saying, hey, we got married 00:03:53.740 --> 00:03:56.580 because we love each other, they invent a convoluted 00:03:56.580 --> 00:03:59.020 lie. Precisely. They pretend they aren't married 00:03:59.020 --> 00:04:01.780 yet. And they set up a fake courthouse wedding 00:04:01.780 --> 00:04:04.860 for three days later. It's this massive comedy 00:04:04.860 --> 00:04:07.860 of errors designed purely to spare feelings. 00:04:08.620 --> 00:04:10.770 But... As always happens in the Crane family, 00:04:10.930 --> 00:04:13.409 the lie gets complicated. Enter Daphne's mother, 00:04:13.590 --> 00:04:15.930 Gertrude Moon. Oh, Gertrude. We are going to 00:04:15.930 --> 00:04:17.610 talk a lot about her today. I'm assuming she 00:04:17.610 --> 00:04:19.629 is not thrilled with a quickie courthouse wedding. 00:04:19.910 --> 00:04:23.990 She is not. She objects to a civil ceremony entirely. 00:04:24.889 --> 00:04:28.129 She demands a religious ceremony in a church. 00:04:28.610 --> 00:04:30.930 So now they have a third wedding on the books. 00:04:31.269 --> 00:04:34.110 Well, it's a negotiation. They agree to wait 00:04:34.110 --> 00:04:36.670 for a church wedding just to appease her. But 00:04:36.670 --> 00:04:39.269 then, once Gertrude leaves the room... She changes 00:04:39.269 --> 00:04:41.470 her mind again or creates some other conflict. 00:04:41.810 --> 00:04:44.449 So Niles and Daphne decide to do the civil ceremony, 00:04:44.550 --> 00:04:46.949 the fake one, without her knowing. Wait, wait. 00:04:47.009 --> 00:04:50.430 So they are doing a fake wedding to hide a real 00:04:50.430 --> 00:04:52.670 wedding while supposedly planning a third wedding. 00:04:52.970 --> 00:04:55.250 Exactly. And then they have to do it again because 00:04:55.250 --> 00:04:57.870 Gertrude apologizes later, saying she just wants 00:04:57.870 --> 00:05:01.329 to be there regardless of the venue. So Niles 00:05:01.329 --> 00:05:03.350 and Daphne feel obliged to go through the whole 00:05:03.350 --> 00:05:05.750 process a third time for her benefit. That is 00:05:05.750 --> 00:05:07.970 exhausting. The source material actually notes 00:05:07.970 --> 00:05:10.050 that by this point, their personal vows are becoming 00:05:10.050 --> 00:05:12.709 less significant and less memorable with every 00:05:12.709 --> 00:05:15.029 single repetition. I can imagine. By the third 00:05:15.029 --> 00:05:17.170 time you say, I do, you're probably thinking, 00:05:17.290 --> 00:05:20.170 I did, I have, and I will again in 20 minutes. 00:05:20.490 --> 00:05:23.209 And just to twist the knife a little more, they 00:05:23.209 --> 00:05:26.730 have an incredibly awkward encounter with Donnie 00:05:26.730 --> 00:05:29.759 Daphne's ex -fiance. Right there at the courthouse. 00:05:29.899 --> 00:05:32.519 Ouch. That is the ghost of seasons past coming 00:05:32.519 --> 00:05:34.920 back to haunt them at the worst possible time. 00:05:35.100 --> 00:05:37.300 But here is the resolution, and it's actually 00:05:37.300 --> 00:05:40.079 quite telling about the family dynamic. When 00:05:40.079 --> 00:05:42.100 the truth finally comes out at the third wedding, 00:05:42.199 --> 00:05:44.019 because the truth always comes out on this show, 00:05:44.199 --> 00:05:47.899 everyone is furious at the lies. Except for Martin. 00:05:48.100 --> 00:05:50.740 Really? Martin is usually the one who hates the 00:05:50.740 --> 00:05:53.279 crane boy schemes. He's the moral compass of 00:05:53.279 --> 00:05:55.980 the show. In this case, though, he's the only 00:05:55.980 --> 00:05:59.180 one who isn't angry. He sees the absolute absurdity 00:05:59.180 --> 00:06:01.560 of it all. He cuts through the noise and just 00:06:01.560 --> 00:06:04.000 encourages the newlyweds to go out on their honeymoon 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:06.920 and enjoy themselves. That's sweet. It is. And 00:06:06.920 --> 00:06:08.740 this leads to a very significant moment in the 00:06:08.740 --> 00:06:11.100 series lore, something that really cements Daphne's 00:06:11.100 --> 00:06:13.579 place in the family. Oh, what's that? Daphne 00:06:13.579 --> 00:06:15.839 finally calls him by his first name. Wait, really? 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:19.420 After 10 years? Yes. She has always called him 00:06:19.420 --> 00:06:22.000 Mr. Crane, even when she and Niles were dating, 00:06:22.120 --> 00:06:24.319 even when she lived there. But in that moment 00:06:24.319 --> 00:06:27.319 of acceptance, she calls him Martin. That actually 00:06:27.319 --> 00:06:29.920 gives me chills. It's such a small word, but 00:06:29.920 --> 00:06:32.259 it signifies the complete end of the employer 00:06:32.259 --> 00:06:34.800 relationship. She's his daughter now. Exactly. 00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:37.300 It solidifies her transition from physical therapist 00:06:37.300 --> 00:06:40.720 to daughter -in -law. But as we see in the episodes 00:06:40.720 --> 00:06:43.540 immediately following, that transition isn't 00:06:43.540 --> 00:06:46.040 exactly smooth sailing, practically speaking. 00:06:46.199 --> 00:06:47.779 I mean, she's moving out of the apartment. Right. 00:06:47.879 --> 00:06:50.480 Because for 10 years, that apartment has been 00:06:50.480 --> 00:06:54.019 the central hub. In episode two, which is called 00:06:54.019 --> 00:06:56.730 Enemy at the Gate. We see the vacuum that Daphne 00:06:56.730 --> 00:06:59.209 leaves behind. There is a distinct sadness to 00:06:59.209 --> 00:07:02.509 it. She finishes moving out, and Martin realizes 00:07:02.509 --> 00:07:04.970 he is genuinely going to miss her presence. It's 00:07:04.970 --> 00:07:06.730 not just about losing a housekeeper or someone 00:07:06.730 --> 00:07:09.449 to cook for him. The domestic ecosystem is breaking. 00:07:09.769 --> 00:07:12.629 Right. Martin, Fraser, and Daphne were a triad. 00:07:12.649 --> 00:07:15.149 Now it's just the two men again. And then you 00:07:15.149 --> 00:07:18.569 have the awkwardness of Niles and Daphne trying 00:07:18.569 --> 00:07:22.250 to integrate their newly married life into the 00:07:22.250 --> 00:07:28.769 existing social circle. And there is this. massive 00:07:28.769 --> 00:07:31.810 misunderstanding with Roz. Oh, yes. That is a 00:07:31.810 --> 00:07:34.550 classic farce setup straight out of a French 00:07:34.550 --> 00:07:37.990 play. A verbal misunderstanding leads Roz to 00:07:37.990 --> 00:07:40.709 genuinely believe that Niles and Daphne are asking 00:07:40.709 --> 00:07:43.449 her to join them in a threesome. Oh, no. Please 00:07:43.449 --> 00:07:45.350 tell me they clear that up quickly. Eventually, 00:07:45.410 --> 00:07:47.730 but not before it results in days of teasing 00:07:47.730 --> 00:07:50.730 and incredibly awkward interactions. But, you 00:07:50.730 --> 00:07:52.689 know, it highlights something important. Everyone 00:07:52.689 --> 00:07:54.269 is still trying to figure out the boundaries 00:07:54.269 --> 00:07:56.610 of this new marriage. They don't know how to 00:07:56.610 --> 00:07:59.050 relate to Niles. and Daphne as a unified front 00:07:59.050 --> 00:08:02.449 yet. It's growing pains. It totally is. But it 00:08:02.449 --> 00:08:04.310 gets a lot more serious later in the season. 00:08:04.490 --> 00:08:07.470 In the episode Fathers and Sons, we see Niles 00:08:07.470 --> 00:08:09.810 and Daphne actually planning for children. Already? 00:08:10.069 --> 00:08:11.670 Yeah, they're trying to get into a kindergarten. 00:08:12.029 --> 00:08:14.029 A kindergarten? They don't even have a baby yet. 00:08:14.189 --> 00:08:16.790 Welcome to the Seattle elite school system you 00:08:16.790 --> 00:08:18.490 have to apply before conception, apparently. 00:08:18.670 --> 00:08:22.370 That is so on brand for Niles. Right. But the 00:08:22.370 --> 00:08:24.649 real obstacle to their domestic bliss isn't the 00:08:24.649 --> 00:08:26.850 kindergarten application. It's the mother -in 00:08:26.850 --> 00:08:29.879 -law. We touched on her earlier, but Gertrude 00:08:29.879 --> 00:08:32.220 Moon, played by Millicent Martin, is a recurring 00:08:32.220 --> 00:08:34.759 source of friction throughout the entire season. 00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:37.360 She seems like a handful. She's not exactly the 00:08:37.360 --> 00:08:40.039 warm baking cookies type of grandma. Far from 00:08:40.039 --> 00:08:43.990 it. She is the antagonist in their home. In Tales 00:08:43.990 --> 00:08:46.190 from the Crypt, she actually gets into a prank 00:08:46.190 --> 00:08:50.289 war with a child neighbor. A child? Yes. She's 00:08:50.289 --> 00:08:52.750 petty, she's loud, and she has absolute zero 00:08:52.750 --> 00:08:55.750 boundaries. But the peak of the awkwardness and 00:08:55.750 --> 00:08:58.309 the comedy is probably in Don't Go Breaking My 00:08:58.309 --> 00:09:00.909 Heart, where Niles accidentally climbs into bed 00:09:00.909 --> 00:09:03.509 with her. That is, wow, that is horrifying. That 00:09:03.509 --> 00:09:05.389 is the stuff of nightmares. It's the ultimate 00:09:05.389 --> 00:09:07.769 Oedipal nightmare scenario, played for laughs. 00:09:08.009 --> 00:09:10.379 But by the season finale, a new position for 00:09:10.379 --> 00:09:14.100 Roz, the dynamic finally shifts. Daphne puts 00:09:14.100 --> 00:09:16.059 her foot down. She forces her mother to move 00:09:16.059 --> 00:09:18.820 out. Good for her. It's a necessary step. It 00:09:18.820 --> 00:09:21.500 shows Daphne prioritizing her marriage over her 00:09:21.500 --> 00:09:24.139 guilt. They spend the season essentially clearing 00:09:24.139 --> 00:09:27.279 the deck, getting married, moving in, dealing 00:09:27.279 --> 00:09:29.480 with the in -laws, all so they can be a real 00:09:29.480 --> 00:09:32.779 family. So they're building this future. But 00:09:32.779 --> 00:09:35.500 while Niles and Daphne are planning for kindergartens 00:09:35.500 --> 00:09:38.120 and moving furniture, the show throws a massive 00:09:38.120 --> 00:09:41.100 curveball. And this is where the tone of season 00:09:41.100 --> 00:09:43.879 10 really shifts. This is segment two of our 00:09:43.879 --> 00:09:46.100 discussion, and it is arguably the most critical 00:09:46.100 --> 00:09:48.820 narrative arc of the entire season. It's where 00:09:48.820 --> 00:09:52.299 the show pivots from a multicam sitcom to almost 00:09:52.299 --> 00:09:54.820 a medical drama. We are talking about Niles' 00:09:54.960 --> 00:09:56.620 heart condition. It starts with something so 00:09:56.620 --> 00:09:59.240 incredibly small, right? A toothache. Yeah. In 00:09:59.240 --> 00:10:01.519 Bristle While You Work, Niles has this persistent 00:10:01.519 --> 00:10:03.500 toothache. He's complaining about it. He's trying 00:10:03.500 --> 00:10:05.899 to ignore it. He thinks it's just a sinus infection 00:10:05.899 --> 00:10:08.179 or referred pain. But the show does something 00:10:08.179 --> 00:10:10.460 very interesting here. It introduces a series 00:10:10.460 --> 00:10:13.419 of omens. Omens. Like supernatural stuff. That 00:10:13.419 --> 00:10:15.440 doesn't sound like Frasier. Well, it's psychological. 00:10:16.139 --> 00:10:18.539 Niles starts noticing these coincidences that 00:10:18.539 --> 00:10:22.299 feel ominous to him. He wins a bottle top competition. 00:10:22.539 --> 00:10:25.440 He flips a coin and it consistently lands on 00:10:25.440 --> 00:10:27.679 tails over and over again. Okay, that's a little 00:10:27.679 --> 00:10:31.169 creepy. And then the kicker. His car is struck 00:10:31.169 --> 00:10:33.090 by lightning. His car is struck by lightning. 00:10:33.169 --> 00:10:35.169 That feels almost biblical. It is the universe 00:10:35.169 --> 00:10:37.909 screaming at him. And finally, he goes to the 00:10:37.909 --> 00:10:40.409 doctor, and the diagnosis is not a toothache. 00:10:40.409 --> 00:10:44.330 It's a serious abnormality in his EKG. He requires 00:10:44.330 --> 00:10:46.850 immediate hospitalization and bypass surgery. 00:10:47.230 --> 00:10:50.090 And this leads us to Rooms with a View. Episode 00:10:50.090 --> 00:10:53.090 8, Rooms with a View. This is the centerpiece 00:10:53.090 --> 00:10:56.049 of the season's dramatic arc. Niles is undergoing 00:10:56.049 --> 00:10:58.309 heart surgery. How does this show handle that? 00:10:58.639 --> 00:11:00.879 I mean, usually in a sitcom, a hospital visit 00:11:00.879 --> 00:11:03.100 is just an excuse for funny gowns and jello jokes. 00:11:03.360 --> 00:11:05.279 They strip away a lot of the laugh track feel 00:11:05.279 --> 00:11:07.919 here. The episode uses the hospital setting to 00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:10.840 explore how each character copes with pure terror. 00:11:11.080 --> 00:11:13.919 You have Martin, who engages in this loud, jovial 00:11:13.919 --> 00:11:17.100 denial. He pretends Niles is just avoiding work, 00:11:17.279 --> 00:11:19.580 completely refusing to acknowledge the gravity 00:11:19.580 --> 00:11:22.480 of the situation. That feels very Martin. He's 00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:24.799 already lost a wife to illness. He can't face 00:11:24.799 --> 00:11:27.480 the idea of losing a son. Exactly. His coping 00:11:27.480 --> 00:11:29.879 mechanism is to reject the reality outright. 00:11:30.259 --> 00:11:33.220 Then you have Frazier. He intellectualizes the 00:11:33.220 --> 00:11:35.960 fear. He researches the medical procedures thoroughly. 00:11:36.100 --> 00:11:38.600 He's actually annoying the surgeon, suggesting 00:11:38.600 --> 00:11:40.899 he knows a better way of doing the bypass because 00:11:40.899 --> 00:11:43.519 he spoke to a colleague from Harvard. He's trying 00:11:43.519 --> 00:11:46.120 to control the uncontrollable. If he can understand 00:11:46.120 --> 00:11:48.659 the surgery, he feels like he can ensure Niles 00:11:48.659 --> 00:11:51.919 survives. Precisely. Meanwhile, Daphne is just 00:11:51.919 --> 00:11:55.220 pure terror. She's paralyzed by it. And Roz steps 00:11:55.220 --> 00:11:57.779 in as the caretaker, managing the practicalities 00:11:57.779 --> 00:12:00.519 for everyone else. But the narrative device here 00:12:00.519 --> 00:12:03.200 is what makes the episode so special. As Niles 00:12:03.200 --> 00:12:05.220 is wheeled into surgery, he speculates about 00:12:05.220 --> 00:12:07.440 whether a hospital holds memories. Rooms with 00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:10.360 a view. Yes. And the episode literally shows 00:12:10.360 --> 00:12:13.120 us those memories. This is where the visual storytelling 00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:15.840 breaks the sitcom mold. We see scenes from the 00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:18.120 past playing out in the hospital corridors. Hold 00:12:18.120 --> 00:12:19.639 on, I want to stay on that visual for a second 00:12:19.639 --> 00:12:21.580 because it's such a departure for a multicam 00:12:21.580 --> 00:12:24.600 show. Usually a hospital set is just, well, it's 00:12:24.600 --> 00:12:28.120 just a set. Bright lights, sterile walls. How 00:12:28.120 --> 00:12:30.100 do they actually pull off a memory physically 00:12:30.100 --> 00:12:32.860 in that space? It's highly theatrical, almost 00:12:32.860 --> 00:12:35.980 like a stage play. As Niles is being wheeled 00:12:35.980 --> 00:12:38.299 down the corridor on the gurney the perspective 00:12:38.299 --> 00:12:41.240 shifts. He passes a waiting room but it's not 00:12:41.240 --> 00:12:44.539 the waiting room of 2003. He sees a young Martin 00:12:44.539 --> 00:12:47.240 Crane played by a different actor obviously slumped 00:12:47.240 --> 00:12:48.960 in a chair covered in soot and dirt from his 00:12:48.960 --> 00:12:51.220 police shift receiving the news that his wife 00:12:51.220 --> 00:12:54.539 Hester has terminal cancer. Wow. So Niles is 00:12:54.539 --> 00:12:56.399 essentially rolling past the worst moment of 00:12:56.399 --> 00:12:58.340 his father's life. Exactly. He is witnessing 00:12:58.340 --> 00:13:01.100 the trauma that shaped his family. And then he 00:13:01.100 --> 00:13:03.820 rolls past a happier moment, Roz bringing baby 00:13:03.820 --> 00:13:06.460 Alice into the world. It frames his potential 00:13:06.460 --> 00:13:08.860 death not as an ending, but as just another room 00:13:08.860 --> 00:13:10.899 in the long hallway of this family's history. 00:13:11.419 --> 00:13:13.600 It's incredibly heavy for a show that usually 00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:16.460 relies on door -slamming farce. That sounds incredibly 00:13:16.460 --> 00:13:20.080 moving. It is, but it ends with hope. The surgery 00:13:20.080 --> 00:13:22.539 is successful, and we actually get a flash -forward. 00:13:22.840 --> 00:13:25.399 We see a future scene where Niles and Daphne 00:13:25.399 --> 00:13:28.399 are welcoming a second child. It reassures the 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:31.139 audience that not only does he survive, but there's 00:13:31.139 --> 00:13:34.399 a long, happy future ahead of them. But the trauma 00:13:34.399 --> 00:13:36.100 doesn't just vanish when he wakes up, right? 00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:38.120 You don't just have open -heart surgery and go 00:13:38.120 --> 00:13:40.080 back to drinking sherry the very next day. No, 00:13:40.200 --> 00:13:43.019 and that's the realism the show commits to. In 00:13:43.019 --> 00:13:45.019 the following episode, Don't Go Breaking My Heart, 00:13:45.139 --> 00:13:47.759 we deal with the aftermath. We learn that Frasier 00:13:47.759 --> 00:13:50.200 and Daphne both made pacts with God for Niles' 00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:53.879 safety. And Niles. How is he handling recovery? 00:13:54.320 --> 00:13:56.679 Niles comes out with a very strange mix of emotions. 00:13:57.100 --> 00:14:00.700 He has this immense joie de vivre. He's so happy 00:14:00.700 --> 00:14:03.240 to be alive, but it's completely mixed with extreme 00:14:03.240 --> 00:14:05.879 fear. He's terrified of a vengeful god because 00:14:05.879 --> 00:14:08.639 of the packs. He's exercising extreme physical 00:14:08.639 --> 00:14:11.220 restraint, terrified that any wrong move, any 00:14:11.220 --> 00:14:14.039 raised heart rate, will undo his survival. So 00:14:14.039 --> 00:14:16.259 he's technically alive, but he's not really living. 00:14:16.360 --> 00:14:19.169 He's a statue. Exactly. And it takes Martin, 00:14:19.289 --> 00:14:22.230 the voice of practical blue -collar wisdom, to 00:14:22.230 --> 00:14:24.870 talk sense into him. He essentially tells Niles 00:14:24.870 --> 00:14:26.990 to stop waiting for the other shoe to drape and 00:14:26.990 --> 00:14:29.370 just live his life. It's a moment of profound 00:14:29.370 --> 00:14:31.730 maturity for the Crane family. It's funny you 00:14:31.730 --> 00:14:33.649 mention maturity because while Niles is learning 00:14:33.649 --> 00:14:35.970 this massive life lesson about appreciating every 00:14:35.970 --> 00:14:38.649 moment, his older brother seems to be regressing. 00:14:39.590 --> 00:14:41.970 Frasier sinks into a pettiness that is almost 00:14:41.970 --> 00:14:45.190 teenage in nature. We go from heart surgery to... 00:14:45.659 --> 00:14:48.220 Was it a parking garage dispute? Yes, that is 00:14:48.220 --> 00:14:51.179 the perfect segue into segment three. Frazier's 00:14:51.179 --> 00:14:54.399 ethical spirals and petty crusades. If Niles 00:14:54.399 --> 00:14:57.039 is the heart of the season, Frazier is the bruised 00:14:57.039 --> 00:15:00.080 ego. And nowhere is that clearer than in Enemy 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:02.659 at the Gate. Oh, the parking garages. I think 00:15:02.659 --> 00:15:04.539 anyone who has ever driven a car in a city has 00:15:04.539 --> 00:15:06.860 had this fantasy. But Frazier actually does it. 00:15:07.070 --> 00:15:09.090 It's the ultimate Karen moment, years before 00:15:09.090 --> 00:15:11.850 we even had a name for it. Frazier enters a parking 00:15:11.850 --> 00:15:14.549 garage, realizes he forgot something or changed 00:15:14.549 --> 00:15:17.090 his mind, and tries to leave immediately. The 00:15:17.090 --> 00:15:19.529 attendant, played by the fantastic Louis Guzman, 00:15:19.710 --> 00:15:22.750 demands the $2 fee for the quote -unquote portion 00:15:22.750 --> 00:15:26.210 of 20 minutes. Which is the rule. It's annoying, 00:15:26.429 --> 00:15:28.889 but it's the posted rule. It is the rule. But 00:15:28.889 --> 00:15:32.009 Frazier refuses on principle. He shouts, I haven't 00:15:32.009 --> 00:15:35.389 parked. So he blocks the exit. He literally turns 00:15:35.389 --> 00:15:38.450 off his engine. He creates a gridlock. He inadvertently 00:15:38.450 --> 00:15:41.090 holds up traffic for everyone behind him. And 00:15:41.090 --> 00:15:43.330 what does he actually achieve? Does he get his 00:15:43.330 --> 00:15:46.750 $2 waived? He achieves absolutely nothing but 00:15:46.750 --> 00:15:50.230 irony. He wastes so much time making a grand 00:15:50.230 --> 00:15:52.710 theatrical speech about his peaceful protest 00:15:52.710 --> 00:15:55.610 that he exceeds the initial time limit and the 00:15:55.610 --> 00:15:58.610 price goes up to $4 due to the time wasted. So 00:15:58.610 --> 00:16:01.490 he pays double. No. He eventually just tells 00:16:01.490 --> 00:16:04.169 Niles to hold on and drives his luxury car straight 00:16:04.169 --> 00:16:06.330 through the wooden barrier, smashing it to pieces. 00:16:06.590 --> 00:16:09.149 He smashes the gate. That man who listens to 00:16:09.149 --> 00:16:11.950 opera and collects fine African art just drives 00:16:11.950 --> 00:16:14.409 through a barrier like an action movie star. 00:16:14.629 --> 00:16:18.429 He destroys property over $2. Niles has to go 00:16:18.429 --> 00:16:20.450 back later and pay for the damage out of his 00:16:20.450 --> 00:16:23.929 own pocket. And the fallout is even worse. Because 00:16:23.929 --> 00:16:26.649 Frazier is stuck in the garage, Roz has to start 00:16:26.649 --> 00:16:29.179 his radio show without him. She makes a careless 00:16:29.179 --> 00:16:31.600 remark and inadvertently reveals to the entire 00:16:31.600 --> 00:16:34.480 Seattle listening audience that she slept with 00:16:34.480 --> 00:16:36.940 Frazier in the past. Talk about collateral damage. 00:16:37.220 --> 00:16:39.340 It's a fascinating contradiction. You'd think 00:16:39.340 --> 00:16:42.480 a man who dedicates his life to ethics and psychiatry 00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:45.620 would have a consistent moral compass. But here 00:16:45.620 --> 00:16:48.080 he's willing to hold a parking lot hostage over 00:16:48.080 --> 00:16:50.879 two dollars. Yet look at the contrast with the 00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:54.200 episode Road to Perdition. The caviar episode. 00:16:54.399 --> 00:16:57.299 Yes. Frazier and Niles are. outraged by the high 00:16:57.299 --> 00:17:00.039 prices for beluga caviar at their usual gourmet 00:17:00.039 --> 00:17:02.700 shop. So naturally, they find a guy. They buy 00:17:02.700 --> 00:17:04.940 discount caviar from a shady connection that 00:17:04.940 --> 00:17:06.880 the source material describes as essentially 00:17:06.880 --> 00:17:09.279 the Russian mafia. So let me get this straight. 00:17:09.420 --> 00:17:12.579 Holding up traffic is a moral crusade, but funding 00:17:12.579 --> 00:17:15.140 organized crime is totally fine if the fish eggs 00:17:15.140 --> 00:17:18.049 are cheap. Exactly. And it gets worse. They become 00:17:18.049 --> 00:17:20.589 caviar drug dealers. They become addicted to 00:17:20.589 --> 00:17:23.130 the social cloud it buys them. They start dealing 00:17:23.130 --> 00:17:25.569 to the social elite to gain favors upgrades at 00:17:25.569 --> 00:17:28.490 the opera, better tables at restaurants. It completely 00:17:28.490 --> 00:17:30.950 spirals until they are down at the docks tracking 00:17:30.950 --> 00:17:33.589 down a ship called the Caspian Queen and nearly 00:17:33.589 --> 00:17:36.210 get caught by U .S. Customs. It's not really 00:17:36.210 --> 00:17:38.329 about morality for Frazier, though, is it? It's 00:17:38.329 --> 00:17:41.130 about control. In the parking garage, Frazier 00:17:41.130 --> 00:17:43.450 feels disrespected by a system. But with the 00:17:43.450 --> 00:17:46.390 caviar, the crime buys him exclusivity. You hit 00:17:46.390 --> 00:17:48.950 the nail on the head. Frazier's morality is completely 00:17:48.950 --> 00:17:52.009 flexible when luxury is involved. He bends the 00:17:52.009 --> 00:17:54.609 rules when it makes him feel elite. And he breaks 00:17:54.609 --> 00:17:57.029 the rules when they make him feel common. And 00:17:57.029 --> 00:18:00.509 we see this exact same flaw again in Door Jam. 00:18:00.730 --> 00:18:03.529 The spa episode. Right. Frazier and Niall sneak 00:18:03.529 --> 00:18:05.789 into an exclusive spa called La Porte d 'Or. 00:18:05.950 --> 00:18:08.109 But the standard gold membership isn't enough 00:18:08.109 --> 00:18:10.710 for them. They're never satisfied. They see another 00:18:10.710 --> 00:18:14.210 door. a rumor of a higher level of exclusivity, 00:18:14.289 --> 00:18:17.150 and they just assume it's the ultimate VIP area. 00:18:17.329 --> 00:18:19.289 And they sneak through it. And it dumps them 00:18:19.289 --> 00:18:21.509 straight into the garbage alley behind the building. 00:18:21.650 --> 00:18:23.970 It's the perfect metaphor for their social climbing. 00:18:24.130 --> 00:18:25.930 They always want the one thing they can't have, 00:18:26.029 --> 00:18:27.910 and it literally leaves them standing in the 00:18:27.910 --> 00:18:30.109 trash. Speaking of wanting things they shouldn't 00:18:30.109 --> 00:18:32.809 have, we really have to talk about Frasier's 00:18:32.809 --> 00:18:35.970 love life in season 10 because it is messy. It 00:18:35.970 --> 00:18:39.190 feels like he is just flailing. It is very complicated 00:18:39.190 --> 00:18:42.059 this season. The major arc here involves a character 00:18:42.059 --> 00:18:44.859 named Julia Wilcox, played by Felicity Huffman. 00:18:45.059 --> 00:18:47.920 Now, she enters as a colleague at the radio station, 00:18:48.039 --> 00:18:50.259 right? Yes. She's hired as a financial analyst 00:18:50.259 --> 00:18:53.680 for KACL, Giving Market Reports. And right from 00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:56.539 the start in the episode The Harassed, the dynamic 00:18:56.539 --> 00:19:00.099 is openly hostile. Frazier finds her condescending, 00:19:00.200 --> 00:19:02.900 rude, and arrogant. She's totally dismissive 00:19:02.900 --> 00:19:05.579 of his psychiatry degree. But Frazier is also 00:19:05.579 --> 00:19:08.140 deeply paranoid because she has a history of 00:19:08.140 --> 00:19:10.619 suing for wrongful dismissal. So he's walking 00:19:10.619 --> 00:19:12.799 on eggshells. He hates her, but he feels like 00:19:12.799 --> 00:19:15.539 he can't fire her or even yell at her. He is. 00:19:16.079 --> 00:19:19.339 But the show pulls the classic sitcom hate turns 00:19:19.339 --> 00:19:22.200 to lust switch. A heated argument turns into 00:19:22.200 --> 00:19:24.759 physical attraction. But it's not a straightforward 00:19:24.759 --> 00:19:27.559 romance at all. Julia actually has an affair 00:19:27.559 --> 00:19:30.500 with Frazier's accountant, Avery McManus. Wait, 00:19:30.539 --> 00:19:32.920 Frazier's accountant? The guy who does his taxes? 00:19:33.259 --> 00:19:35.420 Yes, played by John Hanna. And this all comes 00:19:35.420 --> 00:19:37.980 to a head in Farewell Nervosa. Frazier catches 00:19:37.980 --> 00:19:41.440 them. But then later on in Analyze Kiss, Frazier 00:19:41.440 --> 00:19:43.920 and Julia are hiding in a closet together while 00:19:43.920 --> 00:19:46.119 she's trying to break into Avery's office to 00:19:46.119 --> 00:19:48.559 retrieve some files. They're hiding in a closet. 00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:51.359 This season really leans into the farce. It really 00:19:51.359 --> 00:19:53.859 does. To keep them quiet so they aren't discovered 00:19:53.859 --> 00:19:57.599 by Avery, she kisses him. Frazier, of course, 00:19:57.660 --> 00:20:00.119 overanalyzes the kiss immediately. He thinks 00:20:00.119 --> 00:20:02.299 there is some deep hidden meaning. She insists 00:20:02.299 --> 00:20:04.740 it was purely tactical. But eventually they do 00:20:04.740 --> 00:20:06.599 start a real relationship. I have to stop you 00:20:06.599 --> 00:20:07.940 there, though. You're saying Frazier chooses 00:20:07.940 --> 00:20:09.900 Julia, a woman who cheated with his accountant 00:20:09.900 --> 00:20:11.980 and is notoriously rude to everyone he knows. 00:20:12.400 --> 00:20:15.420 Is Frazier just addicted to conflict or is he 00:20:15.420 --> 00:20:17.880 just lonely? I mean, 10 years of bad dates. Maybe 00:20:17.880 --> 00:20:19.960 he just wants to make it work with someone, anyone. 00:20:20.279 --> 00:20:22.519 That's a very fair point. Loneliness is a huge 00:20:22.519 --> 00:20:25.319 factor for his character. But look at who he 00:20:25.319 --> 00:20:28.700 chooses. Julia isn't just someone. She's someone 00:20:28.700 --> 00:20:31.539 who actively despises his friends and his lifestyle. 00:20:32.029 --> 00:20:34.829 She mocks his hand towels. If he just wanted 00:20:34.829 --> 00:20:38.009 quiet companionship, he had other options. Choosing 00:20:38.009 --> 00:20:41.269 Julia is almost an act of deliberate self -sabotage. 00:20:41.329 --> 00:20:43.490 And that self -sabotage hurts the people around 00:20:43.490 --> 00:20:46.710 him, especially Roz. Massive damage to his friendship 00:20:46.710 --> 00:20:50.150 with Roz. This is the wedge that drives the dramatic 00:20:50.150 --> 00:20:52.619 end of the season. But before we get to the finale, 00:20:52.779 --> 00:20:54.680 we should mention the other romances in Frasier's 00:20:54.680 --> 00:20:57.160 life this season. There's Chelsea, the gym teacher. 00:20:57.339 --> 00:21:00.019 Oh, played by Jean Triplehorn? Yes. Frasier really 00:21:00.019 --> 00:21:02.019 likes her. She even helps him win a squash tournament. 00:21:02.839 --> 00:21:05.460 But then he goes to her school and sees her at 00:21:05.460 --> 00:21:08.839 work berating a student in gym class. And it 00:21:08.839 --> 00:21:10.759 triggers something in him. It reminds him of 00:21:10.759 --> 00:21:13.099 his abusive former gym teacher, Coach Fuller. 00:21:13.450 --> 00:21:15.970 And the show visualizes this, and this is a must 00:21:15.970 --> 00:21:17.769 -see comedic moment when he looks at the beautiful 00:21:17.769 --> 00:21:20.930 Jean Triplehorn. He literally sees Bob Hoskins, 00:21:21.009 --> 00:21:23.990 who plays Coach Fuller, in a guest spot. He sees 00:21:23.990 --> 00:21:27.089 Bob Hoskins? That's incredible. So he's trying 00:21:27.089 --> 00:21:29.450 to be romantic with a Jean Triplehorn, but in 00:21:29.450 --> 00:21:32.170 his mind, he's staring at a bald, angry man in 00:21:32.170 --> 00:21:34.730 a tracksuit. Exactly. He just can't get past 00:21:34.730 --> 00:21:38.569 it. The relationship ends because he's hallucinating 00:21:38.569 --> 00:21:41.490 his childhood trauma. It's hilarious, but it 00:21:41.490 --> 00:21:44.630 also shows how deeply Frasier's childhood insecurities 00:21:44.630 --> 00:21:47.690 still dictate his adult life. And then, of course, 00:21:47.789 --> 00:21:50.730 the return of Lilith. Lilith needs a favor. This 00:21:50.730 --> 00:21:53.690 is such a fascinating episode. Lilith, played 00:21:53.690 --> 00:21:56.190 by the incomparable Bebe Neuwirth, returns with 00:21:56.190 --> 00:21:59.509 a huge request. She wants Frasier's sperm. Whoa. 00:21:59.869 --> 00:22:02.650 That is a massive favor to ask your ex -husband. 00:22:02.849 --> 00:22:04.769 She wants to have another child. She wants a 00:22:04.769 --> 00:22:07.269 full biological sibling for their son, Frederick. 00:22:07.430 --> 00:22:09.390 And Fraser actually considers this. He does. 00:22:09.529 --> 00:22:11.009 They actually go to the clinic. They're sitting 00:22:11.009 --> 00:22:13.049 right there in the waiting room. But in the end, 00:22:13.150 --> 00:22:15.710 they realize, or rather, Fraser helps her realize 00:22:15.710 --> 00:22:17.650 that she doesn't really want another baby. She's 00:22:17.650 --> 00:22:19.789 just lonely. She wants to recapture Frederick's 00:22:19.789 --> 00:22:21.450 childhood because he's growing up and pulling 00:22:21.450 --> 00:22:24.069 away. They part on really good terms without 00:22:24.069 --> 00:22:26.039 going through the procedure. It sounds like a 00:22:26.039 --> 00:22:28.519 rare moment of genuine maturity for both of them. 00:22:28.579 --> 00:22:30.980 It is. It's one of the few times Frazier is truly 00:22:30.980 --> 00:22:33.180 helpful as a psychiatrist to his own family. 00:22:33.319 --> 00:22:36.740 He diagnoses the real underlying need. So we've 00:22:36.740 --> 00:22:38.519 got the relationships. We've got the ethics. 00:22:38.779 --> 00:22:40.859 Let's look at the supporting cast in segment 00:22:40.859 --> 00:22:43.240 five because Roz Doyle is going through a lot 00:22:43.240 --> 00:22:46.299 this season. Roz is facing a major identity crisis. 00:22:46.519 --> 00:22:49.819 In the episode Kissing Cousin, her younger cousin 00:22:49.819 --> 00:22:52.880 Jen visits. Jen is played by Zooey Deschanel. 00:22:53.019 --> 00:22:55.789 The ultimate cool girl casting. Right. And Jen 00:22:55.789 --> 00:22:58.269 is cynical. She's a party animal. She's highly 00:22:58.269 --> 00:23:00.750 judgmental of everything mainstream. Roz tries 00:23:00.750 --> 00:23:02.690 to keep up. She tries to hit the clubs with her 00:23:02.690 --> 00:23:05.970 and stay out late. But she quickly realizes she 00:23:05.970 --> 00:23:08.670 has aged out of that scene. She's a mother now. 00:23:08.789 --> 00:23:11.730 She has a real career. It's a sobering moment 00:23:11.730 --> 00:23:14.250 for her character to realize she isn't the wild 00:23:14.250 --> 00:23:16.829 child anymore. She's growing up. She is. And 00:23:16.829 --> 00:23:19.170 professionally, she's evolving too. She gets 00:23:19.170 --> 00:23:21.369 offered a program director job at another radio 00:23:21.369 --> 00:23:24.650 station, KPX. This is a massive step up from 00:23:24.650 --> 00:23:26.490 being a producer. And this ties directly into 00:23:26.490 --> 00:23:29.670 the finale, right? It does. In the season finale, 00:23:29.970 --> 00:23:33.269 a new position for Roz. The tension with Julia 00:23:33.269 --> 00:23:37.450 Wilcox finally boils over. Julia is widely disliked 00:23:37.450 --> 00:23:39.630 by the entire family, but Roz especially can't 00:23:39.630 --> 00:23:42.529 stand her. Roz gives Frasier a brutal ultimatum. 00:23:42.569 --> 00:23:45.890 It's me or her. Wow. Choose your best friend 00:23:45.890 --> 00:23:48.029 and producer of 10 years or your new girlfriend 00:23:48.029 --> 00:23:50.829 who treats everyone like dirt. And Frasier chooses 00:23:50.829 --> 00:23:53.549 Julia. That is heartbreaking. It feels like a 00:23:53.549 --> 00:23:56.950 massive betrayal. It really is. Roz quits KACL. 00:23:57.009 --> 00:23:59.819 She takes the new program director job. The season 00:23:59.819 --> 00:24:01.880 ends with the two of them completely estranged. 00:24:02.059 --> 00:24:04.680 It's a very dark, unresolved note for a comedy 00:24:04.680 --> 00:24:06.640 to end on. What about Martin? Is he doing any 00:24:06.640 --> 00:24:08.779 better in the romance department? Martin is steady, 00:24:08.920 --> 00:24:11.099 as always. He takes a job as a security guard 00:24:11.099 --> 00:24:13.619 to stay busy. He actually becomes a safety act 00:24:13.619 --> 00:24:16.319 with his dog, Eddie, at a primary school and 00:24:16.319 --> 00:24:18.180 some assembly required. Martin and Eddie, the 00:24:18.180 --> 00:24:21.299 safety team? That's perfect. It's adorable. But 00:24:21.299 --> 00:24:23.779 his romantic life is thwarted by Gertrude Moon. 00:24:24.109 --> 00:24:26.690 He has a brief run -in with Cora Winston, a neighbor 00:24:26.690 --> 00:24:29.650 he really likes, but Gertrude intentionally ruins 00:24:29.650 --> 00:24:32.650 it out of spite. And a bizarre twist later on, 00:24:32.670 --> 00:24:35.069 he actually pretends to date Gertrude just to 00:24:35.069 --> 00:24:37.109 help Niles and Daphne get some privacy in the 00:24:37.109 --> 00:24:39.529 apartment. The sacrifices that man makes for 00:24:39.529 --> 00:24:42.109 his children. Indeed. Now, we can't talk about 00:24:42.109 --> 00:24:43.990 season 10 without mentioning the celebrity parade. 00:24:44.230 --> 00:24:47.289 You mentioned Bob Hoskins and Zooey Deschanel. 00:24:47.430 --> 00:24:49.890 Who else showed up this year? Well, we have Dr. 00:24:50.069 --> 00:24:52.329 Phil. Playing himself. Playing himself in The 00:24:52.329 --> 00:24:55.700 Devil and Dr. Phil. The joke here is that Frazier 00:24:55.700 --> 00:24:58.619 is deeply resentful because Dr. Phil, who's a 00:24:58.619 --> 00:25:02.480 huge national TV star, won $200 from him at a 00:25:02.480 --> 00:25:05.019 poker game years ago. Frazier is incredibly jealous 00:25:05.019 --> 00:25:08.000 of his fame. And to make matters worse, Frazier's 00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:10.859 ruthless agent, Bebe Glazer, is now working for 00:25:10.859 --> 00:25:13.200 Dr. Phil. Of course she is. Bebe always goes 00:25:13.200 --> 00:25:15.759 where the big money is. We also have Elvis Costello 00:25:15.759 --> 00:25:18.460 playing a loud folk singer named Ben in Cafe 00:25:18.460 --> 00:25:21.529 Nervosa. He's so annoying, constantly playing 00:25:21.529 --> 00:25:23.210 guitar and singing observational songs about 00:25:23.210 --> 00:25:25.309 the people in the coffee shop, that he actually 00:25:25.309 --> 00:25:28.130 drives Fraser and Niles away from their own beloved 00:25:28.130 --> 00:25:31.109 sanctuary in Farewell Nervosa. Imagine being 00:25:31.109 --> 00:25:33.710 driven out of your daily coffee shop by Elvis 00:25:33.710 --> 00:25:36.710 Costello. That's a very specific kind of Seattle 00:25:36.710 --> 00:25:39.890 hell. And Brent Spiner makes an appearance. Data 00:25:39.890 --> 00:25:43.049 from Star Trek. Yes. He plays Albert, a pale, 00:25:43.230 --> 00:25:45.970 very literal scientist on an airplane who connects 00:25:45.970 --> 00:25:48.859 with Lilith. It's a nice little meta nod to the 00:25:48.859 --> 00:25:51.200 Star Trek connection, seeing as Lilith's actress, 00:25:51.339 --> 00:25:53.839 Bebe Neuwirth, also appeared in Star Trek The 00:25:53.839 --> 00:25:55.539 Next Generation. Oh, that's a great catch. And 00:25:55.539 --> 00:25:58.380 Bill Taxton? He voices a guest caller named Ernie 00:25:58.380 --> 00:26:01.180 on the radio show in Analyze Kiss. And John Hanna, 00:26:01.259 --> 00:26:02.920 as we mentioned, plays the sleazy accountant 00:26:02.920 --> 00:26:06.200 Avery McManus. Despite all the heavy drama and 00:26:06.200 --> 00:26:08.720 the breakups, this is still a sitcom at its core. 00:26:09.130 --> 00:26:12.190 We need to talk about segment six, the aha moments 00:26:12.190 --> 00:26:14.910 of comedy, the things that make this season memorable 00:26:14.910 --> 00:26:17.970 purely for the laughs. There are two absolute 00:26:17.970 --> 00:26:20.529 standouts for me. First is the episode Star Mitzvah. 00:26:20.609 --> 00:26:23.410 This is Frederick's Bar Mitzvah. Yes. Fraser 00:26:23.410 --> 00:26:25.990 wants to deliver a special blessing to his son. 00:26:26.130 --> 00:26:28.990 He wants to do it in Hebrew to impress Lilith 00:26:28.990 --> 00:26:32.170 and everyone attending. So he asks his KACL co 00:26:32.170 --> 00:26:35.109 -worker, Noel Shemsky, to translate a speech 00:26:35.109 --> 00:26:38.589 for him. Noel, the resident Trekkie and... Absolute 00:26:38.589 --> 00:26:41.710 weirdo. Exactly. But Frazier fails to return 00:26:41.710 --> 00:26:44.390 a favor for Noel. He promised to get him a sci 00:26:44.390 --> 00:26:46.930 -fi autograph from a convention and just completely 00:26:46.930 --> 00:26:50.250 blew it off. Yeah. So as payback, Noel translates 00:26:50.250 --> 00:26:52.650 the speech not into Hebrew, but into Klingon. 00:26:52.750 --> 00:26:55.079 And Frazier doesn't know. He has no idea. So 00:26:55.079 --> 00:26:57.180 imagine the scene. Frazier is standing at the 00:26:57.180 --> 00:26:59.259 Bema, confident as ever wearing the yarmulke, 00:26:59.319 --> 00:27:01.400 and he starts speaking. He's putting so much 00:27:01.400 --> 00:27:03.960 deep emotion into it. But he isn't speaking Hebrew. 00:27:04.079 --> 00:27:06.480 He's gutturally speaking Klingon. Wait, does 00:27:06.480 --> 00:27:08.160 he know it sounds wrong? Does he think he's just 00:27:08.160 --> 00:27:10.460 nailing a very difficult dialect? He thinks he 00:27:10.460 --> 00:27:12.960 is delivering this profound, tear -jerking blessing. 00:27:13.640 --> 00:27:15.880 Meanwhile, the congregation is just staring at 00:27:15.880 --> 00:27:18.339 him in absolute horror. They think he's... possessed 00:27:18.339 --> 00:27:20.559 or having a stroke. And the best part, the only 00:27:20.559 --> 00:27:22.099 person in the room who actually understands him 00:27:22.099 --> 00:27:24.880 is the one guy he offended, Noel, who is mouthing 00:27:24.880 --> 00:27:27.519 the words along with him. That is painfully awkward. 00:27:27.619 --> 00:27:29.400 I'm getting secondhand embarrassment just thinking 00:27:29.400 --> 00:27:32.039 about it. How does Frazier even recover from 00:27:32.039 --> 00:27:35.059 that? He doesn't, really. It's just another massive 00:27:35.059 --> 00:27:37.579 public humiliation in the life of Frazier Crane. 00:27:38.380 --> 00:27:40.240 The other comedic highlight is the Halloween 00:27:40.240 --> 00:27:43.779 episode, Tales from the Crypt. Bulldog pranks 00:27:43.779 --> 00:27:46.720 Frazier by parking a smashed -up BMW replica 00:27:46.720 --> 00:27:50.680 in his spot. Frazier is utterly humiliated, so 00:27:50.680 --> 00:27:53.079 he attempts this incredibly complex revenge prank 00:27:53.079 --> 00:27:56.019 involving a red balloon and zombie actors. Does 00:27:56.019 --> 00:27:59.400 his master plan work? Not at all. Roz mocks the 00:27:59.400 --> 00:28:01.480 balloon idea from the start. It's a total disaster. 00:28:01.900 --> 00:28:04.380 But it perfectly highlights how Frasier overthinks 00:28:04.380 --> 00:28:06.519 everything. Even a simple practical joke. He 00:28:06.519 --> 00:28:08.440 can't just throw a water balloon. He has to stage 00:28:08.440 --> 00:28:10.640 a theatrical production. So bringing this all 00:28:10.640 --> 00:28:12.339 together for our outro, we've gone through the 00:28:12.339 --> 00:28:14.599 multiple weddings, the heart attacks, the parking 00:28:14.599 --> 00:28:17.660 garage wars, and the Klingon speeches. How do 00:28:17.660 --> 00:28:20.019 we summarize the mission of season 10? I think 00:28:20.019 --> 00:28:22.900 it's ultimately a season of divergence. On one 00:28:22.900 --> 00:28:25.119 hand, you have Niles and Daphne settling down. 00:28:25.240 --> 00:28:27.819 They are cementing their domesticity. They are 00:28:27.819 --> 00:28:29.980 facing their own mortality and coming out stronger. 00:28:30.319 --> 00:28:33.319 They are becoming the stable core of the Crane 00:28:33.319 --> 00:28:35.599 family. Yeah, and on the other hand... You have 00:28:35.599 --> 00:28:38.960 Frasier actively blowing things up. He ends the 00:28:38.960 --> 00:28:41.900 season completely alienated. Roz has quit her 00:28:41.900 --> 00:28:44.740 job because of his choices. He is dating a woman, 00:28:44.920 --> 00:28:48.039 Julia, who is actively hostile to his family 00:28:48.039 --> 00:28:50.710 and friends. He has left his comfort zone. but 00:28:50.710 --> 00:28:53.190 not in a healthy, growth -oriented way. It's 00:28:53.190 --> 00:28:55.130 almost like as Niles gets healthier physically 00:28:55.130 --> 00:28:57.890 surviving the heart condition and maturing, Frazier 00:28:57.890 --> 00:29:00.049 gets sicker socially and emotionally speaking. 00:29:00.369 --> 00:29:02.369 That's a really great way to put it. The balance 00:29:02.369 --> 00:29:05.349 of power shifts. Niles is no longer the fragile 00:29:05.349 --> 00:29:07.549 little brother who needs protecting. He's the 00:29:07.549 --> 00:29:09.609 head of his own household, and Frazier is the 00:29:09.609 --> 00:29:12.549 one adrift. So here is a final provocative thought 00:29:12.549 --> 00:29:16.009 for you listening at home to mull over. We often 00:29:16.009 --> 00:29:18.450 think of Niles as the neurotic one, the fragile 00:29:18.450 --> 00:29:21.170 one. But looking at season 10, Frasier breaks 00:29:21.170 --> 00:29:23.930 into a spa he can't stay in. He chases women 00:29:23.930 --> 00:29:26.609 he can't tolerate. He destroys his friendship 00:29:26.609 --> 00:29:29.529 with Roz for a relationship that began in outright 00:29:29.529 --> 00:29:31.890 hostility. It raises the fundamental question, 00:29:32.049 --> 00:29:34.950 is Frasier Crane even capable of being happy? 00:29:35.170 --> 00:29:38.009 Or is his subconscious addiction to conflict 00:29:38.009 --> 00:29:40.599 the real abnormality of the show? Maybe Niles' 00:29:40.700 --> 00:29:42.880 heart condition was fixable with a simple bypass 00:29:42.880 --> 00:29:45.599 surgery, but Frasier's deep -seated need for 00:29:45.599 --> 00:29:47.859 chaos that might be chronic. That is definitely 00:29:47.859 --> 00:29:49.880 something to explore on your own. Thank you for 00:29:49.880 --> 00:29:52.559 diving deep with us into Season 10 of Frasier. 00:29:52.619 --> 00:29:54.640 A truly fascinating season. We'll see you next 00:29:54.640 --> 00:29:54.900 time.