WEBVTT 00:00:00.539 --> 00:00:04.360 Welcome back to the Deep Dive. Today, we are 00:00:04.360 --> 00:00:06.839 turning the clock back to a very specific moment 00:00:06.839 --> 00:00:09.220 in television history. Oh, yeah. A really pivotal 00:00:09.220 --> 00:00:12.119 moment. Right. We are looking at the years 2003 00:00:12.119 --> 00:00:17.280 and 2004. It was, well, it was the end of the 00:00:17.280 --> 00:00:21.269 must -see TV era on NBC. The absolute end of 00:00:21.269 --> 00:00:24.629 an empire. Exactly. I mean, Friends was wrapping 00:00:24.629 --> 00:00:26.850 up Sex and the City, was finishing his run on 00:00:26.850 --> 00:00:29.550 HBO, and standing there like a grand opera singer 00:00:29.550 --> 00:00:32.750 preparing for one final earth -shattering aurora 00:00:32.750 --> 00:00:36.049 was Frasier. It's so true. We are unpacking the 00:00:36.049 --> 00:00:38.490 11th and final season of one of the most acclaimed 00:00:38.490 --> 00:00:40.909 sitcoms ever made. And for those of you listening 00:00:40.909 --> 00:00:43.070 who are fans, you know how huge this was. It 00:00:43.070 --> 00:00:45.130 really was. When you look at the television landscape 00:00:45.130 --> 00:00:47.950 today, it's just so fractured. But back then, 00:00:47.969 --> 00:00:50.619 Frasier wasn't just a show. an institution. Right. 00:00:50.799 --> 00:00:55.159 It won 37 Emmys at that point. 37. The writers 00:00:55.159 --> 00:00:57.759 and the cast had the monumental task of landing 00:00:57.759 --> 00:01:00.200 a plane that had been flying high for 11 years. 00:01:00.380 --> 00:01:02.679 And they didn't just want to land it. No. They 00:01:02.679 --> 00:01:05.540 wanted to stick the landing in a way that felt 00:01:05.540 --> 00:01:10.079 true to these incredibly complex and deeply neurotic 00:01:10.079 --> 00:01:13.859 characters. So true. Just to set the stage for 00:01:13.859 --> 00:01:16.920 you listening, this season aired from September 00:01:16.920 --> 00:01:22.620 23rd, 2003 to May 13th, 2004. Four episodes. 00:01:22.939 --> 00:01:26.079 24 episodes closing out an 11 -year run. And 00:01:26.079 --> 00:01:29.019 right from the jump, before a single line of 00:01:29.019 --> 00:01:31.579 dialogue is spoken in the premiere, there is 00:01:31.579 --> 00:01:34.319 this visual cue that tells you this is it. Oh, 00:01:34.340 --> 00:01:35.799 you're talking about the title card. I am totally 00:01:35.799 --> 00:01:38.340 talking about the title card. Yeah. For 10 seasons, 00:01:38.379 --> 00:01:41.359 we had those neon jazzy colors for the Frasier 00:01:41.359 --> 00:01:44.439 text over the Seattle skyline. But for season 00:01:44.439 --> 00:01:47.359 11, they switched it. To metallic gold. To metallic 00:01:47.359 --> 00:01:49.640 gold. Which is such a brilliant, subtle flex, 00:01:49.719 --> 00:01:52.000 honestly. It's the golden season. Yeah. It signals 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:54.219 to the audience immediately that this is a victory 00:01:54.219 --> 00:01:56.260 lap. Yeah. It's almost a little bit pretentious, 00:01:56.319 --> 00:01:58.939 which is perfect for Frasier Crane. Perfectly 00:01:58.939 --> 00:02:02.500 on brand. Exactly. It says, we are royalty, we 00:02:02.500 --> 00:02:04.079 are bowing out, and we're going to do it with 00:02:04.079 --> 00:02:06.920 style. So our mission today for this deep dive 00:02:06.920 --> 00:02:09.500 is to explore exactly how they executed that 00:02:09.500 --> 00:02:11.800 ball. We're going to look at the specific narrative 00:02:11.800 --> 00:02:14.860 arcs for the crane family. You know, Frasier's 00:02:14.860 --> 00:02:17.819 frantic search for the One Niles and Daphne's 00:02:17.819 --> 00:02:20.020 transition into parenthood and Martin's late 00:02:20.020 --> 00:02:22.259 in life renaissance. The whole ensemble. The 00:02:22.259 --> 00:02:24.759 whole ensemble. We need to break down the mixture 00:02:24.759 --> 00:02:28.080 of highbrow farce and genuine emotional closure. 00:02:28.219 --> 00:02:29.879 And of course, we have to talk about the guest 00:02:29.879 --> 00:02:32.460 stars because this season was basically a revolving 00:02:32.460 --> 00:02:35.360 door of Hollywood royalty. It really was. But 00:02:35.360 --> 00:02:38.159 the core question we need to keep in mind. throughout 00:02:38.159 --> 00:02:41.620 this deep dive is about growth versus stagnation. 00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:44.139 Right. The central conflict of the entire series 00:02:44.139 --> 00:02:46.900 has always been, can Frasier Crane, a man who 00:02:46.900 --> 00:02:49.460 gives advice for a living, actually take his 00:02:49.460 --> 00:02:52.219 own advice? The ultimate irony. Exactly. Can 00:02:52.219 --> 00:02:54.620 he move forward or is he destined to be alone 00:02:54.620 --> 00:02:57.180 in his impeccably decorated apartment forever? 00:02:58.120 --> 00:03:00.639 Season 11 is the answer to that question. Well, 00:03:00.659 --> 00:03:02.400 let's start with the man himself. Segment one, 00:03:02.639 --> 00:03:05.780 the Crane voice. Specifically, Frasier's romantic 00:03:05.780 --> 00:03:08.680 rollercoaster. Because, man, does he go through 00:03:08.680 --> 00:03:11.180 the ringer this season. Oh, it's pure desperation. 00:03:11.560 --> 00:03:14.960 Ah. That's the vibe. The season opens with a 00:03:14.960 --> 00:03:19.000 man, a plan, and a gal, Julia. And we find Frasier 00:03:19.000 --> 00:03:21.319 in a relationship with Julia Wilcox, played by 00:03:21.319 --> 00:03:23.979 Felicity Huffman. Now, I have to be honest with 00:03:23.979 --> 00:03:27.379 you. I have always struggled with this arc. Really? 00:03:27.439 --> 00:03:31.400 Yeah, Julia is, well, she's awful. She's abrasive. 00:03:31.400 --> 00:03:34.289 She's rude to Roses. She treats the family with 00:03:34.289 --> 00:03:37.310 this barely veiled contempt. And yet Frazier 00:03:37.310 --> 00:03:40.050 is bending over backwards to make it work. He's 00:03:40.050 --> 00:03:43.189 committing to commitment, as our source material 00:03:43.189 --> 00:03:45.389 perfectly puts it. That's the key right there. 00:03:45.530 --> 00:03:47.669 He isn't in love with Julia. He's in love with 00:03:47.669 --> 00:03:50.629 the idea of not being alone. He sees Niles and 00:03:50.629 --> 00:03:53.389 Daphne happy. He sees Martin moving on. And he 00:03:53.389 --> 00:03:55.680 is. Completely terrified of being the last one 00:03:55.680 --> 00:03:57.900 standing, so he forces it. He ignores all the 00:03:57.900 --> 00:03:59.900 red flags. Until the hand towel. Until the hand 00:03:59.900 --> 00:04:01.340 towel. This is one of those moments that really 00:04:01.340 --> 00:04:04.240 divides people who watch the show. Julia mocks 00:04:04.240 --> 00:04:06.319 his hand towel. She makes a snide comment about 00:04:06.319 --> 00:04:08.319 his aesthetic choices, and that is the moment 00:04:08.319 --> 00:04:11.460 Frasier snaps. He breaks up with her right there. 00:04:11.939 --> 00:04:13.979 On the surface, it looks incredibly shallow. 00:04:14.300 --> 00:04:16.279 You can tolerate her being rude to your friends, 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:18.639 but you can't tolerate her insulting your linen. 00:04:18.839 --> 00:04:21.120 See, I actually disagree that it's shallow. Tell 00:04:21.120 --> 00:04:23.910 me why. I think it's fundamental to who he is. 00:04:24.410 --> 00:04:26.810 You have to look at it through the lens of Frazier's 00:04:26.810 --> 00:04:31.089 neuroses. His apartment, his things, his style, 00:04:31.170 --> 00:04:33.250 that is his sanctuary. Right, his safe space. 00:04:33.689 --> 00:04:36.350 Exactly. That is the armor he wears against the 00:04:36.350 --> 00:04:39.589 world. When Julia mocks the towels, she isn't 00:04:39.589 --> 00:04:42.310 just mocking a piece of fabric. She is rejecting 00:04:42.310 --> 00:04:45.089 the Frazier lifestyle. She is rejecting the very 00:04:45.089 --> 00:04:47.449 core of who he thinks he is. So it's a territorial 00:04:47.449 --> 00:04:50.839 defense? Precisely. Frazier can handle a difference 00:04:50.839 --> 00:04:53.019 of opinion on politics. He can handle an intellectual 00:04:53.019 --> 00:04:56.220 fight. But he cannot handle a lack of appreciation 00:04:56.220 --> 00:04:59.240 for his taste. That is the one thing he cannot 00:04:59.240 --> 00:05:01.779 compromise on. It proves that they are fundamentally 00:05:01.779 --> 00:05:04.459 incompatible. And frankly, it's a massive relief 00:05:04.459 --> 00:05:07.060 when he kicks her out. That is it. It's a complete 00:05:07.060 --> 00:05:09.480 reclamation of his space. And it sets a great 00:05:09.480 --> 00:05:12.319 boundary. But that breakup clears the deck for 00:05:12.319 --> 00:05:15.670 the real romantic arc of the season. And this 00:05:15.670 --> 00:05:17.610 is where the writers pull a bit of a bait and 00:05:17.610 --> 00:05:20.649 switch on us. Enter Charlotte. Played by the 00:05:20.649 --> 00:05:24.129 incomparable Laura Linney. Yes. Frazier is so 00:05:24.129 --> 00:05:26.790 desperate at this point that he pays $10 ,000 00:05:26.790 --> 00:05:29.790 to a matchmaking service. Ten grand. Ten grand. 00:05:29.850 --> 00:05:31.870 Just hand over the check. Which again speaks 00:05:31.870 --> 00:05:34.629 to that sheer panic we mentioned earlier. He 00:05:34.629 --> 00:05:37.850 is trying to literally buy a solution to his 00:05:37.850 --> 00:05:40.589 loneliness. And the irony is the service is a 00:05:40.589 --> 00:05:43.310 sham. Charlotte is the matchmaker, but she has 00:05:43.310 --> 00:05:46.129 no clients. She's scamming him. It's a classic 00:05:46.129 --> 00:05:48.990 meet cute, but built on total deception. He's 00:05:48.990 --> 00:05:50.949 the client. She's the con artist, technically. 00:05:51.110 --> 00:05:53.790 But what makes this arc work, unlike the Julia 00:05:53.790 --> 00:05:56.670 arc, is the chemistry. It's undeniable. Laura 00:05:56.670 --> 00:05:59.370 Linney brings this chaotic, slightly messy energy 00:05:59.370 --> 00:06:02.069 that Frasier actually needs. She isn't a polished 00:06:02.069 --> 00:06:04.670 socialite. She's struggling. She's eating his 00:06:04.670 --> 00:06:07.350 biscuits. She's real. But there's a hurdle, a 00:06:07.350 --> 00:06:09.970 very handsome, very rugged hurdle named Frank. 00:06:10.129 --> 00:06:13.189 Played by Aaron Eckhart. Right. Frank is Charlotte's 00:06:13.189 --> 00:06:15.290 boyfriend. He's a nice guy, but he is totally 00:06:15.290 --> 00:06:18.790 wrong for her. He's simple. He's outdoorsy. He 00:06:18.790 --> 00:06:21.730 doesn't really get her. No, not at all. And Frasier 00:06:21.730 --> 00:06:24.110 ends up in this excruciating position of being 00:06:24.110 --> 00:06:26.529 the third wheel, the friend who is secretly in 00:06:26.529 --> 00:06:28.750 love with her. The turning point for all of this 00:06:28.750 --> 00:06:32.050 is the episode detour. I love this episode because 00:06:32.050 --> 00:06:34.149 it forces them out of their comfort zones. It's 00:06:34.149 --> 00:06:36.350 basically a bottle episode structure, but out 00:06:36.350 --> 00:06:39.750 in an open environment. Yes. Frasier and Charlotte 00:06:39.750 --> 00:06:42.129 are driving. Yeah. And Frasier's driving like 00:06:42.129 --> 00:06:44.709 a grandmother, so they miss their train not once, 00:06:44.730 --> 00:06:47.310 but twice. Then the car breaks down in the middle 00:06:47.310 --> 00:06:49.149 of nowhere. And they end up staying with this 00:06:49.149 --> 00:06:52.069 bizarre, eccentric, rural family. It's almost 00:06:52.069 --> 00:06:54.470 a horror movie setup, but played entirely for 00:06:54.470 --> 00:06:57.269 laughs. It is. But narratively, it strips away 00:06:57.269 --> 00:06:59.470 all the distractions. There are no fancy dinners. 00:06:59.490 --> 00:07:02.350 There's no opera. There is no Frank. Just Frasier 00:07:02.350 --> 00:07:04.819 and Charlotte. In a strange house. Forced proximity. 00:07:04.899 --> 00:07:07.459 Forced proximity. It forces them to confront 00:07:07.459 --> 00:07:09.379 the reality of their connection. They have to 00:07:09.379 --> 00:07:12.199 sleep in the same bed, well or near it. The pretense 00:07:12.199 --> 00:07:15.420 completely drops. They realize that despite the 00:07:15.420 --> 00:07:18.120 scam, despite the boyfriend, there's something 00:07:18.120 --> 00:07:20.500 undeniable happening there. But before we get 00:07:20.500 --> 00:07:22.279 to the actual resolution of that relationship, 00:07:22.660 --> 00:07:25.259 we have to talk about one of the most spectacular 00:07:25.259 --> 00:07:28.100 failures Fraser has this entire season. Oh, I 00:07:28.100 --> 00:07:29.439 know where you're going. We have to talk about 00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:32.050 Nanny Jude. Oh, this is essential viewing. This 00:07:32.050 --> 00:07:34.829 is the writers looking at Frazier's past and 00:07:34.829 --> 00:07:37.470 deciding to blow it up one last time. For those 00:07:37.470 --> 00:07:40.589 who don't know the deep lore, Nanny G is Nanette 00:07:40.589 --> 00:07:43.819 Guzman. Frazier's first wife, the one he married 00:07:43.819 --> 00:07:46.500 way back in his hippie phase. And now she's an 00:07:46.500 --> 00:07:49.759 incredibly famous children's entertainer. And 00:07:49.759 --> 00:07:51.740 she's played here by Laurie Metcalf, who is just 00:07:51.740 --> 00:07:54.740 an absolute force of nature. The episode caught 00:07:54.740 --> 00:07:57.220 in the act is probably the physical comedy peak 00:07:57.220 --> 00:07:59.579 of the season for Kelsey Grammer. Frazier goes 00:07:59.579 --> 00:08:01.759 backstage to see her. She's unhappily married. 00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:05.079 She still clearly has a thing for him. And one 00:08:05.079 --> 00:08:07.360 thing leads to another. And by one thing, you 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:09.759 mean Frazier stripping down to his boxers and 00:08:09.759 --> 00:08:12.800 hopping into a giant prop bed with a woman dressed 00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:15.899 as an overgrown baby. Exactly that. But the mechanism 00:08:15.899 --> 00:08:18.980 of the bed. He thinks they are having this intensely 00:08:18.980 --> 00:08:21.420 private, illicit moment. And then the curtain 00:08:21.420 --> 00:08:25.310 rises. The bed literally lifts up. And suddenly 00:08:25.310 --> 00:08:27.670 a half -naked Frasier Crane is being elevated 00:08:27.670 --> 00:08:30.509 onto a stage in front of hundreds of screaming 00:08:30.509 --> 00:08:33.230 toddlers and their parents. It is the ultimate 00:08:33.230 --> 00:08:36.529 nightmare scenario. It is the peak of humiliation 00:08:36.529 --> 00:08:39.269 for a man who prides himself on his dignity. 00:08:39.629 --> 00:08:41.669 But you have to ask, why do the writers do this? 00:08:41.730 --> 00:08:44.669 Why humiliate him this badly right before the 00:08:44.669 --> 00:08:46.509 end of the series? To break him down. I think 00:08:46.509 --> 00:08:49.929 it's a cleansing ritual. It's one last. chaotic, 00:08:49.929 --> 00:08:52.990 libido -driven mistake. It shows us that Frazier 00:08:52.990 --> 00:08:55.409 is still capable of being led completely astray 00:08:55.409 --> 00:08:57.990 by his ego and his hormones. Yeah, he hasn't 00:08:57.990 --> 00:09:00.250 fully evolved yet. Right. He has to get this 00:09:00.250 --> 00:09:02.590 out of his system, this need for validation from 00:09:02.590 --> 00:09:04.710 his past, before he can actually move forward 00:09:04.710 --> 00:09:06.950 with someone real like Charlotte. It's hitting 00:09:06.950 --> 00:09:09.169 absolute rock bottom so you can start the climb 00:09:09.169 --> 00:09:11.769 back up. Now, while Frasier is being displayed 00:09:11.769 --> 00:09:14.289 to toddlers, Niles is dealing with a very different 00:09:14.289 --> 00:09:17.070 kind of life change. This is the season where 00:09:17.070 --> 00:09:19.409 Niles and Daphne finally become parents. The 00:09:19.409 --> 00:09:21.289 pregnancy arc is handled with a lot of grace, 00:09:21.350 --> 00:09:24.830 but also a lot of typical crane anxiety. It starts 00:09:24.830 --> 00:09:28.070 with the episode, No Sex, Please. We're skittish. 00:09:28.389 --> 00:09:31.289 Niles discovers his sperm has low motility. Which 00:09:31.289 --> 00:09:33.690 is devastating for a moment. You really see the 00:09:33.690 --> 00:09:36.169 genuine fear that they might not get their happy 00:09:36.169 --> 00:09:38.690 ending. But the show quickly pivots. It turns 00:09:38.690 --> 00:09:41.809 out Daphne is already pregnant. So the tension 00:09:41.809 --> 00:09:45.289 completely shifts from can we to... Oh my God, 00:09:45.330 --> 00:09:48.129 we actually are. However, we cannot talk about 00:09:48.129 --> 00:09:50.370 Niles in season 11 without discussing the most 00:09:50.370 --> 00:09:52.889 insane subplot in the history of the show. Oh 00:09:52.889 --> 00:09:55.350 boy. The Maris murder arc. We have to pause here 00:09:55.350 --> 00:09:58.029 because this is arguably the writers taking the 00:09:58.029 --> 00:10:00.610 unseen character trope and stretching it until 00:10:00.610 --> 00:10:02.809 it fundamentally snaps. It really feels like 00:10:02.809 --> 00:10:05.330 a dare in the writer's room. Like how far can 00:10:05.330 --> 00:10:07.570 we push this invisible woman before she breaks 00:10:07.570 --> 00:10:09.990 the reality of the show entirely? Precisely. 00:10:09.990 --> 00:10:12.899 For 11 years, Maris was a punchline. She was 00:10:12.899 --> 00:10:15.519 defined by her extreme frailty. She couldn't 00:10:15.519 --> 00:10:17.840 lift a grape. She disappeared behind breadsticks. 00:10:18.039 --> 00:10:21.000 She was essentially a ghost. But in season 11, 00:10:21.299 --> 00:10:23.840 the writers invert this completely. They turn 00:10:23.840 --> 00:10:26.580 this fragile ghost into a violent killer. It 00:10:26.580 --> 00:10:28.500 starts with her new boyfriend, right? The Argentine 00:10:28.500 --> 00:10:31.860 polo player. Esteban. He's very volatile. Maris 00:10:31.860 --> 00:10:35.019 calls Niles for help. Niles being Niles rushes 00:10:35.019 --> 00:10:37.379 to her aid and keeps it a secret from Daphne, 00:10:37.460 --> 00:10:39.919 which is his fatal flaw. Lying to protect the 00:10:39.919 --> 00:10:41.720 people he cares about. But then the news breaks. 00:10:42.330 --> 00:10:44.950 Maris has killed Esteban. She straight up murdered 00:10:44.950 --> 00:10:47.629 the polo player. And the weapon. Oh, the weapon. 00:10:47.789 --> 00:10:49.950 An antique crossbow that belonged to Niles. You 00:10:49.950 --> 00:10:52.490 cannot make this stuff up. An antique crossbow. 00:10:52.529 --> 00:10:54.570 It's so absurdly specific. It's not just a gun. 00:10:54.669 --> 00:10:57.129 It's a pretentious, very crane -esque weapon. 00:10:57.269 --> 00:10:59.950 It implicates Niles in the total absurdity of 00:10:59.950 --> 00:11:02.070 the crime. It does. And narratively, this was 00:11:02.070 --> 00:11:04.669 a very strategic demolition. The writers knew 00:11:04.669 --> 00:11:06.889 that as long as Maris was in Seattle or even 00:11:06.889 --> 00:11:09.490 in the country, Niles would never be truly free. 00:11:09.820 --> 00:11:12.379 A simple divorce wasn't enough. They needed to 00:11:12.379 --> 00:11:14.899 make her a literal fugitive. The scene that defines 00:11:14.899 --> 00:11:17.519 this whole arc for me is in Murder Most Maris. 00:11:17.860 --> 00:11:20.500 Niles is being questioned. The press is hounding 00:11:20.500 --> 00:11:23.039 him at his office. The stress is just mounting 00:11:23.039 --> 00:11:25.980 and mounting. And he finally breaks. The Café 00:11:25.980 --> 00:11:28.879 Nervosa breakdown. Yes. He walks into the café 00:11:28.879 --> 00:11:31.379 completely naked and just sits down to read the 00:11:31.379 --> 00:11:33.860 newspaper like nothing is happening. It's the 00:11:33.860 --> 00:11:36.220 ultimate shedding of dignity, but it's also the 00:11:36.220 --> 00:11:39.039 ultimate shedding of Maris. He has nothing left 00:11:39.039 --> 00:11:41.620 to hide. He has been stripped bare by her madness 00:11:41.620 --> 00:11:44.539 one last time. Wow, that's a great way to look 00:11:44.539 --> 00:11:47.399 at it. And then the resolution. Maris flees the 00:11:47.399 --> 00:11:49.740 country. She goes to a private island to avoid 00:11:49.740 --> 00:11:53.120 prosecution. She is permanently exiled. She becomes 00:11:53.120 --> 00:11:55.419 a literal outlaw. Is the only way to close the 00:11:55.419 --> 00:11:57.940 book on her. By sending her to a private island 00:11:57.940 --> 00:12:00.759 where she can never return. The writers physically 00:12:00.759 --> 00:12:03.240 removed her gravitational pull from Niles' life. 00:12:03.620 --> 00:12:06.750 She is gone. And that allows the finale to be 00:12:06.750 --> 00:12:08.909 purely about Niles Daphne and their new baby. 00:12:09.049 --> 00:12:10.889 And speaking of that baby, there is a really 00:12:10.889 --> 00:12:13.269 lovely detail in the finale. They name him David. 00:12:13.409 --> 00:12:16.710 That is a direct tribute to David Angel. He was 00:12:16.710 --> 00:12:19.389 one of the brilliant creators of Frasier and 00:12:19.389 --> 00:12:22.809 a huge part of the show's soul. He and his wife 00:12:22.809 --> 00:12:25.169 were tragically killed on one of the planes on 00:12:25.169 --> 00:12:29.149 September 11, 2001. Such a huge loss. Naming 00:12:29.149 --> 00:12:31.429 the baby David was a way for the cast and crew 00:12:31.429 --> 00:12:33.679 to say, we haven't forgotten you. You're part 00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:36.159 of this ending. That really grounds the absurdity 00:12:36.159 --> 00:12:38.740 of the crossbows and the naked breakdowns. It 00:12:38.740 --> 00:12:40.679 reminds you that there are real people behind 00:12:40.679 --> 00:12:43.139 these characters. Absolutely it does. Okay, let's 00:12:43.139 --> 00:12:45.279 pivot to segment two. We've covered the boys. 00:12:45.539 --> 00:12:48.360 Now let's look at the patriarch, Martin Crane, 00:12:48.440 --> 00:12:49.899 and the woman who keeps the station running, 00:12:50.059 --> 00:12:53.159 Roz Doyle. Martin's arc in season 11 is arguably 00:12:53.159 --> 00:12:55.480 the most heartwarming of the entire cast. It's 00:12:55.480 --> 00:12:59.039 a full -on renaissance. For years, Martin was 00:12:59.039 --> 00:13:01.379 the grumpy retired cop sitting in his duct tape 00:13:01.379 --> 00:13:04.279 chair. He dated here and there, you know, Sherry 00:13:04.279 --> 00:13:06.720 Bonnie, but nothing really stuck. In season 11, 00:13:06.860 --> 00:13:09.120 he finds the real deal. Enter Roni Lawrence, 00:13:09.440 --> 00:13:11.759 played by Wendy Malick. Who is absolutely perfect 00:13:11.759 --> 00:13:14.500 casting. She brings this brassy, fast -talking 00:13:14.500 --> 00:13:16.980 energy. She's a lounge singer. She's got grit. 00:13:17.200 --> 00:13:20.690 And the connection is classic sitcom gold. She 00:13:20.690 --> 00:13:23.470 used to be Frasier and Niall's babysitter. Which 00:13:23.470 --> 00:13:26.230 immediately introduces this layer of awkwardness 00:13:26.230 --> 00:13:28.929 and Oedipal weirdness that the show just loves 00:13:28.929 --> 00:13:31.509 to play with. Frasier actually tries to compete 00:13:31.509 --> 00:13:34.230 for her at first. In the episode The Babysitter, 00:13:34.330 --> 00:13:36.529 he genuinely thinks she's interested in him. 00:13:36.629 --> 00:13:38.889 Because of course he does. Frasier thinks everyone 00:13:38.889 --> 00:13:41.409 is interested in him. But she chooses Martin. 00:13:41.789 --> 00:13:44.529 And I think it's important to analyze why Roni 00:13:44.529 --> 00:13:46.990 works when someone like Sherry didn't. Sherry 00:13:46.990 --> 00:13:49.309 was loud and brash, but she often clashed with 00:13:49.309 --> 00:13:52.190 the boys in a way that felt genuinely grating. 00:13:52.309 --> 00:13:54.950 It was almost too much friction. Exactly. Yeah. 00:13:55.070 --> 00:13:57.429 Roni has an edge, but she's also sophisticated 00:13:57.429 --> 00:14:00.289 in her own way. She can hold her own against 00:14:00.289 --> 00:14:02.789 Frasier's snobbery. She doesn't just annoy them, 00:14:02.850 --> 00:14:04.889 she puts them firmly in their place. She's got 00:14:04.889 --> 00:14:07.690 that incredibly sharp wit. But their road to 00:14:07.690 --> 00:14:10.029 the altar isn't exactly smooth. In fact, it's 00:14:10.029 --> 00:14:12.090 paved with a literal near -death experience. 00:14:12.490 --> 00:14:15.490 We really have to discuss the episode, Boo. Boo 00:14:15.490 --> 00:14:18.309 is a masterclass in escalating a prank until 00:14:18.309 --> 00:14:20.409 it stops being funny and starts being totally 00:14:20.409 --> 00:14:22.710 life -altering. The setup is that Martin keeps 00:14:22.710 --> 00:14:25.549 scaring Frasier, jumping out from behind doors 00:14:25.549 --> 00:14:28.409 yelling, Boo, Frasier is sick of it. So he decides 00:14:28.409 --> 00:14:31.370 to get revenge. And because he's Frasier, he 00:14:31.370 --> 00:14:33.779 doesn't just hide behind a curtain. He's currently 00:14:33.779 --> 00:14:35.799 treating a patient with coulrophobia, which is 00:14:35.799 --> 00:14:38.740 the fear of clowns. So he happens to have a terrifying 00:14:38.740 --> 00:14:42.139 professional grade clown costume. Of course he 00:14:42.139 --> 00:14:45.220 does. So he puts on the suit. He holds a meat 00:14:45.220 --> 00:14:47.299 cleaver. He waits in the dark in the living room. 00:14:47.379 --> 00:14:50.340 Martin walks in. Frazier jumps out. And Martin 00:14:50.340 --> 00:14:52.779 clutches his chest and goes down. He gives his 00:14:52.779 --> 00:14:54.840 father a heart attack. It's the darkest comedy 00:14:54.840 --> 00:14:57.940 imaginable. Frazier is standing there in a terrifying 00:14:57.940 --> 00:15:00.379 clown suit holding a cleaver thinking he's literally 00:15:00.379 --> 00:15:03.379 killed his dad. It's so morbid but so funny. 00:15:03.620 --> 00:15:06.240 But narratively, this is the catalyst. That brush 00:15:06.240 --> 00:15:09.000 with death wakes Martin up. He's lying in the 00:15:09.000 --> 00:15:10.940 hospital bed and he realizes he doesn't have 00:15:10.940 --> 00:15:14.360 forever. He proposes to Renee right there. So 00:15:14.360 --> 00:15:16.620 in a weird twisted way, Frazier dressing as a 00:15:16.620 --> 00:15:18.820 murderous clown is the reason his father got 00:15:18.820 --> 00:15:21.889 married? Indirectly, yes. It forced the issue. 00:15:22.049 --> 00:15:24.389 It moved Martin from a state of stagnation to 00:15:24.389 --> 00:15:27.009 a state of growth. He chose to grab happiness 00:15:27.009 --> 00:15:29.070 while he still could. And the wedding itself, 00:15:29.470 --> 00:15:33.110 well, it's typical crane chaos. It takes place 00:15:33.110 --> 00:15:36.350 in the finale and everything goes wrong. The 00:15:36.350 --> 00:15:39.730 venue is way too hot. Eddie eats the ring. Eddie 00:15:39.730 --> 00:15:41.929 eating the ring is a great callback to the pilot, 00:15:42.009 --> 00:15:44.190 really. The dog is always the ultimate agent 00:15:44.190 --> 00:15:46.789 of chaos. And because of the heat and the dog 00:15:46.789 --> 00:15:49.309 swallowing the rings, they end up getting married 00:15:49.309 --> 00:15:52.330 in a veterinary clinic. Which is honestly perfect 00:15:52.330 --> 00:15:55.330 for Martin. It really is. A fancy cathedral wouldn't 00:15:55.330 --> 00:15:57.590 fit him at all. Getting married in a vet clinic 00:15:57.590 --> 00:16:00.309 with his dog, his sons, and a woman who truly 00:16:00.309 --> 00:16:03.529 loves him. That's Martin Crane's ultimate happy 00:16:03.529 --> 00:16:06.269 ending. It's completely unpretentious. Now what 00:16:06.269 --> 00:16:08.950 about Roz? She's been the voice in Fraser's ear 00:16:08.950 --> 00:16:12.659 for 11 straight years. Roz's arc is subtle. but 00:16:12.659 --> 00:16:15.360 very significant. She starts the season trying 00:16:15.360 --> 00:16:17.759 to leave. She takes a job at another station, 00:16:17.860 --> 00:16:20.960 KPXY, but she quits because it's just a bad fit. 00:16:21.120 --> 00:16:23.759 She goes back to KACL. It feels like a step back 00:16:23.759 --> 00:16:25.740 initially, like she's stuck in a rut. It does, 00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:28.000 but it actually sets up her final promotion. 00:16:28.440 --> 00:16:30.159 By the end of the season, Kenny, the current 00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:32.039 station manager, decides he wants to go back 00:16:32.039 --> 00:16:34.840 to being a DJ. The position of station manager 00:16:34.840 --> 00:16:38.399 suddenly opens up. And Roz gets it. She becomes 00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:40.720 the boss. And this is the perfect conclusion 00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:44.000 for her character. Ross was always the most competent 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:47.100 person in that entire building. She managed Fraser's 00:16:47.100 --> 00:16:50.480 massive ego. She managed the daily show. She 00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:54.039 managed the constant chaos. She was born to run 00:16:54.039 --> 00:16:56.279 that station. Absolutely. She doesn't end the 00:16:56.279 --> 00:16:58.779 show with a man necessarily. She ends it with 00:16:58.779 --> 00:17:02.559 power. She ends it with total professional actualization. 00:17:02.659 --> 00:17:05.650 Which is a very... modern and refreshing ending, 00:17:05.750 --> 00:17:08.130 especially for 2004. She didn't need to be saved 00:17:08.130 --> 00:17:10.869 by a romantic relationship. Exactly. Her career 00:17:10.869 --> 00:17:12.789 was her triumph. Okay, I want to take a moment 00:17:12.789 --> 00:17:16.009 for segment three. We've looked at the big overarching 00:17:16.009 --> 00:17:18.950 story arcs, but season 11 contains some individual 00:17:18.950 --> 00:17:21.910 episodes that are just absolute diamonds. We 00:17:21.910 --> 00:17:23.529 mentioned the clown incident, but we have to 00:17:23.529 --> 00:17:25.589 go deep on High Holidays. High Holidays. If you 00:17:25.589 --> 00:17:28.509 look at any top 10 Frasier episodes list anywhere 00:17:28.509 --> 00:17:31.049 on the internet, this one is usually in the top 00:17:31.049 --> 00:17:33.970 three. it might genuinely be the funniest episode 00:17:33.970 --> 00:17:36.490 of the later seasons. This is the infamous pot 00:17:36.490 --> 00:17:39.430 brownie episode. The premise is brilliantly simple. 00:17:40.210 --> 00:17:42.990 Niles, realizing he was a goody two shoes his 00:17:42.990 --> 00:17:45.930 entire life, decides he finally wants to rebel. 00:17:46.569 --> 00:17:49.470 He buys a pot brownie from Roz to experience 00:17:49.470 --> 00:17:51.630 getting high for the first time. But the mix 00:17:51.630 --> 00:17:54.930 -up is the genius part. Martin unknowingly eats 00:17:54.930 --> 00:17:58.089 the actual pot brownie. Niles eats a regular, 00:17:58.170 --> 00:18:01.160 completely normal brownie. We really need to 00:18:01.160 --> 00:18:03.339 dissect David Hyde Pierce's performance here 00:18:03.339 --> 00:18:06.279 because it is an absolute masterclass in comedic 00:18:06.279 --> 00:18:10.039 acting. He isn't playing a man who is high. He's 00:18:10.039 --> 00:18:12.500 playing a man who thinks he is high based entirely 00:18:12.500 --> 00:18:14.619 on what he's read in medical textbooks. It's 00:18:14.619 --> 00:18:17.460 the placebo effect on steroids. There's a scene 00:18:17.460 --> 00:18:19.380 where he's pairing the brownie with a Chilean 00:18:19.380 --> 00:18:22.119 sea bass. He's aggressively intellectualizing 00:18:22.119 --> 00:18:24.319 the intoxication. He's shouting, I am stepping 00:18:24.319 --> 00:18:26.640 into a dimension of pure flavor. He thinks he's 00:18:26.640 --> 00:18:28.319 tripping out of his mind, but he's really just 00:18:28.319 --> 00:18:30.420 being peak Niles. And then you cut to Martin. 00:18:30.579 --> 00:18:32.920 John Mahoney's performance is the exact polar 00:18:32.920 --> 00:18:35.240 opposite. He does almost nothing. He's just staring 00:18:35.240 --> 00:18:37.180 blankly at the fridge handle. Yeah. completely 00:18:37.180 --> 00:18:39.319 zonked out. There's that moment where he has 00:18:39.319 --> 00:18:41.119 to replace Eddie in a commercial for the Seattle 00:18:41.119 --> 00:18:43.619 Tourist Board. He's sitting in an armchair high 00:18:43.619 --> 00:18:45.599 as a kite, just waving vaguely at the camera. 00:18:45.759 --> 00:18:48.400 It's the contrast that kills me every time. Niles 00:18:48.400 --> 00:18:51.119 is incredibly manic trying to perform drug use 00:18:51.119 --> 00:18:53.500 while Martin is actually experiencing the chemical 00:18:53.500 --> 00:18:56.339 reality and just having a great time. It deconstructs 00:18:56.339 --> 00:18:59.640 their personas so perfectly. Niles creates a 00:18:59.640 --> 00:19:02.579 mental construct of rebellion while Martin just 00:19:02.579 --> 00:19:04.759 lives in the moment. Another massive highlight 00:19:04.759 --> 00:19:07.740 is the doctor is out. We teased the guest stars 00:19:07.740 --> 00:19:10.000 earlier, but Patrick Stewart as Alistair Burke 00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:12.740 is on another level completely. Alistair Burke 00:19:12.740 --> 00:19:17.220 is a high profile, incredibly wealthy, gay opera 00:19:17.220 --> 00:19:19.799 director. Yeah. And through a series of classic 00:19:19.799 --> 00:19:22.940 sitcom misunderstandings, the entire city of 00:19:22.940 --> 00:19:25.279 Seattle and Alistair himself thinks Frazier is 00:19:25.279 --> 00:19:27.539 gay. And Frazier, instead of correcting him, 00:19:27.640 --> 00:19:29.500 which would be the normal thing to do, just leans 00:19:29.500 --> 00:19:32.400 into it. This is a really profound look at Frazier's 00:19:32.400 --> 00:19:36.210 vanity. Alistair is wealthy. He's cultured. He 00:19:36.210 --> 00:19:39.089 knows absolutely everyone. He takes Frazier to 00:19:39.089 --> 00:19:41.529 the best parties, the best boxes at the opera. 00:19:41.650 --> 00:19:44.390 They become this elite power couple. Frazier 00:19:44.390 --> 00:19:46.869 loves the status way more than he cares about 00:19:46.869 --> 00:19:49.089 the reality of his sexual orientation. There's 00:19:49.089 --> 00:19:51.109 a brilliant line where he says, I am one half 00:19:51.109 --> 00:19:55.450 of a power couple. He is so seduced by the adoration 00:19:55.450 --> 00:19:58.940 and the access that he genuinely considers. briefly 00:19:58.940 --> 00:20:01.960 just living a total lie. And Patrick Stewart 00:20:01.960 --> 00:20:04.319 plays it with such incredible charm. You get 00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:07.000 why Frazier is tempted. Alistair is magnetic. 00:20:07.480 --> 00:20:09.700 It's also a really great subversion of the gay 00:20:09.700 --> 00:20:12.440 panic trope that was so common in sitcoms back 00:20:12.440 --> 00:20:15.579 then. Frazier isn't panicked about being thought 00:20:15.579 --> 00:20:17.680 of as gay. He's absolutely thrilled because it 00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:20.119 makes him popular. It attacks his social climbing, 00:20:20.200 --> 00:20:22.859 not his masculinity. One more structural oddity 00:20:22.859 --> 00:20:25.180 from this season to mention is Croc Tales. This 00:20:25.180 --> 00:20:27.460 is a weird one. It's the penultimate episode 00:20:27.460 --> 00:20:30.119 right before the finale. It uses a broken crock 00:20:30.119 --> 00:20:32.539 pot as a framing device to flash back to previous 00:20:32.539 --> 00:20:34.920 years. But they aren't clip show clips. They 00:20:34.920 --> 00:20:38.500 filmed entirely new scenes set in 2003, 1990, 00:20:38.759 --> 00:20:41.400 1996, and so on. Which means we get the cast 00:20:41.400 --> 00:20:43.779 in some truly terrible wigs. The wigs are highly 00:20:43.779 --> 00:20:46.640 questionable, yes. But the intent behind the 00:20:46.640 --> 00:20:49.579 episode is really touching. It's a retrospective. 00:20:49.839 --> 00:20:52.819 It allows us to see the evolution of their relationships 00:20:52.819 --> 00:20:56.339 one last time. We see Niles miserable with Maris. 00:20:56.519 --> 00:20:59.039 We see the early friction between Frazier and 00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:01.460 Martin. Wait, it shows the growth. It contextualizes 00:21:01.460 --> 00:21:03.279 how far they've come right before we have to 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:05.579 say goodbye to them. It's a love letter to the 00:21:05.579 --> 00:21:07.460 history of the show. OK, this brings us to the 00:21:07.460 --> 00:21:11.619 big one. Segment four, the finale. Good night, 00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:14.240 Seattle. This is a massive television event. 00:21:14.460 --> 00:21:21.369 May 13th, 2004. 25 .25 million people watch this 00:21:21.369 --> 00:21:24.309 broadcast. The setup involves a major career 00:21:24.309 --> 00:21:26.869 crossroads for Frazier. He is offered a huge 00:21:26.869 --> 00:21:29.609 job in San Francisco. A TV host. It's the next 00:21:29.609 --> 00:21:31.609 level for him. It's what he always wanted, national 00:21:31.609 --> 00:21:34.289 fame. His agent, Bebby Glazer, played by Harriet 00:21:34.289 --> 00:21:36.450 Sansom Harris, who is another incredible recurring 00:21:36.450 --> 00:21:38.470 character. She sets the whole thing up. But the 00:21:38.470 --> 00:21:40.670 family, they don't get the message straight away. 00:21:40.869 --> 00:21:43.849 No, they don't. And this is the final farce of 00:21:43.849 --> 00:21:46.279 the series. There is a massive communication 00:21:46.279 --> 00:21:48.940 breakdown involving a doctor's appointment and 00:21:48.940 --> 00:21:51.859 Frazier giving away his stuff for the move. The 00:21:51.859 --> 00:21:54.480 family becomes completely convinced that Frazier 00:21:54.480 --> 00:21:57.799 is dying. That is so dark for a sitcom finale. 00:21:58.140 --> 00:22:01.660 It is remarkably dark. But it serves a very specific 00:22:01.660 --> 00:22:04.359 purpose. It forces the family to treat him with 00:22:04.359 --> 00:22:06.839 this incredible tenderness. They are crying. 00:22:07.160 --> 00:22:09.000 They are hugging him. They are forgiving him 00:22:09.000 --> 00:22:11.779 for absolutely everything. And Frazier just thinks 00:22:11.779 --> 00:22:14.000 they are sad he's moving to San Francisco. It 00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:16.420 heightens the emotion so much. But once that 00:22:16.420 --> 00:22:19.420 is finally cleared up, we get to the actual farewells, 00:22:19.420 --> 00:22:21.920 the scene in the vet clinic, the scene in the 00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:24.400 empty apartment. It's all about dismantling the 00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:27.369 set literally and metaphorically. And then the 00:22:27.369 --> 00:22:29.730 final broadcast. Frazier is in the studio at 00:22:29.730 --> 00:22:31.930 KACL one last time. His family is watching through 00:22:31.930 --> 00:22:34.809 the glass. And he recites a poem. Tennyson's 00:22:34.809 --> 00:22:37.730 Ulysses. To strive, to seek, to find, and not 00:22:37.730 --> 00:22:40.490 to yield. It is the perfect choice for him. Frazier 00:22:40.490 --> 00:22:43.230 is fundamentally an explorer. He's an explorer 00:22:43.230 --> 00:22:45.170 of the human condition of romance of his own 00:22:45.170 --> 00:22:48.130 incredibly complicated psyche. And then his sign 00:22:48.130 --> 00:22:50.910 -off. He says, for 11 years you have heard me 00:22:50.910 --> 00:22:52.730 say I'm listening. Well, you were listening too. 00:22:52.930 --> 00:22:55.880 And for that, I'm eternally grateful. Good night, 00:22:55.900 --> 00:22:58.359 Seattle. It breaks the fourth wall just enough. 00:22:58.700 --> 00:23:01.420 It's Kelsey Grammer thanking the actual audience 00:23:01.420 --> 00:23:05.059 at home. But then the twist happens. And this 00:23:05.059 --> 00:23:07.319 is what we really need to chew on. Right. Throughout 00:23:07.319 --> 00:23:10.380 the entire finale, we are told he is going to 00:23:10.380 --> 00:23:13.539 San Francisco. He takes the job. He says goodbye. 00:23:13.720 --> 00:23:16.839 We see him on the plane. He sits down next to 00:23:16.839 --> 00:23:19.180 a woman named Anne, played by Jennifer Beals. 00:23:19.740 --> 00:23:21.920 He starts chatting. And then the pilot makes 00:23:21.920 --> 00:23:24.220 an announcement. Welcome to Chicago. He is not 00:23:24.220 --> 00:23:26.119 in San Francisco. He didn't take the job, or 00:23:26.119 --> 00:23:28.299 at least he's not going there yet. He's chasing 00:23:28.299 --> 00:23:30.519 Charlotte. Charlotte had moved back to Chicago 00:23:30.519 --> 00:23:32.819 earlier in the season to manage her family's 00:23:32.819 --> 00:23:35.279 cheese business. Frazier has thrown away the 00:23:35.279 --> 00:23:37.279 TV job, or at least put it on a massive hole 00:23:37.279 --> 00:23:39.640 to fly across the country for a woman he has 00:23:39.640 --> 00:23:42.220 dated for maybe a month. So he chose the girl. 00:23:42.259 --> 00:23:45.359 He chose the heart over the head. He did. After 00:23:45.359 --> 00:23:48.180 11 years of prioritizing his career, his status, 00:23:48.380 --> 00:23:51.220 his massive intellect, he made an impulsive, 00:23:51.339 --> 00:23:55.079 purely romantic choice. And his final line isn't 00:23:55.079 --> 00:23:57.599 a grand speech. He just looks at Anne and says, 00:23:57.700 --> 00:24:01.339 wish me luck. That's it. Cut to black. Now I 00:24:01.339 --> 00:24:03.440 have to ask you, looking at this as a whole, 00:24:03.700 --> 00:24:07.940 is this a happy ending? Or is this Frasier making 00:24:07.940 --> 00:24:11.549 a huge... Terrible mistake. That is the eternal 00:24:11.549 --> 00:24:13.950 debate among fans. If you look at it romantically, 00:24:14.049 --> 00:24:16.150 it's absolutely beautiful. He finally took a 00:24:16.150 --> 00:24:19.230 real risk. But if you look at it cynically, he's 00:24:19.230 --> 00:24:21.670 chasing a woman who scammed him out of 10 grand, 00:24:21.789 --> 00:24:23.710 who lives in a completely different city, and 00:24:23.710 --> 00:24:26.009 he's giving up a massive career opportunity to 00:24:26.009 --> 00:24:27.950 do it. It could be a total disaster. He could 00:24:27.950 --> 00:24:29.829 land in Chicago and she could say, what are you 00:24:29.829 --> 00:24:31.740 doing here? But maybe that's the entire point. 00:24:31.900 --> 00:24:33.519 I think it is the point. The point isn't that 00:24:33.519 --> 00:24:35.559 he gets the girl. The point is that he tried. 00:24:35.779 --> 00:24:38.680 He broke his own toxic pattern of overanalyzing 00:24:38.680 --> 00:24:40.480 everything to death. He took a genuine leap of 00:24:40.480 --> 00:24:43.599 faith. Saying, wish me luck, implies that he 00:24:43.599 --> 00:24:45.599 knows he might fail, but he's doing it anyway. 00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:48.539 Yeah. That right there is real growth. That's 00:24:48.539 --> 00:24:51.019 a fantastic way to put it. Before we wrap up 00:24:51.019 --> 00:24:53.019 this deep dive, we have to acknowledge the sheer 00:24:53.019 --> 00:24:56.039 volume of star power in Segment 5. The guest 00:24:56.039 --> 00:24:58.400 star gallery. It was absolutely the place to 00:24:58.400 --> 00:25:01.099 be in Hollywood. The source material lists a 00:25:01.099 --> 00:25:02.779 special guest category that is just completely 00:25:02.779 --> 00:25:05.220 stacked. We already mentioned Patrick Stewart, 00:25:05.500 --> 00:25:09.039 Laura Linney, Aaron Eckhart, Laurie Metcalf. 00:25:09.299 --> 00:25:12.180 But there's so many others. Jennifer Tilly appeared 00:25:12.180 --> 00:25:15.170 as Kim in Miss Right right now. Rosie Perez played 00:25:15.170 --> 00:25:18.410 Lisbeth. And the guest callers. We can't forget 00:25:18.410 --> 00:25:20.710 the callers. Even the final season, they kept 00:25:20.710 --> 00:25:23.490 that iconic tradition alive. Benjamin Bratt called 00:25:23.490 --> 00:25:26.569 in Stanley Tucci. Helen Mirren. Yes, Helen Mirren 00:25:26.569 --> 00:25:29.509 called in as Bebette. And even the younger generation 00:25:29.509 --> 00:25:32.269 got involved. Hilary Duff called in as Brittany. 00:25:32.450 --> 00:25:34.730 It really shows the massive cultural reach of 00:25:34.730 --> 00:25:36.990 the show at that time. From Helen Mirren to Hilary 00:25:36.990 --> 00:25:39.309 Duff, everyone wanted to be a part of the history 00:25:39.309 --> 00:25:41.549 of Frasier before it ended. So bringing it all 00:25:41.549 --> 00:25:44.130 home for the outro. What is the true legacy of 00:25:44.130 --> 00:25:47.009 Season 11? Season 11 was about moving on. If 00:25:47.009 --> 00:25:48.930 you look at the arcs, everyone finally grew up. 00:25:49.170 --> 00:25:51.410 Martin found a partner and faced his own mortality. 00:25:52.049 --> 00:25:54.730 Niles became a father and completely shed his 00:25:54.730 --> 00:25:57.910 neuroses about Maris. Roz became the boss. And 00:25:57.910 --> 00:25:59.650 Frazier, well, Frazier finally left the building. 00:25:59.910 --> 00:26:03.509 He really did. He left the safety of his meticulously 00:26:03.509 --> 00:26:06.630 designed apartment and his isolated radio booth. 00:26:06.990 --> 00:26:10.069 He entered the real world with all its messiness 00:26:10.069 --> 00:26:12.710 and risk. The ratings reflect just how much people 00:26:12.710 --> 00:26:15.049 cared about these characters. The source says 00:26:15.049 --> 00:26:18.829 the finale drew 25 .25 million viewers. That 00:26:18.829 --> 00:26:21.089 is a number you just don't see anymore in television. 00:26:21.369 --> 00:26:24.630 It was a true monocultural moment. It was arguably 00:26:24.630 --> 00:26:26.769 the last time we all sat down together to say 00:26:26.769 --> 00:26:28.910 goodbye to a group of friends like that. So here's 00:26:28.910 --> 00:26:30.809 my final thought for you listening to Maul over 00:26:30.809 --> 00:26:33.529 today. Frazier ends the show on a plane to Chicago. 00:26:33.710 --> 00:26:36.869 He chose love over his career. But let's play 00:26:36.869 --> 00:26:39.240 the tape forward and think about his past. Okay. 00:26:39.319 --> 00:26:41.480 When his marriage to Lilith fell apart, he moved 00:26:41.480 --> 00:26:44.240 from Boston to Seattle for a fresh start. Now 00:26:44.240 --> 00:26:46.099 his Seattle life is wrapping up and he's moving 00:26:46.099 --> 00:26:49.890 to Chicago. Actually choosing love or is Frasier 00:26:49.890 --> 00:26:52.230 Crane just addicted to the geographic reset? 00:26:52.490 --> 00:26:54.710 Oh, wow. Does he require a completely new city 00:26:54.710 --> 00:26:56.690 every decade just to feel like he's making progress? 00:26:56.930 --> 00:26:59.789 That is a brilliant question. Right. I like to 00:26:59.789 --> 00:27:01.730 think he stayed in Chicago and found a way to 00:27:01.730 --> 00:27:04.410 be happy without needing a radio audience. But 00:27:04.410 --> 00:27:07.289 knowing Frasier Crane, he probably at least complained 00:27:07.289 --> 00:27:09.910 about the towels in his Chicago hotel room. Almost 00:27:09.910 --> 00:27:12.490 certainly. Thank you for taking this deep dive 00:27:12.490 --> 00:27:15.170 into Frasier season 11 with us. Good night, Seattle. 00:27:15.450 --> 00:27:16.450 We'll see you next time.