Saturday, May 18, 2013

Top 10 Worst Episodes of 'Frasier'

I love Frasier. It's totally my favorite sitcom of all time. It is also one of the few long-running shows that is consistently watchable for its entire run. But Frasier couldn't hit a home run for each of the 264 episodes. Here are the 10 worst episodes of Frasier.

10. "It's Hard to Say Goodbye If You Won't Leave" (season 3, episode 10)
Frasier the show had a terrific arc with Frasier the guy battling sexily with KACL station manager Kate Costas (Oscar winner Mercedes Ruehl), the female version of Frasier. But the arc ended on a sour note with a seemingly endless episode of romantic miscommunications and misunderstandings. The episode attempts an elaborate Casablanca homage that it doesn't really pull off. I got the impression the show didn't want to lose Kate so soon but hastily wrote a last episode for her when the actor's contract wore out.
9. "Kissing Cousin" (season 10, episode 4)
Roz's mid-20s, hipster cousin (played by future star Zooey Deschanel) comes to visit and her too cool for school attitude irritates Frasier. That's a good recipe for comedy but the episode doesn't really milk that opportunity for all it's worth. Then the episode takes a weird turn with the Deschanel character offering life advice to KACL station manager Kenny Daly (Tom McGowan). Because the audience cares about his existential crisis. I mean, you know an episode is in trouble when it features extended scenes with none of the lead cast and Kissing Cousin falls victim to that.

8. "Call Me Irresponsible" (season 1, episode 7)
It was six episodes before Frasier got a love interest but this episode is no sweet introduction to the series-long arc of Frasier trying to find love. The premise of this episode is interesting: Frasier convinces a commitment-phobic caller to break up with his girlfriend but then said girlfriend (Amanda Donohoe, in one of the worst guest star performances in the show's history) comes to the station to chew Frasier out. Of course, they hit it off but Frasier can't date her because it's an ethical violation. There's a funny scene with Frasier and the woman trying to make love which makes Frasier queasy but it's not enough to save the episode. It's poorly written and executed, with the poor woman being the rope in Frasier and the ex's tug of war.
7. "The Focus Group" (season 3, episode 23)
Frasier's pomposity was a deep well for comedy throughout the show but sometimes the writers took it a bit too far. The Focus Group is one of those episodes. Frasier chases after a member of a focus group (Tony Shalhoub) who just "doesn't like him." That sort of vague disdain drives Frasier nuts so he has to know why and in the process ends up ruining this guy's life. It's one of the few times they couldn't make Frasier's pomposity lovable but annoying and selfish. Surprisingly, season 3 is my favorite season though it contains two of the worst episodes in the show. The other 22 episodes are absolutely brilliant, though.

6. "Slow Tango in South Seattle" (season 2, episode 1)
For an ordinary episode, this one is just mediocre. But as a season premiere, it is downright awful. Frasier discovers an old acquaintance wrote a book based on Frasier's first time with a woman (he was a teenager, she middle-aged). This leads to some light teasing between the characters until Frasier discovers he never thanked the woman for the statutory rape and goes to see her. Constance Towers of The Naked Kiss fame (seriously watch the clip) plays the woman and she's fine. But the whole sequence is bizarre and icky. I didn't like how the season opens with an episode that features so little of the other four characters. Especially since any of the next five episodes could have served as excellent season openers (especially Matchmaker or The Botched Language of the Cranes).
5. "Frasier's Curse" (season 6, episode 2)
Frasier being humiliated is a rich source of comedy for the show. But Frasier's Curse is almost unbearably mean-spirited. I like laughing at the guy when his ego gets taken down a peg but this episode, detailing his bad luck at finding a job, is akin to kicking him when he's down. The jokes aren't funny and the episode becomes a tragedy with a laugh track. Cringe comedy can be great but Frasier's Curse misses the mark. The episode is just a series of humiliations for Frasier with no victory in sight and ends with Frasier on his way to more humiliation.

4. "Motor Skills" (season 8, episode 11)
I really dislike this episode. Frasier and Niles in auto shop night school is all right though their shenanigans are really out of character. And they're way too old to be taking such glee at being rebellious. It's just not funny and this plot should have been in season 2 or something. But the real downer of the episode is Roz and Martin fighting about dog-raising. When a show becomes long-running and character combos start to become tired, the plots start to feel inorganic and contrived  Roz and Martin, the sanest members of the cast, are a good pair but this episode is joyless and frustrating.
3. "Beware of Greeks" (season 5, episode 16)
Coming after the season 5 classics Ski Lodge and Room Service, there's a lot of pressure on Beware of Greeks. And it fails spectacularly. Patti LuPone guest stars as Frasier's Greek aunt on his father's side who hates him because he convinced his cousin to give up medicine and become a street performer. Except Frasier shouldn't have a Greek aunt on his father's side because Martin mentioned a few times being an only child. The episode just isn't funny because of the overload of Greek stereotypes and LuPone's over the top performance which does not fit at all with the show. The episode is just lousy and almost unwatchable.

2. "Wheels of Fortune" (season 9, episode 16)
Frasier hit a low point with Wheels of Fortune, another episode introducing a previously unheard of relative. This time it's Michael Keaton as Lillith's wheelchair-bound brother Blaine. It just doesn't make any sense. It's one of those con episodes, with Frasier trying to convince everybody that this guy is no good and no one believes him. The jokes are just not funny and Keaton's performance is just horrible (though I don't like him in general). But the episode is too frantic and busy and it's unbelievable that the characters would fall for Blaine's nonsense. The major problem with this episode is that it's just so poorly conceived. How does Lillith end up with a scheming con man brother? She probably would have whipped him into shape a long time ago!
1. "Liar! Liar!" (season 4, episode 10)
And here we are. The absolute worst episode of Frasier. It is just horribly horrible that I am embarrassed for poor Kelsey Grammer and company for having to act in it. A discussion about lying leads Frasier to confess lying about an old prep school bully to get him kicked out of school. He then seeks out this guy, now in prison, hoping that his life of crime was independent of getting kicked out. It's another example of Frasier being unlikable in ways that don't fit into his character. And the episode keeps spiraling out of control until the end when Frasier ends up at that guy's apartment with his nymphomaniac wife who likes getting caught while doing it. It's just so bizarre and unfunny. I just cannot believe this episode was even produced by the brilliant Frasier team.

So there you have it. 10 episodes of Frasier that just completely missed the mark. Here's a reminder of everything that Frasier did right. This is one of the best moments in the show's history, the famous "Buttons and Bows" sequence from season 3, episode 16 Look Before You Leap.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Some of these I agree with but certainly not all. I am very confused how more episodes from Season 8 were not on this list; for me most of this season was a bust. I for one liked Motor Skills but hated Frasier's Edge& Sliding Frasiers to name a few. Still this remains one of my favorite sitcom's of all time.

Anonymous said...


Far and away, in my opinion, is Freudian Sleep in Season 11. It appears the writers, who seemed to come back strong in the final season, completely ran out of ideas with this one. I HATE it.

Unknown said...

What's funny is I'd just watched Liar, Liar on my second watch through and thought "my God that was a bad episode, I wonder which people consider to be the worst". Nice to see I'm not the only one to think that!
Surprised "War of the Words" isn't on here. Now THAT was bad.

Anonymous said...

I'm surprised more episodes from season 10 don't make your list. I and many others consider it the absolute worst season of Frasier, namely due to: Farewell, Nervosa (unwatchable), Some Assembly Required, Enemy at the Gate, Kenny on the Couch, Kissing Cousins (as you mentioned), and the entire arc with otherwise excellent Felicity Huffman. The only funny moments were during Roz's send-off dinner. That arc even tainted the beginning of season 11. Season 10 also features the worst Bebe episode (with Dr. Phil, uhh) out of all her appeances in the series.

Anonymous said...

I'm surprised more episodes from season 10 don't make your list. I and many others consider it the absolute worst season of Frasier, namely due to: Farewell, Nervosa (unwatchable), Some Assembly Required, Enemy at the Gate, Kenny on the Couch, Kissing Cousins (as you mentioned), and the entire arc with otherwise excellent Felicity Huffman. The only funny moments were during Roz's send-off dinner. That arc even tainted the beginning of season 11. Season 10 also features the worst Bebe episode (with Dr. Phil, uhh) out of all her appeances in the series.

Anonymous said...


Patty Lupone was terrible as the Greek aunt. Just atrocious.

Jim Ryan said...

I agree that "Freudian Sleep" is the worst episode by far, the only one I turn off.

Anonymous said...

Freudian Sleep is THE worst episode, its hard to watch it all the way through. Every episode on your list is watchable in my opinion, I even quite like Liar, Liar.

Michael Mitchell said...

For some reason, I never really cared for "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz"

dkonbest said...

Agree! Just re-watched it and hated it all over again.

Anonymous said...

Appeances

Anonymous said...

I thought Coots and Ladders (Season 11), along with Fruedian Sleep (Season 11) were top 5 worst. I thought season 11 was the worst season, just because so many episodes fell short. I hated all the episodes with Julia. I think she was the worst guest star in the series. There are several great ones (The Doctor is Out). Caught in the Act was a great episode, but the bed flying into the rafters were too zany and unbelievable. Season 8 had some really bad episodes. Docu.Drama was not good at all.

OrangeTom said...

Saw "Liar, Liar" for the first time today and couldn't agree more about it being the worst of the worst. Pacing was odd, guest performances over the top, and script nonsensical. Seemed more appropriate for a sitcom three decades prior or even just a 10 minute bit on "Love American Style" from that same era

Hope said...

I hate Sliding Frasiers too. I always skip over that episode.

Anonymous said...

Liar Liar was so bad, I think they should remove it from the syndicated series. Beware of the Greeks was also atrocious, as was the bizarre Motor skills one. I agree with your entire list, except for the Wheels one with Keaton. I think it was a good concept but terribly written and awful execution.

Anonymous said...

I agree with most of these, especially Freudian Sleep, Liar, Liar, and Beware of Greeks. But not Wheels of Fortune. I love that episode, one of my favorites. Michael Keaton was great, such a charming con man, that's why everyone except Frasier fell for his scheme. His listing of all the apostles, and then taking a pause and adding, "....pass the po-ta-toes please" was hilarious. And Blaine was Frasier's ex-wife's half-brother, not exactly a close relative, so it makes sense that he was never mentioned, why would he be?

This list should have included the Nanny G. episode with Frasier in a diaper. Where did the writers ever get that idea from? So cringe-worthy!

Anonymous said...

Edted post: I agree with most of these, especially Liar, Liar, and Beware of Greeks. But not Wheels of Fortune. I love that episode, one of my favorites. Michael Keaton was great, such a charming con man, that's why everyone except Frasier fell for his scheme. His listing of all the apostles, and then taking a pause and adding, "pass the po-ta-toes, please" was hilarious. And Blaine was Frasier's ex-wife's HALF-brother, not exactly a close relative, so it makes sense that he was never mentioned, why would he be?

This list should have included the Nanny G. episode with Frasier in a diaper. Where did the writers ever get that idea from? So cringe-worthy! And Freudian Sleep should also be on this list, totally cringe-worthy and unwatchable! It's the #1 worst Frasier episode! Secons is the Nanny G episode. Both unwatchable for me!

Moments by Paige said...

I agree with most of this. Slow Tango is an episode I always skip. Do not agree at all about wheels of fortune though. It’s actually one of my fav episodes and one of the few bright moments of fun in the later seasons. It’s silly sure but I found it very funny.

operabethie said...

DETOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How did anyone not mention this? This is hands down the most ill conceived atrocious episode in the entire series.

Unknown said...

I agree with you except I did like the end where Frasier stays in the car with the driver, listening to the man pour his heart our, all the while the rally goes on without him right next to them. It's one of those times when Frasier's overwhelming kindness takes over.

MCF said...

I would say "Enemy At The Gate" is up there as one of the worst. Arguing over a parking rate? Also, there are some episodes where characters just act, well, out of character. "The Last Temptation of Daphne" is one of those episodes. "Motor Skills" is terrible too. "Beware of Greeks" is so screechy that it's unbearable.

Unknown said...

Totally agree. It's by far THE least enjoyable episode. I've watched every episode of Frasier countless times except Freudian Sleep, which I have watched fully once. I gave it a second go but threw the towel in after five min.

KillerBee said...

I HATE Daphne's Room!!!!

MCF said...

Just had to comment about my least favorites. I think "Enemy at the Gate" is horrible, but "The Friend" from Season 3 is just atrocious. The episode makes Frasier look terrible for not having the courage to bring a relationship to its rightful end. Niles looks petty for being jealous that his brother's trying to branch out. Bob's not a bad guy, just a bad fit for a friend for Frasier, but the show just seems mean to him.

Anonymous said...

Anything with that “dr” Mary sucked. So did the one with the giant flag covering Frasier's’ window.

Anonymous said...

Rx

Anonymous said...

I agree. I hope the new Frasier doesn’t pander to groups of people who do not watch the show. With the HIMYM creator being the writer for the second act of Frasier, I hope it’s not doomed.

Anonymous said...

Right. It’s bad enough on every show on tv now. That’s why I don’t watch.

Brad G said...

Here's a thought: who cares what some moron like anonymous says? What worth or value does a starving comment like that make? Oh gosh, anonymous has two sequential moronic posts, each of them absent any meaning. Shouldn't there at least be some meaningful requirement for a modicum of substance on these replies? These sort of comments actually suck the brains out of anyone reading them.