S01.E08: The B Story

[Athena]

Quote

Frasier attempts to convince the university's provost to grant him full professor status. David faces a life-shattering crisis that takes all of Freddy's help to get him through.

 

[nora1992]

I felt for David in this episode, but Olivia really stood out.  She tried her best, but Frasier was insufferable.

[Athena]

I didn't really like this episode after the last few which were better. I like Olivia and I wish they used her more. The writing for David is still very much a miss for me even though the actor is trying. I continue to like Alan whenever he is onscreen and Kelsey is consistent. I have no feeling about Eve or Freddy.

There were too many cheap jokes: the hockey jock, the drunk jokes, and the epi pen situation. Freddy is first responder and Frasier is a physician! They should have grabbed that epi pen from David.

 

[Bumblebee84047]

I really liked the interaction between David and Freddy.  More of that, please.

And David, don't worry.  Just tell Niles that the B (and B minus!) came from Frasier.  Niles will say it's from jealousy and trying to undercut you and Niles and he'll blame Frasier.

[baldryanr]

4 hours ago, Bumblebee84047 said:

And David, don't worry.  Just tell Niles that the B (and B minus!) came from Frasier.  Niles will say it's from jealousy and trying to undercut you and Niles and he'll blame Frasier.

Niles would just say it doesn't really count because Frasier's not a real professor, just a celebrity hired to play the part.  Oh, and that such shenanigans would never happen at his alma mater (Yale).

[Annber03]

5 hours ago, Bumblebee84047 said:

I really liked the interaction between David and Freddy.  More of that, please.

And David, don't worry.  Just tell Niles that the B (and B minus!) came from Frasier.  Niles will say it's from jealousy and trying to undercut you and Niles and he'll blame Frasier.

Hahahaha, that's a good idea :D. I can totally see that happening.

I really liked seeing Freddie and David interacting as they did this episode, too. That end talk between them was really nice and well done. And I love the thought of Freddie helping David out with his studies in general. 

I also loved the reveal that Freddie likes to do magic tricks :D. 

As for Frasier, yeah, he was knocking himself out to ridiculous lengths as usual, but I liked how they tied that into the Cranes' general desire for more, for the better things, how they're never truly satisfied with anything. I feel that added something to Frasier's whole storyline here and made me a little more sympathetic. I did feel for Olivia trying to keep everything running smoothly, though. I wonder if this whole thing of him pushing for the professor title will continue to be a thing for the remainder of the season (and a season 2 as well, should we get one). 

[shapeshifter]

27 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

I wonder if this whole thing of him pushing for the professor title will continue to be a thing for the remainder of the season (and a season 2 as well, should we get one). 

I think a professor title is out of the question for at least the rest of this season, even if/when it comes out that Frasier was having a reaction to a bee sting and an EpiPen injection, and was not falling down drunk.

The Screen Rant reviewer seems to agree with me:

Quote

…they are able to use an EpiPen, but it makes Frasier woozy and drunk-like. Instead of listening to his son, however, he still goes to the review board assembly in that state, effectively killing his chances of getting his much-coveted professorship…

https://screenrant.com/frasier-reboot-episode-8-story-recap-best-moments/#frasier-embarrasses-himself-in-front-of-his-harvard-superiors-in-episode-8

 

Edited November 23, 2023 by shapeshifter

[kickingnames]

Drunk nerd Freddy amuses me. Also, his enjoyment of magic tricks — I’m pretty sure Jack Cutmore-Scott learned magic for the show Deception he was in a few years back, so it’s nice of them to incorporate a little bit of that here.

I hope the show is given a chance to fully develop — I’m enjoying it so far as a work in progress. Obviously Kelsey Grammer knows Frasier inside and out, but I think the writers are still finding their way with some of other characters, and I’d like the show to last long enough to see where they go. I’ve laughed outright at least once per episode, which more than I can say for several other comedy shows.

[Egg McMuffin]

The episode was worth watching just for Alan dissing Frasier’s daytime Emmy.

[Sarah 103]

On 11/23/2023 at 11:51 AM, Bumblebee84047 said:

I really liked the interaction between David and Freddy.  More of that, please.

And David, don't worry.  Just tell Niles that the B (and B minus!) came from Frasier.  Niles will say it's from jealousy and trying to undercut you and Niles and he'll blame Frasier.

I love this. I can hear Niles saying that. 

It does make wonder about David's parents. I can't picture Daphne putting that kind of pressure on her child. I'm also not sure about Niles either. 

I think I am starting to piece together the story Freddy told his friends. They know Lilith exists and who she is, so that would explain his knowledge of "the finer things/snob stuff/highbrow culture." He told lies about who his father was, which somehow should explain why he seems more like a "regular guy" except when he's drunk. I like drunk Freddy. I want to see more of him.  

Overall, I really enjoyed this episode. 

[Irlandesa]

On 11/23/2023 at 3:40 PM, baldryanr said:

Niles would just say it doesn't really count because Frasier's not a real professor, just a celebrity hired to play the part.  Oh, and that such shenanigans would never happen at his alma mater (Yale).

Yes.  This.  And I can't believe the show didn't point this out.  This was such a gimme as they were breaking down the family dynamic. 

And I could see Niles maybe disappointed in his son if he didn't think he was working hard but mad?  I find that hard to believe, especially since I don't think Daphne would stand for that kind of pressure on her children.  Unlike Frasier and Lilith who have similar vibes, Niles and Daphne are opposite in that way. 

Overall, I liked this episode too.  There were a lot of things I laughed at, such as the increasing drunken jokes and how well-constructed the A and B stories were.  In a way, they were separate but in another way, they were very related as David's speech showed at the end of the episode.  It is hard to find a multi-cam sitcom constructed as well as that episode was these days. 

But I was irritated by the whole "professor" thing.  The time to negotiate rank was when Frasier was first hired. And David should not be in a class taught by his uncle. 

[Bumblebee84047]

26 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

And I could see Niles maybe disappointed in his son if he didn't think he was working hard but mad?  I find that hard to believe, especially since I don't think Daphne would stand for that kind of pressure on her children.  Unlike Frasier and Lilith who have similar vibes, Niles and Daphne are opposite in that way. 

 

Agreed!  I kept thinking that didn't really ring true to the Niles we know. Niles wouldn't be angry, and wouldn't put that kind of pressure on his son.  He could slip into starting to pressue his children, but Daphne would be there to balance it out/put a stop to it.

[benteen]

Definitely a much weaker episode then the previous ones and perhaps the weakest so far. Davis is still the weakest character so far but I top liked his interaction with Freddy. Some good lines and I always like Olivia and Alan.

[benteen]

12 hours ago, Bumblebee84047 said:

Agreed!  I kept thinking that didn't really ring true to the Niles we know. Niles wouldn't be angry, and wouldn't put that kind of pressure on his son.  He could slip into starting to pressue his children, but Daphne would be there to balance it out/put a stop to it.

While I definitely see Niles having high expectations for his sob like Frasier with Freddy, I think a lot of this pressure is in David's head, trying to live up to Niles.

I was hoping we'd get to hear Freddy and David commiserate about Martin. Sadly we'll never get to see David and Martin together but it would be fun to get David's impressions of him, especially considering Martin would have spent more time with him than Freddy.

[Affogato]

I watched a couple of original series episodes to refresh my memory. David has some of the air of Niles to me, and I can see him trying to please Niles. The pressure from Niles would be the constant talk about what is good or bad, what school to go to, what wine goes with what fish. I wonder if we will discover that going to Harvard was David's 'teenaged rebellion', and why he was so desperate to have it be successful. But yes, I think David has a lot of Niles in him.

Freddy being exactly the person Frasier would want him to be when he's drunk was both funny and a bit much. A pontificating performer, just like his dad (only better at it). I also wonder if we are going to find out that Freddy secretly has multiple college degrees, if the show lasts long enough. It was funny to see him react to the paper he wrote with David also getting a 'B'.

41 minutes ago, benteen said:

 

I was hoping we'd get to hear Freddy and David commiserate about Martin. Sadly we'll never get to see David and Martin together but it would be fun to get David's impressions of him, especially considering Martin would have spent more time with him than Freddy.

I imagine if the show continues there will be time for that. A successful sitcom, I think, gives you the same thing over and over with only small increments of change and growth.

[shapeshifter]

I just happened to watch OG Frasier 2.4 "Flour Child," in which "After witnessing a woman [cabbie] give birth, Niles decides it's  time to practice his parenting skills — on a sack of flour."

David actually is a logical result. 

I wonder, though, if TPTB ever considered naming him Martin.

[Sarah 103]

5 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I just happened to watch OG Frasier 2.4 "Flour Child," in which "After witnessing a woman [cabbie] give birth, Niles decides it's  time to practice his parenting skills — on a sack of flour."

David actually is a logical result. 

I wonder, though, if TPTB ever considered naming him Martin.

David was named in memory/honor of one of the show's creators, David Angell, who was killed in the 9/11 attack. David was born in 2004 during the final episode of the original Frasier. 

[Camera One]

This episode had its moments, both amusing ones and some cringe-worthy ones, with Frasier constantly embarrassing himself.  Not much to say beyond that, though.  

David is still hit and miss for me.  The audience clapping after one of his speeches didn't help.

[Nozycat]

3 hours ago, Camera One said:

some cringe-worthy ones, with Frasier constantly embarrassing himself

I thought Frasier ending up on the floor was super cringy and not funny at all.

[Yeah No]

12 hours ago, Camera One said:

This episode had its moments, both amusing ones and some cringe-worthy ones, with Frasier constantly embarrassing himself.  Not much to say beyond that, though.  

David is still hit and miss for me.  The audience clapping after one of his speeches didn't help.

That pretty much sums it up for me.  I could see this episode being a lot funnier with better actors or ones with more chemistry together (Kelsey excluded).  I'm still not feeling the actors that play Freddy and David even as nice as their interaction was in this episode.  Some of the lines were funny but they didn't make me laugh coming out of the mouths of the supporting actors on the screen.  I keep hearing them in my mind said by the original cast and finding them much funnier!

[Nozycat]

4 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I keep hearing them in my mind said by the original cast and finding them much funnier!

Yes me too, and for me that includes Kelsey.