S01.E09: The Fix Is In

[Athena]

Quote

When Freddy complains about being treated like a child, Frasier suggests that he help with repairs around the apartment, but things get more complicated.

 

[Irlandesa]

I think this was my least favorite episode, even though I liked a few things about it.  I did not like what it did with the characters, though.

The beginning, where Freddy lets his date believe his father isn't all there, came off as a bad sitcom. 

The B plot, where David annoys Alan by going all "TA Rules book" on him, started with a lot of promise.  I hate when bosses treat interns (Or TAs* in this instance) like personal assistants, so I liked the idea of Alan being unable to do that with David. 

Instead, they had David go along with Alan's obvious changes.  At least they revealed that David knew what Alan was doing at the end, so it's not that David was too stupid, but I do not think it believable that he enjoys being treated like dirt just because he was perhaps spoiled as a child.  Being Alan's slave sucked the fun out of what could have been an inspired idea.

I did like Andy Daly's guest appearance as the improvving plumber, and it was nice to see Frasier feel some regret about not being around for his son, but the resolution left a bad taste in my mouth.  I didn't find it funny that Frasier's act of love was to behave like a man losing his faculties in front of Freddy's date and for Freddy to go along with it.  He could have simply stated a version of the truth that he gave up his apartment across the hall so his late best friend's girlfriend and son had their own place and moved in with his dad for the time being. 

All the men, except David*, were utter trash in this episode. I don't mind that if there's good comedy and comeuppance but that was in short supply.

*And maybe the plumber.  He was willing to go along with a lie but he was funny and got called out.

Edited November 30, 2023 by Irlandesa

[shapeshifter]

6 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I did like Andy Daly's guest appearance as the improvving plumber

Yes. Improv Plumber was the best.

My literal LOL punch lines and visual comedy bits were:

• Frasier decides to go along with Freddy pretending in front of a potential romantic partner that he lives with his father because his father has dementia:
  • [FRASIER] Sorry about that. I apologize for my outburst. I must have been sundowning.
  • [FREDDY] Ah, that's okay, Dad. Just call me if you get lost on the way to your room. And remember, shoes off first, then pants.
  • [FRASIER] But, Freddy, it's time for my bath.
    
     
• Frasier pretending the plumber he called in to fix/finish Freddy's plumbing work on the building is really a friend and not a plumber, despite Roland the Plumber wearing coveralls with a name tag:
  • [FRASIER] Roland, this is my, uh, my son, whom I told you about.
  • [ROLAND THE PLUMBER] Freddy. Oh, of course, Freddy. Yes, I work with your dad. We're buds.
  • [FREDDY] Oh, so you're a psych professor? At Harvard?
  • [ROLAND THE PLUMBER (puts on the reader glasses to look more professorial)] That is correct.

 

• And —
  • [FREDDY'S FEMALE ACQUAINTANCE TO FRASIER] You have a wonderful son!
  • [FRASIER] Yes. I know. Thank you. Oh, excuse me, I'm sorry. I've got to take this. [HOLDS A BANANA UP TO HIS EAR] Yes, Mr. President?

[peachmangosteen]

Yikes, terrible episode. The worst so far for sure. 

[AnnaCody]

I loved all of it.  The part where David said he had not had an intact grape since a child....reminded me of watching my DIL cut them in half for my first grandchild.  Memories....  Lots more but I'll have to watch it again. 

[stonehaven]

The "comedy" of Frasier appearing to have dementia just didn't sit right with me but then they had a moment like that in the original when Frasier asked Martin to check out a care facility so he could meet a woman. That was played a bit less broad than this.

The only parts I liked were Eve calling out Freddy. He really never seems happy about anything in any of these episodes. 

Also, I can understand Niles coddling David but Daphne wouldn't as far as I can tell.

..but yes, the plumber was indeed the best part of the show. In some warped way, I would loved a scene where Frasier and Roland hit it off on some level. That would take his character is a different direction.

I'm still not in love with this show but it is a timekiller....

[Bumblebee84047]

Probably my least favorite episode so far, but seeing Andy Daly is always a joy.

[shapeshifter]

52 minutes ago, stonehaven said:

The "comedy" of Frasier appearing to have dementia just didn't sit right with me

I didn't mind Frasier pretending to have dementia, but then my family's bodies stop working before the mind does, so maybe I'm insensitive that way. 

[Annber03]

I liked Frasier's talk with Alan about why he had such difficulty accepting help from Freddie. The way he got emotional when speaking about Martin really added a poignancy to that scene that made it work. 

I also liked Alan and David's plot just 'cause it was entertaining to see them get to interact a bit, and I did like the reveal that David was in on the whole thing and just going along. I like the moments when he gets to be a bit scheming and roll with things himself, for whatever reason. 

Eve's talk with Freddie was also good. And I liked Freddie's date, Nicole, largely because hey, she played Rossi's daughter on "Criminal Minds"! So it was fun to see her pop up in another show I watch :). I'd be good with them bringing her back sometime. 

And yes, the plumber was great :D. 

[Sarah 103]

3 hours ago, stonehaven said:

Also, I can understand Niles coddling David but Daphne wouldn't as far as I can tell.

I agree. If we didn't know for sure that Daphne was still alive, I could easily believe that Daphne died when David was very young, and Niles raised David as a single father with help from nannies. There is no way Daphne would let Niles coddle David for his entire life. 

The plumber was easily the best part of the episode. 

Edited December 1, 2023 by Sarah 103

[Irlandesa]

16 minutes ago, Sarah 103 said:

I agree. If we didn't know for sure that Daphne was still alive, I could easily believe that Daphne died when David was very young, and Niles raised David as a single father with help from nannies.

I suspect that's the angle they would have taken if DHP had decided to join this series. 

[baldryanr]

10 hours ago, stonehaven said:

Also, I can understand Niles coddling David but Daphne wouldn't as far as I can tell.

Frasier and Niles ended up the way they were even with Martin being around, so I suppose it's history repeating itself. 

Frasier definitely has some rose colored glasses on about the middle part of his relationship with Martin, though.  Weren't they quite distant from each other (both physically and emotionally) during the Cheers years?

[Chit Chat]

1 hour ago, baldryanr said:

Weren't they quite distant from each other (both physically and emotionally) during the Cheers years?

We've been rewatching the entire series of Cheers the past month.  I can't remember the specifics, but the story Frasier tells about his parents on that show is completely different than how they were portrayed on the show Frasier.  

This current episode was disappointing.  I hope it gets better.

[John M]

I agree about this being the worst episode so far, especially right after they were starting to find their footing.

And David needs to go, I feel bad for the actor but the character clearly doesn't work and they have written him in such a box there is no rescuing him.

Actually, I think David could have worked as an unseen character, which would have been a fun callback.  

[Chit Chat]

I think that my biggest disappointment with the show is learning that Frasier & Freddy haven't been on the best of terms for a while.  Although they lived so far apart for so long, Freddy did go visit Frasier in Seattle and they seemed to get along well. Fast forward to Frasier's move to Chicago and we're supposed to believe that he couldn't find the time to go visit Freddy in Boston?  That just doesn't sound like Frasier.  Of course, Freddy could've been dealing with some angst in his teenage years and there could've been tension between the two at that time, but I still find it hard to believe that Frasier didn't make some kind of attempt to be in Freddy's life after he moved to Chicago. 

I think the current show could've been interesting without the tension between the two of them.  There are lots of stories to be told with Frasier being at Harvard, and Freddy with his job and friends.  Sure, they'll still butt heads about certain things, but I don't like the idea of Frasier not being a good dad. I could understand the friction that Frasier had with his dad, but I'm just not buying it with him and his son.  

I like that the tavern looks like a mix of a cozy coffee shop and a bar.  Kudos to whoever designed that particular set. 

 

[shapeshifter]

48 minutes ago, John M said:

Actually, I think David could have worked as an unseen character, which would have been a fun callback.  

This could still happen. Maybe that was the plan all along? 

 

4 minutes ago, Chit Chat said:

I like that the tavern looks like a mix of a cozy coffee shop and a bar.  Kudos to whoever designed that particular set. 

I haven't looked closely, but aren't they more or less copied from the OG shows?

[baldryanr]

1 hour ago, Chit Chat said:

I think that my biggest disappointment with the show is learning that Frasier & Freddy haven't been on the best of terms for a while.  Although they lived so far apart for so long, Freddy did go visit Frasier in Seattle and they seemed to get along well. Fast forward to Frasier's move to Chicago and we're supposed to believe that he couldn't find the time to go visit Freddy in Boston?  That just doesn't sound like Frasier.  Of course, Freddy could've been dealing with some angst in his teenage years and there could've been tension between the two at that time, but I still find it hard to believe that Frasier didn't make some kind of attempt to be in Freddy's life after he moved to Chicago. 

Isn't Freddy dropping out of Harvard and becoming a firefighter the big issue?  That was inconceivable to Frasier (to be fair, most parents would be aghast) and there's no way he would have been able to hide his disappointment about that and his apparent disdain for a blue collar job like firefighter in the following years.  Freddy would never have been able to confide in him either because he'd think Frasier would always be waiting to pull the "if you stayed at Harvard like I told you to" card.

So for years there were probably superficial pleasantries at family gatherings but nothing approaching a strong relationship.  Martin was the one he would turn to

[Chit Chat]

15 minutes ago, baldryanr said:

Isn't Freddy dropping out of Harvard and becoming a firefighter the big issue? 

It is now.  Frasier said in this episode that he felt bad for being an absentee father to Freddy.  Looks like they had problems long before Freddy dropped out of Harvard.  

[Nozycat]

28 minutes ago, baldryanr said:

to be fair, most parents would be aghast)

Not me, I would be so proud.

[Irlandesa]

4 hours ago, Chit Chat said:

It is now.  Frasier said in this episode that he felt bad for being an absentee father to Freddy.  Looks like they had problems long before Freddy dropped out of Harvard.  

I think we can do things that seem fine at the time but create fissures that show up later. 

Frasier chose to move to Chicago to chase after a relationship with Charlotte at the same time Freddy was about to enter his adolescence.  Communication is tough even when parents live with their teenagers (or see them regularly) but at least there's the power of observation.  I think it's possible for Frederick to have loved his father, and loved visiting him, but eventually realized his dad doesn't know him at all or for Frasier to come to that same realization. Maybe they realized it when Freddy dropped out of Harvard.

I don't think Frasier feeling like he was an absentee father means Freddy feels traumatized by his absence but I also don't think it's a stretch for Frasier to realize he missed out on more than he realized with his son.

 

 

 

 

[shapeshifter]

9 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I think we can do things that seem fine at the time but create fissures that show up later. 

Frasier chose to move to Chicago to chase after a relationship with Charlotte at the same time Freddy was about to enter his adolescence.  Communication is tough even when parents live with their teenagers (or see them regularly) but at least there's the power of observation.  I think it's possible for Frederick to have loved his father, and loved visiting him, but eventually realized his dad doesn't know him at all or for Frasier to come to that same realization. Maybe they realized it when Freddy dropped out of Harvard.

I don't think Frasier feeling like he was an absentee father means Freddy feels traumatized by his absence but I also don't think it's a stretch for Frasier to realize he missed out on more than he realized with his son.

Yes. And this👆all makes sense within the context of the show in which Frasier The Therapist is always making choices that sabotage his relationships.

Hopefully real life therapists would not be absent parents, at least not for decades.

Didn’t Lilith and Freddy live in Boston while Frasier was in Seattle for a decade?
If so, regarding:

9 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

…Frasier chose to move to Chicago to chase after a relationship with Charlotte at the same time Freddy was about to enter his adolescence.…

Are we supposed to conclude that teenage Freddy felt doubly abandoned by Frasier’s willingness to relocate to Chicago for a wife, but not willing to relocate back to Boston for a son?

Edited December 2, 2023 by shapeshifter

[baldryanr]

7 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I don't think Frasier feeling like he was an absentee father means Freddy feels traumatized by his absence but I also don't think it's a stretch for Frasier to realize he missed out on more than he realized with his son.

Especially since Freddy didn't follow the plan Frasier had laid out for him.   If he had finished Harvard, gone to med school, etc. then while Frasier would likely still regret missing out on seeing him grow up, he wouldn't think of himself as a bad father because hey, the kid turned out just fine.  Instead he has a son who made (in his opinion) a series of baffling life choices and Fraiser probably thinks he wouldn't have made them if he had been a more present father.

[Chit Chat]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

And this👆all makes sense within the context of the show in which Frasier The Therapist is always making choices that sabotage his relationships.

He always sabotaged his relationships with women, but yet he worked hard to improve his relationship with his dad and Niles over the years. 

As a parent, it makes me sad to think that he didn't give his relationship with Freddy the attention it needed (assuming that he didn't because he feels guilty about it.)  Of course, we don't know how Freddy was as a teen, and he might not have tried very hard at building a relationship either.  Relationship issues aren't always 100% one person's fault.  Whether it's an 80/20% or 50/50% responsibility, each person has their own issues to work out within the relationship.  

The angst just worked better between Frasier & his dad.  I don't really care for this storyline of Frasier & Freddy's particular issues. 

[shapeshifter]

11 minutes ago, Chit Chat said:

The angst just worked better between Frasier & his dad.  I don't really care for this storyline of Frasier & Freddy's particular issues. 

Frasier and Martin's struggles to relate to one another were pretty straightforward and relatable to viewers.

Frasier and Freddy's relationship is confusing.
Maybe the writers were trying to acknowledge the complexities of real life relationships? 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Yeah No]

51 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Frasier and Martin's struggles to relate to one another were pretty straightforward and relatable to viewers.

Frasier and Freddy's relationship is confusing.
Maybe the writers were trying to acknowledge the complexities of real life relationships? 🤷🏻‍♀️

I'm just finding the way they're handling it exhausting.  This is supposed to be a lighthearted comedy, not a family psychodrama.  I still cringe at the lack of chemistry and comedic timing between the supporting actors.  The genius of sitcoms like "Frasier" and even "Big Bang Theory" was in the choice of cast.  I'm realizing it's not so much the scripts or the lines that fall flat here, but the acting.  That's why when Bebe Newirth did an episode it was probably the best of the season and the rest are lukewarm to "meh".  I'm just sorry this show didn't put more into casting the right people for their parts.

[AstridM]

Bring back original Freddy!

[Chit Chat]

With the original series Frasier off the air for so long, whatever happened after that is left up to our imaginations.  This isn't what I imagined for Frasier & Freddy.  I want this show to work, but it keeps missing the mark for me.  YMMV.  

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, AstridM said:

Bring back original Freddy!

You mean this guy?

See also: imdb.com/name/nm0251851

[Irlandesa]

19 hours ago, Chit Chat said:

Of course, we don't know how Freddy was as a teen, and he might not have tried very hard at building a relationship either.  Relationship issues aren't always 100% one person's fault.  Whether it's an 80/20% or 50/50% responsibility, each person has their own issues to work out within the relationship.  

Not being communicative with parents is kind of expected for teens, isn't it?  If Frasier lived closer, he'd be more likely to accidentally catch Freddy on a good day.

[Affogato]

In the original Frasier they drank a lot, and I get that alcohol is a source of endless commentary and so on, and in Cheers and this show, things happen in a bar. But I'm not finding Alan's alcoholism to be a knee slapper, or his abuse of David. If you think someone being a total asshole to you is treating you like an adult, you need serious therapy and coddling is not the worst thing both of your parents are guilty of doing.

Fraiser and Freddy, well, if Frasier is in another city while Freddy grows from 5 years old to 15 years old, there is no possibility they are going to regain that time, although I'd imagine Freddy would visit occasionally in Chicago, as he did in Seattle. It does make sense that Frasier might want to see if there was something to develop in the bond, now, as he moves back to Boston. Thing is, this all seems fairly realistic and not really awful, but it is the relationship a father and son can forge as adults. Which Frasier did, with Martin.

Just when I think I am really liking Eve (little poster of Rita Hayworth) she becomes a preachier Daphne standin. Although liked the bit with the mirror.

This episode was disjointed, there was a lot going on and it didn't actually seem to ge.

[Chit Chat]

3 hours ago, Affogato said:

Fraiser and Freddy, well, if Frasier is in another city while Freddy grows from 5 years old to 15 years old, there is no possibility they are going to regain that time, although I'd imagine Freddy would visit occasionally in Chicago, as he did in Seattle.

It seems implausible that they wouldn't have Skyped (or some other type of video call) during all of those years.  I don't think Frasier was the kind of father who wouldn't try to reach out to Freddy. If they're trying to recreate the Frasier/Martin dynamic with him & Freddy, it isn't working for me.  I was hoping for something different.  YMMV.

[Irlandesa]

4 minutes ago, Chit Chat said:

It seems implausible that they wouldn't have Skyped (or some other type of video call) during all of those years.

Skyping and/or phone calls aren't the same thing as being present and in the same room.  It's still for a limited, pre-determined amount of time. Although video calling wasn't as big 20 years ago.

[Affogato]

13 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

Skyping and/or phone calls aren't the same thing as being present and in the same room.  It's still for a limited, pre-determined amount of time. Although video calling wasn't as big 20 years ago.

Frasier the first show ended in 2004. Skype was released in 2003. Probably voice phone calls. 

Edited December 3, 2023 by Affogato

[Chit Chat]

2 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Skyping and/or phone calls aren't the same thing as being present and in the same room.

It's better than just a phone call for some folks, and even better for people who live far apart.  

1 hour ago, Affogato said:

Frasier the first show ended in 2004. Skype was released in 2003.

I'm referring to the years after the first Frasier series ended.  Technology was much improved after that!

[shapeshifter]

Freddy was born in 1995 1989, so he would have been nine 14 when Skype became available. 
Whether or not Freddy and Frasier used Skype would depend upon Frasier's adoption of new technologies, opportunities for Freddy to use new technologies, and Freddy's attitude toward Skyping with his absent parent (eagerness to connect versus resentment).

It would be easy for them to include a mention of younger Freddy and Frasier's Skyping, but so far it seems like they are establishing that there was little communication between them.

Edited December 4, 2023 by shapeshifter

[baldryanr]

4 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Freddy was born in 1995, so he would have been 9 when Skype became available. 

Freddy was not born in 1995 - he was born in 1989 (Season 1 of Frasier was in 1993). 

They sprinkled in mentions of Frasier making regular trips back to Boston and talking to Freddy on the phone, but I think it's very difficult to build a strong connection if you're primarily a teleparent.  On the other hand, maintaining a good relationship is much easier using that, so we can believe Frasier remained close to Martin, Niles, etc. even if he spent 20 years in Chicago.

[shapeshifter]

6 hours ago, baldryanr said:

Freddy was not born in 1995 - he was born in 1989 (Season 1 of Frasier was in 1993). 

That makes much more sense. Maybe I read that Freddy first "appeared" on OG Frasier in 1995? Regardless, I will fix it.

[Sarah 103]

Frasier and Freddie had a decent relationship during Frasier. They were living apart, but they did see each other a few times a year. There were also phone calls. It seems that the trouble really started after the original Frasier ended, when Freddie was in his mid to late teens. The straw that broke the camels back was Freddie dropping out of Harvard, but there were probably issues before then.  

[Camera One]

I actually thought this episode had more amusing lines and more competent delivery than the other episodes so far.  

I liked Frasier's talk with Alan, but in this case, calling the plumber seemed more about Frasier not being able to stand the hole in the wall and the fear that Freddie would go overboard with the future repairs after Eve's warning.  And was Freddie bothered by his dad doing everything, or was he just having trouble explaining his living arrangement to his dates/one-night stands?

Edited December 10, 2023 by Camera One

[Blakeston]

Regarding the depiction of Frasier's relationship with his father on Cheers: he said that his father was a dead research scientist.

On Frasier they explained that when Sam met Martin, and mentioned what Frasier said about him being dead. Frasier said that he was mad at Martin at the time he said it (they'd had an argument), and he made up the part about him being a research scientist because he was dead anyway, so what difference did it make?