Written by: Bob Daily

Directed by: David Lee

Original US airdate: 4th March 2003

Original UK airdate: 21st April 2003

• McGinty's: Good Food, Good Fun, Bad Security

KENNY ON THE COUCH, Dec 03, 2005

Reviewer: Cake for Brains from Manchester, UK

Earlier on this season, the writers had attempted to place Kenny into the centre of an episode in the form of the incredibly weak affair that was ‘Kissing Cousins’ but luckily this second effort to widen out Kenny’s character works a lot better, and although ‘Kenny on the Couch’ still isn’t among the finest episode of Frasier, it serves its purpose and brings Kenny into the limelight. I’ve always mildly enjoyed Tom McGowan as the somewhat hapless, overly generous KACL station manager Kenny Daily, but always found I preferred appearances from KACL staff members such as Gil Chesterton for example a lot more; and I think this episodes main weakness is actually the fact that it puts considerable emphasis and focus on Kenny’s character, because I just don’t think him that interesting to watch or that funny either; although this is not a reflection of Tom McGowan’s excellent performance. I just don’t think Kenny has got a very transferable personality or persona, and I find him hard to empathise with. Therefore although there were some nice moments and although I found this Kenny-based episode to be successful in essence, I found myself liking the scenes without Kenny much more.

I think ever since Frasier was fired at the end of Season 5 in ‘Sweet Dreams’ (which ironically was the first episode to feature Kenny), it has been somewhat of a rarity to have a humorous edition of Frasier’s talk show, as I have found the majority of the caller’s problems and the scenes set in Frasier’s radio booth to be a bit disappointing from Season 6 onwards. Not only is there little ground to cover left with listeners problems, but also the scenes at KACL seem fewer and fewer in the later seasons, so it was nice to have a funny opening scene, with a caller trying to juggle working in a catalogue store and getting her problem addressed by Frasier, only for Roz to start asking the caller about a cashmere sweater. The episode soon evolves to encompass Kenny, and his initial joy, then impending misery at the finalisation of his divorce, which Frasier grudgingly agrees to help him get over by giving him twice-weekly therapy sessions. I thought the first scene, where Kenny was laid sprawled out on the couch weeping about the time when his father ‘accidentally’ capsized the Checkers board the one occasion Kenny was winning, and how his mother was there with an extra slice of cake, very funny indeed, but found that the episode soon descended in quality. It transpired that Martin was hiding in the kitchen, afraid and affronted by Kenny’s display of emotion; but then he and Kenny go to McGinty’s for a drink, and Kenny terminates his therapy sessions claiming to feel a lot better.

It was somewhat predictable that Frasier would take offence at Martin’s interference and feel that Kenny was still in need of counselling. There are some nice moments peppered throughout the second half, most noticeably when Martin and Kenny come into Café Nervosa (or Party Hearty Marty and Sir. Shots-a-lot respectively). It was funny when Martin protested that he just wanted to show Kenny a good time, only for Frasier to snap: ‘I am not trying to make him happy. I am trying to cure his depression!’. The final scene in McGinty’s is also nicely played out between Frasier and Martin, as Frasier demands to know why his father thinks psychiatry and therapy are ‘mumbo jumbo’ before asking him who, in his opinion needs therapy; for Martin to reply ‘Hitler!’ The episode concludes nicely with Kenny getting a date, only it turning out to be a premeditated mugging plot, and him agreeing, under Martin’s advice, to continue the therapy sessions with Frasier, who is yearning to see more patients anyway.

The subplot involving Niles and Daphne didn’t work for me I’m afraid, although I liked the guest appearance by Alan Cunning’s as the yoga teacher. I liked how he spoke to Niles and Daphne in a very controlled, mellow and relaxing tone, but when his mother phones during the sessions, he adopts a completely different method of speaking! My problem with the fact that Niles and Daphne are now married is that the writers always seem to pair up these two for a subplot, and as a result the banter, rivalry and interaction between Frasier and Niles, which works much better is almost completely dispensed with. It also means that David Hyde Pierce gets pushed to the side a lot and doesn’t feature in the main story, which means that he doesn’t get the opportunity he deserves to show off his comedic talent. In conclusion then, this episode is a mixed bag of highs and lows, but even with a handful of funny moments and good quotes, I feel that this episode is only average at best. Having said that, this is a far superior episode to ‘Kissing Cousins’ and although Kenny doesn’t completely work for me as a character, it was a brave attempt to thrust him into the spotlight of this episode.

Rating: 72%