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Frasier Online Episode Guide -> Season 10 -> Episode 10.09

Don't Go Breaking My Heart (3)
Episode Details

Written by: Bob Daily

Directed by: Jerry Zaks

Original US airdate: 26th November 2002

Original UK airdate: 24th February 2003


Cast Information
Main Cast
Frasier Crane .... Kelsey Grammer
Niles Crane .... David Hyde Pierce
Martin Crane .... John Mahoney
Daphne Crane .... Jane Leeves
Roz Doyle .... Peri Gilpin
Recurring Cast
Gertrude Moon .... Millicent Martin
   
   
Guest Cast Guest Callers
Grant .... John Turturro

Episode Synopsis

Frasier is throwing a celebration at his apartment in honour of Niles getting out of hospital. When his brother arrives it seems he has a new outlook on life: he is so happy after surviving his brush with death, that he even says that Daphne's mother is a pleasure to have around (something that Daphne is none to happy about), and also got hooked on daytime soaps while he was recovering. The following day at Cafe Nervosa, Frasier joins Roz having bought a new opera CD that he is excited about, but when Niles and Daphne arrive, Niles says that the CD is awful - to which Frasier, somewhat weirdly, accepts his opinion. Roz picks up on this, saying they would usually fight about it for 2 hours, so Frasier explains that just before Niles went into surgery he made a prayer to God that if he came through it he wouldn't argue with his brother again. Daphne wants to restart physical relations with her husband, but he says they should be careful, and wait until the results of his stress test in a few weeks.

However, even after he has his stress test during which the doctor says he can eat normal food again and go back to work, Niles still sticks to his diet and doesn't want to have sex with his wife. He is also beginning to grate on Frasier as he starts calling in to his show and giving his own advice to callers, but when when drops in to visit Niles he sees Daphne packing up food for the poor and learns that Daphne made her own pact with God before Frasier made his. Sensing a way out of his pact he heads home, where Niles and Martin have been hanging out and Martin has been trying to talk some sens into him by making him see that he is scared of returning to his normal life - which Niles finally accepts. He bumps into Frasier about to let fly at his brother but says that their father has beaten him to it - and rushes home to make love to his wife......

Episode Title Cards
  • Weeks Later (And Ashley's Still In A Coma)

Episode Highlights

- Mrs Moon has been watching the soaps with Niles:
Gertrude Moon: Now do you see why I need my own TV?
Daphne: You have your own TV in Manchester (!)

- Frasier has put out some fat free products for Niles' party:
Martin: What about the bacon?
Frasier: Fake-on!

- Martin tells Roz he went round telling everyone how much he loved them after he got shot:
Roz: How long did that last?
Martin: Till they started calling me Martina!

- Niles tells everyone his outlook on life has changed since his operation:
Niles: The sky is so much bluer.
Frasier: Niles, it's rained every day this week!

- Niles is on hand to give his own advice to Frasier's radio show callers:
Frasier: I'm sure you all remember my brother Dr Niles Crane...... from our last segment (!)

- Daphne asks her mother for advice on how to seduce Niles:
Gertrude Moon: Use your feminine wiles. That's how your brother Billy landed Kevin.
Daphne: Well - sharing a cell helped!

- Niles believes his brush with death was worse than his father's:
Martin: Oh really. Well let's see - I got shot by a gun while you ate a bunch of cheese !!

- Niles inadvertertently jumps into bed with Daphne's mother after they switched rooms:
Daphne: No wonder she screamed.
Niles: That wasn't her!

Frasier Online Episode Review

An entertaining conclusion to this 3-episode arc that sees Frasier admit he made a pact with God not to argue with his brother if he got through the surgery. I had no problem with this - even non-believers often pray to God in times of real crises, and the ensuing events where Niles trampled all over his life were rather fun. I also enjoyed the scene where Martin finally sets Niles straight before Frasier got home. The episode is topped and tailed by 2 excellent scenes (the final one featuring an unexpected glimpse of Daphne dressed as Nurse Naughty), this is well written and performed episode that thankfully marks the end of this storyline concerning Niles and his heart.

Rating

79 %

Latest Viewer Episode Review

Avg. Viewer Review: 77.0%
Total Number of Reviews: 2


DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART, Nov 13, 2005

Reviewer: Cake for Brains from Manchester, UK


I was very pleased to see that the grim and rather melancholy atmosphere of the previous episode had all but gone, and that the ‘Niles heart surgery’ story arc was able to conclude, in this the third episode in the saga, in a very funny and humorous manner. Although I still think that this episode had several noticeable flaws, it manages to remain constantly entertaining throughout, but do feel that it fits into the predictability niche that the previous two episode of this arc fell into, and felt that much of the events in this episode were very obvious, and as a result I felt this episode was missing something. It was nice to have Niles back, out of bed and recovering from his operation, although his character changes tremendously in this episode, which (along with Frasier’s reactions to his brother’s new found optimism) are probably the highlights of this episode for me. The first lines were very funny actually in this episode, when Roz inquires about Niles surprise party and if they should turn the lights out and jump out on him – Frasier replies: ‘Yes, let’s startle a man who’s just had open heart surgery!’

The episode zips along at a rather lively pace and the best parts were Frasier’s difficult restraints from bickering or cursing his brother, due to the fact that he made a pact with God that if Niles pulled through, Frasier wouldn’t shout or quarrel with his brother. This threw up some really good scenes, most noticeably when Frasier is doing his KACL talk show, and Niles calls in to explain to a patient who feels he never expressed his love to a deceased relative that (having looked death in the face himself) the deceased person would know how the caller felt. Frasier’s reaction to Niles’ advice is hilarious, as he senselessly beats an inflatable clown punch bag, which demonstrates some great physical comedy. Frasier however soon realises that Daphne also made a pact with God regarding Niles operation (before he did, mind!) and decides that his pledged vow no longer counts and he feels justified to ‘shout’ at his brother! The scene in the elevator where Frasier mulls this problem over with God works well, and although this plotline is somewhat of a strange road to embark upon, I think this episode just about pulled it off.

Elsewhere we get another appearance from Mrs Moon, and although she’s not half as annoying as she was during her appearances in Season 9, her bossy character still grates on me. Martin and Niles heart-to-heart (pardon the pun) was nicely executed, with both father and son discussing their brushes with death, and Martin explaining to his son the best way to handle it. This pulls the strings of the episode together nicely, because just as Frasier arrives all worked up and ready for a blazing argument with his brother, Niles has decided to revert back to his previous way of life, which makes Frasier’s argument very baseless and sees Frasier feeling most annoyed – at God?

So in conclusion then, this episode proved a much-needed tonic for the deeply depressing events on ‘Rooms with a View’ and managed to pull off a rather funny little episode, that rounds off this story arc (which I definitely think has run its course now) in a reasonably funny way. Although I still don’t think the Niles heart surgery episodes have been among the show’s finest drama based episodes, but they have made for interesting, somewhat humorous and at times rather emotional episodes, that the writers and actors (particularly) pulled off with aplomb and dignity.


Rating: 75%

 

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