Frasier Online Episode Guide -> Season 11 -> Episode 11.14

Freudian Sleep

Frasier is having a terrible day on his radio show with no one calling in yet again, leaving him no option than to persuade Roz to pretend to be a caller. His day gets worse when he is nearly run off the road by a driver who swerved to avoid hitting a squirrel and gets coffee spilt all down him. He is informed by his father that he and Ronee are off to a cabin in the woods at the weekend, but when Martin says to Eddie "Of course we wouldn't leave you behind", Frasier thinks it is directed at him and Martin finds his son invited on his and Ronee's trip too! Niles then comes over, and relates the tale of swerving to avoid a squirrel and getting a barrel of abuse from the person he almost hit - which Frasier informs him was him! Frasier raises the subject of the trip, to which Niles says he wouldn't dream of accepting such an obvious pity invite. However, when Niles drops in to the kitchen to hear Ronee suggesting in jest they should invite Niles and Daphne to the cabin as well, he gratefully accepts the invitation!

Up at the cabin, we get to see a dream Frasier is having in which he is married to Daphne and killed his brother (and Eddie!). Relating the dream to his brother, Niles dismisses it as very obvious as it shows he is envious of Niles' life. This is then followed by Frasier having to endure another bad dream, this time about his show where he hasn't had a caller in months. This is followed by Niles' dream about being a bad father ending with him dropping the baby, while Daphne's dream sees her continually getting fatter while Niles gets to fool around with a plentiful supply of women. The aftermath of all these dreams leaves Frasier, Niles and Daphne bickering with each other in the kitchen which means it's up to Martin to make the peace. We then see his dream - a jazzy rendition of "The Sunny Side of the Street" about adopting a positive attitude - and Eddie's too.

- Roz pretending to be "Susan", a caller to Frasier's show whose problem comes direct from "Thelma and Louise"

- After having a very bad day, Frasier comes home to be greeted with an empty sherry decanter:
Frasier: We're out of sherry - insults meet injury!

- Niles can't believe Frasier is going with Martin and Ronee up to the cabin:
Niles: I would never dream of accepting such an obvious pity invite!
Frasier: Well, you don't have to dream because they didn't invite you (!)

- Frasier reluctantly tells his brother about hisrather disturbing dream:
Frasier: I was married to Daphne, who was having our baby. You were dead and I killed you.

- Frasier's dream about his show that hasn't had a call in 6 months

- During Daphne's dream about her being blind to Niles sleeping with beautiful women:
Daphne: He's on top of everything around here!

- Martin solving everyone's problems

When I first saw this episode, my initial thoughts were "What the hell was that all about?" as it basically consists of some weirdly surreal dreams from Frasier, Niles and Daphne revealing anxieties about everyone's life. However, it is more enjoyable second time around but it still remains one of those episodes that will sharply divide viewer's opinions between those that love it, because it marks out yet again why 'Frasier' is head and shoulders above other sitcoms, and those that loathe it as it feels like the writers had a wacky idea for an episode and decided to put it on the air. While I don't think the episode is as good as some have made out (the anxieties are not particularly enlightening, although enjoyably played out), I still find it an bizarrely enjoyable, off the wall episode.

Rating

77 %

Avg. Viewer Review: 61.9%
Total Number of Reviews: 7