Frasier Online Episode Guide -> Season 11 -> Episode 11.07

Maris Returns

Niles and Daphne are in Cafe Nervosa, with Niles struggling to cope with Daphne's mood swings so presents her with a gift of a day's pampering at a health spa - which she seemingly loves. Frasier then joins them in a happy mood as he prepares to begin his first day of private practice, which begins with the arrival of Peggy - Frasier's temporary secretary followed by his first patient, Jane. The session begins well enough, but after Jane remembers that Frasier dated her sister and that Frasier called her siter M'Lady during the height of passion causes the session to end soon after. She is followed by Alex, whose session ends almost as quickly as it begins when he decides that it just won't work. Thankfully Niles come along to take Frasier out to lunch, but he suddenly gets a phone call from Maris who wants to meet him over lunch to seek his advice. After his lunch, Niles returns to tell Frasier and Martin all about his lunch with Maris. Apparently, Maris' new lover Esteban has turned out to be a violent and philandering man and she wanted Niles' advice about what to do. Niles has also decided not to tell Daphne about his lunch, but Frasier and Martin both advise against it, but just as Niles was about to tell Daphne all about it, Maris calls Niles on his mobile phone - which Daphne answers! Her reaction to Maris calling causes Niles to cover things up by pretending he is about to throw Daphne a surprise baby shower.

At the baby shower, Daphner has to pretend to be surprised but it is Frasier who gets the bigger shock when he answers the door to Esteban and after Frasier says he is Dr Crane, he receives a swift punch in the face for having lunch with Maris! The truth then comes out about Niles having lunch with Maris, which prompts Daphne to leave in a rage. Frasier then has his evening appointment, which is yet another disaster as his twicthing eye from being punched and rumbling stomach lead to yet another patient walking out on him, until he finally manages to help his last patient of the day. Daphne returns home later on, having calmed down, where upon Niles tells her Maris will never come between them again - just as the radio broadcasts the news that Maris Crane has been arrested for the murder of her lover Esteban.......

- Niles wishes Frasier well on his first day back at private practice:
Niles: Happy sailing through the choppy waters of the dysfunctional and the disturbed.
[Daphne rushes into Cafe Nervosa waving the spa brochure Niles gave her]
Daphne: Optional eyebrow wax - what does that mean?!
[Daphne leaves again]
Frasier: Same to you skipper (!)

- During her session, Jane rembers something her sister told her when she was dating Frasier:
Jane: You were in bed with my sister, and right in the middle of things, you called her M'Lady!

- Maris calls Niles in a state of panic and wants to see him:
Niles: I haven't heard her this panicked since her strength gave out in the middle of a revolving door.

- Frasier is having trouble with his new Swedish chair:
Frasier: The instruction book alone would account for the high Swedish suicide rate!

- Niles is finding it hard to keep covering up his lunch with Maris:
Niles: I'm telling another lie every time I open my mouth!
Martin: Get a grip Niles - it's called marriage!

- Frasier gets punched by Esteban who mistakes him for Niles:
Roz: Are you all right?
[She runs after Esteban]

- Frasier follows his fathers advice and unzips his trousers to cope with his rumbling stomach, but they end up around his ankles while with a patient:
Frasier: It's not my fault - it's an old trick I learnt from my dad!

The return of Maris to 'Frasier' (although not literally of course, as we never see her) results in an episode that takes a while to get going but once it does, we are rewarded with some excellent comedy and a scene of farce involving Frasier, a rumbling stomach and a twitching eye that Brian Rix would have been proud of. Peggy was great, and got funnier as the episode went on, as was Niles trying to cope with Daphne's mood swings, not to mention the appearance of Dan Castellenata (the voice of Homer Simpson) as one of Frasier's patients. The excellent cliffhanger to be resolved in the next episode is the perfect way to end yet another great Season 11 episode

Rating

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Avg. Viewer Review: 90.5%
Total Number of Reviews: 2