Frasier Online Episode Guide: Episode 2.11

Frasier Online Episode Guide -> Season 2 -> Episode 2.11

Seat Of Power

Episode Details

Written by: Steven Levitan

Directed by: James Burrows

Original US airdate: 13th December 1994

Original UK airdate: 8th September 1995

Cast Information

Main Cast

Frasier Crane	....	Kelsey Grammer
Niles Crane	....	David Hyde Pierce
Martin Crane	....	John Mahoney
Daphne Moon	....	Jane Leeves
Roz Doyle	....	Peri Gilpin

Recurring Cast

Guest Cast

Danny Kriezel	....	John C. McGinley
Billy Kriezel	....	Mike Starr

Guest Callers

Elliott

....

Macaulay Culkin

Episode Synopsis

When Frasier calls a plumber to fix a leaky toilet, after he and Niles fail at it themselves in an attempt to show their father they're made of sterner stuff than he thinks they are, they both have a flashback to some of the indignities of their school days. The plumber is in fact Danny Kriezel, who tortured Niles with such time honoured traditions as the 'swirly'. But when he has to call in his brother, Frasier's school bully Billy Kriezel, Frasier takes revenge on his torturer while Niles sorts his problems out by talking.

Episode Title Cards

Heir To The Throne

If You Want It Done Right...

The Circle Of Life

Episode Highlights

- Niles's delight at Frasier's Swiss army knife with a turquoise inlay.

- After Frasier and Niles' failed attempt at being plumbers:
Niles: The plumber has been called, the wine has been chilled - suddenly my life makes sense again.

Niles: By hiring a plumber, he can then afford, say, a Dolly Parton album. Ms Parton then arranges a tour that comes to Seattle, and the promoter can then afford to send his cross dressing teenage sons to us for $150 an hour therapy.
Frasier: To the circle of life.

- After Niles confronts Danny Kriezel with his schoolboy memories:
Danny: I may not be able to defend all of my actions, but when you show up to school wearing a twee blazer and elbow patches, I think the guilt here is 50/50.

Frasier Online Episode Review

I found this to be a frustrating episode, as the premise of the episode - Frasier and Niles coming face to face with their high school bullies - seems perfect for the basis for some great comedy but while the "Circle of Life" lines is one of my favourite lines in any episode, and it was still quite amusing to hear more of what the Crane brothers were subjected to at school, not enough of this episode works for me - it just a felt a bit too 'production line' for my liking.

Rating

71 %

Latest Viewer Episode Review

Avg. Viewer Review: 85.0%
Total Number of Reviews: 2

Just how big is that bathroom anyway?, Sep 06, 2005

Reviewer: Leanne from Midlands, UK

Although I don't view this episode as a true Frasier 'classic', for various reasons it's one of my personal favourites. Sometimes the best moments of Frasier happen during mundane moments - Frasier and Niles' quips in Cafe Nervosa; Daphne relaying an adolescent memory; Martin poking fun at his sons' effeminate tendencies... the list could go on and on.

And this episode really does center around a mundane moment - the fixing of a toilet! Martin challenges Frasier to fix a faulty toilet, which, with Niles' help, he attempts. Of course this isn't quite pulled off ('Shouldn't the water be stopping right about now?'), and they have to resort to calling a plumber ('the world seems right again now').

Unfortunately the plumber ends up being Danny - Niles' school bully. Mayhem ensues as Niles attempts to push Danny's head down the toilet in payback for all the times he was on the receiving end as an adolescent. However Frasier thwarts Niles in his attempt, and encourages him to speak rationally to his schoolyard nemesis in order to resolve his anger.

Whilst Niles retreats to the sitting room with Danny to do this, Frasier is met with Danny's mate Billy - Frasier's own childhood bully! It culminates in Niles successfully conversing with Danny while Frasier becomes more and more irrational, eventually running dramatically, arms flailing wildly, out of the apartment with a wet-headed Billy chasing him.

This episode, as usual, contains some great lines - Maris getting aroused by Niles' attempt at manual labour is a highlight ('Maris, I'm holding some sort of large wrench!') and Martin's closing line is a perfect note to end on - 'Oh, Eddie, don't drink out of the toilet! Someone just had their head in there.'

This is a perfectly contained episode, with a very simple premise. Only the skilled writing show-cased on Frasier could pull it off in such a funny and entertaining way.

Rating: 91%

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Frasier Online Episode Guide -> Season 2 -> Episode 2.11

Seat Of Power

Just how big is that bathroom anyway?, Sep 06, 2005

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