Frasier Online Episode Guide -> Season 3 -> Episode 3.17

High Crane Drifter

Frasier is late for his radio show after someone parked in his space, and had to park several blocks away. This is only the start of a number of acts of impoliteness Frasier has to endure. The next is at the video shop when someone takes out the video he wants, followed by the actions Freddie Chainsaw, a mult-million selling rock music artist who has just moved into the penthouse suite above Frasier's. Mr Chainsaw insists on playing his music full blast, despite Frasier's protests, thereby further annoying Frasier who retires to Cafe Nervosa to try and regain his sanity with Niles. The impoliteness, however, seems to have descended upon Frasier's haven as well. An unusually busy Cafe means Frasier and Niles struggle to get a table but they see a couple are about to leave and so stand by it and politely let them leave. As they do however, a man sneaks up behinds them and sits down at their table. This is the final straw for Frasier, who decides to give the rude patron "an etiquette lesson" by grabbing hold of him and forcibly ejecting him from the Cafe.

This act of retribution makes the papers the following day, with everyone hailing Frasier as a hero in the face of such impoliteness. In fact, it inspired Daphne to carry out her own "etiquette lesson" against the people who have been taking her laundry out of the machines and leaving it unfolded and wet by putting her red knickers in their wash. This is the only the beginning because all the caller's to Frasier's show seem to have been inspired by his actions to carry out their own act of extreme revenge in the face of impolite behaviour, such as setting fire to people's lawns and sending live scorpions through the post. All of this makes Frasier very uneasy, as he is not proud of what he did, and so decides to make amends with the man he ejected from Cafe Nervosa, who meets Frasier at the Cafe to inform him he's being sued for assault......

- The film Frasier wants at the video store, "How Green Is My Valley", has just been taken out:
Frasier: Is there another copy?
Clerk: Oh yeah - it's right across the street in our "How Green Is My Valley" annexe (!)

- Freddie Chainsaw is playing his music exceptionally loud, to Frasier's annoyance:
Frasier: How does an adolescent who only knows 2 chords get a penthouse?
Daphne: His last album sold 5 million copies.
Frasier: Oh - I'll just add that to my list of reasons to die(!)

- After Frasier has carried out his "etiquette lesson" on the rude Cafe Nervosa patron:
Niles: My brother will have a decaf!!

- Martin reads out the newspaper account of Frasier's actions:
Martin: "What you need is an etiquette lesson". I love that - you've got your own tough guy catchphrase.
Niles: Yes it's perfect for you Frasier - Dirty Harry meets Emily Post (!)

- Frasier tries to calm down all his listeners who have carried out revenge attacks:
Frasier: The key here is restraint. I do hope you'll follow my lead Becky with the nail gun.

This is another episode that severely tests Frasier's belief in the goodness of people, and the events that lead up to the inevitable "etiquette lesson" are rather amusing. However, the fact that Frasier felt uncomfortable being made a hero - even more so when he hears the rather extreme actions he has inspired in his listenership make for a rather good plot twist. I also enjoyed the additional plot of Niles being rather jealous of Frasier's new status, in particular the ending when the man suing Frasier for assault is called a chicken by Niles who proceeds to give Niles the tiniest touch. David Hyde Pierce then launches into a spectacular bull-in-a-china shop routine as he crashes and smashes about the place, prompting Frasier to look at him quizically - to which Niles whispers "Countersuit". An entertaining episode, then, that makes the most of a good story - and the whole 'Flesh is burning, nuh, nuh, nuh, nuh, nuh, nuh' refrain that gets into the head of both Daphne and Martin is just sublime.

Rating

82 %

Avg. Viewer Review: 90.0%
Total Number of Reviews: 4