Frasier Online Episode Guide -> Season 5 -> Episode 5.12

The Zoo Story

The radio station is renegotiating everyone's contract and Frasier must find an agent to represent him. Bebe Glazer already has Roz as a client and is planning to turn Roz's pregnancy into a valuable commodity and sign a lucrative deal for her with the radio statio. She also wants Frasier to sign up with her again, however Frasier insists that he wants an agent who has "principles" and he finds an agent in Ben who volunteers for Meals On Wheels, boy scouts, and the Mercer Island Zoo. However Ben's wimpy personality and poor knowledge of the business soon land Frasier into trouble as Ben gets the zoo to name a new crane "Frasier Crane", and organises a publicity event which goes awry in front of live TV cameras.

Further embarassing Frasier, the "Frasier Crane" incident becomes a running joke in the media, so in an attempt to counter the bad publicity, Ben organises another event that sees Frasier counselling the crane from Mercer Island (properly tranquilised) on a small leather couch he has made. However, disaster strikes again as the crane pecks Frasier's forehead and chases him round the couch! Everyone lobbies Frasier to fire Ben and return to Bebe. After Gil Chesterton gets shafted trying to represent himself, and Ben shows up for the negotiations in a boy scout uniform, Frasier reluctantly signs up again with Bebe. Meanwhile Niles is not getting any sex with Maris, and finds himself flirting with every woman he sees.

- Frasier learns from Bebe that she has got another KACL employee on her books:
Frasier: What pathetic dupe have you lured into your web now?
[Roz enters Cafe Nervosa]
Bebe: Roz!

- Frasier is adamant he'll find himself an agent with principles:
Bebe: If things don't work out, you know my number.
Frasier: Still 666 is it ?!

- Niles and Martin got their rented videos mixed up, with Niles ending up with a Charles Bronson movie:
Niles: But I actually got into it - it was quite suspensful
Martin: That's the way Duke and I felt about 'My Dinner With Andre' (!)

- Ben is setting out his credentials as an agent:
Ben: For a year now I've been doing pro-bono work for Mercer Island Zoo. You know - getting the word out, creating awareness.
Daphne: There's a zoo on Mercer Island?

- Frasier is giving his speech in honour of the Mercer Island Zoo naming a crane after him:
Frasier: Is there anything more majestic than the Crane's majestic cry?
[Martin runs behind Frasier screaming in agony after being attacked by the crane!]

- Bebe has sent Frasier a bouquet of flowers after the Mercer Island Zoo incident:
Niles: 'Birds Of Paradise' - I suppose that's her idea of floral irony!

- Niles' sexual frustation is eveident when a Cafe Nervosa waitress brings over his coffee and biscuit:
Waitress: Can I do anything else for you?
Niles [holds up his biscuit]: Yes, would you mind nibbling on this provocatively!

- Bebe traps Frasier in the men's room after Ben's latest PR disaster:
Bebe: Your face is riddled with bird bites, your name's a punchline, your career's 5 minutes from being over and he's only been your agent for 3 days!!

Another great Bebe Glazer episode from the pen of Joe Keenan, undoutably the best 'Frasier' writer for this character, which sees Bebe vying to sign Frasier up again while he is adamant he will stick with his agent with principles Ben. This sets the scene for some terrific comedy right from the opening scene, with the scene at the Mercer Island zoo very funny as was seeing the aftermath of Frasier's attempt to counter his bad publicity with his face covered in bird bites. Cleverly intertwined into the main plot is Niles' growing sexual frustration as Frasier convinces him not to give into Maris' demands for as long as he doesn't go back to Bebe - and he's straight on the phone to Maris as soon as Frasier gives in and signs up with Bebe! Harriet Sansom Harris was great yet again, none more so than in the final scene where she traps Frasier in the mens room and convinces him brilliantly to come back to her. Even if Ben wasn't much of a match for the machinations of Bebe, this is still another great Season 5 episode, and keeps up the standard set so far in this season.

Rating

83 %

Avg. Viewer Review: 77.5%
Total Number of Reviews: 2