Frasier Online Episode Guide -> Season 7 -> Episode 7.16

Something About Dr Mary

Roz is taking her vacation so Frasier has to find a temporary call screener. He doesn't want Roz's suggestion again - Chuck Ranberg - who has a speech impediment that makes Frasier burst out in fits of giggles. Instead he opts to take someone from a community programme he was a guest at recently: Second Start, which train up people from low-paid, dull jobs. So along comes Mary Thomas, a black, personable and slightly nervous person who takes over Roz's reins. Initially she is reticent to say anything, but with Frasier's encouragement, she starts to add her own opinions to Frasier's advice. This is invariably some sassy comments along with some homepsun wisdom from Grandpa Willie - which Frasier finds irritating to say the least, as Mary comes out with advice which is the antithesis of what he would give. Frasier can't quite bring himself to give her a piece of his mind, which Martin puts down to the fact that she is black, by pointing out that if it was Roz, he'd have no problem in doing so. Frasier dismisses this but as the week goes on, Mary takes up more of the show with her advice - so much so that callers start to call her Dr Mary, something that Frasier finds almost pushes him to the limit. At the end of the show, Kenny asks him how he finds Mary, and Frasier says that she does have a tendency to jump in and give her own advice. Kenny says that he's nuts about her too - and wants to make the two of them a permanent team, with Roz being made Gil Chesterton's producer!

Frasier is at his wits end, but still is unable to bring himself to tell Mary his true thoughts on her without sounding like a bigot. However, on Martin's suggestion that she would be good on her own show, Frasier phones Kenny and says he thinks being the call screener is limiting Mary - so Kenny makes Frasier and Mary the co-hosts! The Dr Frasier Crane show is rarely that now, what with Mary's constant advice and her rows with the new call screener, Louise. Frasier realises he has to talk to her about her constant advice giving, and so meets Mary at the Cafe Nervosa for a chat. He says he hasn't enjoyed working with her and can't respect the advice she gives. He adds that he hasn't said anything because she is black Mary is at first slightly hurt that he couldn't have been honest with her, but says she has just been offered her own show on KPXY which wouldn't have happened if Frasier had told her to keep quiet. Meanwhile, Niles manages to cause havoc at Frasier's apartment with his demonstration of his newly certificated kickboxing skills....

- Mary tells a woman whose husband is cheating on her to change her locks:
Mary: My Grandpa Willie used to say nothin' stops a man playing the field faster than a night on the lawn, OK? OK!

- Frasier arrives home after his first show with Mary:
Niles: Who was that woman on your show today?
Frasier: That's Mary Thomas - she's filling in for Roz.
Martin: Seemed to me like she was filling in for you!

- Niles hands his father his yellow belt kickboxing certificate:
Niles: I've become quite the sportsman myself, Dad. What do you think of that?
Martin: Very nice, Son. But calligraphy isn't really a sport - more of a craft.

- A caller to the show refers to Mary as Dr Mary, which Frasier has to correct:
Mary: Oh, I don't mind. Latifah's not a real queen, you know!!

- Niles takes on Daphne's roles after injuring her by showing off his kickboxing skills, which Martin is taking full advantage of:
Daphne: How do you sleep at night?
Martin: Pretty well since I get a chocolate on my pillow and cocoa by my bed!
Daphne: I don't get cocoa by my bed at night
Martin: You have to fill in that little card.

- Frasier's mock conversation with Niles, with Frasier taking on the role of Mary.

Another great Season 7 episode which features a great turn from Kim Coles as 'Dr' Mary. The highlights above don't really do justice to her sassy and very funny performance - her way of finishing her advice with 'OK? OK!' being a particular highlight. It was also interesting because the show touched upon (but didn't really go deep) on the subject of race. Niles comment of Frasier living in a 'lily white world' could equally apply to the show itself as black characters are few and far between. There was also some great scenes back at Frasier's apartment involving Niles and his kickboxing demonstrations - I loved the way Martin took advantage of Niles who was taking on Daphne's roles after she was injured. There was a nagging feeling that some laughs were too easy such as the ones involving Chuck Ranberg's speech impediment - which, although very funny, did seem to spoil the show a little. Overall, then, a winning little episode that proves that the show can take a recycled storyline (Frasier's good intentions land him in deep water) and still produce a highly enjoyable episode out of it.

Rating

84 %

Avg. Viewer Review: 88.0%
Total Number of Reviews: 2