Frasier Online Episode Guide -> Season 7 -> Episode 7.18

Hot Pursuit

Martin and Donny return from a tractor pull event (which neither Niles or Daphne see the point of), while Frasier returns from seeing Frederick in Boston with a growing amount of stubble (the cue for beard jokes from everyone else). The joy of this, however, was tempered by seeing Lilith with her new boyfriend: a contortionist with the Cirque De Soleil. Roz then turns up with Frasier's travel documents for a broadcasting conference they are meant to be going to, but he thought it was next week. Frasier tries to convince Roz they'll not miss anything if they go tomorrow, but then he remembers Rush Hour Rita from last year and they are soon on their way. Donny then receives a call from the surveillance guy he was using that night for a divorce case involving the refuse king of Seattle. He then remembers Martin was an ex-cop and offers him the job at $50 dollars an hour plus $700 for a photo with him and the woman his wife suspects he's having an affair with. Niles is appalled and tries to convince his father otherwise, so he agrees not to do it to please his son - but then says he will do it to Donny.

Up at the conference, Frasier comes to Roz's room while his is being prepared, but then gets a phone call from reception saying that they don't have a room for him. Roz doesn't want Frasier to stay, fearing it'll cramp her style, but he persuades her that perhaps neither will need the room as there are plenty of people for both of them. Martin is on his stakeout when Niles appears at his van, having learnt from the security guard he decided to go on the stakeout after all. Very angry at his father lying to him, Niles explains he was worried about his father because he was a cop, and that this stakeout has brought all those feelings back. However, they do begin to bond until Niles questions whether Martin is doing the right thing as the man in question may be about too break off the affair and the evidence Martin collects could put an end to the guy's marriage. Martin agrees, but when the guy hits Niles' Mercedes he changes his mind and Martin gets his picture. Meanwhile, back at the conference, both Frasier and Roz were brushed off by the people they were chasing, and spend the evening talking until Roz reveals she has bought a blonde wig.. Will Frasier be able to keep his emotions and passions under control .....?

- Frasier informs Niles that Lilith's new boyfriend is a contortionist in the Cirque De Soleil:
Frasier: He's perfect for her - he has no apparent spine, and she can wrap him round her little finger!

- Frasier is reluctant to go to the conference's first night party:
Frasier: Last year, we ended up acting like a bunch of horny teenagers.
Roz: Exactly - so stop yacking and start packing!

- Niles doesn't want his father going on a stakeout in Belltown as he believes it to be sketchy:
Martin: To you Niles, a sketchy neighbourhood is when the cheese shop doesn't have valet parking!

- Niles hands his father clam chowder, just like his mother did when he was a child:
Martin: This is clam chowder!
Niles: Well, what did you expect?
Martin: Irish Whiskey! Your mother always filled it with coffee & Irish Whiskey. We just called it clam chowder in front of you kids.

- Roz is recanting her pursuit of a hot news reporter to Frasier:
Roz: That news guy actually said to me: "If you give me 22 minutes, I'll give you the world"

A low key, rather underpowered episode that takes in 2 plots and neither of them are amazingly funny or brilliant. Martin and Niles' stakeout had a nice bit of bonding but was otherwise a mite predicatable, while Frasier and Roz almost striking up a relationship was an interesting idea that didn't go anywhere - a bit like this episode in fact. There was a nice bit of comedy at the end where Kenny arrives late and has to then share the room with Frasier and Roz, but it was too little, too late. What was needed, really, was a more sparkling script to lift this episode out of the doldrums.

Rating

70 %

Avg. Viewer Review: 80.0%
Total Number of Reviews: 2