Frasier Online
home About The Show Episode Guide Merchandise Forum Reviews Gallery Contact

Frasier Online Episode Guide -> Season 8 -> Episode 8.13

Hungry Heart
Episode Details

Written by: Gayle Abrams

Directed by: Kelsey Grammer

Original US airdate: 20th February 2001

Original UK airdate: 6th April 2001


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
Kenny Daly .... Tom McGowan
   
   
Guest Cast
Kenny's Wife .... Illeanna Douglas
Janice .... Julie Dretzin
Waiter .... Mario Soto
Guest Callers

Episode Synopsis

Kenny arrives at Frasier's apartment in a bit of a state - apparently, he got chatting to a woman called Janice he met in a bar the previous night and before long, he had a date to see her that night. Frasier questions his motives, but Kenny says he loves his wife, so Frasier volunteers to go down to the restaurant and tell Janis Kenny won't be coming. Unbeknownst to Frasier, Kenny's wife has heard the message Janice left on their answerphone and gone down to confront her. Janice scarpers, leaving Frasier to believe the woman sitting at the table Kenny booked is Janice - something which Kenny's wife does nothing to deny. Frasier and 'Janice' get on well, so well in fact that they agree to meet up again the next night.

Kenny arrives back at Frasier's later that night desperate to know how things went with Janice. Frasier tells him everything was fine, and asks if it's alright for him to see Janice as they got along so well. Kenny is fine with it, but arrives back at Frasier's the next night just before Janice is due to arrive for their date, worried that his wife is having an affair. Just then, 'Janice' arrives forcing Frasier to rush Kenny into his bedroom until the coast is clear. Frasier moves 'Janice' into the kitchen so he can get Kenny out, but then Kenny shows Frasier a picture of his wife and Frasier's situation becomes clear.......Meanwhile, Daphne's weight problems balloons out of control, despite Niles helping her to lose weight, so Daphne agress she should go to a spa for professional help in losing weight.

Episode Title Cards
  • Moonstuck

  • Hungry Heart

Episode Highlights

- Kenny fears Janice may call his house:
Frasier: You gave this woman your home number?!
Kenny: I'm new at this!

- Kenny's wife confronts Janice at the restaurant:
Janis: You must have heard my message on your answering machine.
Kenny's Wife: Yes - and for your information, Kenny's eyes are brown, not hazellicious!!

- Martin walks into the living room to see Daphne on the floor:
Martin: What happened?
Niles: Daphne tripped on something and fell.
Martin: Oh my God! Where's Eddie!

- Daphne is helped up off the floor by Frasier, Niles and Martin:
Martin: Daphne, I just thought of something funny - it took 3 Cranes to lift you!

- Frasier is rushing to get Kenny out of his apartment:
Frasier: Janis is in the kitchen - you're free to go.
Kenny: Go where? To an empty house? An all-night movie? Walk the streets alone?
Frasier: All of those sound good.

- Frasier rushes to get Kenny out as the coast is clear but spies his father:
Frasier: Dad, I thought you were going out. I have a date.
Kenny: Doc, quick - I need you in the bedroom!
Martin: Pretty (!)

Frasier Online Episode Review

Thanks to a writer with some experience, this was a better effort than of late even though the comedy of misunderstandings about Janice and Kenny's wife, etc has been done better in previous episodes, and despite the fact that wasn't fast or funny enough to be the farce it aspires to. The other plotline about Daphne's weight finally reached it's conclusion as she agreed to visit a spa and so will disappear from the show until after Jane Leeves gives birth. There were some good jokes along the way, most notably in the scene where Daphne falls and it takes Martin, Daphne and Niles to pick her up, together with a lovely cameo from Illeana Douglas as Kenny's wife. You may have seen her in the Hollywood satire 'Action' or Gus Van Sant's excellent 'To Die For' - she certainly livened up her part and showed again what a talented actress she is. It was disappointing to see Roz sidelined once again, but on the whole this was an enjoyable episode, and it was nice to see Kenny being at the centre of an episode for once too.

Rating

76 %

Latest Viewer Episode Review

Avg. Viewer Review: 78.5%
Total Number of Reviews: 2


HUNGRY HEART, Jul 16, 2006

Reviewer: Cake for Brains from Manchester, UK


Another very enjoyable episode here, and one that definitely ranks among the best of the eigth season thus far. Like I said when I reviewed 'Daphne Does Dinner' from Season 10 last year, if you can forget that its not in the same league as some of Joe Keenan's peerless farcical masterpieces, and judge it purely on its own merits then its a very entertaining and fun episode indeed. I really liked the climaxing scenes, with Roz in the bathroom, Daphne sneeking about eating chocolate, Kenny in the bedroom, and Frasier having a blind date with his wife in the living room... it all worked very well and came together in a nice way.

I know that a couple of 'Frasier' fans felt that this episode was a bit tasteless regarding the issue of Jane Leeves' pregnancy and hence her weight gain/spa story arc. I can see where he's coming from, but I confess to liking Martin's line 'It took three Cranes to lift her!' Daphne's voice was hugely annoying in this episode though, it kept changing and altering in pitch and tone, and I think its this episode where her voice completely alters from her Season 1-7 tongue (of which I preferred). Kenny Daily is never a character I liked that much (nowhere near as funny as Gil), but he wasn't too bad in 'Hungry Heart'. My favourite scenes were basically all the farcical moments, such as Frasier meeting Kenny's wife at the restaurant, and the scenes where everyone was stuck in the apartment with Frasier desperately trying to conceal the truth from Kenny and his spouse. A nice fun episode.


Rating: 79%

 

Read more viewer reviews of this episode.

Write your own review of this episode and share your thoughts with other's.