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Frasier Online Episode Guide -> Season 9 -> Episode 9.05

Room Full Of Heroes
Episode Details

Written by: Eric Zicklin

Directed by: Wil Shriner

Original US airdate: 30th October 2001

Original UK airdate: 1st February 2002


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
   
   
Guest Cast
Justin .... Soren Fulton
Kid In Hall .... Steven Anthony Lawrence
Alice .... Tess Cruickshank
Guest Callers

Episode Synopsis

Frasier is throwing a Halloween party with a difference - everyone has to come dressed as their hero. Frasier, of course, has selected Sigmund Freud - even if Daphne struggles to work out who it is, but the party doesn't get off to the best of starts when almost everyone invited phones in sick. That leaves just Roz, Daphne, Niles and Martin - Martin comes dressed as Joe Di Maggio, while Daphne, in a vision of colour, dresses as Elton John. Roz, it seems thought Frasier meant superhero, and comes as Wonder Woman! Niles, on the other hand, comes dressed as his father complete with grey hair, a cane and a dog! The party gets going when Frasier asks everyone, as their hero, to tell everyone their most important relationship. 'Joe' picks Marilyn Monroe, Wonder Woman picks her alter-ego Diane Prince, while 'Martin' selects Hester Palmer who would become Frasier and Niles' mother. Frasier feels somewhat put out by what he sees as Niles' blatant attempt at sucking up to his father, and after everyone seemingly abandons Frasier's party game, storms out in a huff.

Frasier is consoled somewhat by a boy who has his trick-or treat candy stolen by his brother, but forgives him, and returns to the party. Everyone wants to play Frasier's game again, and the question this time is what is your hero's biggest disappointment. Niles, as Martin, launches into a speech that has been fuelled by the copious amounts of alcohol he has consumed and paints Martin's biggest disappointment as the fact that he never got to see his sons grow up to be baseball players, and by association Frasier and Niles as his biggest disappointments. Martin stops him, furious for putting words in his mouth and storms off. Can Niles make amends with his father.....?

Episode Title Cards
  • It's Flu and Party Season

Episode Highlights

- Daphne tells Frasier that the children are afraid of Old Man Crane, but it's not Martin it's Frasier:
Daphne: They even have a whole rhyme about you - "Old Man Crane, Old Man Crane, make him mad and he'll eat your brain!"

- Frasier feels his twist on a costume party will be very welcome:
Frasier: It makes a welcome change from those tiresome theme parties where someone gets murdered.
Martin: Could still happen (!)

- Daphne explains why Elton John is her hero:
Frasier: Thank you for putting so much thought into your costume, as opposed to throwing on something frivilous.
- Roz appears as Wonder Woman!

- Frasier tells Niles he doesn't have to drink beer to be like Martin:
Niles: I'm wearing black shoes with white socks - I may as well go all the way!

- Niles can't believe Frasier is jealous of him dressing as Martin:
Niles: You should be celebrating the fact that Dad is having fun, which rarely happens at your parties - or mine!

- Martin tells Daphne and Niles to stop kissing:
Martin: I don't want to watch myself make out with Elton John!

- Children fleeing in fear after witnessing Frasier rip the wig off Niles' head!

Frasier Online Episode Review

An enjoyable episode that features a Halloween party with a great 'Frasier' twist - everyone has to come dressed as their hero. It features some highly amusing moments such as the sight of Roz dressed as Wonder Woman, and Niles dressed as Martin and gets him down perfectly including throwing his head back when he laughs. That said, I felt Niles' speech at the end, even if he was drunk on alcohol, seemed far too scripted while Frasier's jealousy of Niles seems petty and contrived. All told, this episode is great fun, even if Daphne's impression of Elton John is a bit peculiar.

Rating

77 %

Latest Viewer Episode Review

Avg. Viewer Review: 83.2%
Total Number of Reviews: 9


A perfect (subtle) followup to the previous two episodes, Feb 17, 2010

Reviewer: morscata12 from USA


I found the last few scenes of this episode to be extremely worthwhile. Some of the in-character scenes were a little too silly to fit in with the style of the show, but they were enjoyable nonetheless. I wanted to discuss what I saw in Niles' touching/revealing speech at the end of this episode, as it seems to tie together quite a few themes from Frasier.

"Love Stinks" has Frasier attempting to make friends with the "common man" and eventually realizing he does not want to do so. As retribution, his party in this episode is an unsurprising failure. Even the children in his building are put off by him. It's a nice continuation of the arc; this arc is built upon beautifully by Nile's speech near the end of the episode.

"The Return of Martin Crane" shows Niles looking up to his father (as he often does in the series), yet also keeping his distance from Martin in the past. These two traits seemed contradictory - this contradiction is embarrassingly explained by Niles during his drunken speech at the Halloween party.

Martin identifies himself as a "common man", while Niles identifies as an "elite". Despite these differences, Martin was a hero to Niles due to many of Martin's traits (honesty, integrity, loyalty, hard work, etc). Niles followed his father's example to the best of his ability, and Martin was proud of him because of that. Yet Martin's identity as "common man" was unobtainable to Niles, so Niles never believed himself to be as good as Martin.

By dressing in various outfits, Niles is able to momentarily experience life as he believes his father would want. Unfortunately, this experience is non-sustainable, as were all of his past attempts (ice fishing, hunting trips, sporting events, etc). Niles can wear a costume to fit the role of "common man", but he knows he does not identify with that role. He feels discomfort during these attempts because he knows he is not that kind of person, and eventually gives up and drops his guise.

Unlike other episodes, Niles has chosen to keep up the appearance of "common man" to please his father. To avoid the discomfort this causes him, Niles drinks heavily during this episode. Eventually he drops his guard, and his disappointment with himself and his brother leaks out.

Niles does not believe his father is disappointed in him. By taking on the appearance of his hero, his speech reveals what he thinks of himself in relation to that hero (rather than what he believes his hero thinks). Understandably, Martin is upset - he sees a twisted version of himself telling his sons he doesn't approve of them or love them. Since Martin does love his sons, he is deeply hurt that Niles carries this interpretation of Martin around with him.

I am disappointed this confrontation wasn't expanded upon (beyond Niles' attempt to smooth things over with his father). This sort of revelation deserved a few more scenes between Martin and Niles to clear the air, though the final "brain scooping" scene was a marvelous payoff for a complex episode.


Rating: 90%

 

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