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Episode reviews for Episode 6.02 - Frasier's Curse

Avg. Viewer Review: 72.4%
Number of Reviews: 8

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Almost there, May 11, 2013

Reviewer: Sammy J from Melbourne, Australia


Unlike the astonishing opening episodes of season 5, the sixth season starts with a couple of average ones. "Frasier's Curse" has a solid plot grounded in Frasier's understandable fears of not living up to his promise. It develops enjoyable, character-based reactions between all of the main characters, as Frasier's fear leads him to avoid a school reunion, ruin Roz's night (more than once!), and destroy his own reputation in the process.

At the same time, some of the farce is perhaps a little on the nose. Frasier literally appearing as a homeless man in one sequence is clever but feels more like a gag than a believable situation to mine humour. I almost suspect that the script would be stronger if it were more of an inside job (ala "Dinner Party") without the scenes outside and ultimately at the reunion.

Still, this is good fun and - like most "Frasier" episodes - manages to adequately convey its points about the characters.


Rating: 80%

 

The descent begins, Jun 14, 2011

Reviewer: Matt from UK


Norm Jr's review was spot-on. I can mostly only echo what he said.

Unzipped trouser flies, supernatural curses, a wig slipping off (for the
cheaply-named Mr Rugley), accidentally breaking statues, unlikely
coincidences (bumping into a reunion member at the supermarket
while dressed like a tramp; another reunion member being manager
at a radio station that Frasier mistakenly thinks he has a job at), etc.

There's little of the trademark Frasier wit, farce, or intelligence. A
'curse' may pass as a plot on most middle-brow US sitcoms, but you'd
like to think it to be a plot device that Frasier would be above.

It just feels like a very cheap episode, and a loss of the self-assurance
that had guided the show so well to this point. While many justifiably
scorn seasons 8 - 10, it's easy to forget there were quite a few earlier
clunkers like this one that matched their off-radar direction.


Rating: 60%

 

Frasier's Curse, May 22, 2010

Reviewer: Norm, Jr. from Somewhere, CA


Like watching a fine ballplayer in the twilight of his career, this ep leaves a lot of somber head-shaking. A collection of desperate, uninspired scenes just richochet throughout, leaving one with an uneasy feeling about the show's future. Where to begin with the liberties taken in this ep? Firstly, despite Frasier's "acceptance" at the end of the previous entry, he appears to be just as mired in his jobless situation as ever before. Now his high school reunion is looming, and he feels too inadequate to attend. This leads to the second problem, a continuity one, as Frasier states -- in mistaken five year increments -- that Diane ditched him in 1988. Untrue. It was 1985. If an unrelated writer had penned that, fine. But the fact that most of these writers are Cheers holdovers makes it especially annoying. Thirdly -- and most alarmingly -- is the job interview sequence, which redefined predictable and amateur. Seriously, toupee and exposed zipper jokes (not to mention Grammer's horribly telegraphed pushing of the coffee cup with the umbrella)? Frightening. Lastly, we are privy to absolutely NOTHING of Frasier's reunion, save for about fifteen seconds at the loser's table. Just beyond abysmal. The 65% rating? About 99% of that is comprised of Peri Gilpin's droolingly luscious dress.


Rating: 65%

 

A fair episode, Nov 23, 2008

Reviewer: Tom M from Cumbria, England


A rather odd episode where our dear protagonist seems to think he has a curse on his shoulders: quite un-Frasier-like in my opinion, but it did allow for some laughs. In particular, the oven cleaning and "homeless man" scenes were enjoyable.


Rating: 65%

 

Not brilliant, Jan 12, 2007

Reviewer: Me123 from Scotland, UK


After the progressional first episode, fans would expect a humour based episode here. And they got one.

However, this was a rather basic attempt at humour: Something you'd expect from an average Friends episode. It was rather dry in places and did seem to drag on.

After a fairly humorous opening scene, we see Frasier's job interview. As expected, Frasier mucks it up, however it is pretty funny despite the Belt/Fly thing and the Mr. (R)Ugly moment. On the other hand, the giraffe and Dr. Wendy as the mother thing is the kind of humour Frasier grew upon. To quote from Daphne:

"DAPHNE: He mumbled something about it being worse than the Dresden premiere of Schumann's Second Symphony."

In my opinion, it seemed more lke the premiere of "The Rite of Spring".

Probably the funniest moment in this episode was the oven moment. Niles's reaction was classic, and when Frasier reveals that it is an electric oven, it is a flashback to earlier seasons, where this was the norm.

It's a shame that, after this point, the episode proceeds to go downhill, with pretty few funny bits, concluding in a very dull way. The street person gag is far from funny, and the return of Roz is just annoying, although there was some great acting here from Peri Gilpin.

However, you do feel Frasier's continuing pain throughout this episode, and maybe from that sense it is good, but I cannot rate it too highly.


Rating: 74%

 

Review of 'Frasier's Curse', Feb 23, 2006

Reviewer: Nick from North Wales, U.K.


Another mediocre instalment with Frasier preparing for his reunion. Again he is depressed at not being able to find a job and worries about feeling inferior to his classmates and the whole episode seems to build towards a big ending which never actually materialises. Seeing Kelsey Grammer singing with a barbershop quartet is amusing enough but something of an anti-climax and this episode again fails to sparkle.


Rating: 67%

 

Underrated, Overlooked!, Aug 04, 2005

Reviewer: Bad Ambassador from UK


As an episode from Frasier's controversial sixth season, this was always going to have a hard time - this, along with the season premier, 'Good Grief', marked a shift in the tone of the programme. In my opinion, this shift was welcome. It became slightly darker (dealing with the loss of Frasier's job and his subsequent breakdown and lapse into paranoia), and the storylines started to take more of a centre stage than in the previous five seasons - an important development if the show was to evolve successfully and continue.

This episode is full of wonderful moments and classic lines, and in my view contains one of Kelsey's most thoughtful performances throughout the entire eleven year run. Perhaps it seems that Frasier is displaying uncharacteristic behaviour compared to what we've seen before - but him having to deal with being unemployed and the sense of worthlessness this can bring is the reason behind it, and is another step towards the show's superiority over other sitcoms which would shy away from such stories. Importantly, it's also very funny at the same time as having a 'serious' overtone - in later seasons which tried 'serious' stories the 'funny' would often be forgotten.

'Frasier's Curse', for me, is a wonderful episode. The entire cast are still at the height of their powers and the writing is tight and sharp. Fantastic!


Rating: 95%

 

'Frasier's Curse' review, Jul 11, 2005

Reviewer: Jocelyn from London, UK


An odd sort of episode in which Frasier is invited to attend a school reunion - an event which always seems to coincide with a downturn in his personal fortunes, leading him to believe he has a curse put over him. Despite some comic highlights such as Frasier's disasterous job interview with Mr Rugly and the sight of Eddie being pushed around in a supermarket trolley, writer Jay Kogen doesn't seem able to draw all these ideas together into a compelling whole. The central idea of a supposed 'curse' becomes a bit tiresome after a while - perhaps a subplot would have improved matters. The scene where a shabbily dressed Frasier is mistaken for a homeless person is mildly amusing but suffers from being a blatant rehash of an idea done far better in 'Miracle On Third Or Fourth Street' while the closing scene at the school reunion is frustratingly brief, although Frasier reluctantly singing along with 'The Checkmates' certainly raises a smile. Not a bad episode, just a strangely unsatisfying one.


Rating: 73%