Wonderful Episode!, Dec 24, 2007

Reviewer: Peter from Ohio

This was a great episode! One of my favorites.

It includes such great lines as "Oh, don't worry, son, he'll probably end up at a state school"

Niles:HOW DARE YOU.

and

Niles:"It was then that I became one with the higher truth that is spelling"

Rating: 93%

Underserving criticism, Dec 07, 2007

Reviewer: Frasiergurl from NC

I have to agree with some of the other viewers. This episode is not at ll. It was a pleasant 'filler'. NIles comment "spell his ass off" was certainly not far fetched. This has got to be the most unfairly rated episode of the entire sesaon...


A nice episode IMO

Rating: 85%

AdmiralXizor, Dec 05, 2007

Reviewer: Quite Underrated from Seattle

I don't make a habit of pre-judging an episode by who wrote it. Generally, I try to figure out what they were trying to do, and whether Frasier & Co. actually pull it off. Even if it's a low-level farcical episode that succeeds in bringing simple laughs (Tales From the Crypt) I'll give it a good rating.

In this case, I have to say that I REALLY liked this episode. It immerses us in a situation that Frasier & Niles take so seriously, but not in opposition to Roz's or Martin's more down-to-earth sensibilities.
In this episode, Martin is just as invested in his grandson's situation and is swept along for the ride without muttering his trademark "Oh Geez..." and limping off into the kitchen. Even Roz tries to keep up without bieng sarcastic.
The comparison of spelling to fighting (not necessarily boxing) is apt, just because everyone involved sells it so well. Everyone is invested in the outcome, to the point that Niles' indignant "then SPELL HIS ASS OFF!!" ties everything up nicely.

It's not often that you see everyone taking something just as seriously (and too far) as Frasier and Niles do. In this case, I do the same thing, and at the end, I'm satisfied.

Not bad... Not bad at all.

Rating: 90%

Just Awful, Jun 07, 2007

Reviewer: Bosun from Kent, England

I just hope anyone who's watching Frasier for the first time doesn't pick this dire episode.
This really is the pits. Don't bother.

Rating: 23%

An underrated episode, May 29, 2007

Reviewer: Jaybee from Wales, UK

Having watched this I'm suprised so many people so strongly dislike it. While I accept it's not neccessarily a classic episode I think it is by no mean a bad one. Some of the negative comments seem hugely overblown about this episode particularly Roz's lucky penny which seems completely in character to me and my only criticism is that it is so brief as to be almost pointless (which again leads me to wonder why so much criticism of such an inconsequential scene).

Part of me is suspicious that there is a level of snobbery about this episode worthy of Frasier and Niles themselves. I wonder how many people would have been so negative about this episode if they didn't know it was written by Saladin K Patterson. The site reviewer for this episode practically admits as much when they say they thought more highly of this episode but later realised who wrote it.

Rating: 85%

Not great - but nothing like as bad as it's painted, May 18, 2007

Reviewer: Streetworker from Manchester, UK

I doubt many people would regard this as a classic. But it has an undeserved reputation as the worst-ever episode of the series. It's no Ham Radio to be sure, but there are worse eps - Season 11's Freudian Sleep springs to mind.

Rating: 75%

Are previous reviewers serious?, Dec 17, 2006

Reviewer: Michael from Kent, England

I HAVE to respond to the reviews found at this site. This has to be one of the funniest episodes ever from the entire series. It proves once again that Niles is a superb character, and one of the funniest ever created in U.S comedy TV history. How can anybody watch his performance in this episode as he takes completely seriously the idea he was a spelling champ, and not be in hysterical laughter has no business calling calling themselves human. Hilarious.

Rating: 98%

Cringeworthy..., Jun 19, 2006

Reviewer: brandybordeaux from UK

... is the only way to describe this episode. When I first saw it for the first time I didn't remember it being quite so bad as people had made out. However, after watching it last night I have come the decision that this takes the award for
-The worst episode of Frasier (Total laughs=1, Eddie's Woof)
-The worst storyline/plot of Frasier (Spelling=Boxing, I think not!)
-The worst scriptwriter ever to write for Frasier (See Legal Love and Tender, etc.)
-The worst out of character moment in Frasier (Niles droning on about endless dribble in the kitchen, and his Spell His Ass Off line)
-The most dire acting ever by the guest cast (The Claytons & Dr Bernard Gaston)
and I could go on.

I can safely say that I WILL NEVER knowingly watch this episode again. Although it's in my collection, I don't think it will becoming out that often.

The only way I can suggest anyone to watch this episode is to count the ways in which Mr Saladin K Patterson's dire writing fails to deliver.
Note: You may need to take your shoes and socks off, or use an abacus to count them all!

Rating: 15%

Not As Bad As They Say, Oct 09, 2005

Reviewer: Stratman from Australia

This is far from being the worst episode ever, and in all honesty, Niles ''SPELL HIS ASS OFF'' line isn't nearly as out of character as people think.

Although the boxing theme is far from revolutionary, the point isn't that the writers are ''oh so clever'', the point is that Frasier and Niles are the ones taking things so seriously, though it's not such an absurd notion considering how anal those two are about spelling and grammar, and considering their tendency to take things too far.

Overall, this isn't a great episode, but there are far worse.

Rating: 70%

'War Of The Words' review, Sep 20, 2005

Reviewer: Jocelyn from London, UK

A dreadful episode which takes a lame and uninspired premise - Frederick being accused of cheating at a spelling bee - and proceeds to produce 22 minutes of toe-curling banality which brings 'Frasier' down to it's lowest levels. There are numerous cringeworthy and out-of-character moments here; Roz offering to bring Freddie luck with her 'lucky penny', Martin somehow not understanding the rules of political correctness and, worst of all, a painful and increasingly tedious attempt to compare spelling with boxing - a hopelessly unfunny 'joke' which drags on throughout the episode. Of the cast, only Kelsey Grammer seems to be making an effort to rise above the dire material with the rest of the cast looking understandably bored - none more so than David Hyde Pierce, who has never looked more unengaged than in the scene where Niles is giving Freddie advice in the kitchen, while the performances by the actors portraying Freddie's competitor Warren and his father Mr Clayton are both rather poor. The episode reaches it's absolute nadir, however, with the climactic street brawl between Freddie and Warren which culminates with Niles' appalling shout of 'THEN SPELL HIS ASS ARF!' after which the episode is mercifully put out of it's misery. In short, this is an episode which fails on every level. The plot is feeble, the dialogue risible and out-of-character, the attempts at humour embarrassingly childish, every scene falls flat and even the audience sound half asleep throughout; all of which combines to make this the worst episode of 'Frasier' ever produced.

Rating: 30%

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