Frasier Online Episode Guide -> Season 9 -> Episode 9.04

Love Stinks

Frasier joins Niles at Cafe Nervosa with some distressing news - someone has scrawled a limerick on the mens room wall that makes Frasier out to be a snob. Niles tells him not to get himself worked up over it, but Frasier is determined to do something about it. Roz then joins them, and announces that her new beau, Roger, is a garbage man and lets them get their jokes in first. Back at KACL, Frasier discovers additions to the limerick and decides to throw a party for the KACL staff to try and get them to like him, and invites Roz to bring Roger although she seems a little hesitant to do so. As the party gets into full swing, Frasier realises he doesn't know the names of half of the guests so is relieved when Kenny turns up and agrees to help him make conversation with his guests. Roz does bring Roger but every time the subject of his job is brought up, she manages to avoid telling people what Roger does for a living which causes him to leave.

The result of Frasier throwing the party comes home to Frasier when he has to exchange fake pleasantries with half of the staff, whom he has little in common with and wishes to go back to being unapproachable. He finally speaks his mind when a group of staff invite him to watch a boxing fight, which sees Frasier being thought of again as elitist. After Roz and Roger break up, Roz feels a little depressed over it becuase she realised that she was a bit of a snob worrying about what people thought of Roger's job, but a conversation with Alice manages to make her reconsider her decision not to see Roger any more..... Mreanwhile, Niles, Daphne and Martin go through a box of stuff from Niles' childhood.

- Frasier discusses the mens room wall limerick with Niles:
Frasier: Niles, do you think I'm elitist?
Niles: Of course I do - but you needn't worry about that.

- Roz waits for jokes about her relationship with Roger, the garbage man:
Niles: I've got a good one - so even in his off time, he's taking out the trash!

- People have started making additions to the limerick:
Frasier: My God, I've seen anthologies with fewer contributors!

- Frasier decides to throw a party for the KACL staff:
Frasier: I want people to know the real Frasier Crane.
Roz: Wouldn't it be better if you tried to make them like you (!)

- Martin goes to speak to Frasier at his party:
Martin: Hey Fras, why don't you introduce me to some of your friends?
Frasier: I wish I could, Dad - I don't know any of these people myself!

- Kenny starts to help Frasier make conversation with the guests:
Frasier: So when are you expecting....
Kenny: [whispering] No!
Frasier: ... this weather to change?

- Niles learns that Daphne's childhood nickname was Dappy:
Niles: Oh Dad, you'll never guess what silly nickname Daphne was called as a child?
Martin: Is it worse than Piles (?)

This episode is something we haven't seen for a while - a Roz-centric episode, but while there are some lovely scenes featuring her daughter Alice, who now talks, it is more than a little disappointing that Roz's storyline was the weakest of the three as her relationship with garbage man Roger, and the fact she's embarrased by what he does, is deathly dull to be honest. Much more enjoyable was Frasier's atttempt to be popular at KACL, which includes a brilliant scene at Frasier's party where Martin witnesses Frasier talking sports to his guests and lookd absolutely shocked! I also thought it was great the way that after all the work Frasier put in to make himself popular, he wishes he could go back to being somewhat unapproachable. Niles, Martin's and Daphne's trip down Niles' childhood throws up a few good laughs, notably learning what Niles' childhood nickname was, but this is another pretty awful Saladin K Patterson episode (though worse was yet to come) whose two enjoyable plotlines do not redeem the tedium of the central one.

Rating

66 %

Avg. Viewer Review: 71.1%
Total Number of Reviews: 8