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From Frasier’s disastrous New Year’s Eve road trip to Niles’ run-in with a notorious local gangster, there are plenty of underrated Frasier episodes that deserve more love. There are a ton of great Frasier episodes that are rightly hailed as classics. Season 5, episode 14, “The Ski Lodge,” is a pitch-perfect bedroom farce. Season 6, episode 17, “Dinner Party,” hilariously highlights Frasier and Niles’ unique dynamic. Season 3, episode 13, “Moon Dance,” was the first showcase of Niles and Daphne’s electric on-screen chemistry (and a surprising sign that a romance might actually work out).
There are also different Frasier episodes that suit different needs and moods. Frasier’s comfort episodes make for a perfect pick-me-up; season 1, episode 24, “My Coffee with Niles,” could brighten even the darkest day. There are other Frasier episodes that would be a great jumping-off point to introduce new fans to the show. But not every great episode of Frasier gets the love it deserves. As with any long-running series, there are a ton of fantastic episodes that fell by the wayside and remain underappreciated gems all these years later.
10
Roe To Perdition
Season 10, Episode 18
Frasier and Niles get swept into the criminal underworld in season 10’s “Roe to Perdition.” When they encounter a backstreet Russian caviar smuggler with competitive prices and high-quality product, the Crane brothers find their social status rising higher than ever — but it comes at a cost. This episode is a hilarious satire of the illegal drug trade, with Frasier and Niles becoming dealers and losing all their scruples in their lust for power. It builds to a great punchline when customs agents swarm the freighter and reveal that they don’t care about the caviar; they’re after DVD counterfeiters.
9
Chess Pains
Season 3, Episode 18
Season 3’s “Chess Pains” is a gem that doesn’t get talked about enough. Frasier acquires an antique chess set and he can’t wait to play with it. But Niles refuses to play, because it’s a painful reminder of his weekly chess matches with his wife Maris, so Frasier reluctantly plays with Martin instead — and Marty beats him with ease. Frasier is driven up the wall by his inability to win against his dad. It’s always hilarious to see Frasier embarrassed, and it’s a great example of Martin being a lot smarter than his sons give him credit for.
8
Daphne Does Dinner
Season 10, Episode 14
It’s a classic sitcom setup for a character to attempt to throw a dignified dinner party, only for everything to go horribly wrong. It’s been seen in The Simpsons, The Office, The I.T. Crowd, and one of Frasier’s most underrated episodes: season 10’s “Daphne Does Dinner.” Daphne attempts to throw a fancy dinner party for a famous reclusive artist, but, as with all Crane family affairs, it’s an unmitigated disaster — not in the least because little Alice draws all over the artist’s prized painting.
7
Guess Who’s Coming To Breakfast
Season 1, Episode 13
Frasier is surprised to find that Martin has had a sexual partner stay the night in the season 1 episode “Guess Who’s Coming to Breakfast.” His awkwardness at the breakfast table gets the episode off to a hilarious start, and it only gets funnier from there when Frasier talks about his dad’s love life on the air — and, unsurprisingly, Martin is furious. Episodes that focus on Frasier and Martin’s father-son relationship are always fun, and this one captures the universal feeling of discomfort when a parent starts dating someone.
6
Frasier-Lite
Season 11, Episode 12
Although Frasier had a lot of storylines set in Dr. Crane’s workplace and that workplace was full of kooky characters bouncing off each other, it never really functioned as a workplace comedy. We finally got to see the whole KACL team working together toward a common goal in season 11’s “Frasier-Lite.” The chemistry that all these cast members had built up in dribs and drabs over the years finally came together as this endearing, bickering workforce competed in a weight-loss competition for a trip to Las Vegas. This storyline perfectly highlights their camaraderie and their interpersonal tensions.
5
Beware Of Greeks
Season 5, Episode 16
This is easily one of Frasier’s most unfairly hated episodes. Season 5’s “Beware of Greeks” probably would’ve been received better if the new characters weren’t supposed to be close relatives of the Cranes that had never been seen or mentioned before; if they were just family friends or distant relatives, then it wouldn’t have been so difficult for the audience to suspend their disbelief. Apart from that minor inconsistency, “Beware of Greeks” is a solid sitcom episode about a wedding gone awry — with a typically hilarious guest turn by Patti LuPone as Frasier’s Greek aunt.
4
Enemy At The Gate
Season 10, Episode 2
The season 10 episode “Enemy at the Gate” gets a lot of hate, because Frasier is so insufferably self-righteous in it. Frasier gets into a battle of wits with a parking garage attendant because he refuses to sell out his principles for $2. Yes, Frasier is very pompous in this episode, but it works, because Niles is there to take the air out of his tires at every turn — and it’s always fun to see the Crane brothers sniping at each other while trapped in an enclosed space together (like the hotel room where they tried to co-author a book).
3
A Word To The Wiseguy
Season 3, Episode 15
As seen in “Roe to Perdition,” it’s always funny to see Frasier and Niles have a brush with crime. In season 3’s “A Word to the Wiseguy,” Niles offers to get Maris off the hook for her unpaid parking tickets as a friendly gesture. However, he unwittingly enlists the help of the mafia. The episode creates a brilliant comic juxtaposition between the preppy, non-confrontational Crane boys and the violent, sociopathic mobster they’re dealing with. There’s endless comedic potential in that combination — it’s like Analyze This, but more sophisticated — and the writers have a ton of fun with it.
2
Out With Dad
Season 7, Episode 15
Frasier had a few episodes that tackled gay stereotypes in a lighthearted comedic manner. While season 2’s “The Matchmaker” gets a lot of love, season 7’s “Out with Dad” is just as great. Frasier’s new love interest thinks Martin is gay and tries to set him up with her uncle. Frasier is so smitten that, when he finds out about the misunderstanding, instead of correcting it, he encourages Martin to go along with it. “Out with Dad” is a quintessential Frasier farce that forces Martin to keep up a charade against his will.
1
RDWRER
Season 7, Episode 12
The season 7 episode “RDWRER” is classic Frasier. It gives the Crane family a simple enough goal that they’re doomed to never accomplish: they’re headed to their wine club’s festive celebration in Idaho on New Year’s Eve to ring in the millennium in style. But they’re making the trip in Martin’s clunky old Winnebago, and as the clock nears midnight, they run into trouble with the police, they get mixed up with mistaken identities, and Niles falls asleep in a similar-looking RV going in the opposite direction.
It’s a fun throwback to the classic season 1 episode “Travels with Martin,” and it’s just as great as its RV-bound predecessor. Frasier is at its best when the Crane boys are just trying to have a good time and end up careening head-first into disaster. “RDWRER” is a perfect example of that, but it remains an underappreciated gem. If it had aired much earlier in the show’s run, it would surely get the love it deserves and be remembered as a classic.
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