Customer Reviews

Frasier: The Complete Ninth Season

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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Frasier is one of the all time great shows. Season 9 is one of the better seasons of this eleven seasons series.

During this season, Frasier, on a getaway at a rustic cabin, has a hallucination of his three previous girlfriends/wives. He also manages to accidentally destroy the arm chair of Martin. The reconstructed arm chair ironically is the most expensive item in his exquisitely assembled drawing room - oh the irony! Niles and Daphne plans to move in together and their plans are thwarted by the arrival of Daphne's mother. Frasier tries to un-mask Lilith's (his ex-wife) brother, a con-artist. In one memorable episode, Cliff's (a character from Cheers) farewell party introduces Niles to Frasier's past exploits at Cheers. During the season finale, Roz and Frasier sleep together, forever immortalized by the comment from Martin ("Big story about how Roz's purse spent the night on the coffee table"). And Niles is off to England to try and convince the alcoholic father of Daphne to reunite with his family.

A strongly recommended season and those of you not familiar with the characters, I have added a small summary of the main characters of the show.

Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer): The lead character. He holds degrees in psychology from Harvard University and lives in Seattle. His list of selective hobbies include playing the piano, attending the opera and expensive charity events, collecting expensive art and participating in wine tasting events. Of course his main past time is unsuccessfully trying to curb his competitive nature - especially when it comes to his brother Niles.

Niles Crane (David Hyde Pierce): The undoubted star of the show IMHO. Frasier's brother and practicing psychiatrist. Niles shares similar interests and educational background to Frasier (he was however educated at Yale University) and is probably even more finicky than his brother. Niles has an aversion to bugs and has several weird characteristics (extreme ethical standards, strong food allergies, dusting the chair before sitting and so on).

Martin Crane (John Mahoney): Frasier and Niles' father. He was in the police force for long until he was shot in the hip during an armed robbery. Martin moves in with Frasier (bringing his dog and a battered armchair into the life of Frasier and Daphne into the life of Niles). Martin's no-nonsense attitude and straightforward outlook on life often lead to confrontations with Frasier and Niles, who aspire to greater levels of sophistication.

Daphne Moon (Jane Leeves): An immigrant from Manchester, England. Daphne was hired by Frasier to be Martin's physiotherapist. Daphne often relates bizarre tales involving her family.

Roz Doyle (Peri Gilpin): Roz is the producer of Frasier's radio show. Roz is known for her relaxed attitude (especially when it comes to men) and quick-witted remarks, and enjoys deflating Frasier's ego - a favor often reciprocated by Frasier.

Any way the episodes for season 9 are:

Episode 1: Don Juan in Hell: Part 1
Episode 2: Don Juan in Hell: Part 2
Episode 3: The First Temptation of Daphne
Episode 4: The Return of Martin Crane
Episode 5: Love Stinks
Episode 6: Room Full of Heroes
Episode 7: Bla-Z-Boy
Episode 8: The Two Hundredth
Episode 9: Sharing Kirby
Episode 10: Junior Agent
Episode 11: Bully for Martin
Episode 12: Mother Load: Part 1
Episode 13: Mother Load: Part 2
Episode 14: Juvenilia
Episode 15: The Proposal
Episode 16: Wheels of Fortune
Episode 17: Three Blind Dates
Episode 18: War of the Words
Episode 19: Deathtrap
Episode 20: The Love You Fake
Episode 21: Cheerful Goodbyes
Episode 22: Frasier Has Spokane
Episode 23: The Guilt Trippers
Episode 24: Moons Over Seattle

Enjoy!

Season 9 of Frasier saw Dan O'Shannon become the sole `Showrunner' following Mark Reisman's departure from the staff, and it could hardly have been in more tragic circumstances. David Angell, the co-creator of the show and a major creative force died, as so many did, in the September 11th atrocities of 2001. It's difficult to assess how this tragedy affected the show creatively, as the series was already in a period of re-adjustment following the Season 7 finale and the whole dynamic of the show had changed. Taken as a whole, the season is a marginal improvement on the more serious and thoughtful season 8. There are a greater number of funny episodes, but the poor episodes really stand out. Here's a rundown of the season:

Don Juan In Hell Part 1 - A continuation of the season 8 finale in which Frasier has to choose between two women, Claire and Lana. On the whole it's a pretty dull re-tread, with only the appearance of `Island Niles' providing some mild amusement.

Don Juan In Hell Part 2 - Likely to be combined with the first part on DVD, this is a much better episode. Frasier forces himself to confront the reason why his relationships always fail by inviting Lilith, Diane, Nanette (his first wife) and Hester (his mother) on a trip inside his head.

The First Temptation of Daphne - Daphne and Niles address issues of trust following Daphne's discovery that one of Niles' patients is infatuated with him.

The Return of Martin Crane - A thoughtful episode in which Martin returns to work for the first time since he was shot many years ago.

Love Stinks - The first truly bad episode this season revolves around Roz being embarrassed dating a garbage disposal worker. It's a shame Peri Gilpin was given such weak material for a rare Roz-centred episode, most of the dialogue is cringing.

Room Full Of Heroes - A Halloween outing which, while not being particularly high brow, is fun throughout nonetheless. The only downside is a heavy handed scene towards the end

Bla-Z-Boy - Jon Sherman wrote many of my favourite episodes in Frasier's later seasons, and he delivers in spades here with the best of the season. Frasier becomes irked by the fact that he has lived with his father for longer than any relationship he's ever had with a woman. Both feel the other resents them, and this comes hilariously to the fore as Frasier accidentally but utterly destroys Martin's beloved chair. The dialogue and pace of the episode is reminiscent of the early classic years, and remains just as funny on repeated viewing. A truly classic episode.

The Two Hundredth - This milestone in the show's history is marked by an underwhelming episode in which Frasier meets his `ultimate fan'.

Sharing Kirby -This episode involves Niles and Frasier sparring for Kirby's favour, and is a fun, above average episode.

Junior Agent - Harriet Sansom Harris, who plays Frasier's conniving agent Bebe Glazer is a source of constant joy throughout the series. Sadly, this is possibly the weakest of her episodes.

Bully For Martin - As the title suggests, this episode centres on Martin's struggle with his bully of a boss.

Mother Load Part 1 - This highly entertaining episode sees the introduction of oft-referred-to Frasier nemesis Cam Winston.

Mother Load Part 2 - A slight letdown following the excellent first part, this is nonetheless an amusing episode. The sight of Daphne standing up to her mother was a joy.

Juvenilia - The final outing for Kirby sees him become an unlikely mentor for Frasier as he tackles the tenacious `Teen Scene' gang at KACL.

The Proposal - The episode in which Niles finally proposes to Daphne contains all the farce and humour for which the show is best known.

Wheels of Fortune - Scripted by veteran `Cheers' writers Ken Levine & David Isaacs, this feels like a departure from the standard `Frasier' template, and features a star turn from Michael Keaton as Lilith's wheelchair bound half-brother Blaine.

Three Blind Dates - Another great episode split, as the title suggests, into three distinct parts. The middle section is particularly funny.

War of the Words - Following three near-classic episodes on the spin, we're brought crashing back down to earth with this absolute stinker. Most definitely the worst episode in the history of `Frasier'.

Deathtrap - A murder/mystery plot is at the heart of this rare Frasier/Niles centred episode. The sight of David Hyde Pierce and Kelsey Grammar sparring off each other is a real treat.

The Love You Fake - The second and final outing for Cam Winston produces another rather fun episode.

Cheerful Goodbyes - This unnecessary episode feels like little more than an excuse to crowbar all the remaining members of the former `Cheers' cast into an episode of `Frasier' .

Frasier Has Spokane -Frasier expands his listener base in this below par episode, the only highlight of which is the scene where Frasier is introduced to the hostile Spokane media.

The Guilt Trippers - This episode takes the Frasier/Roz relationship somewhere it should never have gone - into the bedroom.

Moons Over Seattle - An up and down season is thankfully concluded with a highly enjoyable finale. Brian Cox is enlisted as Daphne's roguish father, and his star turn has one wondering why this was his only appearance on the show. A funny, witty episode which ends on a romantic cliffhanger is a welcome conclusion to an uneven season.


In conclusion then, this is a bi-polar season of Frasier, with at least half the episodes providing great entertainment and the other half making one grateful for the `skip' facility the DVD format provides. Having said that even the casual fan will be richly entertained by many of the episodes found here. It would be nice if Paramount included some extras this time. A tasteful tribute to David and Lynn Angell and the inclusion of NBC's 200th episode special would not go amiss, but sadly if past form is anything to judge by we won't get a thing.

Has anyone else noticed that the packaging says "The Ninth Season" and not "The Complete Ninth Season". Is anything missing? Are these the syndicated versions?

How wonderful to watch a program and find the people who write the show and perform are both witty and perceptive. Television is awash with so much "reality" that it defies reason. Here is situation comedy with more insight than having handheld cameras shoved into people's faces... or listening to the rants and righteous indignation of so called privileged people who should be ashamed of themselves when they behave in a peevish fashion. Frasier is nothing like that, nor do their characters, wealthy to a certain degree, behave peevishly except to show how silly it is. Here is a show that represents people who have a sense of dignity and decorum while also making us laugh at our own foibles. The entire of run of the show is replete with priceless moments. Season nine is no exception. I purchased the shows out of sequence and bought the last season first. I love the final series so much, I started at the beginning... by the time I reached season nine, I felt as if I was inviting old friends into my home. I love these characters. They will be forever etched in my lexicon of great moments spent in front of my television set.

In my humble opinion the entire series from beginning to end is some of the best comedy of the last 2 decades!!! Such a shame it had to end!

Some people talk about the dip in quality of Frasier in some of the latter seasons, and while it's true that some of the episodes were a little less fresh in season 9, it's hard to complain about a show that overall is so great. Some of the episodes in this season seemed a little clunky or forced like the one where Frasier is haunted by his ex-wives' memories or the one where he attends a retirement party for Cliff of Cheers. However, there are some really good episodes too. I think part of the issue the show faced in seasons 8 and 9 was the partial resolution of the Daphne-Niles relationship and how that affected the story lines. However, the final scene of the final episode is a highly emotional and effective hook based on these two characters that makes you want to rush out and buy season 10. All in all, if you are a fan of Frasier, you will enjoy watching this season.

I have greatly enjoyed the other seasons of Frasier, however, this season provides few laughs and Frasier is always angry and yelling at people. Several of the episodes were just plain boring and the episode with Roz and Frasier spending the night together - why was that necessary? It wasn't interesting or funny and it just "fell flat." I suggest you do not buy this season. I regret wasting my money on it.

Frasier is one of the best sitcoms that was on tv. I have the whole series now and I love to watch them. I highly recommend them to anyone how wants a good laugh over dry humor.

The ninth season of Frasier continues the wonderful comedy one would expect from the Frasier boys. This television series has been able to generate laughs at an adult level without treating the audience like un-educated children. This season has lost nothing on the previous seasons, while developing the lives of the characters. I can't wait for season 10 to be released.

The "Frasier" series is a classic. Every episode is excellent! It's the new "I Love Lucy" in that each episode is my favorite, and it's hard to decide which one is the best.