Frasier is one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time. It ran for 11 seasons from 1993-2004 and boasts an impressive 263 episodes. There’s even been talk of re-uniting the cast and bringing the show back, though so far nothing’s come of it as the cast doesn’t want to taint the quality of the franchise.
While the show retained an enviable batting average even up to its final season, there was always an episode or 2 every season that didn’t quite cut the mustard. But we can learn just as much from these episodes as we can from the creme de la creme. With that in mind, here’s the least popular episode from every season:
Season 1 – Fortysomething (7.6)
In this episode, Martin helps Frasier deal with getting older until Frasier suddenly finds himself in a relationship with a woman half his age. The relationship enables him to keep living like he did 20 years ago until the inevitable conclusion. Could be the central relationship and dialogue were too unconvincing, or maybe the subject matter was just too real, but it was the worst received one of the season.
Season 2 – Burying A Grudge (7.6)
In this episode, Martin is the focus as Frasier and Daphne convince him to visit an old enemy in the hospital before he passes, but despite the silly argument they fell out over, both men are too stubborn to bury the hatchet and apologize. Could be that the episode was too heavy, or just the scene where Frasier accidentally tortures a hospitalized co-worker…
Season 7 – Morning Becomes Entertainment (7.6)
Season 7 was pretty consistent, with several contenders scoring 7.6/10 (but with more votes cast). In this episode, his agent Bebe convinces Frasier to host a TV morning show for a week, to give him more leverage in contract negotiations for his radio show. In the process, he admits his vanity, and Bebe proves herself to be a psychopath.
Season 4 – Ask Me No Questions (7.5)
In this heavily stylized episode, we open with Niles asking Frasier if he thinks Niles and Maris belong together, a question that haunts Frasier the entire episode as he overthinks it from every angle.
It was overly cheesy with the noir parody of Frasier walking down a dark street in a trenchcoat mid-montage with a sleazy jazz in the background, to then pass a wall with “YES” and “NO” posters all over it
Season 5 – Desperately Seeking Closure (7.3)
In this episode, Frasier deals with getting dumped by his high-profile lawyer girlfriend, then after consistently harassing her for a specific reason for her breaking up with him, realizes that it’s actually the lavish celebrity lifestyle he misses. Frasier was always lovable despite his many flaws, but in this episode, he was too shallow, self-involved, sociopathic, and just downright pathetic to enjoy watching.
Season 6 – The Show Where Woody Shows Up (7.2)
In this episode, Woody Harrelson gets his necessary Cheers cameo. After their initial meet-up proves they have little to say to each other, Woody and Frasier spend the remainder of Woody’s week in Seattle coming up with excuses not to see each other again. Although they’re honest with each other in the end, they both reveal themselves to be dishonest and uncaring people in the process.
Season 3 – The Friend (7.1)
This has to be the most uncomfortable episode of Frasier to rewatch. Frasier makes a new friend and instantly regrets it, but guilts himself into staying friends because the man is in a wheelchair. It’s like a Ricky Gervais bit but without the self-awareness. Frasier would later go on to make the same cringe-worthy mistake with the matter of race.
Season 8 – Mary Christmas (7.1)
After Frasier’s first unbearably awkward brush with Dr. Mary, you’d think that’d be the end of it. But this episode brought her back, with an extremely tacky Christmas parade as the setting.
When Frasier’s in the wrong and/or feeling sorry for himself, he can become difficult to watch, and there is an uncomfortable and depressing atmosphere over most of the episode.
Season 10 – Kenny On The Couch (7.1)
In this episode, Frasier reluctantly agrees to give Kenny – the manager of his radio station – some therapy sessions, which he ends up enjoying too much, more obsessed with himself than his patient. While the episode ends in some classic farcical rigamarole worthy of the best episodes, it’s disturbing to see Frasier toy with a hapless Kenny’s emotions and marriage, however inadvertently.
Season 11 – Freudian Sleep (7)
This is the one with the fatsuit. More specifically, the one where the normally slender Jane Leeves wears an enormous fatsuit in a scene where Daphne dreams of Niles cheating on her with multiple workmen who look suspiciously like gorgeous women and she can’t follow because she can’t fit through the doorframe. And this isn’t the mid-90s; this episode aired in 2004!
Season 9 – Mother Load: Part 2 (7)
According to the 382 votes cast on IMDb, “Mother Load Part 2” is the official worst episode of Frasier. In this episode, Niles is forced to let Daphne’s impossible mother stay with him, while Daphne tries to keep her brother Simon out of trouble at Frasiers. The pantomimed English characters were a lot easier to swallow in the 90s.
