This is one of the most interesting episodes. It is, at first, pretty pedestrian. Frasier, a squash player, teams up with a beautiful gym teacher and ends up part of the mixed doubles champions. But, for him, PE was horrible in school. So what the writers did was to have the new characters appear as those of the childhood. It is not preachy but makes a substantial point.
3 Reviews
Seeing the person for what they really are!
thejcowboy2231 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Initially I am indifferent when it comes to the Sit-Com Frasier. My wife is an avid viewer of this long running comedy starring Kelsey Grammar. At times especially when the Mets aren't on, I would watch an episode to fill the void. The show is a spin-off of Cheers the Boston based tavern comedy where the Dr. Frasier character was born. Frasier was placed in the series in the third season of Cheers to detract from the Sam and Diane relationship tensions. Grammar's performance was so luminous they kept him on the series. Here the story shifts to Seattle,Washington where Frasier takes his Psychiatry practice on the air waves as a talk radio host accompanied by his female producer Roz Doyle (Perri Gilpin). The writers didn't want to copy a format where patience's come to an office ,i.e. The Chicago based Bob Newhart Show of the late 70's.A radio show is perfect for Grammar's deep vocal pipes to be displayed on the series despite the consternation of meek younger brother psychiatrist , Niles played by David Hyde Pierce. Niles and Frasier enter the annual squash tournament. Niles is fed up getting eliminated in the second round every year. Niles wants another partner. Frasier agrees and bumps into Chelsea (Jean Tripplehorn) who happens to be a middle school gym teacher and is an accomplished squash player. The two win the tournament, which explains the title, which infuriates Niles. Meanwhile on another front enter the arrogant brash and stand offish Julia Wilcox (Felicity Huffman) another radio personality at the station. Julia gives financial advice on the radio and Roz handles the engineering end to the demeaning commands from Julia. Roz complains to Frazier who tries to get them together. The disdain between Julia and Roz is showcased twice in this episode with brilliant screen writing by David Angell, David Lee and Peter Casey. Frasier's relationship with Chelsea blossoms nicely as his brother Niles is brooding. Everything changes when Frasier meets Chelsea during her gym class. As Frasier waits in her office he sees Chelsea yelling at a chunky student. Frasier gets a flashback to when he was a young uncoordinated bookworm of a boy. He's grubby, hefty and gravely gym teacher Coach Fuller (Bob Hoskins) publicly humiliated Frasier in front of the other students making him climb the ropes with eventual failed attempts time after time. Frasier sees himself as that stocky humiliated girl as girlfriend Chelsea is riding her to move it the same way coach Fuller demeaned Frasier. Which sets this sit-com apart from other Frasier episodes is how the writers and casting used a unique approach putting Bob Hoskins in Jean Tripplehorn's role as Chelsea. Bed room scenes showing Frasier in Bed with the robust, hairy Hoskins and the bathing scene was sidesplitting yet had a raunchy feel. Frasier didn't see Chelsea . He saw Coach fuller. The dialogue was the same but the visual was distorted. The sitcom seemed crammed with three stories in one. Nile's jealousy, Roz and Julia feuding and Frasier coming to grips with his trophy woman. Still I found this episode one of the best for its writing and ingenuity.
Trophy Girlfriend
studioAT25 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
'Frasier's tenth series had been on a good run of form in recent episodes, but I can't say this one overly grabbed me.
They had the lovely and funny Jeanne Tripplehorn guesting as a love interest for Frasier, but because they can't pair him off properly until the end of the series of course there has to be something wrong with her.
We then enter into a rather one joke idea (that shoehorns in a performance from Bob Hoskins) that means we rarely see Tripplehorn feature for the rest of the episode.
The writers it would seem are more keen on having the radio shrink be romantically linked with the annoying character played by Felicity Huffman, who sadly returns here.
A fine example of a good premise poorly executed.
They had the lovely and funny Jeanne Tripplehorn guesting as a love interest for Frasier, but because they can't pair him off properly until the end of the series of course there has to be something wrong with her.
We then enter into a rather one joke idea (that shoehorns in a performance from Bob Hoskins) that means we rarely see Tripplehorn feature for the rest of the episode.
The writers it would seem are more keen on having the radio shrink be romantically linked with the annoying character played by Felicity Huffman, who sadly returns here.
A fine example of a good premise poorly executed.
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