You Can Go Home Again
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| Frasier episode | |
|---|---|
| “You Can Go Home Again” | |
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 24 |
| Guest star(s) | John Rajeski (Waiter), Sherry Lansing (Voice of Angela) |
| Writer(s) | Linda Morris, Vic Rauseo |
| Director | David Lee |
| Production no. | 40571-071 |
| Original airdate | 4 May 1993 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "The Focus Group" | "The Two Mrs. Cranes" |
'You Can Go Home Again' is the twenty-fourth episode and season finale of the third series of the American television sitcom Frasier
Contents |
[edit] Primary cast and characters
Kelsey Grammer - Dr. Frasier Crane
David Hyde Pierce - Dr. Niles Crane
John Mahoney - Martin Crane
Jane Leeves - Daphne Moon
Peri Gilpin - Roz Doyle
[edit] Plot outline
Frasier and Roz celebrate the third anniversary of Frasier's show - and their time spent together making it - with presents; Frasier presents Roz with earrings and a card thanking her for always believing in him (made ironic by the fact that she didn't initially think he'd last), and Roz gives Frasier a tape - a copy of the first ever episode of 'The Frasier Crane Show'. Later that day, Frasier returns home to find Daphne on the phone, calling him a dictatorial tyrant who won't let her go home to Britain. It's not as it seems, however; she's merely on the phone to her mother, trying to wrangle her way out of another boring-but-obligatory return visit home, as she only gets one week of vacation a year and she wants to spend it somewhere like Acapulco. Sympathising, Frasier plays along (although is unable to provide an impression of her Aunt Lillian). Whilst Daphne calls travel agents to determine which 'guilt trip' to avoid going home would be cheaper, Frasier puts on the tape of his first ever show - and as his awkward voice starts, prepares himself for a bumpy ride...
May 21st, 1993 1:57 PM: Frasier, newly arrived in Seattle, arrives for his first day as a broadcaster. Making himself comfortable in his transmission booth, he tries out a few failed attempts at catchphrases (including "If you can feel, I can heal!") and prepares himself with a few elocution exercises before being surprised by Roz's entry. Roz is his new producer, having taken over the job from 'Dave', the previous candidate; and Frasier is not pleased, having prepared himself for working with Dave. It doesn't make him feel any better to hear that Dave dumped him.
Frasier's show starts. His poor choice of catchphrase doesn't make matters any better, and he is nervous and bumbling, managing to fall off his chair and missing his very first caller's problem, asking for her husband's opinion on the matter - the problem being that she's trying to get over her husband's recent death. His nerves are not helped when, during the commercial break, he happens upon Roz in her booth calling to try and get herself another gig - five minutes into his show, and he storms out dramatically - only to scurry back in when he remembers he hasn't finished.
Later, after Roz and Frasier have gone through the (extensive) list of improvements he needs to make in his show in Cafe Nervosa, Frasier is surprised to see Niles walk in; it transpires that Nervosa is a regular haunt of Niles'. After a brief, perfunctionary greeting, Niles attempts to leave and sit by himself, despite the fact that the brothers have seen each other once in two years. The reunion is not incredibly warm. Frasier is not impressed with Niles' pretentious coffee order and habit of meticulously mopping down his chair, and the conversation soon turns to Martin; it transpires that despite having been back for a week, Frasier has not yet visited his father. Although claiming he has been busy unpacking, Frasier admits that he is not keen to reunite with his father, having observed his surly and unfriendly nature when visiting him after he was shot. Niles, claiming that Martin has changed and has discovered a new lease on life after his brush with death, persuades Frasier to accompany him on his weekly visit - but not before he is briefly entranced by the lingering scent of the young British woman who briefly asks to borrow the sugar.
On reaching Martin's apartment, however, it soons transpires that Niles' story about Martin's new zest for life was entirely fraudulent - Martin is still crabby and grumpy, and the reunion with his eldest son is far from a warm affair. Nor is Niles particularly pleased to be around there, as Martin's dog Eddie has an infuriating habit of staring at him. He soon concocts an excuse to be leaving - but not before transferring the dog's attentions from himself to Frasier.
Left alone, Martin and Frasier are not communicating well; Martin didn't listen to Frasier's first show, and is watching the baseball through his son's attempt to converse with him. Despite giving Frasier an idea for a catchphrase ("I'm listening, I'm listening!"), he soon decides to head out to meet his friends at the bar. Frasier is a little hurt by the fact that Martin wants to leave five minutes after they've seen each other for the first time in a long time, but Martin counters by saying that they shouldn't kid each other - neither of them want to be there. Frasier argues that he is, at least, making the effort, but Martin bitterly points out that he's hardly been back at all in the last two years, and has conveniently been much busier since his mother died (which even Martin seems to acknowledge as an unnecessarily low cheap shot). Frasier wants to try and make a connection, however, and persuades Martin to at least try; their first attempt at communicating, however, ends with a tiny conversation about the rain and Frasier switching the television back on.
Back in the present, Frasier wakes up to find Eddie staring at him as usual - for once, however, it doesn't bother him. Niles and Martin enter the apartment, intending to take Frasier out to dinner to celebrate his radio anniversary, which Martin found out about after listening to Frasier's show (although he claims that he merely fell asleep during the game, and fell asleep again ten minutes into Frasier's show). Playful teasing and banter having replacing barbed comments and awkwardness, it is clear how much closer Frasier, Martin and Niles now are after three years; and when Daphne enters the room, Frasier tells her that he's giving her extra holiday time, so that she can both go home to Manchester to visit her family and go to Acapulco, in order that she can connect with her own family... and take a break to recuperate afterwards.
[edit] Trivia
- Frasier's comment about his first episode - "Fasten your seatbelt, Eddie, it's gonna be a bumpy ride." - mirrors the famous quotation from Bette Davis' character Margo in All About Eve.
