A Mid-Winter Night's Dream
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| “A Mid-Winter Night's Dream” | |||||||
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| Frasier episode | |||||||
 Niles with Daphne at his house |
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| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 17 |
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| Written by | Anne Flett-Giordano Chuck Ranberg |
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| Directed by | David Lee | ||||||
| Guest stars | Dean Erickson (Eric) | ||||||
| Production no. | 40571-015 | ||||||
| Original airdate | February 10, 1994 (US) | ||||||
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| List of Frasier episodes (Season 1) | |||||||
A Mid-Winter Night's Dream is the 17th episode of the first season of the sitcom Frasier. It is the first episode to fully develop the mutual attraction between Niles and Daphne.
Contents |
[edit] Main 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] Guest cast
Dean Erickson as Eric
[edit] Plot
Niles is concerned that his relationship with wife Maris is going stale. Frasier discusses this with Roz (who he feels has more knowledge of sex than him) and she suggests a roleplay. Niles sets up a pirate-themed fantasy, but it goes wrong when his maid walks in on him in a potentially compromising position, and Maris throws him out. He arrives at Frasier's apartment in pirate costume (including a puffy shirt very similar to the one made famous by Seinfeld).
Meanwhile, Daphne is enchanted by Eric, a worker at Café Nervosa, a rock musician who Niles snobbily suggests "has Community College written all over him". While Niles lies on Frasier's couch, the couple walk in and kiss, making Niles even more miserable.
The next morning, Niles finds that Maris has gone to Arizona for the day, so Daphne suggests helping him cook a special meal for her. Considering Maris' list of apparent allergies, this won't be an easy task. As she heads to Niles' Gothic mansion, the heavens open, and she is soaked.
Quickly, she confesses that Eric has dumped her. A combination of Daphne being forced to wear a revealing top (her own clothes are soaked, and most of Maris' are far too small), candles filling the room due to the lights going out, and Daphne's vulnerable emotional state make it look likely that Niles will be unfaithful.
Suddenly however, his glockenspiel (a wedding present which had faded like their love) springs into life, and makes him realise how much he loves Maris - her excruciating face, and how they laugh at white people, as Daphne misremembers the speech. Frasier rushes to Niles' mansion (although Martin blames his poor choice of route for the lateness of this) but Daphne is shocked when his reasons for wanting to intervene become apparent. Otherwise, all is well.
[edit] Memorable quotes
- Frasier: I've gotta get Daphne out of there!
Martin: Why?!
Frasier: Why? My God, it's a recipe for disaster! You've got a vulnerable woman and an unstable man in a gothic mansion on a rainy night! The only thing missing is someone shouting "Heathcliff!" across the moors!
[edit] Trivia
- The episode's title is a reference to the Shakespeare play A Midsummer Night's Dream.
- Frasier's line about shouting "Heathcliff" is a reference to Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights.
- Frasier's surprise appearance at the window is reminiscent of The Graduate.
- The tune the glockenspiel plays in this episode is the melody of Chopin's Heroic Polonaise.
