Love Bites Dog

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“Love Bites Dog”
Frasier episode
Niles trying to counsel Bulldog after his girlfriend dumped him
Episode no.	Season 04 Episode 02
Written by	Joe Keenan
Directed by	David Lee
Guest stars	Dan Butler (Bob 'Bulldog' Briscoe)
Production no.	40571-074
Original airdate	24 September 1996
Episode chronology ← Previous Next → "The Two Mrs. Cranes" "The Impossible Dream"
List of Frasier episodes (Season 4)

"Love Bites Dog" is the second episode in the fourth series of the American television sitcom Frasier.

[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] Plot outline

This episode centres around Bob 'Bulldog' Briscoe. In the first scene he thoughtlessly dumps a woman over the phone, unable to remember which of his many recent conquests (including a pair of sisters) he is talking to.

Noting that Frasier has not been with a woman for many months, Roz arranges a blind date with her friend Sharon, a former professional golfer. Frasier questions whether she is a lesbian, based on a stereotype of overly-macho female athletes, but Roz insists she is feminine, smart and beautiful. Although reluctant, Frasier agrees.

When he meets her, they are immediately attracted and start getting on well, until Bulldog enters and starts talking sports in his bullish arrogant way (suggesting that golf is not a real sport - "no cheeerleaders, no blood, and the only cups are in the ground" - so Sharon challenges him to a game). They leave together and quickly become an item, much to Roz's anger.

Unusually for him, Bulldog is genuinely in love, but is heartbroken when Sharon dumps him over the phone shortly before his show. He goes on air but quickly breaks down when a caller alludes to a rumour about the Seahawks leaving Seattle, tearfully ranting that "we'll find another team. A team that'll never leave us. A team we can love forever!". Frasier is forced to fill in, and is completely unable to do the job, even referring to a team as the Cleveland Independents, after mistranslating Bulldog's abbreviations.

Niles drops by the station, having got tickets for a posh restaurant, so he attempts to counsel Bulldog. His long-winded and complex analytical approach is lost on Bulldog, so Frasier takes over. He comforts Bulldog by telling him that he can forget her, find someone else, have fun with her, then dump her, because that's what guys do.

The episode also includes two sub-plots. Niles attempts to boost his psychiatry practice by placing an advert - 'Dr. Niles Crane, Jung specialist. Servicing individuals, couples, groups. Satisfaction guaranteed. Tell me where it hurts'. However, the ad is printed as 'Dr Niles Crane, hung specialist', with the rest of it printed perfectly, making him sound like a gigolo.

Meanwhile, Martin gets soaked on a walk with Eddie, including his beloved shoes, the only ones which properly fit around his hammer-toes. Daphne attempts to dry them out in the microwave, but leaves them in for too long, burning them to shreds ("English cooking strikes again", notes Frasier). She promises to replace them, but they find that the shop which sold them has moved. A tramp next to the old site tells them he will only tell them the new location if he gets a kiss - from Martin! What he does about this situation is left ambiguous.

[edit] Trivia

• The episode marks the first time Dan Butler was given a role as a main cast member.
• The episode's title is drawn from the phrase "Man bites dog".