The Show Where Diane Comes Back

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“The Show Where Diane Comes Back”

Frasier episode

Diane reenacting Cheers as a play

Episode no.

Season 3
Episode 14

Written by

Christopher Lloyd II

Directed by

James Burrows

Guest stars

Shelley Long (Diane)

Production no.

40571-061

Original airdate

13 February 1996

Episode chronology
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"Moon Dance"	"A Word to the Wise Guy"

List of Frasier episodes (Season 3)

"The Show Where Diane Comes Back" is the title of the fourteenth episode of the third season of the American television sitcom Frasier. It is notable as being one of a few episodes in which Shelley Long reprises her role as Frasier's love interest and ex-fiance, Diane Chambers, from Cheers.

1 Main cast and characters
2 Plot outline
3 Trivia
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Main cast and characters

Kelsey Grammer - Frasier Crane
David Hyde Pierce - Niles Crane
John Mahoney - Martin Crane
Jane Leeves - Daphne Moon
Peri Gilpin - Roz Doyle

[edit] Plot outline

Frasier is beginning his radio show when Roz warns him that a woman has rushed past security to order to see him. Initially unconcerned, Frasier is horrified when the woman turns out to be Diane Chambers, who left Frasier at the altar years before (depicted on Cheers), who is in town for the opening of a play she has written. Frasier's resulting panic attack sees bursting in on Niles during a session with a patient, who gives up his session on learning that Frasier's problems stem from a woman. Reluctantly putting away his notepad and resisting the urge to analyze Frasier as a patient, Niles is nevertheless unconvinced by Frasier's (transparently false) claims to be over Diane and the way he was treated by her, and determines that his brother needs closure with her to move on in his life.

Frasier, however, interprets 'closure' to mean 'flaunt my success', and invites Diane to dinner at his apartment with his family in order to rub in the success he has achieved in order to gloat and assure her (and, it seems, himself) that he is not just some 'castaway'. His plan backfires, however, when Diane is not only nonchalant about the trophies of his successful life but seemingly has achieved even greater success in Hollywood as a writer, much to Frasier's increasing ire. Reaching his limit, Frasier determines to finally say his piece and resolve his demons before the night is out; however, it soon transpires that Diane's successful life is merely a a sham. When conversation turns to her play, Rhapsody and Requiem, she begins displaying an alarming facial tic, and a mildly amusing joke from Frasier sees her burst into laughter which quickly becomes hysterical sobbing. Breaking down, Diane confesses the truth; her scriptwriting career has collapsed (following an unfortunate incident on the set of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman), her social and romantic life in California has stalled, and the financing for her play has fallen through. Barely hanging on, Diane has come to Frasier for help and comfort once again. Feeling unable to confront Diane when she's in such a vulnerable emotional state, Frasier agrees to help out, and offers to finance her play. It soon transpires, however, that he's falling in love with her again, and is as a result somewhat conflicted, as is revealed in a conversation that Frasier has with Niles (who does not say a single word throughout the entire interaction). Martin vocally disapproves, but nevertheless, Frasier - insisting that Diane is changed and no longer self-absorbed - accepts Diane's invitation to the dress rehearsal of her play.

Diane meeting with the family

The play is an eye-opening experience for more than one person. As the curtain rises, it is revealed that the play is set at a bar obviously modeled on Cheers - and that the work is extremely self-indulgent, centering on a character called 'Mary Anne', an idealized character who is overtly based on Diane herself, and whom all of the male characters (who are also obviously highly based on the regulars of Cheers) are all infatuated with. Watching the play, Frasier is incensed at the glossed-over manner in which the relationship between 'Mary Anne', 'Franklin' (based on Frasier) and 'Stan' (based on Sam Malone) is depicted - and when 'Franklin' happily accepts without a grudge the fact that 'Mary Anne' has left him for 'Stan', Frasier snaps and delivers an impassioned monologue on how much pain 'Mary Anne' caused him, which is powerful enough to inspire the assembled actors to break out into impressed applause as he storms out. Diane, however, is mortified by Frasier's angry revelations and her own thoughtless insensitivity and self-absorption. Deciding that her play is not ready to be performed, she decides to return to Los Angeles - when Frasier, having calmed down, returns to the theater, she apologizes both for inadvertently misleading him about her feelings towards him, and for the pain she caused him in their earlier relationship. Frasier, having achieved closure, accepts her apology, and he and Diane reconcile their relationship.

[edit] Trivia

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The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

This episode won the 1996 Emmy for Outstanding Editing in a Multi-Camera Series. Shelley Long also received a 1996 Emmy nomination as Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance in this episode.
This is Diane's second appearance in Frasier. She first appeared in "Adventures in Paradise (2)" at the end.
Diane's facial tic appears for the fourth time, the previous three times in Cheers.
As well as providing closure for the Frasier / Diane relationship from Cheers, this episode also allowed Kelsey Grammer and Shelley Long to reconcile offstage; on Cheers, Shelley Long had wanted to get rid of Frasier because she wanted Sam and Diane back together, while Kelsey Grammer and the producers had wanted to keep him on. This resulted in bad feeling between the two, which was settled during the making of this episode. As a result, Kelsey Grammer has identified this episode as one of his favorites.
The Frasier character in Diane's play is named "Franklin". In "Frasier Grinch", this season's Christmas episode, the toys Frasier bought for Frederick were accidentally switched with those of a "Franklin Crane".
The 'Diane' character in the play is called 'Mary Anne', and is presented as a highly idealized, near-flawless and practically worshiped version of Diane herself, and who succeeds in romance with the 'Sam Malone' character (whom Diane was attracted to in Cheers). This is similar in name and description to the concept of the 'Mary Sue', an archetypal fictional character who is frequently criticized for being a transparent but unrealistically flawless and idolized stand-in for an author.