From “The Two Mrs. Cranes” to “My Coffee with Niles,” there are plenty of comfort episodes of Frasier’s finale was even better than Cheers’ final episode), but it’s sad to see all those beloved characters for the last time — especially when Frasier says his farewells to all his loved ones.
Episodes like “Moon Dance” and “Travels with Martin” make Frasier one of the ultimate comfort shows. Whether Frasier is trying to mount an old-school radio drama, Daphne is getting closer to Niles, or Marty unwittingly eats a pot brownie, Frasier is great at picking up its audience’s spirits. If you’re feeling down, these Frasier episodes will turn your mood around.
10 Author, Author
Season 1, Episode 22
Frasier and Niles try to co-write a book about sibling relationships in season 1’s “Author, Author,” and it nearly destroys their own sibling relationship before they’ve even written a single word. The episodes that focus on Frasier and Niles’ hilariously relatable brotherly dynamic are always a delight. They have so much in common, yet they can never seem to agree on anything. Having Frasier and Niles collaborate on a project, like opening a restaurant, sharing an office space, or, indeed, co-writing a book, is the formula for a classic episode of Frasier.
9 High Holidays
Season 11, Episode 11
When Marty claims Niles never went through a rebellious phase in Frasier’s classic Christmas episode “High Holidays,” Niles sets out to rebel later in life by getting high at Christmas — but he accidentally gives the pot brownie to his dad instead. As he succumbs to the effects of the brownie, Marty’s ramblings about fridge pants and dog armies offer the perfect blend of absurdist stoner humor and Frasier’s signature brand of sophisticated comedy. John Mahoney plays the unbridled, laidback joy of someone who doesn’t realize he’s high beautifully. It’s impossible to be in a bad mood after watching this episode.
8 The Two Mrs. Cranes
Season 4, Episode 1
In the season 4 premiere, “The Two Mrs. Cranes,” Daphne recruits Niles to pose as her husband to trick her ex-fiancé Clive. However, when she sees that Clive is now successful, she changes her mind about her future with him. Roz, posing as Frasier’s wife, also sets her sights on Clive. No other sitcom escalates comedic situations quite like Frasier. “The Two Mrs. Cranes” starts out with a classic farcical premise and keeps raising the stakes as the Crane brothers’ supposed spouses compete for the affections of another man right under their noses — it’s spectacular writing.
7 Travels With Martin
Season 1, Episode 21
Frasier, Niles, Marty, and Daphne all hit the road in an RV in Mahoney’s favorite Frasier episode, “Travels with Martin.” Frasier is at its funniest when the title character is out of his depth. In “Travels with Martin,” Frasier planned to spend his vacation at a luxury spa, but ends up in the wilds of Canada. There’s plenty of tension and dysfunction when they’re all confined to an apartment, but it gets ramped up when they’re stuck together in a Winnebago. This episode becomes a classic when they have to find a way to smuggle Daphne back across the border.
6 The Innkeepers
Season 2, Episode 23
Frasier and Niles make the foolish decision to buy their favorite restaurant in season 2’s “The Innkeepers.” On their opening night, it quickly becomes apparent that they have no idea how to run it. Their kitchen staff abandons them just when the town’s top food critics stop by, and they’ve got a valet that can’t drive. This episode is a prime example of Frasier’s penchant for comic escalation. The restaurant opening is a disaster from the get-go, and it just gets worse and worse from there. With Frasier and Niles in way over their heads, “The Innkeepers” is a classic.
5 Moon Dance
Season 3, Episode 13
The first real hint that Niles’ unrequited crush on Daphne could one day be requited arrived in Jane Leeves’ favorite Frasier episode, “Moon Dance.” Daphne gives Niles some dance lessons and accompanies him to a high-society ball to help him get back out there after separating from his wife Maris. The episode culminates in a rousing sequence in which Niles and Daphne hit the dancefloor for a fiery performance. Directed by Kelsey Grammer himself, “Moon Dance” is one of Frasier’s most romantic and heartwarming episodes (even if it’s a little bittersweet that Daphne remains oblivious to Niles’ infatuation).
4 Dinner Party
Season 6, Episode 17
Season 6’s “Dinner Party” might be the quintessential Frasier episode, because it perfectly encapsulates the essence of the show: the neurosis, the high-society satire, and Frasier and Niles’ relationship. Frasier and Niles try to plan a fancy dinner party, but they struggle to pick a date, they fall out with their caterer, they grow to resent their guests, and they bicker about every last detail. In true Frasier fashion, something that should be simple and straightforward gets dragged out into a catastrophic ordeal. Watching Frasier and Niles try to get on the same page is a great pick-me-up.
3 Ham Radio
Season 4, Episode 18
Frasier tries to stage an old-school radio drama in season 4’s “Ham Radio,” but he’s such an insufferable control freak that he ends up alienating his entire cast and crew. It’s a perfectly constructed sitcom episode, pulled off brilliantly by the ensemble. The first half establishes how Frasier’s murder mystery play is supposed to go, then the second half shows it flying off the rails live on the air. The live-on-air conceit adds to the comedy as Frasier’s actors abandon his script and he desperately tries to salvage the story on the fly.
2 The Matchmaker
Season 2, Episode 3
Frasier tries to fix up his new boss on a date with Daphne in season 2’s “The Matchmaker,” but his boss — who, unbeknownst to Frasier, is gay — thinks he’s on a date with Frasier himself. Some of the greatest sitcom episodes are built on misunderstandings, and this is a classic misunderstanding. This comic premise is set up nice and succinctly in the opening scenes, then the writers proceed to build on it masterfully throughout the half-hour. At a time when most sitcoms indulged in gay panic, “The Matchmaker” won a GLAAD Media Award for its lighthearted satire of gay stereotypes.
1 My Coffee With Niles
Season 1, Episode 24
In a play on the classic Louis Malle movie My Dinner with Andre, the season 1 finale “My Coffee with Niles” takes place entirely at Café Nervosa as Frasier and Niles sit down for a chat. As Frasier reminds Niles that it’s been exactly one year since he moved back to Seattle, they engage in a thoughtful conversation that gradually gets deeper and deeper. The joy of watching Frasier (or any great sitcom) is the ability to hang out with its lovable characters, and “My Coffee with Niles” offers just that.
There’s no external plotting in “My Coffee with Niles” — it’s purely an exercise in character development, played out in real time. Niles tries to avoid Frasier’s question of whether or not he’s in love with Daphne, while Frasier tries to avoid Niles’ question of whether or not he’s happy. There are many great Frasier episodes that will pick you up when you’re in a bad mood, but “My Coffee with Niles” is the ultimate feel-good episode; it feels like getting a cup of coffee with a couple of old friends.
Frasier
- Release Date
- 1993 - 2004-00-00
- Network
- NBC
- Showrunner
- Christopher Lloyd, Chris Harris, Joe Cristalli
WHERE TO WATCH
- Directors
- David Lee, Kelsey Grammer, James Burrows, Pamela Fryman
- Writers
- David Angell, Peter Casey, David Lee
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