Frasier Online Episode Guide -> Season 11 -> Episode 11.16

Boo!

Frasier is in his apartment doing a spot of air conducting to classical music when Martin and Ronee arrive back and enter the apartment without Frasier hearing them. Martin then creeps up behind his son and shouts "Boo!" causing Frasier to emit a high pitched shriek that both Ronee, and a soon arriving Niles, think sounds just like a woman shrieking - all of which Martin thinks is hilarious, while Frasier is less than impressed. Spotting a book about clown phobia on the coffee table, Frasier tells his brother he is treating a woman with that very condition - a dislike that Martin shares as well.

After being spooked again by his father, Frasier decides to get his own back, and takes advantage of the fact Martin doesn't like clowns by dressing up in the clown suit he was using to treat his patient and tricking his father into the living room and confronting him with a meat cleaver! The shock of this causes Martin to collapse on to the floor, with what we later learn was a mild "cardiac event". Niles and Roz are none too happy when they learn exactly how Martin ended up in the hospital, but he's allowed home a day later. Martin is adamant he isn't going to tell Ronee about what happened as he fears she'll start treating him differently, but things take a dramatic turn when Ronee returns home early from visiting her mother. Frasier and Niles try and make their father realise he can't hide what happened to him from Ronee - how will he explain that he can't have sex for 2 weeks for example - and when Martin can only indulge in small talk with Ronee, she guesses something's up.

Martin tells her he had a "mild cardiac event" but Ronee is distinctly non-plussed about it - they didn't use the paddles and Martin was home the next day. She thought it was going to be somthing like Martin proposing to her - which in his own way, he does and she says yes! Martin and Ronee then go and break the news to Frasier and Niles about who their new mom is!!!

- After Martin has scared Frasier, Niles arrives at the apartment:
Niles: Frasier, you may want to call security. As I stepped offf the elevator, I heard a woman screaming hysterically.
Frasier: That was me!

- Frasier is trying to treat a clown phobic patient with a little jack in the box - only it keeps popping out:
Frasier: Little fella really is full of mischief.
Mimi: You mean you're not controlling it?!

- The sight of Frasier dressed as a clown.

- The nurse at the hospital has to confirm the paramedic report with Frasier (and the rest of the waiting room):
Nurse: Then you dressed up as a clown and lured your father into the living room where you leapt out waving a meat cleaver causing him to collapse!

- Martin arrives back from the hospital with Frasier and Niles in tow:
Martin [to Eddie]: Daddy's home from his little vacation your brother Frasier sent me on!

- There's a knock on the door at Frasier's:
Niles: That'll be Daphne.
Martin: She's not cooking, is she - I just got out of the hospital!

- Niles wants his father to be involved in his son's life:
Niles: Who else is going to teach him to catch a football-ball?

- Martin and Ronee break the news to Frasier and Niles that they're getting married:
Ronee: Well, come on boys - give your old mom a kiss!!

This episode prompted mixed reactions from viewers, but I found it a delightful little episode that has more than it's fair share of laugh out loud moments, and ends on quite a touching note. For me, Frasier's shriek when Martin scared him was just hilarious, as was Frasier dressed up as a clown, and just when you think the episode isn't going anywhere, along comes the final scenes with Martin and Ronee leading to the two of them agreeing to get married - wonderfully summarised by Martin's 'what the hell just happened' face at the end of it - and the Frasier and Niles scene in Martin's bedroom with Frasier admitting he's not ready to lose him yet. Lovely, touching stuff, which coupled with the highly amusing rest of the episode makes this a rather good Season 11 episode.

Rating

83 %

Avg. Viewer Review: 95.0%
Total Number of Reviews: 8