Frasier Online Episode Guide -> Season 3 -> Episode 3.01

She's The Boss

There is a new station manager at KACL - Kate Costas. She apparently has a fearsome reputation which leaves the staff somewhat worried as they prepare to go in for their first meeting with her. Her first act is to fire Father Mike because of poor ratings, then Frasier has to go in after him for his meeting. Kate tells him that his show is very good, as are his ratings, but they could be better and asks for his ideas.He suggests playing classical music before his show, which Kate finds too highbrow even though she loves classical music herself. She suggests theme shows instead in an attempt to spice up his show, and idea which Frasier rejects out of hand leading Kate to say that she's the boss - and promptly moves his show to the 2am slot!

Frasier's first show in this timeslot is a disaster: he falls asleep during a call from a woman with insomnia and wakes up to tell she should sleep on it, tells a longshoreman to come out of the closet and a nervous gay guy to spend more time down by the docks! Roz, of course, can't stand this new slot as these are the hours she should be on a a date, but Frasier refuses to budge on his stance with Kate. He does, however, plan revenge on the new station boss - he decides that if she wants him to spice up his show he's going to spend the whole talking non-stop about sex! He invites everyone to get naked and answers callers with the line "What are you wearing?". This, of course, enrages Kate further and summons Frasier to a meeting: he says he will walk if he doesn't get his old time slot back while Kate counters with the threat of legal action for breach of contract - can they find a solution to this apparent deadlock.....? Meanwhile, Niles borrows a starter pistol to protect Maris and causes no end of trouble - especially during the day when Frasier is trying to get some sleep!

- Frasier wonders why Martin and Daphne are tending to Eddie:
Daphne: Eddie was viciously attacked.
Frasier: Oh. Is that coffee cake I smell?

- Martin wonders if Frasier can cope with taking orders from a female boss:
Frasier: If I had trouble taking orders from a woman, Frederick would never have been conceived!

- Niles wants to borrow his fathers gun to protect Maris:
Niles: Our home security system is down and I'll feel safer if I'm packing heat.
Frasier: Oh Niles - you don't even know how to pack a lunch!

- Eddie has to wear a funnel shaped collar to protect his wounds:
Daphne: I have noticed if you sit him next to the telly, Channel 5 comes in a lot clearer!

- Frasier is awoken by a gunshot amplified by Eddie's funnel-shaped collar:
Frasier: I asked you to keep that dog quiet and instead you outfit him with a megaphone!

- Frasier explodes when Niles accidentally fires a shot when he is trying to sleep:
Frasier: I didn't know it was too much to ask there not be gunplay in my living room!

- Kate picks up on another of Frasier's cultural misquotes:
Kate: It was not Shaw, it was Oscar Wilde - did you even open a book at Harvard ?!

The start of Season 3 and a welcome addition to the cast in the form of Mercedes Ruehl as the new station manager Kate Costas. She is as well read and literate as Frasier which makes her an excellent sparring partner, while her picking up when he gets all his cultural references wrong is great fun too. Finally, Frasier has met his match in the series (other than Niles) and so his refusal to change his show format even when he is on at 2am makes this a refreshing change to previous episodes - something made all the more clear in the resolution of their standoff when both think they have made the other back down. However, I didn't think the quality of the writing in the KACL plot made the most of what was a promising storyline, but still well above average at least. Niles' subplot about needing a gun to protect Maris was brilliant though, especially the way it was integrated into the main storyline by Niles accidentally firing a shot in Frasier's apartment and it being amplified by Eddie's funnel-shaped collar - all while Frasier is trying to get some sleep because his show's on at 2am!. This episode is therefore an highly entertaining one, with plenty of good moments for everyone (including Eddie!)

Rating

83 %

Avg. Viewer Review: 87.9%
Total Number of Reviews: 7