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Frasier Online Episode Guide -> Season 4 -> Episode 4.09

Dad Loves Sherry, The Boys Just Whine
Episode Details

Written by: Joe Keenan

Directed by: James Burrows

Original US airdate: 7th January 1997

Original UK airdate: 5th September 1997


Cast Information
Main Cast
Frasier Crane .... Kelsey Grammer
Niles Crane .... David Hyde Pierce
Martin Crane .... John Mahoney
Daphne Moon .... Jane Leeves
Roz Doyle .... Peri Gilpin
Recurring Cast
Maureen Cutler .... Jane Kaczmarek
Sherry Dempsey .... Marsha Mason
   
   
Guest Cast Guest Callers

Episode Synopsis

After Maureen tells Frasier she is going to break up with Martin, Niles informs him that he is the winner of a prestigious psycholgy in literature award and is worried about Martin's performance. After their date, Maureen chickens out of telling Martin leaving Frasier to blunder in and tell Martin thinking he already knows. However, Maureen comes back and finally tells him. Martin then says that this is great because he can finally ask out a waitress he has had his eye on called Sherry Dempsey. He decides to introduce her to the family and his birthday, and she is a loud, bold, brassy, banjo playing waitress - the complete opposite to their mother, and the boys are horrified. Although they keep their disdain under wraps, after Sherry takes Daphne's ticket to Niles' award banquet, he resolves to say something. Once again, Frasier blunders in and says they find her not the kind of person they prefer to spend time with, thinking Niles has already done so. How will the situation be resolved....?

Episode Title Cards
  • Fasten Your Seatbelts
  • No Girls Allowed

Episode Highlights

- Niles is telling Frasier about the award he has won:
Frasier
: What case did you win for?
Niles: A gripping tale of a narcissistic opera singer. I called it 'Mememememe'

- Frasier can't believe the stuff Martin comes out with as Maureen told him they were breaking up:
Martin
: There ain't a dame alive who wouldn't rather break a guy's heart than think she hadn't even made a dent in it. I may not have been to Harvard, but I have been to the college of love.
Frasier: Apparently on a Spillane fellowship (!).

- Frasier and Niles are finding it hard to warm to Sherry:
Sherry
: I love making people laugh. To me humour is like medicine.
Niles: Guess we must be in the placebo group (!!)

- Niles and Frasier trying 'Cold Duck'.

- Sherry gives Niles some post-separation advice:
Sherry
: My mum used to say the only way to get over someone is to get under someone.
Niles: I didn't know Mae West had children (!).

Martin: Daphne has a cold, so Sherry's gonna use her ticket.
Frasier: What fun!!!!

- Martin senses that Niles is worried about something:
Niles
: I'm just nervous about tomorrow night. Can't think why? [twangs Sherry's banjo].

- After blundering in again and Niles says something nice about Sherry
Frasier: Oh knock it off! I can see you're still waiting on that spine donor.

- After Frasier and Niles complain of Martin's treatment of Lilith and Maris:
Martin: You're comparing someone as warm as Sherry to Frosty the Snow Wife!

Frasier Online Episode Review

A wonderfully funny episode that takes off as soon as Sherry arrives. As played by Marsha Mason, she is a wonderful creation and a perfect antidote to the pretentious Crane boys. There are numerous brilliant moments, such as Sherry's frequent cry of 'Gotcha' and Frasier's wonderful use of it on Niles. Overall, then, a fabulous episode that reinvigorates the series by adding a new character just when it's needed.

Rating

92 %

Latest Viewer Episode Review

Avg. Viewer Review: 94.8%
Total Number of Reviews: 5


Welcome, Marsha Mason, Dec 11, 2011

Reviewer: Sammy J from Melbourne, Australia


I can only echo what has been said in previous reviews: Marsha
Mason is a breath of fresh air into the series just when it was
needed. Over three-and-a-half years, the series has gone from
strength to strength, but adding Sherry to the mix helps to boost
season 4's profile considerably. Sherry and Marty's rapport is so
effortless that you can truly believe why they're together. After
three years off the force, it's no surprise that Martin leaps at
someone who is so fun-loving and carefree. Sherry is such a fully-
realised character on the page, yet Mason adds even more vigour
to her every move.

After three years, a show as serious about character development
as this one had to move on somewhat from the "Frasier and
Martin's personalities clash" kind of storyline. Helpfully, Sherry
offsets this by bringing that all back to the fore in a fresh manner.
It's always great fun to see Frasier and Niles uncomfortable, and
it's made all the more fun here because Sherry and Martin
deliberately set out to rile them.

Sherry will give us some great moments during her time on the
series, but perhaps none beat the power of her first appearance.

It was a bit of a surprise, though, to see Jane Kaczmarek back as
Maureen. It hasn't been managed that Martin was dating since
last we saw her, so it's just a bit of a shock to realise that he's
been off the market this entire time!


Rating: 95%

 

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