Frasier Online Episode Guide -> Season 7 -> Episode 7.15

Out With Dad

It's Valentine's Day, and Roz and Daphne are planning to watch sad chick movies as Roz doesn't have a date and Donny had to fly to Florida for his grandmother's funeral. Frasier is planning to go to the opera with Niles as Mel is out of town but when he arrives, he is on the phone to Mel who has changed her mind and wants to spend time with Niles. He asks Frasier to give up his opera ticket for him and Mel but Frasier refuses. He still wants to go to the opera because there is a lady there he has taken quite a liking to and wants to ask her out, so he asks his father to go with him because he doesn't want to go alone or with a woman. Reluctantly, Martin agrees but finds all operas stupid as they are based on improbable events. Finally Frasier's mystery woman shows up and Martin is in agreement about how good looking she is. However, when Martin waves at her and her mother, it is her mother who waves back obviously thinking Martin has taken a liking to her - which Martin is appalled at. At the interval, Frasier finally meets up with his mystery woman, who he learns is called Emily, and her mother Helen. Frasier leaves Martin and Helen to talk together as they get some champagne. Helen asks Martin out for a date but he is hesitant and the reason for this is he is ..., as Helen finishes his sentence with "Gay?". Martin says yes, seeing this as a way out of his date, and thinks nothing more of it. Frasier and Emily return, and announces Emily is joining him for a nightcap after the opera. The second half begins and they return to their seats, at which point Helen mentions that Martin was gay to Emily, and she thinks she has the perfect date for Martin and will take him along when she goes to Frasier's....

Frasier returns to his apartment and throws Roz out as Emily is coming soon, and when she does arrive, she has also brought her uncle Edward as a possible date for Martin. Frasier is amazed at this but plays along with Martin's deception. Everything Martin then says to Edward seems to indicate he is interested in him, but when Frasier gets Martin alone in the kitchen he says he knows about his lie so Martin believes he should gay it up a bit so Emily doesn't discover he is straight. However, Martin gets a bit under the collar when Edward tells Martin he is gay - with his hand on Martin's knee! So much so, in fact, that when Edward asks if Martin is free for dinner sometime, he says that he is already seeing someone. Niles arrives at Frasier's at that moment - and Martin announces that this is his boyfriend!! Niles is aghast at this but goes along with it through gritted teeth. Frasier, however, is very embarrassed and says the only way out of this situation is for Niles to dump Dad! This he does in spectacular fashion, but when Edward wants to leave and Emily is his ride home, Martin offers to take him so Frasier and Emily can spend some time alone together.

- Daphne is complaining that even being engaged doesn't guarantee a date on Valentine's Day:
Daphne: Donny had to fly out to Florida - his grandmother. She'd do anything to come between us.
Martin: What'd she do this time?
Daphne: She died.

- Martin complains that operas are stupid, so Frasier tells him the plot of 'Rigoletto':
Martin: So a cursed hunchback is dating his daughter - nothing screwy so far (!)

- After Helen discovers Martin is 'gay':
Helen: I'm sorry I was so forward. It's just it's sometimes so hard to meet nice men.
Martin: Tell me!

- Martin offers Edward some wine to drink:
Edward: Why not a beer?
Martin: A man after my own heart!

- The look on Martin's face as he finds out that Edward is gay with his hand on Martin's knee.

- Martin is feeling a little uncomfortable around Edward:
Martin: What if he asks me on a date?
Frasier: I've got news for you - you're on a date!

- Niles is aghast at having to play Martin's 'boyfriend':
Niles: They think the best I can do is an old man with a cane!

A knockout show, really. Borrowing heavily from 'The Matchmaker' (also by this episode's writer Joe Keenan), it is another in 'Frasier's cannon of shows that turn simple situations into very funny ones through a series of misunderstandings and coincidences. The thought of Martin being gay is hilarious enough, but to see John Mahoney play it for everything he's got (and then some) is a great asset to this episode. The excellent twist at the end really made the episode though - where Niles had to pretend to be Martin's boyfriend. Although not quite as good as The Matchmaker, due to a amusing but not outstanding first half, this is still a very good episode that shows how that, even this late in the show's career, the team behind it can still create brilliant episodes.

Rating

85 %

Avg. Viewer Review: 90.4%
Total Number of Reviews: 13