by hansenkd » Sat Mar 02, 2013 3:46 pm
I dislike most of the first half of S1. It has some real clunkers, uncomfortable moments, and events that, seen from the end, are practically non-canonical. I grant you that the last four episodes are marvelous (although I like Author, Author less every time I watch it), as is AMWD, but look at some of the eps in the first half...Call Me Irresponsible (horrible performance by Amanda Donohoe, the first example of a plot trope that became incredibly tired and overused), Can't Buy Me Love (extremely unpleasant denouement with an unfortunate variation on the same trope--near character-assassination of Daphne), The Crucible (the Fine Arts Forgery Department has to be one of Martin's worst moments on the show), I Hate Frasier Crane (ridiculous premise, ridiculous denouement), Here's Looking at You (dull), Beloved Infidel (failed pathos), Guess Who's Coming to Breakfast (dull and potentially non-canonical--what the hell happened to that woman and Martin's relationship with her?)
"Dinner at Eight" is wonderful. "Selling Out" and "Oops" are great because the KACL hijinks were great throughout the early seasons and these set the precedent. And I'm in a small minority of those who actually enjoy "Fortysomething." I can take "Give Him the Chair" mainly because of the school play plot, which I find amusing.
And the studio audience was just out of control. I honestly think that the Cheers-inspired James Burrowes audiences of S1 detract a lot from the show. I think they practically ruin "The Show Where Lilith Comes Back."
Let's see--what is great about S9? Pretty damn terrific one-hour premiere with great guest appearances. First Temptation, when they finally decided to realize that N&D could have an adult relationship. The Proposal. Excellent season finale and knockout cliffhanger. 200th episode that was far better than the 100th, despite NBC's pressure to supersize it (edit out the Bill Gates scene and you kill two birds with one stone). Fun episodes like Juvenilia. Three Blind Dates should have been spun into an arc--it had a great ending. The Return of Martin Crane has some bad moments, but the flashback scenes are lovely (the ep is kind of ruined by the lame Eddie plot). There are certainly some clunkers (both Saladin Patterson ones, Love Stinks and War of the Words, although the "Frasier tries to be cool" plot of LS was amusing). I don't like Wheels of Fortune because it seems non-canonical (Lilith has a brother?) and was a blatant example of one-off stunt casting.
Frasier sleeping with Roz--polarizing, but I think it had to happen eventually, and it was handled well (until they decided to dredge it up at the end of S10).
So there you go.