Frasier: Season 10

The release of "Frasier: Season 10" is a pleasure in itself simply because it allows the "Frasier" fan to complete their collection. Despite being only the penultimate season of the show, its successor season 11 was released before several of its forerunners - most probably due to the hype at the time that it was to be the last ever year of "Frasier".
Season 10 is yet another ingenious run of episodes. It is the season in which the show-makers pick up the pace again after slightly flatter 8th and 9th years. The anticipation that washed consistently throughout seasons 1-7, charting the saga of Daphne and Niles, which finally came to a head in the season 7 finale/8 opening, left the "Frasier" audience satisfied to see the pair together at last; and although it was different, interesting and enjoyable to watch the couple glide into their newfound relationship, the show lost a touch of its sparkle.
The 10th season steps things up again, as "Frasier" heads towards the looming climax, just 2 years away. It concentrates on being funny above all else and allows itself several one-off stories that only need to last the duration of a single episode but which are brilliant in themselves: "Enemy At The Gate" sees Frasier stand up for his rights, when he refuses to pay the $2 fee that is incurred when he enters a parking garage only to change his mind and attempt to exit again; "We Two Kings", the Christmas episode, sees the Crane brothers battle it out over who should host the holidays, resulting in Martin making the decision to work on Christmas Day; "Door Jam" is the wonderful episode in which Niles and Frasier join a ridiculously decadent health spa, only to become obsessed with their desire to enjoy the privileges of the most exclusive members; "Roe To Perdition" is another "Door Jam-esque" encounter, with its carefree Frasier/Niles craziness (this time, they get involved in the distribution of illegally imported caviar); "Daphne Does Dinner" sees Daphne and Frasier's attempts to muster up an event in which Niles plans to unveil a newly acquired painting, which, unbeknown to him, Alice has drawn on; and "Fathers And Sons" witnesses Roz convinced that Frasier and Niles' mother's ex-colleague is actually their real father.
Season 10 has its steadier continual plots too - each equally as entertaining. It begins with Niles and Daphne finally tying the knot - three times! In order to have the wedding they want, the couple get married in secret, only to have to act out a second marriage to please Frasier and Martin (who express that they would be distraught if the pair were ever to get married without them there to see it). However, when Daphne's mother insists that her daughter be wed in a church, a third fake-wedding must be performed.
Other plots involve the slightly more serious situation in which Niles has to undergo heart surgery, and Frasier's love/hate interest of the season, Julia (played perfectly by Felicity Huffman), whose presence causes a sexual harassment case at KACL, scandal with Frasier's accountant and a blazing dispute between Frasier and Roz, culminating in Roz demanding Frasier to choose between her and Julia in the Season Finale.
And this is where Season 10 leaves us...but fortunately we have Season 11 to go to immediately, as the release of "Frasier: Season 10" marks the final part of the collection to be made available on DVD.
Proving to be a nice run-up to the forthcoming end of "Frasier", the 10th season combines, as usual, witty writing with superb acting. It brings along new characters, provoking enjoyable stories, whilst developing the established regulars even further than its previous 9 years has done already. Daphne and Niles' relationship evolves even more, both endearingly and humorously, whilst we witness more of Frasier's unvarying closeness to his brother, and the difficulty he faces when a contemptible lover clashes with his best friend. Ever-constant is the comedy, provided largely by classic "Frasier" ingredients - misunderstanding, the continuous Frasier/Niles battle to be elite, and the exaggeration of the characters' already extravagant and embellished personalities...including the ever-winning Eddie the dog.
Despite not being the final season, season 10 is an enchanting finishing piece of the "Frasier" puzzle, flawlessly embodying the nature of an established, intelligent and successful sitcom in its golden years.

I awaited today's date to arrive anxiously and rushed to the store today to complete my Frasier collection...and before opening the package (which I still haven't), I noticed in tiny print, "SOME EPISODES MAY BE EDITED FROM THEIR ORIGINAL NETWORK BROADCASTS." I am livid!! I frantically got out the other seasons to be sure they hadn't said the same thing! None did.

Not only must we expect that "some" of the episodes in Season Ten "may be" edited, we aren't told which ones or even how many, and are even led to believe that they only "MAY BE EDITED". I feel ripped off and furious.

Somewhere lost in my collection of thousands of unwatched VHS tapes are the original network airings of this season, which I'd never gotten around to watching, and which were taped after I'd moved across the country and was using only a rabbit ears antenna that year on the lowest signal station in town, which came in completely snowy and sometimes the reception was so bad that even the sound was screwed up.

I bought these DVD sets to have complete, perfect versions of a show that I watch over and over every single day. This is a slap in the face and I want to know WHY they did this. If anyone can compare these disks to their tapes of the original broadcasts and tell me what's missing, I would love to know.

I'm giving this one star because of the vague ominous disclaimer "some episodes may be edited from their original network versions" stated in bold letters on the back of the packagaing. Come again? What does this even mean? The fat cats at Paramount apparently love to do this often - in researching online exactly WHAT has been censored or edited in the DVD versions, it seems they did this with the "Wings - Fifth Season" boxset as well. And notice how every other season of Frasier except 9 & 10 say "The COMPLETE xxth Season" on the cover"? Why does Season 10 omit the word "complete"? I smell conspiracy. That's why I gave this crummy hack-job only 1 star. Every episode is brilliant, and if you liked the other seasons there's no reason you shouldn't like this one too. But CBS/Paramount deserve major eggs on their face for their not being forthcoming about what they've edited out. Shame on them.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 61 reviews  4.3 out of 5 stars