Frasier: Season 7

The seventh season of "Frasier" has some really good episodes in it, but then again, that's not really a surprise.
This season is probably my favorite, mostly because Niles finally finally FINALLY ends up with Daphne, after a highly-medicated Frasier tells Daphne how Niles feels about her. (This episode is really good, but its title currently escapes me.)
This season is also great because one of my very favorite episodes is on this set, and the episode is "Rdwrer". In this episode, Frasier, Niles and Martin go off in Martin's Winnebago (a. k. a. the "Road Warrior") for a new year's celebration in Idaho. However, during a brief stop during the trip, Niles accidentally enters the wrong RV, and a farce ensues.
I also like "The Apparent Trap", the episode where Lilith and Frederick come for Thanksgiving--particularly the part where Niles attempts to play a video game.

Anyway, this season is great, and I highly recommend it.

Here are the episodes for season 7.

1.) Momma Mia

2.) Father of the Bride

3.) Radio Wars

4.) Everyone's a Critic

5.) The Dog That Rocks the Cradle

6.) Rivals

7.) A Tsar is Born

8.) The Late Dr. Crane

9.) The Apparent Trap

10.) Back Talk (Part 1)

11.) The Fight Before Christmas (Part 2)

12.) Rdwrer

13.) They're Playing Our Song

14.) Big Crane on Campus

15.) Out With Dad

16.) Something About Dr. Mary

17.) Whine Club

18.) Hot Pursuit

19.) Morning Becomes Entertainment

20.) To Thine Old Self Be True

21.) Three Faces of Frasier

22.) Dark Side of the Moon

23.) Something Borrowed, Someone Blue (Part 1)

24.)Something Borrowed, Someone Blue (Part 2)

For diehard "Frasier" fans, Season 7 represents a highpoint as the long awaited Niles/Daphne relationship finally culminates in "Something Borrowed, Something Blue" and leads to the best cliffhanger in the series.

The best episodes of the season all have either veteran or new character actors featured in some wonderful episodes. Lilith returns in "The Apparent Trap", with Frederick doing all he can to manipulate his parents into giving him a mini-bike. "The Dog That Rocks The Cradle" brings back a finger-dislocating Bulldog and is really a howler. And Frasier's notorious agent Bebe makes "Morning Comes Entertainment" (a wonderful episode title) a sheer delight. The image of her 'n Frasier riding on a donkey while Niles proclaims, "Via con Dios." is very funny.

Let's not forget the newcomers to the series as well, like the irrepressable Jean Smart in "Big Crane on Campus", she's both beautiful and frightening at the same time. Kim Coles is delightful in "Something About Dr. Mary", an episode that addresses the issue of Frasier's inability to tell Mary the truth because she's black. Which is interesting considering that very few African-Americans have ever been on "Frasier". But the real star is Anthony LaPaglia as Daphne's wayward, drunken brother Simon. He is terrific in back to back episodes ("Dark Side of the Moon", "Something Borrowed, Something Blue").

Despite some very good episodes, it's clear that the writers were running out of ideas during this season as several shows repeat themes or even lift parts of previous episodes. Take for example "Hot Pursuit", which vitually remakes Season 3's "Roz Loves Frasier", although this version is slower and unnecessary. "Rivals" uses the same ballroom set as Season 3's "Moon Dance" and even has a tango. And "Out With Dad" reworks Season 2's "The Matchmaker", even Daphne's cackling in the kitchen is identical to Martin's laugh in "The Matchmaker".

It should be noted that Paramount has apparently listened to the hues 'n cries of the masses as Disc 1 gives the viewer a choice of either previews or the menu page, unlike Season's 4, 5, 'n 6 when you had to no choice but to skip through the previews.

I really enjoyed this Season even more than I remembered when it originally ran on NBC and it's argueably better than the erratic Season 6. In fact, had the "Frasier" series ended with Daphne 'n Niles driving off to a new destiny, it might have been the perfect ending. Oh well, this DVD collection stands on it's own and is a welcome addition to the "Frasier" family.

Enjoy!

Tidbits:

- GOOF: In "Something About Dr. Mary", Daphne injures her RIGHT wrist after Niles accidently kicks her in the behind (a very funny scene). Later on, we see the bandage on her right wrist. But during the stinger, the bandage is now on Daphne's LEFT wrist.

- Rebecca Schull turns in a very un-"Fey" like performance in "RDWRER". She's becomes the second "Wings" star to appear on "Frasier".

- "Fight Before Christmas" has another first for the Frasier series, the title card introducing the "Wassling" uses a different typeface for the first time.

- GOOF: In "Dark Side of the Moon", Daphne clears all the trash 'n beer cans off the coffee table and then stands up just before Frasier enters. When we see the coffee table again, a beer can and some trash magically reappear.

- The stinger for "Something Borrowed, Something Blue" is the first one NOT to have any actors in it (apart from the "Thanks for Calling" stingers that usually appear during the last episode of the season). All we see is a darkened set.