8 Episodes Of Frasier That Have Aged Like Milk

Through 11 seasons and a staggering 264 episodes, Frasier told the story of Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) as he returns to his hometown of Seattle to host a radio show, with some episodes over the course of the series aging worse than others. Throughout the run of Frasier, there are bound to be some episodes that just don't hold up to today's standard. Running from the early 1990s to the early 2000s, humor has shifted, jokes have become outdated, and sensibilities have changed, which leaves many of Frasier's more difficult or unsavory episodes up for debate more than ever.

As Frasier moves through repairing his relationship with his father, Martin (John Mahoney), and re-establishing his connection with his brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce), the series does a great job at zooming in on the microcosm of his life. Co-starring Peri Gilpin as Frasier's producer Roz and Jane Leeves as Daphne, Martin's live-in aide and physical therapist, the cast is a well-rounded and hilarious group. Unfortunately, some of Frasier has become virtually unwatchable today, long after the episodes' original airing. Whether it's because of their poor quality or their inability to hold up, some Frasier episodes have aged like milk.

8 "Docu.Drama"

Season 8, Episode 16

Notoriously the worst season of Frasier for several different reasons, Frasier season 8 has several episodes that get tougher to watch through as time goes on. The season frames Frasier in particular in a tough light, making him less of a lovable snob and more of an obstacle for other characters to climb over. In Frasier season 8 episode 16, "Docu.Drama," Roz gets the opportunity to produce a documentary and asks for Frasier's help narrating it, but after his involvement becomes more controlling than cooperative, Roz replaces him with a celebrity guest, cutting into the show's humor and authenticity.

While the Frasier and Roz plot is the main issue with the episode, "Docu.Drama" has a sub-plot that doesn't really resonate, either. Weak overall, the episode isn't something that worked in its initial run, nor is it something that aged well.

7 "Beware of Greeks"

Season 5, Episode 16

By the time the fifth season of Frasier rolled around, viewers expected they'd been introduced to the majority of the Crane family, but Frasier season 5 episode 16, "Beware of Greeks," introduced a side of Martin's family that felt out of left field. When Frasier and Niles connect with a set of Greek relatives who contradicted a ton of prior story work, the series threw viewers for a massive loop. Within the episode, it becomes clear that while previous seasons have suggested Frasier and Niles don't have contact with their extended family, they now have a set of extended relatives.

Using outdated ethnic stereotypes that go far beyond cringe in the present day, "Beware of Greeks" is an episode that feels like a firm skip during any future Frasier rewatch.

6 "Legal Tender Love and Care"

Season 8, Episode 6

Another episode from the troubling eighth season of Frasier, "Legal Tender Love and Care" is a Frasier-focused episode that doesn't land at all. When Frasier gets into some legal trouble, he hires a lawyer who he finds attractive and eventually asks her out. The pair start dating despite some tremendous red flags. Frasier overlooks some serious issues, including Abby (Teri Polo) potentially racking up his legal fees as his lawsuit and their relationship begin to intertwine. The episode, which makes it clear that Frasier isn't at all progressing in the way the audience has expected him to, is tough overall.

While the guest spot from Polo is well done, the relationship between Frasier and Abby is too quick and overwhelming to make much of an impact. Overall, the episode feels consistently awkward and undercuts Frasier's intelligence.

5 "The Guilt Trippers"

Season 9, Episode 23

In a season 9 episode of Frasier, one of the biggest culminations of the entire series happens when Roz and Frasier finally wind up in bed together, but the buildup and fallout leave this episode falling incredibly flat. With nine seasons that felt like it wasn't sure if it was leading up to Frasier and Roz ending up romantic, the reckless way the pair wound up sleeping together during Frasier season 9 episode 23, "The Guilt Trippers," felt like a messy decision from the writers. While many were iffy on the pair's relationship, the decision to force it didn't help.

Although the awkwardness between Frasier and Roz is played for laughs, pushing their relationship never felt like the right move, and the episode surrounding it didn't support the major choice.

4 "A Day in May"

Season 8, Episode 23

Another season 8 installment, Frasier season 8 episode 23, "A Day in May," sees a trio of plots weaving their way throughout the episode. Frasier's plot, which entails helping a patient after his wife abandoned him, is flimsy and mostly hinges on the fact that Jean Smart guest stars. Meanwhile, Niles and Daphne deal with a jealousy plot that is mostly played for laughs, while Martin attends the parole hearting of the man who put him into early retirement. The dissonance between the stories is genuinely difficult to watch at times, and the majority of the episode relies on coincidences.

While the episode isn't the worst of the worst, it's unremarkable in most of its moments and misuses Smart, a comedy legend, rather than utilizing her in a fun or interesting way.

3 "The Devil and Dr. Phil"

Season 10, Episode 21

A strange amalgamation of real world TV psychology and Frasier, the series' introduction of Dr. Phil McGraw into one of its weakest episodes is a tough pill to swallow. Frasier season 10 episode 21, "The Devil and Dr. Phil," sees Frasier and Dr. Phil meeting after an episodes full of trials and tribulations, most of which dog on the TV psychologist. The fact that Frasier chose to bring Dr. Phil into the picture at all is confusing, considering Frasier's profession and the way that he often looks down on the world of reality TV from his similar professional vantage point.

With too many appearances of Dr. Phil himself, the episode feels like a bloated misdirection that ultimately undercuts Frasier at his core, rather than making him seem superior or even accepting.

2 "The Ann Who Came to Dinner"

Season 11, Episode 13

While the choice to bring Ann Hodges (Julia Sweeney) back to Frasier often felt like the right move, the show's eleventh season bringing the character back once again remains a divisive choice. Ann is one of the most grating characters on Frasier, and during the final season of the series, she begrudgingly comes over to help Frasier with a home insurance policy, but injures herself in the process. With Frasier afraid she'll sue, he dotes on her for the rest of the episode, allowing Sweeney to bring a whole different level of grating behavior to Ann's character through the half-hour.

While Ann and Frasier's awkward chemistry is fun to watch for some, the majority of their time together is grating, overwhelming, and generally too difficult to enjoy in a genuine way.

1 "Freudian Sleep"

Season 11, Episode 14

Frasier's worst episode, one that's aged absolutely terribly, aired during the final season of the series. During Frasier season 11 episode 14, "Freudian Sleep," the Cranes each experience strange dreams wherein each character is seeing themselves in strange situations that are so far beyond their own lives that it should be laughable. Unfortunately, said dreams aren't exactly funny. Instead, they're strange. Seeing Frasier in a world where he's murdered Niles and is married to Daphne isn't enough, as viewers then see Niles' strange dream, then Martin's, each making off-color jokes and depicting strange choices throughout the episode's uncomfortable run time.

While the dreams are each meant to depict something that the character is deeply afraid of, Frasier's strange dream episode doesn't land because it's so different from the tone of the rest of the show.