While his son is visiting, Frasier is repeatedly hit with misfortune whenever he tries to do a good deed.
Tropes:
- An Aesop: No matter how badly life treats you for it, helping other people is always the right thing to do.
- Artistic License – Law: As pointed out in this video
analyzing the episode, the cop who arrests Frasier when he picks up Crystal has no reason or probable cause to do so on account of lack of evidence that he was pimping this transvestite. However, to be fair, it was an intentional exaggeration. - Daydream Surprise: The main twist of the episode is that, after already having multiple good deeds lead to misery, the sequence of events starting from Frasier trying to help a prostitute was just him playing out the worst-case scenario in his head. When he still goes through with it after realizing how Frederick will react if he doesn't, it turns out she's not even a prostitute; she's actually just one of his neighbors that he didn't recognize.
- Driven to Suicide: Played for Laughs, after Frasier spends the night in jail:Frasier: Was it really necessary to take my belt and shoelaces?
Cop: Standard procedure, it's for your own protection.
Frasier: For God's sake, you had me in the drunk tank! If I wanted to kill myself, I'd have taken a deep breath! - Morality Pet: Even after everything that happens (or at least what Frasier thinks will happen) after helping a prostitute, Frasier refuses to tell his son Frederick that it was wrong to try and help someone.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Basically what happens to Frasier throughout the whole episode, until the end that is.
- Shout-Out: The newspaper headline reporting Frasier’s apparent dalliance with a cross dressing prostitute refers to him as “Dr. Strangelove.”
- Throw the Dog a Bone: At the end of the episode, Frasier does a good deed for someone and he doesn't face any sort of unpleasantness whatsoever.
- Wholesome Crossdresser: Crystal the crossdressing prostitute gives a genuine apology to Frasier for unintentionally getting him arrested.
- Ungrateful Bastard: Whenever Frasier tries to do something nice to another person, he is hit with this. He tries to return a man's wallet, and he's wrongfully accused of stealing from the wallet. He helps a woman with her bags at the airport, and she doesn't thank him and carelessly tears his suit when she shuts the door of a Cab on it. He helps a man with car trouble, and the man tries to sue him for minor damage done to his car on account of Frasier's cufflinks.
