The rift between Martin and his sons' tastes is bridged when they find they are all fans of "The Antique Roadshow."
Tropes:
- Actor Allusion: Frasier and Niles convince themselves they're secretly descended from the Romanovs. The episode aired shortly after Anastasia was released which starred Kelsey Grammer in a supporting role.
- Bait-and-Switch: The Russian antiquities expert tells the Crane boys that Princess Sonia Romanov arranged for a scullery maid to smuggle the bear clock out of the palace for her as a souvenir when she ran away with an American. The Cranes assume the Princess was their ancestor and that she somehow got the clock back. The expert clarifies that they're descended from the scullery maid, and as such he's confiscating the clock so he can return it to its rightful place.
- Blackmail: A Russian has absolutely zero legal authority to take anything from an American in the US, and after his initial threat that they wouldn't win in the courts doesn't work, resorts to threatening the Cranes with releasing the fact that they were descended from a prostitute.
- Bowdlerise: This episode is heavily edited when shown on C4 daytime, with every mention of the scullery maid being a prostitute removed, and leave some lines just hanging in mid-air making no sense at all.
- Commonality Connection: Frasier and Niles are delighted when they discover that Martin loves Antiques Roadshow as much as them — Frasier and Niles like to critique the antiques on display while Martin likes to guess the valuations — and the three of them spend a rare evening together sharing in a common passion, even partaking in a drinking game over the word "veneer".Daphne: Wow, I don't see you three watching the same show very often. What's going on? Pavarotti jumping the Grand Canyon?
- Disappointing Heritage Reveal: When Frasier and Niles find out Martin has a very valuable old clock which is a family heirloom, they start to believe that they are descended from Russian royalty. They eventually learn that they are related to the maidservant who stole it just before the Revolution, and worked as a prostitute in New York before marrying their great-something grandfather.
- Drinking Game: While bonding over a rare common interest in Antiques Roadshow, Frasier, Niles, and Martin decide to drink every time someone says "veneer". Apparently it came up a lot, since they end the show deciding they have to pick a different word next time.
- History with Celebrity: After learning that their great-something grandmother was not a Russian princess, but instead a lowly kitchen maid who later worked as a prostitute, Frasier and Niles take some solace by theorizing a connection between their ancestor and the rumor that Henry James had an affair with a Russian prostitute in New York.
- I Have to Go Iron My Dog: Frasier and Niles beg off their Cousin Dodie's "weddin'" by claiming they both have to attend a Therapists' Guild conference. When Frasier relates that Martin found them out, Roz angrily remembers that Frasier used the same excuse to beg off Alice's last birthday party.
- Ms. Fanservice: Jane Leeves wearing a "wedding dress" that makes her look like a Vegas showgirl. In The Tag, Niles has a pleasant daydream where she wears the dress and does an enthusiastic table dance for him.
- Nice to the Waiter: Frasier and Niles are so ecstatic at Dr. Mishkin's announcement that the clock is authentic that they ask Daphne to put the laundry down and serve the caviar they had ready.
- Tempting Fate: Frasier and Niles are so enthralled by the idea of being descended from Russian royalty that, even after Martin's offended reaction, they decide to research the question further, with Frasier blithely declaring, "Well, what harm is there in that?" At the conclusion:Frasier: Well... we're out 15,000 each...
Niles: And we have to take long trips in a Winnebago...
Frasier: And we're not Romanovs. We're descended from thieves and whores.
