When Frasier movies back to Seattle, he comes to grips with having to let his father Martin move in with him. Original airdate, September 16, 1993.
Examples:
- Age-Gap Romance: Played for Laughs. When Frasier asks if Niles still has contact information for rest homes, Niles snarks that Maris is five years older than him.
- Armor-Piercing Question: Frasier to Martin during an argument: "Would it kill you to say 'thank you'? One lousy 'thank you'?".
- Armor-Piercing Response: The above is coupled with Martin's answer to Frasier later when he calls in to his radio show to talk to him:Martin: Yeah, I guess so. Thank you, Dr. Crane.
Frasier: [smiling] My pleasure, Martin.
Martin: [louder] You hear what I said? I said 'thank you'!
Frasier: Yes I heard. - Awful Wedded Life: Frasier refers to his former wife on Cheers when talking to a caller on his show:Frasier: 6 months ago, I was living in Boston. My wife had left me, which was very painful. Then she came back to me, which was excruciating.
- Bleak Abyss Retirement Home: What Niles thinks of the rest homes when Frasier suggests putting their father Martin in one.Niles: [reading rest home pamphlets] "Golden Acres: we care so you don't have to".
Frasier: It says that?
Niles: Well, it might as well! - Brutal Honesty: Roz lambasts the flaws of what happened on Frasier's show.Frasier: It was a good show, wasn't it?
Roz: [holds out a piece of paper] Here, your brother called.
Frasier: Roz, in the trade we call that "avoidance". Don't change the subject, tell me what you think.
Roz: ...did I ever tell you what this little button does?
Frasier: I am not a piece of Lalique. I can handle criticism. How was I today?
Roz: Let's see. You dropped two commercials, you left a total of twenty eight seconds of dead air, you scrambled the station call letters, you spilled yogurt on the console board and you kept referring to Jerry with the identity crisis as "Jeff".
Frasier: ...you say my brother called? [takes the paper] - Call-Back: Frasier mentions Cheers in his little story of what happened when he moved to Seattle.
- Can't Take Criticism: Despite what Frasier claims, his reaction the above mentioned Brutal Honesty proves the contrary.
- Career-Ending Injury: When Frasier complains about all the changes happening to him so fast during those weeks, Martin fires back that that's not the only thing that's changed:Martin: Well, you're not the only one who got screwed here, you know? Two years ago, I'm sailing towards retirement and some punk robbing a convenience store puts a bullet in my hip. Next thing you know, I'm trading in my golf clubs for one of these. [stomps down walker for emphasis].
- Celebrity Cameo:
- Griffin Dunne and Linda Hamilton as two of the callers to Frasier's radio show.
- Linda Hamilton later returned as a girl of the week for Frasier
- Jane Leeves's good friend, Valerie Bertinelli, was in the studio audience and her laughter can be heard throughout the episode.
- Griffin Dunne and Linda Hamilton as two of the callers to Frasier's radio show.
- Cerebus Retcon: In one of the last episodes of Cheers, Frasier has too many stiff drinks and the next day says "Let's review. Last night I got knee-walking drunk, and now I am back in this bar, a mere 7 1/2 hours later, hung over. Well, it's official. I have a problem." At the time it was treated as a throwaway joke, but the opening of this episode reveals that Frasier really did come to see spending too much time at Cheers as a problem.
- Characterization Marches On: Understandable, given this is the first episode.
- Despite the jokes about Maris being unlikable, and Niles suspiciously having scouted out retirement homes for her already, the marriage is supposed to be stable enough. Later episodes will have the whole thing dysfunctional from the start.
- Martin is a complete Jerkass. Not even Jerk with a Heart of Gold, but an utter jerk. Flashbacks down the line show Martin pre-hip injury acting more like his later self, with his actions justified as a result of bitterness from his injury.
- Daphne being a moon unit. She'll become one of the more (relatively) sane members of the cast.
- Death by Falling Over: Discussed by the Crane Brothers. The idea of your relative being found lying on the bathroom floor due to falling (especially at an elderly age) and requiring medical and caretaker aid. Averted with Martin as he survived his fall but him being found lying alone on the bathroom floor prompts worry for Niles and Frasier and for them to take action on the situation to prevent future injuries.
- The Dreaded: Frasier considers his father's dog Eddie to be this as he feels creeped out by the dog's constant staring.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Frasier calls out how ungrateful his father Martin has been to him in letting him stay here.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: "Maris is like the sun. Except without the warmth".
- Gilligan Cut: Frasier has had enough and says that Eddie is not moving in with him. Smash Cut to his father's dog Eddie staring at him during dinner.
- HA HA HA—No: Niles, when Frasier thinks he and Maris are offering to take Martin in.Niles: [chortles, then turns deadly serious] Dear god, no.
- Happy Ending Override: When last seen in Cheers, Frasier and Lilith had tried resuming their marriage, and while it was rocky looked to be on the mend. Here, they've broken up acrimoniously, with only a few hints as to what happened, and never remarry.
- Inappropriate Hunger: While Frasier has reluctantly agreed to take in his dad and has lost his appetite in response, Niles suddenly has a craving for cheesecake.Waitress: Two cafe supremos. Anything to eat?
Frasier: No, I seem to have lost my appetite.
Niles: I'll have a large piece of cheesecake! - Irony: Frasier saying he's a nervous wreck, then he orders a double espresso to calm down.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Both Frasier and Martin have a point when they argue with the other about his living there.
- Lampshade Hanging: Frasier gives one of the reasons he left Boston as being his social life consisted of going to the same bar every night.
- Must Have Caffeine: Frasier orders a very caffeinated drink (double espresso) to calm himself when his father moves in with him and wrecks his life.
- Oh, Crap!: When Niles mentions Eddie, Frasier panics.
- Parental Abandonment: Averted. To make sure the viewers did not view Frasier as a family deserter, the writers made sure that he reiterated that he missed Frederick in the pilot.
- Potty Emergency: Frasier practically sprinting to his radio station after using the facilities at work.Frasier: They have got to move the bathroom closer to the studio!
- Rage Breaking Point: Over the first few day of Martin living with him, Frasier finds his limits of dealing with his father put to the test as he deals with the old man's pessimistic attitude and other habits. The day Martin hires Daphne as his physical therapist on the spot and the possibility of another person living in his house is what finally pushes Frasier to his breaking point.
- Skewed Priorities: Frasier being more concerned about his fancy furniture than his father's easy chair.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: Roz cheers up Frasier by telling him one about the famous actress Lupe Vélez who died a terrible death. Frasier later uses this to cheer up another caller:Roz: Have you ever heard of Lupe Velez?
Frasier: Who?
Roz: Lupe Velez? The movie star in the 30's? Well, her career hit the skids so she decided she'd make one final stab at immortality. She figured if she couldn't be remembered for her movies, she'd be remembered for the way she died. And all Lupe wanted was to be remembered. So she plans this lavish suicide: flowers, candles, silk sheets, white satin gown, full hair and makeup, the works. She takes the overdose of pills, lays on the bed and imagines how beautiful she's going to look on the front page of tomorrow's newspaper. Unfortunately, the pills don't sit well with the enchilada combo plate she sadly chose as her last meal. She stumbles to the bathroom, trips and goes head-first into the toilet and that's how they found her! Yes, even though things don't happen like we planned, they can work out anyway.
Frasier: Remind me again how it worked out for Lupe — last seen with her head in the toilet?
Roz: All she wanted was to be remembered. Will you ever forget that story? - Shout-Out: Roz telling Frasier the urban legend of Lupe Velez's suicide. However, Roz's story about the botched suicide of Lupe Velez is factually incorrect. Lupe Velez died of self-induced Seconal poisoning, but was found lying in bed, not on her bathroom floor as Roz claims. It is, however, a commonly told urban legend that originated in the book "Hollywood Babylon" (1959) by Kenneth Anger.
- Stealth Insult:Frasier: When was the last time you had an unexpressed thought?
Niles: [thin smile] I'm having one now. - Suddenly Shouting: Frasier when talking to another physical therapist for his father, then upon closing the door:Frasier: I've never been more impressed with a human being in my life. [closes the door and turns to look at Martin] NOW WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THAT ONE?!
- The Tag: Martin and Daphne are watching the television while drinking beer. Frasier tries reading a book while Eddie stares at him and puts his paw on Frasier.
