Fear Is My Co-Pilot

After repeat viewing, this episode has grown on me. At first Jack Dalton seemed more annoying than funny, but he serves a purpose: he's the catalyst that puts the plot for the rest of the season in motion.

In a way the main plot is a mirror image of the Sam-Diane-Claudia triangle in The Bar Stoolie. Unlike Claudia and Diane, Jack Dalton isn't really a Sam clone, but he has a similar macho swagger and bloated ego. (It's not surprising that Diane ended up with Jack right after leaving Frasier.)

Jack isn't really interested in Diane romantically; mostly he wants to free her from what he sees as her staid existence. Sam is along for the ride, and in the ensuing in-flight chaos both end up having major realizations.

As with previous years, the next few episodes will lead up to a major finale involving a big life change for the main characters. Pardon the aviation pun, but it's stormy skies from this moment on.