Moons Over Seattle

After such a sweet previous episode, we get Mr. Moon and Mrs. Moon being incredibly loud and annoying again. This whole storyline with Daphne's family was such a misstep for an otherwise brilliant show. (It's worse than trying to hide Jane Leeves pregnancy by having Daphne eating constantly.)

I guess my biggest issue is that it doesn't seem honest to have Daphne come from such hideous people (her brother included). I know they've written it into her character all throughout the previous seasons, but it's much easier to stomach her background as an occasional punchline than to have it fleshed out.

The writers just didn't know what to do with Daphne now that she's with Niles. Luckily, they did better by her in the next seasons. Even if they did keep her mother around, and gave her WAY too much screen time, the writers at least gave Daphne more to do. They may not be as funny as earlier seasons, but at least they're not this garbage.

While I enjoyed this episode, I can't help but wonder why anyone would want to have anything to do with Daphne's parents. They are self centered and quite disgusting. The mother is whiney and has nothing positive to offer in any circumstances. The father is a leech with no life prospects. Apparently, they were like this through all of Daphne's childhood, so they never grew apart--they always were. I was also annoyed by Daphne's ingratitude when Niles did everything he could to make her happy and deal with these ugly Britishers. OK--it's only a show, but I suppose we have to be subjected to them again.

I gave the episode such a high rating because of only one joke in the episode: the part where the dog grabs on to Niles's leg. For some reason after I saw that I couldn't stop laughing. I know it shouldn't have made me laugh so hard, but it did. It was one of those jokes that for some reason, even though it normally would have made me chuckle, it made me laugh out loud until my eyes watered. I don't know why I thought it was that funny I just did. It was weird! I like the show Frasier, not love but like, and I still smile when I think about it. The people who created the show are very funny and still intelligent. I like this show.