Beware of Greeks (Frasier episode)

Infobox Television episode | Title = Beware of Greeks
Series = Frasier
Season = 5
Episode = 16
Airdate = 17 March 1998
Writer = David Lloyd
Director = Jeff Melman
Guests = Patti LuPone (Zora)
James Gleason (Ed)
Prev = Room Service
Next = The Perfect Guy
Episode list = List of Frasier episodes

"Beware of Greeks" is the sixteenth episode in season 5 of American sitcom "Frasier".

Cast and characters

Main cast and characters

*Kelsey Grammer – Dr. Frasier Crane
*David Hyde Pierce – Dr. Niles Crane
*John Mahoney – Martin Crane
*Jane Leeves – Daphne Moon
*Peri Gilpin – Roz Doyle

Plot outline

Frasier receives a visit at KACL from his half-Greek cousin, Nikos, who is planning to get married soon and wants Frasier, Martin and Niles to come to the wedding. They realise that his fearsome mother, Zora, did not send the invitations. This is due to a long-standing rift between her and Frasier; five years ago, he advised Nikos to follow his preferred career (juggling) rather than go to medical school as Zora wanted. Since then, she refuses to speak to or acknowledge him, Niles or Martin at all, and she imposes the same restrictions on her husband Walt, Martin's brother. Consequently, Martin is not keen to attend the wedding, and neither is Niles, in case he runs into cousin Yvonne (“Yvonne the Terrible”, as Frasier calls her), who has a crush on him. Frasier, however, wants to see Nikos happy, and after accepting his invitation, manages to reconcile with Zora on condition that he never gives advice to Nikos again. He finds this promise harder to honour than he expected, when he deduces that Nikos' affections lie elsewhere.

Episode Title Cards

*"Welcome to Hell’s Kitchen"
*"Lord of the Dance

Cultural reference

The episode title ultimately comes from a line in Virgil's "Aeneid" spoken by the priest Laocoön, rendered in translation as: “I fear the Greeks even bearing gifts” [cite book
last = Virgil
authorlink = Virgil
title = Aeneid, Book II
pages = 49 [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Verg.+A.+2.40] ] . This gave rise to the expression: "beware of Greeks bearing gifts". Here it is only used in part, referring to Nikos' formidable Greek mother.

Memorable Quotations

"Martin blames Frasier for the rift with Nikos' mother"
Martin: I can't believe because of your big mouth, Zora won't even let me in her restaurant!
Frasier: Forcing you to go elsewhere when you have one of your frequent cravings for stuffed grape leaves and zither music(!)

"Niles adds to this a cruel remark about his brother's inept advice, before Martin continues to complain"
Martin: Can you imagine what it's like to live in the same city as your brother, and not see him for five years?
Frasier: No, but I'd like to give it a try.

Notes