Are You Being Served? (Frasier episode)

Infobox Television episode | Title = Are You Being Served?
Series = Frasier


Season = 4
Episode = 21
Airdate = 13 May 1997
Production = 40571-088
Writer = William Lucas Walker
Director = Gordon Hunt
Guests = Alan Wilder (Leo)
Michael McFall (Messenger)
Gerry Gibson (Tom)
Prev = Daphne Hates Sherry
Next = Ask Me No Questions
Episode list = List of Frasier episodes (Season 4)

"Are You Being Served?" is the twenty-second episode in season 4 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

Recurring cast

*Dan Butler – Bob 'Bulldog' Briscoe

Plot outline

Niles is in good spirits; his separation from Maris could soon be over, as he is suggesting marriage guidance counselling. Unfortunately, a courier arrives with ill tidings: Maris has served Niles with divorce papers. Niles appears to be take this bombshell with remarkable calm, but his façade of cool disintegrates rapidly as he attempts to call Maris and beg her to take him back. Frasier reminds him not to allow her to push him around any more, which was the reason for the separation in the first place.

While Daphne unsuccessfully attempts to throw out a box of old rubbish belonging to Martin, Frasier and Niles discover an old journal belonging to their late mother, which details with remarkable accuracy what appears to be the relationship between the brothers. Niles is shaken by his mother's assertion that he "constantly allows himself to be cowed and dominated, especially by females", and at this point reveals that he has not signed the divorce papers, but instead sent them back with a grovelling letter. Fortunately, Maris is out of town until later that day, so the brothers break into her house to retrieve the letter before she reads it. Determined not to be pushed around any more, Niles signs the divorce papers. However, another glance through their mother's notes reveals something very significant about the case study: the Frasier and Niles described are laboratory rats.

Episode title cards

*"Ties that blind"
*"Thank God Tuesday isn't Soup Day"

Trivia

*The title is most likely a reference to the 1970s BBC television sitcom "Are You Being Served?" However the plot of the episode bears no similarities to the BBC program or any of its episodes.

Memorable Quotations

"Frasier disapproves of modern society's tendency to hug all the time"
Roz: Well, I think hugging is very healthy. I read somewhere that if you have physical contact on a regular basis, it can actually extend your life.
Frasier: Well, in that case you should outlive Styrofoam!

"Niles is trying to distract Maris' new guard dogs by throwing meatballs out of a window"
Frasier: Niles, that's "three" meatballs in a row, right in the koi pond! Stop trying to throw! Just drop them! You can drop straight, can't you?!

"Niles has had a panic attack and rushed into the toilet. After a sound resembling a gunshot, he emerges covered head to foot in shaving foam"
Daphne: Dr. Crane! Are you all right?
Niles: "(shaken)" I'm fine. Just a little hot…and foamy…
Martin: You know what must've happened? My Hot & Foamy must have exploded!
Daphne: He was a detective, you know(!)

ee also

*List of Frasier episodes

External links