The Candidate (Frasier episode)

Infobox Television episode | Title = The Candidate
Series = Frasier
Season = 2
Episode = 07
Airdate = 8 November 1994
Writer = Chuck Ranberg & Anne Flett-Giordano
Director = James Burrows
Guests = Boyd Gaines (Phil Patterson)
Sydney Pollack (Holden Thorpe)

Prev = The Botched Language of the Cranes
Next = Adventures in Paradise (Part I)

"The Candidate" is the seventh episode of season 2 of American sitcom "Frasier". This episode was dedicated to the memory of Robert Crosby ( [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0189040/ IMDB] ), a sound engineer who worked on 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

Frasier is disappointed that his father has recorded a promotional video for congressional candidate Holden Thorpe, of whose policies Frasier disapproves. As a result, Niles suggests that he publicly support rival Phil Patterson. Frasier is reluctant to publicly take sides in politics due to his public position, but when Thorpe demeans him on the radio show, Frasier agrees.

The problem is that Patterson confides in Frasier that six years earlier he was abducted by aliens. When Frasier attempts to record his speech (including "I like the way [Phil's] mind works. He's a visionary, and he cares about the little people") he loses his cool.

Niles realizes something is wrong, and gets Frasier to tell him what Phil said (using a trick to get around their professional ethics). Niles manages to make Frasier see that it isn't something which destroys him as a politician, so the shoot goes ahead.

The day before the election, Bulldog (a Thorpe supporter) storms into the studio laughing that people have found out about the aliens. Frasier attempts to rescue what he feels the situation is, by telling the public that belief in aliens is not stupid. Unfortunately for him, the 'aliens' in question were Guatemalan children without green cards or papers. Phil later explains that they were exchange students he put up as a gesture. Thorpe wins in a landslide.

Episode Title Cards

*"Andy Warhol said it best"
*"Citizen Crane"
*"Let's just keep this under our space helmets"
*"The fault lies not in our stars, but in ourselves"
*"One person speaking out can make a difference"