Daphne Returns

Infobox Television episode | Title = Daphne Returns
Series = Frasier
Season = 08
Episode = 19
Airdate = 1 May 2001 (USA)
Production = 40571-187
Writer = Dan O’Shannon & Bob Daily
Director = Pamela Fryman
Guests = Bryan McMillen (Patient)
Prev = Forgotten But Not Gone
Next = The Wizard and Roz

"Daphne Returns" is the nineteenth episode in season 8 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

Daphne is returning home from the weight spa after her recent struggles with weight, and Niles goes to collect her. He is excited about their planned weekend getaway, and the chance that he will finally get to consummate his relationship with Daphne. Returning from the spa, however, Daphne reveals that her therapist, Gloria, informed her that her recent weight gain stemmed from her own insecurity about her relationship with Niles. Niles is hurt and defensive about this revelation, and so Daphne’s welcome-home party is an unusually tense affair. In the end, Niles’ touchy and mean-spirited remarks about Gloria’s advice begin to set Daphne’s mood on edge, until she angrily tells Niles to leave.

The next day, Frasier visits Niles at his office to help sort matters out. He suggests to Niles that Gloria’s advice might be sound, as Daphne has seven years of Niles’ fantasy to live up to; Niles insists, however, that he has a realistic appraisal of Daphne and her virtues. Niles and Frasier revisit several previous episodes in flashback:

*"Dinner at Eight": the first time Daphne and Niles met
*"Moon Dance": the ball the two attended and performed the tango at
*"First Date": the meal that Daphne and Niles cooked for a ‘date’ that Niles was not having

It soon becomes clear that, contrary to his protests, Niles has placed Daphne on a pedestal and has formed an unrealistically idealised impression of her and her virtues. Niles is shaken. Frasier suggests that this is because Niles is afraid of embracing the real, flawed Daphne in case her flaws prove too much for the relationship to survive, thus resulting in Niles having spent the previous seven years pining for nothing more than a dream. Niles decides to sort things out with Daphne, and his approach to the problem is direct but effective.

Episode title cards

*"Of course, Eddie gets ten percent of the royalties"

Memorable Quotations

"Frasier is intrigued that Roz is thinking of writing a children's book"
Frasier: Niles and I, when we were boys, wrote a series of stories together in which we were the heroes. Along the lines of a Hardy Boys or a Nancy Drew.
Roz: "The Nancy Boys"?

"In the midst of the argument"
Niles: I can't read minds, you know. And by the way, neither can you!
Daphne: Are you saying you don't think I'm psychic?!
Niles: Not if you thought I loved your cooking!

Daphne: You’re a pretentious snob, with your wine and your opera.
Niles: You NEVER GIVE OPERA A CHANCE!

ee also

List of Frasier episodes