|
By
NICK ZEGARAC
Season four of the
Emmy-winning comedy "Frasier" treads familiar
sitcom ground in familiar sitcom ways that seem,
for the first time since the show's premiere, to
be strained. By now, as devotees of the show,
we've become accustomed to Dr. Frasier Crane's
(Kelsey Grammer) neurotic way with his phone-in
radio guests and friends, his manic-depressive
relationship with ex-wife Lilith (Bebe Newirth),
and his need to control his brother Niles' (David
Hyde Pierce) on again/off again relationship with
ex-wife, Meris. To be certain that old chemistry
between these characters and other alumni -- Roz
(Peri Gilpin), Daphne (Jane Leeves) and Martin
(John Mahoney) -- is alive and kicking. But there
seems to be a sincere attempt on the part of the
show's producers to defuse this chemistry wherever
possible. Primary to this point is the
introduction of Martin's new girlfriend Sherri
(Marsha Mason). She's in practically every
episode. Her initial gregarious nature, meant to
illicit a grating on the nerves of Frasier and
Niles, quickly begins to have the same effect on
the audience. In fact, from about episode four to
the end of the season, Sherri takes over as the
focal point of much of the action. It's remarkable
how little play time Daphne and Nile's head game
romance gets during this season. Or how little we
get to see of Roz and her relationship fiascoes.
There are still great episodes scattered
throughout the season, such as "A Lilith
Thanksgiving" in which Frasier and Lilith invade
the home of a stuffy private school headmaster to
convince him to take on their son Frederick. Or
the hilarious radio-land murder mystery spoof "Ham
Radio," in which a frustrated Niles -- having been
forced to play six different characters -- takes
to popping balloons to symbolize the murder of
said characters so he no longer has to narrate for
them. And then there's "The Impossible Dream," an
episode in which Frasier cannot stop fantasizing
about a sexual relationship between him and food
critic Gil Chesterton (Edward Hibbert). It has to
rank as one of the very best episodes in the
entire series.
Transfer quality for season four is pretty much
middle of the road. While colors can be rich and
vibrant, the overall picture quality is one of
gaudy flatness. There doesn't seem to be much
depth to the acting space and quite often the
lighting speaks to a very warm characteristic,
which is not complimentary to the performances.
There's also the continued problem of edge
enhancement present in nearly every episode. Fine
details shimmer considerably in several episodes.
Unlike the previous box sets, there are no extra
features on disc four this time around. Sure wish
that was indicative of Paramount's price point.
Overall, then, this isn't exactly one of
"Frasier's" best seasons, but if you've been
collecting the series thus far, you'll want to run
out and add number four to your roster. |
