[4.6] Mixed Doubles




Mixed Doubles                                Written by 
                                             Directed by 
=====================================================================
Production Code: 4.6.
Original Airdate on NBC: 
Transcript written on 17th December 1999


Quotes & Scene Summary {michael lee}

ACT ONE
Scene One – Frasier's Apartment
Frasier is looking through the telescope.  Niles fidgets beside him.  
Martin is reading the paper in his Armchair.

Frasier: Oh my God . . . breathtaking.
  Niles: Well, don't be greedy!  Your turn was over forty seconds 
         ago!
Frasier: All right, all right, Niles, all right. [steps away] It's 
         the penthouse unit, fourth from the left.
  Niles: [looking] Oh, mama! 
 Martin: You know that what you're doing isn't right, don't you?
Frasier: We're simply admiring a very rare Brancusi armchair, not a 
         naked woman.
 Martin: That's what I'm talking about.

Daphne comes in, dressed for an evening out.

 Martin: Oh, hi, Daph.
 Daphne: Evening.
 Martin: You're home kind of early, aren't you? 
 Daphne: A bit.  Something . . . sort of happened.
 Martin: Oh, yeah?  What?
 Daphne: Well, Joe and I were having dinner.  Everything was nice as 
         could be, and I said, "Don't you like your potato?"  And he 
         said, "No, I'm not hungry for potato just now."  So I said, 
         "Well, if you don't like your potato you're welcome to try 
         my potato"—
Frasier: Daphne?  Could we hasten to the post-potato portion of the 
         dialogue?
 Daphne: Well, that's when he said it.  He said we'd been "on-again, 
         off-again" for too long without making anything permanent, 
         so maybe it was best if we just broke up.
 Martin: Oh, gosh, I'm sorry.  You're sure taking it well.  Boy, if 
         you'd have told me Joe would end up dumping you tonight, I'd 
         have been—
 Daphne: Oh, God.  He dumped me!

She bursts into tears.

Frasier: Deftly done, Dad.
 Martin: Well, don't just stand there, you two—somebody comfort her!
  Niles: Right!

He moves to hug Daphne, obviously anxious for the opportunity.  But 
Frasier gets there first.  She cries against his shoulder.

 Daphne: Oh, this is so embarrassing.
Frasier: Oh, no, no, never mind about that.  Expressing our emotions 
         is always beneficial, even if it does come at the expense of 
         our pride [she blows her nose on his lapel] and a very 
         expensive brand-new Italian silk jacket.

She keeps bawling.

Frasier: You know, I don't seem to be doing much good here.  Why 
         don't one of you give it a try?
  Niles: Very well.

Niles moves to hug her again, but this time Martin gets there first

Martin: Now, Daphne, it's all right.  You're better off without him.  
        That guy was a bum.
Daphne: He was the best thing in my life!
Martin: Oh.  Well, maybe he just wasn't ready for a commitment.
Daphne: He's in love with someone else!
Martin: Oh.  Well, maybe you two weren't meant for each other, you 
        know?  I mean, you're a champagne-and-caviar sort of gal, 
        he's a meat-and-potatoes guy.
Daphne: [crying at the memory] Potatoes!
Martin: I'm messing up, too.
 Niles: I've got it, Dad.

He moves a third time, but the doorbell rings.

Daphne: I'll get it!

She moves away, leaving Niles very frustrated.  She opens the door to 
Roz.

    Roz: Hey, Daphne!
 Daphne: [a cry of pain] Roz . . .
    Roz: Oh my God, you got dumped! [hugs her; over her shoulder, to 
         Frasier] Did you make her answer the door?
Frasier: It's what she does! 
    Roz: [to Daphne] Oh, come on, it's O.K.
 Daphne: I'm sorry about this.  I guess I'm still at the point where 
         I can't hear his name without crying.
  Niles: You hear that, everyone?  No one mention the name "Joe!"

Daphne starts crying again.  Niles eagerly moves in, but Frasier 
holds him back and bats his arm.  Roz takes Daphne to her room.

Frasier: Brandy, Niles?
  Niles: Uh, yes.  Thank you.  Frasier?  I've just made an important 
         decision.  I'm going to tell Daphne how I feel about her.
Frasier: What?
  Niles: I'm going to tell her tonight.
Frasier: You're serious about this?
  Niles: I'm dead serious.  Maris and I are nowhere near reconciling.  
         I know this is the right decision, because I'm completely 
         calm about it.  Look.

He holds out his hand to show that it's steady.  However, the other 
hand, which is resting on Frasier's African sculpture, shakes 
violently, rattling the statue.

  Niles: Perhaps I'll take that brandy.
Frasier: Niles, before you do anything this rash, you should consider 
         it first from all the angles.
  Niles: I've spent three years considering Daphne from all angles.
Frasier: I'm just not sure this is the right moment for this.
  Niles: No, no, if you're trying to rattle me it's not going to 
         work.  I've been rehearsing this for months.  "Daphne, 
         there's something I need to talk to you about."  It's a 
         matter of . . . Daphne, for a long time now . . . you and I, 
         we"—exactly how's the brandy getting here, by St. Bernard?!
Frasier: Niles, I just think that you should consider Daphne's state 
         of mind.  She's still reeling from her breakup with Joe.  
         Listen, why don't you give it one more day?
  Niles: A day?
Frasier: A day.  Just one day, please!  You've waited this long, 
         another day won't make a difference.
  Niles: All right.

Roz brings Daphne out.

Roz: Now, Daphne, if the jewelry wasn't that good and the sex wasn't 
     that good, what have you really lost here?

Daphne starts crying again.

Frasier: Dr. Roz wades in with the "Gabor approach" to therapy!

Scene Two – Frasier's Apartment
The next morning.  Martin is reading the paper at the table, Frasier 
is looking through his CD's.

Martin: What were the Sonics thinking last night?  If you're two for 
        fifteen from behind the arc, why do you still give it to your 
        two-guard instead of jamming it down to your big man in the 
        paint?

Pause.

Frasier: Eddie, I believe that question was directed at you.
 Martin: You know, if you ever took an interest in sports, you'd 
         probably like it.  It's graceful, it's dramatic.
Frasier: Thank you, Dad, but for now I'm quite satisfied with the 
         likes of Pavorotti's Pagliacci.  You have your big man in 
         the paint and I have mine.

The doorbell rings.  Frasier opens the door to Niles, who is holding 
a large bouquet of flowers against his chest.

Frasier: Niles.
  Niles: Frasier.
Frasier: Either your boutonniere is way over the top, or you're here 
         to execute last night's plan.
  Niles: Look, I know I don't have your total support here, but—how 
         should I put this?
Frasier: You don't care?
  Niles: If you could work the phrase "rat's ass" into there, you'd 
         have it.  The fact is, I'm tired of being lonely, and it 
         makes no sense going on being lonely when the woman I long 
         for is unattached.
Frasier: Yes, well, as I said to you at the time you tried to jump 
         out of the tree house with an umbrella, "I suppose you know 
         what you're doing."

Martin emerges from the kitchen with a bowl of potato chips.  The 
phone rings.

Frasier: [answering] Hello?  Oh, just a second, please.  Dad, is 
         Daphne in her room?
 Martin: Gee, I don't know. [screaming] Daphne!  Hey, Daph!  Daphne!
Frasier: For God's sake, I can yell! [into phone] Would you hold, 
         please?

Frasier goes to the hallway.

Martin: I've been waiting thirty years to do that.
 Niles: You're probably wondering what I'm doing with these flowers.
Martin: Well, now that you mention it—
 Niles: Well, I'll tell you.  They're for Daphne.  I'm going to tell 
        her how I feel about her.
Martin: Oh, that's great, Niles.
 Niles: "That's great?"
Martin: Well, yeah.  You're single now.  She's single.  What's the 
        problem?
 Niles: [laughing] That's so funny.
Martin: What is?
 Niles: That's just not the reaction I expected.  I thought you'd say 
        something more Dad-like, like . . .
Martin: You're out of your mind?
 Niles: [laughing] Yes.
Martin: She's never gonna go for it in a million years?
 Niles: [still laughing] Stop it!
Martin: Someday you're gonna look back on this as the stupidest, most 
        idiotic—
 Niles: [not laughing] I said stop it, Dad.

Daphne and Frasier come out.  Niles gets up and coyly hides the 
flowers behind his back.

 Daphne: Morning, Dr. Crane.
  Niles: Hello, Daphne.
 Daphne: Oh, don't you look nice. [picks up phone] Hello?  Yes, 
         Rodney, I'm so glad you called!  Yes, I enjoyed meeting you 
         too.  Oh, well, yes, that would be lovely.  I'll see you 
         around four, then.  Bye. [hangs up]
Frasier: Rodney?
 Daphne: Yes, you won't believe this.  Last night, Roz insisted on 
         taking me to this bar she calls "The Sure Thing."
Frasire: How flattering.  They've named a bar after her.
 Daphne: She says that whenever she takes a friend there, they always 
         end up meeting someone.  Well, I wasn't there ten minutes 
         when she spun my barstool around and I was face-to-face with 
         this nice-looking man.
 Martin: Rodney?
 Daphne: Right!  I suppose it's a bit soon for me to be seeing anyone 
         else.  But, if I wait, he might not be available when I'm 
         ready.
  Niles: Timing is everything.
 Daphne: I can't wait to tell Roz!

She runs off to the hallway.

  Niles: "Give it a day, Niles."  I believe that was your brilliant 
         advice?
Frasier: I'm sorry, Niles, I really am.  I don't know what to say.
  Niles: [dropping the flowers on the table] Too bad you didn't have 
         that problem last night.
 Martin: Don't let it get you down.
  Niles: I'm not going to.  I still have a fallback position. [grabs 
         Frasier's rolodex and starts flipping through it] I'm going 
         to call Roz and have her take me to that bar tonight!
Frasier: Niles, really—a singles bar?  Please, you're not thinking
         clearly.  That's not exactly your arena, is it?  Listen, why 
         don't you just give it a day and . . . [off Niles's glare] 
         Here, let me dial that for you.

WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS HER NAME
Scene Three – Granville's An upscale singles bar—piano, bar with stools, tables. It's sparsely populated. Roz is sitting at the bar. Niles comes up behind her, slightly frazzled. Niles: Well, I'm here. I forgot to gargle, I'm wearing mismatched socks, and I'm so nervous I could wet myself. Roz: Well, at least we have your opening line down. Niles: You're going to have to be patient with me, Roz. This isn't exactly my milieu. Roz: O.K., let's make that lesson number one. If you're going to use words like milieu, you might as well show up here with a sore on your lip and a couple of kids. Niles: Point well taken. He takes out his handkerchief and starts wiping a barstool down. Roz: Guess what lesson number two is. [Niles puts his handkerchief away] Will you sit down and relax? [he sits next to her] You're gonna be fine. There's just a few little rules you need to know. First, when you introduce yourself, be as casual as possible. Second, you cannot say enough nice things about her hair. I know that sounds shallow, but it really works. And third, hang on her every word—be fascinated. Now go. Niles: What do you mean, "go"? Roz: It's time. Niles: I'm not ready. Roz: Oh, I've put a lot of little babies in the water and they've all come up swimming. Now go. Niles: No, no, I couldn't possibly, not yet, I need to— She spins his barstool around, bringing him face-to-face with an attractive blond woman [Adelle]. Niles: Hello. Adelle: Hello. Niles: Hope I'm not bothering you. Adelle: No, not at all. I'm Adelle. Niles: Niles. [shakes her hand] So, "Adelle" . . . is that with one "l" or two? Adelle: Two. Niles: [fascinated] Really? He props an elbow up on the bar and rests his head on it. Roz smiles, thinking, "I've thrown him off the roof and he's flying!" END OF ACT ONE ACT TWO
STAREMASTER
Scene Four – Frasier's Apartment It's evening. Frasier and Eddie are seated opposite each other at the dinner table, having a stare-down contest. Martin comes out. Martin: You're wasting your time. Frasier: No, I'm not. It's time he learned what it's like to be stared at all the time. Bring it on, Buster, you got nothing! You can't touch me, I'm—Gaah! [breaks away, clutching his eyes] It's like his eyes turned into sorcerer's pinwheels and started spinning! The doorbell rings. Martin: Just shake hands and say "good fight." Frasier considers doing it for a second, then decides not. Martin opens the door to Niles and Adelle, dressed for an evening out. Martin: Oh, hi, Niles! Come on in. Niles: Dad, this is Adelle Childs—my father Martin. Martin: Nice to meet you. [shakes her hand] Niles: And this is my brother, Frasier. Frasier: It's so nice to finally meet you. Adelle: Nice to meet you. Niles: Are you all right? Your eyes look funny. Frasier: Oh, I'm fine, it's just—oh, here are your tickets. [gives them to Niles] Niles: Thank you. Frasier: Say, have you got time for a coffee before you go? Adelle: That'd be nice. Frasier: Splendid! It'll give me a chance to debut my Limoges coffee set—a series of six unique cups, each one representing a different wife of Henry VIII. My antique dealer just found an "Anne of Cleves" to complete the set! Frasier goes to the kitchen. Martin: He loves to rub it in. I'm still looking for a "Wilma" to complete my juice glass set. Niles: I'll lend you a hand. [to Adelle] Excuse me. In the kitchen, Niles comes to have a man-to-man with Frasier. Niles: So, what do you think? Frasier: She seems very nice. Niles: She's fabulous. I know it's only been three days, but I feel as though I've been rescued. I no longer have to worry about becoming one of those pitiful losers embittered by a failed marriage, leading a lonely pathetic life of . . . [off Frasier's withering look] fulfillment and good times! Frasier: Shouldn't you make a beeping noise when you back up like that? They come out into the living room. Frasier: Well, coffee will be ready in a moment. Adelle: So what were you two whispering about? The doorbell rings. Niles: Oh, nothing—just how, whenever you think you have your life figured out, something unexpected happens. He opens the door to Daphne. Daphne: Sorry, forgot my keys. Hello, all. Oh, everyone, this is Rodney Banks. In steps a man who is Niles's Doppleganger—same height, same figure, same haircut, same neat suit, same rigid posture—the sole difference is that his hair is brown. Daphne: Dr. Niles Crane. Niles: How do you do? Rodney: The pleasure is mine. They shake hands. In a perfect mirror of each other, they then take out handkerchiefs and wipe their palms. Frasier and Martin stare. Daphne, standing in the middle, doesn't seem to notice. Rodney: Flu season. Niles: Can't be too careful. Daphne: Oh, this is Dr. Frasier Crane, and his father Martin. And . . . Niles: This is Adelle Childs. Daphne: Hello. Adelle: Hello. Daphne: Well, we just had the most wonderful day at the marina. Martin: Oh, you get a boat. Rodney: Actually, no. I have an inner-ear curvature that makes me prone to motion sickness. But there's a charming bistro there that serves the most exquisite— A phone rings. Mirroring each other again, Niles and Rodney take out cell phones and flip them open. Niles: Not me. Rodney: Not me. It's the cordless phone. Martin picks it up. Martin: Hello? Oh, I can't talk right now, Duke. I'm in the Twilight Zone. [hangs up] Frasier: Would, uh, you like a coffee? Daphne: Oh yes, that would be lovely. Martin: I'll give you a hand, Frasier! Martin gets up and follows Frasier into the kitchen. As soon as they make it in: Frasier: What the hell was that?! Martin: Frasier: I think maybe we should put a little red mark on the real Niles so we can tell them apart! Martin: Niles must be going nuts! Niles comes in. Niles: Can I lend you a hand? Martin: Oh no, that's fine, Niles. [Niles turns to go] Oh, wait, wait a minute! So, uh . . . what do you think of Rodney? Niles: Well, so far I'm not impressed. Bit of a pretentious fop, wouldn't you say? Martin: He doesn't, uh, remind you of anyone? Niles: Remind me of anyone . . . Rodney comes in. Rodney: So sorry, but about my coffee? I neglected to mention that I like my milk steamed, with just a dollop of foam, such as might give the impression of a cumulus cloud reflected in a still pond. Niles: Consider it done. Rodney smiles and leaves. Niles: I want to kill myself. Frasier and Martin laugh. Martin: Come on, Niles, it's funny! Niles: No! It's not remotely funny! Frasier talked me out of approaching Daphne on the same night she fell for that man! Frasier: You can't possibly be mad at me! Niles: Mad at you? What for? For denying me any chance at a happiness I have only ached for for the last three years of my life? No, no, Frasier, I'm grateful. [grabs a kitchen knife] Come here, let me show you how grateful I am! Martin: [getting in his way] Niles, calm down! Frasier: He's got that same look in his eyes that Eddie had! Daphne comes in to get the sugar bowl and cream pitcher. Daphne: Isn't Rodney just great? [everyone agrees] You know, I think it was the moment I broke up with Joe that I heard a voice saying, "Daphne, it's time you went for a completely new type of man." Daphne leaves. Niles grabs a spatula. Niles: You're a dead man! Martin gets in his way again. Frasier: Let's serve our guests their coffee! Frasier and Martin carry cups of coffee out to the living room. Frasier: Here we are, coffee. Milk's on its way, Niles is still steaming. Rodney: Nothing smells quite so heavenly as a freshly brewed cup of coffee. Well, perhaps one thing does. He smells Daphne's hair. Daphne: Oh, stop that! [laughing] He just loves to smell my hair! There's a crash from the kitchen. Frasier winces. Martin thinks, "Uh-Oh." Frasier: [deflated] Anne Boleyn? Niles: [o.s.] Catherine of Aragon. Scene Five – Café Nervosa Niles is sitting at a table with his back to the door. Frasier comes in. Niles notices him, then looks away. Frasier: Oh, for heaven's sake, Niles. You don't take my calls, you ignore me. For God's sake, it's the behavior of a pouting adolescent. [sits down] Are you quite finished now? [realizes] You put gum on my chair, didn't you? Niles: Yep. Frasier: [removing the gum] Niles, listen: I am terribly sorry if I steered you wrong. But just think about it. You do have a wonderful new woman in your life now, don't you? Niles: Yes, I—I suppose I do. Frasier: And Adelle does make you very happy, doesn't she? Niles: [perking up] Yes. [chuckles] Yes, she does. Frasier: Well, then, if you've ever taken any of my advice before, take this: Adelle may very well be the path to your happiness. No sooner are the words out of his mouth than Adelle comes into the café, on the arm of Rodney. They sit in a corner booth together. Niles doesn't see them. Frasier: But let's say I'm wrong . . . Niles: But-but you're not wrong. Adelle is a wonderful, affectionate woman. Frasier sees Adelle kiss Rodney. Frasier: She is affectionate. Niles: She's clearly drawn to a man of my type. Frasier: Mmm. Niles: Just thinking about her lifts my spirits. Frasier . . . thank you. Frasier: Niles, uh . . . [sighs] look. Niles turns and looks. He turns back to Frasier with outrage. Niles: I don't believe it! The betrayal! No one treats Daphne like that! He rises angrily to his feet. Frasier restrains him. Frasier: Niles! Whatever you do, do not engage him in a physical fight. The whole thing would just look too weird! Niles steps forward. Niles: Hello, Adelle. They look up. Adelle: [startled] Oh no. Rodney: I know this may look a tad incriminating, but the truth is— Niles: Oh, spare me, you ludicrous popinjay. I know exactly what's going on here, I saw the whole thing from my table. Adelle: I was going to call you!—I'm sorry. Niles: So am I, Adelle. But I'm mainly sorry for Daphne. How do you plan to handle that small matter? Rodney: I was planning on telling her this evening at Granville's. We're meeting for drinks. Niles: Why don't you do her a favor? Let me tell her. It might be better coming from a friend. Rodney: Perhaps you're right. Please tell her that I'm sorry. Sometimes, when a man meets the woman that he's meant to be with, [clasps Adelle's hand affectionately] there's nothing he can do to resist it. I hope Daphne understands that. Niles: I hope she understands it too. Niles leaves the Café. Frasier steps forward. Frasier: Rodney . . . Adelle. I just have one question for you. Do you have an older brother? Rodney: As a matter of fact, I do. He's the pride of the family—handsome, successful, brilliant. I've always been a little jealous of him. Frasier: Spooky. Scene Six – Granville's That evening. Daphne is sitting at the bar with a glass of red wine. Niles comes in. Niles: Evening, Daphne. Daphne: Hello, Dr. Crane. Niles: You don't seem surprised to see me. Daphne: I was running late, so I called Rodney on his cell phone. He told me everything. Niles: Oh. I'm sorry. Daphne: I'm sorry for you, too. [raising her glass] Join me in a little sorrow-drowning? Niles: I believe I will. [to bartender] One more of these, please. [the bartender pours him a glass of wine] Thank you. [to Daphne] Well, I can't really blame Adelle. Rodney's that sort of man that women seem to go for. Daphne: [sadly] Yes, he is. Niles: I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. Daphne: You didn't. I guess I'm just in more of a mood to hear about his negative qualities right now. Niles: Well, he's a bit of a know-it-all, a bit fussy . . . Daphne: Has to have everything just so, he's nuts about cleanliness, then there's his clothes, his precious shoes— Niles: I don't like this road we're on. I mean, wouldn't it be better if we discussed what's in our futures? Daphne: I suppose so. I'll tell you one thing. After the run I've had, I pity the next man I date. I'd probably rip him to shreds. Niles: What about the man after that? Daphne: Men can be such an unfeeling lot. Look at Rodney—the moment he heard I'd just broken up with someone, he moved right in for the kill. Is that how all men are? Niles: No, not all men. Daphne: Of course they aren't. You're not. You're kind, sensitive—you ask me, you were too good for that Adelle. Niles: Thank you, Daphne. You know, the truth is my heart was never really in that relationship. Daphne: I thought it might not be. Niles: There was someone else who was too much on my mind. Daphne: I had a feeling, Dr. Crane. Niles: You did? Daphne: Yes. As long as you still have feelings for your wife, you know you can't be involved with anyone else. It makes sense to me—I know I'd never get involved with a man who was separated. Niles: Even if he' worshipped you from the day he laid eyes on you? Daphne: And don't think that's not just how they put it, too! [laughs] No, I think I need to do a bit of separating myself—from Joe, I mean. Yes, I'll wait a good long time before I do anymore dating. Niles: Well, I'm glad to hear that. Daphne: [chuckling] You know, it's funny when you think about it—the two of us coming to this same singles bar this week? Why, this was the very stool I was on when I met Rodney. Niles: I was sitting here when I met Adelle. [she chuckles again] What? Daphne: Oh, I was just thinking. If it'd been a different time in both our lives, we might actually have met. How do you suppose that would have gone? Niles: What, our conversation? Daphne: Yeah, come on! Just for fun—we could both use a smile. Niles: Well, uh . . . first I would have said, "Is this seat taken?" And you would have said, "no." You would have said, "my name is Daphne," and I would have said "my name is Niles." And then I would have said . . . "What are you doing for the rest of your life?" Daphne: [laughing] You always know just what to say. [then, as a friend would say it] Oh, I love you, Dr. Crane. Niles: I love you too, Daphne. Scene Z – Frasier's Apartment Frasier is having another stare-down with Eddie. It's going nowhere. Martin tells Frasier to get up. Frasier gets up. Martin sits opposite Eddie and gives him a good, hard stare. Eddie breaks and runs away. Martin smiles at Frasier.

Legal Stuff

 This episode capsule is copyright 1999 by Nick Hartley. This episode
 summary remains property of Frasier, Copyright of Paramount
 Productions and NBC. Printed without permission. 

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