My Brilliant Sister – The episode begins with Freddy Crane (Jack Cutmore-Scott) and Eve (Jess Salgueiro) returning to the bar where they continue their bickering over a parody league softball game. Freddy is practically beside himself that his First Responders lost to Eve’s Midsummer Night’s Team. This won’t last very long thanks to the arrival of Doctor Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer), who is in the competitive mood himself, thanks to being asked to host the tailgate party for the big Harvard VS Yale showdown. Freddy briefly teases him about being bestowed such an honor after learning that he’s planning on hosting the event at the apartment. This too will soon be interrupted by the arrival of Olivia Finch (Toks Olagundoye) and her sister Monica (Yvette Nicole Brown). Monica is practically insufferable and so critical of Olivia that she makes up an imaginary boyfriend, Mark, just to get back at her. As it turns out, Monica also happens to be a Yale Alum.

As Olivia digs herself deeper into her Mark lie, Alan Cornwall (Nicholas Lyndhurst) shows up to tell Frasier about the party at the president’s house. Frasier is nearly beside himself and begins immediately scheming a way to attend the party without canceling the tailgate. By the time Freddy returns to the bar to find Frasier in a slump, Olivia has dug herself so deep into the lie that Eve has to offer to get one of her theater associates to play the role of Mark at Frasier’s party.

Much to Frasier’s surprise, Freddy’s joking about Frasier’s inability to throw a good party inspires him with the idea of sabotaging his own event. As he rushes off to make preparations, Eve shares Olivia’s Mark situation with Freddy and asks if he can get one of his firefighter associates to play Mark.

Vhere’s Valdo? – Despite Frasier’s best attempts, he is having little success sabotaging his party. While he continues to strategize with David Crane (Anders Keith), Alan shows up with the shocking good news that he’s called in a favor and stole one of the President’s guest honorees, Valdo Kotnik (Robert Mammana). Unfortunately, this ends up creating more problems because Valdo is such an eccentric that he’s basically turned himself into a hermit over the last several years. Even Alan’s friend is unable to offer a physical description. Frasier attempts to remedy this by tasking David to covertly mingle with the guests while he and Alan put out the good booze and Valdo’s favorite, strawberries and cream appetizer.

Matters with Olivia, Mark, and Monica become immensely complicated when Freddy mistakes Eve’s text for a question rather than a statement. As it turns out, her theater friend, Augustine (Rafael Gebrian), was free to play Mark. Unfortunately, the lapse won’t be discovered until both Augustine and Freddy, who has decided to play Mark, have already made a big showing of introducing themselves to Monica. Once Freddy learns of the mix-up and the fact that it is Augustine who is playing Mark, he becomes even more adamant about playing Mark. Despite all the confusion, Monica not only continues to believe Olivia’s lies about dating two men named Mark, but she thinks Olivia subconsciously wants her to help decide on which one is best for her.

Things aren’t going much better for Frasier as he learns that Alan has absolutely no idea how to make strawberries and cream. By the time, Alan walks out and Olivia takes over the job, David has mistaken Augustine for Valdo. Frasier makes a big showing of praising him and asking to read his memoir while Olivia meets the real Valdo in the kitchen. Frasier eventually retires to the kitchen to get the pricey booze for Valdo only to discover that Olivia and her new friend have devoured it. As Frasier unknowingly insults Valdo, Freddy and Augustine’s showdown ends up revealing everyone’s deception.

Shortly after Frasier returns to interrupt the unfolding debacle, he realizes he’s just met the real Valdo. When he returns to the kitchen with the crowd of guests trailing him, they discover Olivia and Valdo in each other’s arms. Everyone is beside themselves, especially Monica who accuses her of being an attention hog.

The episode ends with Frasier dressed slightly differently and apologizing to Valdo for his identical twins brutish behavior.

 

Frasier Review

Now, this was a great episode! I can’t quite put my finger on it, but this episode was especially entertaining. I don’t know if it was the competitive nature of it, the awkward deceptions, or Olivia’s triumphant vindication against Monica but I enjoyed it. I might even go as far as to say that this was the best episode of the season. I’d give it a 6 out of 10.

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