Frasier s04e12 Episode Script

Death and the Dog

FRASIER: Roz.
None of these lights seem to be flashing.
Hey, what do you know.
I got the same thing over here.
- Well, who's our first caller? - No one.
- Well, how much time do we have? - None.
Hello, Seattle.
This is Dr Frasier Crane.
Well, I have some good news for you.
As today is the first sunny day we've had in a few weeks, it seems that all our lines are open.
So please call in.
No waiting.
Absolutely no waiting.
Oh, come on, somebody's marriage must be on the skids.
Somebody's career must be going badly other than mine.
Hey, how about all you agoraphobics? I know you're not outside.
Oh, there's a call.
I'll take it.
I'll take it.
Hello, I'm listening.
ALICE [OVER PHONE.]
: Hi, Dr Crane.
My name is Alice, and I'm usually a happy person.
But today, well, I just started thinking about all kinds of sad things.
My job isn't that exciting, my kids don't call me as often as I'd like.
Pretty soon I was in a full-blown funk.
Well, Alice, as today seems to be a bit slow, you know, I think I have a story I can tell you that might be of some help.
Do you have some time? Well, it's 3:00, and I'm still in my bathrobe.
Perfect! Well, it all started three days ago.
You see, my father was very concerned about his little dog, Eddie, so he had taken him to the vet.
ROZ: So, what did the doctor say? MARTIN: He's stumped.
I told him he's not sleeping, he's not eating, he's not even sniffing stuff.
Welcome news to Mrs Frobisher in 13B.
He said he can't find anything wrong with him physically.
Thinks it might be an emotional problem.
You know, I've heard they have therapists for dogs.
Do you suppose a dog psychiatrist could be the answer? Only if the question is, "What is the most asinine thing we could possibly do?" Maybe Eddie's just lonely.
You know, I was thinking maybe we could maybe get another Stop right there, Dad.
We are not getting another dog.
Oh, come on.
What could be more fun than having a little brother or sister - around the house to play with? - I fell for that trick once, Dad.
Well, I'm gonna get this little guy home.
All right, I'll see you at home.
I want to pick up some beans before I go.
See you there.
ROZ: Oh, wow.
There's a guy over there checking me out.
He's coming over here.
Get out.
No, it's too late.
Just pretend you're not with me.
- Hello, Dr Crane.
- Dr Kagen.
- I hope I'm not interrupting.
- Oh, no, not at all.
- I don't even know who she is.
- Frasier.
- Hi, I'm Roz Doyle.
- Dr Stephen Kagen.
Yes, Dr Kagen moved into my building about three months ago - from Chicago, I believe.
- Yes, that's right.
I love what I've seen of Seattle, but I'm still finding my way around.
Well, Roz is an excellent tour guide.
Really? Well, if you have an afternoon sometime, maybe you could show me all the hot spots.
Oh, I think that could be arranged.
I'd be happy to.
I'm free tomorrow afternoon.
- Here's my card.
- Great.
I'll give you a call.
- Nice meeting you, Roz.
- Nice to meet you.
KAGEN: Dr Crane.
- Dr Kagen.
- Thank you, Frasier.
- My pleasure.
A gorgeous doctor, and I didn't get you anything.
- So, what kind of doctor is he? - A gynaecologist.
That's not funny.
- What's the matter? - He really is? Oh, God.
I can't go out with a gynaecologist.
Do you know what they do all day? I have a general idea, yes.
All right, I'll see you at home.
- Hey, would you date a gynaecologist? - Oh, God, no.
- See? - Yeah, I wouldn't even date a dentist.
Hands in people's mouths all day.
And after watching Eddie's complete physical, I'm not anxious to date a vet anytime soon either.
[ROZ KNOCKING ON GLASS.]
FRASIER: I thought familiarity with a woman But that's really more of a sidetrack.
Getting back to our story, by the time I got home that day, alas, poor Eddie was no better.
Hey, look, Eddie, Mr Carrot.
He'll give you good eyesight.
And a lot of fun with this too.
- Dad.
- Yeah.
What are you doing? I went out, and I bought a bunch of new toys for Eddie.
I just thought it might cheer him up, you know.
Hey, Eddie, look at this.
Hamburger.
Juicy.
Meaty.
I'll bet you'd like a bite of this, wouldn't you? No? Well, more for me.
I sure hope you don't take a bite out of the other side.
Did you ever see anything sadder than this? No, I can't say that I have.
[DOORBELL RINGS.]
Oh, that will be Dr Crane.
He said he was gonna bring his dog over.
Oh, not that four-legged Maris.
Dad, please.
Don't call it that in front of him.
He has no idea.
How could he not? It acts like Maris, it barks like Maris.
Aside from the fact that it eats now and then, they're dead ringers.
DAPHNE: Hello.
NILES: Hello, Daphne.
- Hello, all.
- Niles.
I heard Eddie was down, and I thought a playmate might cheer him up.
So voila.
Well, I appreciate the offer, Niles, but I already tried it in the park with real dogs, and it didn't work.
Well, you'll change your tune when you see my girl turn on her charm.
All right, come on, girl.
And go to Eddie.
Go to Eddie.
Okay.
Do your stuff.
That's it.
Oh, oh, I can see her magic working already.
No, girl, come back here.
Girl? Come back here this instant.
Okay.
Oh, Eddie, it's breaking my heart seeing you like this.
How would a nice big batch of Grammy Moon's sugar biscuits sound? Do you believe he can understand a word you're saying? Hey, I read somewhere dogs can understand up to 400 words.
Now, a supersmart dog like Eddie probably knows 1,000.
- Oh, really, Dad? - Yes, really.
Eddie understands more than you give him credit for.
Yeah, why, just yesterday I said, "Eddie, I've lost my keys.
" And he looked up at me - Eddie.
- Eddie.
Yackety yackety.
Yadda yadda yadda yadda.
Eddie.
Yadda yadda yadda yadda.
DAPHNE: Eddie.
Eddie.
Eddie.
Eddie.
FRASIER: Eddie.
FRASIER: Understanding anything other than the simple fact of his name or a grunt.
Well, the crisis has passed.
She just needed a little rest.
Fortunately, I remembered to bring her sleep mask.
- How's Eddie? - Worse.
I'm afraid we're gonna have to call in one of those dog psychiatrists.
- Dad, you can't be serious.
- Well, I'm desperate.
- We tried everything else.
- A dog psychiatrist? Honestly, Dad, they are the very definition of charlatanism.
You simply cannot apply the principles of human psychology - to animal behaviour.
- Precisely.
Animals operate out of instinct, whereas human beings can reason.
- Yes.
- They can cogitate.
NILES: Yes.
Therefore, a human being, through analytical psychotherapy, can [SPEAKING GIBBERISH.]
Dad.
Dad.
Dad, yadda yadda FRASIER: Well, it's the intrinsic value in, what, Gestalt therapy and Thank you for staying with us through the first commercial break.
We're talking to Alice, who has a case of the blues today.
In order to help her through it, I am relating a story from my own life.
Any questions so far, Alice? ALICE: Well, I was wondering, what happened to Roz and the gynaecologist? Well, since Frasier did tell the most embarrassing part of the story, something kind of funny did happen.
Oh, my God, you're kidding.
You were at Camp Lakeridge too? - What years were you there? FRASIER: Roz.
Roz.
We are trying to help this woman.
We don't have time for your pointless tangents.
Anyway, my father finally got his way and made an appointment with a dog psychiatrist, who insisted that the entire household be present for the first session.
MARTIN: What's keeping this guy? He should have been here by now.
Perhaps he's been detained by his fear-of-fetching group.
[DOORBELL RINGS.]
All right, now, you two cut it out! - Hello, I'm Dr Arnold Shaw.
- Hi, doc.
Marty Crane.
Come on in, please.
This is Daphne Moon and my sons, Frasier and Niles.
FRASIER: How do you do? - And this, of course, is the patient.
I don't suppose my father told you, but my brother and I happen to be psychiatrists.
Oh, how nice.
I always enjoy being in the company of colleagues.
I'm sorry.
Did you say "colleagues" or "collies"? Oh, it's just a joke.
It's very clever.
Very clever.
Well, shall? Shall we begin? Hello, Eddie.
I'm Dr Shaw.
And I'm here to get to know you and help you get better.
You're very sad, aren't you? It's okay to be sad.
Sometimes I'm sad too.
We're gonna spend the next hour trying to figure out why you're sad.
When you give a dog an hour, you can bill him for seven.
I'm sorry.
I get the feeling that some of us aren't taking this seriously.
Look, I apologize.
This all just seems a bit silly.
Oh, really? Silly? I'll have you know I just attended the funeral of one Buttons McFarland, whose owners felt the same way.
Knock it off! - Okay.
- I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
First, I'd like to administer a dog personality-profile quiz I've developed.
My first questions are based on how you think Eddie might behave - if he were a human being.
- Oh, boy.
It's not a joke.
This is very serious.
If human Eddie were planning a dinner party, what might he serve? I'd say meat loaf.
But not the plain kind.
The one with that fancy tomato-soup glaze on top.
Might be a bit underdone, though.
He has trouble reaching the knobs on the stove.
Poached salmon.
I don't know why.
Interesting.
Question two.
What would you imagine human Eddie's first words to be? Well, I hope, "Give me a breath mint.
" I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
All right, next one.
What do you imagine would be human Eddie's favourite cologne? Aqua Velva.
It's a little strong, but I think he can pull it off.
Grey Flannel.
I don't know why.
Cologne? Well, actually, I think he would prefer toilet water.
Oh, by the way, same answer for favourite beverage.
I'm sensing a lot of hostility here.
I'm sorry.
I just don't see the point.
What is any of this telling you about Eddie? The point was not to learn about Eddie, but to learn about all of you.
And might I say, mission accomplished.
Well, perhaps now would be a good time for me to examine Eddie one-on-one.
Is there a room I can use? Oh, yeah.
My room.
Second on the right.
Eddie, after you.
This may take a while.
If Eddie were one of the Beatles, I think he'd be George.
I don't know why.
And yet she's never been committed.
I don't know why.
FRASIER: Okay, I'll say it.
What have they been doing in there for the last hour? He's probably just talking to him.
Eddie happens to be complex and interesting.
Oh, yes.
You must remind me to sit beside him at his next dinner party.
Well, be prepared.
He'll be up and down checking on that meat loaf.
SHAW: I have my diagnosis.
- Finally, the white smoke.
Eddie is indeed depressed.
Now, if, as you say, there's been no change in his routine, I can only surmise that he's reacting to someone else's unhappiness.
Is any one of you suffering from depression? - Not me.
- Well, I'm not depressed.
- Me either.
- I'm cheer personified.
Well, he's picking it up somewhere.
To be on the safe side, you should all be conscious of how you behave when you're in front of him.
Try to speak in pleasant, happy tones.
Goodbye, Eddie.
Call me in a few days, let me know how he's doing.
Okay.
Thanks for everything, doc.
Sorry to rush off, but I have a 4:00 appointment at the zoo.
There's a hyena there that won't even crack a smile.
See, I can joke too.
- Hold it.
- Oh, my God.
Roz, what's happened? I wanna kill myself.
Oh, hey, Roz, not in front of Eddie.
- What? - That gentleman that just left - was a dog psychiatrist.
- He said it'd be a good idea if we all had a happy tone when we're around Eddie.
So please, tell us, why do you want to kill yourself? Well, I went out with Dr Kagen, and we Everything was going so great that I almost forgot what he was.
MARTIN: What is he? - A gynaecologist.
Oh, gee.
I don't think I wanna hear any more about this.
All right, Roz, what happened? Well, we went upstairs to his apartment, and he poured a glass of wine and Well, do you know what a speculum is? Apparently, he was an avid collector of antique gynaecological equipment.
I've just gotten the signal from Roz that we're running out of time, so I'll skip ahead in our story.
If you ask me, the man's theory's a whole lot of hooey.
Who here has any reason to be unhappy? Well, mind you, I would never say this if it weren't for Eddie's sake, but comparatively speaking, Dr Crane, you have the most to be depressed about.
What with your separation from Mrs Crane and all.
Well, I'm not unhappy.
Besides, I don't even live here.
Oh, please, you're here more than I am.
You know, I hate to say it, but, Dad, if anybody's giving off unhappiness, I'm afraid it's you.
- Me? FRASIER: Yes.
You're the one who hasn't had a date in a year.
- Not to mention two failed marriages.
- And yet you did.
Well, I don't know, maybe I am not entirely happy.
Why should I be? My son lives across the country.
There's no woman in my life.
Maybe it is I who is making Eddie sad.
Oh, now, now, don't you take all the blame.
If I give my life a good once-over, I realize it's not all jam.
I've just lost the only boyfriend I've had in years, and the biggest thing in my life is that I got all my hair cut off months ago, - and no one's even mentioned it.
ALL: You got your hair cut off? Oh, shut up.
Daphne, maybe you were right earlier.
I'm not so happy.
Oh, maybe it's me.
My life hasn't been a picnic since Hester died.
Now that I think about it, what have I got to be happy about? I mean, I know that has nothing to do with Eddie, but maybe Frasier picked up something from contact with me.
He wouldn't be the first one who Oh, I'm too depressed.
How loosely woven is the fabric of our happiness.
A tug or two, and it unravels to reveal how empty our everyday lives really are.
Then there are the empty nights accompanied by thoughts of loneliness and death.
You think about that too? - Thought it was just me.
- Everybody thinks about it.
Do you lie real still and hold your breath and pretend you're in the ground? No, that's just you.
When I die, I want it to be on my 100th birthday, in my beach house on Maui, and I want my husband to be so upset he has to drop out of college.
You know, I once had a psychic tell me the strangest thing.
That one day I would go off me rocker, take up a kitchen knife, kill the entire household and then kill myself.
Silly old bag.
She was right about my moving to Seattle, though.
Well, I don't know how I wanna go, but all my years around the police morgue taught me a few things.
First off, you don't wanna swallow Drano or rat poison.
And if you're gonna kill yourself with an axe, get it right the first time.
Well, you know, we can talk about it, we can think about it but nobody really knows how or when.
One second we're as alive as anyone else, and then what? Darkness.
Nothingness.
Afterlife? I've always liked the notion of meeting the great figures of history.
Then I think, what if it's like high school, and all the really cool dead people don't wanna hang out with me? Mozart will tell me he's busy, but then later I'll see him out with Shakespeare and Lincoln.
I don't know about you, but this is depressing the hell out of me.
Remember, my number's coming up sooner than you guys.
ROZ: Wow, that's right.
NILES: That's a good point, yeah.
No, no.
None of us really knows when our time is up.
And it's never long enough.
My great-grandmother was and her last words to me from her deathbed were, "It's so short.
" Of course, it was the '70s.
She could've been talking about my skirt.
I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker T.
S.
Eliot.
Dead.
Must not all things at the last be swallowed up in death? Plato.
Even deader.
You know, perhaps Dr Shaw was right.
Perhaps we are the cause of Eddie's depression.
Simple beast.
He has peered beneath the masks of happiness we all wear and seen what lurks below, infected by our sorrow.
His once carefree doggy world has been shattered, perhaps forever.
Well, look at him.
He's happy again.
Could that have been all it was? He was missing his favourite doll? FRASIER: Well, I guess Dr Shaw was wrong after all.
He wasn't taking his cue from us, was he? Well, we were certainly taking a cue from Eddie.
- I've never been so depressed.
ROZ: Tell me about it.
Yeah, I wish I was a dog.
All it takes is a little toy to make him happy again.
I'm afraid we're a bit more complex than that, Daphne.
We know for whom the bell tolls.
[BELL RINGS.]
Anybody else hear that? Oh, the biscuits.
Daphne, by "biscuits" do you mean cookies? - Yeah, that's right.
MARTIN: Oh, they smell good.
FRASIER: Yeah.
NILES: Fresh from the oven.
ROZ: All nice and warm.
DAPHNE: Yeah.
And I have a fresh pitcher of milk for dipping.
FRASIER: Oh, and I believe there's ice cream too.
ALL: Ooh! And so, Alice, even the happiest of us can find reasons to be unhappy if only we look for them.
So don't look for them.
Take a tip from our dog friends, and treat yourself to your favourite toy.
Whatever that might be.
ALICE: I'll do that right now.
Thank you, Dr Crane.
I really do feel better.
This is Dr Frasier Crane, reminding everyone that life is too short to dwell on every bump in the road.
Try to take pleasure in the simple things.
In short, eat a cookie.
Ow! Oh! Walnut.
I broke a tooth.
Oh, now I gotta go to the dentist.
Gonna tell me I haven't flossed, my lip's gonna get all fat.
My life sucks.

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