Reviewer Rating: 4.5/5.0
4.5
Three couples and a beach house – what could go wrong?
In Happy Family Season 2 Episode 6, Frasier plays matchmaker for Freddy and Eve and enlists Roz as his co-conspirator in a delightful outing that blends slapstick with heart. .
Yes, that’s right─Rhodes is back! The Seattle-bound plane she was on in the third episode of Season 2 of Happy Family returned to Boston with barely any time to refuel.
Now, she and her daughter Alice have joined Frasier and his gang (minus Ellen and Olivia) on Cape Cod for an unspecified holiday weekend that seems even more exciting than Independence Day. It’s too early.
I feel like only Valentine’s Day in the show’s timeline. So maybe this episode takes place on Memorial Day? Regardless, there will be real, if not romantic, fireworks this weekend.
Rhodes is more relaxed
It’s refreshing to see Roz regain the clean, irreverent persona that was missing the last time we saw her this season. She felt like a real person again, back to the familiar rhythm of being with Frasier.
I have to admit, when I saw Roz returning to the show so soon, I thought, oopswhy not let her move to the east coast?
And then when I saw the simple way she interacted with Frasier, I thought, yeah, why not have her move to the East Coast?
It also makes me wonder why Freddy and Eve are so shocked at the thought of Frasier and Roz being a couple. Well, in Eve’s case, she thought they were Relevantwhich is very interesting.
Where did her idea come from? I don’t know, but I like it.
But why would Freddie object to his father falling in love with an old friend, even though he clearly had no idea they had dated years earlier?
Obviously something needs to be done to kick off all the pairing misunderstandings, but I hope this is a more understandable reason.
It’s also sweetly silly that Eve and Freddy see the inviting arrangement on the porch and immediately assume it’s for Roz.
I guess it makes sense that it would be hard for them to accept the possibility of Frasier and Rhodes if they thought it was incomprehensible for them to become a romantic couple.
It’s still a little weird, but I’ll use mine Legislature Expansion Pack The gavel gave them a pass for now.
Alice in Wonderland
We finally meet Alice, played by Greer Grammer, the daughter of Kelsey Grammer (and perhaps Roz and Frasier yes related after all).
Alice fits into the group seamlessly, and I hope we see more of her this season, even if it doesn’t seem like she’ll be a love match for Freddie.
Speaking of which, why is Fraser so sure that his son and Eve are a perfect match?
It’s great to see Frasier’s respect for Eve growing this season. But he just pairs her up with Freddie forever because…she starts dating again?
If this wasn’t his typical Frazier thing to do, I’d take it as another example of the questionable competence of the Harvard Psychology Department staff.
back to the bar
We don’t see much of Eren in this episode, but the little we do is enough.
Alan went on a little too long about being cheated on. It’s also unnecessary for a scene that just needs to establish Freddy and Eve as potential lovers and explain the trip to Cape Cod.
I feel like this show is trying to shoehorn all Incorporated into every episode whether needed or not.
David has a slightly larger role in this episode than he’s had recently, but I wish the show had spent a few precious minutes focusing on the main cast, especially if it had guest stars.
In other words, what’s going on with David’s board game?
i really hope legislature Turns out it’s a slightly less chaotic version of New Girl’s real American drinking game.
Alas, David and Alice share only a mild interest, but fail to spark a romance.
on the beach
The beach house, with its porch and sliding glass doors, provides the perfect compact setting for this episode’s slapstick choreography.
The episode’s light stakes, believable misunderstandings, and sharp dialogue delivered the kind of low-key slapstick that made me laugh without making me roll my eyes.
It’s also great to see Fraser in his delusional project mode again, waxing poetic about the success of his plot as it unfolds.
But it was bittersweet to hear him nonchalantly tell Roz how lonely it was to be alone manipulating people.
He needs a partner in crime who can support him while curbing his more eccentric impulses.
In a way, Roz is a willing participant who strikes a welcome balance between fun and responsibility.
She has a soft spot for romance and Frasier (respectively!), so it makes sense that she goes along with the plan, until Frasier insults Alice.
This is a wake-up call for Roz, leaving Frasier almost alone to try to forge a connection between Freddie and Eve.
To the episode’s credit, this episode doesn’t sow the seeds of any potential romance between Roz and Frasier.
If anything, seeing them together in this romantic setting highlights how collaborative they are as friends.
But that still doesn’t stop me from wanting Rhodes to move to Boston!
What did everyone learn?
Freddie and Eve once again misunderstand the romantic advice being offered to them. It gave them something to think about about friendship turning into love, but they didn’t think it was about their friendship.
But I don’t know if I see Freddie and Eve as a romantic couple!
They clearly get along with each other, but to paraphrase Eve: aren’t they related by blood?
I mean, in a familial way, through a common bond with her ex-husband, not blood ties.
Along these lines, Freddie isn’t interested in Alice, which would be sad news for her.
Meanwhile, David is still interested in everyone!
This is another beautifully crafted episode with characters that feel real and great dialogue.
I feel like it solves the problem of Roz and Frasier being together, and maybe even does the same for Freddy and Eve.
In the best sense, this episode clears the way for new developments while proving that it can still deliver the restrained slapstick that the original series did so well.
Let us throw it out to you, TV Fanatics: What did you think of this episode? Are you happy to see Roz again so soon? Let us know in the comments!
Watch “Happy Family” online
