Frasier Season 1 Episode 5 Review: The Founders’ Society

A prestigious club with limited membership sounds like a classic scenario for Frasier, and that’s just what we have in Frasier Season 1 Episode 5

But instead of Frasier and Niles vying to be chosen Corkmaster of their snooty wine club, we have Frasier, Alan, and Olivia trying to get into Harvard’s elite Founder’s Society.

Frasier’s personality hasn’t changed much throughout the years, and in his defense, most people don’t.

Do you recall the original Frasier series installment titled “Door Jam,” in which Niles and Frasier gained entry into an exclusive spa?

They loved it, but once they believed there was a Gold Level, they were no longer satisfied and had to get in to that. 

And even then, they couldn’t stay happy because they thought there was a Platinum level.

Well, there was no Platinum level. When they snuck through what they thought was the Platinum door, they found themselves locked outside in an alleyway next to a dumpster, Frasier in his robe and Niles in a full body wrap. It’s one of the funniest episodes of the series.

Unfortunately, this installment doesn’t quite live up to that hilarity as David Hyde Pierce‘s physical comedy in that episode is unmatched, but “The Founders’ Society” is cute and entertaining nevertheless.

When Alan and Olivia receive their Golden Plume invitations to the Founders’ Society mixer, Frasier feels left out. He still feels like he doesn’t quite fit in at Harvard.

I can’t believe I’m having such a hard time fitting in at Harvard. It’s kind of hard to fall back on the old line, “They’re just intimidated by your intellect.”

Frasier

The man is a Harvard graduate, a doctor, a successful radio and television host, and now a lecturer at Harvard, and yet he still feels like there’s something wrong if his colleagues don’t fall at his feet.

Could Dr. Crane need some time with a psychiatrist to address his own self-esteem issues?

But Frasier is over the moon when his own invitation arrives.

Of course, the Society has only two openings, so Alan, Olivia, and Frasier’s plan to be allies and talk one another up quickly devolves into every man for himself.

Well, sort of. Alan and Frasier cut Olivia out by speaking Latin, believing she doesn’t understand them. It’s not a shock to the audience that she does, and she manages to secure a spot for herself almost too easily.

Perhaps I shouldn’t beat up on Olivia every week, but the character grates on my nerves.

I realize that Frasier and Niles were always super competitive, but with Olivia and her sister, Monica, it just doesn’t work. Perhaps it’s because her sister, Monica, isn’t onscreen. Or maybe it’s because the jokes are just dumb.

Take Olivia texting her sister that she was about to be Harvard’s president just because she was invited to the mixer.

As if that wasn’t lame enough, then the voice text changed the word president to pregnant, and Olivia’s response was, “She’ll still be jealous,” and she sent it anyway. Ugh.

But Olivia was superfluous to this plot, as she seems to be for almost all of them. This storyline centered on Frasier and Alan.

Frasier: This is a big joke. Does anything actually matter to you?
Alan: I can think of two things I actually care deeply about. My cat and you.
Frasier: I was sure you were going to say Scotch.
Alan: I know I can be flippant about things and that you’ve had to pay the price, so I’m sorry if I’ve mucked things up again.

Most of their decades-long friendship includes Alan getting Frasier into some kind of trouble, and then they both have to pay the consequences.

But Frasier needs a friend to get him into at least a little trouble because he likely wouldn’t do it on his own.

Frasier: You know, when I was back in Boston, I used to be a regular at a bar, and yet…
Alan: Nobody knew your name?

Alan and Frasier’s friendship is flawed and believable. Alan reads Frasier well and without the haze of sibling rivalry to cloud his vision. I hope we get to learn more about Alan and his cat, as it feels like we’ve barely scratched the surface.

But the best moment of the episode was when Frasier realized that they hadn’t been locked in the wine cellar at all. It was simply Alan’s way of getting them to hash things out.

Alan got Frasier to break open the 100+-year-old bottle of Scotch, stay, and talk to him without ever having to lock anything. That’s impressive.

Alan: I lied about the door being locked.
Frasier: What? You mean the door’s been unlocked all this time?
Alan: No, no. Have a look. There isn’t a door.
Frasier: You’ve locked me in a room without a door!

Then we move on to the younger set of Freddy, Eve, and David.

David is a college freshman who, from what we can tell, has no friends. He’s so inept that I wonder where Daphne’s influence is.

But the look David gives Freddy when Eve says he should help David learn how to talk to girls is so damn adorable that I want to see more. And I’m desperate to see an episode where Daphne visits her son at Harvard.

I dare say that Eve was probably more help to David than Freddy and her cheeky comebacks continue to make me like her all the more. 

Freddy: David, tonight I’m going to teach you how to strike up a conversation with a real, live human woman. That’s right. I am going to give you the gift of game.
Eve: Loser. Okay, you know what? I’m going to stay and help.
David: Really? How many girls have you kissed?
Eve: More than you, babe.

It was also fun to watch Freddy preen over his supposed prowess because he’s a firefighter and have Eve bring him down a peg or two. However, a firefighter who not only reads but defends his choice of Little Women is somehow even more attractive.

Freddy: I’m Mr. July in the firefighters’ calendar. I’m a man in uniform with a full head of hair. I carry women out of burning buildings. Do you think they just want to shake my hand after?
Eve: Ooh, big talk coming from the guy sitting at home reading Little Women.
Freddy: I’d like to see you try coming of age during the Civil War.

Is David right? Do Eve and Freddy have feelings for one another?

Well, they’ve certainly formed a close bond since Adam died. Freddy had Eve and the baby move in with him when they needed help.

Their friendship is clearly strong, and they have a great rapport, but will that develop into romance?

Maybe, but if it does, I think it will likely be a while. Eve is still mourning Adam, and so is Freddy. Will Freddy ever see Eve as anything more than his best friend’s girl? That’s difficult to say, something the show should likely explore in the future.

So what do you think, TV Fanatics? Is the new Frasier working for you? Do you enjoy this bit of nostalgia or simply miss the original series? And if you could ditch one character, who would it be? Clearly, for me, it’s Olivia, but I want to hear what you think.

So hit that SHOW COMMENTS button below and share your opinion.

New episodes of Frasier air Thursdays on Paramount+.

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C. Orlando is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.

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