Slow Tango In South Seattle is the premiere of Season 2 of Frasier.
Synopsis[]
LOW KEY – Frasier's foray into manhood becomes a best-seller! Frasier fumes after Thomas Jay Fallow (guest star John O'Hurley), a Boston bar buddy he once helped overcome writer's block, turns the confidential story of Frasier's initiation into manhood by his older piano teacher into a best-selling, romantic novella.
Plot[]
A romantic novel, Slow Tango in South Seattle, has become a bestseller, captivating female readers all over Seattle. When Frasier catches Roz reading it, he recognizes the author, Thomas Jay Fallow, as someone he knew from Cheers and helped work through his writing block ("In the future, I'll remember to use my power for good and not for evil"). Later, Frasier finds out what the book is about and is furious to learn that the story is based on the story of how he lost his virginity to his older piano teacher, Clarice Warner, before he went to college, something he had told Fallow in confidence and which Fallow didn't acknowledge in the book. When Fallow is interviewed by a book show on KACL, Frasier listens in and gives Fallow a chance to tell the truth. When he just says "the story was given to him by God", Frasier is outraged. Confronting him after the broadcast, Frasier finds out that Fallow apparently just forgot about Frasier telling him the story, driving Fallow to tears.
Back at his apartment, Frasier finds out that Fallow went on to publicly correct his mistake and give Frasier credit after their confrontation. However, Frasier still doesn't feel satisfied. Daphne, who has started reading the book, walks in and shames Frasier for how the romance in the book ends, with him leaving Miss Warner after a night of passion without even saying goodbye, only leaving behind a rose. Niles points out, as Frasier realizes, that his anger towards Fallow was just him misdirecting his shame of how he broke it off with Miss Warner. Frasier ruminates on this, reading the book again, and eventually goes to Ms Warner's house to apologize. He finds an old woman there playing the piano and assumes her to be Ms Warner. He apologizes to her for his actions and thanks her for her contribution to his life, even though she doesn't remember any of it. It turns out that the woman Frasier has been talking to is not Clarice Warner, but her mother, and Clarice herself has aged very well. Frasier apologizes again, but Clarice doesn't hold any grudge against him. Frasier asks her out for coffee, hoping to rekindle their relationship since the age difference isn't a problem anymore. She turns him down and it turns out that she is dating a man in her early 20s.
CREDITS SCENE
Frasier and Clarice's mother play the piano together, when she starts hitting on him, resulting in both of them falling onto the floor.
Starring[]
- Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane
- Jane Leeves as Daphne Moon
- David Hyde Pierce as Niles Crane
- Peri Gilpin as Roz Doyle
- and John Mahoney as Martin Crane
Special Appearance By
Guest starring
- Constance Towers as Clarice Warner
- Myra Carter as Mrs. Warner
- Edward Hibbert as Gil Chesterton
- John O'Hurley as Thomas Jay Fallow
- Susan Brown as Amber Edwards
Co-Starring
- David Cederholm as Date
- and Moose as Eddie
Guest caller
- James Spader as Steven
Quotes[]
- By God?!? Would you believe this guy's grandiosity, I'm God and he knows it!!
- —Frasier
Trivia[]
- Frasier had sex for the first time with his piano teacher, Clarice Warner
- Bulldog had sex for the first time on his 16th birthday with a hooker paid for by his father. He states all he wanted was a bike, explaining Bulldog's general oversexed behaviour stemming from the unresolved trauma of his first time.
- Frasier was established as being 41 in the first season. Assuming he is still 41 in this episode, and given that his affair with Clarice is said to be 25 years prior, he lost his virginity at 16. He also says he wasn't able to have sex again for six years, which means he didn't have a sexual partner other than Clarice until age 22.
- The celebrity caller in this episode is James Spader who, as Steven, calls in with doubts about his wife's decision to have their newborn baby share their bedroom.
- We learn that KACL features a literary show called "Book Chat" that is hosted by Amber Edwards, though no time slot is mentioned.
ALLUSIONS
- The episode title and the character of "Thomas Jay Fallow" are a parody of Robert James Waller, whose books The Bridges Of Madison County and Slow Waltz In Cedar Bend were publishing sensations in the early '90s despite being regarded by critics as lowbrow sentimentality
Photos[]
