TV and Movies

[mintedrose]

Im watching reruns of Frasier and I have to say I think Martin is a horrible father.  i know its hard for a lot of people to see it though because many relate to him or feel sorry for him but the more i watch him the more i see how terrible he is to his sons. I know many people find Frasier to be annoying, kind of a know it all or selfish but im not interested in that. Id be surprised if anyone saw that Martin is never proud of his kids accomplishments and he puts them down constantly. He thinks of Psychiartry as a "bunch of hooey". I know Frasier and Niles have their little issues about stuff but in the end seems like they end up doing the right thing most of the time. I find Martin to be selfish, barging into his sons life without a regard to his privacy or ever thanking him for taking care of him. He ends up ruining Frasier dating life and poor guy ends up being single the entire season. I wonder why. I guess thats what their relationship is supposed to be about. Frasier taking care of his dad being a good son and dad kinda out for himself considering him bringing his dates over without permission and so on. Frasier seems like he puts a lot of time and energy in trying to get close to his dad but I dont think the dad ever looked out for his sons best interest. I think he's a character thats portrayed as old fashioned ruthless father who doesnt know how to love his kids and tends to take his anger out on them. How did their mom end up with him anyway? Anyway, One can understand that they live in different worlds, dad is very blunt, not educated and lacks tact in dealing with people. I guess thats the irony of the show, Frasier being a Psychiatrist and dealing with his own father being dysfunctional.

I heard they're talking of redoing the show but i guess the dad died just this year. 

[Group 5 minus 1]

This is really interesting. You are a true thinker. I do not know the answer to your quiry,but watching rereuns of "Father Knows Best" I think Jim is not a good parent. 

[kitcat51]

All the characters in Fraiser have their faults & it's funny because the humor is based in truth & relatable...the show is pure magic because everyone is perfectly imperfect.

[beach-mom]

@mintedrose - Frasier is one of my favorite shows, so of course I have to post with you! I think Martin is a great father. He met Hester (the boys' mom) at a crime scene when she was the forensic psychologist. She showed up during a flashback on one of the episodes, played by Rita Wilson. In one episode Niles was complaining to Frasier about their dad, and asked why he was never around. Frasier replied it was maybe so they could go to the best schools and have the finer things in life. 

I think he loved his late wife and he sacrificed a lot for his sons. He also was a devoted police officer who loved his job. I also think throughout the seasons you see many times he shows his love and his pride for them. 

The series starts with Martin's moving in with Frasier because he was shot  and he can no longer live on his own. They have their moments at first, but they settle into a good life for both of them. Martin is always there for his boys when they need him.

I just love the interaction of the characters on the show. The scenes with Daphne and Niles are priceless, and the occasional appearance of Lilith. And of course there's the work crew - Roz, Bulldog, Gil, etc. And most important of all - EDDIE!

I like how they married Martin near the end of the series to the boys' former babysitter Ronee, played by the amazing Wendie Malik. 

BTW two of my favorite episodes are "Les Freres Heureux," when Frasier and Niles bought their family's favorite old restaurant and decided to run it, and "The Ski Lodge," where the brothers, Daphne, Daphne's friend Annie, Martin, and a good-looking ski instructor end up in a cabin. Martin's ear is blocked, and the others think someone else in the group is interested in them romantically. Both of these make me laugh out loud! 

Did you know they're remaking Frasier too? I don't know how that will work. I heard it involves Freddy, now grown, going into practice with his father. I guess we'll see, though personally, I'm not a fan of all of these "reboots"! 

[mintedrose]

@beach-mom yes, Frasier is my favorite character on the show but i still feel Martin is a mediocre father. Ive seen the episodes you're talking about and maybe he's worked hard for his family but thats what fathers do. That shouldnt be an obligation to hold over them, perhaps he uses guilt as a mechanism to get sympathy out of them. I see things a bit different i guess and dont think good fathers behave the way he does. He does barge in to live in with Frasier without a regard to his personal life. I mean Frasier didnt have to take him in, he just did that to have a better relationship with him which sorta works but as the expense of his own personal life. The way he ruins Frasier dating life bothers me. The poor guy is dying to find the one and has no luck what so ever. I feel like he's always so busy trying to reconsile Niles or Martin's relationships that he cant have time for his own. I mean he's a grown man and he cant have a date over to his place without the dad butting in about something. Ive seen this happen in the real world too often and thats why he bugs me. I find Martin to be disrespectful to whats important to his kids, not really understanding where they're coming from or really being a nurturing father. But i guess that plays into his character of being a pure simpleton. The show is funny nonetheless.  

[Pook]

He was proud of his sons - just didn't display it.  That is the way many many men were raised.  They pretty much left the raising of the kids to the mom and provided well for them.  That is what I saw in most families while I was growing up.  Men were raised to not show displays of real emotion.  I saw the sons to be selfish snobs who made fun of their dad at every turn and were not proud of his job as policeman and thankful thay they were given great opportunities in life because of it.  No family is perfect and it showed that.   

[violann]

What a FUN TOPIC! 

I’m the first ever in my family to attend college, and still after many decades the first to acquire a Master’s degree.

I get the interaction among the characters in the show completely.

The only really meaningful importance to my degree among the members of my blue color/clerical Depression Era family was that I started my career at a higher salary they’d ever imagined. 

What I actually DID to make my salary was pretty much “hooey”. 

Did I know that they loved me? UNQUESTIONABLY! 

Did I develop a layer of thicker “skin” concerning my “fit” in the family vs. my “fit” in the world?

SURE I DID, but in retrospect I think it actually did me more good than harm.

I see Martin as a man who did what he thought was right by his sons, allowed them what to him were their unusual and incomprehensible proclivities, and ignored the rest.

Whatever the gulf between their worlds and his, there was a simple but unbreakable strand of affection and nonverbal respect among the three of them.

He was courageous in his tenacity for simple and sentimental references to their mutual past, at the same time reacting with his ascerbic but bemused tolerance for what there was about his sons that he found unfathomable.

One of my all time top favorite series.

[TX-starlight]

@beach-mom I love how you outlined your post!! I'm in love with Martin! I never watched Frazier when it was a regular series. I only found & started watching the last 1-2 yrs on TVLand. It's hilarious! I live alone & will often scream out loud laughing, (sometimes I fear my neighbors will thinks I am in danger,lol). I especially like how leading up to the ending of the series, with Daphne & Niles getting married, then Martin & Ronni getting together. martin had some interesting relationships! Frazier seemed to bed-hop, a LOT!!

I don't believe the re-boot will go over. 

[cookinfreak]

I LOVE Frasier and still laugh at the shows I have seen several times. As far as analyzing the characters, it was a tv show and written to be funny.

cookin

[kaydee50]

Completely DISAGREE with the OP assessment.  Frazier, his father and all the other characters, to me, are real.  They have their quirks--2 psychiatrists have more neuroses than any of the other characters--but they relate to each other and truly care about each other.

I had parents who were not quick to praise so I can relate to Martin and how he treats his sons.

I don't think it should be brought back.  It would be very difficult to recreate the characters of the original.