Frasier Season 2 Episode 9 Review, Recap, Cast Photos

Review Score: 8.2 – Frasier Season 2 Episode 9 features Dr. Crane attending a ‘surprise’ murder mystery party and trying to ‘look cool’ for his date simultaneously. A seemingly impossible task on “Murder Most Finch”.

Warning: This Frasier Season 2 Episode 9 recap and review contains spoilers.

Kelsey Grammer as Frasier and Patricia Heaton as Holly in Frasier (2024), episode 9, season 2 streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo credit: Chris Haston/Paramount+

“Murder Most Finch” begins with Frasier reconnecting with Valentine’s Day bartender Holly who we last saw in Season 2 Episode 2 (“Cyrano, Cyrano“). Holly, who is played by actress Patricia Heaton, goes past dropping hints and makes it clear she’s now available & interested in Frasier romantically.

It almost feels like Holly is a Roz Doyle surrogate because she physically resembles Roz, has a sarcastic sense of humor, and likes sports. * I even had to do a double take when Holly was in costume later this episode to make sure it wasn’t Roz.

Kelsey Grammer as Frasier and Patricia Heaton as Holly in Frasier, episode 9, season 2 streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo credit: Chris Haston/Paramount+

Holly takes Frasier to a hockey game, not exactly the good doctor’s forte but he makes the most of the occasion.

Kelsey Grammer as Frasier and Patricia Heaton as Holly in Frasier, episode 9, season 2 streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo credit: Chris Haston/Paramount+

Frasier would soon learn Holly dated a popular ‘cool’ hockey player before him, and feel the need to close the gap of coolness the rest of the episode. It’s a lost cause for Frasier, like pushing a boulder up a hill alone and taking a break midway.

L-R: Nicholas Lyndhurst as Alan, Patricia Heaton as Holly, Kelsey Grammer as Frasier, Toks Olagundoye as Olivia and Peri Gilpin as Roz in Frasier, episode 9, season 2 streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo credit: Chris Haston/Paramount+

Without thinking of the snobby implications, Frasier asks Olivia if he can bring along Holly along for her so-called ‘olive oil’ tasting party. Not considering if someone like Holly would even enjoy the stuffy environment of hanging out with an elitist gang of professors from Harvard University.

Toks Olagundoye as Olivia in Frasier 209 cast. Streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo credit: Chris Haston/Paramount+

Alan Cornwall would be suspicious about the lack of olive oil present at Olivia’s party and the absence of Olivia herself. It’s then it dawned on Alan that the party wasn’t an olive oil tasting affair at all but his ‘worst nightmare’. A murder mystery party! This could be Nicholas Lyndhurst’s best episode as Alan, his one liners are just comedy gold here.

Particularly, the line where Alan tells Olivia if they were truly in the vintage period he’d be dead at over 60 so he should be allowed to leave the party.

L-R: Toks Olagundoye as Olivia Finch, Jess Salgueiro as Eve and Jack Cutmore-Scott as Freddy in Frasier season 2 episode 9 photo. Streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo credit: Chris Haston/Paramount+

Everything is seemingly going wrong for Olivia as the complaints from party guests pile up and her ice sculpture of the Brontë sisters ends up being a Brontosaurus.

L-R: Paolo Andino as Grimsby, Toks Olagundoye as Olivia and Kelsey Grammer as Frasier in Frasier revival season 2 episode 9 streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo credit: Chris Haston/Paramount+

Olivia is constantly corrected by Grimsby. Meanwhile, Frasier feels second hand embarrassment at being at such an ‘uncool’ party with Holly. When he implores Holly to speak with his son, Eve and Roz instead of the elitist crowd, Frasier feels even more exposed.

Frasier thinks Freddy is setting him up asking about the Carolina Panthers, saying “Come on Freddy you know there’s no Panthers team!” before realizing his mistake in real-time.

L-R: Paolo Andino as Grimsby, Toks Olagundoye as Olivia and Kelsey Grammer as Frasier in Frasier reboot episode 9, season 2 streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo credit: Chris Haston/Paramount+

Frasier finally has enough of the party while reading his character introduction card which describes him as being ‘full of disease’. The lights go out and Olivia finds her dollhouse destroyed. Party over. But who did it?

Kelsey Grammer as Frasier in Frasier episode 9, season 2 streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo credit: Chris Haston/Paramount+

A real ‘Whodunit mystery’, Clue style has dawned upon the party guests. Frasier doesn’t let anyone leave until he can figure out the true culprit who ruined Olivia’s murder mystery party.

L-R: Parvesh Cheena as Sharma, Patricia Heaton as Holly, Peri Gilpin as Roz, Anders Keith as David, and Kelsey Grammer as Frasier in Frasier episode 9, season 2 streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo credit: Chris Haston/Paramount+

In a surprise to the most obvious culprit, it’s discovered it’s not Alan. Frasier reveals that Alan has been taking notes all night and actually loves murder mystery parties! He just didn’t want Olivia to know they had something in common.

L-R: Nicholas Lyndhurst as Alan, Toks Olagundoye as Olivia, Paolo Andino as Grimsby and Kelsey Grammer as Frasier in Frasier episode 9, season 2 streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo credit: Chris Haston/Paramount+

I won’t reveal the true guilty party here. But Eve’s deductions in particular were quite clever. As is Frasier’s regarding Holly’s shoes.

In the end, Holly had a great time with Frasier because he was genuinely enjoying himself. He didn’t need to be her ex, he just needed to be himself after all.

L-R: Patricia Heaton as Holly and Kelsey Grammer as Frasier in Frasier season 2 episode 9 cast streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo credit: Chris Haston/Paramount+

More Frasier Recaps, Reviews, and Interviews:

Toks Olagundoye as Olivia and Kelsey Grammer as Frasier in Frasier, episode 9, season 2 streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo credit: Chris Haston/Paramount+

Be sure to read:

– Saul Rubinek Interview: Frasier Reboot, Donny and Daphne

– Frasier Season 2 Episode 5 Recap, Review: Bebe is Amazing

– Frasier Season 2 Episode 8 Recap, Photos: Bulldog’s Return

– Frasier (2023) Episode 10 Recap, Cast, Photos: A Roz Christmas

L-R: Peri Gilpin as Roz, Kelsey Grammer as Frasier in Frasier and Nicholas Lyndhurst as Alan in episode 9, season 2 streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo credit: Chris Haston/Paramount+

Visit the Frasier section for more plot summaries!

Article Copyright:

– All content on The Natural Aristocrat® is Copyright © 2016-2024 TheNaturalAristocrat.com. All rights reserved. This includes (but not limited to) ALL text in this article.

No part of this website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified, adapted, or excerpted in any way without the prior written consent and permission of The Natural Aristocrat® author Nir Regev.