Star Mitzvah is the 6th episode of Season 10 on NBC series Frasier.
Synopsis[]
BEBE NEUWIRTH GUEST STARS AS FRASIER PREPARES FOR HIS SON'S JOURNEY INTO MANHOOD - In preparation for son Fredricks's (guest star Trevor Einhorn) Bar Mitzvah, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) makes a deal with co-worker and "Star Trek" super fan Noel (guest star Patrick Kerr) -- who promises to teach the doc enough Hebrew to deliver his speech at the ceremony, in exchange for an elusive Scott Bakula autograph. However, when Frasier fails to deliver, a distraught Noel secretly swears revenge. Meanwhile, Daphne's (Jane Leeves) discovery of some unsettling information about Niles' romantic past -- namely his night of passion with ex-sister-in-law Lilith (guest star Bebe Neuwirth) -- creates some tension with the newlyweds.
Plot[]
The episode opens with Freddie and Lilith looking at old photos of Frederick, with Lilith growing incredibly emotional at some of them, in preparation for Frederick's upcoming bar mitzvah. We learn that Frederick has been inviting as many as possible to get more presents, including Jeremy Berman, a nerdy student from his class, and Kenny and Roz at KACL. Frasier tells Roz that Frederick has asked him to give a speech at the ceremony, and he will learn to say it in Hebrew. Noel, who also got an invitation but can't make it, overhears this and offers to translate the speech and teach Frasier how to read it in Hebrew. In exchange, he wants Frasier to go to a local Star Trek convention and get him Scott Bakula's autograph; he can't go himself because of a restraining order against him from William Shatner and he doesn't trust any of his fellow Trekkies to get the autograph for him. Frasier agrees and gets a ready photo of Bakula to be signed and a plastic cover for it.
Back at Frasier's apartment, Martin has brought out his Scheerblad-7X-K camera, described by Niles as "the blindingest, noisiest, fifteen-pound camera ever produced in the former Soviet Union" and whose flash always produces a blinding light, followed by the camera making a high pitched whining sound. When Frasier arrives, Niles tells him that a famous artist is having a show in town the next day. Frasier hesitates to go because it's the same time that he has to go to the Star Trek convention for Noel, but decides to go to the show and leave early to get the autograph. When the conversation becomes about Lilith, Frasier makes a reference to Niles and hers ill-conceived one-night stand in "Room Service", something that Daphne hadn't heard about until now. When Frasier also accidentally reveals a make-out session Niles had with a woman at a museum, he hits the camera and runs away while Niles, Daphne and Martin are blinded by the flash.
The next week, back at KACL, Noel asks about the autograph, and Frasier admits that he went to the art show and, even though he did leave early as planned, the traffic on the way to the convention kept him from getting there in time. Noel is upset, but still agrees to teach Frasier his speech in Hebrew... until Frasier leaves, at which point he vows to get revenge on him. On the day of the bar mitzvah, Roz is running a "Best of Crane episode" while taking care of Eddie. Noel drops by and tries to flirt with Roz, who gives him a package Frasier had left for him. It turns out to contain a sincere apology note and a wig that had been worn by Joan Collins when she appeared in the classic Star Trek episode "The City on the Edge of Forever". Moved by this, Noel starts trying to call Frasier, revealing to Roz that he taught Frasier to read his speech in Klingon instead of Hebrew.
At the bar mitzvah, Frasier gets the call in the middle of the ceremony, ignores it and turns off his phone. Lilith joins Frederick on the lectern and tries to read her tribute speech to him, but breaks into emotional tears when she thinks about Frederick's childhood. Seeing this, Daphne playfully teases Niles about their one-nighter again. Frasier then goes up and reads his speech in Klingon. When everyone is confused by this, Jeremy Berman recognizes the language and tells everyone, prompting Frasier to walk off in embarrassment. With the ceremony finished, Jeremy goes to Frederick and translates the Klingon into English. Frederick is very moved by the loving speech, sharing a hug with his parents afterwards.
Credits[]
A montage of the pictures Martin took with his camera, with the subjects always being blinded by the intense flash, and a final picture where Frasier apparently comes at Martin to take away the camera.
Starring[]
- Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane
- Jane Leeves as Daphne Moon
- David Hyde Pierce as Niles Crane
- Peri Gilpin as Roz Doyle
- John Mahoney as Martin Crane
Special Guest Star
Recurring cast
Guest starring
- Corey Fischer as Rabbi
Trivia[]
- Niles prom date was named Margaret Coover
- Apparently Niles made out with Anna-Marie Hanratty from the Natural History Museum
- Behind the scenes, Marc Okrand was contacted to provide an authentic Klingon language version of Frasier's speech. While four words were accidentally omitted in the aired episode, it is nevertheless still valid Klingon. Transcripts and closed captions use a phonetic version of the speech rather than the proper Klingon spellings. Using correct spelling, the speech as said in this episode would be written as follows;
- puqloDwI' le'qu' -- Hoch jaj choquvmoH. lenglIj lutebjaj lengwIjvaD bel rap Sov Danobpu'bogh.