writing

Writing – Season 3

Podcast Episode Synopsis: Flashbacks, a pom kapoose, and smoking, oh my.

This flashback episode is really elegantly executed. The writers do a really good job of reminding us where Frasier was three seasons ago and showing how important those relationships that we have learned to love are and how far they have come. Also, a nod to the actors who are able to get back into older versions of their characters quite seamlessly.

I love professor Lauren. She is super smart and great. And you know what else I love? “Look Before You Leap.” It’s a truly wonderful episode. I wish I could always be watching it. Something we never really discuss about this episode is that Daphne’s haircut is just her hair blown up like Roz’s in “The Innkeepers,” it’s not a haircut at all.

I am very glad we got to get into the “Buttons and Bows” of it all. I truly never knew any of these things before looking into this. I think The Paleface needs to be thrown into the sea.

Fraiser performing "Buttons and Bows"
“…and blow my nose, I’m all yours in buttons and bows”

Ah, intertitles. They are great, and very hard to talk about. But I thank Lauren for putting up with my game and wildly guessing at plots of things. She is a real sport.

A black intertitle card with white text reads "Huh?"
An intertitle from “Look Before You Leap”, Season 3, Episode 16

I think we all could use a spinoff of the life of Bebe and Big Willy, if he had lived. But really, don’t smoke, no matter how well Bebe sells it.

Bebe Glazer gives her smoking speech
The GREAT Harriet Sansom Harris. Season 3, Episode 21.

Episodes to check out

“Look Before You Leap” and “Where There’s Smoke There’s Fired”

Writing – Season 2

Welcome to the show notes for the Writing episode of Season 2 of Café Nervosa. We hope you enjoy the podcast!

Podcast Episode Synopsis: Professor Lauren teaches us all about writing stuff. She is real smart.

As always, this episode is important and good, but hard to make funny because it’s about analyzing writing. We do our best for you, but hopefully you don’t mind mostly learning.

The episode “An Affair to Forget” has such great writing in the climactic mistranslation scene because it is never out of control, no matter how big and broad the situation gets. There are big laughs, a lot of story, translations, action, and emotion. It’s an impressive feat.

We introduce my fave new character on the podcast: Professor Lauren. Guys, Lauren is wicked smart and knows about writing, so listen up. She goes into how this show is structured from a writing perspective and teaches us all about why that matters. We also get to meet a much less illustrious person: Professor Taryn. [Ed’s note: the title “Junior Professor” will do just fine.] She is pretty good too.

Please enjoy the part of the podcast where I explain jokes. And then Lauren gets to talk spoonerisms. Yeah, that’s right, she gets to use the phrase “language device”. So you are welcome.

Here is the link to the Oral History of Frasier that Lauren mentions: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/09/frasier-25th-anniversary-oral-history. It’s a great read and gives hardcore fans (like us!) a look behind the scenes at how lovingly the show was made. You get hints throughout about how awesome the show is, but it’s wonderful hear from the makers that it was a labour of love.

Honestly, the joke I leave with is one of my favourites of the entire season. I love when people use words incorrectly, or have alternate, totally makes sense, definitions for them. Trite and true. Crap, it’s funny to me.

Episodes to Check Out

“The Innkeepers” and “Someone to Watch Over Me”

Taryn’s Patented Lilith Count

1, during the intertitles talk. Phew.

Pass the Bottle Episode (Writing, Season 1)

Welcome to the show notes for the Writing episode of Season 1 of Café Nervosa. We hope you enjoy the podcast!

Podcast Episode Synopsis: Talking about writing is generally less than thrilling but it is important, so hang in there while we talk about things like joke structure and bottle episodes

Please stay with us guys, this show is superbly written and we want to talk about it as best we can without being suuuuuper boring.

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