Unlike it's predecessor Cheers, Frasier was a series that took a deep look at the emotional frailty of humans. Each episode, whether it involved Dr. Frasier Crane speaking over the radio waves to thousands of listeners, or interacting with his family and romantic interests, explored the inner workings of human behavioral patterns to try to make sense of their causality and repercussions.
Though the show was designed in some ways to be analyzed just as much as it was about analysis, it revealed the flaws of all of its characters for the world to see. Frasier wasn't an infallible paragon simply because he was a psychiatrist (in fact the opposite), and his father didn't know best just because he'd been a cop. Niles was a psychiatrist as well and knew better than to give into his baser human impulses, but that didn't stop him from slipping up. Without further ado, here are the worst things the main characters of Frasier have done.
FRASIER: LEAD ON MULTIPLE WOMEN
In many ways it's difficult to pick the most egregious thing Frasier has ever done, because he so often stuck his nose into the business of others, and mucked it up to such a degree that a simple problem became an enormous calamity. This happened nearly every episode.
Frasier has slept with his boss. He's slept with a caller's girlfriend. He's had three dates in one night that he thought he could juggle, without regard to the feelings of any of the women involved once they found out. All these incidents are examples of the worst thing he did on the show, which was lead women on, and then have a morality crisis about it.
NILES: CREEPED ON DAPHNE FROM AFAR
While most people view the lovestory between Frasier's fastidious brother Niles and the lovably crass caregiver Daphne Moon as romantic, its origins are rooted in some unnerving behavior. From the first few episodes when Niles met Daphne, he developed an unhealthy obsession that would carry itself out for seven seasons.
What began as cute longing looks and the occasional peak down her blouse turned into being jealous of Frasier's 11-year old son Frederick for spending time with her, counting the steps to her bedroom, fantasizing about her as a married man, asking her about her sex life, and driving away potential dates.
MARTIN: INSISTED ON BRINGING "THE CHAIR"
Martin Crane was drastically different from his sons. Where they were fussy lovers of opera, theater, gourmet food, and home decorating, he liked fishing, drinking beer, and watching the ballgame on TV. He also loved his EZ chair, an obnoxious green and brown striped eyesore he insisted on bringing into Frasier's apartment in Season 1.
Frasier's apartment was meticulously arranged in an "eclectic" style, with furniture and art pieces carefully selected from all over the world. Martin making grand speeches about all the memories tied to his chair and why it should reside right in the middle of the room was the cause of many arguments on the series.
DAPHNE: ABANDONED DONNY ON THEIR WEDDING DAY
As much as viewers may have wanted to see Daphne and Niles get together, it was the way in which they went about it that tainted their romantic victory. Daphne was supposed to be married to Donny in the Season 7 finale, but she chose at the last minute to run off with Niles, who had finally itted his feelings for her.
Once you get over the initial elation of cheering the two lovebirds, you realize that Daphne left her longtime boyfriend at the alter. Not only was he devastated, he'd helped all of her family from England be flown in for the occasion, and booked a beautiful venue. She ultimately went back and explained everything, but Donnie never got over it.
ROZ: SLEPT WITH FRASIER
Frasier's producer at KACL, Roz Doyle, was a woman that had no shame in recounting her long list of lovers. She was a modern woman, and she had needs. But she never set her sights on Frasier, until a moment of weakness in the series later seasons.
Though it had almost happened once before, Frasier and Roz had decided to remain friendly and professional. When it finally did happen, it almost ruined their relationship. That, and the season finale cliff hanger of Season 10 made Roz force Frasier to choose between her and his new girlfriend Julia, which was very out of character for her.
BULLDOG: USED ROZ AS A HUMAN SHIELD
Bob "Bulldog" Brisco isn't known for being the most standup character on Frasier. He's a womanizer, a hothead, and he mercilessly mocks Frasier any chance he gets. But there was a time when the worst came out in Bulldog, and it wasn't pretty.
In the episode "Bad Dog", when a robber holds up Cafe Nervosa, Bulldog grabs Roz to use as a human shield against being shot. He knocks over a cup of coffee in the process, which scalds the robber and thwarts his attack. Bulldog is hailed as a hero, while Frasier (who saw everything) has to pressure him to confess.
GIL: TRYING TO STEAL FRASIER'S TIME SLOT
Gil Chesterton, the prancing food critic at KACL was just one of many colorful personalities that made up the station's on-air hosts. Gil is similar to Frasier in many respects; he's pretentious, snobby, and generally acts as though his opinion is superior than everyone else's around him (especially about gourmet food).
When we first meet Gil in the finale of Season 1, he's actually already doing his worst stunt on the show; trying to take Frasier's time slot at the station. Frasier is out sick, and Gil avails himself of his coworker's absence to move in on the desirable spot.
KENNY: CHEATED ON HIS WIFE
The station manager that remained the longest at KACL was Kenny, a people-pleaser who wanted his employees to like him more than he wanted to discipline them. Which is why it was so surprising when it was revealed in the episode "Hungry Heart" that he was going to cheat on his wife.
He arrived at Frasier's apartment to declare he'd made a date with a woman who wasn't his wife. Frasier agrees to go to the restaurant and break it off for him. He finds a single woman there, but it isn't Kenny's mystery woman, it's his wife who chased her off. Frasier ends up asking her out, making an already bad situation worse.
NOEL: TAUGHT FRASIER KLINGON
Not many Frasier fans liked Season 10, but it had a few shining moments, especially the episode where Noel got to finally have his day. In exchange for Frasier getting him Captain Kirk's autograph at a Star Trek convention, he agrees to teach Frasier how to give his speech at his son's Barmitzvah in Hebrew.
Frasier doesn't make it to the convention to get the autograph, so Noel exacts his vengeance like a Klingon blood oath; he teaches The Doc his speech in a foreign language alright, but that language is Klingon. Frasier, Frederick, and the entire assembly at the Barmitzvah are mortified.
LILITH: SLEPT WITH FRASIER'S BROTHER
Lilith is aptly named for her insidious ways, as well as her wiles. Though she may come off a bit frosty, she can express surprising tenderness. In a moment of weakness in Season 5, she seeks comfort initially in Frasier's embrace, but as he vows to never fall into the viper nest of her love again, she finds it with Niles.
Both her and Niles share the blame, and Frasier is surprisingly forgiving of the two of them after the initial feelings of shock and betrayal. It's even the source of a few jokes in Season 8 when Daphne and Niles eventually start a relationship.