Frasier (TV Series) Hooping Cranes (2001) User Reviews

One of the best of the series

[nickb-22813 · 9/10 · 12 January 2022]

This episode is one of my favorites. Frasier gets tickets to a Sonics game and offers them to Martin. Niles and himself get roped into going and, after several rounds of switching seats in the arena, the former ends up throwing the halftime half-court shot. The fact that David Hyde Pierce (Niles) legitimately made the shot (after a number of takes no doubt) makes it so much more enjoyable. His stunned reaction is legitimate. Niles becomes quite popular amongst Martin's friends afterwards and his popularity makes Frasier jealous, especially after Martin quips about "having someone famous" in the house.

In other circumstances, Roz is dating a Frenchman named Jean-Pierre. Their break-up scene at Nervosa is hilarious. Frasier translates for Roz and finds that Jean-Pierre wanted to break up with Roz a few days earlier.

Jane Leeves (Daphne) is absent in this episode since offscreen she was heavily pregnant. Daphne had been written as being away at a health spa to lose weight. One can only imagine her excitement for Niles after his half-court shot victory.

LeBron, Eat Your Heart Out

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 24 October 2019]

Through a series of circumstances, Martie, Frasier, and Niles end up at a Sonics game. Niles, through a drawing, ends up taking a midcourt shot to win a truck. Of all things, he actually makes it. This leads to Frasier's usual jealousy and a funny scene at Martin's bar. Can you say, "Hand-Eye Coordination"? Not!

One of the few very good episode of the season

[twanster-97655 · 9/10 · 18 August 2019]

After niles and daph got together there was alot of "not so good eps" . You could sense the show was running on empty, despite the potential they had to carry on for longer they just rushed everything, if they had got them together sooner, without all the silly Ross and Rachel crap then we'd of had time to see them grow and they could have created different paths, stories around that.. This episode tho, is a reminder of the older seasons. Very funny. Well done and alot of good moments.

From WAY Downtown

[mattalan-84432 · 10/10 · 9 May 2018]

Redemption once again for Season 8. Loved this one

In this episode, Niles and Frasier accompany Martin to a Sonics game, but Niles is selected to do a half-court shot, he makes it, miraculously, and Frasier gets jealous.

Great episode, go watch.

Hooping Cranes

[studioAT · 2/10 · 28 October 2022]

I'm sorry, I can't agree with those who have scored this extremely highly, I thought this was a dire episode, and in fact one of the worst from what has been an overly poor series of 'Frasier' (its eighth) in general.

This episode took an awfully long time to get going, with the premise teasing so much more than it actually delivered. The 'switch seats with me' scene is painful from start to finish.

And then to cap it all off, rather than let Niles have his time in the sun Frasier becomes an absolute bore, and it all ends rather unpleasantly.

This sort of thing is below 'Frasier' as a show, and the quality has really dipped in the eighth year.