The Bartender's Tale

This is a quintessential Bar Episode, even if some of it takes place thousands of miles away. A character walks into the bar, amuses and delights everyone, and is never seen again.

Sam has been scrambling to replace Diane, and Carla is annoyed that Sam is auditioning applicants as if they're potential dates. Lillian Huxley is the perfect choice: warm, competent, and entertaining, and not a source of sexual temptation. Sam agrees to hire Lillian, and soon the bar is echoing with bawdy songs and good times. Lillian's a hit!

Then, her daughter Carolyn - a sexy lingerie model - shows up. Sam has to resist temptation as well as deal with the advances of Lillian, who turns out to be just as randy as Sam himself.

This is a heck of a lot of fun, and Lillian is an all-time great one-episode character. Sam's attempts to navigate the affections of both mother and daughter are very funny, as is Sam's reaction when he finds out how Lillian's previous husbands died.

There's not a lot for Diane and Frasier to do in this one, but there's a funny bit when Frasier miscalculates the US-Italian currency exchange and tips a bellboy a lot more than he planned.