After all, he says, people know the difference between constructive criticism and outright abuse. Dr. Nora Fairchild. Dr. Nora is polished and professional as she listens to her first caller, Jenny, who is having trouble with her live-in boyfriend. Frasier is aghast as Mrs. Mulherne locks everyone else out of the studio and Roz is overcome with joy as Dr. Nora is reduced to tears by her mother's abuse and demands for money from Nora. Frasier is on the air with a woman, Denise. Frasier storms out, vowing to make war on Dr. Nora. Frasier tells Niles that he is interviewing therapists for an available radio slot at KACL -- the station is hiring another call-in psychiatrist for a one-week trial period, and Frasier has been asked to choose among the finalists. Frasier: Mrs. Mulhern-
Mulhern: [shoves him out and locks the door] Keep out of this! Frasier: Oh, gosh, it's just so much fun to have a protégé. Frasier: [ecstatic] She's a GYM TEACHER! Frasier: [hits "On Air"] Hello, this is Dr. Frasier Crane. He begins taking Nora to task for her unhelpful, moralistic criticisms of her callers, but Nora will have none of it. He greets her frostily and is about to deliver some diplomatic criticism when Roz weighs in with the blunt, name-calling approach, defending the honor of a single mother who called the day before only to be abused by Dr. Nora. He plans to have a word with her at the station the next day -- tell her to soften her approach before she alienates her audience. He pushes Roz out of the booth and turns on Nora. I caught her show yesterday, and that certainly seemed to be a hot-button issue. Just make it work! Kenny: "Bumpy?" Martin: She has a mustache? Martin: Well, it's nice to have someone stand up for old-fashioned values. Niles marvels at Frasier's positive attitude about something that could be perceived as a threat to his position, but Frasier is flattered that the station wants even more of what he has to offer. Niles: Frasier, was that the author Dr. Gordon Edelstein? Niles: Wouldn't want to be the chubby kid in that gym class. Nora screams like a madwoman. Right, Roz?! She complimented his clothes, his looks, she even pretended to believe I was the older brother. You know, Dr. Nora is clearly a damaged and angry woman. [opens the file] For starters, she has no medical degree.
Plan: A: Café Nervosa; Q: Where is Frasier interviewing candidates for a new radio psychiatrist? A: Dr. Gordon Edelstein; Q: Who did Frasier think was the unbeatable contender for the new radio psychiatrist position? A: his work; Q: What does Niles know about Dr. Edelstein? A: the older brother; Q: What does Nora Fairchild think Niles is? A: a protégé; Q: What does Frasier feel proud to have? A: old-fashioned values; Q: What does Nora Fairchild advocate? A: so much constructive criticism; Q: What does Nora's approach to therapy not seem to be? A: outright abuse; Q: What is Nora's approach to therapy? A: a factor; Q: What does the fact that Frasier retracted his recommendation turn out to be no longer? A: so much attention; Q: Why does Kenny want to keep Dr. Nora on? A: Kenny; Q: Who wants to keep Dr. Nora on the air? A: Frasier's advice; Q: What does Nora criticize on air? A: every opportunity; Q: How often does Nora threaten to embarrass Frasier? A: Roz; Q: Who is able to find proof that Nora is a hypocrite? A: war; Q: What do Frasier and Roz declare when Nora Fairchild criticizes him? A: a medical degree; Q: What does Nora Fairchild not have? A: a gym teacher; Q: What is Nora's profession? A: second thoughts; Q: What does Frasier have about stooping to Nora's level? A: Nora's abusive approach; Q: What did Nora's mother reveal to be a problem with? A: a terrible idea; Q: What did Niles' plan to find Nora's mother turn out to be? A: bloody murder; Q: What does Nora Fairchild cry out of KACL? A: her monstrous mother; Q: Who chases Nora out of KACL? A: dozens; Q: How many times does Nora's mother abuse her? Summary: Frasier is in Café Nervosa interviewing candidates for a new radio psychiatrist at KACL, whose show will run alongside his own. He thinks he has found an unbeatable contender (Dr. Gordon Edelstein), and Niles, who knows his work, expects him to be right. In the end, however, he recommends Dr. Nora Fairchild, who spends most of her interview paying him compliments, even pretending to think Niles is the older brother. Frasier feels proud to have a protégé, until he actually hears her in action. She turns out to be an advocate of old-fashioned values, condemning pre-marital sex, divorce, single parenthood and the like, and her approach to therapy is not so much constructive criticism as outright abuse. Frasier is embarrassed and angry and withdraws his recommendation, however it turns out that this is no longer a factor; Dr. Nora attracts so much attention (positive and negative) that Kenny wants to keep her on and decides to make her a permanent fixture. When she openly criticises Frasier's advice to one particular caller on air and makes clear her intention to undermine and embarrass him at every opportunity, he and Roz decide on a declaration of war. Roz is able to find proof that Nora is a hypocrite and doesn't even have a medical degree of any kind- she is a gym teacher instead, but Frasier has second thoughts about stooping to Nora's level. Fortunately, Niles has been listening to this caller and the way Dr. Nora dealt with her, and he has a more subtle way of approaching the problem: find her mother and use her to find the problems with Nora's abusive approach. That turned out to be a terrible idea as she reveals herself to be much, much worse than Nora, abusing her on the air and causing Nora to scream and cry bloody murder out of KACL with her monstrous mother in pursuit, with it heavily implied to have happened dozens of times before.