take a leap

My favorite leap year memory (I guess I've only had a few) involves watching Frasier with my Dad a few years back (yes, he's a frasier fan too). The episode, poignantly titled "Look Before You Leap", was in my opinion, of the best Frasier episodes I've seen up to that point. It starts off with Frasier pointing out that Feb. 29th was one of the most special days, as it's a gift once every four years. He goes on to make a point of asking everyone in his household to "take a leap" and do something that they wouldn't normally do.

This is an example of good intentions going wrong, as is often the case for Frasier. Every once in a while, Frasier gets an idea in his head that he will try to apply to the lives of those around in others. Of course, in a classic example of Murphy's law at work, this day will inevitable go wrong. He pushes his father, Martin, into going to an old friend's birthday party, persuades Niles not to go groveling back to his estranged wife, talks Roz into giving an on-air shoutout to a cute guy she met on the bus, and sways Daphne into trying out the hairstyle she's always fancied. Lastly, he himself decides to sing a challenging aria for the PBS pledge drive that night.

Martin ends up having plane trouble, Niles gets even more frustrated at his situation, Roz's guy turns out to be married, and Daphne ends up with a horrific perm. It got so bad that Frasier ends up calling off his aria and going with something easier (Buttons and Bows), which he can't remember the words to. The episode isn't necessarily saying that you shouldn't take chances, as Frasier ends up backing out of his "Leap" and it ends up such a disaster anyways that it winds up cheering up the others after their miserable failures.

It's a pretty funny episode, and makes a really funny outcome out of a combination of disasters that befall Frasier's friends and family. If you ever get a chance, do look it up on youtube, you won't regret it. I know...a lot of people think that Frasier isn't for everyone, but hey, it's a leap year. Take a leap!