Ep 14. The Ski Lodge

The Ski Lodge episode of Frasier's fifth season finds the Crane family and their friends embarking on a weekend ski trip. Frasier has organized the trip in an effort to win the affections of his co-worker, the attractive but reserved Laura, though he is not the only one vying for her attention. Niles, Frasier's equally lovelorn brother, has come along with his wife Maris, who refuses to hit the slopes due to a phobia of cold weather. Rounding out the group are Martin, Frasier and Niles' father, his girlfriend Sherry, and the Crane's housekeeper Daphne.

The weekend starts off innocently enough, with the group settling into their luxurious cabin and planning their activities for the next day. However, tensions soon arise when it becomes clear that both Frasier and Niles have eyes for Laura, who seems oblivious to their advances. To make matters worse, Sherry is insistent on spicing up the trip by adding alcohol to the mix, which only serves to worsen the already-frayed nerves of the group.

As the night wears on, the group's romantic interests become increasingly tangled, with Laura sending out mixed signals to both Frasier and Niles. Matters come to a head when the group decides to play a game of "I Never", a drinking game in which players admit to things they have never done, revealing secrets about themselves along the way. The game quickly devolves into a competitive battle of one-upmanship, with each participant trying to shock the others with their revelations.

The tension comes to a head in the episode's climactic scene, in which Frasier, Niles, and Laura find themselves alone in a bedroom after a near-miss on the ski slopes. The three engage in a flirtatious conversation that seems to leave things unresolved, with each character unsure of the others' intentions. The episode ends on a cliffhanger, leaving fans wondering how the tangled web of romantic intrigue will eventually be resolved.

Overall, The Ski Lodge is an entertaining and memorable episode of Frasier that showcases the show's trademark wit and clever writing. The episode's strong character development and intricate plot twists keep viewers on the edge of their seats, while its humorous dialogue and memorable one-liners make it a standout in the series' fifth season. Fans of the show won't want to miss this classic episode, which is sure to leave them eager for more of Frasier's trademark comedic hijinks.