Roz gives Frasier a lucky penny as a talisman for Frederick's competition in the National Spelling Bee, but Frasier doesn't want Freddy to think he needs luck. Frasier coaches Freddy the night before the big competition and Martin worries that Frasier is putting too much pressure on the boy. Niles and Daphne wish Freddy good luck since they won't be able to attend. Frasier tells Freddy that Niles was once a champion speller. At the National Spelling Bee, Niles was the last one standing, but he walked off stage without spelling the final word. No one really knows why he did it. Martin and Frasier are in the audience to see Freddy win. During the celebration party afterwards, Spelling Bee official Bernard Gadston (Philip Casnoff) stops by to accuse Frasier of cheating. John, father of second-place contestant Warren took videotape of the event and, while watching it, saw Frasier spelling out the words silently. Freddy protests that he didn't look at Frasier, but Bernard Gadston is forced to take the trophy. Frasier is filled with guilt from ruining Freddy's big day. Frasier wants to fix the matter somehow and talks to a lawyer, but Martin tells Frasier he must let the situation go. Niles tells Freddy that, years ago, he walked off the stage because winning had become unimportant to him. Niles knew in his heart that he could do it and that was all the accomplishment he needed. Freddy tells Frasier that he wants to go to the celebration banquet and hold his head up. John annoys Frasier at the banquet by being condescending and Freddy loses his temper when Warren calls him a cheater. The crowd agitates for another spell-off between the two to settle the matter, but Bernard Gadston refuses. Everyone goes outside, but Niles encourages Freddy to be the bigger man and walk away. Warren's insults even get to Niles, however, and Niles then encourages Freddy to humiliate Warren by beating him again. watch
Roz gives Frasier a lucky penny as a talisman for Frederick's competition in the National Spelling Bee, but Frasier doesn't want Freddy to think he needs luck. Frasier coaches Freddy the night before the big competition and Martin worries that Frasier is putting too much pressure on the boy. Niles and Daphne wish Freddy good luck since they won't be able to attend. Frasier tells Freddy that Niles was once a champion speller. At the National Spelling Bee, Niles was the last one standing, but he walked off stage without spelling the final word. No one really knows why he did it. Martin and Frasier are in the audience to see Freddy win. During the celebration party afterwards, Spelling Bee official Bernard Gadston (Philip Casnoff) stops by to accuse Frasier of cheating. John, father of second-place contestant Warren took videotape of the event and, while watching it, saw Frasier spelling out the words silently. Freddy protests that he didn't look at Frasier, but Bernard Gadston is forced to take the trophy. Frasier is filled with guilt from ruining Freddy's big day. Frasier wants to fix the matter somehow and talks to a lawyer, but Martin tells Frasier he must let the situation go. Niles tells Freddy that, years ago, he walked off the stage because winning had become unimportant to him. Niles knew in his heart that he could do it and that was all the accomplishment he needed. Freddy tells Frasier that he wants to go to the celebration banquet and hold his head up. John annoys Frasier at the banquet by being condescending and Freddy loses his temper when Warren calls him a cheater. The crowd agitates for another spell-off between the two to settle the matter, but Bernard Gadston refuses. Everyone goes outside, but Niles encourages Freddy to be the bigger man and walk away. Warren's insults even get to Niles, however, and Niles then encourages Freddy to humiliate Warren by beating him again. watch
This unique episode, told from the point of view of the missing person's parents, expresses the emotional anguish of the mother and father of a missing 15-year-old boy as the team does its best to find him. Susan (multiple Emmy Award winner LAURIE METCALF - 'Roseanne') and Larry (MATT CRAVEN - 'Crimson Tide') Hopkins desperately call the authorities when they realize their son, Shawn (JOSH WISE), has missed his curfew. But the team's involvement ends up adding to the Hopkins' feelings of powerlessness, angst and frustration, especially when they're questioned as potential suspects in Shawn's disappearance. They begin to resent the team for the seemingly slow pace of the investigation and for not relaying every twist, turn and procedure involved in the search. Additionally, the Hopkins begin to turn against each other when the team's findings make it clear that Shawn has been involved in much more than the parents ever knew or imagined. watch