During the start of the ninth season, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) is stuck at a romantic crossroads, torn between his devoted lover Claire (Patricia Clarkson) and his loose-cannon high school sweetheart Lana (Jean Smart). As he thrashes out this dilemma, he experiences a fantasy featuring Frasier's ex-wife Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth) and his former Cheers cast member Diane Chambers in "Don Juan in Hell, Parts 1 and 2." This season features the series' "200th episode" in which Frasier celebrates his 2000th broadcast as radio station KACL's resident phone-in therapist. Later, Kristin Chenoweth guest-stars as Frasier's "Junior Agent," Portia Sanders, who is even more obnoxious than his former agent. Our hero also has a run-in with Lilith's con-artist brother Blane (Michael Keaton) in "Wheels of Fortune", who claims to have turned over a new leaf and found God. Meanwhile, Martin (John Mahoney) tries to patch up a feud between Frasier and his neighbor Cam (Brian Stokes Mitchell) by pretending to be in love with Cam's mother Cora (Emily Yancy) in "The Love You Fake." The relationship between Niles (David Hyde Pierce) and Daphne (Jane Leeves) reaches a new plateau when they decide to move in together in "Mother Load, Parts 1 and 2". Season Nine is distinguished by several of Frasier's most memorable episodes. "Three Blind Dates" features Allison Janney as an artist who goes out with Frasier and ends up despising him. In "Deathtrap", Frasier and Niles try to solve what they think is a murder while visiting their childhood home and best of all, "Cheerful Goodbyes" reunites Frasier with his former Cheers comrades Cliff (John Ratzenberger), Carla (Rhea Perlman) and Norm (George Wendt). The season finale, "Moons Over Seattle," finds Niles and Daphne running off to elope rather than go through with the lavish wedding their families have planned, Meanwhile longtime verbal scrappers Frasier and Roz (Peri Gilpin) end up sleeping together, much to the surprise of both.
