The episode kicks off with Freddy Crane (portrayed by Jack Cutmore-Scott) and Eve (Jess Salgueiro) storming back into the bar, where their playful squabble over a parody league softball game resumes with fervor. Freddy is beside himself with frustration, his First Responders team having suffered a humbling defeat at the hands of Eve’s Midsummer Night’s Team. However, their spat is destined to be short-lived, as the scene is soon enlivened by the entrance of Doctor Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer), himself caught up in a wave of competitiveness after being honored with the task of hosting the tailgate party for the highly anticipated Harvard versus Yale showdown. Upon learning that Frasier intends to hold the event at his apartment, Freddy couldn't resist teasing him about the grand honor bestowed upon him.
Just as Freddy's ribbing begins to take flight, Olivia Finch (Toks Olagundoye) and her relentlessly critical sister Monica (Yvette Nicole Brown) burst into the scene. Monica's relentless scrutiny of Olivia drives her to create a fictitious boyfriend named Mark, a desperate attempt to gain the upper hand. Ironically, Monica also happens to be a Yale alumnus, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the mix.
As Olivia's fabrication about Mark spins further out of control, Alan Cornwall (Nicholas Lyndhurst) arrives to inform Frasier about a party at the president's residence. This news sends Frasier into a tizzy, prompting him to scheme frantically to attend the prestigious gathering without canceling his own tailgate party. By the time Freddy returns to the bar to find Frasier in a state of despair, Olivia has dug herself into such a deep hole of deceit that Eve is compelled to offer her theater associate to pose as Mark at Frasier's party.
To Frasier's astonishment, Freddy's jesting about his supposed lack of party-throwing prowess sparks an ingenious idea in him: to sabotage his own event. With this revelation, he dashes off to make the necessary preparations. Meanwhile, Eve fills Freddy in on Olivia's Mark predicament and asks if he can enlist one of his firefighter colleagues to step into the role.
Despite Frasier's utmost efforts, his attempts to undermine his party remain largely fruitless. As he conspires with David Crane (Anders Keith), Alan bursts in with astonishing news: he's leveraged a favor to swipe one of the President's esteemed guest honorees, Valdo Kotnik (Robert Mammana). However, this twist brings forth an array of fresh complications, for Valdo is such an eccentric soul who's retreated into a hermit-like existence over the past years. Even Alan's friend struggles to provide a tangible description of him.
Frasier endeavors to rectify this by assigning David the covert task of mingling amongst the guests, while he and Alan keep the fine spirits and Valdo's beloved strawberries and cream appetizers flowing.
Meanwhile, the dynamics between Olivia, Mark, and Monica take a turn for the chaotic when Freddy misconstrues Eve's text as a query rather than a statement. It transpires that her theater acquaintance, Augustine (Rafael Gebrian), was available to portray Mark. Regrettably, this oversight isn't realized until both Augustine and Freddy, who's decided to embody Mark himself, have made grand entrances to Monica. Upon discovering the mix-up, Freddy's resolve to play Mark intensifies. Despite the confusion reigning, Monica remains duped by Olivia's falsehoods about dating two men named Mark, further believing Olivia subconsciously seeks her help in choosing the best suitor.
Frasier's woes intensify when he learns Alan is clueless about crafting strawberries and cream. By the time Alan exits and Olivia steps in, David has mistakenly identified Augustine as Valdo. Frasier lavishes praise upon him and requests to peruse his memoir, while Olivia encounters the genuine Valdo in the kitchen. Frasier eventually retreats to the kitchen to fetch Valdo's pricy liquor, only to find Olivia and her newfound friend having gobbled it up. As Frasier unwittingly insults Valdo, Freddy and Augustine's confrontation reveals everyone's deceit.
Shortly after Frasier returns to interrupt the unfolding mess, he realizes he's just encountered the authentic Valdo. When he reappears in the kitchen with the crowd of guests trailing him, they witness Olivia and Valdo in each other's embrace. Everyone is astounded, particularly Monica, who accuses Olivia of being an attention seeker.
The episode concludes with Frasier, dressed slightly askance, apologizing to Valdo for the brute behavior of his supposed identical twins.
