TV Review: Frasier (Season 13ish)
Frasier Has Re-Entered The Building
INTRODUCTION
This is a quick review of the newly released season of the TV show Frasier (2023). To better keep up to date with my thoughts on movies as well, follow me on Letterboxd.
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PLOT
Via Google: Frasier heads off to a different city with new challenges to face, new relationships to forge, and an old dream or two to finally fulfill. Frasier re-enters the building in hopes of redefining himself.
REVIEW
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I’m not the biggest fan of television series. Besides not having the time to binge endless shows, I often find myself frustrated or let down as a series drags on. That said, this is that special time early in the year when my new movie-watching queue is relatively small. It’s the perfect opportunity to catch up on TV shows or miniseries that generated enough buzz to pique my curiosity.
That being said, admittedly, the Frasier revival, now two seasons in (without a third season renewal announced as of this writing), hasn’t exactly been a buzzworthy sensation. It’s been a series with mixed reviews and divisive fan reactions. However, as a massive fan of the character and the iconic nineties series myself, I couldn’t resist diving into it. In fact, I even wrote a bonus TV review for the first season of the revival. Given that, it only feels right to share my thoughts on the second season now that I’ve had the time to binge it the other day.
My verdict on the previous season, season one of this revival (or, as I like to call it, “Season 12ish”), was that it had its flaws. The first half struggled to add depth and character arcs to the supporting cast, but it eventually found its groove by the final episodes. I felt the show was beginning to find its footing and was genuinely excited to see what the second season would bring.
Unfortunately, in an almost impressive feat, the show managed to repeat many of the same mistakes in the first half of this new revival season. Most of the supporting cast lacked depth and meaningful character arcs, save for one major exception (more on that later). To make matters worse, the show seemingly capitulated to fans unrealistically hoping for a reunion of the original cast. This led to Roz becoming a regular in the latter half of the season in a way that felt rushed and unnatural.
The much-anticipated return-to-Seattle episode turned out to be one of the most lackluster of the series, relying heavily on nostalgia and fan service without delivering any real substance. Continuity issues with Frasier’s son, Freddy, persisted, and the show continued its awkward and sometimes unrealistic attempts to explain the absence of Niles and Daphne. At this point, it’s hard to believe they haven’t been able to arrange even at least one cameo episode for those beloved characters.
And yet, much like the previous season, this one found its footing in the second half, leaning more into what the original series excelled at - situational comedy. One standout episode features Frasier hosting a party and trying to identify a mysterious, world-renowned author among his guests, bringing back classic laughs with characters pretending to be someone they’re not. Another highlight is a cameo episode featuring fan-favorite Bebe Glazer, seamlessly fitting the tone and humor of her past appearances perfectly.
The season also delivered a home run with Alan’s emotional story arc involving his estranged daughter, which added much-needed depth and heart. We also got to learn more about Olivia in the latter episodes, and David’s personality shone through more clearly. However, my main gripe is that Freddy felt underutilized, with more filler than substance, and Eve seems to have been relegated to the background entirely.
Overall, the second season of the Frasier revival shares some of the same drawbacks as the first, but like its predecessor, it eventually finds its groove and delivers by the back half. Despite its flaws, I still love spending time with Frasier. As a superfan, I can’t help but give it an initial grade of A-, but I can see why this would be more of a B-tier season for other fans. That said, I hope any future seasons hit the ground running instead of waiting until the midpoint to hit their stride.
GRADING
