Warning! Spoilers ahead for Frasier season 2.
TheFrasierseason 2 premiere finally fixes its most problematic relationship, but it makes itsCheersplot hole worse in the process. Coming back to Boston, there was already an expectation that theFrasierrevival would lean into Frasier Crane’s history with the city. Before he spent more than a decade back home in Seattle to reconnect with his family, he was based in Beantown. It was where he connected with Lilith and had Freddy. Despite that, thefirst 10 episodes of theFrasierrevivalbarely revisited his time inCheers. It hasn’t even name-dropped Sam Malone’s pub yet.
By theFrasierseason 1 finale, Grammer’s character has been able to fully get re-acquainted with the city. He has a solid job as a guest lecturer at Harvard and is continuously mending his relationship with Freddy. Surprisingly, the Paramount+ revival did all of this without leaning into nostalgia, just like what other revivals do. While that’s great for its debut year, there’s an expectation that sometime in the near future, thenewFrasierwill acknowledgeCheers. For now, however, it prioritizes its own storytelling, with its latest relationship fix further breaking up the established canon.
Frasier Season 2 Premiere Explains Frasier & Alan’s Friendship
Frasier & Alan’s Friendship Gets An Origins Story
In theFrasierrevival season 2 premiere, “Ham,” the show’s storytelling zeroes in on Frasier and Alan Cornwall’s friendship — an important relationship in the show, but for some reason, barely focused on. The original idea for the project was to bring in Seattle characters such as Niles and Daphne, but both David Hyde Piercer and Jane Leeves turned down the endeavor, forcing Grammer to find a different narrative. This included building an entirely new ensemble that would surround Frasier, which included recruiting British comedy legend Nicholas Lyndhurst to play Grammer’s supposed best friend.
“Ham” also adds another layer to the pair’s dynamic, when it reveals that Alan was actually the one who advised Freddy to drop out of Harvard — a decision that resulted in the Crane father and son years of animosity.
The problem is that the Paramount+ project has done a poor job of backing up this idea. Luckily, theFrasierseason 2premiere fixes that by finally revealing how exactly the pair become friends, as they celebrate “ham day.” It was previously established that they met during their time in Oxford, but the specifics of it remained bleak until now. “Ham” also adds another layer to the pair’s dynamic, when it reveals that Alan was actually the one who advised Freddy to drop out of Harvard — a decision that resulted in the Crane father and son years of animosity.
Frasier & Alan’s Friendship Makes Nicholas Lyndhurst’s Cheers Absence Worse
Alan Would Have Loved Sam’s Bar
At the end of theFrasierseason 2 premiere, Frasier and Alan’s friendship is much easier to sell to viewers. With its foundation firmly established, the revival can further lean into moving forward without making it feel forced. Sadly, there’s a trade-off to this. Learning more about the beginnings of Frasier and Alan’s relationship further highlights the issue ofwhy Lyndhurst’s character was never mentioned inCheers. Frasier season 1 revealed that Alan was in touch with his friend this time, even attendingFrasier and Lilith’s wedding, meaning they were hanging out during those years.
Frasier Season 2 Confirms Why Kelsey Grammer’s Character Was Different In Cheers
The Frasier season 2 premiere perfectly explains why Kelsey Grammer’s snooty therapist was so different in Cheers than in his Seattle spinoff.
Considering Alan’s love of drinking, this plot hole becomes much more difficult to resolve. While he may not exactly have the same interest as the usual bar flies at Sam’s pub, it would have been a perfect drinking spot for him. Frasier could have easily invited his British friend to share a pint or two in the establishment. At the very least, Grammer’s therapist should have mentioned his supposed best friend. Granted thatAlan was created for the purpose of theFrasierrevival, but the writers could have been more careful about preserving continuity when crafting his character.
Why Frasier Needs Frasier & Alan’s Friendship To Work
Alan Is The New Frasier’s Version Of Niles
In an ideal world, the Frasier revival would have found a better way to incorporate Lyndhurst into Frasier’s history without compromising the events of Cheers. That said, with what the show has now, it’s also understandable why Grammer and his team of writers would opt to prioritize the Paramount+ project’s storytelling over making sure that the canon is preserved. For starters, it doesn’t seem like there’s an urgent need for Frasier to revisit the events ofCheers
Cheers
Frasier season 2 has the best and easiest way for David Hyde Pierce to return as Niles, and I am begging Kelsey Grammer to make it happen.
, especially considering thestatus of the Cheers bar.
This means thatFrasier’s relationship with Alan is far more important to the future of the Frasier revivalthan anything that has happened in the past. As the spiritual replacement for Niles, there’s pressure for Lyndhurst’s character to be as beloved as Alan. While there’s no denying that the actor has incredible comedic skills, not to mention great chemistry with Grammer,Frasierstill has a lot of work to do to further endear Alan to viewers. Properly establishing his friendship with Frasier is a great way to do that.
Frasier
Follow Frasier Crane in the next chapter of his life as he returns to Boston, Mass., with new challenges to face, new relationships to forge and an old dream or two to finally fulfill.
One of the most well-known American sitcoms of the 1980s and 90s, Cheers is primarily set in Boston at the Cheers bar, and features and ensemble cast that includes Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Rhea Pearlman, Kelsey Grammer, and George Wendt. Danson’s Sam Malone acts as the bar’s proprietor, and episodes depict the lives of Cheers' staff and patrons during the bar’s operating hours. The series ran for 11 seasons and gave rise to popular spin-off shows such as Frasier.
