It is perhaps too early to say that the “Frasier” revival is getting higher. However after season 2, episode 5 introduced again probably the greatest recurring characters from the unique sequence, and with Peri Gilpin’s Roz Doyle confirmed as a recurring visitor for this season, issues are actually wanting up for the present.
Star Kelsey Grammer has carried out his greatest to hold the trendy incarnation of “Frasier,” however he is to date been hampered by a supporting ensemble that, strive as they could, have been by no means going to stay as much as the unique sequence’ wonderful forged. As extra characters from that beloved ’90s sitcom return to the revival, nonetheless, the present has began to really feel a bit extra just like the “Frasier” of previous all of us miss. It is bittersweet to acknowledge that the 2024 “Frasier” is just actually good when it is extra clearly pandering to our collective nostalgia, however that’s, for higher or worse, the case. Nonetheless, followers of the unique sequence absolutely will not complain about attending to see some beloved characters crop again up, and with Frasier set to return to Seattle later within the season, the brand new run of “Frasier” episodes are positive to go down nicely with audiences.
Within the meantime, episode 6 of the sequence maintains season 2’s extra apparent dedication to choosing up on components of basic “Frasier.” Not solely does Gilpin return to as soon as once more elevate the sequence as a complete, but in addition this installment, titled “Cape Cod,” sees Frasier, his son Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott), Eve (Jess Salgueiro), David (Anders Keith), and Roz trip within the titular area and we get previous “Frasier” farce because of this. What’s extra, we additionally get yet one more “Frasier” visitor star, who not solely portrays a personality from the unique sequence, but in addition occurs to have a detailed private connection to Grammer himself.
The Frasier revival visitor star who’s a relative of Kelsey Grammer
In “Cape Cod,” as soon as the gang arrives at their seashore home, Roz’s daughter Alice joins the occasion, marking the primary time we have seen the character since 2004’s “Goodnight, Seattle: Half 1.” Alice appeared in a number of episodes of the unique sequence after being born on the finish of the season 5 episode “The Life Of The Occasion” and changing into a recurring character because the present progressed. For her appearances on these basic episodes, Alice was portrayed principally by Ashley Thomas. However simply as Frasier’s son, Freddy, was recast for the revival, Alice is portrayed by a brand new actor in “Cape Cod,” and it simply so occurs to be Kelsey Grammer’s second daughter, Greer Grammer.
This is not the primary time the 32-year-old actor has appeared on-screen, both. The daughter of Grammer and make-up artist Barrie Buckner, Greer has been appearing since her 2010 look in an episode of Nickelodeon’s “iCarly.” She additionally beforehand performed Lissa Miller in MTV’s “Awkward” and extra just lately appeared within the 2021 Netflix movie “Lethal Illusions.” Now, she’s appearing reverse her father in “Frasier,” portraying an older model of Alice who arrives on the seashore home and instantly develops emotions for Freddy, showcasing a few of her mom’s affect within the course of.
Within the “Frasier” revival, Alice has moved to Windfall to check structure, which provides the writers excuse to convey Roz again as a recurring character. However it additionally means we get to see yet one more character from basic “Frasier” all grown up and reinterpreted for the brand new sequence. Fortunately, the writers deal with all of it nicely and Alice’s return feels pure, even when it would not qualify as certainly one of the visitor stars we most needed to see within the “Frasier” revival. What’s extra, Alice’s presence contributes to the present’s sluggish shift from type of okay to really fairly good because it connects extra deeply with its predecessor.
Greer Grammer may very well be nice for Frasier
Greer Grammer is not given an excessive amount of display time as Alice in “Cape Cod,” however she does slot in properly with the forged. Maybe a few of that’s right down to her familiarity with the present itself. Greer beforehand informed Nylon, “I bear in mind going to tapings of ‘Frasier’ once I was round 4. I knew I used to be at my dad’s work, however I did not get that he was appearing for TV. It wasn’t till the second grade that it actually hit me.” So, the actor acquired to see first-hand how her father and the unique “Frasier” forged put an episode collectively, and was arguably extra ready than anybody to hitch the revival and do what was wanted to assist the episode.
With Roz now a recurring character on the revival, little question we’ll see extra of Alice sooner or later, too — which is an effective factor. In “Cape Cod” her presence complicates what could or will not be a burgeoning romance between Freddy and Eve, and that is precisely the type of factor the revival must turn into extra attention-grabbing than it has been thus far. The much less we see of Toks Olagundoye’s Olivia and Jimmy Dunn’s Moose and their awkward relationship, and the extra we get to see the dynamic between Freddy and Eve develop, the higher. So, if Alice can assist propel that individual storyline, the present ought to use her as a lot as attainable.
In the meantime everybody’s nonetheless ready for when David Hyde Pierce will conform to return as Niles and restore “Frasier” to its full greatness. For now, nothing has been confirmed however the actor has appeared extra amenable to such a factor in current months than he beforehand did. For now, we hopefully have extra scenes between Grammer and his daughter to look ahead to.
New episodes of “Frasier”premiere Thursdays on Paramount+.
