‘Frasier’ season 2 is the perfect sitcom comfort food
There’s nothing groundbreaking or modern about the reboot of the classic sitcom “Frasier,” and that’s what makes it so appealing. While some other revivals of vintage TV series attempt to update their formats or storylines to fit with the latest TV trends, “Frasier” remains stubbornly old-fashioned, much like its title character.
The reboot’s second season premieres this week on Paramount Plus, but aside from a few uses of current technology, it could easily have aired on NBC 20 years ago during the sitcom’s initial run.
I watched every episode of those original 11 seasons, and anyone else who was a devoted “Frasier” fan during that time should find plenty of comfort in the new series. The first season took a little time to find its footing, but by the time it ended, it had captured much of what made “Frasier” so enjoyable in the first place, even though Kelsey Grammer’s fussy psychiatrist Frasier Crane is the only returning character in the main cast.
No one in the new “Frasier” is as memorable as David Hyde Pierce as Frasier’s brother Niles or the late John Mahoney as Frasier’s father Martin, but they carry on the spirit of those iconic characters.
The new season of ‘Frasier’ brings back some familiar faces
While the first season of the new “Frasier” worked hard to establish its ensemble players on their own terms, the second season is more willing to indulge in nostalgia for beloved characters. In the five episodes available for review, Peri Gilpin returns as Frasier’s former radio producer Roz Doyle, in a more substantial role than her brief appearance in the first season, and Harriet Sansom Harris shows up as Frasier’s devious agent Bebe Glazer.
Gilpin is set to recur as Roz this season, but her first outing in the season’s third episode is a little underwhelming, as she’s awkwardly shoehorned into the ongoing group dynamic. Harris fares better, delivering a powerhouse performance in what’s easily the best of the second season’s episodes thus far, fully embodying Bebe’s ruthless ferocity.
Even better, guest star Rachel Bloom matches Harris’ energy as Bebe’s daughter and protégé Phoebe, and she’d be a perfect fit as a recurring character, providing a similar type of foil for Frasier that Bebe did in her earlier appearances.
Later episodes this season are set to feature even more returning “Frasier” characters, and that sense of familiarity is key to the show’s success. Whether it’s previous characters popping up again or new characters echoing the traits of old favorites, creators Chris Harris and Joe Cristalli know how to play to the strengths of the material. Watching “Frasier” is like slipping into a cozy pair of slippers and flipping through a well-worn photo album.
The core cast continues to shine
Those high-profile guest stars never overshadow the main cast, and the creators continue to develop the relationships among the core characters.
In particular, there’s some new emotional depth for Frasier’s best friend Alan Cornwall (Nicholas Lyndhurst), a fellow Harvard psychology professor who was mostly defined by his contempt for his job and his students in the first season. He retains that cynicism, but he also reveals some regrets about his estrangement from his adult daughter, who seems poised to make an eventual appearance. That theme of cross-generational miscommunication is a “Frasier” staple that becomes even more central to the second season.
The first season reintroduced Frasier’s son Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott), a down-to-earth firefighter who doesn’t share his father’s refined, erudite tastes. Frasier continues to struggle to bond with Freddy, although their relationship is less combative this season. Roz, too, is struggling to connect with her adult daughter Alice, who’s set to be played by Grammer’s own daughter Greer Grammer later this season. The characters’ personalities remain intact across the decades, but they face new challenges as they enter late middle age.
There’s an easygoing rapport among the series regulars that long-running sitcoms develop over time, and “Frasier” gets closer to that dynamic with each episode. Frasier and Alan’s boss Olivia Finch (Toks Olagundoye) and Freddy’s friend Eve (Jess Salgueiro) hold their own while bantering with sitcom veterans like Grammer, although Frasier’s nephew David (Anders Keith) is a bit left behind in the season thus far.
The humor in ‘Frasier’ is basic but reliable
You could say that some of the comedy in “Frasier” is creaky or obvious, but it’s played with such deft charm by the cast that it feels timeless rather than dated. Even when I can see the jokes coming from a mile away, I still end up laughing, and Grammer in particular is such a seasoned pro at this kind of comedy that he makes it look effortless.
The new season is full of vintage sitcom misunderstandings, including a Valentine’s Day episode in which Frasier plays both sides of a Cyrano de Bergerac scenario, but at best it plays out like a classic farce.
Sitcom legend James Burrows is once again on hand to direct multiple episodes, and he has the comedic rhythms down perfectly. There’s an extended slapstick bit in the first episode with David, Eve and a gourmet ham that recalls the best of the physical comedy from the original “Frasier.”
At a time when so many shows that are labeled comedies barely even feature jokes, “Frasier” is a welcome throwback, and a reminder that sometimes the traditional approach is still best.
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