A TV series should be considered a failure if its main characters don’t change over the years. Frasier is considered a remarkable show for a lot of reasons, one of the most prominent being how the title character changed all the way from Cheers to this spin-off.
He was a different man from the first episode to the last one, although these changes tend to be underrated because of the eleven years’ gap. In the spirit of Frasier’s knack for tapping in his psychiatry background and analyzing things, it’s worth analyzing Frasier himself. To this end, here are 10 ways he changed from the first season to the series finale.
He Became Affectionate Of His Father
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One of the worst things Frasier did was disrespect his father. When the series began, he could barely stand Martin, being prone to having screaming matches with him due to their differing personalities. This actually continued for a few years before it was resolved, and Frasier grew to adore Martin’s eccentricities.
The best proof of his change was when he began to value Martin’s armchair, something he’d absolutely loathed for years. Frasier also stopped getting into arguments with his father, instead enjoying the things Martin liked as he respected how his father was unabashedly set in his ways.
Being Open To Niles’ Point Of View
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Both Crane brothers had a lack of respect for the other’s style of psychiatry for the most part. Frasier felt Niles was too rigid in his assessments, being unwilling to consider Frasier’s own opinions. However, in time, he accepted that Niles was a very worthy psychiatrist who didn’t need Frasier’s help.
He acknowledged that Niles could very well be smarter than him at times. Rather than freak out like he used to, Frasier took to accepting this fact with dignity, something that led to Niles also respecting Frasier’s brand of psychiatry.
Stop Being Rigid About His Principles
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Frasier was so deep in his mind of a psychiatrist at the beginning of the series that he would forego the human connection and assess everything as a doctor. Even when his family members would ask him to support them emotionally, Frasier would insist his principles wouldn’t allow him.
By the end, though, Frasier’s moral alignments became that of a Benefactor, in that he started to forgo his selfish act of psychiatric evaluation in favor of giving unconditional support. Even though he knew it was not his place — such as when he told Niles to pursue Daphne at her wedding — Frasier started speaking from a place of love.
He Stopped Seeking External Validation
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Frasier liked to have things according to his ways not just because of his personal preference, but because he wanted to be acknowledged as a cut above the rest. Due to this, he would arrange his house in ways where he sought compliments, not comfort.
Later on, while Frasier retained his rather snobbish mannerisms, he stuck to his tastes purely for enjoyment rather than validation. Frasier even took to adopting Martin’s preferences into his own, which the younger Frasier would have, at one point, considered as social suicide.
No Longer Holding Resentment
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The audience was made to consider Lilith as one of the most hated characters because Frasier saw her that way. Likewise, Frasier’s resentment toward people like Cam Winston was also seen as one of his traits, until Frasier realized that holding on to anger did more bad than good.
Thereafter, he resolved to make amends, going so far as to being the one to extend the proverbial olive branch. This got him to be on friendly terms with Lilith, while forgiving his parents for their shortcomings. Most of all, it allowed Frasier to cease resorting to petty acts of revenge by the series’ end.
Tolerating Eddie Around The House
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Eddie was among the fan favorite characters on Frasier, but the titular protagonist despised this dog for the better part of the series. He could barely tolerate Martin’s pet, and was prone to taking his anger out on Eddie.
This is why it was such a change in character that Frasier became fond of Eddie in later seasons. He didn’t become best buddies with the dog, but the fact that Frasier stopped being bothered by Eddie’s presence spoke volumes. Seeing as stopped being bothered by Eddie’s habit of staring at him anymore was proof that Frasier really had changed his stance on him.
Placing Love Above His Ego
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There were relationships of Frasier that fans either loved or hated, and all of them fizzled out because of Frasier’s own doing. His problem was pursuing the wrong women because of a mixture of a fear of abandonment and his reluctance to accept that his love interest was someone he couldn’t understand.
It took all of eleven years, but Frasier finally let go of his ego to pursue Charlotte. He went so far as to turn down the job opportunity of a lifetime, as Frasier became willing to give love a chance without considering the negatives or his fear of rejection.
He Didn’t Run Away From His Problems Anymore
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The entire reason why Frasier shifted from Boston to Seattle was because he wanted change, which was just an excuse from the fact that he was running away from his problems. Unable to accept his marriage with Lilith had been a failure, Frasier had escaped to avoid confronting his feelings.
He got a heck of a lot better at this eventually, no longer waiting for epiphanies and taking responsibility instead. This came in the form of Frasier confronting himself in his mind, which led to him accepting that he’d been choosing to flee rather than fight for his happiness.
Realizing That Family Comes First
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Some fans think it’s one of the inconsistencies on Frasier that he would sometimes be loving to his family, and furious at them at other times. However, the reality was that Frasier used to be ashamed of his family members, considering them unable to align with his fat cat social circle.
By the latter seasons, Frasier’s social life revolved around his family, with his father and brother becoming a daily fixture. This was evident when he clearly preferred the company of his family over his former Cheers bar mates. His decision to move was also unselfish, as he wanted to give Martin and Niles the married life they deserved without his intrusion.
His Willingness To Forgive Himself
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Strangely, Frasier had the knack of blaming both the world and himself for his troubles. As much resentment he had for those who wronged him, Frasier had a measure of self-loathing as well. Ultimately, his decision to pursue Charlotte also signified how Frasier forgave himself.
Once, he’d blame himself for his relationships failing, and felt he was doomed to repeat these mistakes. By the end, Frasier learned to overlook his flaws enough to take a chance on himself to win Charlotte’s heart.