Warning! Spoilers ahead for the Frasier reboot episode 3.
The Frasier reboot finally acknowledges the importance of Niles, effectively making his absence worse. David Pierce Hyde’s refusal to return as Niles in the Frasier revival significantly changed the trajectory of the Paramount+ project. His absence was arguably the biggest concern about the show leading up to its release, considering how integral he was to the success of the original show. However, while he isn’t making any physical appearance in the Frasier reboot, at least in its first season, he still exists in Frasier Crane’s world and therefore needs to be acknowledged.
The first two episodes of the Frasier reboot primarily dealt with establishing Frasier’s new life in Boston while also catching the public up on how he had been in the last 19 years. Before flying back to Beantown, he made a pitstop in Seattle for the funeral of Martin Crane, which involved Daphne giving a toast and an unexpected performance from Bulldog. Interestingly, however, “The Good Father” and “Moving In” didn’t mention anything about Niles. Frasier episode 3, “First Class,” still doesn’t reveal what keeps him busy these days, but it features a reminder of how integral he was to what made the original show work so well.
Frasier Remembers Niles – And Confirms The Show Would Be Better With Him
Frasier struggles to connect with his Harvard students after realizing that they only want his advice on personal problems. Olivia, the head of the school’s psychiatry department, wants him to lean into his celebrity, secretly wanting him to be a “dancing bear” instead of an actual educator. She goes as far as blindsiding Frasier with a Dr. Crane set-up in his classroom. Apparently, Olivia’s intense desire for Frasier to stay at Harvard is because she is competing with her sister, who has just become provost at Yale. She goes on to talk about having a sibling “with whom you have a very intense and competitive relationship.”
Frasier, of course, is quite familiar with that dynamic, as seen in the original Seattle-based show. Despite their close bond, Frasier and Niles maintained a sibling rivalry that occasionally got way too intense. Bringing up that bond in the Frasier reboot episode 3 is a reminder of what the new show is missing. The pair’s relationship was at the forefront of the old show and was at the center of many great episodes. Their competitiveness only highlighted their immense love for each other. While they both struggled to relate to their dad, they didn’t have any problems connecting with each other, and Frasier doesn’t have that in the revival.
Could Niles Eventually Appear In The Frasier Reboot?
Pierce has long been vocal against reviving Frasier. So it shouldn’t be surprising that he opted to sit out the Paramount+ revival. That being said, the door for his return isn’t permanently closed. Narratively, it will be fairly easy for him to come back, considering that his and Daphne’s son, David is now based in Boston and regularly spends time with Frasier. He doesn’t need to come back as a full-time cast member, but only as a guest star, similar to Bebe Neuwirth and Peri Gilpin in the show’s freshman year. Niles’ appearance will only happen, however, in potential future seasons of the Frasier reboot — if it ever gets renewed.
The Frasier reboot drops new episodes every Thursday on Paramount+.
