The upcoming Frasier reboot can honor John Mahoney and his character Martin Crane by including one indispensable prop. Over the course of the series, Martin brought some much-needed levity to his son’s occasionally neurotic life as a psychiatrist and disk jockey. However, while there are multiple memorable moments that highlight his importance, one object, in particular, is forever linked with the character.
In the Cheers spin-off Frasier, the radio host socialite Frasier Crane is coerced into allowing his father Martin Crane to move in with him because Martin has been incapacitated by a gunshot wound. Martin adds flair to Frasier’s meticulously decorated high-end apartment in the form of a decades-old vomit green reclining chair. Throughout the series, Frasier and Martin fall into arguments over the existence of the chair and how badly it clashes with Frasier’s interior design. In season 1 episode 19 “Give Him The Chair!” the significance of the furniture is established by Martin because Frasier attempts to get rid of it, yet over time, the sentimentality seemingly grows on Frasier.
The chair that Martin Crane frequently relaxes in represents more than just a comfy piece of furniture in the sitcom. Over the course of the series, it serves as an emotional touchstone and MacGuffin for several famous plotlines. By bringing it back for the reboot, the memory of both Mahoney and Crane can be venerated. With a Frasier reboot in the works, there is a question of whether or not the signature chair will make an appearance. By including the prop in the return, the crew would be commemorating John Mahoney and respecting his iconic role of Martin Crane.
The chair is more than a guilty pleasure for Frasier’s father Martin; it is a metaphor for the turbulent journey Martin has undergone in his life. In the first season episode “Give Him The Chair!” Frasier believes he is doing his father a service by getting rid of the chair and replacing it with a newer, more comfortable one. Frasier is stumped when Martin asks for the hideous chair back, so Martin explains that he sat in the chair throughout key moments in his life. It is the chair he watched Neil Armstrong take his first step on the moon, the chair he was sitting in when Frasier informed him he had a grandson, and lastly he wants the chair “I was in all those nights, when your mother used to wake me up with a kiss after I’d fallen asleep in front of the television.” The chair represents love and loyalty for his wife who passed tragically. When he describes that he still wakes up expecting her to be there waiting to lead him off to bed, the chair’s importance solidifies for both Frasier and the viewer. Martin Crane’s character is intrinsically devoted to the memory of his wife and the chair is the biggest contribution to keeping it alive. The chair returning for the reboot can parallel why Martin holds onto the chair. It is the embodiment of a woman he loves and if Frasier has kept the chair in memory of his own father, it will be a huge step in his character development.
There has been no report or confirmation about the chair returning, let alone several of the integral cast members such as David Hyde Pierce. If Frasier is no longer set in Seattle and several of the original actors do not appear, the chair can also serve as a source of nostalgia for fans. There has been speculation that Frasier may be divorced from Charlotte following an offscreen marriage, which may mean Frasier is regressing into old habits. The chair appearing under these circumstances could assure the audience that Frasier’s character is not completely reset in terms of development.
The famous chair returning for the Frasier reboot would not only honor Martin Crane’s John Mahoney, but add depth to new storylines the reboot intends to tell. The chair represents the dear memories of a departed loved one and the milestones Martin has gone through in life. It should return as it will forever be a staple in sitcom television.
