TV NEWS
Frasier: The Sad Reason Niles Isn’t In The Reboot
By PAULI POISUO
This story contains spoilers for the “Frasier” reboot.
SPOILER ALERT!
One glaring omission from the "Frasier" reboot is Frasier’s (Kelsey Grammer) brother and sparring partner, Niles Crane (David Hyde Pierce), and there are unfortunate reasons why.
It’s believed that Pierce didn’t want to repeat his old role for the "Frasier" revival. Had he chosen otherwise, the show might’ve been about Niles and Frasier running a theater.
The closest the revival gets to acknowledging Niles is when Olivia (Toks Olagundoye) brings up her ongoing sibling rivalry and Frasier gets a faraway look in his eyes.
That moment of contemplation is played for laughs, but Frasier seems sad. This might just be his usual exasperation, or it might imply that the brothers aren’t on speaking terms.
Niles and Frasier have always had a sibling rivalry where both had reasons to feel insecure about each other. However, the reboot might’ve resolved that rivalry in Frasier’s favor.
The revival show’s reveal that Frasier’s celebrity and fortune have increased exponentially since we last saw him may have been just too much for the younger Dr. Crane to handle.
In Niles’ eyes, Frasier may have conclusively won their competition for superiority. Niles might also resent how Frasier’s become a clownish TV presenter caricature.
Since Niles has the same issues as Frasier, he might be finding it hard to keep in touch with his brother after years of public embarrassment and uncomfortable social situations.