Frasier Season 2 Reunites Kelsey Grammer With An Unexpected Former Co-Star
Much like the original series, the "Frasier" revival has continued to provide an array of guest stars with each new episode. Season 2 has already brought back one of the best recurring characters from the OG series, and we've had a guest star who shares real life connection to Frasier himself, Kelsey Grammer. Everyone's favorite stuffy psychiatrist also traveled back to Seattle, the city in which he lived for all 11 seasons of his '90s show, where we got to see the return of fan favorites Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe (Dan Butler) and Gil Chesterton (Edward Hibbert).
As the season draws to a close, the show continues to bring in the guest stars, and episode 9 gives Frasier a new love interest in the form of Holly. Played by Patricia Heaton, Holly is a bartender at one of Frasier's local drinking spots (which is actually a swanky restaurant, because Frasier is Frasier). Holly actually appeared back in episode 2 of the revival's second season, entitled "Cyrano, Cyrano," where she watched Frasier endure a Valentine's Day debacle. Now, though, she's back and has become the latest object of the good doctor's affections.
Adding to the excitement of a new Frasier romance is the fact that this isn't the first time Grammer and Heaton have appeared on-screen together.
Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton are former co-stars
Episode 9 of "Frasier," "Murder Most Finch," opens with the titular doctor sitting at Holly's bar, regaling her with stories from previous episodes. Soon after, the pair go to a Boston Bruins game together, and Frasier begins to suspect he's a little too stuffy for the more down-to-earth Holly. Unfortunately, the couple find themselves at Olivia (Toks Olagundoye)'s murder mystery party for their second date, which doesn't do much to help Frasier's cause. By the end, however, Holly reveals that she actually likes Frasier for who he is, seemingly setting up an ongoing relationship between the two.
The dynamic between the straight-shooting Holly and Frasier's fussiness works quite well, with Patricia Heaton's character seemingly designed to balance out the doctor's more pretentious tendencies. It also helps that Kelsey Grammer and Heaton are no strangers. The pair starred together in the short-lived Fox comedy series "Back to You" from 2007 to 2008, in which they played news anchors Chuck Darling and Kelly Carr. The gist of that show was that the co-anchors of Pittsburgh's WURG News 9 were affable and pleasant on-screen, but constantly bickering when the cameras were off. The story saw Grammer's Darling return to WURG after ten years where he's surprised to learn that he's the father of Carr's young daughter.
Created and executive produced by "Modern Family" creators Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, "Back to You" only lasted one season, but did have the distinction of recruiting legendary sitcom director James Burrows (who has worked on literally every sitcom you can think of, including classic and modern "Frasier"). After "Back to You" wrapped up, Grammer and Heaton appeared together again when the former guest-starred on CBS series "Carol's Second Act," with the pair once again playing exes. All of which set the stage for the couples' "Frasier" reunion.
Holly and Frasier might go the distance, but will audiences join them?
Patricia Heaton's appearance back in episode 2 of "Frasier" season 2 marked the first time she and Grammer had appeared together on-screen since their brief meeting in "Carol's Second Act." Now, with Frasier and Holly seemingly hitting it off, it looks like the pair will have the opportunity to share the screen for a little longer. Whether that will help the revival, which has thus far been a comforting yet often underwhelming return to the world of Dr. Crane, remains to be seen. The show did have its best episode in season 2, but it was a bittersweet affair as the best thing about that particular installment was Peri Gilpin's Roz — serving as yet another reminder of the fact that not only is nobody else from the original cast involved, but the new cast just can't quite match the OG ensemble's chemistry.
Meanwhile, Grammar spoke to TVLine about his and Heaton's storyline in "Frasier," telling the outlet that the couple are "kindred intellects," adding, "They may like different things, but you can see a connection that's mental [...] The thing we fall in love with, it's the eyes and the brain. That's honestly what we really fall in love with." Thus far, Holly and Frasier couldn't seem more different but this may just be a classic case of opposites attracting.
Ultimately, it seems as though Holly has the potential to balance out some of Frasier's high-mindedness, but do we really want that? The thing about Dr. Crane is that his stuffiness somehow made him more lovable, and Grammer's ability to strike that balance has been the key to the character's appeal since the 1993 "Frasier" pilot — which, coincidentally, Niles actor David Hyde Pierce thought was "terrible" at first. All of which brings us to the main issue haunting the revival: the return of Hyde Pierce. As yet, nothing has been confirmed, but while it's nice to see Grammer and Heaton reunited, fans ultimately want to see the brothers Crane back together. Here's hoping a third season of the show delivers.