From his initial conception, Frasier Crane has always been the sort of guy who pronounces "sauvignon blanc" with a French accent in the middle of a fancy dinner. He's the sort of person who takes a woman to the opera for a first date, and surely nothing as pedestrian as Carmen or Medea. He relaxes by listening to classical music and doing crossword puzzles. He takes great pride in his brainpower and refuses to be countermanded by those he considers inferior. In short, he's always been a pretty high falutin' fella — and in turn, Frasier is also the sort of cringeworthy guy who bungles his romantic life, career, and family life every week.
That said, it can come as a surprise to 21st century viewers that Frasier is so arrogant. Back in 2012, one Reddit user expressed his confusion, writing, "I love this show. I have run through it multiple times on Netflix. But the more I watch it, the more I find myself hating Frasier."
In 2023, another Reddit fan started an entire thread that racked up "despicable acts" performed by Frasier. And these comments just apply to Frasier in the original series. The reboot has already inspired takes that he's a far bigger jerk today, such as Redditor Hopefulmisery commenting, "Maybe it's just to show that in this show Frasier is a bigger a****** than he was in the original series?" Over on X (formerly known as Twitter), @Joe_Senart argued that while the Frasier of the original show was a misfit, the new Frasier is more sinister, writing, "His use of status and success isn't misguided. It's manipulative and cruel."
Has Frasier really changed, though? Or does he just seem different than we want to remember him?
