Frasier Could See An Eve And Freddy Romance In The Future
One of the surprises of the "Frasier" revival season finale was that it stacked up quite well against previous Christmas installments. Considering the reboot show was a neither disappointing nor remarkable return to the world of Frasier Crane, it was nice to see the writers step things up for the final episode. But that wasn't the only surprise in the finale. At one point we witnessed a truly unexpected development when Toks Olagundoye's Harvard Psychology department head Olivia got together with Jimmy Dunn's firefighter Moose. Not only did the two characters seem completely incompatible, there wasn't even a hint throughout the preceding nine episodes that the characters might get together. Making things even more bewildering was the fact that the previous episodes had suggested we could see a relationship develop between two other characters.
Jack Cutmore-Scott plays Frasier's son Freddy in the revival, while Jess Salguiero plays Eve, Freddy's former roommate and the widow of his late firefighter friend, Adam. When the show begins, the two are living together before Freddy moves across the hall to live with his father. Throughout the rest of the season, Freddy and Eve not only remain friends, but Freddy continues to watch over his former roommate and her infant son, providing support wherever he can. During the finale, Frasier's son runs back and forth between his father's Christmas party and Eve's apartment, ensuring his friend is OK and delivering her food. All of which seemed like it could lead to something romantic between the two characters.
Instead, all we got was an uncomfortable kiss between Moose and Olivia.
But it seems there's still hope for Freddy and Eve. At least, according to co-showrunner and writer Joe Cristali, who says he and the writers are fully aware of the potential for romance between the pair.
The writers have thought about bringing Eve and Freddy together
Fans of the original "Frasier," which ended in 2004, will know the doctor himself is pretty hopeless when it comes to relationships. Throughout the show's 11 seasons, Frasier became entangled with dozens of women, never quite making any of the relationships last. However, in the final season, Dr. Crane left for Chicago to follow his girlfriend Charlotte (Laura Linney), suggesting he'd found someone to settle down with. But with the "Frasier" revival, we learned the doctor is once again single.
As is his son, Freddy, who devotes his time at the beginning of the season to working as a firefighter and supporting his roommate, Eve. As things progress, Freddy and Eve remain friends, but it seems the writers have at least thought about bringing the pair together.
Speaking to PrimeTimer, Joe Cristali was asked about a will-they/won't-they relationship between the two characters, replying that he and the writers have "definitely talked about it." He continued:
"It's very tricky ground since what happened to both of them is so immediate. There could be a very fruitful will-they/won't-they. But my guess is they can't act on it for a little bit. It's so raw still and it doesn't seem like it would be in either of their best interests to do something like that. They have such great chemistry and the two of them together on screen is so fun. If we are lucky enough to have that many seasons and runs at it, I do think something will happen. I just don't think it will happen anytime soon."
Based on those comments, it seems like a 50/50 chance that Freddy and Eve come together. Otherwise Frasier's son could be doomed to follow in his father's footsteps as a perpetually unlucky-in-love bachelor.
A will-they/won't-they romance could help the Frasier revival
Kelsey Grammer has ambitious plans for the "Frasier" revival, stating that he'd like to do another 100 episodes of the show if Paramount allows it. There's been no word on whether the show will be renewed, but if it does continue, there'll be plenty of time for Eve and Freddy to develop a closer relationship. For his part, Joe Cristali told PrimeTimer that he hopes there's a season 2, telling the outlet, "We have ideas but really we set some solid groundwork in season 1 with Frasier and Freddy, and it's just kind of evolving that."
Based on Cristali's comments, it doesn't seem as though a Freddy and Eve relationship is a big concern for the writers. But the show definitely needs something to help fill the gap left by the lack of the original supporting cast. Pretty much everyone besides Kelsey Grammer declined to return for this reboot, which has left the revival struggling to match the magic of its predecessor. While Jack Cutmore-Scott and the new cast members have given it their best shot, none of these characters are as endearing or funny as the original ensemble, and a will-they/won't-they dynamic could shake things up a bit.
The first season opened strong, with a heartfelt tribute to the late John Mahoney, who played Frasier's father on the original series. The finale was, as mentioned, also pretty good. But the episodes between were just kind of forgettable. So, if the writers don't add some will-they/won't-they tension to help make things more exciting, they'll surely have to come up with something else to compensate. Let's just hope it's not too much more Olivia and Moose romance.