Frasier Season 2 Finally Reveals What Happened To David Hyde Pierce's Niles Crane

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If there's one thing haunting the "Frasier" revival series, beyond the general complaint that only Kelsey Grammer returned from the original cast, it's the more specific complaint that Niles isn't in the show. The titular psychiatrist's similarly pompous yet lovable brother was essentially the other main character in the original sitcom, and his absence from the reboot has been conspicuous to say the least.

Fans will know the story about why Niles actor David Hyde Pierce didn't return for the "Frasier" revival. To put it simply, the man didn't seem all that interested in the project, claiming he didn't "miss" the characters and was otherwise busy with other ventures. After the Paramount+ streaming series was renewed for a second season, however, the actor's comments started to sound a little less negative, with Hyde Pierce revealing his one condition for returning to the role of Niles. Meanwhile, Grammar seemed willing to meet his former co-star in the middle, talking of a potential one-off episode that would see the brothers Crane reunited.

None of this has yet come to fruition, but thus far, the revival series hadn't shied away from acknowledging Niles as a character. The show features Anders Keith as David, Niles' son and Frasier's nephew, while Frasier himself has mentioned his brother on numerous occasions, most notably during the fifth episode of season 2 when he receives unsolicited feedback from Niles on his yet-to-be published memoir.

But while the new "Frasier" series has given us plenty of Niles by proxy, it has yet to update us on just what the character is doing in 2024. The show itself depicts the titular doctor starting a new life in Boston, but until now we've had no real insight into what his brother has been up to. With the show's latest episode, however, that mystery has been solved.

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"Frasier" season 2, episode 8, "Thank You, Dr. Crane," sees Dr. Crane return to Seattle, the city in which he lived for the entirety of the original series. It's a big moment for the revival show, which thus far has only really been at its best when returning to elements of its predecessor, such as when "Frasier" brought back one of the original series' best recurring characters, or, y'know, any episode that has Peri Gilpin's Roz in it.

Before Frasier and his son Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott) set off for the Emerald City, Eve (Jess Salgueiro) asks whether Freddy's uncle Niles still lives there, to which he replies "No, he and aunt Daphne moved to Sedona." Aunt Daphne is, of course, Daphne Moon (Jane Leeves), Frasier's former live-in housekeeper and Niles' now wife. At the end of the original series, the couple welcomed their first baby, the aforementioned David, after Daphne went into labor in a vet's office. Beyond that, there was no indication that she and Niles would be leaving Seattle. According to the revival series, however, that's exactly what happened.

After revealing where his uncle and aunt ended up, Freddy goes on to say, "He's a gentleman farmer, tilling the soil living off the land." Frasier then interrupts, "He owns a vineyard. The last thing Niles planted was a charging station for his Tesla." That's certainly in keeping with Niles' character, who wasn't exactly known for getting his hands dirty and is probably the last person you would imagine homesteading in a Sedona sanctuary.

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It goes without saying that this revelation about Niles' Sedona winery is simply a way for the writers to explain why the character doesn't appear in this episode. Frasier going back to Seattle would, of course, have been the perfect opportunity for a Crane brothers reunion, but since David Hyde Pierce is yet to commit to returning, new showrunners Joe Cristali and Chris Harris had to come up with something to explain his absence.

Does the thought of Niles and Daphne owning a Sedona winery make sense? Sort of. Niles was always fond of vino and even competed with Frasier to earn the coveted "Corkmaster" ranking at his local wine club in the original series. The "Frasier" revival even alluded to that competitive streak in the previous episode, in which a "Community" star helps to play out the Crane boys' rivalry by proxy.

That said, Sedona does seem like a bit of a wild card. The new age capital of Arizona, home to myriad cults and spiritual communities, doesn't exactly seem like the kind of place Niles would gravitate towards — though Daphne, with her supposed psychic abilities, would surely feel at home. Ultimately, it feels a bit pointless to read too much into what is essentially a piece of exposition designed to get around the fact that Hyde Pierce has yet to sign on for a cameo. Until that happens, fans will have to make do with these quick references and hope for the best.

New episodes of "Frasier" begin streaming Thursdays on Paramount+.