As exciting as it is that Roz Doyle will be in the Frasier revival, Peri Gilpin’s return only makes the show’s big character problem worse.
Roz’s return in the Frasier revival is only making the show’s big character problem much worse. After years of shopping the project around, Kelsey Grammer finally found a platform for the upcoming reboot in Paramount+. Even after that, however, things haven’t been easy for the new Frasier show. The actor, who stars in and produces the project, has admitted that they struggled to figure out its premise. It didn’t help that when he reached out to the original cast members, none of them wanted to commit to the Frasier revival.
Because no main character from the Seattle-based show will be a regular in the Paramount+ endeavor, Grammer and his team have been forced to go in an entirely different direction for the series. Now, the Frasier revival will be set in Boston and will focus on the titular character’s relationship with his son, Freddy. Despite Grammer’s previous claim that none of his former castmates will be in the reboot, it was recently announced Peri Gilpin is returning as Roz in the Frasier revival. Seeing her reunite with Frasier is exciting, but their reunion also worsens a specific issue for the project.
Roz’s Frasier Reboot Appearance Makes Niles & Daphne’s Absence Worse
Roz’s appearance in the Frasier revival re-emphasizes the absence of Niles and Daphne in the show. Per Grammer, both David Hyde Pierce and Jane Leeves turned down the idea of appearing in the project, which posed some big challenges for its narrative. For what it’s worth, Pierce has long been vocal against rebooting Frasier, so it wasn’t surprising that he didn’t want to get involved in the Paramount+ series. That being said, it doesn’t make sense that Roz can spend some time with Frasier but not his own brother and sister-in-law. The show can reference the couple, but that will still be underwhelming compared to an actual cameo.
The state of the Crane family in the Frasier revival makes this so much worse since John Mahoney’s death is confirmed to factor into its storytelling. On the heels of Martin’s demise, Frasier and Niles will need to stick with each other now more than ever. At the very least, they should be in constant contact with each other to ensure that both are doing just fine. Arguably, Niles should even be keener in keeping his older brother close because, unlike him, Frasier doesn’t have a partner to lean on.
What Roz’s Role Will Be In The Frasier Reboot
Not much has been revealed about Roz’s role in the Frasier reboot. However, the initial announcement revealed that Gilpin will appear as a guest star for only one episode. This is similar to Bebe Neuwirth’s cameo set-up as Lilith. Unless the Paramount+ project has some scenes set in Seattle, it’s likely that Roz will find herself in Boston, where Frasier will be spending his life’s fourth and final act. Perhaps she’s there to check up on how he’s doing after the death of Martin. Otherwise, it may just be to catch up. Whatever the case may be, the Frasier reboot better include some classic banters between the former KACL co-workers.
