Forgotten But Not Gone

A transitional season
Season 8 marked a pivotal moment in the history of TV's most acclaimed sitcom. Following the sensational ratings glory of season 7 finale `Something Borrowed, Someone Blue (when Niles and Daphne finally got together) expectations were understandably high. There was unprecedented anticipation for this season, but that soon became an albatross weighing around the neck of season 8. The departure of two of the series' longest serving and most influential writers (showrunners Joe Keenan and Christopher Lloyd) added to the considerable pressure the production team faced this year. Jane Leeves (Daphne) also dropped a bombshell pre-production by announcing her pregnancy which forced some hasty re-writing. Many considered Daphne's weight gain storyline in poor taste but it's difficult to imagine how else the writers could have dealt with this without introducing a baby into Niles and Daphne's fledgling relationship. New showrunners Mark Reisman and Dan O'Shannon (whose previous work included...

Late-season renaissance
After ending season seven with a fan-pleasing twist, Frasier returned in its eighth iteration to fulfill it. This is the season that Niles and Daphne begin to date, and even though this development did take a lot of tension out of the series, it is possible that the writers felt they had nowhere else to go. Frasier proved an oddity while on the air: most sitcoms peak in their first two seasons and go steadily downhill after that, but while Frasier certainly had a strong opening, it had several renaissances during its run. This season was one of them, as it brought several surprises: Frasier having an existential crisis, Niles becoming a sports celebrity, as well as some others. In short, this was hardly a weak season and has more than its share of laughs.

Frasier's crisis manifests itself in "Frasier's Edge", which has Frasier reuniting with his old mentor (Rene Auberjonois of Boston Legal and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) and coming to grips with a feeling of emptiness...

Crushingly Disappointing
Before you read this review, you must understand that there is NO greater fan of this sitcom than I. The whole show has always made me split my sides, and I love the show more than any other. Believe me, it is my favorite sitcom.

That was why Season Eight so seriously disappointed me. The magic was gone from the cast this season, and I think that the choices made by the writers and producers were huge mistakes. Frasier has a "mid-life crisis" during which he questions his career choice; every episode from then on shows a Frasier who is completely downtrodden and has no spark. One commonly-cited flaw about this season was how the writers chose to deal with Jane Leeves' real-life pregnancy: they had Daphne gaining incalculable weight, going off to "fat-camp," and then coming back only to blame the whole escapade on Niles' love for her. Needless to say, this put a damper on the comedic quality of all the Niles/Daphne humor. 'Bulldog' Briscoe was wholly absent from this...

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