Was It A Mistake to Get Niles and Daphne Together?

[pipboy30]

I personally think that season 9 is by far the weakest in terms of classic and funny episodes but ultimately i suggest that niles and daphne getting "together" spoiled it, i know this happened earlier but until they became engaged it was bearable then daphne became quite a smug and controlling character by the end of this season and it ruined what had to be the funniest on-going subsidiary storyline what are your thoughts on firstly season 9 and the development of this relationship

[barnaclelapse]

The short answer?

No.

[5HR1NK]

As a lot of people have said about this previously, it would have been crazy to stretch out Niles longing for Daphne much longer than it did. Obviously when it happened a large comedic part of the show was gone, but I think it needed to be done.

[pipboy30]

of course it had to be done, perhaps it was the fault of the writers rather than the actors that i found it the way i have, also it was properly developed in what must be the worst season, "something cheerful" anyone

[Daphne K]

No, not a mistake.
It was a mistake to replace the writers, they didn't know what to do with it.

[pipboy30]

that would explain why daphne became such an irritating character

[Lil]

Not a mistake at all. I've always been a sucker for the thought of being madly in love with someone (or as Frasier might say, being in love AT someone) with that person not knowing it. Then once they realize it, or come to terms with it...the magic happens.

[tubalcain]

It would have been an even bigger mistake to have had the entire story told without one of the Crane boy's getting it on properly.
We all knew from the start the road Frasier was heading down,but Niles and Daphne was always going to be a slow burner,and for me the enjoyment of the larger part (the build-up),far outweighs the lesser part (the writing),of the later series.
So the mistake would have been to have let it fizzle out rather than to have seen them together.

[seledoux]

I think they dragged it out as long as was feasibly possible. After 7 full years, it would just be creepy if Niles continued to obsess over her, and having one or both of them find another partner would have been far worse than the necessary loss of comedic value that occurred when Daphne discovered Niles' feelings.

It may be an unpopular opinion, but I love season 9. I'm sorry, I just do. I don't like what happens to Daphne's character, but I love Cam Winston, I love Blaine Sternin, I love the proposal. Love them!

[CatNamedRudy]

I think they dragged it out as long as was feasibly possible. After 7 full years, it would just be creepy if Niles continued to obsess over her, and having one or both of them find another partner would have been far worse than the necessary loss of comedic value that occurred when Daphne discovered Niles' feelings.

It may be an unpopular opinion, but I love season 9. I'm sorry, I just do. I don't like what happens to Daphne's character, but I love Cam Winston, I love Blaine Sternin, I love the proposal. Love them!

Yayyy! Somebody else who doesn't hate S9!

I don't necessarily think it was a mistake to bring them together. I just don't like the way it was handled and I hate that it turned Daphne into a shrewish harpy!

[kat]

I don't hate S9, it's an improvement on S8, but there are still some low points, Cheerful Goodbyes springs instantly to mind as it was on this morning

[CatNamedRudy]

I don't hate S9, it's an improvement on S8, but there are still some low points, Cheerful Goodbyes springs instantly to mind as it was on this morning

Oh yes......there are some definite weak spots!

[jrsightes]

I think it would have been much more rewarding for the fans if they had waited 'til the end of the series to end the tension and put them together once and for all.

Frasier was at its absolute best when Niles was pining after Daphne.

I think the Rachel-Ross story from Friends is a good model for how sitcoms should handle relationships between two beloved characters. Establish mutual feelings between the characters, tease us by having one character continually almost find out about the other character's feelings, allow them to finally get together, devastate us by breaking them up, and make us wait until the finale to get a conclusive answer.

Instead, the Frasier writers resolved the tension too early, and spent the rest of the series telling the inevitably boring story of the perfect, storybook couple, whose only contrived and silly disagreements are always resolved at the end of the episode with a big hug.

I think its treatment of character romances is the one and only area in which Frasier is surpassed by other sitcoms.

[CatNamedRudy]

I think it would have been much more rewarding for the fans if they had waited 'til the end of the series to end the tension and put them together once and for all.

Frasier was at its absolute best when Niles was pining after Daphne.

I think the Rachel-Ross story from Friends is a good model for how sitcoms should handle relationships between two beloved characters. Establish mutual feelings between the characters, tease us by having one character continually almost find out about the other character's feelings, allow them to finally get together, devastate us by breaking them up, and make us wait until the finale to get a conclusive answer.

Instead, the Frasier writers resolved the tension too early, and spent the rest of the series telling the inevitably boring story of the perfect, storybook couple, whose only contrived and silly disagreements are always resolved at the end of the episode with a big hug.

I think its treatment of character romances is the one and only area in which Frasier is surpassed by other sitcoms.

THAT was where the writers screwed it up I think. The relationships beginnings were not handled well at all.

[seledoux]

I think it would have been much more rewarding for the fans if they had waited 'til the end of the series to end the tension and put them together once and for all.

Frasier was at its absolute best when Niles was pining after Daphne.

I think the Rachel-Ross story from Friends is a good model for how sitcoms should handle relationships between two beloved characters. Establish mutual feelings between the characters, tease us by having one character continually almost find out about the other character's feelings, allow them to finally get together, devastate us by breaking them up, and make us wait until the finale to get a conclusive answer.

Instead, the Frasier writers resolved the tension too early, and spent the rest of the series telling the inevitably boring story of the perfect, storybook couple, whose only contrived and silly disagreements are always resolved at the end of the episode with a big hug.

I think its treatment of character romances is the one and only area in which Frasier is surpassed by other sitcoms.

I read this last night and was on the verge of agreeing with you, but after digesting it for a few hours [yeah, I have no life] I decided that I think I disagree based solely on the fact that after all those years with Maris, then the miserable years alone, then the hell that was Mel, damnit, Niles deserved a boring storybook romance. Even if Daphne did become a bit of a shrew, she was still light-years above anyone else Niles has been with [including Kit].

Also, I can't get past the fact that I really don't think it was plausible for Daphne to remain single for much longer. 11 years with only two serious relationships was already a major stretch.

Besides - how else could they have masked Jane's pregnancy?

[geoff]

When Niles and Daphne were brought together, at the end of season 7, was it known the series would run another another 4 years? Maybe it was thought if we don't do it now we won't have the chance. If season 8 had been the last season the story arc of the development of Niles and Daphne's releationship would have been a fitting end to the series, with the right writers.

[tubalcain]

Perfectly sound.

Welcome to the board,geoff.

[Moose]

I do find it quite painful to watch them together. The tension was much more fun to watch. I don't think they should have got together but the comments above are right, it had to be done for the show.

Joe

[!Amz!]

I don't think it was a mistake, I just think that S8 was very weak and I think that it was a bit hard to get used to seeing them together after 7 years of amusing scenes where Daphne is oblivious to Niles' feelings for her. I definitely don't think it was a mistake to get them together, because I'm sure every Frasier fan would have wanted them to get together eventually, and throughout the series there were loads of moments that showed they were right for each other.

[Torrie]

I like the fact they got together but I have to admit I did wonder how their relationship worked as to me they seem to have very little in common.

[Stu]

i obsolutly agree with you/.
it is not a mistake, it is just sth that .........

___________________________________

[Lil]

Yeah I understand completely what you're saying, Sammy.

Out of curiousity, you say on your profile your favorite Frasier episode is Dexter. I don't believe I've ever seen that one. Oh! Was that how the series ended? Michael C. Hall went into Frasier's apartment and killed the whole household? Here I was thinking Goodnight Seattle was the last show.

[welshben23]

Yeah I understand completely what you're saying, Sammy.

Out of curiousity, you say on your profile your favorite Frasier episode is Dexter. I don't believe I've ever seen that one. Oh! Was that how the series ended? Michael C. Hall went into Frasier's apartment and killed the whole household? Here I was thinking Goodnight Seattle was the last show.

Edit: Sammy's shop is wonderful It has the famous flowery Frasier boxset.

[iluvcioffiiluvtea23]

I like the fact they got together but I have to admit I did wonder how their relationship worked as to me they seem to have very little in common.

*giggles* I know, right? They are just adorable together, but I think that Daphne was soooo rude to Niles. I mean, I also wondered how their relationship worked. I dunno, maybe I think the writers should have kept Daphne's cuteness.

[jojobibs]

at first i loved them togther but i do agree after a while daphne had become a bit high strung for her own good xx