The Frasier reboot series was arguably far better than many had predicted, but the show’s first run of episodes ended with a story that Friends had already done way back in 1996. A follow-up to the original Frasier series that ran from 1993 to 2004, 2023’s Frasier featured a cast of new characters joining Kelsey Grammer’s Dr. Frasier Crane for more sitcom hijinks. Though the first season as a whole managed to take Frasier’s story in a new direction, the end of the Frasier reboot’s first season bore an uncanny resemblance to a much better Friends episode from 28 years ago.
Titled “Reindeer Games”, the first season finale of 2023’s Frasier revolved around Frasier throwing a lavish Christmas party to take his mind off his father’s death. Meanwhile, Frasier’s son, Freddy, attempted to be in two places at once. Like every episode of the Frasier reboot, “Reindeer Games” had its fair share of charm. However, the episode’s story was already done to greater effect by Friends in its second season.
“Reindeer Games” essentially saw Freddy caught between the two most important people in his life as they both experience grief in different ways. Frasier wanted to cope with Martin’s death by throwing an elegant soirée, while Freddy’s friend, Eve, wanted to hide away at home to mourn the loss of her dead boyfriend before eventually throwing an impromptu party of her own. Freddy’s attempt to be there for both his father and his friend at the same time provided much of the episode’s humor. The plot was very similar to that of the Friends season 2 episode, “The One With Two Parties”.
The twenty-second episode of Friends season 2, “The One With Two Parties” revolved around the gang throwing a surprise birthday bash for Rachel. Chaos ensued, however, when both of Rachel’s recently divorced parents unexpectedly showed up. In order to keep them apart, the group threw two separate parties; one in Monica’s apartment and one in Chandler and Joey’s. Of course, keeping Rachel’s mom and dad away from each other proved to be more difficult than the gang first expected, which led to some hilarious moments.
Like Frasier‘s “Reindeer Games”, “The One With Two Parties” delighted in having its characters desperately attempting to appease both parties while having to constantly come up with excuses for their sudden absences. It also featured two parties with very contrasting atmospheres. Overall, “The One With Two Parties” was a cleverly constructed episode that, ironically, felt not unlike a classic Frasier story, largely thanks to its more farcical elements, which helped to make it one of the best episodes of Friends ever.
Though “Reindeer Games” was certainly one of the strongest episodes of the Frasier reboot, it, nevertheless, paled in comparison to Friends‘ “The One With Two Parties” for a few reasons. For starters, “The One With Two Parties” set up its stakes a lot better. At the start of the episode, Rachel told the gang that she had just come from her sister’s graduation where her parents got into a huge argument. Therefore, the audience knew the importance of keeping Rachel’s parents apart because if they did cross paths at any point, it would likely lead to a fight.
Meanwhile, in Frasier‘s “Reindeer Games”, the episode did a good job of setting up both why Frasier wanted to throw a party and why Eve didn’t want to attend, but it never really explained why Freddy couldn’t simply just explain the situation to both of them. After all, Frasier would surely understand if Freddy missed the party to look after Eve instead, and Eve would no doubt be fine with Freddy leaving her on her own to attend his dad’s party. As a result, the tension in “Reindeer Games” felt manufactured and unearned.
Additionally, while both episodes used the “Two Parties” format to explore deeper themes – divorce in Friends and grief in Frasier – the latter didn’t quite have the same emotional impact as the former. That being said, the Frasier reboot finale did feature a sweet scene towards the end of the episode that saw the return of Peri Gilpin’s Roz, who reminisced with Frasier about his father. While the “Reindeer Games” may have lacked originality and tension, it still served as a satisfying conclusion to the first season of the Frasier reboot.