The Frasier Revival Finally Gives Us What’s Been Missing Most: A Dog Frenemy

Eddie was truly a beloved member of the core cast and a fan-favorite character, even gracing the front page of a 1993 issue of Entertainment Weekly, in which he was dubbed, “The hottest pooch to be unleashed on the airwaves in years.” Aside from being a general nuisance for Kelsey Grammer’s Frasier, Eddie was renowned for being able to stare, unflinching, at the show’s star for extended periods — a running gag that further played up the awkwardness between the two. Sadly, poor old Moose passed away in 2006 at the age of 16 (via the BBC).

Obviously, with the revival series being set 20 years after the end of its predecessor, it was never going to feature Eddie. But that doesn’t mean Frasier can’t be tormented by a new canine frenemy, and with episode four of the new show, we got a reminder of just how well that kind of dynamic can work.

In the episode, Frasier’s son Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott) invites his father to his workplace, the firehouse, in an effort to demonstrate how serious a job being a firefighter is. When Frasier gets there, he decides to cook the crew a meal, and a young Dalmatian hops up to the table to smell what he’s cooking. The dog might not have the same unsettling gaze as Eddie, but Frasier treats him in the same curmudgeonly, circumspect manner, as if he’s distrustful of any being who can’t cognate at his level. He grudgingly allows the dog to eat some of his cooking after all the firefighters have to leave suddenly, hopefully establishing the beginning of a long, somewhat strained friendship that will help elevate the neither disappointing nor remarkable revival series.