22 Years Ago Today, a Series Finale Aired With a Subtle Twist That Still Has Fans Divided
For 11 seasons, Frasier brought sharp wit, unforgettable one-liners, and one of television's most beloved sitcom families into living rooms across America. The Emmy-winning series followed psychiatrist Frasier Crane, played by actor Kelsey Grammer. The sitcom became a defining staple of NBC's Must-See TV era before airing its emotional series finale on May 13, 2004.
"Goodnight, Seattle," was the fitting title for the show's finale. Frasier decides to leave Seattle and take a new job in San Francisco. However, when the series ends, Frasier doesn't touch down in California-the pilot is heard announcing "Welcome to Chicago." The ending suggests that Frasier chose to follow his heart, to pursue his love interest, Charlotte (Laura Linney), in the Windy City.
The 25 million viewers who tuned in to watch the finale were left with plenty of emotions-and questions. Would Frasier stay in Chicago with Charlotte? Would he eventually fly back to California? And, most importantly, would Frasier's journey pick back up at a later date?
Over the years, fans of the long-running series have remained divided over how the show wrapped up.
"Honestly it seemed more like a season finale than a series finale. Like eventually something would go wrong and he would return to Seattle. It was so weird to see that the series closed with Frasier moving on to start a TV show and then randomly going to chase after a random woman at the last minute. Because while the show tried to paint it as the most romantic thing possible, it wasn't like his relationship with Charlotte was developed at all," one fan of the show wrote on a Reddit thread about the finale.
"I totally disagree. With Martin getting re-married, his relationship with Frasier was about to change, in a major way. He had re-connected with his father, but now that he had married, he was moving out and moving on. Niles and Daphne were just starting a new life together, as well, and Frasier, at this point, would be living on his own and still young enough that he too could finally stop taking care of others and take care of himself and find love. It made perfect narrative sense for him to take a figurative and literal leap into the unknown and do something for himself, turn a new page and start a new adventure," someone else countered.
The story ultimately continued in Paramount+'s 2023 Frasier revival, which ran for two seasons before being canceled. The reboot revealed that Frasier and Charlotte stayed together in Chicago for nearly 20 years before Frasier relocated to Boston to reconnect with his son Freddy - setting up the premise of the revival series.
There has been ongoing speculation about the revival potentially finding a new home on another network or streaming service, though discussion surrounding a possible continuation has quieted in recent months.
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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 2:42 AM.