What a great finale from Frasier. It wasn’t too sappy, it wasn’t wrap everything up, it was just a great episode. They didn’t try to do too much with the show. They just wrote it like a regular episode and, in the end, life moved on. And it is freakin’ hilarious - especially Daphne’s relatives!!
Bravo Frasier… you shall be missed!
A huge fan of the show, but don’t think it drew more than 40 million viewers … 
Well, I guess most people just can’t appreciate smart comedies. Unfortunetly
I hadn’t watched for probably close to 5 years, which is something I regret. Thank Og for syndication. I enjoyed the finale, which was, as you said, an almost perfect balance of the maudlin and the hilarious. Very good show.
Although… I did miss the begining of it and the prior few episodes. So I have to ask Why Chicago?
I loved it too, especially when Martin says “Wow, this chair is nice! I could have sat in this thing all along!”
And I’d also like to know what’s up with Chicago. (I’m thinking spoiler boxes aren’t necessary here. I hope.)
SPOILER (just in case)
It’s Chicago because the woman he was in love (and seeing for the last 3 weeks) with went back there and he was going to get her.
It was pretty neat how the writers managed to work the script so the real tears would be appropriate. Sweet.
Ditto on Martin’s comment on the chair.
I didn’t get the extra credits at the end – Stanley Tucci, Estelle Parsons, etc. Were they in the last ep and I missed them? I can’t believe they were the only guest stars worth a mention in 11 years.
Those were guest callers to the radio show. They’ve done that on the finale of most every season, I believe.
Is that a joke? You do know the show drew regularly high ratings for 11 years, right?
Severian, thanks, I missed those, darnit.
Just finished watching it.
I was impressed by all the guest stars. I haven’t caught many episodes in the last few seasons, so maybe some of these people have been on before, but I recognized that guy from American Pie as the young vet, and Daphne’s two other brothers (not Simon—Anthony Paglia has been on before and I believe he’s Australian) are also well-known British actors. (Richard E. Grant was the skinny one, and I can’t recall the other guy’s name—Ronnie something?). Anyway, I don’t see them do a lot of guest starring on TV sit coms (but then again, I don’t watch a lot of TV sitcoms . . . ).
I thought it was great. Loved the brothers, loved how they brought in a lot of faces that have been in many episodes in the past (the people from the station, etc.) and it was a very satisfying ending to a great series.
I’m very disappointed that I missed the finale. I had my last Brit Lit course tonight. Hopefully I’ll catch a rerun sometime. I will admit though, a small insane part of me was holding out for a Frasier/Lilith reunion. 
I’ve missed the last couple of years, so the ending didn’t make any sense to me.
I was worn out by repetition of the “can’t help screwing up every new date” joke.
I kept hoping for something like his romance of Diane on Cheers, something that would run a half dozen episodes at least before hitting a snag.
But, I guess, now that I know he managed to keep a date for the last few episodes, that I can finally start watching again
Why do you care whether it drew more than 40 million viewers? All I care about is that I enjoyed it, actually much more than the Friends finale.
Robbie Coltrane! He’s smashing. Enlivens everything he’s in, and this was no exception.
I thought the show was beautifully crafted. No protracted, maudlin wedding scenes with Martin and Ronee, no protracted, slapstick childbirth scenes with Niles and Daphne, and the classiest family goodbyes in any series ender I can recall. I didn’t expect anything less but the execution was even more than I expected.
I was especially pleased with the number of simple jokes they slipped into the story without beating us over the head with them. The cannon, the monkey, the fact that the baby responded to the phrase open bar, all were just perfect. And I appreciated that we got some closure/glimpses into some of the other recurring characters, Kenny with his new job, Bebe having a middle-aged son, Noel getting his lips on Roz after so many years of waiting, that was all an obvious validation and tip of the hat to the actors/characters whose non-starring work over the years was really an important part of the show.
This was the finale of finales. The only thing that might come close might be Mary Tyler Moore. Absolutely stellar effort.
I had to work late tonight.
Would somebody mind boxing up the whole show’s spoilers for me. I got bits and pieces from previous replies, but I gotta know what happened!!
Thanks,
Happy
For those wondering “Why Chicago?”
Fraiser had finally found the love of his life, Laura Linney. Just as they realized they loved each other, she had only three weeks in Seattle before having to go back home to Chicago. They debated trying to have a relationship in that time, but finally gave in, and had a wonderful time. The setup in the plane was wonderfully done. After the long set up regarding Frasier moving to San Francisco, I expected it would end with the hint that Frasier had managed to find the start of a new relationship with the girl on the plane (who I think was Jennifer Beals), but when the flight attendant said they had landed in Chicago, we got to end on a pleasent, upbeat, gentle twist, that nevertheless wasn’t overly upbeat and sappy.
There are several basic types of final episodes. The six basic types are the “new job”, “wedding”, “baby birth”, “lovers reunited”, “life goes on”, and “moving to a new home/city”. Frasier managed to do all of them in one show. I loved that they didn’t show the result of Frasier’s chasing after his love; I think the Friends finale would have been much better if we didn’t find out whether Rachel got off the plane.
I agree with the OP. One of the great closers. My favorite moment occurred in the apartment, just after Martin’s chair had been removed. Fraiser has what he’s wanted for the past decade: his apartment, all to himself, exactly the way he wants it. The moment he has exactly what he thought he wanted, he decides to move on because it’s still not enough. That moment captured the character perfectly.
Also, it was better than the Friends finale because Fraiser worked out it’s longstanding mismatched lovers plotline years ago, and didn’t save it for the final episode.
So did he give up the job in SF to move to Chicago, or was he just visiting Chocago to get the girl?
I don’t think there was enough information to tell, and maybe that was on purpose.
The best moment was Niles feeding the monkey! The looks and comments from Martin & Ronnie!
They named the baby David. “David Crane” was a producer on “Friends.” And it might have been in memory of David Angell, who co-created and produced the show, and was on Flight 11 with his wife when it crashed into the WTC.
I teared up when Martin said, “Thank you,” to Frasier. And when they thought he was dying…very funny.
I think Frasier took the job in SF, and is one his way to Chicago to continue the relationship.