You’re reading The Complete Infinite Crisis, a Comprehensive and Encyclopedic look through the universe-changing superhero event published by DC from 2005 to 2006. Shelfdust are proud to provide a complete overview of the story, and everything that happens in it. We’ve had to get some experts in though – there’s so much going on that needs to be explained!

Oh baby we’ve heard the blues a-calling, and we’ve been spending a lot of time in Seattle recently, as our investigation into Infinite Crisis has led us deep into the lore of Frasier. We’ve looked at each member of the Crane family in turn, but they aren’t the only people who make Frasier so important! And so today we shine the spotlight on another member of the extended family – Roz Doyle. DW, please give us a full briefing on Roz’s life and times!

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DW! There’s a mysterious other woman in Frasier’s life. Who is Roz Doyle, and what’s she all about?

DW: Roz Doyle is Frasier’s only friend and his coworker/producer. Frasier genuinely doesn’t have any friends because let’s be honest, he’s the worst. However, Roz never really expects much more from Frasier than he is ever capable of, so their friendship works and is genuinely pretty sweet. Roz’s friendships with Marty Crane and Daphne Moon are really great and fun. Her faux-rivalry with Niles Crane cracks me up. David Hyde-Pierce and Peri Gilpin seemed like they had a lot of fun every time they filmed Niles/Roz quipping scenes.

What kind of a person is Roz? What’s her life like?

DW: Roz is funny as hell and I will never forgive this show for the “oops a pregnancy!” storyline they saddled her with (fun fact: the actor who plays the father was also in another favorite show of mine, Buffy the Vampire Slayer). I think ultimately it’s neat in that she goes ahead with having the baby, keeps it, and doesn’t end up marrying the father. The way Roz’s whole story plays out once she has the baby is really unique, I just wish she didn’t have to have that arc to stay relevant? This is what happens when men run out of ideas for writing female characters and I hate it.

Also, we need to talk about Roz’s apartment. Her apartment layout is honestly more baffling than Frasier’s and I don’t understand why we have so many articles about his and not hers? It is genuinely the most bizarre studio apartment I have ever seen. Also, ma’am, who keeps their shoes above their pillows? Doesn’t that get smelly?

Roz is essentially there to be the ~modern 90’s woman~ in that she’s painted as being pretty brash and extremely horny. However, I appreciate that she maintains her femininity in a mostly subdued way, as a sort of foil to Daphne. Daphne is very chokers and ponytails and ditsy florals whereas Roz is very high waist trousers, vests, billowy button downs. Once Roz and Daphne become really close, I honestly have to wonder why either of them even bother with heterosexuality anymore given their chemistry. I should probably also mention Bulldog at some point but, even when he’s being genuine and endearing, he’s still kinda terrible so I refuse to talk about him more than that. He never did and never will deserve her!

How do things end up for her? Does she get a happy ending? Does she get a man? Does she get UNLIMITED POWER??

DW: Listen, this isn’t canon, but it is to me. I think Daphne and Niles end up realizing they aren’t really meant to be more than friends and that neither of them is straight. Daphne and Niles still live together, but Daphne ends up with Roz and they co-parent Roz’s daughter, Alice. Niles, Daphne, and Roz basically all live on the same plot of land, but to ensure Roz and Niles don’t kill each other in a battle of “who can be more snarky”, they live in separate houses. Part of this may have come about after I discovered Peri Gilpin and Jane Leeves are godmothers to each other’s children and literally live next door to one another. I read about that a few years ago after my major Frasier re-watch (aka the reason I’m now ridiculously obsessed) and ever since then any time I watch the show I just imagine Roz and Daphne end up together! It just makes sense!

Roz ends up running the radio station at the end of the show, and I can only imagine she uses every opportunity to remind Frasier of the fact that she is technically now his boss. He, of course, hates it.

Alice Doyle grows up to be an extremely cool and chill zoomer who had a pirate radio station in undergrad. Roz puts up a front citing all of the laws she’s breaking, but underneath it all she thinks it’s pretty cool. Roz also makes sure that Alice doesn’t grow up with the immense insecurities about her looks, aging, or finding a romantic partner that Roz struggled with in her late 30’s and early 40’s. Daphne is convinced some of her psychic capabilities have passed on to Alice, even though she is not blood related. Niles, knowing Daphne and Roz both grew up lower/middle class, teaches Alice about “the finer things in life”, much to Roz’s chagrin. Alice is mostly indifferent, but she acts very engaged and excited when Uncle Niles wants to spend time with her teaching her about the opera and where to buy the finest handmade shoes in Italy.

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Thanks DW! I think we’re just about through with everything we need to know about Frasier. But wait! What’s that I hear in the distance? Is it the sound of…. barking…??

 

DW is a cosplayer, crafter, comic critic, and full-time Frasier fanatic. Her work can be found at Comfort Food Comics. She currently resides in California with her partner and her dog, Penelope, and far too many action figures.