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Maris, Mel or Daphne

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Maris, Mel or Daphne?

Maris
28
30%
Mel
5
5%
Daphne
60
65%
 
Total votes : 93

Re: Maris, Mel or Daphne

Postby edland » Tue Jul 27, 2010 12:02 am

Maris all the way for me. She provided Niles with some excellent lines.

Don't know exactly what happened to Daphne when she and Niles got together (maybe marriage didn't suit her?!). And as for Mel....
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Re: Maris, Mel or Daphne

Postby cassius » Sun Oct 31, 2010 10:06 pm

I voted for Maris. A very good turn, from an invisible force.
:lol:
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Re: Maris, Mel or Daphne

Postby lyna0312 » Wed May 11, 2011 9:24 am

I really wish that we could see Maris on the show because all we really have of Maris are stories of her. From everything that I know of Maris I actually think that she is worse than Mel. Mel may have been annoying but at least she really did love Niles and thought the world of him up until their split.
My vote goes to the one that makes Niles happiest and that's Daphne. I love watching Niles crushing on Daphne for 7 seasons but it was so much better to watching her love him back. To finally see Niles step up and be a man to protect the woman he loves rather than being push around like he was in the first 7 season by Maris and Mel.
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Re: Maris, Mel or Daphne

Postby Forever Jung » Sun May 15, 2011 4:42 pm

lyna0312 wrote:I really wish that we could see Maris on the show because all we really have of Maris are stories of her.


:twisted: With all the physical attributes mentioned by the other characters, I think it would be impossible to find an actress that could look anything like Maris. I don't think it's possible to look like Maris and LIVE :lol:
They'd have to do some CGI magic to put Maris on the screen.


I did like it in the episode (the name escapes me right now) where Frasier is wondering if Niles and Maris belong together, and you think Maris walks in, but it turns out that it's Marta Frasier is waiting to meet.
Good way of fooling the audience that 8-)
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Re: Maris, Mel or Daphne

Postby JackE » Fri May 27, 2011 5:20 pm

Maris, by a long long way. There was a brilliant joke about her in almost every episode until after the divorce (and some after that). She was almost the funniest of all the cast, despite the fact we never saw her. Daphne was great pre-Niles but was no fun after that. I liked Mel's character and I thought she was under-used but you can't beat Maris!
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Re: Maris, Mel or Daphne

Postby Clare » Fri May 27, 2011 8:10 pm

I think Niles was funnier when he was in love with Daphne from afar, so i would say he was better with Maris. But i'm glad he got with Daphne in the end.
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Re: Maris, Mel or Daphne

Postby DHPfan » Thu Jun 02, 2011 3:19 am

Agreed. Maris brought out the wimpy, adorable Niles that we know and love, so we have to thank her for bringing out the best in Niles :) I am glad that Maris wasn't shown though, because that might change everything! :) I found Mel too pushy and she took advantage of Niles, so I didn't like her. And Daphne... Well she makes him happy, and I guess that's enough :)
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Re: Maris, Mel or Daphne

Postby fondantfancy » Wed Jun 22, 2011 11:15 am

I am in a minority I know but I liked Niles and Mel - though she was going to control him if they had stayed together.
I loved it when he first met her in her office and she opened the cupboard door to show all her white coats pressed and on hangers - the look on his face :lol:

She had a couple of good lines: Frasier - 'nothing puts love handles on quicker' (about a chocolate pudding?)
Mel - 'and nobody takes them off quicker than me' :lol:
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Re: Maris, Mel or Daphne

Postby Giggsy » Sun Jul 10, 2011 2:40 am

Defiantly Daphne, Although she dose get boring as the seasons go on (9 onward). Maris has her moments but Mel was a complete snore.
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Re: Maris, Mel or Daphne

Postby tgirl » Thu Oct 04, 2012 11:39 pm

Daphne of course because it took so long for them to get together and we didn't have to see anymore heartbreaking disappointed facial expressions from DHP once Niles and Daphne became a couple. I do believe that Daphne's personality changed in not the best way but that is due to the writing, I always thought JL was a briliant actress throughout and did the character justice.

I didnt atually find Mel to be as bad as people make out. I think she and Niles had so much in common and could have been perfect for eachother but only for this reason. Daphne and Niles had built up a friendship over the years, were very comfortable talking with eachother and had an ability to learn about eachother and accept their differences.

I just got annoyed that they dragged the Maris and Niles divorce out for so long but the Maris facts were brilliant.
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Re:

Postby Patrick » Fri Oct 05, 2012 1:49 pm

Lil wrote:I used to think of Mel as a creepy little koala...

But on the positive side, she has that x-ray vision... :lol:
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Re: Maris, Mel or Daphne

Postby Patrick » Fri Oct 05, 2012 1:58 pm

Forever Jung wrote:
lyna0312 wrote:I really wish that we could see Maris on the show because all we really have of Maris are stories of her.


:twisted: With all the physical attributes mentioned by the other characters, I think it would be impossible to find an actress that could look anything like Maris. I don't think it's possible to look like Maris and LIVE :lol:
They'd have to do some CGI magic to put Maris on the screen.
...

And the result would be either inaccurate or repulsive...
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Re: Maris, Mel or Daphne

Postby Forever Jung » Sat Oct 06, 2012 6:41 pm

Patrick wrote:
Forever Jung wrote:
lyna0312 wrote:I really wish that we could see Maris on the show because all we really have of Maris are stories of her.


:twisted: With all the physical attributes mentioned by the other characters, I think it would be impossible to find an actress that could look anything like Maris. I don't think it's possible to look like Maris and LIVE :lol:
They'd have to do some CGI magic to put Maris on the screen.
...

And the result would be either inaccurate or repulsive...


:twisted: And taken straight to NASA for testing :lol:
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Re: Maris, Mel or Daphne

Postby Eddie2012 » Tue Oct 09, 2012 10:49 am

Maris: It can’t be her. She was awful to Niles and he was miserable throughout their marriage. He probably mistook admiration for her lifestyle for love.
Mel: She was physically and intellectually perfect for him. She really was a ‘Niles with boobs’. They only made her into a manipulative b**** so the viewer would not feel too sorry for her, when Niles dumped her unceremoniously on their honeymoon.
Daphne: I will have to go with her, simply for the reason that Niles is for once really in love. Although I have a hard time imagining those two building and enjoying a life together, because I think they are, if I look at their intellects, interest, personalities objectively, completely wrong for each other. I don’t buy their newly found enthusiasm for each other’s interests after they go together at all.
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Re: Maris, Mel or Daphne

Postby Frasiertime » Thu Apr 11, 2013 7:17 pm

I've always been confused as to the order of events leading up to the divorce of Niles and Maris. Did Niles first leave on his own or did Maris throw him out? Did he go back and live with Maris anytime after that? I remember Frasier and Martin talking him out of going back once. Was Niles back at the Montana when they were going to the marriage counselor? It seemed Niles was always trying to get back together with Maris.
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Re: Maris, Mel or Daphne

Postby DiceMan » Thu Apr 11, 2013 8:00 pm

Picked Maris. Daphne's the best for Niles, but not for me watching Niles
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Re: Maris, Mel or Daphne

Postby frasier floyd » Sun Jun 09, 2013 7:13 pm

Eddie2012 wrote:Maris: It can’t be her. She was awful to Niles and he was miserable throughout their marriage. He probably mistook admiration for her lifestyle for love.
Mel: She was physically and intellectually perfect for him. She really was a ‘Niles with boobs’. They only made her into a manipulative b**** so the viewer would not feel too sorry for her, when Niles dumped her unceremoniously on their honeymoon.
Daphne: I will have to go with her, simply for the reason that Niles is for once really in love. Although I have a hard time imagining those two building and enjoying a life together, because I think they are, if I look at their intellects, interest, personalities objectively, completely wrong for each other. I don’t buy their newly found enthusiasm for each other’s interests after they go together at all.


I agree with everything you said! Mel really was a good match for Niles. She may have come off as stiff but we had so much more time to get to know other lovable sides of Niles, but mostly saw only Mel's stuffy side. It's kind of interesting that Niles was able to leave her so easily now that I think about it. I know he always loved Daphne, but he seemed happy/content with Mel enough to give their relationship (and new marriage) a second thought. Mel did seem to really love him, as she explained to Daphne while getting a massage. So it does make sense that she'd become a nasty spiteful person after he left. If you look at it from her perspective though, her attitude is understandable- Niles did kiss and confess his love to another woman on their honeymoon, and Mel wasn't far away at the time. That's got to hurt.
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Re: Maris, Mel or Daphne

Postby PistolPoet » Sun Jun 09, 2013 7:21 pm

My heart broke when Niles said to Daphne, "Say the word and I will leave Mel in a heartbeat." What did he even feel for Mel if he could leave her like that? I understand that he loved Daphne more, but it seems like there wasn't even a second of doubt in his mind. If you try to put yourself in Mel's shoes, he really seems quite heartless.
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Re: Maris, Mel or Daphne

Postby Patrick » Sun Jun 09, 2013 8:15 pm

PistolPoet wrote:My heart broke when Niles said to Daphne, "Say the word and I will leave Mel in a heartbeat." What did he even feel for Mel if he could leave her like that? I understand that he loved Daphne more, but it seems like there wasn't even a second of doubt in his mind. If you try to put yourself in Mel's shoes, he really seems quite heartless.

Puts me in mind of an exchange between Niles and Frasier:

Niles; It 's a different kind of love. (He meant the love he felt for Maris)

Frasier: You mean, it's not human?


We can only conclude that Niles felt a different kind of love for Mel, as well.
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Re: Maris, Mel or Daphne

Postby PistolPoet » Sun Jun 09, 2013 8:49 pm

Patrick wrote:We can only conclude that Niles felt a different kind of love for Mel, as well.

Yeah, it's different from his love for Daphne, that's for sure. They can't really compare, since Niles had been in love with Daphne for so many years before. I just felt Mel deserved more, since she wasn't nearly as demanding or as selfish as Maris, if at all.
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Re: Maris, Mel or Daphne

Postby Moon-Crane » Tue Jun 18, 2013 8:38 pm

I have sympathy for Mel. The Mel/Niles storyline was very contrived, and probably didn't really make much sense in the way they used her. It was such a speedy turnaround from Niles meeting her, falling in love, getting married and then finding out about Daphne's feelings and so dumping her, that it's quite a feat to keep the sympathy with Niles and make her seem like the mean, nasty, unreasonable one.

Another one i put down to sitcom world and the needs to move the story along. In 'real life' i'd imagine people would have more sympathy for the way she was used by Niles? But then i guess Niles is part of our 'family' and so, much like Frasier and Martin do, we take a more sympathetic approach to his predicament.

Same goes for Donnie getting the old Spanish archer from Daphne, really. He takes some horrendous stick from some people simply for the way he looks apparently not being what Daphne would be in to. :lol:
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Re: Maris, Mel or Daphne

Postby Britannia » Tue May 06, 2014 5:21 am

Maris was the catalyst for so many of Nile's many hang-ups that she was pivotal in establishing and delineating his complex character in the early episodes. Mel seemed to be a stop gap between Niles and Daphne finally getting together and Niles needing a woman to escort about town who would fit seamlessly into his social circle. At that stage I think Niles was trying to recover some dignity and face. Daphne's character seemed to change slightly and become a little too dominant after she and Niles got together and I found this a disappointing development. You could argue however, that Niles would only ever be comfortable with a dominant partner who gave him limited or little choice in his actions, some men seem to like that kind of imbalance. I'd have preferred to have seen a lot less of Daphne's dreadful relatives with their odd mixture of Cockney, Yorkshire and Essex accents. They seemed to be an unnecessary, irritating addition to the stock of main characters and a constant weak- humoured diversion.
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Re: Maris, Mel or Daphne

Postby Roverman » Wed May 07, 2014 12:16 am

Moon-Crane wrote:I have sympathy for Mel. The Mel/Niles storyline was very contrived, and probably didn't really make much sense in the way they used her. It was such a speedy turnaround from Niles meeting her, falling in love, getting married and then finding out about Daphne's feelings and so dumping her, that it's quite a feat to keep the sympathy with Niles and make her seem like the mean, nasty, unreasonable one.

Another one i put down to sitcom world and the needs to move the story along. In 'real life' i'd imagine people would have more sympathy for the way she was used by Niles? But then i guess Niles is part of our 'family' and so, much like Frasier and Martin do, we take a more sympathetic approach to his predicament.

Same goes for Donnie getting the old Spanish archer from Daphne, really. He takes some horrendous stick from some people simply for the way he looks apparently not being what Daphne would be in to. :lol:



Just a thought but why did they bring in Donnie and Mel? Did they need to stretch out the 'will they/won't they?' for another year or so? On some levels it brought out the worst in Niles' and Daphne's characters, with him prepared to leave a woman he's just got married to and her prepared to abandon Donnie, who adores her, on the day of their wedding!
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Re: Maris, Mel or Daphne

Postby Patrick » Wed May 07, 2014 9:50 am

Roverman wrote:Just a thought but why did they bring in Donnie and Mel? Did they need to stretch out the 'will they/won't they?' for another year or so? On some levels it brought out the worst in Niles' and Daphne's characters, with him prepared to leave a woman he's just got married to and her prepared to abandon Donnie, who adores her, on the day of their wedding!


I don't know if they had any long term plans for any of the characters. I think they were pretty much making it up as they went along. The Daphne getting fat thing for instance was something they couldn't plan in advance. They had to improvise. Plus they were also likely taking into account the will of the audience. If people had made it clear that they weren't at all interested by a romance between Daphne and Niles, it's likely that they would have forgotten about it, for example.
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Re: Maris, Mel or Daphne

Postby Allystare » Wed May 14, 2014 2:21 am

Based on the way Maris and Mel are portrayed - pretty unfavourably to say the least - you sort of have to go with Daphne. I understand that their chemistry was at its peak in the early seasons when Niles was with Maris, and pining for Daphne from afar, and I understand of course that a lot of people don't like how their relationship (Daphne-Niles) ended up playing out and the sort of nag that Daphne became later on (losing all her quirky charm from the earlier seasons), and I understand also that there is a certain amount of sympathy for Mel (before she completely turned into a bitch anyways), but even with all of that, Daphne seems to be the best option by far.
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