They were an on again off again relationship through the entire show. They were the original will they get together/won’t they get together. I am watching A Bartenders Tale episode right now. Where Diane leaves with Frasier for Europe for 6 months. That departure was similar to the final one.
He never really wom her. Even with that touching final departure. He knew she was gone for good, not the 6 months she said it would be and he was right. She was gone. He gave up the fight, he didn’t beg her to stay like that time with his brother, where he did beg her. Or this episode actually I think it was the episode before Bartenders Tale. They were in the bar he suggested they hit, and neither of them could let go. Sam especially. It wasn’t a pitiful not let go, it was more joking, but it was begging. Then there was her, asking Coach to watch him. Look after him before the big. She was concerned for him. Drinking and other problems. She didn’t even want to go with Frasier. They tested Sam with the idea. Sam acted, pretended he was alright with it which set Frasier off because he knows she has a thing for Sam she can’t let go of.
They have separated a few times in the show.
Right so my point is, she left him, it didn’t seem like she thought it would be more than 6 months, Sam knew otherwise. A d he was right. So he didn’t “win” her. They had an on and off thing it’s shallow to say that she thought Sam was too good looking for her, she called him stupid more times than I can remember. It had no thing to do with either of those things, but at the same time, yeah. Their attraction was those things. They loved each other, she walked away, and didn’t come back. Left him in pain, knowing she was not coming back. He believed that and he moved on as best he could. It was a good relationship, great to watch, but they broke the chain. She did, and he let her.
When they say each other 6 years later, it was gone. It wasn’t what it was. They weren’t what they were.