When Maris goes on a shopping spree without informing Niles, Frasier encourages his brother to finally lay down the law with his selfish wife.
Tropes:
- Awful Wedded Life: Maris takes off for New York without bothering to tell Niles (who didn't notice because he's used to icy silence lasting days on end from her), demands a divorce when he stands up to her for it, and only offers to take him back if he'll take all the blame.
- Door Slam of Rage: According to Niles, after he told off Maris for what she did, he tried to slam the door on the way out. Unfortunately, said door was a fourteenth-century Bavarian cathedral door, so he needed help to do it.Niles: But what it lacked in spontaneity it made up for in resonance!
- Exiled to the Couch: Non-romantic version, where Martin exiles Frasier to the couch and lets Niles take over Frasier's bedroom, as repayment for Frasier's part in what's happened, without either of them asking Frasier's opinion on the matter (mainly because he'd object).
- Freudian Slip: Frasier gives one when trying to persuade Niles to put his foot down to Maris.Frasier: I will not let you treat me like this Lilith (beat) Maris!
- Grew a Spine: Niles starts standing up to Maris.
- Hypocritical Humor: Martin gets on Frasier's case all episode about staying out of Niles and Maris' personal affairs, to the point of having him Exiled to the Couch when Maris kicks Niles out. At the climax, he then delivers a very passionate speech about how it doesn't matter what either Frasier or Martin think when Niles asks for his input on the situation. However, Martin then can't help himself from delivering his actual opinion on the situation when it briefly looks like Niles is going to go grovelling back to Maris after all: "WHAT ARE YA, NUTS?!"
- I Need a Freaking Drink: It's a sign of how rattled Niles is after Maris kicks him out that he's drinking beer. From the can! Though he does admit he'd like to switch back to wine.Frasier: You feel empowered, don't you?Niles: Soooo empowered.Frasier: And you'd like to switch back to wine, now, wouldn't you?Niles: Yes, please.
- Multi Boobage: Noel's Star Trek character, Queen Rozalinda, is supposed to have four breasts.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Frasier's well-meaning advice to his brother prompts the disintegration of Niles' marriage, and a lot of misery for him which will last for several years.
- Not Listening to Me, Are You?: Martin tells Frasier to stop sticking his bazoo into Niles and Maris' affairs. Frasier says he's listening as he's already heading to the door.
- Percussive Therapy: Niles starts smashing various knick-knacks around the house, one in response to Frasier's "relentless psychobabble", and the rest in reaction to Maris. Later, at Frasier's apartment, he tells Frasier how good it felt - and Frasier starts moving his stuff out of arm's reach...
- Psychometry: Daphne picks up a poker at Niles's house, claiming to get strong vibes off of it, and has a vision of Maris waving it around and screaming at someone, which Niles recognizes as her reaction to a decorator who tried to double-bill her.
- Right Behind Me: Frasier plans to give a Shepherd's Pie that Daphne made to Eddie when he expresses dislike for it, unaware that Daphne is behind him and is pissed off.
- Rose-Tinted Narrative: Discussed towards the end. When having second thoughts about walking out on Maris, Niles points out various items of furniture which symbolise apparently happy memories for him, only for Frasier to point out that he may in fact be doing this, and that these examples are in fact examples of Maris walking all over him:Frasier: Niles, before you make your final decision, just make sure you're remembering things the way they really were. Yes, you bought that chair on your honeymoon in Vienna. But you wanted to buy the chair you saw in Paris. Yes, you sit at that piano every morning and play Mahler for Maris. But you hate Mahler! Besides Maris, who doesn't?! [...] All I'm saying is, along with the good things in your marriage, there were problems. Things you said you couldn't live with anymore.
- Seriously Scruffy: By his own standards, at least. The usually immaculately dressed Niles is found by Frasier without his suit jacket, in addition to aforementioned beers.
- Shout-Out: Noel's Star Trek character, "Queen Rozalinda", is a reference to Deanna Troi from Star Trek: The Next Generation, who was originally conceived as having extra breasts.
- Something Only They Would Say: Niles realizes that Maris is safe and sound when Martin reveals that someone's been using her credit cards recently in New York - all fancy clothing stores, no restaurants - and explains that she's recreating her "Sakes alive, I'm thirty-five" tour.
- The Tag: Roz gets a pair of bras sewn together as a gag gift from the KACL staff.
- Wham Episode: Niles and Maris's marriage, never the happiest, really begins to crack in this episode, with the beginning of their separation.
- Wham Line: Niles drops a doozy, rather nonchalantly: "She wants a divorce."
