With Maris draining his finances, Niles struggles to find a place to stay until it blows over.
Examples:
- An Aesop: Circumstances can change and you have to put in effort to adapt and also make it into the second group of "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger."
- Analogy Backfire: Martin reminds Niles of Nietzsche's psalm, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Niles's riposte is, "Dad, not everyone makes it into that second group!"
- Blatant Lies: Niles at the beginning tries everything he can to deny the fact he's driving a Hatchback since Maris repossessed his car. It doesn't work.
- Broke Episode: The episode is about Niles struggling financially due to Maris bankrupting him in revenge for not taking her back in the last episode.
- Conditioned to Accept Horror: In his Despair Event Horizon, Niles has himself convinced that his breakup with Maris was his fault and life with her was completely normal:Niles: I was too rigid, I was always making demands! "Eat something! Unlock this door! Don't throw that!"
- "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: After Niles moves in with Frasier he soon ends up getting on everyone’s nerves, one issue is him keeping first Martin and then Frasier awake while sharing rooms with dehumidifiers, a hi-fi playing nature sounds and his breathing exercises. Apparently it never occurred to anyone that Niles could have set his bed and the equipment up in the living room at night where it would have not bothered anyone.
- Cruel to Be Kind: Frasier feels guilty about evicting Niles from his apartment to convince him to take up residence at the Shangri-La, but Martin encourages him that Niles is a grown man, he just needed a push to do the sensible thing.
- Despair Event Horizon: Niles is so despondent at having to live in the Shangri-La that he contemplates calling Maris and groveling to her for forgiveness.
- If You Die, I Call Your Stuff: Downplayed. Frasier encourages Niles to economize by, among other things, returning the pen he bought that belonged to Noël Coward. As soon as he does, Frasier buys it himself, but feels incredibly guilty about it, until he decides to give it to Niles as a "housewarming gift."
- Know When to Fold 'Em: Defied. Niles is near the end of his rope while living in the Shangri-La due to being so unaccustomed to it and calls Maris to take him back, but the moment he hears her voice, he realizes that he just can't go back to that life.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Niles ends up seeing that Maris cutting him off financially and him being forced to live in a rundown apartment is the price for ridding himself of her.
- Lonely Bachelor Pad: The Shangri-La. It's implied that the previous occupant of Niles' unit killed himself as all his belongings are still there, and the landlord mentions that he left a note with no forwarding address. Niles puts on a brave face about living there until Martin comments that he wouldn't mind living there either. Cue Niles breaking down about not living in luxury anymore.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Frasier, after kicking Niles out of his apartment, has this reaction when Martin mentions that the Shangri-La, the studio apartment Niles is now forced to stay in until his divorce with Maris is settled, is his kind of place.
- Oblivious to Her Own Description:Daphne: You know, it's funny how much Eddie misses that bird of Dr. Crane's. This morning a pigeon landed on the terrace, Eddie jumped up excited, ran over and started barking at it!
Frasier: Oh, yes he does that all the time.
Daphne: No, no, this was a different sort of bark, like, "You're not my bird! Don't fly over here and get my hopes up like that, you're not my bird!" It was silly and sad at the same time, you know?
Frasier: Firsthand. - Properly Paranoid: Frasier is unconvinced Niles settled into the Shangri-La. Turns out he's right.
- Skewed Priorities: Defied. Niles ultimately realizes and accepts that living in a shabby apartment and driving a used hatchback is not too big a price to pay for freeing himself from his toxic relationship with Maris.
- The Tag: Niles tries to find the appropriate place to put a vase when moving into the Shangri-La before calling it quits and putting it back in the box he got it out of.
- Talking Down the Suicidal: Played for Laughs. When Niles grabs his phone and starts to call Maris to beg her to take him back, Martin treats him like he's holding himself hostage:Martin: Niles, give me that phone! You don't know what you're doing! Just drop it and kick it over here!
- The Thing That Would Not Leave: Niles staying with Frasier causes some problems like his fastidious tendencies getting on everyone's nerves. It causes Martin and Frasier to lose sleep, and causes Frasier to miss out on a job interview. It is soon revealed that Niles hasn't been searching for an apartment ever since he started living with Frasier because he can't find anything that suits his standard-of-living.
