Frasier Online Episode Guide -> Season 11 -> Episode 11.13

The Ann Who Came To Dinner

Martin joins Frasier, Roz and Niles at Cafe Nervosa wearing a jacket he hasn't worn for some time and to Frasier's horror, Martin discovers Frasier's home insurance renewal cheque in one of the pockets leaving him uninsured. He is immediately on the phone to his broker, who informs him that his premium has doubled. Frasier tells him he'll think about it, prompting Roz to suggest he make up with he insurance friend Ann (with whom Frasier had a spectacularly bad date with in The Placeholder) and get a great deal on his insurance. Frasier is initially reluctant but soon realises he has no choice, and invites Ann over to his apartment. The mood is decidely uncomfortable but soon Ann is inspecting Frasier's apartment to give him his quote when she slips on some mayonnaise Martin accidentally spilt while preparing a sandwich. This lands Ann is hospital having broken her legs, and as Frasier feels somewhat responsible - and with Ann threatening to sue the hospital if anything goes wrong - he invites her to stay with him for a few weeks while she recovers. So Ann brings her stuff (and her trumpet!) over to Frasier's where she slowly drives Frasier and Martin insane, before Roz takes the bull by the horns and presents Frasier with a legal document drawn up by her lawyer that would absolve Frasier of any responsibility if he can get Ann to sign it. Ann accidentally discovers the document and is upset by it - she realises Frasier only took her in to negate the possibility of her suing, and grudgingly signs it (but not before Frasier had to beg to get her to do so....).

Meanwhile, an out-on-bail Maris informs Niles that she is having an auction of all their stuff and he can come an collect anything he doesn't want auctioned. Niles uses the opportunity to take back a hated picture of his that depicts Niles as Satyr, the God of Fornication, but it soon transpires that Maris was even cleverer than they thought as her electronic tag has been hidden in the picture frame and Maris makes her escape to a South Sea isle free from prosecution.

- Roz can't believe that Frasier describes his previous date with Ann as 'less than chivalrous':
Roz: You ate her ravioli, then hit on another woman in the same restaurant!
Frasier: Which is less than chivalrous!

- Frasier comes home to Martin eating a sandwich:
Martin: I made a sandwich from some of your cold chicken in there.
Frasier: Also known as quail!

- Ann wants to pick up her trumpet for when she moves into Frasier's:
Frasier: You play the trumpet?
Ann: Oh, I just started - it's really hard!

- Niles drops by Frasier's to return his escargot clamps:
Martin: Oh that's what those are - I've been using them to pull ticks off Eddie's coat!

- Martin doesn't think much of Niles' portrait as Satyr:
Martin: How did you stand to look at yourselves like that?
Niles: I didn't have to - it was in Maris' bedroom!

- Frasier wonders how Roz ever came to know Ann after she hands him the legal document:
Frasier: How did you become friends with Ann? I mean, she's not exactly your type.
Roz: Oh, we're not exactly friends - I rear ended her in 1989!

- Daphne finally gets to see Niles' portrait of himself as Satyr:
Daphne: That's what our son would look like if I were a goat!

The return of Ann Hodges, not one of my favourite chracters, prompted me to have mixed feelings about this episode. Frasier having to deal with the aftermath of Ann's accident after he invites her to stay with him was quite amusing, but the character is so irritating to begin with that it's hard fror me to care much about her. The Maris sub-plot was much more interesting and fulfilling and not only did we get to see Maris' house and Marta again (for the last time), it also led to the whole murder trial plot being resolved quite nicely although all the jokes about Niles' painting would have been a lot funnier if we didn't see it right at the end. Still, an above average episode though no classic.

Rating

79 %

Avg. Viewer Review: 83.5%
Total Number of Reviews: 4