Who has 12 people over for pudding?, May 13, 2013

Reviewer: Sammy J from Melbourne, Australia

"Roz, A Loan" is an odd beast: it is both funny and poignant, yet feels... incomplete. For an episode that returns the KACL staff to their jobs, it feels underwhelming. (Perhaps this was a bit of a "football" in the writers' room: the inevitable episode that kept getting kicked around until someone would take it.)

I actually like all of the episode's individual parts. Niles gets Martin to have a spa day, and Daphne has a great little explosion and subsequent comedown. Frasier's issue with Roz stems from not one but two likely character traits: his inability to stay out of other people's business, and his easily-hurt feelings. The base of the episode becomes more poignant than comedic, admittedly, because all the evidence stands in Frasier's favour, even if we agree with Martin that it's none of his business. And the fight that concludes the episode is very well done - proof of a great Frasier/Roz relationship which has been built to this point (although I'll be intrigued to see my thoughts on them down the line).

Top marks also for a couple of the little gags, like Colette the omniscient waitress calling Niles a cab in advance, and the gag where the KACL team reunites but Roz doesn't recognise some of the extras.

Still, the sum of these parts is somewhat malnourished. The return to KACL is largely swept under the rug (perhaps because, with Dan Butler leaving and Edward Hibbert appearing less frequently, there wasn't much of a KACL to return to?). The family subplot amounts to nothing more than a few scenes, and even the main plot lacks much confrontation until the final moment. Also, Colette as a character just kind of peters out. Perhaps it's because the actress has more presence than they realised, but she feels like she's designed to be a recurring character - and her lack of return makes us question the investment we've made. But even within this single episode, she seems like either a one-joke gag that got overused, or a subplot that was gradually pared away.

Very enjoyable, but a missed opportunity nonetheless.

Rating: 79%

Roz, A Loan, Jul 06, 2010

Reviewer: Norm, Jr. from Somewhere, CA

Passable ep at least has several things going on at once to hold your interest, even if the script doesn't. The title barely scratches the surface, but things kick off with Frasier providing Roz some money while they're still out of work (how contracted people still aren't being paid during a format change is another issue, but anyway...). Naturally, he misconstrues her wild spending as reckless and becomes very preoccupied and Frasier about it. Other happenings see Martin dragged to a cleansing spa along with Niles, which provides a few off-screen grins, and finally, though it's almost an afterthought in the last few minutes: the return to KACL!!! Cue the trumpeting horns, as the "Jobless Frasier" slog comes to a close and radio life resumes. We get mostly a Frasier and Roz make-up session (which is played a little too seriously) and a very welcome Noel Schempsky Star Trek gag. The blues are no longer a-callin' with the re-appearance of the booth.

Rating: 85%

Adios, Salsa... Welcome back KACL!!!, Jan 14, 2007

Reviewer: Me123 from Scotland, UK

well, I'm sure I'm not the only one relieved about the return to KACL. The show was getting a bit tired without it and with the constant theme of unemployment, although it did spark some good episodes.

Nevertheless, back to this underrated episode. Previous reviewers call it "uninspired" and, admittedly, there have been better episodes, but I really enjoyed this episode. Maybe it was the emotion of the return to KACL, maybe it was Frasier's speech to Roz but it was such a nice episode for me.

Although the spa storyline, like many subplots this season, are quite frankly silly, the loan storyline is fine. Not brilliant, but decent. Basically, Frasier loans Roz some money, but she uses it to indulge herself, so Frasier confronts her only to find that most of the spending spree wasn't funded by him.

This brings on a not very humerous, but enjoyable episode nonetheless. Daphne's anger at Frasier works very well, and her only important moment in the episode (as a pivotal part: "You Hypocrite!") was portrayed humerously by Leeves: she is truly a great actress! I have to disagree with many people here and say that I found Colette (the waitress) to be a good one-off character, although if she remained, I think she would become very boring. Whoever portrayed her should get a good pat on the back for this cameo.

Whilst I'm going against the crowd here, giving the episode 79% compared to the roughly 64% average, I feel that it deserves it and should be looked at again by many Frasier fans.

Rating: 79%

Review for 'Roz, A Loan', Mar 08, 2006

Reviewer: Nick from North Wales, U.K.

A rather uninspired episode which centres around Frasier lending Roz some money and then worrying that she is frittering it away unwisely. Their subsequent argument is fairly predictable and this entire edition is unremarkable. The inclusion of waitress Colette also doesn't help to bring any laughs to the show.

Rating: 64%

'Roz, A Loan' review, Jul 18, 2005

Reviewer: Jocelyn from London, UK

A mediocre episode at best which is only really notable for the KACL staff finally getting their old jobs back, although this has to play second fiddle to what is quite the most boring storyline to date. While it's a relief to see Frasier back at the radio station where he belongs and there's mild amusement to be had from Martin accompanying Niles to a spa, the uninteresting central plot of Frasier fretting over how Roz is spending the $1500 he owed her plods along humourlessly and the rather irritating behaviour of new Nervosa waitress Colette coupled with Daphne's forced and unconvincing outburst where she wrongly accuses Frasier of owing her money don't help matters much. The weakest episode of 'Frasier' up to this point.

Rating: 66%