Niles fills in for Frasier during his week-long leave of absence and his advice to one of Bulldog's guests, a basketball player, turns his game around.
Tropes:
- All Guys Want Cheerleaders: Apparently even Niles isn't immune to this.Bulldog: I got one of the Sonics' cheerleaders coming on my show today and she really wants to meet you.
Roz: Believe it or not, Bulldog, not every man's dream woman is a pom-pom-shaking half-time half-wit.
Niles: Is she the head cheerleader? - Does This Remind You of Anything?: Niles telling Reggie he won't let him touch his hair anymore plays out like they're ending an affair.Niles: We can still see each other to talk, but no touching. That part of our relationship is over. [notices a security guard watching them] Does this concern you?
Security Guard: It's starting to. - Mandatory Line: Frasier only appears in the opening scene before leaving for a conference. Originally he was supposed to carry the main storyline with Reggie but the episode was rewritten to focus on Niles so Kelsey Grammer could seek treatment for his alcoholism.
- The Tag: In Frasier's apartment, Martin and Daphne are playing cards while Niles is nearby reading the newspaper. Martin rubs Niles's head for good luck, much to his dismay.
- Temporary Substitute: The script was re-written for Niles due to Kelsey Grammer being in rehab. The opening scene featuring Frasier that explained his absence was filmed many weeks later.
- Written-In Absence: Kelsey Grammer was originally supposed to have a larger role in the episode, but had to go to rehab. As a result Frasier only appears in the teaser scene, which was taped several weeks later, and says he's going to a psychiatry conference.
