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Episode reviews for Episode 11.05 - The Placeholder

Avg. Viewer Review: 77.2%
Number of Reviews: 4

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The ravioli monster, May 27, 2013

Reviewer: Sammy J from Melbourne, Australia


"The Placeholder" is a rather uninspiring episode, but one that the cast play out with gusto. As Ann Hodges, Julia Sweeney is perfectly cast, sitting just on the right side of incredibly annoying. The painfulness of the character does, admittedly, step right up to the line of tolerable, but I like how the script puts the screws to Frasier as he realises how close he is to meeting Miss Wright (sic). Ultimately though, the farce aspect is a bit let down by the fact that we feel as if we've seen this story many times before. While that's not unusual on this show, other episode retreads had further strengths - "The Doctor Is Out" highlights the cast interplay while next week's "I'm Listening" buries the repetitive joke in a complex little puzzle of a script.

However, "The Placeholder" feels like an important episode to the overall texture of season 11. Frasier Crane is beginning to hit relationship rock-bottom, as evidenced in the very funny scene where he becomes the fifth wheel at a dinner. The monologue to Mr. Bottomsley is perhaps a trifle on the cartoonish side, but every individual element (his old English waiter voice, the feverish excitement about winter soup) is built from his character, so I'll accept it. Perhaps, like Roz's "placeholder" suggestion, this is an episode we need to accept for now - an idea that perhaps could've been funnier, but serves a necessary purpose.

The subplot with the rest of the Cranes interrogating Mrs. Gablyczyck is buoyed by energetic performances from all four of the cast members involved, even if it reminds me that Jane Leeves has been given next-to-nothing to do this year. (On an incidental note, IMDb claims this to be the final appearance of Moose, who plays Eddie for a five-second gag.)


Rating: 74%

 

One of my favorite episodes, May 14, 2010

Reviewer: HSS from Seattle, WA


This is one of my favorite episodes. The whole section leading up to Frasier's date with Ann is
hilarious. "A bruschetta for you, a bruschetta for your love, and so on." The image is Frasier
eating winter soup, covered in a shawl, and stroking a cat - classic!


Rating: 97%

 

Review for 'The Placeholder', Oct 22, 2006

Reviewer: Nick from U.K.


The first real dip in quality in Series 11 as Frasier agrees to go on a date with Ann, a friend of Roz's. Ann makes for an annoying dinner companion for Frasier but sadly she is also annoying to watch in the show. Julia Sweeney's performance grates and the writing is also not particularly inspired.

The subplot of Niles and Daphne suspecting their housekeeper of theft is weak as well and this episode wouldn't be out of place in Series 8,9 or 10.


Rating: 64%

 

'The Placeholder' review, Oct 28, 2005

Reviewer: Jocelyn from London, UK


Following four pleasingly strong opening episodes, this one represents Season 11's first fall from grace. Not that it's a bad episode by any means, but the return to the use of an unrelated subplot familiar from numerous Season 8-10 episodes ensures it doesn't hang together quite so well. Basically another example of Frasier's trademark disasterous dates, it introduces the character of Ann Hodges, who Roz attempts to set Frasier up on a date with. An intentionally irritating character, Ann feels a bit like a (marginally) more subtle variant on Poppy from Season 7. Although hit and miss, there are some funny sequences here; Frasier tagging along to the restaurant with Niles, Daphne, Martin and Ronee may be a virtual rewrite of the scene where Frasier dined alone in a restaurant in the Season 4 finale 'Odd Man Out', but it's still quite amusing (especially the waiter offering Frasier a child's chair!). Less successful is the scene with Frasier cat-sitting Mr Bottomsley which falls rather flat, although the subplot with Niles and Daphne accusing their housekeeper of stealing is enjoyable enough, with a funny moment where she gives her main accuser, Martin, a particularly vicious stare. The ending with Frasier and Ann's date going wrong is nothing we haven't seen before, although Frasier wolfing down her ravioli made me laugh, as did her desire to continue dating Frasier, even after she'd caught him trying to chat up 'Miss Wright'. Overall, an enjoyable enough but rather uneven episode which settles for being merely amusing when it could have been much funnier.


Rating: 74%