raywest

Answer: It fleshes out her character as being previously married, divorced, and having a child – typical for someone her age. It gave her a backstory.

raywest ★

Answer: Caitlin was a free-spirited artist with an unconventional personality and lifestyle. Some conservative people, like Martin, tend to consider artistic people to be quirky, eccentric, and annoying, which can also be referred to as "flakey."

raywest ★

Answer: Niles did love Maris, but he was very much a pushover who let Maris control his life. He accepted that because of Maris' money and connections, which gave him a very good life.

LorgSkyegon

Answer: I forget exactly, but I believe it's along the lines that Niles enjoyed the social status that being married to her brought him, despite her flaws; it's somewhat akin to someone staying in a bad relationship because the sex is good. As for the second part of your question, the producers were planning to cast someone, but as the show wore on, the writers found they enjoyed writing Maris as an unseen character, and as the descriptions of her became more outlandish and contradictory, it was felt that finding the right actress for the part would next to impossible.

Cubs Fan ★

Answer: The other answers accurately explain Niles and Maris' relationship. As to her never being seen, Maris is a version of Norm's wife Vera in "Cheers." Vera remained unseen throughout the entire series, but was often talked about and incorporated into various episodes. It was left to viewers' imagination regarding what she looked like and guessing if she'd ever appear. Vera sort of appeared in one Cheers episode when she was hit by a pie that entirely covered her face. Her voice was also occasionally heard. This same plot device was used in "Frasier."

raywest ★

Answer: It's just one of Frasier's little arcane witticisms. Roz is acting over-the-top surprised (hands on her heart, wide-mouthed gasp, etc.), the way theatre actors and actresses would back in the early 20th century. Tallulah Bankhead was a successful American stage actress of that era, so Frasier is comparing Roz to her after seeing her "performance." He (or, more accurately, whoever wrote the episode) probably chose to reference Bankhead out of all possible actresses because it's an unusual name, unlikely to be confused with some other, non-theatre Tallulah.

Answer: This is a reference to Tallulah Bankhead, a prominent stage and movie actress in the mid-20th century. She mostly played somewhat over-the-top, strong-willed, opinionated characters. Frasier appears to be comparing Roz's melodramatic behavior to her.

raywest ★

Answer: When Roz comes into the scene, she's complaining about Christmas shopping because she says that she never knows what to give the men in her life. Frasier replies, "Since when?", making a sly comment on Roz's sex life. Roz was often teased about having many men in her life (it was a different time back then). When Roz overacts in response to Niles' statement about getting back together with Maris, Frasier says, "That's enough, Tallulah." The reference is to Tallulah Bankhead, a stage and screen actress from the '30s and '40s who was also known for her sexual appetite.

just visiting

Answer: There are U.S. states that still have "breach of promise" tort laws, However, these are generally designed for one party to recoup any financial losses they may have incurred during the engagement (cost of the ring, engagement parties, pre-wedding costs, honeymoon expenses, etc). A party cannot sue for emotional damage, and any claims have to be within a certain time period after the engagement is ended. Donny is just upset, and he is mostly making an idle threat out of anger.

raywest ★

Answer: Over multiple seasons, a long-running show's details can often change or are inadvertently forgotten, creating plot holes. This would be such an example.

raywest ★