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Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Cheers 1.18: No Contest


Airdate: 2/17/83

Sam enters Diane in the Best Boston Barmaid contest, and she’s furious at being part of an exercise in female dehumanization – until she schemes to use her victory speech as a diatribe against the event. When Sam learns of her plan he tries to dissuade her, but when the time comes Diane is so excited about her prize, a trip for two to Bermuda, emotion overcomes agenda and she scream her head off with joy.

Fun superego vs, id-based battle of wits between Sam and Diane, with Diane always perfectly representing logic and moralism and Sam the ultra-embodiment of hedonism and emotion – and both edging ever s slightly toward the middle ground. One thing that occurs to me: Cheers is always unpredictable; we know Diane’s best laid plans won’t come to fruition but we don’t know how, and that’s the fun of it.

Cold open: A classic! Tip O’Neill, playing himself, drops by Cheers to escape the long-winded personal philosophy of a strange woman, who turns out to be Diane. Cliff goads Norm into bashing the Congress, not knowing Tip is right next to him.

Norm’s opener: I need time to kill before my second beer. How about my first?

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