Cheers 2.6: “Affairs of the Heart”

Airdate: 11/10/83

Carla is hesitant to talk to a man who’s disturbing her; his offense – he’s attracted to her (why all the nerve!). After the two start something she begins to wonder what’s up, until Coach spills the beans to the Cheers crowd: the man, Hank, has a delicate heart condition that could prove fatal if he gets over excited. Sam and Diane dash to the lovebird’s would-be location of assignation to attempt coitus-interruptus. It turns out they hadn’t even gotten started, but Carla reacts angrily to this new revelation about Hank. His reasoning: he tried to be cautious, but went against his better judgment when he saw how beautiful she was. Rather than risk fate, they agree to end it, and keep the happy memories.

Another Carla-centered, Heide Perlmen-penned episode which keeps peeling back the layers of the Cheers characters – to reveal, in this case, frailties and insecurities beneath the exterior. Our second look at Diane’s apartment is the climax, or lack of it, of this show, and there’s a real softness to the depiction of Hank’s character – an average joe who just wants to be happy, despite his limitations. Doesn’t that really describe everyone at a bar, and everyone period for that matter?

Cold open: Hank mistakenly calls Carla “cutie”; Diane consoles her by saying someone called her “honey,” which makes sense, according to Carla, because honey is “bee barf.”

Norm’s opener: (Coach: “How’s life, Norm?”) “Ask a man who’s got one. (Sam gets him a beer) Here’s mine now!”