Airdate:
12/19/85
Woody is enjoying a winning
streak, betting on underdog football teams, and wants to up the ante to the
tune of $1,000. Sam paternalistically tries to talk him out of it, but Woody is
adamant, and Sam relents. When Woody once again hits big, Sam confides to Diane
that he never actually placed the bet. Both of them try to break the news to Woody
gently, futilely, so Sam tells him point blank. Surprisingly, the neophyte
Indianan is effusively grateful to his boss for the gesture, claiming it was
the nicest thing anyone had done for him, but Sam is mad that Woody’s not mad;
the two make peace with one of Coach’s old tricks - singing “Home on the Range,” arm in arm, for 30 minutes.
Subplot: Frasier, annoyed that Diane won’t go away with him, starts nitpicking
her grammar, etiquette and overall knowledge.
Woody’s evolution is the
focus here, and his naïveté and uber-politeness make for a surprising but true
to character scene with Sam at the end. Again, money (and thirst for it) makes
for a terrific McGuffin and overall theme – greed always begets chaos, the
father figure influence and its effect as betterment, etc. Subplot abut Frasier
is strangely unfinished – it seems as though the writers simply lost interest
and decided instead to peruse the Woody story. In any case, good to see the
erudite analyst after a several-episode absence.
Cold open: Carla and a
customer trade innuendo-laden dialogue, until she asks him to whisper what he
wants, and it’s a drink order.
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