Cheers 5:17: “Never Love a Goalie, Part 2”

Airdate: 2/5/87

With Eddie now in a nine-game slump, tongues are wagging that quite possibly his relationship with Carla is a jinx. Of course, no one at the bar has the guts to tell her, so Norm, by luck of the draw, has to be the bearer of bad tidings. Once she’s sure it’s her, Carla breaks up with her beloved Bruin, but secretly hopes he still plays poorly to prove she’s not. But Eddie is back to his winning ways, and when he comes back to Cheers, he leaves a tape with Carla so she can remember him. In the epilogue, we discover they still go out, but ritualistically “break up” before every game to keep his streak alive. In other news, Diane is appalled when the wife, who accused her husband of attempted murder at the trial Diane was juror on, drops all charges. She’s even more horrified to see the couple ordering drinks at the bar, but elated to see them arguing ferociously, proving her own judicial intuition to be accurate after all.

Good wrapup to all things considered, except for the final tag (showing Carla and Eddie sill “dating”); they should’ve left it with the scene of her listening to his tape. Peccadilloes aside, this is solid stuff, even extending the Diane subplot about her jury duty.

Cold open (and best scene): Sam checks his voice messages, which include Carla’s announcement of her lateness, and Woody’s relaying of Diane’s “I love you” message, which he qualifies as not being his own sentiment.. but on second thought… maybe it is.