Cheers 7.1: “How To Recede in Business”

Airdate: 10/27/88

Confident Sam struts into Cheers, certain that this will be his lucky day with Rebecca. Initially resistant (as usual), she succumbs to his charms and agrees to a date, owing more to a broken TV and stove than anything else, but when the new corporate VP walks in, she butters him up and wants him to deliver the news that she’s been expecting – her promotion. Unfortunately, the fickle finger of fate has something else in mind; it turns out the bar was making more money under Sam’s ownership, so he’s been made the new manager, while Rebecca gets her walking papers. The date idea is a bit sour now, and Rebecca’s devastation is readily apparent in her disheveled appearance. Additionally, Sam hates his new position, as the new computerized bookkeeping system is a far cry from the old spiral notebook days., but Carla hatches an idea – as long as Sam wants to appeal for his job back, why not arrange for Rebecca to resume hers and convince her, aphrodisiacally,  it was his doing? A great plan, but once again the VP blows the date by listing the conditions she “agreed to” by returning. She leaves Sam a bit stiff J and races downstairs to Cheers, adamant she’ll never return – but then there’s that newly bought Mercedes she needs to pay for – and so she changes her mind, ready to wait tables with the best of them!

Fun twist switches the power grid a bid – as Sam now resumes his old managerial duties and Rebecca’s taking Diane’s old job (which was never filled anyway). Personally, I think she should have been busted for nearly killing Evan Drake and going nutso on him, but I guess all involved overlooked her behavior, all things considered. Of course some things never change: Sam and Rebecca come so close to hooking up, but then there’s always something!

Cold open: The beginning of the plot – Sam is convinced he’ll score with Rebecca. The scene ends once he enters his office, with the heretofore supportive bar gang now voicing their collective doubts of his success.

BTW: Opening credits are exactly the same, but this season gets a late start due to the writers’ strike over the summer (during the Seoul Olympics). As such there are only 22 episodes this season.