Cheers 8.3: “A Bar Is Born”

Airdate: 10/12/89

Robin’s back from Europe, Rebecca’s head over heels – again – and Sam talks confidently about his own lack of material success. But his boss’s request for the bowls to be filled with beer nuts gets him down, and so he buys his own bar, on the bad part of town, and calls it “Sam’s Place.” It’s gonna take a lot of work to turn a profit, as entreprenureal sage Robin reminds him. “Why not,” he advises, “follow your real dream?” That would be to buy back Cheers, but first he needs Robin to get him out of his current sour deal. He does, but Sam learns he had bought out the entire block (his idea) and plans on transforming, and improving, the neighborhood. Well, that’s big business.

At least Sam’s showing a little gumption to be the big boss he used to be. Whether that will pan out, time will tell. Best scene: Sam crows about the freedom of his lifestyle, but that quickly devolves into self pity when Frasier backhandedly praises his courage when anyone else would’ve a bullet in their head a long time ago. With friends like these….

Cold open: Frasier makes a rare late-night appearance at Cheers, owing to a visit to a pizzeria to get something for pregnant Lilith. His description of the place makes everyone hungry for a pie.