Cheers 8.2: “The Improbable Dream, Part 2”

Airdate: 9/28/89

Robin and Rebecca jet off to Beverly Hills for some business, and he showers her with riches… and an new West Coast makeover. Cool Sammy seems nonplussed by it all, but a recurring dream, in which a dissatisfied-with-her-relationship Rebecca unmasks herself to reveal Al, leaves him sweating cold. The dream interpreters at the bar, professional and otherwise, seem to believe Sam himself has strong feelings for his would-be love, so he’s ready to march in to her office and declare that he cares, only Robin beats him to it. Sam’s only solace is learning that Robin and Rebecca did not sleep together – a tidbit of info he uses to confirm his suspicions that she cares for him too.

Wrap-up starts off Rebecca’s tryst with Robin, while tightening the screws on her sexual tension with Sam. So we’re back in Eva Drake territory, only this time, her beloved reciprocates her feelings – or at least it appears so. We’ll see, as we always do, where it goes.

Cold open: Everyone touches Lilith’s pregnant belly to feel her baby, but Frasier’s stomach grumbling proves to be a lot more interesting.

Cheers 8.1: “The Improbable Dream, Part 1”

Airdate: 9/21/89

Sam and Rebecca retreat to her apartment after their first date – and things get hot and heavy real fast. This is too good to be true, and it is: Rebecca wakes up from her dream, screaming, and yelling at a clueless Sam. It turns out she’s been having these erotic dream for weeks now, and her confidential session with Frasier and Lilith on the matter quickly turns public when Sam overhears everything. He plots to tranquilize Rebecca into a sound sleep so she’ll dream again, and then put the moves on her, pretending she’s still dreaming, but she wakes up abruptly – and angrily. The two discuss her potentially compromising her principals if only for the sake of having a man again, when Robin Colcord, a millionaire playboy, arrives just in the nick of time to put her head in the clouds again.

Things are gearing up for the new baby on the Frasier front, but the big news this season seems to be the introduction of this new guy – a potential love interest for go-getter Rebecca. (After all, she’s had a whole season without someone to moon over.) Broad humor continues (i.e. the entire bar sleeping during Sam’s hypnotic tape) but is still woven smartly with the witty.  Still not getting to the real nitty gritty of the charactizations like we used to.

Cold open: The bar razzes Frasier for putting a lime slice in his beer (this is ahead of its time) but putting everything but the kitchen sink in his beer.

Cheers 7.22: “The Visiting Lecher”

Airdate: 5/4/89

Frasier eagerly awaits a peer in his field, Dr. Lawrence Crandell, a psychologist who wrote the end-all be-all book on fidelity. While in Rebecca’s office, though, he persistently questions whether his amorous feelings for her are mutual. They are not, she insists, and when she voices her anger to Sam and Frasier, they question her credibility. Apologizing to the doctor, she finds herself propositioned again when he plays footsie with her. Angrily, she barges into his hotel room (where he was coming on to the chambermaid) and tries to extract a confession while Sam listens in the closet (where the chambermaid is also hiding). All goes not according to plan, but when the Dr.’s wife drops by surprisingly, she wants to know the story. Again, Rebecca’s story doesn’t quite hold water (at least the way she tells it) and it seems Crandell’s marriage and career are saved when it looks like Rebecca’s gone off the deep end.

Amusing enough hijinks are practically undone by the sheer political incorrectness of it all (at least by today’s standards). Crandell’s behavior with Rebecca is clearly sexual harassment, and boys at the bar (and his wife) constantly taking his side can’t help remind one of the male culture undermining the seriousness of anti-female crimes, such as rape. I’ve certainly seen worse from this time period, but with Cheers it’s more cringe-inducing because it’s such a quality-written show.

Well anyway, that’s the season – see you for number eight!

Cold open: Carla vows niceness for one night due to a palm-reader’s prophecy, but she manages to get one in on Cliff, without him knowing it.

Cheers 7.21: “Sisterly Love”

Airdate: 4/27/89

Susan Howe, Rebecca’s sister, is in town, ready and willing to make peace with her estranged sibling. Sam sees himself as the peace maker, and is all too aware of the emotional vulnerability he can exploit in the process. Learning that the cause of their enmity was that Susan always stole his sister’s beaus, he passes himself off as Rebecca’s love, hoping history will repeat itself. It does, but eager for more, he thinks he can “ping-pong” back to Rebecca, who’s sure to seek revenge. Planning two dates with each sister for one night, he runs into trouble when Susan arrives early, full of lust and ready for action, followed shortly by Rebecca, who murders Susan in cold blood. Sam is mortified – and hurt – when he finds out he’s the victim of a practical joke, in which everyone has participated. But the silver lining: the sisters’ mutual thirst to see Sam hoist on his own petard has brought them together.

Clever variation on the classic Cheers trope of who’s zooming who is noteworthy mainly for the appearance of a pre-Melrose and Desperate Housewives Marcia Cross. She works quite well as a scream-queen actress ready for some familial reconciliation, and she bears more than a faint resemblance to Kirstie Allie – kudos to the casting. Subplot involves Frasier none-too-eager anticipation of seeing his mother-in-law again – he gets busted by his wife when the bar cronies recite all the jokes he had made at her expense.

Second episode to feature Rebecca aiming a handgun. Should we be worried?

BTW: I could be wrong, but I believe this to be the first episode to feature the interior of the upstairs restaurant Melville’s. Anyone want to check on that for me?

Cold open: Rebecca wants to institute a new designated driver policy. She may have second thoughts after her first job: driving a drunk to Philadelphia.

Cheers 7.20: “Call Me Irresponsible”

Airdate: 4/13/89

Carla is waiting, and waiting… and waiting for hubby Eddie to send her an anniversary gift from his touring ice show. One flower delivery turns out to be from the sympathetic Cheers crowd, another from Carla herself, who wants to prove to them that Eddie’s not a complete deadbeat. Even Eddie’s laundry holds no surprises. Finally – a call: Eddie’s schedule has been changed and he won’t make it home for another few weeks. Skeptical Carla thinks Sam reminded him, but Sam swears it ain’t so, although Carla’s swollen tongue curse almost makes him fess up.

Subplots: Sam teaches Woody the fine art of winning a gambling pool graciously, Rebecca takes heat for hosting that pool in the first place, and Frasier and Lilith want Norm to decorate their upcoming child’s nursery.

Ok show has the usual assortment of jokes, serving a couple of middling plotlines. It does seem to foreshadow some trouble on the LeBec homefront – this is not exactly a Ward Cleaver marriage. Funny bit about the Cranes’ nursery – the psychiatrists want no “baby” themes or gender indicators. A theme ahead of its time!

Cold open (a funny one): Sam doesn’t recognize one of his baseball fans, until she reveals herself as a regular heckler at his games. When he serves her a sub-par drink, she revisits old times by berating his bartending skills.

Norm’s opener: Woody: “What’s going on, Mr. Peterson?” Norm: “A flashing sign in my gut saying, ‘Insert beer here!’”