Season One Ep 21/22 Showdown Part One & Two
Coach: How you doin', Norm?
Norm: Coach, I'm on top of the world...it's a dismal spot in Greenland somewhere.
Finally! The best will-they-won't-they? in TV history rewards our patience in this season finale penned by co-creators, Glen & Les Charles. Hardly anyone waits to hook up on TV today, so it's nice to see Cheers play the long game; when all those sparks between Sam & Diane finally ignite, it's exhilarating! And hilarious. Opposites attract, but one major trait they both share is the stubborn pride that fuels their flirty fights. Sam's pride takes a hit when his brother Derek comes to town and sweeps Diane (and the whole bar) off her feet, which opens the door for both Sam and Diane to really examine their feelings.
Before Norm's unseen wife, Vera, became a running joke, the Charles brothers employ a similar device with Sam's bro. Derek's more succesful than Sam--he's not just a lawyer, but an International Lawyer, he sings like an angel, looks like a swarthy Greek God, tap dances like Astaire...this dude's the whole package! But handsome Danson's quite the specimen so, rather than even trying to compete, they keep Derek obscured by the adoring mob to build the myth of this perfect man. While entertaining the entire bar, teaching Coach conversational Spanish, and getting Norm a job, Derek manages to find time to woo Diane, inviting her to jet off to Martha's Vineyard that same night in his Learjet. But Diane doesn't want to accept before checking in to see how Sam feels about it. Sam plays it off as no big whoop, and Diane accuses Sam of being afraid of his own feelings, which leads to this classic exchange:
Part 2 finds Diane and Derek getting serious, while Sam buries his sorrows in a bevy of blondes and brunettes. But Diane--against all logic--still can't shake her feelings for Sam. A highlight of this episode is a genius bit where two very prim and proper ladies order drinks which escalate in alcohol content, starting with tea, then two glasses of sherry, and arriving at "Two boilermakers, Wild Turkey and Bud." I'd watch a whole series starring these two!
After Coach offers Diane some wacky words of wisdom, and Norm weighs in as well, Diane has no choice but to the force the issue with Sam when Derek invites her to Europe. Sam plays it off, but Diane can't tear herself away...there's all kinds of rules about scene-length in TV writing, especially today with meme-length attention spans, but I love the long scenes that play out between Sam and Diane in the office. The last six minutes of this episode is all Long and Danson, and they are on fire! Danson does barely-repressed rage mixed with lust and bewilderment better than anyone--not an easy balancing act--and Shelley Long knows exactly which buttons to push. The Charles brothers' script is a treat just to read, but these two screwball giants really make it sing, and we finally get the kiss we've been waiting for all season. Shakespeare noted that "the course of true love never did run smooth" and, as our leads finally embrace and lock lips, we cut to black and they're already back to bickering.
Stray Thoughts
- It dawned on me while watching the female patron who's clearly engaged in Cliff's conversation (in pt. 1) that there's no recurring women on Cheers--every background regular (Paul, Tim, Phil...) is a man, and I'm disappointed that they never corrected this oversight. I'm also slightly disappointed with myself for never noticing 'til now.
- These two episodes are great showcases for both Carla and Coach. Rhea Perlman's always winning when she gets to plumb some pathos, and she's soo sweet when she asks Sam if he ever "thought, even for a minute, about you and me?" Sam says he "was always afraid you'd be too much woman for me" and Carla replies, "You're a wise man, Sam Malone." And Nick Colasanto gives Coach some new dimension with his patented "smoothie" method for delivering bad news. When Coach tells Sam "your apartment burned down and you lost everything", it's only to cushion the blow that Derek's about to drop by. I also love Coach's quip when Carla asks Coach, "Are you crazy?" and he slyly replies, "Crazy, Carla...? Crazy like a doorknob!"
- Diane trying in vain to share her love of Opera with the bar, and their willingness to give it a go is a nice indication that she's finally settled in as one of the gang. It also reminds me of myself every time I try and fail to foist my taste on friends. When Diane says, "After ten minutes, if you're not totally mesmerized by it's beauty, I will turn it off", I hear my own voice.
Guest Stars
- Tim Cunningham's not really a guest star, but the longtime background barfly gets his closeup in Part 2's cold open. His character was named Tim for most of his 37 episodes, but he was going by Greg here, as he's assured by the gang that there's no danger in his janitor job at a biology lab. But they do a hazmat-style wipe-down of the place as soon as he leaves. I think this whole scene or one very similar played out in an earlier episode, but it fits better here as the cold open.
- We never do see Derek, but George Ball provides his voice which is suitably amiable yet authoritative. After a few guest-spots on '70s TV, starting with Cheers, the bulk of Ball's career's been in video game and animated voice work. Here he is showing off those golden pipes in 2015:
- Helen Page Camp and Lois de Banzie play Lady #1 and Lady #2, respectively. I seriously would write a show just around these two women if I had the chance! De Banzie had a long Tony-nominated career on stage and played numerous roles in TV and film (Tootsie, Sister Act...), while Camp also had a succesful stage career and guested on all sorts of sitcoms. She holds the distinction of guesting on Maude six times, playing a different part each time. She also played Mrs. Watson in Norman Lear's criminally underrated Cold Turkey alongside Dick Van Dyke, Bob Newhart and an all-star cast:
- Deborah Shelton guests as Sam's distraction date, Debbie. Not to judge a book by its fetching cover, but I wasn't surprised to discover Shelton once held the title of Miss USA before embarking on a busy acting career. She's probably best known as JR's mistress, Mandy Winger, on three seasons of Dallas. She returned for JR's Memorial in 2012:
Shelton's also a songwriter and--through her connection with ex-husband, Saban Entertainment founder, Shuki Levy--she's also credited with writing one episode of Kidd video, a personal childhood fave about a band who get sucked into a cartoon world called The Flipside to serve as the musical slaves of the dreaded Master Blaster!
Speaking of Master Blaster, here's Stevie Wonder's irie tribute to Bob Marley. Next week: Season 2!
Cheers!
Norm: Coach, I'm on top of the world...it's a dismal spot in Greenland somewhere.
Finally! The best will-they-won't-they? in TV history rewards our patience in this season finale penned by co-creators, Glen & Les Charles. Hardly anyone waits to hook up on TV today, so it's nice to see Cheers play the long game; when all those sparks between Sam & Diane finally ignite, it's exhilarating! And hilarious. Opposites attract, but one major trait they both share is the stubborn pride that fuels their flirty fights. Sam's pride takes a hit when his brother Derek comes to town and sweeps Diane (and the whole bar) off her feet, which opens the door for both Sam and Diane to really examine their feelings.
Before Norm's unseen wife, Vera, became a running joke, the Charles brothers employ a similar device with Sam's bro. Derek's more succesful than Sam--he's not just a lawyer, but an International Lawyer, he sings like an angel, looks like a swarthy Greek God, tap dances like Astaire...this dude's the whole package! But handsome Danson's quite the specimen so, rather than even trying to compete, they keep Derek obscured by the adoring mob to build the myth of this perfect man. While entertaining the entire bar, teaching Coach conversational Spanish, and getting Norm a job, Derek manages to find time to woo Diane, inviting her to jet off to Martha's Vineyard that same night in his Learjet. But Diane doesn't want to accept before checking in to see how Sam feels about it. Sam plays it off as no big whoop, and Diane accuses Sam of being afraid of his own feelings, which leads to this classic exchange:
Part 2 finds Diane and Derek getting serious, while Sam buries his sorrows in a bevy of blondes and brunettes. But Diane--against all logic--still can't shake her feelings for Sam. A highlight of this episode is a genius bit where two very prim and proper ladies order drinks which escalate in alcohol content, starting with tea, then two glasses of sherry, and arriving at "Two boilermakers, Wild Turkey and Bud." I'd watch a whole series starring these two!
After Coach offers Diane some wacky words of wisdom, and Norm weighs in as well, Diane has no choice but to the force the issue with Sam when Derek invites her to Europe. Sam plays it off, but Diane can't tear herself away...there's all kinds of rules about scene-length in TV writing, especially today with meme-length attention spans, but I love the long scenes that play out between Sam and Diane in the office. The last six minutes of this episode is all Long and Danson, and they are on fire! Danson does barely-repressed rage mixed with lust and bewilderment better than anyone--not an easy balancing act--and Shelley Long knows exactly which buttons to push. The Charles brothers' script is a treat just to read, but these two screwball giants really make it sing, and we finally get the kiss we've been waiting for all season. Shakespeare noted that "the course of true love never did run smooth" and, as our leads finally embrace and lock lips, we cut to black and they're already back to bickering.
Stray Thoughts
- It dawned on me while watching the female patron who's clearly engaged in Cliff's conversation (in pt. 1) that there's no recurring women on Cheers--every background regular (Paul, Tim, Phil...) is a man, and I'm disappointed that they never corrected this oversight. I'm also slightly disappointed with myself for never noticing 'til now.
- These two episodes are great showcases for both Carla and Coach. Rhea Perlman's always winning when she gets to plumb some pathos, and she's soo sweet when she asks Sam if he ever "thought, even for a minute, about you and me?" Sam says he "was always afraid you'd be too much woman for me" and Carla replies, "You're a wise man, Sam Malone." And Nick Colasanto gives Coach some new dimension with his patented "smoothie" method for delivering bad news. When Coach tells Sam "your apartment burned down and you lost everything", it's only to cushion the blow that Derek's about to drop by. I also love Coach's quip when Carla asks Coach, "Are you crazy?" and he slyly replies, "Crazy, Carla...? Crazy like a doorknob!"
- Diane trying in vain to share her love of Opera with the bar, and their willingness to give it a go is a nice indication that she's finally settled in as one of the gang. It also reminds me of myself every time I try and fail to foist my taste on friends. When Diane says, "After ten minutes, if you're not totally mesmerized by it's beauty, I will turn it off", I hear my own voice.
Guest Stars
- Tim Cunningham's not really a guest star, but the longtime background barfly gets his closeup in Part 2's cold open. His character was named Tim for most of his 37 episodes, but he was going by Greg here, as he's assured by the gang that there's no danger in his janitor job at a biology lab. But they do a hazmat-style wipe-down of the place as soon as he leaves. I think this whole scene or one very similar played out in an earlier episode, but it fits better here as the cold open.
- We never do see Derek, but George Ball provides his voice which is suitably amiable yet authoritative. After a few guest-spots on '70s TV, starting with Cheers, the bulk of Ball's career's been in video game and animated voice work. Here he is showing off those golden pipes in 2015:
- Helen Page Camp and Lois de Banzie play Lady #1 and Lady #2, respectively. I seriously would write a show just around these two women if I had the chance! De Banzie had a long Tony-nominated career on stage and played numerous roles in TV and film (Tootsie, Sister Act...), while Camp also had a succesful stage career and guested on all sorts of sitcoms. She holds the distinction of guesting on Maude six times, playing a different part each time. She also played Mrs. Watson in Norman Lear's criminally underrated Cold Turkey alongside Dick Van Dyke, Bob Newhart and an all-star cast:
- Deborah Shelton guests as Sam's distraction date, Debbie. Not to judge a book by its fetching cover, but I wasn't surprised to discover Shelton once held the title of Miss USA before embarking on a busy acting career. She's probably best known as JR's mistress, Mandy Winger, on three seasons of Dallas. She returned for JR's Memorial in 2012:
Shelton's also a songwriter and--through her connection with ex-husband, Saban Entertainment founder, Shuki Levy--she's also credited with writing one episode of Kidd video, a personal childhood fave about a band who get sucked into a cartoon world called The Flipside to serve as the musical slaves of the dreaded Master Blaster!
Speaking of Master Blaster, here's Stevie Wonder's irie tribute to Bob Marley. Next week: Season 2!
Cheers!
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