Trying to pick favorite Cheers episode is not a simple task. There are obvious choices, but I have a handful that are among the funniest moments I have ever experienced.
You can disagree. IGN has a solid list. With 250-plus episodes across 11 seasons, you could come up with four or five alternate lists I could agree with. Hell, my list doesn't include seasons 10 or 11, and many episodes could have made the cut.
For now, the list goes down like this.
The Boys in the Bar (Season 1)
When Sam’s former catcher comes out of the closet, Sam is caught off guard but ultimately accepts his old friend’s sexuality. The episode focuses on the bar regulars’ fears that Cheers will turn into a gay bar. I am sure I court controversy here but I always found the episode perfectly displayed the ridiculous lengths to which people go out of fear of gay people. In short, the regulars act like total fools.
Homicidal Ham (Season 2)
Diane takes a paroled murderer under her wing (Sam once set them up on a blind date, but that’s a Season 1 affair and also a great episode) and they stage a performance of Othello. An ad-lib leads The Coach to exclaim “That’s the first line of Shakespeare I ever understood!” I won’t spoil why.
The Mail Goes to Jail (Season 3)
Before this episode, I could not believe a man the size of George Wendt could move this fast. Norm finishes the mail route of an ill Cliff, and everything unfolds from there. Also, Diane gets deployed to fix the heating ducts.
The Executive’s Executioner (Season 3)
Norm is forced to become his company’s corporate killer, and his gentle way of firing people softens the blow for many former employees. But constant firing grinds him down. The toll of the job on Norm deepens his character. It’s almost a dream job for us corporate drudges out there, but we all know it would affect us as sharply as it did Norm.
Cheers: The Motion Picture (Season 5)
Woody’s parents want him to move back to Hanover. The Cheers regulars film their lives, revealing their ineptitudes at their own careers (people on Cliff’s route trade their mail, we see the result of Frasier’s therapy). Diane’s take on the film turns artsy and indecipherable. The actions of Al, my favorite character keep Woody in Boston.
Airport V (Season 6)
Cheers never sagged but if pressed to go with a favorite, I lean toward Season 6, when Rebecca was introduced and the series reoriented into an ensemble piece after years of the Sam-Diane romance. This episode pairs Frasier and Carla in the latter’s attempt to overcome her fear of flying.
Bar Wars (Season 6)
The gang’s pranks with Gary’s Olde Town Tavern hit a fever pitch when Gary plays it straight. Hilarious from the first moment until the Cheers regulars paw through the wallet of the Wade Boggs impersonator Gary sent … oh wait.
How to Win Friends and Electrocute People (Season 7)
A Cliff episode, the bar know-it-all feels underappreciated after no one visits him when he has surgery - overhearing Frasier's thoughtless comments doesn't help. Cliff fears his personality quirks are getting in the way, leading to crazy decisions.
Ma Always Liked You Best (Season 9)
When Cliff tells his Ma she can’t move back in, so she makes friends with Woody. A sidewalk project atop the Cheers stairs slows down business, and Norm is deployed to
Norm and Cliff's Excellent Adventure (Season 9)
The bar anchors go on a mayhem spree, pranking everyone in sight. Their antics get serious when they cancel Frasier’s credit card. Woody gets hooked on the Home Shopping Network.
No comments:
Post a Comment