Cheers: Season 8

Rebecca is in agony. She's not sleeping because she's having erotic dreams about Sam. She's used to dreaming about the rich and powerful, like Evan Drake, Donald Trump, Ted Turner and Robin Colcord. To help her over her troubles, she asks Frasier and Lilith for some free advice. The problem with that act is not so much their advice or lack thereof, but that Sam overhears. To capitalize on this new information, Carla suggests to Sam that he make Rebecca go to sleep, and as she gets to the part in her dream where she and Sam are getting it on - and Sam should be able to tell by Rebecca's moaning and rolling around - he translate the fantasy of the dream into reality by actually being there in the flesh. He thinks it's a good idea. Rebecca reluctantly takes a nap in her office. When she's asleep, Sam sneaks into her office and places what he thinks are suggestions into her head. Sam's move doesn't have quite the effect he was hoping but he still may end up with the girl after all, unless someone else walks into the office.

Rebecca is whisked off her feet by the latest man of her dreams, the extremely wealthy businessman, Robin Colcord. He has taken her on his private jet to several cities on the west coast, lavished her with expensive clothes and jewelry, and pampered her with spas and facials. Sam on the surface is getting on with his womanizing life, but a dream unmasks some what he concludes are deeper feelings for Rebecca which he believes Robin doesn't feel. Some additional information Sam finds out about what's not going on between Rebecca and Robin may help his cause.

Sam is reevaluating his life in light of the fact that Rebecca has chosen Robin Colcord as the love of her life, with whom, by the way, she has not yet slept. Rebecca plans on changing their sexual relationship status when Robin returns from his current business trip to Switzerland, but is nervous about doing the deed after such a long abstinence. The guys at the bar convince Sam that what he should do is get his life back by buying another bar. He finds a place, and gives his notice to Rebecca. However, the new site of "Sam's Place" is not all that it's cracked up to be. It's a dump in need of major renovations, and is located in the worst neighborhood in Boston, though underneath the maggot-infested boardings are nice touches such as a lead-pane stained-glass window, hardwood floor and marble bar top. Sam decides to move forward on the plans. An unlikely source makes him look at his plans in a different light, and to go after what he really wants. However, this person may have ulterior motives.

Rebecca has the opportunity for some free cosmetic surgery. There is much discussion among the gang what she should do if anything. What she finally decides upon gets Sam thinking about it. Meanwhile, Maggie O'Keefe, Cliff's one time postal girlfriend in Canada, has left a message for Cliff, stating that she is stopping by Boston and needs to see him. Upon seeing each other, Cliff isn't disappointed as Maggie wants to "be his girl". However, he immediately becomes afflicted with what he calls hysterical blindness. This condition happened to him only one other time, that when he almost got into a romantic relationship in high school. Then, as soon as he and Wendy Beeman started going steady, he lost sight only when she was around. His sight became normalized after they broke up. Frasier easily deduces that this affliction is a psychosomatic reaction to commitment, for which he can't prescribe a quick fix. Cliff is hoping that someone, namely Sam, can at least help him with his first night together with Maggie. During Cliff's encounter with Maggie, he may come to some physical realizations about whether he and Maggie are meant to be together at this point in his life.

Norm is swamped with painting work, so Rebecca and Woody suggest he hire some painters to work under him. Norm is reluctant as he wouldn't know how to act as the boss. He does end up hiring three guys - Rudy, John and Scott - who end up being more buddies than employees. Their work ethic is lax. When Norm thinks out loud that he needs to hire another tough guy to be the boss, Frasier suggests that all he needs to do is develop an alter ego. The alter ego Norm develops is named Anton Kreitzer, who is akin to a Nazi dictator. To further the masquerade, Norm rents office space for him and Kreitzer, and hires a meek secretary named Doris, who obviously has never met Kreitzer despite sitting outside his office every day. Rudy, John and Scott want to confront Kreitzer for his rough treatment not only of them but of Norm as well. Will Rudy and the guy's figure out Norm's ruse? Meanwhile, Sam is trying to save money to buy back the bar, but things are going slowly. Rebecca suggests he sell his beloved Corvette to raise the money. After deliberating, he decides to do so, but he makes the process difficult for anyone to buy the car. After selling it and getting a cheaper replacement vehicle, he has seller's remorse. Can he get his beloved car back?

Lilith goes into labor during the Cheers' 100th year anniversary celebration.

After Carla meets Darryl Mead, a Red Sox player who she has been lusting after and who has a mutual attraction for her, she mourns the fact that she is married. With Eddie constantly away with the ice show, she has all the disadvantages of marriage and none of the benefits. Her mourning turns into that of another kind when she receives news that Eddie has been killed suddenly saving an ice show performer - another penguin - from being run over by a Zamboni. Things turn worse when she finds out at the funeral service that there is another Mrs. Eddie LeBec, a woman by the name of Gloria who also claims to be Eddie's widow. Gloria even claims to have had twins with him. Carla is angry and confused, and would really like to know what was in Eddie's mind for marrying another woman and what was truly in his heart toward her. Finding out this information may be the only way Carla will be able to grieve Eddie's death properly.

Carla's task is to get Eddie's number retired from the Bruins as a memorial to him. She is circulating a petition to achieve her goal and does whatever needed, including lie, coerce and threaten, to get people to sign. Rebecca's task is to throw yet another corporate party, this time for Larry, a middle manager who is retiring. Rebecca is as enthusiastic about this task as Larry is about his retirement and his feelings for the company, which are not very much. However, when one of the corporate Vice-Presidents, Mr. Sheridan, arrives for the party, Rebecca has to pretend that she put more effort into planning and implementing it than she has, which may be difficult to achieve at the last minute. It might be easier with some advice from Sam. The Cranes are having a party of a different sort. Little Frederick Crane is one week old and it's time for his bris. All the guys in the bar are invited to the ceremony, but they all chicken out from going since they're squeamish about watching a circumcision. Despite being happy about instilling some religion into his son's life, Frasier is also squeamish and kidnaps Frederick before the knife hits. The guys try to convince Frasier to take Frederick back and support Lilith on this important day. Ultimately, Frasier and Lilith come to a meeting of the minds, but it's not quite what either expects.

When Sam comes into work with a day's facial hair growth, he, Cliff, Norm and Frasier decide to have a $20 per person 1-month beard growing contest, judged by Carla and Rebecca on length, body, fullness, luster, sheen, bounce and the ever important beer absorption ability. The day before the end of the contest, Sam, Norm and Frasier's beards are looking full and lush, while Cliff's is still straggly. The day of the judging, Cliff miraculously comes in with a full beard, which he attributes the the Clavin genes of sporadic but quick hair growth. Carla thinks he's lying and has a glued on beard but a hard tug at his beard proves that it is real. Is it? Meanwhile, Woody is offered his first leading role at his theater group, that of the young lover George Gibbs in Thornton Wilder's "Our Town". He is excited about doing the part but doesn't tell Kelly as he doesn't want her to know that he has a romantic scene with an actress, even though it's just make believe. However, the scene isn't very romantic as there is no such chemistry between Woody and Emily, his leading lady. The fault is all Woody's as he feels like he is cheating on Kelly. Without telling Woody, Lee Bradken, the director, tells Emily that she has to coax a performance from Woody or else he is going to have to fire him. So Emily uses all her feminine wiles to seduce Woody, only to have their scenes be real. Woody construes Emily's come-ons as being real which makes his performance even less real in deference to his love for Kelly. Can Emily or anyone else do anything to make Woody passionate in their romantic scenes, regardless if that passion is real or not? And if Woody can be real in his scenes with Emily, will Kelly understand?

Rebecca is afraid that Robin is getting tired of her since after four dates they have not yet slept together. So in an effort to spice up their relationship, she decides to wait for him in his apartment stark naked. However, Sam finds out Robin's delayed by a few hours so he rushes off to Robin's apartment to tell Rebecca, in large part in his wish to see her naked. But neither Rebecca or Sam get their wish when ready to leave the apartment, Rebecca, thinking that she's pushed the elevator button in Robin's apartment, accidentally triggers the security system instead. All the doors and windows are secured and Rebecca and Sam are trapped inside. What's worse is that they also trigger the electronic laser sensor system, so they can't even move for fear of cutting one of the laser sensors. They have to figure out how to get out of their predicament without setting off the alarm before Robin returns. Meanwhile, back at the bar, Norm tries to teach Woody about economics. That lesson culminates in a game of Monopoly with Cliff and Frasier, the game which ultimately does have the desired effect, but not quite in the way Norm had envisioned.

Due to declining business since he has decided not to work, Norm has to fire his secretary, the mild mannered Doris. He writes her a letter of reference, which in her warped mind she misconstrues as a love letter. She confesses her supposed mutual love for Norm. Despite subtle and not so subtle hints from Norm, Doris just won't leave him alone. Frasier tells Norm that she is suffering from lack of self-esteem and he needs to build up her confidence to get rid of her. But a confession by Doris as to why she wasn't attracted to him when she worked for him gives Norm the idea of how best to get her to stop loving him. Meanwhile, Woody and Rebecca bore the gang with their respective stories. Woody's is about the coldest day ever in Boston, knowledge of which ultimately comes in handy. Rebecca's is about the antique desk that Robin has given her as a gift. He has let her know that there is a ring associated with the desk, the 'where' he will divulge to her next he sees her in two weeks. She believes the word in front of 'ring' is 'engagement' and she does whatever she can to find it or a clue in the desk as to its whereabouts. Could the ring refer to something else?

Sam is still aiming to buy back the bar, but is still a lot short on capital. Robin is getting death threats and thus is surrounded by a mass of security guards. The situations in Sam and Robin's lives intersect when Robin, who was planning on sailing his boat, aptly named The Rebecca, in the Cape Cod Regatta that afternoon, is called off on emergency business. Sam would love to sail the boat in Robin's place since the winner's purse is $10,000. Without Sam needing to ask Robin, Robin does let Sam sail The Rebecca in his place. Now, all Sam needs is a crew, so he enlists the help of Carla and ex-Coast Guard employee Norm. During the race, Sam is working his butt off, but Carla and Norm concede defeat when they drop into last place early on. All three change their minds as to their priority when Norm discovers a bomb on board the boat. They also discover the radio has been dismantled, the lifeboat no where in sight and although the life jackets are there, they can't jump overboard as the waters are shark infested. If they survive this ordeal, they each have their individual wants from Robin for placing them in danger.

Alice Anne Volkman, Rebecca's old college professor and mentor, is coming by the bar to meet up with Rebecca. Rebecca is in awe of the woman. Despite Rebecca not being the best student and a bit of a suck up, Alice liked her for her sheer determination. Sam sees Alice's visit as an opportunity to pick the brain of a business professor as to ways to buy back the bar. As with Sam and any woman, they end up sleeping together. Rebecca is shocked that her mentor would slum with the likes of Sam. Although a one-nighter in Sam's mind, Rebecca believes that for a woman with the class of Alice, she probably is expecting some sort of commitment from Sam. As it turns out, it too was just a casual fling for Alice. Rebecca, conflicted about her feelings as she feels it showed low morals for someone like Alice to sleep casually with Sam, has to decide whether to stand up to her mentor and risk losing her friendship, or continue to be the suck up she always has been while no longer respecting her. Meanwhile, Carla is being audited by the IRS and uses Norm's accounting services and advice, which may or may not be such a good idea as Norm advises her to submit fake receipts.

What is... Jeopardy! (1984)? The answer is the show that is coming to Boston for a one-time only appearance and that Cliff has made it on as a Boston-based contestant. Cliff is cocky about his chances of winning. He is even more sure of winning after he sees the Jeopardy! board topics. An incident at game itself makes Cliff question his long held fascination with the game. A subsequent personal meeting later with Alex Trebek at Cheers restores his faith in what he can do for the overall good of mankind... or at least anyone who watches Jeopardy! Meanwhile, Sam's little black book is missing. Apparently the current holder of the book is working his way alphabetically through the book, calling up women and making dates as Sam to meet them at the roller rink, with the women to wear a black leather mini-skirt and French cut panties. The mystery person is currently at the H's and so Sam enlists Rebecca's help to set a trap for the mystery man.

Robin invites Rebecca to Carl Yastrzemski's $1,000 a plate tribute dinner. Robin also invites Sam along to brief him on baseball. Third wheel Sam ruins Rebecca's plans for a romantic evening with Robin. But on the way to the dinner, Robin and Rebecca decide to get hot and heavy and Robin unceremoniously dumps Sam out of the limo in the middle of nowhere. The day after, the gang learns that Rebecca and Robin did it, not only the first time for them but the first time for Rebecca in four years. Rebecca and Robin's romantic evening made it's way to Little Wally's Pup and Burger - a greasy spoon - before they did the deed. The evening included Rebecca telling Robin about her sensory romantic button, the song You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling by The Righteous Brothers. In response, Robin had the song played on his radio station all night. The next day, he brings 'Bill Medley' of The Righteous Brothers to Cheers to serenade Rebecca with a personal rendition of the song. Rebecca is in seventh heaven already, but things are brought to an even more unimaginable state for her when on their next date, Robin tells her he loves her. Rebecca, in her euphoria, wants to celebrate her happiness with her friends at the bar, and invites them all the the place where it all started, Little Wally's Pup and Burger. After the group dinner, Sam and Rebecca are the last two to leave the restaurant. Rebecca needs to step into the ladies room for a second when Sam spots Robin on a date with another woman. What is Sam to do?

Despite being a self-professed womanizer himself, Sam can no longer support Robin's cheating on Rebecca since she is his friend. Sam managed to get Rebecca out of Little Wally's with an exaggerated lie without her spotting Robin with his other date, but he is now regretting doing so, that is until Robin bribes Sam's silence by promising to buy Cheers back for him. Sam ultimately decides to decline the bribe and tell Rebecca the truth. When he does, she doesn't believe him. She thinks he's just jealous. But Rebecca learns the truth when she hides in Robin's limousine to surprise him, when in turn he surprises her when his other date, ballerina Christine Davi, bounds into the limousine. Christine has some morals and dumps Robin right then and there. Perhaps Rebecca has some morals as well, but it's going to take a little while for herself to figure that out. With Christine out of the way, Robin's affections are down to two: Rebecca and a chargé d'affaires at the French consulate. Rebecca has to decide between how best to get Robin or do what is right. Maybe both will result in the same end goal.

Woody is meeting Kelly's mother, Roxanne Gaines, for the first time. Roxanne and Kelly's father, Walter, have been divorced for years, hence the reason why Woody has yet to meet her. He figures she's his last opportunity for someone in Kelly's family actually to like him. She does like him, a little too much as displayed by her tongue down his throat and the game of footsie she plays with him under the dinner table. At a dinner party at the Gaines household, Woody blurts out in front of all the dinner guests that he wants her to stop hitting on him. He thinks that act will ruin his relationship with Kelly. Contrary, Kelly believes that Woody has misinterpreted Roxanne's actions. Roxanne says as much to Kelly. Roxanne later makes her true intentions crystal clear. Meanwhile, one of Lillian's restaurants in Texas is closing down and is moving its unliquidatable inventory to its other properties. Cheers is the lucky recipient of a mechanical bull. Carla goads Cliff into riding the bull. Cliff ends up being close to setting a record he wishes he won't.

Cliff is downing prescription pills to relieve a work stress-related skin condition. He is, however, taking more than the prescribed dosage. Cliff finds out a side effect of massive dosage, a fact the gang at the bar won't let him forget. Meanwhile, Lilith has written a new book, Good Girls/Bad Boys, the book's premise being that women are initially attracted to what she deems bad boys. However, as women get over that need, they will seek out stable good boys. Lilith is promoting the book on a local women's afternoon talk show. Frasier, not wanting to be the only man in the audience, talks Sam into going with him. At the show, Lilith wants the discussion to be on the scientific merits of her research, whereas Brenda Balzac, the host, is more interested in the salacious aspects of the book's title. In the audience, she sees both Frasier and Sam, who she deems to be the typical good boy and bad boy as portrayed in Lilith's book. An outcome of the show is that Frasier wants to become a bad boy. He especially doesn't like the analogy of good boys being like comfortable old shoes or, worse yet, ratty old slippers, not to be seen outside the house. So Frasier decides to don leather and he ends up hooking up with Ellen aka Viper, a motorcyclist. Viper makes Frasier wake up to the reality of what a bad boy life is all about.

Robin is taking a day off work to spend with Rebecca doing her spontaneous planned dream date that she's fantasized about since puberty: a walk along the beach, a picnic in the park, a paddle-boat ride, a trip to the zoo, The Phantom of the Opera, a late supper and a roll in the hay. But competitive Robin and equally competitive Sam get into a continual war of oneupmanship in bar games of darts and pool, each won by Sam. However, Robin challenges Sam to a game of intellectual cunning: chess. Robin makes the challenge irresistible for Sam with a wager of a week's salary, Sam figuring that he can use the winnings to buy back the bar. Sam accepts despite the fact that he doesn't know how to play chess. Using some transmitting equipment and Norm and Pete sitting in front of a computer chess game, Sam takes on Robin with Norm and Pete's computer help. Could this cheating get Sam his bar back, or will the computer lose, or...? Meanwhile, Rebecca does go on her dream date, her actual date who ends up having an emotional breakdown of his own.

Woody's theater group is mounting a production of Hair, and unbeknown to Woody it has a nude scene. Despite everyone in the bar trying to convince him of that fact, he thinks they are all pulling his leg, that is until he reads it in black and white in the script. He is nervous about it until the director tells him that individuals can decide to take off their clothes or not based on how their mood sways them at the time. Being the professional that he is, Woody wants to be true to the production and wills himself to do it despite how uncomfortable he is. Will he when the time comes? Carla has her own problems. Eddie's will has finally been executed, and while Gloria, his other wife, got $100, Carla got everything else, which unfortunately was only debt. In discussion, Carla and Gloria negotiate splitting the $100, to which they also mutually agree that Carla would give Gloria half of everything that she would have got as well. Carla and Gloria end up being good pals, chumming around for the remainder of Gloria's time in Boston before she heads back to Kenosha. However, Carla soon finds out that Eddie may not have left anything of monetary value to Carla in his will, but he did have a life insurance policy from the ice show worth $50,000. Carla is elated, until she remembers her vow to her now good friend Gloria. Carla has to decide whether to keep the money all to herself or keep to her vow and share. Gloria may have her own say in the matter.

The gang thinks that since it's St. Patrick's Day - one of the busiest bar days of the year - Gary of Gary's Olde Towne Tavern is about ready to strike on Cheers despite Rebecca and Gary having previously drawn an agreement to stop the pranks against each other. But Tecumseh, the Indian statue standing at the entrance of the bar, is missing, and the gang think that it's Gary who stole it. After Sam, Norm and Cliff close down Gary's bar with padlocks, toxic warning signs and police tape, they find out that Rebecca sent Tecumseh out solely to be varnished. Thus, the gang await the wrath of Gary. When the fire marshal arrives for the bar's six month inspection, the gang thinks he is Gary's revenge, which he isn't. Their collective nerves are so frayed waiting for Gary to hit, that Cliff suggests they, as an act of peace and good faith to Gary, sabotage themselves before Gary can. They finally learn what Gary's St. Patrick's Day plan is, which they believe is the worse thing he's ever done to them. Another outcome of the plan is that everyone in the bar ends up targeting one of their own.

Norm is chosen the bar's designated driver for the evening. As such, it starts off to be the worst evening of Norm's life, until... Meanwhile, Mr. Gaines is sending Kelly to study in Europe for a year in an effort to break-up Kelly and Woody's relationship. Woody decides to give Kelly a promise ring before she leaves. She initially accepts it, but gives it back after she and Woody get into an argument about her father's motives. Distraught, Woody decides to rush off to the Gaines household and with Sam's help - solely to hold the ladder - he plans to elope with Kelly. After Woody and Kelly discuss the issue, Mr. Gaines ends up unwittingly deciding their immediate future without he even knowing that he did so. Sam offers less support in the matter.

Rebecca is going to be on a consumer reports show as she wrote a letter to them complaining about an electronic depilatory that ripped off her skin when she shaved her legs. Rebecca is looking forward to exposing the crooked company that makes the product. Meanwhile, Carla feels that the return of Darryl Mead - her fantasy Red Sox player - to Cheers is a sign that she's ready to date again, the first time after Eddie's death. When she and Darryl head off on their date, all Carla sees is Eddie LeBecs everywhere she goes. She figures that Eddie is haunting her since he doesn't want her to date. When she makes an announcement that she will not date, even more Eddies appear. Eddie is haunting her for more than just not wanting her to date. Since she can't figure out why, she, Frasier and Lilith all decide that she needs professional help. Frasier and Lilith are thinking about her seeing one of their colleagues, whereas Carla is instead thinking about a visit to her psychic, Madame Lazora. Frasier is appalled not only that Carla would confide in Madame Lazora, but that Madame Lazora's business even exists. Madame Lazora holds a séance in the bar to conjure up Eddie. Through that séance, Madame Lazora ends up telling Carla why Eddie is haunting her, which is no surprise to an exasperated Frasier.

Rebecca tries to check out her competition for Robin at a high society ball.

The on-going battle between Jeanne-Marie and Rebecca for Robin's affections continues. Robin apparently bought Jeanne-Marie a house on the Left Bank. Because of that, Rebecca thinks Robin is going to dump her. Instead, he asks her to move in with him. She readily accepts, thinking he's going to dump Jeanne-Marie. While Robin is away on a business trip, Rebecca, with Sam, Norm and Woody's help, starts moving in to Robin's apartment. They discover a confidential Lillian Corporation document coming through Robin's fax machine, the document which was obtained using Rebecca's secret computer password. Norm concludes that Robin is going to attempt a hostile takeover of the Lillian Corporation, information for which he obtained using Rebecca's access to the company without her knowledge. Despite still being in love with Robin, Rebecca hums and haws about what to do. If Rebecca doesn't turn Robin in, Sam, Norm or Woody could. But the four may have some problems if Robin finds out that they have his top secret information.

Sam turned Robin in to the Lillian Board of Directors, and as such, Robin has been indicted for insider trading. Rebecca is standing by Robin, although she, deep in her heart, knows that Robin, in her own words, is going to fry. But at least she has the solace in knowing that Sam, her friend, was not the one who turned Robin in. When she finds out that it was Sam - she finds out when the Lillian Corporation sells the bar back to Sam for $1 (actually 85¢) - Rebecca is livid. She decides to leave Cheers forever and forget it ever existed, and to head off to wherever Robin is. Further acts by the Lillian Corporation, Sam and Robin affect Rebecca's decision concerning her future, until...