Cheers: Season 9

As Robin walks into the bar office, what he sees is Rebecca in a state of undress and Sam's shirt button stuck in her blouse's zipper. Rebecca tells Robin that something almost happened with Sam but that nothing did happen. It's a lie, which Sam is supporting. Robin's return prompts Rebecca to go back with him, and to support him during the time of his indictment. She will continue to work at the bar until she can find another, better job. Sam goes back to setting the bar back up the way he used to have it. As a show of gratitude for the support of his customers, Sam decides to wipe out all the bar tabs, including Norm's. But back with Sam and Rebecca, they decide to move on from their sexual encounter. However Rebecca confesses that it was one of the most powerful experiences of her life. As much as he says he had a good time, Sam, on the other hand, states that perhaps his expectations after three years was a little too much compared to the actual act. Rebecca is hurt by this statement, but Sam's behavior masks something else going on in his psyche. He refuses to tell anyone about his tryst with Rebecca, except Father Barry, to whom he goes for counsel and advice on why he isn't telling anyone. Sam finally realizes it's because Rebecca was both a friend and a lover, a first for him, and he wanted to protect his friend more than brag about his lover. But will the gang goading Sam about never having slept with Rebecca and now never having the chance to get the better of him?

Frasier and Lilith are having a domestic spat, and Lilith is withholding sex. Frasier is going a little stir crazy because of it. Woody is having a spat in name only with 'Larry Bird' of the Boston Celtics who is originally from French Lick, Indiana, from where people of Hanover, Indiana are considered the dufuses of the state. Hanover residents have the same opinion of French Lick residents. With the rest of the gang, they're preparing for the next contest with Gary's Olde Towne Tavern, namely a three-on-three basketball game of bar employees. Gary "hires" a couple of extremely tall ringers. Sam goes one step further and "hires" Boston Celtic, Kevin McHale. Sam tells Kevin that the game is for charity - an orphanage - to persuade him to do this for him. Because of the surety of winning, Sam bets Gary $5,000 on the game, Gary unaware that Kevin is Cheers' ringer. When Kevin ultimately finds out he was duped about the charity aspect of the game, he's mad but agrees to play if the $5,000 is donated to an orphanage. At the game, Cheers wipes out Gary's, but Woody also wipes out Kevin at the end of the game with what initially looks to be a severe ankle injury. The injury ends up being not bad. However the Celtics doctor comes to the bar the next day with news that Kevin's injury is season ending. Kevin's injury has an unexpected affect on the bet and the bar war with Gary.

Sam is facing crises at work: his cash flow is minimal and he's having troubles with all the new technical gizmos installed by Rebecca, like the computer and fax machine. With the latter, he is wanting Rebecca back to manage the bar, but suspects she wouldn't come back. She says as much as she has a new job in public relations. So Sam hires Earl, a retired baseballer, and a whiz at bar management. Meanwhile, Rebecca really is the new Miss Miracle Buff at the car show, she who is asked to do demeaning and quite dangerous things like wipe acid and boiling tar off the cars. Sam and Woody see her at the car show, and discover that she really would like her job at the bar back. Sam decides to hire her back. The one problem however is that he's hired Earl, who everybody thinks is the perfect person, period. But being the perfect person, Earl gladly steps aside for Rebecca, but not before a firm but loving chastisement of Sam.

It's an Indian summer of the heatwave variety in Boston. Carla is concerned since she's conceived all of her children during Indian summers. Not only does she become more fertile, but she also, like a dog, goes into heat in more ways than one. Meanwhile, the news media is reporting a rumor that Robin has a mystery woman in his life, for whom he gave up his freedom and fortune. Rebecca is happy to be kept out of the spotlight, but she doesn't have to worry. Jeanne-Marie Beaulieu, the chargez d'affaires with the French consulate and Robin's old girlfriend, comes forward as the mystery woman. Rebecca is incredulous, especially when the stories become more sensationalistic. But the last straw for Rebecca is when Jeanne-Marie gets a spot on Arsenio Hall's talk show, becoming a national celebrity. Rebecca starts to doubt if she is/was Robin's true love. She can't ask Robin directly since she feels like she needs to trust Robin who supposedly gave up his fortune and freedom for her. She has to find out a way to get the information from Robin or hope that Jeanne-Marie's fifteen minutes of fame burns out quickly.

A public works crew is doing some construction at the top of the bar stairwell, which is causing a slow-down in bar business. Sam wants to grease the wheels by bribing the workmen with free beer, but Rebecca refuses. The workmen initiate a work slow-down. After that Sam, thinks they have to up the bribe ante, but again Rebecca refuses. As such, Rebecca suggests building a back entrance to the bar from the alley. During that work, Norm gets stuck between the iron bars in the back window. They call in the police to get him unstuck. Rebecca uses this situation as an inopportune time to implement the earlier lesson from Sam. Meanwhile, Ma Clavin comes back to Boston for a visit. Cliff, with his new bachelor lifestyle, doesn't want her to stay with him. Woody, on the other hand, offers his place to Ma Clavin. Woody becomes Ma Clavin's surrogate son. The two of them have a great time together. Cliff initially feigns disinterest in Ma and Woody's relationship, but after Ma calls Woody "son", Cliff admits that he wants his Ma back. Is there enough love in Ma's heart for two sons, and conversely can Cliff and Woody share a Ma?

Rebecca is concerned for Robin's welfare as he is on a works crew picking up garbage, work unsuited to his previous white collar billionaire lifestyle. Sam relishes in rubbing Rebecca's nose about the situation. Carla relishes parading her scantily clad, blouse-wet body in front of the female-starved convicts and their muscled guards. Meanwhile, Norm's life is crumbling around him as The Hungry Heifer is forced to close due to a building sale and demolition. He's not only sad for himself, but for Sid Nelson, the owner and his friend. Norm goes on a mission to save The Hungry Heifer. He starts off with a petition, but in the process of the petition thinks he's found another way to save the building and thus the restaurant. Sid shows his gratitude to Norm, who he has always treated as a son, in an unexpected way by making a special request from him.

The Cranes have received some devastating news: their one-year old son, Frederick, is intellectually average, the manifestation of which is that he has yet to utter his first word. Lilith thinks that it's because they as parents don't spend enough time with him. Lilith decides that she will be a stay at home Mom. When Lilith uncovers her domestic inabilities, Frasier takes over. But Frasier's idea of care-taking his son is to take him to Cheers and hang out with the guys, of which Lilith is unaware. Lilith is depressed that she sees Frasier as a better parent than her, that is until she finds that he has spent the day with Frederick at the bar. Nonetheless, Frederick's stay at Cheers has an unexpected but in Lilith's mind successful outcome. Meanwhile, Rebecca receives a dirty love letter from Robin, which is making her pine for some physical contact with him. Unfortunately for her, he is not allowed conjugal visits. Carla thinks Rebecca should make her next visit with Robin a conjugal one anyway, Rebecca thinking the usually deserted prison garden the perfect place. Will Robin go along with the idea, which, if caught, means his upcoming parole is in jeopardy? Frederick also speaks his first word.

A panel discussion with the cast of Cheers after their 200th show hosted by John McLaughlin.

John Allen Hill, a famous Manhattan restaurateur, has bought Melville's, which Rebecca thinks is going to boost business for Cheers. Hill and Sam's relationship starts off slowly and gets worse and worse. The first spoken threat from Hill is the fact that he actually owns the property of the bar's pool room and washrooms, implying that he wants Sam to meet all his demands or else. Hill wants a floor mat at the bottom of the interior stairs and wants to use the bar as the restaurant's lounge which includes treating Cheers' staff as Melville's staff. And a consequence of Hill's ownership of Melville's is that the bar is filled with a different yuppie clientele, who most importantly don't know that Norm's bar stool is only for Norm. But the last straw for Sam is that Hill wants his parking spot back, which Sam has always used to park his beloved Corvette. Sam and Hill refuse to do business with each other, which leads to Hill bricking off the bar's hallway - the one leading to his washrooms and pool room. Hill will only take down the wall when Sam starts to pay rent. Sam is slowly descending into madness from this situation which culminates into the ultimate in insults for Sam. Meanwhile, Woody receives some somewhat suggestive pictures from Kelly in Paris. However, Carla notices a hairy large thumb in one of the photos, meaning the pictures were taken by a man. Finding out who this Lothario is becomes an all-consuming thought for Woody.

Woody has a starring role in a television commercial for a new health drink called Veggie-Boy. Woody is excited before the commercial shoot, during the commercial shoot and after the commercial shoot. It isn't until the commercial starts to air that Woody's excitement turns to horror. In the commercial, Woody explicitly states that he likes it, referring to Veggie-Boy, but he finally tastes it afterward and hates it. This endorsement is a lie from a man who doesn't lie. Woody has no idea how to resolve this dilemma. Despite the fact that Lilith doesn't agree, Frasier suggests to Woody that he try hypnosis. Woody does try hypnosis, and it works - Woody ends up liking Veggie-Boy because of it. He's now ecstatic, but his euphoria is short-lived as his new found love of Veggie-Boy creates its own problem for Woody. Meanwhile, Cliff has a new enemy in the bar: Sam's new trivia bar napkins.

As one of their manipulations on others, Norm and Cliff pretend to be a credit card company claiming that a credit card used by Frasier to pay for drinks was reported "stolen". Sam destroys the card, causing a rift between Sam and Frasier. Feeling guilty, Norm and Cliff admit the scheme and then, as punishment, surrender their own credit cards, which are to be destroyed by Woody on Sam's behalf. Meanwhile, Woody repeatedly buys items from a shopping channel, making him shopaholic.

Woody's gripped with fear of losing Kelly when she returns with a Frenchman.

Carla refuses the family naming tradition, as it would result in her new son being named Benito Mussolini. Woody's plan to issue free coupons for Cheers backfires.

Woody brings in a Foosball table, but Carla believes that it is evil. Sam begins dating Hill's daughter to get back at Hill.

Part 1 of 3. Robin proposes to Rebecca shortly before he is released from prison, but Rebecca gets drunk because she has doubts. Frasier becomes obsessed with a karaoke machine.

Part 2 of 3. On the morning of her wedding, Rebecca finally realizes that she only loves Robin for his money, and he leaves with $6 million that he had hidden under her desk drawer.

Conclusion. Two days after the canceled wedding, Rebecca is still locked in her office and then leaves town. When she returns, Sam sees an opportunity. Fraiser tries to get the gang interested in the works of Charles Dickens.

It's Valentine's Day, and it doesn't seem to be going well for anyone. The Drs. Crane are trying to bring their respective therapy groups - Frasier's a group of shy men, Lilith's a group of shy women - together as part of their therapy. They try party games to get the men and women together, games such as passing the orange from chin to chin, Twister and Spin the Bottle, with little to show for their efforts. Rebecca is depressed as after the recent break-up with Robin, she has no man in her life and thus no one to give her a Valentine. Just before midnight, Cliff comes to the rescue and gives Rebecca the Valentine he was going to give to his Ma. However, Cliff wants a little action in return. And Sam, who has had an on-going "only on Valentine's Day" date with Lauren Hudson for the past twenty years, slips and throws out his back just before he is off to see her. In such a state, Sam may be unable to perform sexually as he does his darnedest to hide his injury from Lauren and to make the most of his once a year tryst with her. Will this year show both Sam and Lauren the different state of a maturing relationship?

Carla's eyesight is getting bad and she secretly gets a pair of reading glasses. The guys at the bar start with all the standard "four eyes" jokes, until Carla vows to make their life miserable unless they stop. Cliff continues with the jokes, saying that it's worth whatever revenge Carla has in store. Or is it? Rebecca is still wanting to buy the bar back from Sam, who mocks her in her attempt. She has $25,000 cash that she received from her father to do so, but Sam adamantly refuses to sell. Rebecca has an ally in John Allen Hill, who will sell Rebecca the bar's back rooms (including the washrooms), which again he owns, for the $25,000. Sam realizes that Rebecca having this control could ruin him, so he tries to outbid her for the property. Hill implies that any little favors by either Sam or Rebecca could sway him in their direction. Sam and Rebecca both will do almost anything for the property, and Hill relishes in the attention he gets from both. Both Sam and Rebecca can do menial tasks for Hill, but only Rebecca has the sexual power over Hill. But will Rebecca sell her body for the bar's back rooms and does Sam have anything to match Rebecca's body in the bidding war?

It Frasier's birthday, and since he's never had a birthday party, the gang at the bar go all out and throw him one. However they make him do all the work for it. Lilith is trying to figure out what to get, and has decided on professional photographs of herself done for him. Hiring Woody's nemesis Henrí as photographer, Lilith initially doesn't quite know what kind of photos to take - composed and formal or seductive - and ends up doing her own kind of seductive. It's definitely not Norm's birthday as Vera has lost her job. What's worse, Rebecca gets Vera a job as a hat check girl at Melville's. As such, Vera has in Norm's opinion invaded his sanctuary. He's a nervous wreck knowing that "she" is up there. A work related incident shows everyone how Norm really feels about his wife, especially when she's not in the vicinity of Cheers.

Cliff idolizes Weather Channel anchor, Dorothy Boysick, who, annoying to most but endearing to Cliff, has a lisp. Cliff writes her a fan letter, and gets an unexpected reply. Meanwhile, co-owner of the bar, Rebecca, wants to open a tearoom in the pool room. Sam thinks it's a dumb idea, but allows Rebecca to open it on a trial basis, letting her keep it if she clears $500 on her first night. Sam thinks this goal impossible for Rebecca. Things are going very slowly on her trial day, and Rebecca doesn't help her own cause when she chastises Frasier and Lilith, her first and only customers, when they solely order her loss leader, orange pekoe tea. However, things take an up turn for Rebecca when she hijacks and starts selling Woody's chili, which everyone in the bar loves. As it seems like Rebecca's converted chili room is a success, Sam feels like he needs to take drastic measures to sabotage Rebecca. Sam ultimately shows Rebecca how he feels about her as co-manager/co-owner, but he shows more about how he feels about his 'vette.

With the Miss Boston Barmaid contest held at Cheers, Sam is upset because the rules have changed, Carla enters to win a new car and Cliff is one of the judges. Rebecca hires Norm to paint Sam's office.

Sam is invited to pitch to Dutch Kincaid, an old nemesis, at Yankee Stadium. Woody becomes attached to a dog that Cliff found.

Rebecca is on a healthy eating kick and is trying to convince others in the bar to join her. The guys do join her in enjoying rice cakes, which they use for other purposes. Meanwhile, Lilith is in mourning as her favorite lab rat, Whitey, has died. Frasier offers sympathy, that is until he finds out that she is carrying the dead rat in her purse. Frasier throws Whitey in the garbage, and when Lilith finds out, she does the same to Frasier - throw him in the garbage, that is. Lilith has banished Frasier from the house, and thus he's forced to sleep on the bar's couch in his suit. Unfortunately, this tiff coincides with an important meeting they have to get Frederick into an exclusive preschool. They need to hold off their anger toward each other long enough to make it through the interview, but some item association at the interview makes them come to an important realization. Sam is also in mourning, but is mourning the loss of a beautiful woman, who he never really had since she is rebuking him. But Sam finds out what he believes to be the incredulous reason for her rebuke.

Sam locks himself out of the house while babysitting for Lilith and Frasier's son.

Rebecca is at another crossroads in her life. She knows that she doesn't want to do the bar shtick for the rest of her life, but is now unsure what she wants to do. Regardless, she goes on one job interview after another, each time dooming herself to failure. Meanwhile, Sam has been spending a lot of time lately with the Cranes. More specifically, he has been spending a lot of time with Frederick. Each day, Sam arrives at their house a little earlier and leaves a little later. Frasier and Lilith finally tell Sam directly that he shouldn't be spending that much time with their son. Sam understands, but not until after the revelations that Sam likes kids and that Frederick now considers Sam more a father than Frasier. Later, Sam admits to himself that he wants to be a dad, but doesn't yet have an idea who the mother will be. Late one evening, Sam dozes off while watching Blue Hawaii (1961) on TV. In his dream, Sam gets a message directly from Elvis Presley about what he should do to address his quandary. His next step becomes how to convince the other party involved that Elvis' plan is a good one.