Cheers Cast 5.02: The Cape Cad

CHEERS Season 5, episode 2: "The Cape Cad”

Hosted by Ryan Daly with special guest Paul Spataro from Two True Freaks.

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4 responses to “Cheers Cast 5.02: The Cape Cad

  1. Great episode of Cheers Cast, even if this wasn’t the strongest episode of Cheers itself. I agree the dynamic in the early part of Season Five, with Diane pursuing Sam, doesn’t quite feel right, either thematically or comedically. But Ted Danson definitely shines in this episode with his physical comedy in the hotel room. I’m a Seinfeld fan so it was fun to see Brenda Strong, aka Sue Ellen Mishke, in this episode.

    It’s odd that Frasier is essentially left out of this episode, given that Kelsey Grammar was just made a series regular as of this season. I think in later seasons the writers would have developed a stronger subplot back at the bar that would have worked everyone into the show while the main plot was going on elsewhere.

    I enjoyed your broader tangential discussion about the series going forward. As much as I like Shelly Long, I don’t think Cheers would have lasted 11 seasons if she had stayed on the show. Ted Danson and Shelly Long were always great together, but after four seasons, the Sam/Diane dynamic was starting to show strains. When Diane left, the show evolved into a more comedic ensemble show that could endure longer. Frasier and Lillith, Woody and Kelly, Rebecca and her love interests, all contributed to a wider array of story possibilities.

    But as you correctly noted, Diane was the original POV character of the series. Shelly Long definitely deserves a large share of the credit for Cheers making it through those early years when it wasn’t as well known or popular as it later became.

  2. I did have a different take on this story. If Sam and Diane had been dating, this would have been Sam trying to hide a romantic dalliance with another woman. Instead, he’s trying to convince Diane there IS another woman, unsuccessfully. So it’s a reversal of the story that has been done with these two. That’s perhaps what makes Sam seem even more desperate and pathetic. He knows how to handle juggling women, but he’s lost when it comes to pretending having a date. (It usually would be the socially inept man who’s in that position, or so I’ve heard.) I’m not saying that improves the story to any degree, but it does tickle me to see this reversal play out with Sam.

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  3. I agree that Diane being the aggressor and not taking no for an answer doesn’t play well but I can appreciate that the writers needed to try something different and didn’t wan to rush them to being a couple again so soon after Janet. The idea that she could just go back to working there when Sam, THE BOSS, could just you know, not pay her, is a real big pill to swallow.

    Things definitely pick up when they get together, but as is the general consensus, the show wouldn’t have had the legs for 6 more years if she had stayed.

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