Cheers Cast 5.16: Never Love a Goalie: Part 1

3 responses to “Cheers Cast 5.16: Never Love a Goalie: Part 1”

1. I laughed out loud three times in this one, which is rare for me. You didn’t mention two of them, so here they are: The first is when Diane is just moving through the frame is dropping a line, the first, calling Carla a coquette, some out of nowhere and it really got me. The other is one of several great Woody bits, it’s the one where he asks Sam how he knows Eddie’s order, and Sam says he ordered it yesterday, so Woody gets a move on… of course thinking Eddie had been waiting all this time.

   That Bruins-Canadiens game would probably have been watched attentively in my region back in the day. If you’re a French-Canadian, even outside Quebec, you almost had to be a Canadiens fan. There was a contrarian minority who preferred the Nordiques, and if someone absolutely hated Quebec, they might cheer for the Leafs instead. The Oilers had Wayne Gretzky and everyone admired him, but that didn’t translate into fandom for the Oilers. It was very rare for anyone to mention the Jets, Flames or Canucks. As for American teams, the only one I remember having any fans was the Bruins (because of proximity?), so this game would have been of interest.

   That said, what I know about hockey, I learned through osmosis. We were not a hockey-watching family, and sports were never my thing. Still, sports fans as represented in this episode are a fickle lot. The game against the Flyers goes into overtime, the score is 1-1, and in the final 5 seconds, he lets one by. And that’s it, we’re gonna lose and Eddie’s likely to get traded. Come on, Boston.

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2. Jay Thomas was always great in everything I saw him in. His easygoing demeanor lets him blend in with any cast, and he’s deceptively charming. You might think to look at him that he has an edge, but instead he comes across as a teddy bear. So no wonder he can step into the role of Eddie, interact smoothly with customers and Sam and Woody, and feel like he belongs. Of course, the chemistry with Carla is essential, and they click perfectly. Hey, it also helps he’s close to her height, and doesn’t his nose look like a hockey player’s nose? Just excellent casting and I’m glad it’s here. Carla has dealt with a couple of “Eddies” in the series, but the real deal is finally here.

   It’s interesting for Carla to be in a romantic plot, because all of sudden, her role in the show changes. Her normal job is to spew zingers and put downs at other’s expense. But here, she get the ribbing from Diane instead, which was great! “She’s next in line for the throne of England.”

   Well ok, Carla gets that hilarious unintentional zinger on Sam after seeing Eddie play, about the baseball player who got 4 home runs off Sam. Carla still gotta Carla.

   And yes, Frazier had a surprising amount to do in this episode, for something that wasn’t really a “plot.” Moping about something besides Diane, and getting arrested. “Dr Frazier Crane … is out on bail.” Completely deadpan delivery. Perfect.

   Great discussion as always!

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3. It’s odd that Diane’s “next in line for the throne of England” is almost word for word re-used by her in the series finale. She says it about her after Woody fills her in on the recent changes in his life including being elected to city council. Of course Woody thinks they “should hammer out a treaty or something.” I can’t imagine that was an intentional reference by the writers but it’s a strange coincidence. Almost like they pulled out their old “Diane Zingers” rolodex when Shelly returned.

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