Season One of Cheers just isn't quite itself if there isn't some creep coming in to the bar that the gang can vanquish as a team. In this episode, Norm is featured as he volunteers at work to organize the annual office party. Diane gives a throwaway idea that he should do a toga party, and Norm jumps on it. What follows is the world's worst and most awkward party.
Everyone in Norm's office shows up, but refuses to drink, smile, or even talk to anyone else. In a very odd choice, the producers packed the Cheers set with a bunch of depressed looking people dressed in 80's business attire and directed them to look forlorn and not say a word to each other. It feels less like a party and more like a wake with attendance exclusive to the mute. Norm shows up an hour late, and is also the only one dressed in a toga. He feels his party is a disaster, but can be saved if only he can find his big boss a date. The girl he had arranged to come cancels at the last moment, so Diane gets called in. Diane is reluctant at first, but when the boss walks in and he's a dashing looking young guy, she starts to throw herself at him.
The boss takes Diane to the pool room, and starts getting overly aggressive with her. Diane tries to get free by saying, "I don't believe in mauling on a first date." However, he just gets more aggressive. Norm walks in and sees his boss taking advantage of Diane and tries to extricate himself from the room, but eventually he has to step in and get a little rough with his boss. The boss fires him on the spot. Norm is bummed, but when the rest of the company hears that he got rough with their jerk supervisor, the zombies come alive and Norm becomes the hero of the day. An unemployed hero, but a hero nonetheless.
A decent episode, but a little heavy handed. Also, no guy with those kind of looks and apparently tons of money needs one of his toadies to arrange a date for him. Also, Continuity is clearly not that big an issue with Cheers, as in the previous episode of this season, Norm brings in his boss to Cheers, and it's a totally different dude. There are a few issues with this episode, but we DO get a chance to see Norm in a toga, so not all is lost.
Best Line of the Episode:
Diane: For one terrible moment I actually saw myself through his eyes, I saw nothing but a cheap harlot.
Sam: Oh come on, we all know that you'd starve to death before you made a living with your body.
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