Title: How to Recede in Business
Directed by: James Burrows
Written by: David Lloyd
Air Date: October 27, 1988
Previous: Backseat Becky, Up Front
Next: Swear to God
Guest Starring: Brian Bedford, Al Rosen
"How to Recede in Business" is the first episode of the seventh season of Cheers.
It's been some time since the events of "Backseat Becky, Up Front", and Sam Malone figures that it's been long enough since the departure of Evan Drake that Rebecca will fall for his advances, an opinion not shared by anyone in the bar. This is shared by Rebecca herself, who figures that with the corporate change-over that's come with Evan's going to Japan, she's got a chance of reviving her career.
Sam persists, and Rebecca agrees to go out with him. After all, her cooker's on the blink and there's nothing on TV that night, so why not? Later that night, just as Sam and Rebecca are about to go out, in walks Mr. Stone, the new head honcho at Lillian, and corporate rung-climber Rebecca is instantly smitten. Mr. Stone asks to see her the next morning, but Rebecca insists on him telling her now. So, with a little encouragement from Sam, he does.
Lillian has been showing a slight improvement, but the bar was doing better under Sam's management, so he's giving back the bar to him, and firing Rebecca.
The next day, as Carla enjoys the new old management, a badly dishevelled Rebecca comes in to find Sam struggling to use a computer, something of a problem in the computer focussed corporate 80s. With some encouragement from Carla, he goes to Mr. Stone to beg for Rebecca to get her job back - she may not be any better at it, but she at least likes it. Sam soon returns, telling Carla Mr. Stone had a whole list of demands in order to meet Sam's conditions. Carla points out the option Sam had actually forgotten: Using those conditions to exhort sex from Rebecca.
Later, the two have dinner at Melville's, Rebecca noting the extreme charm offensive Sam is using. Just as things seem to be going somewhere, Mr. Stone appears. He's surprised to see Rebecca, once he learns she's not a waitress there, but if she can agree to the terms, he'll welcome her back. Rebecca goes to confront Sam about these terms, which are many. She has to go finish her business degree, take a pay cut, consult with Sam on all major business decisions, and work part-time as a waitress, which puts her directly under Carla's supervision. Hard to blame Sam not telling her all of that, huh?
Rebecca's not mad. Not mad at all. In fact, she suggests she and Sam go back to her apartment, and a hot tub and do... several things, some of which may just be a teensy bit illegal... psyche! At that, Rebecca takes off, stopping only to tell Woody to tell Sam she refuses to schlep drinks in a two-bit saloon. But before she can get out the door, Woody informs her that the Mercedes dealership called, and they have that red one she wants so much...
Tropes:
- Analogy Backfire: Carla tries to encourage Sam with the story of John Henry, apparently never having learned how that story ends. Sam sets her straight.Sam: His heart exploded. He died.
Carla: ... he did? - Blatant Lies: Sam unleashes a hurricane of them at the beginning trying to flirt with Rebecca.
- Flanderization: The previous season had Rebecca exclusively focused on Evan Drake, and Evan Drake alone. Here, it's turned on to her being a Gold Digger who is hopelessly attracted to any rich man that says "hello" at her, which will remain her characterization for the remainder of the show.
- Getting Crap Past the Radar: When Sam and Rebecca are having their long awaited date. After some flirting, Rebecca notes that Sam put his hand on her leg. When Sam asks if she'd like him to move it, she demurs yes. Sam takes his hand off her leg and Rebecca says that's not what she meant.
- Inelegant Blubbering: Having to knock on her own office door is the last straw for an already dishevelled Rebecca to start on this.
- It's for a Book: Enforced by Carla after Cliff's latest inane piece of bull, who tells him to go to the back-room and not come back until he's written a book, even providing pen and paper.
- Know-Nothing Know-It-All: Cliff's got one on Columbus. Y'see, he actually just meant to step out for a moment and took a wrong turn.
- Meet the New Boss: Mr. Stone, the replacement for Evan Drake. And like Drake, he doesn't notice Rebecca actually exists until he cruelly tells her she's fired.
- Raging Stiffie: Rebecca inflicts another one on Sam at the end, before leaving him stuck in Melville's.
- Recognition Failure: Stone fails to recognize Rebecca at Melville's until she reminds him, initially thinking she's a waitress there.
- The Scottish Trope: Carla prefers having Sam back, comparing to before the Evil Days (I.E., when Diane was still around). Norm helpfully reminds Frasier who she's talking about.
- Took a Level in Dumbass: Rebecca starts on the long and not that slow slide down the IQ scale the minute Mr. Stone shows up...
- You Need to Get Laid: Sam's opinion on Rebecca is that it's a medical necessity.
