Title: Adventures in Housesitting
Directed by: James Burrows
Written by: Patricia Niedzialek and Cecile Alch
Air Date: January 19, 1989
Previous: Bar Wars II: The Woodman Strikes Back
Next: Please Mr. Postman
Guest Starring: Bebe Neuwirth
"Adventures in Housesitting" is the 11th episode of season seven of Cheers.
It's another day in Cheers, and Mr. Sheridan, the latest in the long line of interchangeable suits of Lillian Corporation, is coming to ask Rebecca for a favor. Disgruntled with her own spinelessness, Rebecca vows to refuse, whatever it is, which Sam is naturally dubious about. Sure enough, when Mr. Sheridan comes in, he asks Rebecca if she can look after... his dog. Rebecca refuses. For about five seconds.
Days pass, and Rebecca doesn't enjoy looking after Buster in Mr. Sheridan's big, isolated mansion, which is leaving her on edge. Sam, ever-prepared for the opportunity for sex, plans to take advantage of this. His attempts result in Buster making a run for it.
Meanwhile, Frasier tries dealing with anxiety, with some advice from Carla to not only imagine people naked, but naked and in socks.
Tropes:
- Bread, Eggs, Breaded Eggs: Rebecca asks Sam if he came to Mr. Sheridan's house because he was concerned or because he wanted to get her in the sack.Sam: I was concerned I wasn't going to get you in the sack.
- Cuteness Proximity: Frasier, to Satan, a trained attack dog. Not knowing, he immediately starts fawning over him.
- Crazy-Prepared: "Sammy carries whatever he needs." In this case, candles to set a romantic mood. Although, given Sam's turned the mansion's lights off to begin with...
- Epic Fail: Woody was at least smart enough to get Satan's trigger phrase when he bought him, but in a way only Woody could manage, somehow gets "Comanche" and "Geronimo" mixed up.
- Extreme Doormat: Poor, hopeless Rebecca. Sam predicts that when Mr. Sheridan asks something, she'll crumble "like a bag of potato chips". She almost manages to resist, but after he asks she starts quivering all over until she does, in fact, crumble like a bag of potato chips and hurriedly blurts out how she'll be happily look after his dog.
- Imagine the Audience Naked: Carla tells Frasier this, but with the addition of wearing black socks as well. Though Frasier initially laughs at it, he finds it works.
- Inelegant Blubbering: Rebecca, when it looks like Buster has gone missing. She stops the minute Sam offers to take the blame.Sam: I hate it when you cry.
- Mailman vs. Dog: Cliff is taunting Satan when Norm warns him to be careful, saying "He has several little mailbags hanging on his leash." Sure enough, Cliff is the one that Satan corners in the bathroom.
- Malaproper: Insisting he's not dumb, and can have conversation, Sam invites Rebecca to sit down and "conversate".
- Meet the New Boss: Another higher-up of Lillian, and judging by Rebecca's comments, there's been massive amounts of turn-over since Martin Teal to the extent she's gotten jaded.
- Oh, Crap!: As Frasier and Lilith are heading to lunch, he tries the imagine-them-naked thing on her, prompting him to explain his nerves. Then Lilith asks when this speech he's so nervous about is. Frasier thinks for a moment and bolts.
- Ship Tease:
- One of the many times Frasier shows an attraction to an oblivious Rebecca. She's the second experiment of imagining the audience naked. Frasier takes a look, then needs to fan his brow.
Frasier: It doesn't work with everyone.- Similarly, with Woody, who is not averse to the idea of going for a date with Rebecca.
- Troll: At the end, Carla figures out Satan the dog's control phrase. And then she clocks off, leaving Cliff stuck at the mercy of a savage attack dog.
