Title: Golden Boyd
Directed by: James Burrows
Written by: Brian Pollack and Mert Rich
Air Date: February 2, 1989
Previous: Please Mr. Postman
Next: I Kid You Not
Guest Starring: Jackie Swanson, Tyrone Power Jr
"Golden Boyd" is the thirteenth episode of the seventh season of Cheers.
It's another bad day for Rebecca. A corporate big-wig at Lillian Corporation is throwing a party for his daughter, and she's been "invited" to host it. As a result, Sam and Woody get dragged in to spend their weekend helping tend bar (okay, they're doing all the work). Sam spends his time scalping the rich party-goers for sympathy tips. Woody, meanwhile, attracts the ire of Nash, a colossal jerkass, who challenges Woody to a fight.
The next day, Nash shows up at Cheers to fight Woody, and it's not a quick fight. Recovering afterwards, Woody fumes, wondering how, how he can get back at Nash. Enter Kelly Gaines, Nash's sweet but unimaginably ditzy girlfriend, who feels awful about Nash's lousy temper, and apologizes. Woody strikes on an idea - date Kelly to get back at Nash.
His initial proposal to ask Mr. Gaines for permission doesn't work, but Kelly soon proves receptive to the idea, being tired of Nash treating her like property. Their first date goes well enough, but Nash soon returns to apologize for his behaviour, and Kelly leaves. Sam encourages Woody to go after her, but as he's going out the door, Kelly returns, having enjoyed her date with Woody and wanting to experience more.
First appearance of Kelly Gaines (Jackie Swanson), who would be a recurring character for the rest of the show's run. Nash was played by Tyrone Power Jr., the son of 1940s-50s Hollywood matinee idol Tyrone Power.
Tropes:
- Actually Pretty Funny: Kelly finds Woody's interjections into Nash's conversations rather amusing. It's what prompts Nash to tell Woody to shut up and mind his own business.
- Armor-Piercing Response: What convinces Kelly to agree to the date is a bit of saviness from Woody.Woody: I heard your dad's answer, and I heard Nash's answer, but I still haven't heard your answer yet.
- Big "NO!": Rebecca, when she realizes Woody is planning to date Kelly, followed by rushing across the bar and tackling him to the floor.
- Characterization Marches On: Mr. Gaines is pretty mellow here, even being polite towards Woody when he asks to date Kelly, though it does have the justification that Woody isn't actually dating her yet, so he has no reason to dislike him.
- Crowd Chant:
- As Woody and Nash are about to fight, the barflies begin chanting the former's name. One off-screen punch later, they start chanting "Rich guy!" instead.
- Woody resolving to date Kelly to get back at Nash prompts another round of chanting.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Woody vs. Nash. It lasts all of one punch.Carla: I've had sneezes that lasted longer.
- Hypocritical Humor: After getting his first tip, Sam chastises the rich for always looking down on the working-class and thinking throwing a little money around makes it better. Then he sees just how much the tip is, so he proceeds to milk as much sympathy as he can.
- Inadvertent Entrance Cue: Woody, thirsting for revenge on Nash, says "How could I get that guy? He must have some weak spot." Cue Nash's pretty blonde girlfriend Kelly, belatedly arriving at the bar to stop a fight between Nash and the "cute bartender".
- Interclass Romance: A Cheers story arc that would last until Woody and Kelly got married at the end of Season 10, as Woody, the dirt-poor Indiana farm boy turned humble bartender, goes out with rich WASP Kelly Gaines.
- Jerkass: Nash is rude, arrogant and short-tempered. Woody interjecting to a private conversation causes him to come over to the guy and tell him to shut up, then challenges him to a fight.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Woody is normally a Nice Guy to the extreme, but Nash's bad attitude rankles him enough to want a fight and (failing at that) determined to get back at him any way he can.
- Operation: Jealousy: Woody asks Kelly out to piss Nash off, and Kelly agrees to annoy him.
- Shipper on Deck: Rebecca once she comes around to the idea of Woody dating Kelly, though not for altruism. She hopes that Woody will get given some cushy job if he marries Kelly, and this will trickle down to her getting rewarded.
- Sam encourages Woody to go after Kelly after she leaves with Nash, seeing obvious sparks between them.
- Taking the Fight Outside: Woody and Nash are going to do this, but Carla wants to watch and she can't leave the bar, so she gets them to fight in the pool room.
- White Anglo-Saxon Protestant: The Gaineses and their whole social set are stereotypical New England WASPs, the sort of people who have parties in wood-paneled sitting rooms where they stand around in tennis sweaters and drink champagne.
