Recap / Cheers S 8 E 19

Episode: Season 8, Episode 19
Title: Indoor Fun with Sammy and Robby
Directed by: Andy Ackerman
Written by: Phoef Sutton
Air Date: February 22, 1990
Previous: Severe Crane Damage
Next: 50-50 Carla
Guest Starring: Roger Rees

"Indoor Fun with Sammy and Robby" is the 19th episode of the eighth season of Cheers.

Robin Colcord, billionaire industrial magnate, is doing that rarest of rare things: taking a day off. He's going to spend it with Rebecca, on what Rebecca has basically designed to be her perfect day—walking on the beach, going to the zoo, seeing a showing of The Phantom of the Opera, and retiring to home for a night of sex.

However, while Rebecca is changing clothes in her office, Robin gets wrapped up in a game of darts with Sam, who loathes Robin for cheating him both of that sweetheart bar deal and Rebecca, and who longs for the chance to knock Robin down a peg or two. Sam wins the hotly contested game of darts. That leads to a hotly contested game of pool, which Sam also wins. An infuriated Robin then challenges Sam to a game of chess, which Sam accepts. Unfortunately Sam does not know how to play chess, so Norm will hide in the bar and call out moves to Sam via an earpiece that Sam will wear. Meanwhile, Rebecca goes out on her perfect day, with Woody.

---

Tropes:

• Answer Cut: As they start the game of pool, Sam snarks "I can't understand why anyone would get that excited over winning a dollar." Cut to the gang singing "Hey Hey Hey, Goodbye" as a triumphant Sam emerges from the pool room, dollar in hand.
• Armor-Piercing Response: Robin is quite amused by Rebecca mocking Sam for a hollow victory, only to be quite surprised when she turns to him and says, "And you, Robin..."
• Aside Glance: Robin over Sam's simplistic terms for the chess pieces. He does it again later (albeit much briefer) when Sam asks if a particular piece is his or not.
• Awful Wedded Life: Pete provided the surveillance equipment needed to help Sam cheat at chess. He says he owns it because his wife regularly cheats on him.
• Beach Bury: Rebecca says she and Woody did all the stuff on the beach that she'd dreamed of doing, including burying Woody in the sand—then she screams "Oh my God, Woody!", and tears out of the bar.
• Calling Me a Logarithm: The exchange that happens when Robin tells Sam he wants to play an intellectual game, chess.
  Robin: Billiards, darts, these are things you're adroit at, Sam.
  Sam: Listen, nobody calls me a "droit".
• Character Development: Robin Colcord gets one, as we learn he has a lot of competitivity.
• Competition Freak: Sam and Robin spend the entire episode trying to one-up each other at assorted games: darts, pool, and chess. While Sam was expected due to his baseball history and general dislike of the guy, Robin proves just as competitive and petty. Even Sam outright cheating during the chess game doesn't dissuade Robin, as he considered it an enticing challenge all the same.
• Cry into Chest: When Rebecca says this was a terrible day, Woody (there with her every step of the way) proceeds to cry into Sam's chest.
• Embarrassing Nickname: Back in his pitching days, Sam was known as "the Slider of Death" because of his unfortunate tendency to give up multiple runs during crunch time.
• Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: Rebecca describes to Sam and Robin what she did at the beach, only to realize mid-sentence that she forgot to dig Woody out of the sand.
• Flat "What": Robin's "What." He says this after Sam announces the Surprise Checkmate, and somehow manages to convey both shock and rage while maintaining a flat tone.
• The Ghost: Jeanne Marie, Robin's other girlfriend, the one who works at the French consulate. She'll be a ghost for the rest of Season 8 as Rebecca continually complains about her.
• Hilariously Abusive Childhood: Cliff says that Ma Clavin would not allow puberty in the house.
• Hypocritical Humor:
  • Ahead of the pool game, Robin opts to bet $1, saying it could be a symbol of victory. Sam agrees, but he says it's rather silly that such a low sum could mean anything. One cut later, Sam and friends are reacting to him claiming that dollar as if he won the World Series.
  • Walking into the office, Rebecca scolds Norm for trying to delete his bar tab from the computer. Norm scoffs at such an allegation, saying he is simply helping Sam cheat Robin.
• Ignored Aesop: Rebecca openly chastises both Sam and Robin going to such competitive extremes, resulting in a bet that amounted to one penny and ruined the day for themselves and herself, as well. Sam and Robin admit they were being foolish and gracefully shake hands, only to get into a thumb war.
• It's Personal: On the prospect of playing Robin at darts, Sam acknowledges how it's actually a bad idea to play someone you dislike at a game because of this trope, as all the bitterness comes out instead of just having fun. He ends up reflecting on why he's bitter towards Robin (e.g. the smug attitude, being with Rebecca) and works himself up into playing.
• Kick the Dog: Robin reveals he knew what Sam was up to all along, meaning he passed up a day with Rebecca, knowing what she was after, just to get into a dick-measuring contest with Sam.
• Oh, No... Not Again!: Rebecca reacts to Norm being at her computer by she already told him to stop trying to delete his bar tab.
• Open Mouth, Insert Foot: While chastising Sam and Robin for their behavior, Rebecca bemoans how this has been a truly terrible day. Having spent the entire day by her side, Woody starts crying. Rebecca immediately tries to take it back, saying she had fun with him.
• Pyrrhic Victory: For the chess game, Sam and Robin bet a week's salary. Since Robin admits he knew all along about the cheating but played anyway, Sam reasons his fluke win still counts and that he's owed the money. Robin gives him a penny, saying his bookkeeping practices mean he technically only gets paid one dollar a year. Rebecca takes a moment to chastise Sam for going to so much effort for this moment, as well as deflates Robin's smug mood by reminding him he was just as obsessive over this paltry prize and that his attempt to put one over on Sam even in defeat cost him a day off with his girlfriend.
• Smart People Play Chess: Robin challenges Sam to a game of chess for exactly this reason, confident that he'll win. Sam goes to Norm to help him cheat.
• Spotting the Thread: Robin reveals he knew Sam was cheating all along. A giveaway was the game Sam was supposedly listening to having ended while they were playing.
• Surprise Checkmate: Rebecca's computer goes dead, leaving Norm unable to see the game and pass moves to Sam. Without any help, Sam moves his queen more or less at random, Robin responds by moving his bishop, and Sam (after being ensured that, yes, it was his piece) moves his knight—and puts Robin in checkmate, much to Robin's fury.
• Welcome to My World: As Sam and Robin's competitiveness ramps up, Frasier bemoans being stuck on the sidelines.
  Frasier: Y'know, it just isn't fair. I mean, I wanted to be one of the guys. All I'm doin' is sittin' on my duff watchin' other people do things.
  Norm: Welcome to Norm World. [hands him a beer] Keep your hands inside the car at all times.
• Worthy Opponent: Robin admits he finds Sam a curious challenge and even compliments his raw talent. It's why he wants to beat him without mercy.
• Wrong Assumption: Robin figured out that Sam was cheating and what specific strategy was being used, so he matched him move for move to counter that. After the computer freezes up, Sam makes a completely random move, which Robin interpreted as a deliberate attempt at changing up the strategy mid-game, so he tried to counter that supposed strategy. Sam, of course, had no idea what he was doing, but he did notice how Robin had suddenly left himself wide open for a checkmate without even realizing it.
• Yank the Dog's Chain: Sam thinks winning the chess game will provide the money needed to buy back the bar. He wins through a fluke, but Robin only pays out a penny, due to corporate loopholes.