Title: The Days of Wine and Neuroses
Directed by: Andy Ackerman
Written by: Dan Staley and Rob Long
Air Date: February 7, 1991
Previous: The Days of Wine and Neuroses
Next: I'm Getting My Act Together and Sticking It in Your Face
Guest Starring: Bebe Neuwirth, Paul Willson
"I'm Getting My Act Together and Sticking it in Your Face" is the 17th episode of the ninth season of Cheers.
The situation is dire at Cheers. After her self-inflicted break-up with Robin the previous episode, Rebecca's locked herself in the office of Cheers, and won't come out. For everyone else, this is a problem, since it's also blocking off access to the storeroom (and apparently nobody's bothered getting the fire marshal).
At Frasier's suggestion, Rebecca decides to take stock of her life. She soon leaves the bar, declaring she's going to go for a drive... in Woody's clothes. Several hours later, Rebecca calls up the bar from a plane, telling Sam she's going home to San Diego to try and forget her time at Cheers.
Some days later, Sam tries phoning Rebecca, but accidentally says "I love you". A few days later, Rebecca calls back to say she's returning, her message sounding like she's responding to Sam's prior statement, an opinion the others back up. Fortunately, Sam, who has no intention of being tied down to a single woman, has Plan Z.
However, Rebecca actually has entirely different plans in mind: She wants to buy Cheers back, thinking it was the highlight of her life. Problem is, in his panic, Sam started Plan Z, which is getting a friend of his called Leon to pretend to be his lover. Rebecca can't resist the opportunity to taunt Sam about being a "wussy little fraidy cat", and in order to save face in front of her and the bar, Sam has to kiss Leon.
Meanwhile, Frasier tries to introduce Dickens to the barflies, but his efforts don't go anywhere until he jazzes things up a little.
Tropes:
- Adaptation Decay: In order to get the gang's attention with Dickens, Frasier has to take... a lot of liberties.
- Call-Back:
- When Sam corrects Rebecca on how long she's been at Cheers, she breaks down crying and asks "has it been that long?" as she did back in "The Improbable Dream".
- Sam asks Norm for his opinion and gets a Blunt "Yes" in response twice, and angrily thinks he's being taunted, much like Sam did with Diane way back in "Diane Meets Mom".
- Celebrity Paradox: Norm's comment suggests Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan exists in the Cheers universe. One wonders if the Cheers gang might notice any similarities between one Lt. Saavik and their own Rebecca. Then again, given how often the gang don't notice things... maybe not.
- Flanderization: Having epically destroyed her last chance at happiness, what little is left of Rebecca's intelligence and dignity are gone. She'll spend the rest of the series as a barely functional neurotic mess.
- Heroic BSoD: Rebecca, after her dumping.
- I'm Standing Right Here: Sam asks Frasier if he could imagine how creepy being married to the same woman for his entire life would be. Lilith, who is sitting right there, just gives him a look. Frasier tells Sam he'll answer another time.
- Retail Therapy: Rebecca's plan on getting to San Diego is to go on a spree, using Woody's stolen credit card.
- Shout-Out: Frasier, losing the bar's interest, mixes A Tale of Two Cities with Stephen King's It.
- Sorry, I'm Gay: Sam's "Plan Z" to fend off what he assumes is Rebecca's marriage proposal.
- That Man Is Dead: Rebecca says she died two days ago. Carla states this explains the smell.
- Too Much Information: Cliff is way too eager to share details about his days as a swinger, including his streaking, even as everyone's asking him not to tell them. Norm actually looks like he's having difficulty drinking his beer.
- Who Would Be Stupid Enough?: Just as Woody asks who'd be stupid enough to wear the 70s clothes he's found in the lost and found, Cliff enters and remarks they look familiar.Carla: "Property of C. Clavin". Deep down, didn't we all know that?
- Your Approval Fills Me with Shame: Frasier's embellishments of Dickens go over big with the guys, but when Lilith confronts him about it, he says he's not proud of himself for it.
