Home Is the Sailor is the first episode of Season 6 of Cheers and the show's 122nd episode overall. This episode was written by Glen Charles & Les Charles, and directed by James Burrows. This episode first aired on NBC on September 24, 1987.
Synopsis[]
In the cold open, Sam sold Cheers to a corporation to sail the world. Diane becomes a television writer in Hollywood. Carla is pregnant with Eddie's baby, although, it's not certain how he feels it.
After the opening credits, Sam returns to recognize a few. He returns to Cheers as an employee, but his efforts are stymied by Wayne. Sam introduces the bar's new manager Rebecca Howe, who surprises Sam with her appearance.
After the commercial break, Sam talks with Rebecca about his flirtations. She was highly-success oriented that running a bar should be fun. Sam makes an emotional appearance that he realized he had good memories. Rebecca gives a part-time job as a bartender. She has a phone conversation with her boss, who was a fan of Sam's baseball career. She offers the job that he does not accept, until a begrudging from Rebecca.
The pre-closing credits scene at the end shows Carla enacting a conspiracy to get Wayne fired. Norm and Cliff manage to infuriate Wayne to leave when Woody knows how to make. Rebecca decides to fire Sam, but he manages to give her a second chance. She warns Sam that she will not tolerate anymore behavior. Sam gets Rebecca to smile, so ends another day at Cheers.
Cast[]
- Ted Danson as Sam Malone
- Kirstie Alley as Rebecca Howe
- Rhea Perlman as Carla Tortelli
- John Ratzenberger as Cliff Clavin
- George Wendt as Norm Peterson
- Woody Harrelson as Woody Boyd
- Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane
Recurring / Guest stars:
- Jay Thomas as Eddie LeBec
- Jonathan Stark as Wayne
- Al Rosen as Al
- Michael Tulin as Customer
- Tim Cunningham as Tim
- Steve Giannelli as Steve
- Alan Koss as Alan
Trivia[]
- Kirstie Alley joins the opening credits beginning with this episode. Ted Danson appears solo in the opening credits beginning with this episode. Shelley Long is no longer a series regular, she returned to her film career starting with Hello Again.
- This episode marks the first time, the 1987 Paramount Television closing logo was used, and it has a Gulf+Western byline.
- The title of this episode is from Robert Louis Stevenson's 1890 poem "Requiem," part of which was also inscribed on his tombstone: "Home is the sailor, home from sea, / And the hunter home from the hill."
- Throughout this episode, Frasier wonders where the quote the quote "O Death in Life, the days that are no more" originated from. The answer is from Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem, "Tears, Idle Tears".
- The Screaming Viking cocktail was inspired by this episode. While a number of variations of the drink exist, all include a cucumber.
- Director James Burrows recalled Season 6 as containing the first scene between Sam and Rebecca at which the audience failed to laugh. Until Rebecca unintentionally fumbled and struggled so hard trying to work the door handle to get into her office that it produced outrageous laughter. That unplanned snafu helped Kirstie Alley's character emerge and flourish throughout the life of the series.