Title: Backseat Becky, Up Front
Directed by: James Burrows
Written by: Cheri Eichen and Bill Steinkellner
Air Date: May 5, 1988
Previous: The Big Kiss-Off
Next: How to Recede in Business
Guest Starring: Tom Skerritt
"Backseat Becky Up Front" is the 25th and final episode of the sixth season of Cheers.
It's bad news for Rebecca, as her long-time crush Evan Drake is leaving Boston to go work in Japan, meaning time is running out for Rebecca to tell him how she feels without making a complete ass of herself. She tries throwing a farewell party for him at Cheers, but her efforts to get him alone are thwarted repeatedly.
In desperation, Rebecca (with a little help from Sam) traps Evan's limo driver in the supply cupboard and takes his place. But even then, Rebecca's plans don't go well, as it turns out Evan is already taking someone to Japan with him. A young, female someone, who he's very fond of indeed.
Later, once Rebecca's been sprung from the police for crashing the limo by Sam, she returns to her apartment, completely despondent at the night's events. Sam, for once not entirely focused on getting into her pants, tries being a shoulder to cry on, but despite his best efforts is unable to control his raging libido, and ultimately has to resort to comforting Rebecca from a payphone in her block's lobby.
Tropes:
- Anguished Declaration of Love: Rebecca finally, finally spits it out—"I love you, Mr. Drake! I love you more than any woman has ever loved a man!"—only to find out that he didn't hear her because the limo's glass partition was up. (And it turns out it didn't matter anyway, as Evan has a girlfriend. One who approached him and asked him out, unlike Rebecca.)
- The Art of Bra Removal: Sam has somehow taken off Rebecca's bra from under her clothes without her noticing.
- Blinding Camera Flash: At the party, a photographer takes a snap of Rebecca and Evan. The flash is incredibly bright, and while Rebecca's complaining about it, Drake walks off.
- Brick Joke: Rebecca offers Sam a drink or some olives, noting she hasn't had time to go to the store lately. When Sam flees, Rebecca grabs a six-pack and a jar of olives from her pantry.
- Cannot Spit It Out: Not entirely for lack of trying, but by the time Rebecca has an opportunity to tell Drake how she feels about him, it's far too late.
- Captain Oblivious: Drake to the last seems utterly unaware that Rebecca has a crush on him. Or that she actually exists to begin with.
- Chivalrous Pervert: Sam is trying not to seduce Rebecca at the end of the episode, much as he really, really wants to. But he can't even listen to Rebecca for even a minute without having to flee the room. Despite Rebecca's faith in his good intentions, he reveals that while they were talking, he'd already unhooked her bra.Sam: Sorry, this isn't working. Hot fire below!
- Comically Missing the Point: Woody hears Sam asking if anyone knows how to drive a limo now that Drake's driver is stuck in the supply closest, and volunteers, not getting what Sam's doing, and scolds him for it.
- Continuity Nod: Heppel, who showed up in "The Sam in the Gray Flannel Suit", is at Drake's farewell party.
- Did Not Get The Guy: Rebecca doesn't manage to tell Evan Drake how she feels, and he's already seeing someone anyway.
- Drowning Their Sorrows: By the end of the evening, Rebecca lays out a six-pack and prepares to get cracking, after everything's gone to crap.
- Fainting: Rebecca, mid-conversation with Evan. It leads to the closest thing she gets to acknowledgement from him. Namely, him going "I hope she's not dead."
- Hypocritical Humor: Sam calls Drake a pig for his treatment of Rebecca as he's planning to seduce Rebecca.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Sam is especially sleazy through the episode, openly admitting to Carla he's helping Rebecca solely so that when everything goes wrong he'll swoop in like a vulture and seduce her. But when Rebecca admits he's the closest thing she has to a friend, he starts getting moral qualms.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Invoked by Carla, who's worried by Sam not acting like a sleazy pig towards Rebecca.
- Put on a Bus: Evan Drake gets a transfer to the Lillian Corporation's Japan branch. This is the last we see of him.
- Shipper on Deck: Much as Sam wants to get with Rebecca, he also tries helping her get with Drake, if only because of exasperation with Rebecca's inability to spit it out.Sam: I wanna see if the girl gets the guy.
- Unwanted Assistance: As Rebecca tries to talk to Drake alone, Carla interrupts to give her the helpful advice that since it's his last night in Boston, she might wanna talk to him.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: The entire episode is a long, long string of chain-yanking for Rebecca.
