Title: Honor Thy Mother
Directed by: James Burrows
Written by: Brian Pollack and Mert Rich
Air Date: January 3, 1991
Previous: Woody Interruptus
Next: Achilles Hill
Guest Starring: Bebe Neuwirth, Sada Thompson, Keene Curtis
"Honor Thy Mother" is the thirteenth episode of the ninth season of Cheers.
Carla receives some bad news: Her mother has had "The Dream", a sign of her imminent death. Carla's not got long to patch things up with her, but she refuses. Seems things between the Lozupone aren't too great, so Sam must drag Carla to her family.
The reason for Carla's estrangement soon becomes apparent: Her mother wants Carla to carry on the family tradition of giving their eldest child the names of both grandparents, which ordinarily wouldn't be a problem, except in this case the resulting name would be "Benito Mussolini", and Mama Lozupone won't budge on the issue.
Back at Cheers, a well-meaning idea of Woody's is resulting in the bar taking a financial hit, as customers swarm in with coupons for free drinks.
Tropes:
- Appeal to Tradition: How Carla's mother tries to get Carla to bend to her will. It doesn't work, no matter how plaintively she points out how many of their ancestors did it.
- Blue-and-Orange Morality: Carla may hate her mother, but only she may insult or criticise her. Not even Sam, her best friend, is safe from her wrath when he suggests her mother's emotionally manipulative ways are bad.
- Briar Patching: Carla's not setting foot in the family home again, ever. Ever, y' hear her? She'd have to be dragged there, kicking and screaming, hint hint. Sam obligingly drags her out of the bar.
- Brick Joke: The second round of Briar Patching, when Gino assists Sam.
- The Bus Came Back: Carla's brother, previously seen in the cold open ten episodes prior, shows up at the Lozupone household.
- Character Tics: "The Dream" is accompanied by whoever says it curling their fingers. Even Frasier finds himself doing it when he say "The Dream" (*finger curls*)
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: All the Luzopone clan reunite... except for Annette, who not only doesn't appear, but doesn't get a mention of any kind. Maybe Rhea Perlman was busy.
- The Ditz: Gino Tortelli clearly didn't inherit his mother's brains. He's on-board with taking Mussolini's name, but not because of any noble intent or desire to help his family reconcile. He thinks the nickname "Il Duce" sounds cool.
- Jerkass: John Allen Hill, for a change. Despite the fact Sam isn't the one behind the coupons, and doesn't like them any more than Hill, he still blames Sam for it, and the influx of customers he doesn't want into Melville's. At the end, it looks like he's about to make amends... and then uses dozens of coupons to get free drinks for everyone else in the bar.
- Terse Talker: Carla's sister only says one word at a time to Carla. And they're cusses.
- Twincest: The gang discuss Patty Duke on The Patty Duke Show, Hayley Mills in The Parent Trap, and Elizabeth Montgomery on Bewitched. The topic? Fictional twins that they'd like to see make out with each other.
- Unfortunate Name: Carla is pretty damn unwilling to name her kid Benito Mussolini. Her mother knows the name is not great, but doesn't care.Ma Lozupone: I don't see why one fascist dictator should ruin things for everybody!
