Title: Do Not Forsake Me, O' My Postman
Directed by: James Burrows
Written by: Ken Levine and David Isaacs
Air Date: October 29, 1992
Previous: The Magnificent Six
Next: Teaching with the Enemy
Guest Starring: Annie Golden, Derek McGrath, John Mahoney
"Do Not Forsake Me, O My Postman" is the fifth episode of the eleventh season of Cheers.
Maggie O'Keefe, last seen in Season 10's "Ma's Little Maggie" when she came back from Canada to live with Cliff, apparently went back to Canada at some point because she has returned again. This time she has big news: She's pregnant, and Cliff's the father. Once he recovers, Cliff reveals something to Sam in private. He's pretty sure the kid isn't his, Maggie's just saying that to trap him into marriage. Sam suggests that if Cliff feels the kid isn't his, then he isn't obliged to raise it.
The Cheers gang quickly realize Cliff's not the dad, and when Maggie returns, she reveals she had actually slept with someone else, but he wasn't willing to be a dad, so she went to Cliff. Not that Cliff's offended at being the second choice. However, when Maggie calls up Jerry, the baby's father, it turns out he wants to raise the kid after all.
Meanwhile, irritated by the successful advertising campaign Gary's has acquired, Rebecca suggests getting Cheers a successful jingle. Unfortunately, Rebecca - as is her idiom - screws up, and gets Sy Flembeck (John Mahoney), a crusty, lazy jerkass, instead. And in the cold open, Andy Schroeder, Diane's deranged stalker, makes a surprise return.
Fourth and last appearance of Annie Golden as Margaret O'Keefe, fourth and last appearance of Derek McGrath as Andy "Andy-Andy" Schroeder. Less than a year after this episode aired John Mahoney would be cast as Frasier's dad on Frasier.
Tropes:
- Abhorrent Admirer: Rebecca gets another one, in the form of Sy, who hits on her when she kicks him out of Cheers.
- Bait-and-Switch: In the beginning, Cliff's on the phone with a female someone, signing off with "I love you." Maggie? No. His mom.
- Blatant Lies: Cliff insists he's been with lots of women.
- The Bus Came Back: This episode was the first of several instances of The Bus Came Back where long-absent characters made one last appearance in the 11th and last season.
- Andy-Andy makes a reappearance in the cold open, covered in dynamite and looking for Diane, until Woody tells him she's been gone for six years.
- Maggie O'Keefe makes one last appearance.
- Comically Missing the Point: When Cliff says he didn't want the guys to think less of him, Norm says "I don't think that's possible." Cliff still takes this as a compliment.
- The Cuckoolander Was Right: Rebecca fires Sy when she finds out that all he can do for a jingle is to write the same lyrics to nursery rhyme tunes like "Old MacDonald" or "Mary Had a Little Lamb". Sy tells her that good jingles are pointless: what you need is an Ear Worm that lodges firmly in the listener's mind. When some customers at the bar can't stop singing Sy's awful jingle for the auto repair shop, Rebecca realizes that he was right.
- Did Not Get the Girl: Ultimately, Cliff and Maggie don't marry.
- The Ditz: Good ol' Rebecca. She goes to the advertising agency and tells them she's prepared to pay a whole $200 for their work, at which point the guy cancels the guy he'd been planning to send in, and has them fetch Sy.
- Ear Worm: It's only after she's kicked Sy out of Cheers she realizes that, irritating though his work is, it is catchy.
- Evil Laugh: Carla breaks out the cackle again when she sees right through Cliff's BS.
- Fainting: Cliff faints dead away when he sees Maggie's belly, right on top of poor Frasier.
- Get Out!: Rebecca to Sy, when she decides he's a hack.
- Going Commando: Sam is revolted when Cliff decides to share that he doesn't wear underwear.
- I Resemble That Remark!: On going into Sam's office, Cliff promises to not go through Sam's stuff. Almost immediately after he's in there, he starts doing exactly that.
- Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: It doesn't work as well when one of the prospective fathers never actually had sex with the mom, as apparently was the case with Cliff.
- A Rare Sentence: Frasier's take. "Well, from our 'Things You Never Thought You'd Hear' category, that woman is carrying Cliff's child."
- A Round of Drinks for the House: Sam calls for a round on the house after Cliff announces that he and Maggie will be getting married.
- Series Continuity Error: According to this episode, Cliff and Maggie have never done it. So what did they do back in Maggie's first appearance?
- Shout-Out:
- Paul asks Cliff if he thinks Maggie's kid will have to go through Lamaze or "just burst out through her chest".
- The episode title is taken from "Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling", the theme song of classic Western High Noon.
- Stealth Insult: When Cliff is telling the gang that he and Maggie never consumated their relationship.Cliff: I didn't tell you guys 'cause I didn't want you to think any less of me.
Norm: I don't think that's possible, Cliff. - Tempting Fate:
- Cliff says "Nothing ever happens around here." Enter Andy-Andy, not seen in six years, with a pack of dynamite on his chest, demanding to see Diane.
- Cliff's blustering about how Maggie's not going to tie him down, until she enters Cheers and reveals she's pregnant.
- Too Much Information: Hearing more Cliff bluster, this time about how the Clavins are astoundingly fertile, causes Frasier to quip "well, I'll never eat again."
- Troll: Apparently Carla once called the police on Cliff, claiming he'd killed a woman and stuffed her in the fridge.
- Unusually Uninteresting Sight: Norm and Cliff barely blink when Andy comes into the bar, a whole bunch of dynamite strapped to his chest, and demands to see Diane.Rebecca: [terrified] Oh my God.
Norm: Hey, it's Andy Andy.
Rebecca: [panicking] What, you know this person?
Cliff: [bored] Yeah. Former major felon. Once killed a waitress.
