Title: Endless Slumper
Directed by: James Burrows
Written by: Katherine Green
Air Date: December 9, 1982
Previous: Endless Slumper
Next: The Spy Who Came In for a Cold One
Guest Starring: John Ratzenberger, Boyd Bodwell, Ian Wolfe
"One for the Book" is the 11th episode of the first season of Cheers.
There are two different main plot lines. One features a boisterous old World War I veteran named Buzz (Ian Wolfe) who comes into the bar for the reunion of his army squad. Buzz, in his old uniform and sporting the regimental banner, goes back into the pool room where he eagerly awaits the arrival of his buddies. The second plot line involves an apprentice monk named Kevin (Boyd Bodwell). Kevin, who is due to enter the monastery the very next day to take up a life of celibacy and a vow of silence, comes into the bar to have one last evening of fun. After a few drinks, predictably, Kevin starts questioning his decision to be a monk.
The C-plot involves Diane making a collection of pithy, interesting quotes from everybody at the bar, much to the irritation of Sam, who is the only person that she hasn't collected a quote from.
Tropes:
- Brick Joke: Buzz tells Sam that he needs the pool room reserved; the veterans have a tradition where the first one at the reunion strips naked and cries "Lafayette, we are here" to the others. A few minutes later Diane goes back to the pool room and a loud shriek comes from offscreen.
- Forgetful Jones: The Teaser has a guy named Phillips ask Coach to check and see if his table at Melville's is ready. Coach goes through a whole ritual—takes off his apron, puts on the Melville's dinner jacket, adjusts his tie, goes upstairs, comes back downstairs, takes off the jacket, loosens his tie, and puts his apron on. Then he goes to the customer and says "What was the name again?"
- Last of His Kind: Buzz is the last surviving member of his squad, although he only realises this when it becomes clear that no-one else is coming to the reunion (which has been happening at Cheers once a decade).
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: Kevin the would-be monk, who is thinking about abandoning his life in the monastery, puts some money in the coin-operated piano that's been broken for 20 years.. The piano works! Cloudcuckoolander Coach even says: "I can’t believe it." All the cast convince the guy that it must be a signal that he is special and he must become a priest. He agrees and leaves the bar. When all comment on the miracle, Coach says he repaired the piano a week ago. When they ask him why he said “I can’t believe it” if he knew the piano was working, he answered that all those years he left the piano broke without any further thought, but just a week ago he felt the irrepressible urge to repair the piano, before it was too late.
- Mistaken from Behind: Buzz thinks Norm is a member of his squad named "Pinky Peterson". Sam notes that Norm (who wasn't even alive during World War II, much less I) is a little young to be one of his buddies. It never dawns on Norm (who also has the last name Peterson) that Pinky might be a relative of his.
- Third Line, Some Waiting: Unlike most episodes in the early run of Cheers this episode manages to work in two plots with about equal time: the seminary student looking for a last fling, and the old WWI veteran coming for a reunion. There's also a C-plot about Diane collecting pithy quotes from the bar in a notebook.
- While You Were in Diapers: Buzz comes in the bar in high spirits, wearing his uniform and with his regimental banner. He brags to Sam, "I was fighting the Kaiser when your daddy was in diapers!"
