Title: The Improbable Dream, Part 2
Directed by: James Burrows
Written by: Cheri Eichen and Bill Steinkellner
Air Date: September 28, 1989
Previous: The Improbable Dream, Part 1
Next: A Bar Is Born
Guest Starring: Bebe Neuwirth, Roger Rees, Al Rosen
"The Improbable Dream, Part 2" is the second episode of the eighth season of Cheers.
Continuing from the previous episode, millionaire industrialist Robin Colcord has appeared just as Sam and Rebecca were about to do the deed. Seems Rebecca sent him some business advice a while before, and while it was terrible, he was impressed by her. When Colcord has to jet off, he asks Rebecca if she'd like to accompany him. She does so, before Sam can notice.
Three days later, and the gang are tracking what Rebecca's been up to, while Sam covers his grief in babes. Rebecca soon appears, flaunting the benefits of dating a rich man. She tries to apologize to Sam for casually brushing him off, but Sam insists he's fine.
That night, Sam is sitting in Cheers when Rebecca comes to talk to him. There's a secret about their romance she hasn't revealed, at which point she tears off her face to reveal... Al? It's a nightmare. The next day Sam tries talking it out with the gang. Carla feels it's a premonition dream. Frasier suggests it just says something about Sam himself, that he cares about Rebecca. Sam insists otherwise - he can only care about a woman if he sleeps with her. However, he worries that he might actually care for her. Conferring with Carla, Sam wonders if Rebecca's attachment to Robin comes because no guy has said he cares about her in all their time together.
Sam goes to the office, but before he can actually get the words out, Robin comes in to say the exact same thing. Rebecca is charmed that a man can say that even when they haven't... y'know. Sam is amazed. They haven't done the deed, which he insists is because Rebecca is attracted to him.
Last credited appearance of Al Rosen as Al; Rosen would appear three more times as an uncredited background barfly before his death in 1990.
Tropes:
- Analogy Backfire: Defending himself, Sam says that if he cares about a woman, he's as loyal as a dog.Lilith: Dog would be the right word.
- Cannot Spit It Out: If Sam had been just a little quicker in spitting it out, he might've been able to get with Rebecca.
- Catapult Nightmare: Sam's nightmare about Rebecca turning out to be Al.
- Continuity Nod: Frasier says the birth of a "Cranelet" is "imminent, give or take a month. Frederick Crane will be born four episodes later in "The Storks Bring a Crane".
- Exact Words:
- Sam asks Woody if Robin's left. Woody confirms he has, not specifying that he's done so with Rebecca in tow.
- Frasier dismisses Carla's belief in premonition dreams as an "old wive's tale". Carla shoots back she is an old wife.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: In the cold open, Frasier announces he and Lilith figure their baby will be born in about a month or so. Frederick will be born in four episodes time (originally aired four weeks from this one).
- Multi-Part Episode: Second part of the two-part Season 8 premiere that introduces Robin Colcord.
- Nobody Touches the Hair: Sam's biggest concern at the beginning of the episode is getting booze in his hair.
- Previously on…: Opens with a recap of the last episode, specifically how Rebecca and Sam were finally about to do it when none other than Robin Colcord walks in.
- The Scottish Trope: When Sam comes very close to saying the name "Diane", Carla screams in horror, grabs her head and falls to her knees. The second time, she interrupts him before he can start.
- Suicide as Comedy: Carla demands Sam kill her repeatedly when he tells her he cares for Rebecca.
- Supermodel Strut: Rebecca, fresh out of the fashion salons of the west coast, struts her stuff on returning to the bar.
- Suspect Is Hatless: Sam tries recounting one of his previous conquests, a secretary for Colcord, but all he can remember is she was blond and wore boots. Robin deadpans that she sounds like one of his alright.
- Suspiciously Specific Denial: Woody, nature's Bad Liar, tries hiding his map of where Rebecca and Robin have been going.Woody: If you think it's a map of all the fun places that Miss Howe has been with that rich guy then you're way off the beam!
