I was surprised by the comments that claimed that "The Boys in the Bar" didn't further the Sam/Diane story enough.  Their interaction in the backroom has always stuck out for me as one of the best, and Diane's line, "way to go, Mayday" seems like a major milestone in their relationship.  The way Long delivers that…

Has anyone out there seen "The Tortellis"?  It was the ill-fated Cheers spin-off.  I've never seen an episode, but I've heard that it was awful.

What I find particularly interesting about this moment is what it reveals about Diane's character and her attachment to the bar.  In revealing that she was lonely as a child, Diane makes it clear that she's always been the outsider, and Cheers is no different.  But she isn't an outsider because she's some celebrated…

The tracking shot is a great example of the wonderful camera work that is evident in the early episodes.  For some reason, they seem to favor more standard and static shots in the later seasons, which is a shame.