Ouch. This one hurts. It's almost impossible to make Cliff unfunny but this episode succeeds entirely. Mr. Clavin lands a girlfriend, a lanky spinster who tied for Employee Of The Month down at The Yarn Barn. Her name is Sally, and as played by the awkward, giraffe-like Karen Akers she's enough to make you vomit in a neighbor's toilet. I'd like to nominate Karen Akers for "Worst Cheers Guest Star," a very exclusive list that features- among others- Harry Connick, Jr. as Cousin Russell. Karen Akers is not so much an actress as she is a pterodactyl, and her pterformance is simply pterrible.
Cliff and Sally spend their courtship on his couch watching Jeopardy, until he decides to give her a make-over. It's hard to decide which is more nauseating: the beady-eyed sociopath Sally as "nerdy" or as "sexy." Neither one is believable and both should be destroyed for the good of humanity. Cliff finally brings her to Cheers, where Sam Malone- supposed womanizer- actually hits on her. Maybe Sam's herpes was flaring up that afternoon and he had temporarily lost his eyesight, or maybe he was just killing time until the middle school girls were dismissed for the day.
Sally- an unforgettable character- politely asks Cliff if she can interrupt her date with him to go on a date with another man. Seems reasonable. She assures him she'll be right back, and when the ginger flamingo returns she declares her decision to remain "pretty" and pecks through the trash barrel to snack on fresh worms. Okay I made up the worm part but the rest is all true.
In the Sam/Rebecca subplot Miss Howe promises to go to bed with Sam if she smokes another cigarette. She lights up but- being a hypocrite and liar- somehow manages to avoid serving Sam pie. This terrible episode is filled with manipulative women and the worst kind of teasing... we can only hope that Karen Akers served prison time as a result of this crime against television. If you see her, please pummel her with a broomstick or tire iron. You'll be glad you did.
GRADE: D-
Cliff and Sally spend their courtship on his couch watching Jeopardy, until he decides to give her a make-over. It's hard to decide which is more nauseating: the beady-eyed sociopath Sally as "nerdy" or as "sexy." Neither one is believable and both should be destroyed for the good of humanity. Cliff finally brings her to Cheers, where Sam Malone- supposed womanizer- actually hits on her. Maybe Sam's herpes was flaring up that afternoon and he had temporarily lost his eyesight, or maybe he was just killing time until the middle school girls were dismissed for the day.
Sally- an unforgettable character- politely asks Cliff if she can interrupt her date with him to go on a date with another man. Seems reasonable. She assures him she'll be right back, and when the ginger flamingo returns she declares her decision to remain "pretty" and pecks through the trash barrel to snack on fresh worms. Okay I made up the worm part but the rest is all true.
In the Sam/Rebecca subplot Miss Howe promises to go to bed with Sam if she smokes another cigarette. She lights up but- being a hypocrite and liar- somehow manages to avoid serving Sam pie. This terrible episode is filled with manipulative women and the worst kind of teasing... we can only hope that Karen Akers served prison time as a result of this crime against television. If you see her, please pummel her with a broomstick or tire iron. You'll be glad you did.
GRADE: D-