Cheers (1982–1993): Season 6, Episode 6 - Paint Your Office - full transcript

Rebecca cuts off unemployed Norm for being unable to pay his hefty bar tab. To pay off Norm's bar tab, Sam convinces Rebecca to give Norm a job at the bar, ultimately deciding on painting her "unneeded to be painted" office. Based partly on a telephone call that Rebecca receives from her boss and unrequited love Evan Drake, Norm and Rebecca begin to bond, this being the first human emotion Rebecca has shown anyone at Cheers. Based on this new bond, Rebecca asks Norm to paint her apartment. Since Norm tells Sam and Carla a bit about what happened between him and Rebecca, Sam sees this new painting job as his next "in" into Rebecca's personal life.

Cheers is filmed before
a live studio audience.

Boy, look at her.

What a glow she has.

You know, strange as it sounds,

there are actually times

when I resent being a man.

Ah, that's all right, Fras.

Sometimes we
resent you being one.

I was referring to
Carla's condition.

You see, she's able

to do something
we men never shall...



Experience the miracle
of creating a new life.

You know, I'll have to admit.

I've often wondered
what it would like

to have another human being
moving around inside you.

Must be spooky, but real neato.

Yeah.

There's probably
nothing so awesome

in the entire universe.

Yes, gentlemen, I'm afraid

that we've been relegated

to the position of observer.

Passive, sitting
on the sidelines.

Doomed by nature
to a life of envy.

God, feels like
there's a dump truck



parked on my bladder.

Well, then again,

nature is wise in her way.

♪ Making your way
in the world today ♪

♪ Takes everything you've got ♪

♪ Taking a break
from all your worries ♪

♪ Sure would help a lot ♪

♪ Wouldn't you
like to get away? ♪

♪ Sometimes you want to go ♪

♪ Where everybody
knows your name ♪

♪ And they're always
glad you came ♪

♪ You want to be
where you can see ♪

♪ Our troubles
are all the same ♪

♪ You want to be where
everybody knows your name ♪

♪ You want to go
where people know ♪

♪ People are all the same ♪

♪ You want to go where
everybody knows your name. ♪

What makes me think
this belongs to you?

My jasmine scented
oriental massage oil.

Oh, God.

God, I thought I'd lost this.

I found it wedged

underneath the couch
cushions in my office.

Ah. I don't think I want
to know how it got there.

I'm kind of curious.

Tell you what.

Why don't you, uh, put
that back where you found it,

and that way, we'll know
where it is when we need it.

When hell freezes over.

Well, that's perfect,
'cause this stuff heats up

when you rub it in.

Now, what... what's
wrong with her, you know?

Maybe one of the chains
in her underwear is twisted.

Afternoon, everybody.

Norm!

Hey.

What's going on, Mr. Peterson?

Let's talk about what's
going in Mr. Peterson.

Beer, Woody.

How's the job-hunting going?

Oh, lots better, Sam.

Today I actually got turned
down for an executive position.

It's a good way to lose that.

I'm sorry, Mr. Peterson.

You've been cut off.

Oh. Okay, where's the camera?

This is no joke.

According to my books,

you are way over
your credit limit.

Well, what's the big deal?

What's he over... ten, 20 bucks?

837.

But in other words,
under $900, huh?

You can't cut off
one of our regulars.

The poor guy is unemployed.

Look, Miss Howe, uh,

Norm here is in a
very delicate spot.

His self-confidence
has been shattered.

Uh, what he needs from
us now is help and support.

Isn't there some other
way to resolve this problem?

Well, you could
pay his bar bill.

Norm, the woman
will not listen to reason.

Maybe he could work it off, huh?

No, I'm serious. Whoa,

whoa, whoa, hey.

Listen, maybe there's

some accounting he
could do for the bar.

Our corporation's
books are handled

by Franklin,
Sussman and Gurwitz.

Ooh, they're very good, Sam.

They canned me
a couple years ago.

Please.

Are you good at anything?

Yeah,

but you cut him off.

No, no.

Come on, don't you
have any other skills?

I can barbecue.

Oh, hey, hey. Yeah.

All right, well, I,

uh... I did a little house
painting in college.

You know, to make ends meet.

Norm, Norm, Norm.

Norm, I think they're
talking about a job

where you get, uh,
paid with money,

not with little grain pellets
dropped out of a chute.

Cliff, you, uh, you got
something against painters?

No, no, no. I...

I'm in favor of
hiring the blithering.

Do... do you need any
painting done around here?

I guess you could
repaint the office.

Are you willing?

It's been an awfully long time.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

It's gonna take you

at least, what, seven
or eight seconds

to relearn that skill.

'Cause, you know,
Cliff, I'm beginning

to pick up a little
thread here. Uh...

Ah.

Would you mind explaining

this little obsession
you have about painters?

Well, all right. Uh, well,

it's manual labor.

I mean, it's beneath you, Norm.

Well, if you take a job
like this, we're gonna be

on entirely different
social strata.

We'll have nothing
to talk about, all right?

Semigloss or enamel?

Hey, Woody, would you
close up for me tonight?

I got to get home.

No problem, Carla.

By the way,

I really am envious of you

having a nice big
family to go home to.

Oh, yeah, it's great, all right.

I got 11 people

living under a roof that
was meant for only six.

Gino's dog just had puppies
on my side of the bed.

My daughter-in-law is
driving me nuts, and somehow,

my mother-in-law got
a hold of our address.

Puppies. You lucky duck.

You seem to be
enjoying yourself.

Oh, sorry. Uh...

No, that's all right.

Oh, uh, you got a
phone call here, uh...

Eva Ake?

I could swear it was a man.

Oh, well, there's paint here.

Evan Drake. Uh...

That's my boss. Yeah.

What did he say?

Well, he said, he, uh...

he wants you to
tear up my bar bill.

I... Well...

I didn't think I'd
get away with that.

Uh, but, no, he said
he's on his way over here.

Sometime, like, uh...

around nowish.

Now?!

God.

Shall I, uh, comb my hair,
too, or will I be leaving?

This is just a business meeting.

Rebecca Howe.

Oh, hello, Mr. Drake.

I thought you were...

Norm.

No, no, no, I know

you're not Norm. You're Evan.

What I meant

to say was... Get out of here.

No, no, no, not you.

You stay right where you are.

No, I swear...

Get out!

Oh. Hello?

Well, that was fast, Mr. P.

Yeah, she got a phone
call from Mr. Drake.

Hey, Mr. Peterson,
I really feel bad

about you being cut off.

Yeah.

You know, I remember
the good old days

when you used to
come in here and

say something funny.

I'd pour you a beer.

You'd drink it, I'd
pour you another one,

you'd drink that, too.

Yeah.

Yeah, I remember, Woody.

So look at that...
Hardly even touched.

Yeah.

I'll tell you, I don't
normally drink beer, but, uh,

I just cleaned the taps,
and I wanted to make sure

that everything was
all right, so I had one.

It was like a mountain stream,

only colder, fresher.

You know, sometimes

there's nothing
like a nice cold beer

to really hit the spot.

Yeah, I think I read
that somewhere, Woody.

You know, I-I
really like this color.

I think it's gonna really

spruce up the
office quite a bit.

Again, it's just
an opinion. Uh...

Is there something wrong?

Right. Well, yes, I
understand, of course.

Here, here, have
a seat, have a seat.

Just relax.

Oh, God.

Here.

Some authority figure.

I'm sorry.

It's probably just job stress.

Oh, you shouldn't
be having job stress.

You're doing a great job here.

Oh, tell that to Mr. Drake.

He said I should consider
the last fiscal report

a personal embarrassment.

Norm, I need your help.

Uh, you just started.

You're-you're gonna do fine.

Things are gonna
turn around, I swear.

Uh...

No, you idiot.

My hair's stuck to the wall.

Oh, great.

No, no, it's really...

It's not, uh... not that bad.

I paid big bucks to
have Vera's hair frosted.

Didn't turn out half as good.

Well, maybe I better take off.

When people are upset, they...

they like to be alone.

Nonsense. I'm fine.

Talking about me.

I'm feeling a little queasy.

Oh, please stay.

I mean,

this office is a real
inconvenience like this.

All right.

Would you, uh,

would you like to talk
about what just happened?

No.

Phew.

You really do seem to be

enjoying this job.

Yeah. Yeah, I
actually do, you know?

I think painting is just

so vastly different
from accounting.

This is real, you know?

This I have some control over.

I mean, when I look back,

I finish a job, I can say,

"You know, I did that."

Door must have moved.

You know,

I think that this color
is the exact same color

as Mary Lou Sebold's car coat.

Who?

This girl I had an
insane crush on

in the third grade.

Except she had no
idea that I was alive.

I used to leave

little notes for her.

"I love you."

And one day, I
finally got up the nerve

to sign one, N.P.

The next week, she
was going steady

with my best friend,
Nicky Petropolis.

What'd you do?

The only thing I
could do, really.

I went over to Nicky,

and I calmly
explained the situation.

Then I sat on him.

Oh, God.

I think that's the first
time I've really laughed

since I took over here.

Oh, it is, trust me.

Why'd you tell me that story?

Well, I don't know.

It's kind of late.

We're alone.

I'm a man, you're a woman.

Maybe it's the paint talking.

Norm?

Yeah.

Do you find me cold?

You?

Cold? No.

No, I wouldn't say cold.

Coolish.

In the brisk area,

but, uh...

Why? Who, uh...
who says you're cold?

Everyone.

Oh. Well...

I don't think you're cold.

Really?

Yeah. I always
meant to tell you that,

but I didn't feel as though
I could approach you.

Thank you, Norm.

Oh.

Thank you.

Uh, well, I'd better
get out of here.

Um, would you mind
locking up for me?

No, no, I don't mind at all.

Listen, would
you please not, uh,

mention that I like
painting to the guys?

Cliff already
thinks I'm a weenie.

Well, from what I've seen,

he's an authority.

Yeah.

Well...

And, really, thanks for
letting me paint an office

that clearly didn't need it.

No problem.

You're a nice man, Norm.

You're kind of nice yourself.

I guess we like each other.

Guess so.

Great.

This will just be
our little secret.

Oh, yeah.

I am a little worried about

the direction
this bar is taking.

How so?

Well, it just doesn't seem right

when the stakes
for a game of pool

is a round of wine spritzers.

Not even the pool room is safe

from the encroaching
hordes of yuppiedom.

How long will it be
until we're all suffocated

beneath an avalanche
of alligator shirts,

German cars, and
racquetball club memberships?

Oh, oh, by the way, Sam,

uh, may I have another
Perrier with lime?

Have a cup of coffee
or something, Sam?

Make it a beer. On the house.

I say we check the office

for pods from outer space.

I wonder what
that's all about, huh?

Look, did it ever
occur to any of you

that she just might
be a nice woman?

Oh, yeah, right.

And so am I.

So, how come you guys
are so chummy, huh?

Sorry, Sam. Can't talk about it.

Kind of private.

Oh, give me a break.

Guys are supposed
to talk about girls

behind their backs.

Didn't I tell you

everything about me and Diane?

Well, now's your
chance to thank me.

I'm not really at
liberty to go into details.

Suffice it to say,

Miss Howe had a
little personal crisis

last night, okay?

Few tears were shed.

Real tears?

You sure she didn't just
pull a hair out of her nose?

No, Carla.

She got a little sad,

and I happened to be
there to comfort her.

I think it really just takes

a little warmth and compassion,

and she warms right up to you.

Compassion, huh?

Mr. Malone. Mm-hmm.

Do you realize we're
running low on seltzer?

I'm so sorry.

Ho-How can these things happen?

Is there anything I can do?

Yes, let me know next time.

Well, of course I will.

I just hope that's enough.

Are you feeling all right?

Yes, thank you very much.

That's very sweet of you to ask.

Norm, I gave you
my address, didn't I?

Yep. See you tomorrow. See you.

Whoa, what was that all about?

Just a little bit of
painting at her apartment.

Listen, uh,

you know, I can
really sympathize

with your situation of painting.

Uh, you know, if the fumes
and everything bothers you,

you can always spend
the night at my place.

I don't think so.

That's it.

I say she's a guy.

Good night, Sammy.

Say, uh... Norm,
wait a second here.

You know... you
know, I like to paint.

Why don't I help
you, man, you know.

Come on.

No. I know you.

You just want to log a
little sack time with her.

Come on, no.
The truth is, I just...

I got to find out

if there's a real human
being in there, man.

I-I can't keep
working for a cold fish.

Please, come on.

All right.

But no funny stuff.

No, I swear to God.

I won't touch her.
I won't touch her.

I make no guarantees about you.

You've been driving me
crazy in this little white outfit.

Yeah? You should
see me in my caftan.

Oh, hi, Norm. Come on in.

Thank you.

I was just... Hi.

Oh, God.

Now it knows where I live.

Sorry, I, uh, needed a helper,

and when I checked around,

most of the fellas
expected to be paid.

And you're doing
this for nothing?

Well, it's an act of compassion.

I'm doing this out of the...

goodness of my heart.

Norm. Yeah.

I'd like all the wood here

and the moldings
done in high gloss.

Great.

You have any questions,

if you need anything,
I'll be in the back.

Okay.

So that's where

the old bedroom is, huh?

Sammy?

What? I'm not doing anything.

You promised.

No, I'm fine.

All right, I want to start

with, uh, sanding for you.

Here. All right.

All right, uh, try
this post right here.

Yeah.

I'll do a little taping.

Hey, come on. Hey, Sam.

What? Sam, uh...

you have to do it
with the grain, okay?

Oh. Sand with the grain.

My arm hurts
when I do it like that.

Very sorry, Sam.

That's the way it has
to be done, all right?

I don't think I like sanding.

Just try to tape one
pane at a time, all right?

I don't think I
like taping, either.

Norm.

Hmm? It's Carla on the phone.

Your wife needs you
at home right away.

Something about two feet
of water in the basement.

Oh, boy, that's serious.

That's, like, a foot
more than usual.

I'm sorry.

It's just a little delay.

I'll be right back. No problem.

Sammy, can I, uh,
trust you here alone?

Yeah. Swear to
God I won't touch her.

Tragic, huh? Absolutely tragic.

I beg your pardon?

Oh, I just couldn't help

thinking about Norm's basement.

Yes?

Well, it's not just, you know,

the water filling up.

You know, it's
those photo albums,

those old letters.

Cherished mementos,
you know, ru-ruined for...

Oh, I'm sorry.

Ooh, boy.

Oh, this is embarrassing.

I-I'm sorry. I just, uh...

I can't help feeling this way

ever since my dog, Lucky, died.

Something is going on here.

I'm not exactly sure what it is.

Could it be that

you're jerking me around?

Okay, uh...

I'm sorry.

It's just that there's a
rumor going around the bar

that you've got this soft side,

and I just thought I'd
like to see it for myself.

Maybe get to know you better.

I guess I ought to just...

Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

I want to get this straight.

You came over
here on your day off

to paint my living room

in hopes of getting
to know me better?

Pretty silly, huh?

What'd you want to know?

Well?

Um, I'm thinking.

I-I didn't think I was
gonna get this far. Uh...

Well, all right, all right,

Um... where were you born?

San Diego.

San Diego.

California, huh?

No, Kansas.

Come on.

My father's a
captain in the Navy.

My mother's an
interior designer.

My brother's a surgeon.

My other brother's an attorney.

My sister was Miss San Diego.

The only really happy
moment of my life

is when I ran away
to San Francisco

and hung out with Grace Slick.

Do you want to know the
lyrics to "White Rabbit,"

or can I quit now?

Ah. Boy, it sounds like some

of the kids in your family
are pretty successful, huh?

Yeah, well, if you
measure success

in terms of wealth, happiness,

and my father's
undying devotion, maybe.

Yeah. Boy, I know.

I got a brother like that.

International lawyer.

Handsome, smart, funny.

And the guy plays the piano,

and he speaks four languages,

flies his own jet.

Seems like my whole life

I've been trying to get
out from under his shadow.

I know just what you mean.

Does he ever come in the bar?

No, but, uh, I'll call him,

if you'll call Miss San Diego.

Nah. They'd probably

end up leaving together.

Well, hell, this is kind of

a warm and friendly
moment, isn't it?

I must admit,

it's a... better moment
than I ever thought

I'd have with you.

I'm glad this happened.

Yeah, me, too. Me, too.

Will you excuse me a moment?

Sure. What are you going to do?

I think I better change.

Honesty.

Who would have thought?

Say, can I, uh...

Great, great... can I, uh,

put on some music here?

Sure, be my guest.

I'm gonna be at the gym

for a couple of hours.

But you just go right on...

You jerk.

Wha... what?

This whole thing about
coming over here and painting

is just another stupid
attempt to get me into bed.

I-I am shocked and...

and deeply insulted.

God. I told you all
that personal stuff

about my brothers and my sister

and me being the
fattest girl in high school.

Wait a minute. You
didn't tell me that.

Well, I wasn't.

Get out.

Slow down here. Just li...

I admit it.

I'm a attracted to you.
Now, what's the big deal?

Is that a crime or something?

You know, are you
always this defensive

about people who find you sexy?

No, just you.

Is that right?

Well... you know, I'll
tell you something, lady.

There was a time when I was
considering making love to you,

but now it's out
of the question.

As a matter of fact, you know,
I wouldn't make love to you

if you asked me,
if you begged me

to make love to you, I wouldn't.

Go ahead, just ask me.

Just try it. See what happens.

Would you make love to me?

Well, okay, but just once.