Plot
NOTE: This episode ran for 98 minutes, including commercials, at its original broadcast. It reaired for and was trimmed down to 90 minutes in August 19, 1993. In syndicated and online reruns, this episode was split into three parts, but the DVD release has the original, uncut version.
Diane Chambers, making her first appearance on the series after six years, appears on television, accepting an outstanding award for writing a television movie, surprising Sam. At night, Diane calls Sam by the bar's phone number to thank him for the congratulatory telegram that he sent earlier. Then Sam invites Diane to return to Boston, and she accepts, though Sam is not convinced. The next day, Diane arrives at the bar with her "husband" Reed (Mark Harelik), surprising Sam. Then Sam begs Rebecca to pretend to be Sam's wife for Diane's sake. During lunch at Melville's, the plumber Don Santry (Tom Berenger) arrives to propose to her. Rebecca happily accepts, so she and Don leave. Then another man, Kevin (Anthony Heald), who turns out to be Reed's boyfriend, arrives the scene to confront Reed, prompting both men to leave, as well.
Now alone and humiliated at the table, Sam and Diane confess that their own lives are fabricated. Diane explains the reason for not returning to him after six months, as she had planned: her book had been rejected by publishers but became a television movie, and she did not want to return unsuccessful. Then they confess that they are a "mismatch", despite good times together. As she prepares to leave, Sam stops Diane and convinces her to have another fling with him again. The following day, Woody is now a councilman and then gives Norm a city job, Cliff is promoted, and Rebecca and Don are married, which she regrets, unbeknownst to Don.
Sam and Diane walk in and announce their engagement, but his friends disapprove. Having enough of their disapprovals and living as a role model to barmates without a family, Sam leaves the bar along with Diane, putting him and his friends on bad terms. In the plane, Sam and Diane begin to reconsider their decisions to be together again, as the flight becomes delayed. The pair amicably decide to part ways, having made their peace after many years apart. Diane returns to California, and Sam decides to stay in Boston. Sam comes back to the bar and asks his friends to celebrate his return with cigars, but they "refuse" and then "leave" the bar. As it turns out, it was a prank, pulled by his friends, in order to cheer Sam up. Norm informs that he heard the news from Diane on the phone.
Sam and his gang continue to celebrate by smoking cigars. Rebecca arrives to retrieve her plane tickets, announces that Don has been hired by the sewer department, and leaves again in excitement. When they finish smoking cigars, Sam and Norm stay behind, while rest of the gang head home. Norm tells Sam that he knew that Sam would return because Sam would not be unfaithful to his "one true love", saying: "You'll always come back to her." After Norm leaves, Sam ponders these words, then says, "Well, I tell ya. I'm the luckiest son of a bitch on earth." A man (Bob Broder) knocks at the door, but Sam tells him, "Sorry, we're closed." At the last moment, Sam straightens the picture of Geronimonote d and walks into the billiard room, where the lights are off. The finale ends with an exterior night time shot of the bar.
Read more about this topic: One For The Road (Cheers)
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