Ep 21. Showdown (1)

In the 21st episode of the first season of Cheers, titled "Showdown (1)," tensions rise between Sam and a rival bar owner named Gary, played by Joel Polis. Gary is known for being a cutthroat businessman who will stop at nothing to put his competition out of business, including stealing Sam's customers and hiring away his employees.

As the episode begins, Gary makes a surprise appearance at Cheers and challenges Sam to a bartending competition. If Sam wins, Gary will leave him alone and never try to poach his business again. But if Gary wins, he gets to take over Cheers and turn it into a soulless corporate chain.

Sam agrees to the challenge, thinking it will be an easy win. But he soon realizes that Gary is a formidable opponent who has been practicing for weeks and has a few tricks up his sleeve. As the competition heats up, the entire Cheers gang gets involved, cheering on Sam and trying to help him win.

Meanwhile, Diane is dealing with her own rival in the form of Sumner Sloan, an intellectual snob who looks down on the Cheers regulars and who just happens to be Diane's former fiancé. Sumner shows up at the bar and starts spouting off about Nietzsche and Kierkegaard, much to the annoyance of the regulars.

Diane tries to ignore Sumner, but she can't help feeling jealous when he starts hitting on another woman at the bar. To make matters worse, he also criticizes her taste in literature and tells her that she's wasting her time working at a bar.

As the competition between Sam and Gary intensifies, it becomes clear that both men will stop at nothing to win. Sam starts getting sloppy and making mistakes, while Gary pulls out all the stops, including hiring a professional juggler to distract Sam during a key moment.

In the end, the episode ends on a cliffhanger, with the result of the competition still up in the air and tensions running high at Cheers. The stage is set for an epic showdown between Sam and Gary in the next episode, leaving viewers on the edge of their seats and eager to see what happens next.