Ep 2. Swear to God

Sam Malone's ongoing effort to win over Dr. Joan Caulfield is the central plot point of Cheers season 7 episode 2. The episode, titled "Swear to God," begins with Sam preparing to go on a date with Joan. Despite the encouragement of his friends and colleagues, Sam is nervous about the impending evening. His self-doubt is compounded by the presence of an intimidating ex-boyfriend of Joan's who drops by the bar.

As Sam frets over the date, Carla, Cliff, and Norm offer their own stories of past romantic mishaps. Carla recalls a time when she accidentally insulted a man she liked by misinterpreting a greeting card, while Cliff and Norm share tales of dates gone wrong due to a series of unfortunate events.

Meanwhile, coaches Woody and Frasier try to persuade a group of unruly teenagers to enroll in a boxing program. Their efforts are met with resistance, but they eventually succeed by using reverse psychology.

Back at the bar, Sam's date with Joan gets off to a rocky start when her ex-boyfriend, Rocky, shows up unexpectedly. Sam tries to play it cool, but Rocky's presence makes him feel insecure. When Joan goes to the bathroom, Rocky confronts Sam and warns him to stay away from Joan. Sam tries to stand up to Rocky, but ends up backing down.

Despite the awkward start, Sam and Joan's date eventually improves. They connect over their love of baseball, and Sam is relieved to learn that Joan doesn't have any lingering feelings for Rocky. By the end of the night, they agree to go out again.

The episode concludes with Woody and Frasier celebrating their success with the teenagers. Sam tells his friends about his date, and they offer him their support and encouragement. As the group drinks and jokes around, the camera pans out to show the Cheers sign in the window, signaling another night of camaraderie and hijinks at Boston's favorite bar.