Ep 1. What's Love Got To Do With It?

Becker is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1998 to 2004. The series focuses on the life of Dr. John Becker, a cantankerous, outspoken, and dedicated doctor with a small practice in the Bronx, New York. Portrayed by Ted Danson, Becker is a man who, despite his brash demeanor and acerbic wit, cares deeply about his patients and friends.

Season 6 episode 1, titled What's Love Got To Do With It?, marks the beginning of the series' final season and continues to follow the daily happenings and interpersonal dynamics at Becker's clinic and his favorite diner.

As the episode starts, we find Becker in a familiar state of irritation, cynical as ever about the concept of love and relationships. His beliefs are tested, though, as the influx of patients into his clinic happens to include many grappling with various ailments and concerns related to love and the heart. With his usual blend of sarcasm and secret empathy, Becker navigates his patients' needs in his unique way, dispensing medical advice that sometimes doubles as life advice.

Meanwhile, Becker's interactions with his support staff—Margaret, the no-nonsense head nurse and office manager who is the one true managing force behind the clinic, and Linda, the ditzy yet surprisingly competent assistant—provide both the comedic highlights and the touches of humanity that are characteristic of the show. Both women have unique methods of reminding Becker of the joys and tribulations that come with personal connections.

Outside of the clinic at the local diner, Becker's friend, Jake, the blind newsstand owner, offers up his own pearls of wisdom, his usual blend of humor and insight giving way to engaging banter about love and relationships. Reggie, the former diner owner, has been replaced by Chris, who continues to bring a new energy to the diner and remains an interesting foil for Becker's gruff personality. Her approach to life's romantic entanglements contrasts sharply with Becker's, leading to some compelling and often amusing conversations.

In this episode, the supporting characters each find themselves facing their own romantic quandaries and interpersonal challenges. Stories dovetail as each character, from the key cast to the peripheral ones, brings something unique to the theme of love and relationships, either questioning it, fighting it, embracing it, or pining for it.

The dynamism of the runtime is also provided through the introduction of guest characters whose interactions with the main cast provide food for thought and heartwarming moments. These characters of the week serve not only to illuminate different aspects of love but also to challenge Becker's own rigid perceptions.

Comedic situations naturally arise as Becker's forthright opinion on how unnecessary romantic gestures are, clashes with the world's celebration of love. The episode does not shy away from throwing the doctor into uncomfortable scenarios—sometimes quite literally—where his curmudgeonly armor is chipped away, revealing the complex person underneath.

Furthermore, the episode explores the tight-knit community's collective and individual experiences with love—some facing insecurities, some dealing with loss, and others making discoveries about their own capacity for affection. All of these themes are addressed with the show's signature blend of humor and poignancy.

Throughout What's Love Got To Do With It?, we also get updates on the ongoing mini-narratives that have spanned previous seasons—small storylines that flesh out the world of Becker and make viewers care about even the most minor of characters. Season 6 starts with subplots that continue to evolve the characters as they encounter new challenges, relationships, and personal growth.

As the episode progresses to a conclusion that is both satisfying yet open to the continuation of this final season, viewers can expect a mix of laughs, reflective moments, and the sense that no matter how much Becker might deny it, he is inexorably connected to the tapestry of lives that surround him.

Altogether, What's Love Got To Do With It? presents a fresh yet familiar entry into the series, delivering the laughs and character studies that fans of 'Becker' have come to expect. It's an episode that reinforces the themes of irascibility and heart that make the show what it is—a story about a man who claims to hate the world but can't help but be a part of it.