Ep 11. Peterson Crusoe

In season 3 episode 11 of Cheers, entitled Peterson Crusoe, Sam (Ted Danson) is excited to have a chance to invest in his friend Dave's new business venture. Dave has invented a new type of fishing lure that he is convinced is going to make him a millionaire, and he asks Sam to invest $10,000 to help him get it off the ground. While Sam is confident that Dave's idea has potential, Diane (Shelley Long) is skeptical and tries to talk him out of it.

Meanwhile, Carla's (Rhea Perlman) ex-husband Nick (Dan Hedaya) shows up at the bar unannounced, claiming that he has had a spiritual revelation and wants to make up for all of the harm he caused during their marriage. Carla is understandably suspicious of Nick's sudden change of heart, but he seems sincere and she eventually agrees to give him a chance.

As the episode goes on, both plots begin to converge in unexpected ways. Sam's investment in Dave's fishing lure turns out to be a bust, and he realizes too late that he should have listened to Diane's advice. Meanwhile, Nick's attempts to make amends with Carla take a bizarre turn when he decides to live like a castaway on a deserted island in the middle of the city park.

Throughout the episode, the characters of Cheers provide their usual blend of humor, heart, and witty banter. We get to see Sam and Diane's ongoing romantic tension, as well as the playful rivalry between the bar regulars and the frequently encountered snobbish patrons from the upstairs restaurant Melville's.

Overall, Peterson Crusoe is an entertaining and enjoyable episode that showcases the strengths of the Cheers ensemble. The writing is crisp and clever, and the performances are uniformly excellent. Even in its third season, the show manages to remain fresh and engaging, leaving viewers eager to see what will happen next.