Ep 23. The Bartender's Tale

In the season 3 episode 23 of Cheers, titled "The Bartender's Tale", the focus is on a familiar face around the bar - Woody Boyd.

Woody recounts a story of his past antics while working as a bartender on a train. The story takes place when Woody was working a job as bartender on a train. One evening, he meets a beautiful woman named Kelly in the dining car, and strikes up a conversation with her. They hit it off, and before long end up in bed together.

The next day, Woody is chatting with his fellow train employees when he discovers that Kelly is actually the daughter of the train's owner, and thus his boss. Woody is horrified that he slept with his boss's daughter, and is sure he's going to lose his job.

However, Kelly proves to be cool about the situation and tells Woody not to worry. In fact, she ends up inviting him to dinner with her family later that night. Woody is apprehensive about the idea, but goes along with it, meeting Kelly's father and siblings.

It's not long before Kelly's father reveals that he knows about Woody and Kelly's liaison, but instead of being angry, he congratulates Woody on his good taste. He even offers Woody a promotion, to become the train's head bartender.

Woody is thrilled and accepts the promotion, but things soon go awry when he throws a wild party on the train. The party gets out of hand, and Woody ends up causing thousands of dollars in damages to the train.

Kelly's father is furious and fires Woody on the spot, leaving Woody with no job, no girl, and a mountain of debt from the damages he caused. Woody returns to Boston, depressed and dejected, and ends up finding solace working at Cheers.

Back at Cheers, the regulars are all impressed with Woody's colorful past, and Carla encourages Woody to go out and have some fun while he still can. Woody takes her advice and heads out for a night on the town, but things quickly spiral out of control and Woody ends up getting into a bar fight.

When he returns to Cheers, Vera is waiting for him - and she's not happy. She tells Woody that he had better shape up or ship out, and Woody is forced to consider his future.

"The Bartender's Tale" is a humorous episode that provides a rare glimpse into Woody's past, exploring the character's backstory and showing just how far he's come since he first arrived in Boston. While the episode is primarily a character study, it's also filled with hilarious moments that will make viewers laugh out loud. Ultimately, it serves as a reminder of why Cheers is such a beloved show - it's filled with heart, humor, and unforgettable characters.