Ep 8. Diane Meets Mom

In Cheers season 3 episode 8, titled "Diane Meets Mom," we see Diane Chambers, the bar waitress played by Shelley Long, finally meet her mother. Diane is not entirely thrilled about the meeting since her relationship with her mother is rocky. However, she is determined to try and make it work despite their differences.

Diane's mother, played by Glynis Johns, ends up surprising her daughter by arriving at Cheers unannounced. Diane, feeling overwhelmed and embarrassed, tries to play off the situation as if everything is okay. However, as the episode progresses, we see the tension between the two women rise.

Diane's mother is a socialite and is not too impressed with her daughter's life choices, including her waitressing job at a bar. She tries to convince Diane to leave Boston and move back to their hometown with her. Meanwhile, Diane is trying to prove to her mother that she is happy and successful in her own way.

The rest of the Cheers gang gets involved in the drama, with Sam Malone (Ted Danson) trying to smooth things over between Diane and her mother. Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman) makes her opinion clear on how she feels about Diane's mother and the way she treats her daughter. Meanwhile, Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger) gets a little too excited about meeting a celebrity and tries to impress Diane's mother with his trivia knowledge.

The episode takes a humorous turn when Diane's mother decides to impress the bar patrons by singing a song. The Cheers gang is skeptical, but they end up being impressed by her talent. This lightens the mood between Diane and her mother, but it doesn't resolve their underlying issues.

In the end, Diane's mother decides to leave Boston and return home. Diane is left feeling a mix of emotions, including relief that the awkward visit is over and sadness that her relationship with her mother is still strained. However, the episode concludes with Sam reassuring Diane that he is proud of her for standing up to her mother and that he supports her no matter what.

Overall, "Diane Meets Mom" is a classic episode of Cheers that showcases the show's ability to balance humor with more serious moments. The episode tackles the complicated dynamics between mothers and daughters while still being entertaining and funny. The Cheers gang's involvement adds another layer of comedy to the episode and highlights the show's ensemble cast.