Ep 18. The Peterson Principle

The Peterson Principle is the eighteenth episode of the fourth season of Cheers. The episode follows Sam Malone (Ted Danson), the owner of the titular bar, as he deals with a difficult situation involving one of his employees, Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson).

Early in the episode, Woody is informed that he has been accepted into a prestigious management training program at a different company. Despite the fact that this would require him to leave Cheers, Woody is initially ecstatic about the opportunity.

However, Woody quickly begins to have second thoughts after talking to Sam about the situation. Sam, who is jealous of Woody's potential success, convinces him that the management program is a bad idea and that he should stay at Cheers instead.

To make matters worse, Sam also accidentally reveals to Woody that he has been earning significantly less money than the other employees at Cheers. This revelation causes Woody to feel undervalued and underappreciated, and he begins to doubt whether the management program is really worth giving up his job at Cheers.

Meanwhile, other characters at the bar are dealing with their own problems. Carla (Rhea Perlman) is dealing with the aftermath of a bad breakup, and Diane (Shelley Long) is struggling to come up with a new idea for her writing.

As the episode progresses, tensions rise between Sam and Woody as they both struggle to come to terms with their own feelings of jealousy and insecurity. Ultimately, Woody must make a difficult decision about his future, and Sam is forced to confront his own weaknesses as a boss and as a friend.

Overall, The Peterson Principle is a classic episode of Cheers that showcases the show's signature blend of humor, heart, and relatable human drama. The episode explores themes of ambition, jealousy, and loyalty, and features standout performances from the entire ensemble cast.