Ep 10. Bar Wars II: The Woodman Strikes Back

As the tenth episode of season seven of "Cheers," "Bar Wars II: The Woodman Strikes Back" opens with a challenge by rival bar owner, Gary (played by Robert Desiderio), who is determined to take down Cheers. In the first Bar Wars competition, Cheers emerged as the victor, and Gary seems to be harboring a grudge. The competition involves coming up with innovative ways to get customers into the bar, driving up their sales.

Gary's latest scheme is to cut down a beloved tree that sits outside of Cheers. The tree serves as a picturesque backdrop for the bar's entrance, and it has sentimental value for the regulars. Once the tree is taken down, Gary plans to erect a massive billboard advertising his bar in its place. The Cheers gang is both livid and determined to stop it from happening.

Sam Malone (played by Ted Danson) and Norm Peterson (played by George Wendt) lead the charge in figuring out how to take down Gary's scheme. They recruit the help of local construction workers to create a blockade around the tree, preventing Gary from cutting it down. The blockade becomes a bit of a media sensation, attracting local news crews and even a protest by a group of environmentalists.

Meanwhile, at Cheers, Woody Boyd (played by Woody Harrelson) is put in charge of designing the bar's entryway for the Bar Wars competition. Woody, not wanting to disappoint his boss and mentor Sam, decides to go all out. He enlists the help of several regulars, including Carla Tortelli (played by Rhea Perlman) and Cliff Clavin (played by John Ratzenberger) to create an elaborate and slightly tacky entranceway.

As the competition heats up, tensions rise between Sam and Gary. The two engage in a heated exchange, culminating in a bet. If Gary wins the competition, he gets to name a drink at Cheers and Sam has to dress up in a humiliating costume for a night. If Sam wins, Gary has to take down his billboard and rename his bar "Gary's Last Resort."

The competition comes down to a tie, meaning that neither bar wins. However, the Cheers regulars bask in the glory of having successfully defended their beloved tree and prevented Gary from ruining their entranceway. And in a surprising turn of events, the environmentalists who protested the tree's removal actually end up patronizing Cheers and becoming regulars.

Overall, "Bar Wars II: The Woodman Strikes Back" is a fun and light-hearted episode that showcases the camaraderie and loyalty of the Cheers gang. The stakes may not be high, but the competition is fierce and entertaining nonetheless. This episode is a testament to the enduring popularity of the classic sitcom, even decades after it first aired.