Cheers

Episode 1

The Little Match Girl

Thu, Sep 24, 199230 mins

Rebecca is in a reflective mood after Woody and Kelly's wedding. Rebecca vows to change her life. Her symbol of change is stubbing out the cigarette she is smoking, the last cigarette she vows to ever smoke. After that act, she dumps the cigarette filled ashtray into the wastebasket in the bar office. The next day, Sam, called in by the fire department, arrives at the half burnt down bar. Hysterical, Sam really wants to believe this fire is just another gag by Gary, but the reality of the matter sinks in. Once he realizes that he has insurance to cover the damages, Sam settles into the mindset of rebuilding the bar, but he still wonders what caused the fire. The fire marshal tells Rebecca that the cause was a smoldering cigarette in the wastebasket in the office. Rebecca knows that she once again was the cause of this major screw-up. Others devastated by the fire are Norm, whose "home" is damaged, and Cliff, who had a bagful of undelivered mail stashed behind the bar, which is now burned to a crisp. After Rebecca lies to Sam, telling him the cause of the fire was faulty wiring (which Sam is kicking himself for not fixing, although meaning to do so for years), he finds out that his insurance deductible is $25,000, money he doesn't have. Trying to get a loan, Sam is turned down by every bank in town. He has to resort to Plan B: cashing in his baseball pension, maxing out his credit cards, moving into a cheaper rent apartment, and selling his beloved Corvette. Will Rebecca finally admit to her role in the fire, and if so, will Sam forgive her?