2. Diane Chooses Sam Malone Over Derek Malone
Episode: Showdown, Part 2 (1×23)
Probably Cheers’ most iconic scene. Sam’s brother Derek, who is perfect and dwarfs Sam, the professional baseball player, in stature and status. He visits the bar and sweeps everyone, including Diane, off their feet. Funny enough, we never actually see him because he’s always lost in the crowd.
Over half of this episode is the blowout fight between Sam and Diane. I cut it down to the last few minutes. It’s witty, it’s funny, and an all-time classic sitcom moment.
1. Diane’s Painting
Episode: I’ll Be Seeing You, Part 2 (2×22)
After a season of dating, Diane and Sam’s relationship comes to a head when Diane commissions an eccentric painter (Christopher Lloyd) to do a portrait of her. Sam loathes the guy and forbids Diane to see him. Obviously, that doesn’t work.
Diane brings the painting to Sam and he flips out. Diane comes back with one of the sharpest insults I’ve ever heard.
And then the end to season two, one of the saddest moments of the entire series.
Ah, and we finish with two I’ve seen semi-recently.
This fight is incredible. I can’t think of a TV breakup outside of the Sopranos that was so powerful. It’s darkly funny for exactly the right length and it stops being funny when it should. Excellent writing, as always when the show focused on these two.
The Ross/Rachel breakup was pretty darn good too.