Episode rewrites

by MaiKagiyama

A version of "Simon Says" where Dr. Finch-Royce makes Sam and Diane reflect on their relationship and tells them what they need to do better to make their future marriage work; a version of "Cheers: The Motion Picture" with a better and much more touching cinematographic projection; and an extension of Carla's birthday in season three with a happier ending

1. Why?

Why?

When I watched the episodes "Simon Says" and "Cheers: The Motion Picture" I couldn't help but feel as if the writers made Diane increasingly irritating on purpose. Diane is one of my favorites characters, and it pains me to see that they make her behave this way. With two simple changes, these two episodes could have been one much more powerful and the other one much more touching, and that without having to compromise the character's nature. In the episode "Chambers VS Malone" she was as annoying as she should have been in Season 5.

Taking things to the extreme only frustrates the audience. I think it's better to see her being annoying in more subtle things, like when she made a move to try to buy a house without asking Sam and then didn't feel comfortable in it because she knew the previous owners were sad about the move. But in that episode we didn't just see a dramatic and impulsive Diane, we also saw a happy and sympathetic Diane and Sam happy because it was the push he needed to buy something they both would have enjoyed. That's the balance I look for in these two episodes.

In the episode "Simon Says" I felt like Diane acts like Frasier in some episodes of his own show (e.g.: The Focus Group (3x23)) and that is an attitude I despise. With a little logic or even emotion, the issue presented could be addressed in a better way. It is true that my version is duller, but I would have liked to see a determined attitude without being insufferable from Diane and a mediating rather than blunt attitude from Dr. Finch-Royce.

In the episode "Cheers: The Motion Picture," I find the movie Diane projects appalling. As much as she loves movies, she must be aware that a person like Woody's father was not going to understand her work and that the war references only made things worse. Also, with Diane's sense of justice and her love for Woody, I think she could have done a much, much better job. The episode could have been heartwarming instead of exasperating. Why cringe at a character's actions when you can feel proud of them?

I also wanted to add a little extra that is not a rewriting, but an expansion, with some scenes that I felt the chapter "Diane's Allergy" was missing. I think Carla, despite being a bit rude and cruel on many occasions, deserved more affection from her peers.