Cheers (TV Series) The Tortelli Tort (1982) User Reviews

The Tortelli Tort (#1.3)

[ComedyFan2010 · 7/10 · 2 April 2014]

One day a Yankee fan comes into the bar and starts making fun of the Red Sox as well as Sam who was a baseball player and had a drinking problem after. So Carla jumps on him for it. He says he will sue the bar unless Carla gets fired. Sam and Daniela get Carla to go to anger management therapy.

In this episode we continue getting to know more about characters, this time Carla who has some great anger issues. This will sure lead to more fun in the future.

The episode was alright and had great moments, only the way the guy decided not to sue at the end was kind of lazy and lame.

Yanks vs. Sox

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 4 August 2019]

When an obnoxious Yankee fan come into the bar after a Red Sox loss, he begins to spout off and malign Boston and the people in it. Karla has had enough and assaults him, leading to a possible lawsuit. This is less funny than the first two, but it is still fun.

did i just hear a bear snort?

[movieman_kev · 8/10 · 15 April 2011]

The always volatile Carla (Rhea Perlman) may have bit off more than she can chew when an irate Yankees fan insults her beloved Red Sox. When he starts hassling Sam about his past career in baseball & drinking problem, she evidentially has enough and physically assaults the guy. The customer threatens to sue Sam if he doesn't fire Carla, which puts Sam in a very awkward position. Luckily a suggestion made by Diane just might save the day.

As the first episode of the series to focus it's main plot on one of it's supporting characters, this was as good and funny as the first two episodes of the series were. And while I could take issue with the final scene not making much sense as it was Carla's day off and she wasn't taking orders for drinks, I'll let such a small quibble slide by as it was a good episode over all.

Spotlight on Carla

[dgplatt-60121 · 10/10 · 8 January 2024]

Nowadays, with the Patriots sporting a record six Super Bowl titles and the Red Sox having won four World Series in the 21st century, it's difficult to understand what being a die-hard Boston sports fan meant in the early 80s. While the Celtics were at the top of their game, the other Big Four teams from the Boston area were in a sorry state. This was no more true than for Red Sox fans, who (as Big Ed is quick to point out) had not won a World Series since 1918. Carla's vow to abandon the Red Sox probably rang true to many fans at the time. And of course, no team is more hated by Red Sox fans than the New York Yankees.

Enter Big Ed, the most obnoxious fan to ever cheer on the Bronx Bombers. Eddie has clearly come to Cheers to gloat, and he proceeds to mock the Red Sox, and when he recognizes Sam, mocks Sam's former boozing. Big mistake. Soon Carla is on him like a spider monkey, giving him a (surprisingly brutal) beating.

This the first episode to focus on Carla, and it establishes her fanatical devotion to Boston teams and her extreme temper. (Her lustiness and extreme fertility will come later). It's a standard sitcom plot, and we know that the threat (Sam could lose the bar) will come to nothing. But Ed is a formidable antagonist, and Carla's attempt to control her anger makes for a good conclusion (with a punchline that shows why you shouldn't insult hockey players).

There's not much for the rest of the cast to do, but Diane has a funny moment where she runs down all her former majors, showing she truly is the perpetual student.