Fortune and Men's Weight

The Coach gets talked into ordering a weight machine that gives out fortune cards. Soon everyone is living their lives based on these little fortunes. Carla is a master at convoluted thinking, interpreting things she sees on the little cards. This machine proves somewhat dangerous in the end.

This is yet another episode that plays out like an O Henry story, with a touch of the supernatural. Coach buys a fortune-telling scale from a mysterious salesman (described as a cross between Abraham Lincoln and... Hitler) and the regulars all have their interactions with it.

The writers do a great job of weaving the scale into the two main story arcs of the season. The scale's fortunes influence Norm's love life, getting him back with Vera. They have a much more profound effect on Sam and Diane, as Diane ends up confessing to going on a date with another man.

This is also a pretty funny episode, with Cliff's pratfalls, Carla's superstitious freakout, and Coach's obtuseness ("It's got to be some kind of mistake. Why would I buy a crate?") And then there's barfly Al Rosen, finally getting a line on the show. It's one word, but it's a doozy, and if you look closely even the cast can't keep a straight face.