"2001: A Comedy Odyssey"

"2001: A Comedy Odyssey"
May 16, 1978
C+

This Sotkin & Thompson story is weird for a few reasons, so let's start with the title.  It of course plays on the 1968 film, but the year is wrong.  Squiggy, who admittedly might be bad at math as an old man (or at least in Laverne's dream) says they haven't seen Laverne and Shirley in 48 years, which makes this at least 2008.  But later on, Laverne says she's 83, which would put this in 2021.  However, Penny M. was 34 at the time, so 48 years later she'd almost be 83.  Furthermore, Shirley says something about wanting to beat up Laverne for 60 years.

Of course, nearly all of the episode is Laverne's dream, and I know, dreams aren't supposed to make sense.  Certainly the girls act a lot older than the 63 they'd be in 2001.  Marshall would indeed gain weight by then (when she was 58), but not as much as Laverne fears.  Most of the episode is wrapped up in unfunny fat jokes, which have not aged well.

The dream is brought on by Frank nagging Laverne about getting married and providing grandchildren, as he has before, but maybe it's getting to her more lately.  We see her and a very near-sighted Shirley in the same old apartment, where Laverne has started to cover even more of the inanimate objects with her L's.  Laverne thinks she's at last getting married, and will at last be able to voe-dee-oh-doe (Shirley's "good influence" lasting decades apparently), but her unseen suitor dies.  Meanwhile, Shirley gets her hopes up when Carmine returns, but he's now a priest.

Then Lenny and Squiggy show up, owning the apartment building and other real estate, and they offer a package deal on marriage, and you of course know how the pairs are going to line up.  Laverne is quite eager to marry Lenny, and I don't think it's just that she's desperate  In fact, they make out on the couch after she accepts, and she's excited that Lenny can still perform his "husbandly duties."  Shirley however resists marrying Squiggy and, even when they're about to have a double wedding performed by Father Ragusa, Shirley can't go through with it.

The men leave and the women fight.  Then they decide that they've had good lives and they don't have to marry anyone.

Laverne talks in her sleep and says she doesn't have to marry Lenny.  Frank and Edna rush in from the living room, where they've been watching television.  Again, this is weird, and not dream-like weird.  I understand why, for the purposes of the story, they're there, but they both have places of their own.  It might've worked if Laverne fell asleep on the couch, and then Frank and Edna dropped by, but going into her bedroom, especially when they know she's asleep and Shirley is in the other bed, just feels off, although we do learn that Edna thinks Laverne marrying Lenny would be a nightmare.

It also feels strange that all this fuss doesn't wake up Shirley, but it turns out that she's suppressing her laughter until Frank and Edna leave, he saying she can marry whoever she wants, as long as the groom is Italian.  Of course, Shirley doesn't find it amusing that she was going to marry Squiggy, especially when Laverne pretends Shirley was enthusiastic about it.  And the subtlest shippy note I have here is that when Laverne jokes about the names of S & S's five children, the last two are Godzilla and Rodan, which Lenny would certainly approve of.  (Rodan came out in 1956 but his [its?] next appearance wouldn't be until 1964's Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, where G & R team up with Mothra.  You're welcome.)

So what do we learn from Laverne's dream?  That is, what does her subconscious fear/expect about her future?

1. Laverne expects to be fat and unwed, although it's difficult to say which, if either, is cause and which is effect.
2. She thinks that she will be still be living with Shirley, who will be extremely near-sighted and unwed, although these may not be related.
3. She thinks that fashion and technology (like the phone) will not be significantly different, which makes the sci-fi title a waste in that sense as well.
4. She thinks that she would be willing to marry Lenny for sex, and not procreative sex, although obviously it's too late to give her father grandkids.  (Squiggy hasn't given up hope of kids after twelve childless marriages!)
5. She thinks that Lenny, who literally "lost his wife," would be eager to marry her.  
6. She thinks that Squiggy would want to marry Shirley, who wouldn't want to marry him.
7. She thinks that the guys would be a package deal.
8. She thinks that she'll still end up unwed and living with Shirley.

So, although there are better and funnier episodes, including that season, this is definitely a must-see for anyone who ships Lavenny.