"Shirley's Operation"

"Shirley's Operation"
December 6, 1977
B-

This David W. Duclon story has the cast in Alice in Wonderland costumes for most of the episode, costumes that we hear are borrowed from Squiggy's uncle's wax museum (mentioned in at least one previous episode).  The gang is rehearsing for a play when Shirley doubles over in pain and then passes out.  She's rushed to the hospital and it turns out she has to have her appendix removed.  She's scared of the operation, a contrast to earlier episodes where Laverne was the one who was scared.  (Of driving, of flying, maybe they're just travel fears, although she was fine on the ship.)

And speaking of ships, we get a bit of Shirmine-- Laverne jokes Shirley told her that Carmine (here dressed as the Caterpillar) was all hands-- but there's actually more of Squigley, although that's arguably platonic.  She actually turns to him for comfort, including an embrace, and he tells her that he's always thought of her as "the female Squiggy" (a line I vaguely recall from the time).

And there is definitely comforting going on with Lavenny.  When she thinks that Shirley has died, she automatically goes to him for a hug, and I don't think that it's just that he's standing right next to her.  Later, when she hears that Shirley is going to be all right, she and Lenny hold hands, until she gets self-conscious about it.  Of course, there's also Lenny still in his team-lust, offering himself and Squiggy as Shirley's potential sponge-bathers.  Season Three is kind of weird, and not just romantically.

Oh, and note that they're still dressing P. Marshall more sexily than in the first couple seasons, here with fishnet stockings that make her look like, as Carmine jokes, "the Mad Hooker."