February 28, 1978
B-
This Arthur-Silver-written episode starts out with a very-Three's-Company-like situation, as first the audience and then Laverne and her date, Officer Norman (Bo Kaprall in his last appearance), are led to believe that Carmine is apologizing for deflowering Shirley, who's nonchalant about it. Of course, it's all just a Big Misunderstanding (TM), and he split his pants while they were dancing. (I'm not sure if that explains why she's in her bathrobe, but just go with it.)
Then we find out the plot, which is that Norman has asked Laverne to try out for the LAMP (Ladies' Auxiliary Milwaukee Police), and Shirley, who never got good at athletics because her family didn't approve of scabs, wants to apply, too. She bungles it and Norman's superior makes some sexist comments, including that women should be "barefoot and pregnant." Laverne kicks butt at the obstacle course and the chauvinist falls in the water. (As a Three's Company fan, there's an extra satisfaction in seeing Laverne triumph over Capt. Schmidt, as Mickey Deems played five different creeps on 3'sC.)
Laverne also literally kicks Lenny's butt when he suggests she "show some skin" for the movie that he and Squiggy are shooting. It's another odd episode for shipping, with Edna trying to get Frank to yell less and failing. I do think it's interesting that Laverne agrees to meet Norman's mother, and then we never see him again. That might've been a good episode in itself, and I like Norman, although I don't think he and Laverne (Lavorman?) make a great ship.
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