"A Date with Eraserhead"

"A Date with Eraserhead"
October 24, 1978
B-

This confused and confusing episode was written by Judy Ervin and I'm sort of OK with that confusion and ambiguity, that things aren't neatly wrapped up in twenty minutes (subtracting credits and commercials).  Laverne thinks that Carmine is two-timing Shirley, and then it turns out that two years ago (presumably when they started dating again post-Lockwash), Shirley and Carmine agreed to have an "understanding" of what would later be called the "don't ask, don't tell" variety.  They see other people but don't want the details.  However, neither of them is entirely comfortable with this as it turns out (and, remember, not that long ago he had Lenny spying on Shirley in New York), so they break up. 

Meanwhile, Mr. DeFazio is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Pizza Bowl.  Shirley and Carmine now need dates to make each other jealous, so Laverne reluctantly agrees to let her new guy find someone for Shirley, but the best he can do is the girls' old classmate Warren, better known by his nickname, yes, "Eraserhead" (Paul Willson in a role he'd reprise four years later).  And later Laverne has to get Carmine and Shirley to make up, which they do, although nothing is resolved except a return to the vague status quo.

The funniest scene here is Squiggy "comforting" Shirley over the break-up, and he remains convinced (as his little black book suggested last season) that she's pining for him, so he gives her a pity kiss, which revolts her.  He has a date for the party, which he's "sharing" with Lenny, who gets to drive the girl back to Chicago.  And then Lenny swallows the keys (!) so the guys (at what is roughly four in the morning) have the Chicago girl (hereafter referred to as CG) sleep in Laverne & Shirley's room.

And then we get this exchange (I'm paraphrasing a little)--
SQUIGGY: We'd let you bed down with us if you was in a fix.
LENNY: (sort of campily) And we mean it, Babes.

Now think about that.  The boys could've had CG sleep over for a few hours and then put her on the next bus back to Chicago.  She could've "slept with" Squiggy, if she hadn't already, and maybe also the man Squiggy refers to as "my Lenny" when he's angry at Laverne for pushing Lenny down the stairs on an exercise bike.  (Lenny doesn't seem to hold any grudge about it, or show any injuries later.)  But for some reason (ABC censors?), they send her downstairs to impose on their friends.  And, with the CG presumably still in earshot, they make a lewd offer to Laverne and Shirley, except Lenny says it like he's gay, although maybe he was trying for Hollywood playboy or something.  So, yeah, an episode that raises more questions than it answers.

Lynne Marie Stewart, who previously played Barbara and a Wrestling Coach, here is Muriel.  Linda Gillin's role of Denise is very different than Amy Babish earlier in the year.  And I don't know what the name of the actress is, but I swear CG shows up in one of the California episodes, as another of Squiggy's silent dates with a black beehive, maybe the episode where Laverne wants to sing at Cowboy Bill's.  (I've seen the clip on Youtube in recent years.)