"Squiggy in Love"

"Squiggy in Love"
February 27, 1979
B

This episode written by Barry Rubinowitz was Penny Marshall's directorial debut and she gets some nice performances out of the five regulars (Frank & Edna are absent), self included.  Squiggy falls for a gorgeous woman who uses him, and while the girls and Lenny are all concerned, it is Shirley who is most protective of him.  Squiggy at first thinks Shirley is jealous, since we know that he's convinced Shirley is in love with him.  She is affectionate with him, allowing him to put his arm around her and touching his knee, but she's more sisterly than romantic.  Still, this is progress for their relationship.  Note that Lenny misses hanging out with Squiggy, who thinks that Lenny is the "thing" that Shirley believes Squiggy has lost, when it's actually his pride.

In the subplot, which does actually connect with the main story (they don't always, and not just on this series), Shirley worries that her relationship with Carmine is getting stale, especially compared to Laverne's offscreen continuing romance with "Ted Nelson, fireman."  Then Squiggy helps her see how lucky she is to have a long-term, caring relationship.

Note that Marshall, Williams, McKean, Lander, and Mekka all had appeared on Happy Days earlier that evening, for "Fonzie's Funeral: Part 2," which I probably haven't seen since the '80s.

ETA: I found a blurry copy of that HD episode on Daily Motion and skimmed ahead to the 16 minute mark.  Carmine does a dancing tribute to Fonzie, then Lenny and Squiggy come in with a wreath and Squiggy says that Fonzie "was the nicest guy whatever ever beat me up."  Laverne and Shirley enter and Laverne says Fonzie "was the only guy who hickeyed his initials on my neck."  Laverne wants one of Fonzie's boots and tries to leave her blouse for him, but Shirley stops her in both cases.  She does rip Laverne's L off and place that on the boots.

Then Howard Cunningham introduces the Knapp Street gang to "the widow Fonzarelli," i.e. Fonzie in disguise as his own mother.  Lenny asks, "Does she know?", so Laverne elbows him.  The KSG do not one but two double-takes at the resemblance between Fonzie and his mother.  And they leave after four minutes.  Shipping note: Carmine puts his hand on Shirley's shoulder and arm, and then they lightly embrace on the way out.

So not a huge crossover, but certainly interesting.  (It looks like both Arnold and Al are there, too, but I'm not going to watch the whole episode.)