"I Wonder What Became of Sal?"

"I Wonder What Became of Sal?"
November 3, 1981
B-

In the only episode written by co-creator Mark Rothman after Season One's "The Bachelor Party," after ten [sic] years, Sal Molina returns (and is again played by Paul Sylvan).  As in the previous episode, the girls are dealing with the past, and there are in fact three flashbacks to "Falter at the Altar."  (The DVD copy is missing four or five minutes though, I think due to music rights, since there's a line referencing Laverne playing oldies trivia.)  Sal is still handsome, kind, and single, as well as now rich.  He's also still in love with Laverne, but she has to face that he still doesn't "give her goosebumps."  (Nothing against Sylvan but he's a little bland, without the sexiness of a young Ted Danson or even Ed Marinaro.)  To a lesser degree than the previous episode, this episode is about the girls' friendship, as Laverne wonders if she was wrong to take Shirley's advice.  Note that Frank regrets the loss of his "nine-year-old grandson."

Dan Barrows, who plays Carlisle, was Bill on the "Haunted House" episode.  Lenny and Squiggy are absent, but it would've been interesting to get their take on all this.