"Laverne's Broken Leg"

"Laverne's Broken Leg"
May 12, 1981
B-

This Ketchum & DiMarco story takes awhile to get going and, yes, the It's a Wonderful Life trope has been done on other shows.*  And yet, yes, there is a certain poignancy to Cindy W's performance of Shirley as a reclusive, dog-owning old maid, and even more to Foster's version of a homeless, daughter-less Frank DeFazio, ably assisted by Penny M's pained reaction.  Oddly enough, both Frank and Shirley are living in California, but it's unclear where Edna and Carmine are in this alternative universe.  (Lenny & Squiggy are escaped convicts.)  Even more surprising, Rhonda is kind and giving.  So if Laverne was never born, Rhonda's life would be better?  Or just nicer?

My main shipping note is that both Carmine and Laverne seem very pleased by Shirley's suggestion that Carmine undress Laverne and put her to bed, although Shirley soon realizes this is a bad idea.

The Angel is portrayed by Jeffrey Kramer, who played Jeff three years before.


*That same November 1965 calendar stubbornly clings to the kitchen wall, so I have no idea if a local LA station is supposed to be showing IaWL in December like usual, or unseasonally.