November 30, 1982C+
While of course an improvement over the "Death Row" two-parter, the plot of this DiMarco & Ketchum story is terribly unoriginal. (In fact, the "dog out the window" story has its own page on Snopes: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/rain-of-terrier/.) But Carol Kane is one of my favorite actresses, and I could've watched a whole episode of her as Olga, the fortune-teller who turns out to be Laverne's old classmate from Flatbush. (If Season Eight is canon, then Laverne moved to Milwaukee at some point between the start of third grade and the end of fifth grade.)
Note that Rhonda again plays the trumpet, during an audition!
Yep, I love Carol Kane and she does her level best, but it's not quite enough to save it.
ReplyDeleteLaverne and Shirley say in S1 they were kicked out of the Brownies together - Brownies are generally second graders. Between that and them having gone through school with Lenny and Squiggy and Josephine dying and being buried in Milwaukee when she was young, I figured it happened when she was around 6 and just after or before first grade.
That's why I say, "If Season Eight is canon...," because I don't know if I can count it on the same level as the other seasons. That said, Season One has its own timeline issues (like on the "class reunion" episode), although I'd still give it more weight than the final season.
DeleteCarol Kane is a delight wherever and whenever she shows up. Too bad we didn't get an episode with her when Shirley was still around, like Laverne goes to see a fortune-teller, reunites with her old friend, and Shirley's jealous. (I'm not saying that's terribly original either, but it beats Season Eight.)
I forgot to mention another character on this episode, Mary the waitress, who still has no lines but has been on some of the Cowboy Bill's episodes, apparently being another Milwaukee refugee, still working for Mr. DeFazio.
Oh yeah, and it doesn't help that the show lacks a strong "bible" when it comes to facts. I guess there's a way to cram it all together if you get super creative.
DeleteShe really is - that would actually be lots of fun as an episode.
Man, you know when even your employees follow you cross-country it's a shark jump!
I would've liked to have seen Cindy Williams vs. Carol Kane, fighting over Laverne, and balancing out the "beatnik" episode.
ReplyDeleteAnd ROTFL over Mary helping the shark-jump!
Oh wow, that would've been fun.
DeleteI'm telling you! Only this show.