"Life Is the Tar Pits" script, Scene D

We return to the girls' apartment the next morning.  "The girls are not in evidence."  The first four pages, before Karen's entrance made it in with just a bit of tweaking, the most notable additions being Lenny calling Karen beautiful and Squiggy calling Carmine "Carm."

Here are the last couple pages of the scene:

THE DOOR OPENS.  KAREN IS STANDING THERE.

SQUIGGY

You!

SQUIGGY, SEEING IT'S KAREN, TURNS HIS BACK ON HER AND SITS ON THE COUCH.

SQUIGGY (CONT'D)

What do you want?

KAREN

I'm looking for Lenny.  I have some great news to tell him.

SQUIGGY

Well, whoopee doo for you.  He ain't here.

KAREN

(CROSSING IN) Where is he?

SQUIGGY

He's out.

KAREN

That doesn't help me much.

SQUIGGY

He's out trying to call you at home.

KAREN

Thank you.

SQUIGGY

He even told me what he was gonna say.  That he's droppin' you like a hot potato 'cause he's bored with you and your stupid bones.  It's time for him to move on to greener past-times.  Get me?  You ain't good enough for him!

KAREN

You just can't accept the fact that he has a good time with me, so you're mad.  I think that's being very small.

SQUIGGY

Oh, now I'm small, huh?  Well, you got big feet for a girl, so there!

KAREN

Why don't you quit pushing him around and let him do what he wants?

SQUIGGY

Push him around?  I thought I was too small to push him around!  And you know something else?  When I tell him about this, he ain't never gonna speak to you again!

KAREN

Thanks a lot!

SHE GOES OUT AND SLAMS THE DOOR.

SQUIGGY

(CALLING AFTER HER) Ain't that just like a dame.  I tell her off and she thanks me.

In the scene as shot, Karen does ask after Lenny, and Squiggy does say "whoopee doo," but he doesn't tell Karen about Lenny trying to call her.  Karen talks about what she likes about Lenny, and Squiggy claims he taught Lenny his "potential."  Squiggy says Karen has turned Lenny into a sissy who no longer believes in wrestling.  (An echo of omitted Scene B.)  Karen says that Squiggy is saying everything would be all right if she just went away, and he takes her seriously.  (The irony is, she is going away, which she could've told him, but maybe she wanted to tell Lenny first.)

Then she asks why Lenny has to choose between them and she says she's not trying to break up their relationship.  "All he ever talks about is you.  He looks up to you."  Then she asks what Squiggy likes about Lenny, and Squiggy doesn't have a good answer.  She says she knows how much Lenny means to him but she doesn't think he respects Lenny, or else he wouldn't act like he owns Lenny.  She does not slam the door when she leaves.  Squiggy smugly says, "I told her off."

I think the characterization of both Karen and Squiggy is better in the episode.  She comes off as sweeter and more perceptive, less confrontational although still honest.  Squiggy is also relatively nicer in the episode.  In the script, he lies about why Lenny is going to call her, and he's more argumentative.  Screen-Karen is able to get him to almost reflect on his friendship with Lenny.  Even though she's leaving soon, she doesn't want to be on bad terms with Squiggy.  I can't help thinking that script-Karen might've been glad to get away from this "triangle."