"The Gymnast Show," Scene C

We finally leave Cowboy Bill's for Laverne's apartment, in the evening:

LAVERNE IS PACKING HER SUITCASE WHICH IS ON THE COUCH.  HER HAIR IS STILL IN THE STYLE EDGAR LIKES.  SHE IS ALSO WEARING A FLOWING SCARF.

The filmed version has Laverne bring down a suitcase and some kind of overnight bag and have an argument on the phone with Frank where we can't hear his side.

LAVERNE

What do you wear on a trapeze?  (HOLDS UP SEXY NEGLIGEE)  Well, this looks good anywhere.  (PUTS IT IN SUITCASE)

RHONDA ENTERS FROM THE BACK.  [I assume they mean the kitchen.]  SHE IS CARRYING A SINGLE ROSE THAT IS WRAPPED FROM A FLORIST.  THERE IS A CARD WITH IT.

RHONDA

Hi ho, Little Rosebud.  (SHOWING FLOWER) I guess the delivery boy is so used to bringing Rhonda flowers, he made a mistake.  This is for you.  (SHE HANDS LAVERNE HER FLOWER)  Isn't it darling?

LAVERNE

(TAKES FLOWER AND OPENS CARD AND READS) "For my favorite flower.  Love, Edgar."  He's so sweet, but a little forgetful.  I told him my favorite flowers are carnations.

RHONDA

It is the thought.

LAVERNE

You're right.  (REFERRING TO SCARF) Look at this.  Edgar gave me this, too.  Do you think it's "me"?

RHONDA

I think it's expensive.  You've got quite a catch there.

LAVERNE

I know.  But I wish I knew more about him.  It's strange that he never mentions his past.

RHONDA

Do you blame him?  I'm sure he's trying to forget about his accident and his leg. 

LAVERNE

What accident?

In the filmed version, Rhonda loans Laverne a sexy negligee and she doesn't hand over the flower until after she talks about how this is such a Rhonda-like romance to happen to Laverne.  Laverne packs the flower without taking it out of the box.  And she's not wearing a scarf, so there's no dialogue about it.  Also, they skip from Laverne wishing Edgar had a better memory to Rhonda mentioning her friend Ted, who introduced her to Edgar, which doesn't come up quite yet in the script.  Laverne knows that Edgar must've had an accident and hurt his leg, presumably because of his cane.

The story about Edgar's accident is basically the same in the script and on the aired episode, but when Rhonda hesitates to tell Laverne, onscreen Laverne says she's seen Rhonda's driver's license and knows her age, while in the script she says, "If Rhonda doesn't tell, she won't be able to tell anything else for a long time," which is a more violent threat.  The thing about Ted telling lies, including about his marital status, was added.

This scene ends Act One.  Some thoughts:

• I can see that they wanted to keep Frank's disapproval going in the filmed version, but a phone call that's one-sided in more ways than one isn't the best technique.
• The negligee part I guess pulls back a little on the Easy!Laverne trope in the filmed version, since it's not her own negligee, although that doesn't stop her from packing it.
• I don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of LAS (yet), but it seems kind of random to suddenly discover in Season Eight that Laverne's favorite flowers are carnations.
• One of the basic problems with this episode is right here in the script: why, after Rhonda tells her that Edgar might be a murderer, does Laverne still go to his isolated home?  The smart cookie of the Milwaukee years wouldn't have.  Wouldn't she at the least try to talk to him about it first?  I don't mean accusing him of being a killer, but maybe asking him about his accident or Louise.  I get that then there would be no conflict, but shouldn't a conflict (even in Season Eight) be somewhat rooted in character and reality?
• For that matter, I get that they think that Rhonda is a shallow airhead, but she genuinely views Laverne as a friend by Season Eight.  How can they make her so blasé about Ted's story?
• And as with other (admittedly worse) Season Eight scripts, it's not as if this is funny in even an absurd way.  You can do dark comedy if you're genuinely funny, which Monica Johnson is not this time, despite having given us the gem "Honeymoon Hotel" six seasons earlier.  I am hoping to get that script in the next month or so, but I'm willing to bet that it shows a far greater understanding of Laverne (and her friends) than we see here.