"The Fashion Show"

"The Fashion Show"
February 1, 1983
C+

The last L & S episode written by Al Aidekman and Marc Sotkin, and the next to last written by Roger Garrett, has potential it doesn't live up to but, yes, it's not bad for Season Eight.  Laverne's fashion photographer boyfriend, Mike Bailey (Larry Breeding, as presumably the same character he was on "Window on Main Street," although this Mike has been dating Laverne only four weeks), has to flatter and flirt with his models, so Laverne gets very jealous, despite his reassurances.  Inevitably, she has to cover for the model she makes quit, and it goes disastrously, or does it?  Note that Mike likes Laverne because she's "real," and yet she never confesses that the chicken dinner came out of a fast-food bucket.

Speaker Kit McDonough, with her distinctive voice, was Julie the Stewardess in "Airport '59."  Guard Robert Arcaro was a nameless Man the season before.  This time Anjelica Houston plays Miss Paris, although I didn't recognize her.  And Joanna Kerns is unmistakable, if miscast, as spoiled model Monique, a couple years before Growing Pains.

"An Affair to Forget"

"An Affair to Forget"
February 9, 1982
B-

I thought from the title and the return of Jim Greenleaf as Lyle Nowicki, especially since he gives Laverne a big horizontal kiss of thanks for getting him a job at Bardwell's, that Lyle would start a rumor that he's having an affair with Laverne, but, no, he shows up in the first scene and is never mentioned again.  Instead, a man named Hank (Larry Breeding, who would return in a different role) shows up and flirts heavily with Laverne, while dropping hints that he's married.  She fails to pick up on these hints and goes out with him.  Unfortunately, his wife, Geraldine (30-year-old Anjelica Huston, who would also return in another role), shows up at the restaurant and Laverne ends up in the fish tank, repeatedly.  Again, I failed to predict what would happen, since there were cutaways to the cute waiter, so I thought he would defend Laverne and she'd end up with him.

Laverne makes her soggy way home, after pushing Hank in the tank.  Earlier, Carmine told Frank he felt like a son by being asked to a Dodgers game, and he and Laverne argued like siblings.  He's sort of like a big brother when they talk after her date, although still borderline flirty.  He's surprised to find out that the reason why she doesn't want to go around expecting guys to lie and cheat is because she's actually a romantic who's waiting for that one guy she can believe in.  And he lets Laverne cry on his shoulder, after he first takes off his Dodgers jacket.

There is also Shirmine, with a horizontal smooch on the couch when she comes home from a short visit to a friend (or maybe it was a relative) who's having a baby shower.  I believe this is the first episode where she refers to him as Pookie Bear, although I could be wrong.

Steve Granat and Mel Sherer wouldn't write any more for L & S.