Shirley arrives home to ecstatically tell Laverne some news: She's getting married. Laverne is initially happy for her, but starts to worry about ending up alone after getting taunted. And how will Carmine react once he finds out about the marriage?
Let's get the negatives out of the way: It's difficult to buy into this relationship at first. Not because I don't believe Shirley wouldn't eventually fall in love with and marry a doctor, but the fact that this is someone who we've never even met nor heard of before creates a level of confusion.
And if you thought that was much, Carmine met someone and is in a serious relationship as well. I think they missed an opportunity at an interesting conflict by only having Shirley finding someone new while Carmine still has feelings for her. It feels a bit forced, like they want to avoid the whole thing feeling too depressing.
Lastly, if Walter is getting shipped off to sea and Shirley stays with Laverne for a year more until he's back, how will they explain her leaving earlier than that?
But thankfully, the weaknesses in the story are overcome by the laughs. Maybe it's because this is one of her last showings, but I continue to be impressed by Cindy Williams' gift of making every little gesture and line reading funny. Her sudden shock and disgust at Carmine finding someone new even though she was just telling him remorsefully she's getting married is a stitch. Not to mention her sudden mood shift shortly after when she says she's happy for him. I'm gonna miss the dynamic between them almost as much as her banter with Laverne.
Frank serves a good role as well, being so enthusiastic about Shirley's marriage like she was his second daughter. The part where he starts to cry just before the ceremony is some hilarious physical acting from Phil Foster.
Lenny and Squiggy (who sadly say goodbye to Shirl even earlier than Laverne) get a lot of great scenes. It's both surprising and kinda sweet that they are genuinely happy for her sake instead of getting jealous and upset. Though Squiggy is still somewhat suspicious about her new partner, which is just what you'd expect from him. The remarks they make about Laverne though somewhat cruel are still funny, such as Squiggy's nonsensical joke that he's gonna be riding on a dinosaur 100 years from now.
The wedding itself is perfectly absurd. Walter got into an accident and broke every bone in his body, so he's all wrapped up in bandages. Essentially, Shirley's marrying the mummy. The priest (played by character actor Richard Stahl) has a very memorable line:
"You may now kiss the bride... if you're able.
Squiggy compares the husband to The Mummy's Bride and starts making ghostly noises, which scares Lenny. Eventually he goes so overboard he frantically runs out of the room. Gotta love the silly games they have with each other.
Most importantly, what makes this episode work is the friendship and respect Laverne and Shirley show towards each other. This has been evident from the start, but is extra important to be reminded of towards the end. When they hug and wish each other luck in life, it feels so painfully real and sad. This is pretty much the end of an era. It's not gonna feel the same when I'll have to watch Laverne living all on her own.
Let's get the negatives out of the way: It's difficult to buy into this relationship at first. Not because I don't believe Shirley wouldn't eventually fall in love with and marry a doctor, but the fact that this is someone who we've never even met nor heard of before creates a level of confusion.
And if you thought that was much, Carmine met someone and is in a serious relationship as well. I think they missed an opportunity at an interesting conflict by only having Shirley finding someone new while Carmine still has feelings for her. It feels a bit forced, like they want to avoid the whole thing feeling too depressing.
Lastly, if Walter is getting shipped off to sea and Shirley stays with Laverne for a year more until he's back, how will they explain her leaving earlier than that?
But thankfully, the weaknesses in the story are overcome by the laughs. Maybe it's because this is one of her last showings, but I continue to be impressed by Cindy Williams' gift of making every little gesture and line reading funny. Her sudden shock and disgust at Carmine finding someone new even though she was just telling him remorsefully she's getting married is a stitch. Not to mention her sudden mood shift shortly after when she says she's happy for him. I'm gonna miss the dynamic between them almost as much as her banter with Laverne.
Frank serves a good role as well, being so enthusiastic about Shirley's marriage like she was his second daughter. The part where he starts to cry just before the ceremony is some hilarious physical acting from Phil Foster.
Lenny and Squiggy (who sadly say goodbye to Shirl even earlier than Laverne) get a lot of great scenes. It's both surprising and kinda sweet that they are genuinely happy for her sake instead of getting jealous and upset. Though Squiggy is still somewhat suspicious about her new partner, which is just what you'd expect from him. The remarks they make about Laverne though somewhat cruel are still funny, such as Squiggy's nonsensical joke that he's gonna be riding on a dinosaur 100 years from now.
The wedding itself is perfectly absurd. Walter got into an accident and broke every bone in his body, so he's all wrapped up in bandages. Essentially, Shirley's marrying the mummy. The priest (played by character actor Richard Stahl) has a very memorable line:
"You may now kiss the bride... if you're able.
Squiggy compares the husband to The Mummy's Bride and starts making ghostly noises, which scares Lenny. Eventually he goes so overboard he frantically runs out of the room. Gotta love the silly games they have with each other.
Most importantly, what makes this episode work is the friendship and respect Laverne and Shirley show towards each other. This has been evident from the start, but is extra important to be reminded of towards the end. When they hug and wish each other luck in life, it feels so painfully real and sad. This is pretty much the end of an era. It's not gonna feel the same when I'll have to watch Laverne living all on her own.