The entire cast did an excellent job with this episode. The show started out the usual comical way. Typical Lenny & Squiggy entering at the most inopportune moment. But the scene that obviously broke my (and anyone who watches) heart is the scene in which the boys deliver the fateful message. Very solemn entrance and both boys seem on the verge of tears - I think even they are in shock. Lenny breaks down as he attempts to tell Laverne but Squiggy interrupts and breaks the bad news. They were there at the scene so they'd be in shock as and devastated as well - they liked Randy too. The only episode to my recollection in which Squig entered the girls' apartment in a very solomn way rather than his usual famous "HELLO"
4 Reviews
Tearjerker all the way
angelahptrio3 May 2020
Probably the saddest episode ever on Laverne and Shirley. Another show explores death but in more dramatic because we see the character alive then gets killed off. Very bold plot twist especially on a show like Laverne and Shirley. The show is best known for fun, cookie cutter series, but this episode must've shocked the fans when it aired. I cry every time I watch it. Before Ted Danson became Ted Danson. Pre-Cheers.
Should've been a 2 part episode
LaverneandShirleysucks10 October 2021
This is a bizarre episode in the series and i'm sure viewers were scratching their heads back when it originally aired wondering if they accidentally tuned into a drama instead of the slapstick comedy of Laverne & Shirley.
That aside, if the writers were determined to write a serious episode that dealt a devastating and tragic blow to one of the main characters, more time was definitely needed to craft the story.
The show opens with Laverne's first date with fireman Randy and they hit it off wonderfully. Then their relationship is sped up within 3 minutes and suddenly we're at the 2 month point in their relationship and they're in love.
There's just no time given for the viewer to invest much in the Randy character or really care when he dies in a fire. Had this been a 2 part episode where the first part builds up Laverne & Randy's relationship, it would've given the audience time to care about Randy and the whole relationship.
It could've ended the first part with Randy asking Laverne to marry him and in part 2 we find out her answer and then the tragedy occurs.
The aftermath is dramatic, and well done by Penny Marshall but felt too rushed. More time should've been given to that as well as the previous buildup.
I know this was the dawn of the 80's where the new trend in sitcoms was to have "very special episodes". I watched a lot of them and some were good, but others made me cringe.
This episode didn't make me cringe, but it felt too rushed and I wish they had stretched it out to 2 parts to tell the story more slowly. It's still a bizarre episode in the midst of the whole series where nothing too heavy or bad ever happens to the main characters. You're left wondering "Why do that to Laverne?!" It's just too much for such a lighthearted show and really comes out of nowhere.
It was probably done as a ratings grabber to get viewers back because at this time L&S was moved from it's highly successful Tuesday night time slot to Mondays where it was losing a lot of viewers.
If I recall correctly, they were bumped from Tuesdays to make room for the abysmal Three's Company spinoff "The Roper's" and when that turd bombed, L&S went thankfully back to their Tuesday home.
When i'm in the mood for L&S I will definitely skip over this episode in the future. I prefer the comedy and slapstick of the girls. I'm still giving it 6 stars only for Penny Marshall who did very well in her dramatic scenes. But Laverne is a beloved character and doing that to her was just too cruel.
That aside, if the writers were determined to write a serious episode that dealt a devastating and tragic blow to one of the main characters, more time was definitely needed to craft the story.
The show opens with Laverne's first date with fireman Randy and they hit it off wonderfully. Then their relationship is sped up within 3 minutes and suddenly we're at the 2 month point in their relationship and they're in love.
There's just no time given for the viewer to invest much in the Randy character or really care when he dies in a fire. Had this been a 2 part episode where the first part builds up Laverne & Randy's relationship, it would've given the audience time to care about Randy and the whole relationship.
It could've ended the first part with Randy asking Laverne to marry him and in part 2 we find out her answer and then the tragedy occurs.
The aftermath is dramatic, and well done by Penny Marshall but felt too rushed. More time should've been given to that as well as the previous buildup.
I know this was the dawn of the 80's where the new trend in sitcoms was to have "very special episodes". I watched a lot of them and some were good, but others made me cringe.
This episode didn't make me cringe, but it felt too rushed and I wish they had stretched it out to 2 parts to tell the story more slowly. It's still a bizarre episode in the midst of the whole series where nothing too heavy or bad ever happens to the main characters. You're left wondering "Why do that to Laverne?!" It's just too much for such a lighthearted show and really comes out of nowhere.
It was probably done as a ratings grabber to get viewers back because at this time L&S was moved from it's highly successful Tuesday night time slot to Mondays where it was losing a lot of viewers.
If I recall correctly, they were bumped from Tuesdays to make room for the abysmal Three's Company spinoff "The Roper's" and when that turd bombed, L&S went thankfully back to their Tuesday home.
When i'm in the mood for L&S I will definitely skip over this episode in the future. I prefer the comedy and slapstick of the girls. I'm still giving it 6 stars only for Penny Marshall who did very well in her dramatic scenes. But Laverne is a beloved character and doing that to her was just too cruel.
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