TOP 5 LAVERNE & SHIRLEY Episodes (Season 7 - Chris Edition) - Night After Night

And now it's the newbie's turn! Chris from the Night After Night Podcast takes on Season 7, the 2nd of the California years, in this top 5 ("sort of") countdown of his favorite episodes from the season. With the madcap treasures, the heartfelt acting, and the playful staging, did this cinephile find more to love in season 7 than the previous one? Find out!
What were your Top 5 of Season 7 of Laverne & Shirley? Let us know in the comments below!
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THE HOSTS:
Lisa Fernandes (@thatbouviergirl)
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[@Amythis8]

My easy, sleazy favorite episode of the season is the jaw-dropping "Perfidy." With yummy costumes (especially Laverne in one fabulous ensemble after another), shipping anarchy, hilarious lines (including Lander slaying all of us with his delivery even of "Tacoma"), old-fashioned narrator and organist, etc., etc., it is tacky splendor! One of the my Top Five of the series, probably. And, yes, notably one of the Core-Forest of the California years, even if they're dream-world versions. Also, I have seen this and "That's Entertainment" multiple times and they remain delightful every viewing.

[@nightafternightpod]

TACOMA

[@Amythis8]

My No. 4 is the under-rated "It Only Hurts When I Breathe." This explores one of the themes of the season (a theme I wish that they'd done even more with) about growing up while pushing thirty, with some genuinely funny moments, mixed with comparatively raw emotion. The girls' friendship is at the center, but there's other interesting stuff happening along the edges, like when the boys assume that Laverne punched herself in the jaw.

[@Amythis8]

My No. 2 was and is always "That's Entertainment." The sequences range from not bad to amazing. I'm not crazy about the frame device, but it serves its purpose. My favorite segment remains "Call the Police," with the "Eleanor Powell" number a close second, but overall it's an episode that offers, well, pure entertainment. (And yes, the operetta is Lavenny candy.)

[@Amythis8]

My No. 3 is "Love Is the Tar Pits," a fascinating episode that explores a unique triangle. As with some of the other one-episode romances (like "Why Did the Fireman"?) it probably should've been a two-parter, but it covers a lot, and hints at more. As with "Helmut Weekend," I wish that Laverne and Shirley were more involved (and of course Laverne not Flanderized), but we get to hear Carmine weighing in. In some ways, this episode is a funhouse mirror of HW, with the boys' friendship+ threatened by love for someone else, and the loyalties tested. Squiggy does not react as Lenny does, because the situation is different (new girlfriend rather than estranged father) and because he handles his emotions very differently. We get to see different sides of Lenny (playfully romantic, stubborn, and of course wounded), and while I don't think he and Karen could've lasted long even if she hadn't gone to New York, he's a better person for having met her.

[@Amythis8]

For now, my No. 5 is "Helmut Weekend." I agree that it's a very strong showcase for both boys, Squiggy in particular, as Lander aptly portrays Squiggy's conflict while staying totally consistent with the peculiar but endearing character he's built up over the years, and McKean is as ever the loyal sidekick with more emotional intelligence than people realize. I do wish that Laverne and Shirley had more to do. (The splintering of the Core Four in S7, particularly the girls from each other and from the boys, is one reason I enjoy S7 less than S6.)

[@pamj7823]

Very thoughtful review. Really enjoyed it.

[@nightafternightpod]

Thank you!

[@Amythis8]

Both Top 5s for S7 have impressive editing and writing. I agree and disagree with both Lisa and Chris. S7 is a season that I generally don't have strong feelings about, and I'm meh about many of the episodes, much more than with other seasons. So while I always knew what my No. 1 and 2 would be, my 3 to 5 fluctuates, and a year from now I might list them differently.