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**EXPLICIT LANGUAGE WARNING** The girls throw a party to show off some of their most recent photos. During the gathering, Carmine makes the gang laugh with some funny hi-jinks and they encourage him to take an open mic gig at a new comedy club. But when the big night arrives, Carmine turns to brutal insult humor to get a chuckle out of the crowd. It works - at the expense of all his supportive friends, including the girls, Lenny, Squiggy, Edna, and Frank. On pod, Chris gets *very very* angry and Lisa does her best to look on the bright side of this final directing outing for the show by Penny Marshall.

On pod, we talk the '60s scene of the time, some backstory trivia thanks to one of the episode's writers (thanks Cindy Begel!), and pontificate what '70s director these rock n rolla's would be involved with. In the episode covered, Laverne & Shirley are delighted by the arrival of rockers Derek DeWoods (Eric Idle) and London (Peter Noone) from chart toppers London's Bridges at Cowboy Bills one afternoon. Starstruck fans that they are, they introduce themselves to the fellas, and charmed as they are, the boys invite them to a house party (on Blue Jay Way!). Derek and London, encouraged by bandmate Malcom (Stephen Bishop), soon realize there's an easy solution to the tax troubles they've been having -- dueling green card marriages. Sniffing about for easy marks, they set their sights on Laverne and Shirley, who have accidentally imbibed one pot brownie too many. Stoned to the gills, the girls are whisked away to Vegas for a fast wedding. Will they say those two little words or will their inebriation keep them from marital bliss once more?! Meanwhile, Lenny and Squiggy meet mary jane at the party's 'jolly room,' and only Lenny enjoys the encounter. 

When a rainstorm hits Burbank and everyone's stuck indoors at Laurel Vista, Rhonda convinces the gang to spend a night in the girl's apartment playing "To Tell The Truth" - a version of "truth or dare" on steroids. When feelings are hurt and romances are threatened, the group splits up into duos to try and reconcile their differences. Will they be able to mend their broken bridges? On pod, Lisa talks about the original scripted ending for the episode while Chris does some director-talk.

When the original Cowboy Bill asks Laverne & Shirley to watch his beach house in Malibu for a short while, the girls are on opposite ends of "beach party or not." But when they crack and do it anyway, it really kicks off. Bad weather, a massive demand for weenies from the guests, and a biker gang whose scene is excised almost entirely on the DVD edit conspire to ruin the girl's weekend. Can they keep Cowboy Bill from finding out just how wild their time at the beach was? On pod, we do our best to cover the episode given its truncated form and discuss the preservation of our TV history in the process.

Laverne and her stuntman boyfriend Sonny's burgeoning relationship is growing deeper and closer. But when Laverne gets scared that he'll hurt himself or die - like her lost near-fiancé Randy Carpenter - they start fighting. Shirley tells Sonny about Randy, causing Sonny to preemptively quit the movie business to join his cousin selling insurance. Realizing he's unhappy and frustrated by Shirley's meddling, Laverne tries a stunt of her own to get Sonny back out on the ledge where he belongs. Meanwhile, Shirley's artistic pursuits take a painterly turn and the boys try yet another insurance scam. On pod, how this episode attempts both continuity and character consistency.

It's Lenny & Squiggy-tastic, as the boys take center stage while Laverne & Shirley head off to a Dodgers game with Pop and Sonny. Commiserating with Edna at Cowboy Bills, the boys have just come back from a silent movie film fest and are completely taken with the old-timey medium they've never seen before. Their daydreams kick in and the audience is treated to a menagerie of pastiches inspired by silent genre classics. But will these daydreams translate to woo'ing the pretty lady?  On pod, both Lisa and Chris get super nerdy about the handling of silent movie motifs and styles, while also being unafraid to mention how gay the episode is.

With the passing of Cindy Williams (1947-2023), we wanted to take some time to discuss her career, both on Laverne & Shirley and other film & TV shows. She's an amazing inspiration to us both and we hope that you'll join us in celebrating and remembering her talent. She was a bright, shining light and we will miss her very much.  Thank you for your patience as we had to gather ourselves during a very busy week to put this recording together!

CONTENT WARNING - this episode discusses sexual assault, rape culture, and sexist tropes in fiction - listener discretion is advised! While the gang is preparing to celebrate Cowboy Bill's 50th day since opening, a lawyer representing a motel in Nevada comes barging in. Apparently, Laverne, Shirley, Lenny, and Squiggy stayed at this motel and caused over $150 in damages that must be paid. But wait! They were registered as... two married couples? What follows is a sitcom equivalent of Rashomon. Will the truth be revealed? On pod, Chris cannot shut up about how much he hates this episode while Lisa tries to find the little nuggets of good that are worth saving.

This week, Shirley enters into a burgeoning relationship with a handsome pediatrician named Mark McKenzie. All seems to be going well, but there's a cloud on the horizon: he's recently estranged from his wife and is splitting custody of his young son, Bobby, with her. When Laverne discovers by chance that Diana McKenzie is Shirley's spitting image, it becomes clear that Mark may be displacing his frustrated affections on Shirley because of the resemblance. Shirley is placed on a collision course with her "twin." Will she hold onto what she's got? Meanwhile, Laverne, Lenny, and Squiggy bond with Bobby and Laverne tries to launch her folk singing career at Cowboy Bills. On pod, we talk the technical craftsmanship on display, the lively characterizations, and Cindy Williams' dual role performance!

***EXPLICIT LANGUAGE WARNING*** We went VERY far in this one, you have been warned! The girls go for an audition to be on The Dating Game, but it turns out Lenny and Squiggy end up on the show instead! So, Laverne, Shirley, Sonny, and Carmine circle around the TV to watch the prime time goodness. Will Lenny, Squiggy, or Bob get to win the affections of the vivacious but vacuous Monique? On pod, we talk the energetic nature of Penny's directing, the boys being openly themselves, and a little trivia about the guest actors!

Laverne & Shirley find jobs in the gift-wrapping section of Bardwell's, a department store. But on their first day, a hungry Laverne ends up eating a whole box of 100-proof rum-filled chocolates! Now intoxicated, she and a sober Shirley must struggle with the rest of their work day. Meanwhile, the boys plan casting for a movie and Carmine becomes a singing telegram boy. On pod, we talk the dynamics set up in this new job on the show and talk some writing/directing shop!

The girls struggle to find work, with Shirley taking action while Laverne's homesickness has her procrastinating at every turn. After an argument about money, Laverne takes their stuntman friend Sonny's offer to assist with a knife throwing act at the opening of Cowboy Bill's. But, when Sonny has an accident and breaks his arms, Shirley has to step in as Dead-Eye Feeney. Will she murder Laverne horribly in front of an audience?! Also, Carmine arrives and the boys go with Laverne to Disneyland. On pod, we talk the show finding its new normal, the cute character humor, and that Chris may *finally* be finding himself liking Carmine?!

Laverne & Shirley head to a studio tour, hoping to check out Troy Donahue's new cave man movie. They then find themselves offered to be stunt performers for the film, playing damsels in distress and getting knocked around by fake rocks and prop dinoaurs. Will they be able to survive to meet Troy Donahue himself?! On pod, we talk the filmmaking shenanigans, how Wonga is life, and whether the sixth season has found its groove or not.

Laverne & Shirley reach the Laurel Vista Apartments and get introduced to their new California digs. A swanky apartment with a lovely view, a handsome building manager (and stuntman!) Sonny, and a cunning next door neighbor (and b-movie actress!) Rhonda. It's all a lot to take in. Nice as it sounds, the morning after their arrival an earthquake hits. And they find out Lenny & Squiggy have decided to move in across the hall from them. Will they stay in California? On pod, we talk the thoughts about these new character arrivals, the lack of a conflict/plot in the episode, and other character-driven meta!

The new season has begun and it's time for big changes. Jumping forward a few years, Laverne & Shirley quit instead of being demoted at the brewery. Thinking about their options and after a fantasy about what wonderful dreams could come true, the duo decide to head west for California, with their friends in tow. On pod, we talk the circumstances that led to the locale change, the change up in tone, and whether the poignancy of leaving Milwaukee behind is properly covered.

We've made it to the end of the Milwaukee seasons! Season 5 wraps up with a story in which Laverne showing signs of "monophobia" and is too uncomfortable (or unwilling) to spend time alone. Shirley intervenes and meddles, pushing her best friend and roommate into going to dinner alone at a hot new Chinese restaurant in town. Madcap zany antics ensue, but will this help Laverne overcome her monophobia or is Shirley getting them both in over their heads?  On pod, we talk character consistency, discover some neat connections with the guest actors in the episode, and give some last thoughts on season 5!

When Lenny's Uncle Lazlo passes away, the poor boy inherits a diner. Due to a prior agreement with Squiggy, the two share it in equal measure. Fearing the place will turn into an (even bigger) disaster area and seeing an opportunity for their own independence, Laverne & Shirley convince the boys to let them manage and operate the joint. It quickly turns into a disaster, all right - for the girls, who have to put up with harassment from customers, keep up with complicated orders, and watch as their hash browns char black. Will they survive the madness of the restaurant business?!  On pod, we talk the physical comedy, the implications of Laverne's characterization with her father, the little easter eggs and side jokes in the episode, and of course... tangent into grindhouse movies.

Joined by our good pal Chesh from the Book 'em Danno! podcast, we take on the wonder that is The Duke of Squiggman. When the boys are asked to housesit for Laverne & Shirley while they're away, Squiggy's habit of sleepwalking takes a dangerous turn. Dreaming that he's a well-heeled Duke living out wild fantasies fighting Huns, Lenny soon learns that Squiggy's sleepwalking could threaten his life. Even worse, he's  driving his best friend (and Carmine.  and Frank and Edna) to a near breaking point. Can Lenny help Squiggy realize who he really is and help him confront the source of his sleepwalking? On pod, we talk the characterizations, Penny's directing on the episode, and of course have many many many many feelings about Lenny and Squiggy.

Laverne's cousin Antonio (Ed Marinaro) arrives in Milwaukee after emigrating from Italy, hoping to make his own (American) dreams come true. He soon makes quite an impression with the whole gang, who have fun teaching him about Wisconsin cultural customs. Unfortunately Antonio's charms don't extend to strangers; he can't find a job in his new country to save his life. When he washes out at both the Pizza Bowl and Meckler's Department Store, all seems lost. But when a friend of Antonio's from the zoo drops by for a terrifying visit, he realizes that his new career path has been staring him right in the face the whole time.  On pod, we talk the awkwardness of the episode, Chris discusses his father's immigration story, and Lisa ponders over Marinaro's casting here vs. his role to come in Season 6.

Sgt. Plout's back and taking names. She thrusts the girls into a survival test to show that the Women's Army Corps is just as rugged, tough, and capable as the men's division. Unfortunately when Laverne & Shirley are dropped off in snowy mountains for the maneuver, their supplies are misplaced, leaving them without food while their male counterparts are able to cook up a storm. When one of the sexist jerks causes an avalanche, will the girls come to his rescue or let him stay under the snow? On pod, we talk some history about the Women in the Military, some of the behind-the-scenes stories about this episode, and whether or not Vicki Lawrence is enough to keep this one interesting.