"Howard's 45th Fiasco"

This is probably the funniest episode so far, especially the first half, but it also has some good character moments.  OK, so early-seasons Howard would never have doubted his own life's purpose like this, but I can buy it from revamped early-live Howard.  I even liked Fonzie in this one and he gives good advice for once.  The comedic highlight here is of course the This Is Your Life sequence, although Arnold is quickly proving a valuable new cast member.  Anyway, I'm going with a B+

Other thoughts:

• There's a cool exterior insert of Richie pulling up to his house in his red car.
• Mary Treen has a career going back to early talkies.  (She's Cousin Tilly in It's a Wonderful Life.)  She'd be in the first Laverne & Shirley episode, as Nana Shotz.  Here the then-68-year-old plays Howard's third-grade teacher, whose name of Miss Prism is probably taken from The Importance of Being Earnest, although the personality is much different.
• Still more backstory on Arnold, who speaks Chinese and Japanese like his parents, but also Korean and Hungarian!
• Joanie, who was twelve the first two seasons is now fourteen, which is good because Moran turned fifteen the October this episode aired and looked it.
• Marion Cunningham's maiden name is Kelp.
• Howard was nicknamed Cookie as an Army cook.  He's had the hardware store for 25 years.  He played tuba in his high school marching band.
• Howard's band teacher was German, but Ralph seems to be vaguely imitating Chico Marx (who was of course German in real life).
• I love that Howard still can't stand Potsie and that Potsie is oblivious to this.
• If Richie's TIYL lines for everyone are a sample of his writing ability, he might want to rethink his career plans.
• The abandonment by Fonzie's father has now been retconned to when Arthur was four, which makes his backstory more tragic.
• Is this the first episode title with Howard's name in it?