"Fonzie the Father"

This episode doesn't work.  I mean, it's not terrible, but it doesn't work on a farcical level and it doesn't work on a realistic level.  A very pregnant woman named Louisa shows up at Arnold's and at first she's looking for Richie but actually she's looking for Fonzie, but she's the wife of one of his best friends, Danny Corrigan, who of course we've never heard of before.  Danny wants Fonzie to look after Louisa while Danny is on the road, so Richie, who's been hoping to throw a big party (three kinds of pretzels!) with his family out of town, invites her to stay in Joanie's room, leading his parents to think he's the father, even though he "gets such good grades."

But then Fonzie thinks that since his life is more interesting than Richie's (debatable), Richie should be the one staying home with Louisa every night.  (It's not explained how she manages while Richie's at school and Fonzie is at work.)  Richie resents this, especially when Potsie and Ralph fix him up with "Miss Trout," so he gets in an argument with Fonzie, broken off by Louisa going into labor.  And the two young men panic but she drives herself to the hospital, where the staff is throwing a retirement party.  Louisa gives birth to a healthy boy (as if Danny would father anything else, Fonzie says), and everything works out.

Except in the tag they need someone to watch the baby.  And Fonzie decides on Laverne and Shirley (or "L & S" as he calls them at one point), which leads to the crossover episode "Bachelor Mothers," where Fonzie charms the girls into sitting.  That's a C+, while this is a C.

Just a couple notes:

• Christina Hart, who was Carole Actman twice in '74, this time is Kitty, the candystriper Richie recognizes.
• Udana Power of course had much better material as Deirdre the beatnik.  She would play Louisa on the crossover obviously.