Reliving Happy Days

  I like this series-closer, especially the understated performance by Molinaro as the voice of reason, so I'll give a B-.  It's interesting how upset Louisa is about the possible elopement, considering how accepting she is of the idea of Chachi proposing I assume just a few months later on HD, however this chronology works out. A couple notes: Chachi is somehow still 18. Millee Taggart didn't write anything else for the Marshallverse, and instead seems to have done a lot of soap operas. Over the course of its 17 episodes, JLC ranges from C- to B-, averaging out to a high C, so it's not as good as Season Ten of Happy Days, although it's better than Season Eight of Laverne and Shirley.  I don't know that it would've been able to improve with more time, but there are certainly worse HD spinoffs.  *coughBlanskysBeautiescough*

This is obviously set before the HD episodes where Joanie gave up the band, since they had to burn off what was left of this series.  Surprisingly, it's a bit of a clip show, using highly selective moments of HD as Chachi looks back on his relationship with Joanie, when her "first love," from seventh grade shows up and is somehow already in med school.  (Did he skip high school or something?)  I went with a C because the continuity errors bugged me.

I have to go with a C because Jenny is both a heartless bitch and someone we're meant to feel sorry for, although I do admit that I like that we get yet another Hawaiian-themed party, and Fonzie gives good advice, for the second episode in a row. Notes: This is also the second HD episode in a row where the backyard is shown. James Start is Frank and I continue to have no idea who this is. Cathy Silvers's sister Candace returns as her cousin Carla Bee. Ashley and Heather are gone now and I don't remember if it's explained in Season Eleven what happened to them. This is the last episode for both K.C. and Flip, but presumably they either went off to college or returned to their respective parents. Season Ten of Happy Days ranges from D+ to a surprising B, but half of the twenty-two episodes are C+, so this comes out to a low C+ average, better than Seasons Eight and Nine but still not great.  The new characters don't particularly harm the show, but neither do they give...

I was leaning towards a C or even C-, but Chachi does grow up in this episode and apologize some for his jerkiness, so C+. Notes: This not only picks up where the last episode left off but repeats maybe the first minute or so. Al and Louisa not only come all the way from Chicago when they think Chachi is going to propose to Joanie, but they dress as if going to a wedding! Al refers to the Michael Caine movie Alfie (1966). Although it looks like summer might be just around the corner, Fonzie's birthday (once in January) is a month away. I was of course amused that Howard is insulted that Chachi considered asking even Potsie for advice first. It's unclear where Chachi is staying before heading back to Chicago.  With Fonzie maybe? I'm omitting Billy Warlock and Ted McGinley from the over-crowded tags.

The two threads are sort of both about fathering, with Howard looking after Joanie when she's home from touring with "the Canadian flu" (really exhaustion and burnout), and Fonzie looking after Heather when Ashley's out of town.  I was actually more intrigued by Joanie's doubts about the band, after she fought so hard to get her parents to accept it, but it looks like that will be gone into more in an upcoming episode.  Anyway, C+. Note that Fonzie and the Phillips brothers are excited about the Liston-Clay fight, I guess the one from February '64.  Although uncredited, that sure sounds like Harry Shearer doing the fight commentary.

Wow, this is a genuinely funny episode!  Of course it helps that Peter Scolari, like his Bosom Buddy Tom Hanks, guests, but the other people have good material, too.  (Even Ted McGinley, on his exit line!)   I even like the subplot of K.C. auditioning for the school play, although we don't get to see any performances except her practice with her aunt and uncle, all of them hamming it up Southern style.  This is the first B of the post-Richie years, a very pleasant surprise. Notes: There's a nice little joke where Howard says they shouldn't expect a Tony-winning performance, which the studio audience gets.  (Bosley won in 1960.) We get not only the last appearance of Ken Lerner as Rocco Baruffi, but the last of Father Delvecchio, although of course his twin brother would return. Fonzie went to a dance at Shotz Brewery ten years ago, when Laverne and Shirley were presumably still in high school.

Not only does Potsie get Fonzie and Roger up in a prop plane with an unreliable pilot, but he says all the wrong things when everyone worries at the Cunninghams'.  No wonder Jenny calls him an idiot and Howard ushers him out the door.  So I'm boosting this from a C to a C+. Notes: Flip jokes that Jenny won't finish high school while she's a teenager, but it's not exactly a joke. Catherine Gilmour, who's Teresa here, would soon be Patti on Laverne & Shirley. Skier William Woff was Bill Ziegler on Joanie Loves Chachi. Martin Ferrero would return as the pilot Omar, so I guess his parachute worked. There are four writers this time, and they still manage to bring up a possible party and then quickly drop that thread.  Francis X. Feighan has absolutely no other IMDB credits, and Michael O'Mahony wrote more things but nothing else for HD, while Richard Gurman wrote five other HD scripts and Larry Strawther two others.