"SKIN DEEP" Laverne With a Gun February 28, 1998

by
Gordon Hom

There's this Hollywood tradition of beloved comedic women who have long running TV shows and go on to become powerful producers. Penny Marshall played a clown and buffoon in the long running LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY, then went on to become a big time Hollywood director making big hit movies. So she shows up on NASH BRIDGES, but it's still hard to shake the image of Laverne with a Glock in her hands. You almost expect the gun to go full auto and spray bullets all over the place as Penny turns the situation into a comedic pratfall. But she doesn't, even as Nash assures us (and Joe) that "She's one of the best cops I've ever worked with." It's not re-assuring enough though. And it's not just because she's a woman: there was a made-for-TV movie a while back starring Kelsey Grammar (best known for his role as FRASIER) as a hard-boiled cop which was just as convincing. Strong comedians with guns don't match up. (Martin Lawrence with a gun is equally disturbing.) Penny does get to do the cop thing though, as she fires the gun to prove to us she is a believable cop. Iris narrowly misses the stalker as he flees up a staircase.

There was talk of casting Penny Marshall for the role of Linda Tripp in the speculative made-for-TV movie of the Clinton sex scandal. Indeed, the cop she plays in tonight's NASH BRIDGES is just as seemingly unpleasant and disagreeable. Iris clashes with Joe over everything, as the two just can't seem to get along. Iris' crankiness is partially explained by her recent divorce from her husband of 27 years. There was one quality which would have completed this outwardly unpleasant facade - if Iris smoked. Doesn't Penny Marshall/Linda Tripp with a butt hanging out the side of her mouth look like a natural?

Evan's latest sexual misconduct is once again presided over by wiser and more enlightened Harvey Leek - "You can't treat women like recreational vehicles." But to suggest laying off of women for a month - one just can't wait to see how this unfolds for poor oversexed Evan - Evan's liable to get as cranky as Iris. Nash turns on his family this week as Lynnette and Nick get Nash to lock horns with another NASH BRIDGES corrupt politico, as Lynnette describes city manager Larry Gossett as "this obnoxious, chiseling, little weasel." An irate Nash complains "My lunatic family is behind this," but Nash does defend Lynnette and Nick, though he does leave them to rot in jail for six hours.

For more, see synopsis for Episode 47

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