The Duke of Squiggman

Episode Name/Number: The Duke of Squiggman (Episode 5.23)

Original Air Date: March 25, 1980

Summary: Lenny, Squiggy, and Carmine are staying at the girls' apartment while they are out of town, where they discover that Squiggy sleepwalks, taking on the identity of 'The Duke of Squiggman.' Lenny tries to get to the bottom of what may be causing his friend to assume this strange persona.

Guest Stars: Charles Thomas Murphy is back as Dr. Gentry (the psychologist from 'Testing, Testing').

Best Quote: "Don’t you understand? The winking of an eyelid. The dropping of a handkerchief. The throwing of a brick. These are all ways a woman has of saying 'Thank you for being a man.'" -Squiggy
Most Touching Moment/Quote: "I like you. I know I ain’t much to write home about. But at least it’s true." –Lenny, to Squiggy
Funniest Moment: Squiggy in character as the Duke of Squigman. ("Who could this Squiggy be? Sounds like some god-awful jungle virus." -Squiggy)
Squiggy Hello: None
Featured Songs: Lenny’s lullaby to put Squiggy to sleep
Strangest Moment: Basically the entire process of Squiggy drifting into sleep.

Best Insult: "Let me break it to you gently. I mean, there’s no future for you and me. I mean, I got a future… but most of yours is used up." –Squiggy, to Edna

Saddest Moment: Lenny trying to help Squiggy through his problem, by telling him that it’s okay if not everybody likes him, resulting in Squiggy ultimately admitting how the girl from earlier in the evening felt about him: "She didn’t like me. She hated me. Everybody hates me." -Squiggy
Fun Tidbit: Shirley apparently pays 25 cents an hour to Carmine for watching over the boys (plus the "tip" when he returns)… can someone explain to me again why the girls are essentially paying to have the boys stay with them, when they have their own apartment upstairs??

Episode in One Ridiculous Picture:

Star Rating: 3/5
Verdict: It all depends on how you feel about Lenny/Squiggy-centric episodes. You’ll have to first get beyond the very deliberate-seeming set up of the plot (oh look… Lenny, Squiggy, and Carmine just happen to be staying together all week!). I personally prefer episodes where all four cast members are around, but if you enjoy Lenny/Squiggy moments, there are plenty of those to go around here, as well as quite a bit of interesting character depth.

The Duke of Squiggman