I've changed my view on Shirley and Carmine as a pairing.

Neither character is a fave of mine, so I've never really given them much real thought either as individuals or as a couple. They're always just kind of there for me. But, I decided to pay a little more attention to them lately and I realized, I don't really ship them.

It's like, I want to like them, but the show, the way they're written I guess, just makes it really difficult. They seem to just be together for the sake of it. Like, they're stuck in a holding pattern and it's just easier to be together than to end it completely, ya know? Not that I don't think they care about (and even love each other), but it just never looks like something enduring.

Shirley wants that doctor, any doctor and she would drop Carmine in a hot second the moment one looked twice at her. Maybe I'm being unfair to her, but she seems to treat Carmine as a placeholder.
Not that I think Carmine is a saint or anything. He runs around with the likes of Lucille and whoever else. Perpetual bachelorhood wouldn't surprise me with him.
They're both very much at fault for the multitude of issues in their relationship.

That said, I'd still take them over her and Walter. :D

I guess there's really no point to this post, but I felt like I needed to get it out. :lol:

See now with me, I always liked them together! I thought they had great chemistry and seemed to really love each other ! I think they should have ended up together!

I used to think so too, but now that I've taken a deeper look at it, I totally understand why it didn't happen.
I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything. Just, for myself, I see it differently now.

That's cool!!!

It's like, I want to like them, but the show, the way they're written I guess, just makes it really difficult. They seem to just be together for the sake of it. Like, they're stuck in a holding pattern and it's just easier to be together than to end it completely, ya know? Not that I don't think they care about (and even love each other), but it just never looks like something enduring.

Shirley wants that doctor, any doctor and she would drop Carmine in a hot second the moment one looked twice at her. Maybe I'm being unfair to her, but she seems to treat Carmine as a placeholder.
Not that I think Carmine is a saint or anything. He runs around with the likes of Lucille and whoever else. Perpetual bachelorhood wouldn't surprise me with him.
:

I get it, and I feel the same way. Per cannon, they started dating in high school and just sort of grew up together. They weren't either one's ideals, although I do think they had genuine affection for one another. They were like the couple everyone knew in college who kept breaking up and drifting back together because they were in the same crowd and it was convenient. I accept that they were each other's first loves, but not lasting loves.

The relationship sort of made sense, in nothing more than a convenience sort of way, until the move to CA. When Carmine moved to Burbank, things should have escalated, or he should have stayed in WI. I heard a rumor--can't quote the source for the life of me--that Eddie Mekka was sort of on the fence about re-upping when his contract ended after S5 and they brought in Ed Marinaro as Sonny, or as I called him "Carmine-lite" to play the Carmine-ish role in CA.

The relationship sort of made sense, in nothing more than a convenience sort of way, until the move to CA. When Carmine moved to Burbank, things should have escalated, or he should have stayed in WI.

Totally. The writers should've committed one way or the other. Break them up once and for all, or make them a real couple. That whole existing in limbo thing they had going on just made it difficult to root for them.

I think that's why I tend to ship so many non-canon pairings. It's just easier to root for a couple when they don't have all the baggage that the show's writing has saddled on them.

They would've made a great couple

Totally. The writers should've committed one way or the other. Break them up once and for all, or make them a real couple. That whole existing in limbo thing they had going on just made it difficult to root for them.

I think that's why I tend to ship so many non-canon pairings. It's just easier to root for a couple when they don't have all the baggage that the show's writing has saddled on them.
I agree. They either needed to become a couple or not. The on again off again, sometimes together thing made little sense. Personally, I think Carmine should never have moved to California unless they were to become a couple. He gives up his dream of owning his own dance studio to deliver singing telegrams, and go on the occasional date with Shirley? (And watch her go out with other guys?). That made zero sense.

I'm not sure why you'd watch Laverne & SHIRLEY, if you don't care much for Shirley. That said, I LOVED Carmine/Shirley and wished they had gotten married. My dream was that she did meet Walter, he proposed, and he being a doctor, had to say yes. As the day of the nuptials drew nearer, she started thinking of how she and Carmine did this, and did that together. Laverne would remind her of of it as well. Carmine would come over and 'help' Shirley in any way he could to get ready for the wedding, as Carmine had always helped the girls. He calls her Angel Face. She recalls (with old clips playing), how much the two of them meant to each other. He wishes her well, and reminds her he will always be there for her. She even makes it to the church. Carmine is there, as always. Then, I don't know...she just sort of realizes it's not a doctor that she wants, but Carmine! LOL. Then she calls the wedding off.

I do agree with the others who say that if Carmine moved to Ca. to be with Shirley, leaving his dance studio dream/career behind, he should have gotten a tremendous payoff, i.e.. Shirley, or Carmine (as much as I looooovvee him, and probably wouldn't watch the show much anymore) doesn't go off to California, chasing Shirley.

When Carmine's character is IMPLIED that he's getting ACTION from other dates (on many occasions) it really ruined the Shirl / Big Ragu chemistry

Not sure if writing that into the show was good idea ?

I think it changes EVERYTHING about the 2 of them