Welcome Back, Kotter: Don't Come Up and See Me Sometime

Welcome Back, Kotter: Don't Come Up and See Me Sometime
ABC
September 25, 1978
Sitcom
DVD
C+

This is the first of six WBK stories co-written by Rick Hawkins and Liz Sage and it has some solo work by Travolta, when Vinnie thinks he wants privacy in his first apartment (not unlike Roger Thomas on What's Happening!!), but soon misses his friends when he kicks them out.  I might've given this a B-, but it has two flaws.  One, due to the airdates, this seems to be the first of nineteen appearances of twenty-six-year-old Stephen Shortridge, the poor man's Ted McGinley, as Beau DeLabarre, but he won't be "introduced" for another three weeks.  And it feels off to have him as one of the guys intruding on Vinnie when they just met.  Secondly, I don't buy Woodman bringing over a case of grape Nehi (also the favorite drink of Radar O'Reilly among others), when Barbarino is arguably his least favorite Sweathog.  Everyone gathering together in Vinnie's apartment feels forced, although ironically the joke Mr. Kotter tells is funnier than usual.

Linda McCullough makes her first of three appearances as Vinnie's girlfriend Sally the nurse.