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When her crabby landlady evicts her pets, an outraged Vera (Beth Howland) predicts dire consequence for the old woman. Shortly thereafter, the landlady's apartment catches fire, and Vera thinks that she is somehow responsible. Unfortunately, so do the police! This is the first of several episodes in which series star Linda Lavin essays the dual role of waitress Alice Hyatt and vituperative landlady Debbie Walden (a fact that was withheld as a "surprise" in the original TV Guide listings).