Worst of Golden Girls: Your Least Favorite Moments

[Blakeston]

Blanche being disgusted by the soldier being a pharmacist was pretty bizarre. Surely a lot of the guys she was involved with had much less impressive jobs than that.

[Bastet]

8 hours ago, Mrs. Hanson said:

Another cringe worthy line?  Rose:  "He wants to take things slow?  Well how does that make you feel, Blanche?"  "Like a lady."

"Like a lady" is quite possibly my least-favorite line in the entire series. 

[LilWharveyGal]

13 hours ago, Blakeston said:

Blanche being disgusted by the soldier being a pharmacist was pretty bizarre. Surely a lot of the guys she was involved with had much less impressive jobs than that.

Chuck from Shell comes to mind. 

[scarynikki12]

Big Chuck from Shell or Little Chuck from Shell?

[ShadowSixx]

Did they have to ask the father for ID? I mean he ran the marathon so we can assume he dropped Emily off at their house like all the other parents did. Writing error when he knocked on the door and didn't recognize him. Wife was pregnant so probably in labor at the hospital.

Edited January 1, 2018 by ShadowSixx

[Ria]

I hate the whole beginning scenes between Blanche and Rose’s boyfriend, Dr Jonathon Newman. First Blanche slams the door in his face and tells Dorothy it was one of the Donaldson boys trying to sell them a magazine subscription (why??), then she thinks it’s a hoax that he is Rose’s date. It’s cringeworthy and makes no sense for her to think any of this. I don’t find it funny for her to behave this egregiously stupid. 

[Miss Chevious]

4 hours ago, Ria said:

I hate the whole beginning scenes between Blanche and Rose’s boyfriend, Dr Jonathon Newman. First Blanche slams the door in his face and tells Dorothy it was one of the Donaldson boys trying to sell them a magazine subscription (why??), then she thinks it’s a hoax that he is Rose’s date. It’s cringeworthy and makes no sense for her to think any of this. I don’t find it funny for her to behave this egregiously stupid. 

That was a great episode with some terrific one-liners. 

“May I take your height, umm, your hat.”

”That’s a good belle.”

And my favorite - “Shriiiimmmmmppp?”

[babyhouseman]

12 hours ago, Ria said:

I hate the whole beginning scenes between Blanche and Rose’s boyfriend, Dr Jonathon Newman. First Blanche slams the door in his face and tells Dorothy it was one of the Donaldson boys trying to sell them a magazine subscription (why??), then she thinks it’s a hoax that he is Rose’s date. It’s cringeworthy and makes no sense for her to think any of this. I don’t find it funny for her to behave this egregiously stupid. 

I know it was exaggerated for comedy, but I think the idea was Blanche was shallow and could be ignorant about people who were different. There wasn't the information on little people back then that we have now thanks to reality shows. 

The lines were great. "That would be unsouthern". "That's a good belle."

[BBHN]

That episode was totally worth it if only just for this scene:

[BlancheDevoreaux]

I went to my senior prom with a YANKEE!

 

I pretty much hate ever part of Fiddler on the Ropes, especially when he claims that they are bigoted for believing he didn't speak English when that is what he conveyed to them repeatedly.  

Edited January 4, 2018 by BlancheDevoreaux

[ZuluQueenOfDwarves]

5 hours ago, BlancheDevoreaux said:

I went to my senior prom with a YANKEE!

 

I pretty much hate ever part of Fiddler on the Ropes, especially when he claims that they are bigoted for believing he didn't speak English when that is what he conveyed to them repeatedly.  

Word! I appreciate what they were trying to do, but it was so hamfisted. 

“How dare you think that I’m a boxer who doesn’t speak English when I continually pretended not to understand you while I was training for a boxing match? Must be because I’m Cuban!”

[Mrs. Hanson]

On 1/2/2018 at 0:06 AM, babyhouseman said:

The lines were great. "That would be unsouthern". "That's a good belle."

No kidding - "What are we having for dinner?"  Dorothy:  "Short ribs....."

Then Dr. Newman breaks up with Rose because she is not Jewish!!!  

[Gothish520]

On 12/30/2017 at 5:17 PM, Mrs. Hanson said:

My peeve date:  Dick Van Dyke as the clown lawyer.  I just......ick.  It was way too set up and I never cared for it.  I never really cared for Dick Van Dyke so that never helped.  (Ducking tomatoes now)

I liked him a lot on his own show (one of my all-time favorite sitcoms) but he could be too goofy and/or annoying in other roles. 

[Mrs. Hanson]

On 1/9/2018 at 9:50 PM, Gothish520 said:

I liked him a lot on his own show (one of my all-time favorite sitcoms) but he could be too goofy and/or annoying in other roles. 

I must say that I did like the Dick Van Dyke Show as well.  Later in life, not so much.  Just the way he delivers a line!!!  I need to move on!  LOLOL!

 

On 12/31/2017 at 0:33 AM, Bastet said:

"Like a lady" is quite possibly my least-favorite line in the entire series. 

This just shows what an awesome actor Rue was.....she pulled that off!!!  Betty White, too, for asking how it makes her feel.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

On 12/31/2017 at 2:44 PM, scarynikki12 said:

Big Chuck from Shell or Little Chuck from Shell?

And Larry, who she picked up at a gas station in the episode where they go see the shrink.

[Sun-Bun]

I just saw the episode again where Rose and the gals competed in that bowling tournament; I'd forgotten how completely psycho Rose was with her hyper-competitive streak and how she ditched Rose and Dorothy both as bowling team partners just to make sure she could win. To be as sweet as she was otherwise, Rose was a total crazy bitch when it came to competition.

[Mrs. Hanson]

32 minutes ago, Sun-Bun said:

I just saw the episode again where Rose and the gals competed in that bowling tournament; I'd forgotten how completely psycho Rose was with her hyper-competitive streak and how she ditched Rose and Dorothy both as bowling team partners just to make sure she could win. To be as sweet as she was otherwise, Rose was a total crazy bitch when it came to competition.

Oh yes - didn't she have to switch high schools due to a field hockey incident?  There was another famous line about someone not needing a trophy on her mantle - SHE IS ON HER MANTLE!!!  I love the bowlingone too as it was so sweet of Dorothy to blow that shot, and Sophia knew it all along.

[mmecorday]

Quote

Dorothy's green and purple pajamas she wore on her date with John Noretti were just...wow.

She had so many outfits that made her look like she was going to a gay funeral in New Orleans, to paraphrase Blanche.

 

Quote

To be as sweet as she was otherwise, Rose was a total crazy bitch when it came to competition.

She went all "Lord of the Flies" very quickly when she and Dorothy and Blanche were (supposedly) shipwrecked while they were on vacation.

[HoboClayton]

And her coaching the kids football team was odd but funny. Rose does not like to lose. 

[BBHN]

I always liked it when Crazy Competitive Rose came out. It was nice to occasionally see a different side to her character.

[Ria]

7 hours ago, HoboClayton said:

And her coaching the kids football team was odd but funny. Rose does not like to lose. 

It was odd that the girls were coaching a boys football team when they had no children or grandchildren involved. Where were the parents? 

Rose not losing was at least one subject where continuity wasn’t tossed aside. Maybe it all started with churn tampering and her bitter butter memories. ;)

[Mrs. Hanson]

I love the fact (I hope it is a fact) that we can all pull these lines out of thin air, just from memory.  No need to look it up on youtube or in my case, my DVD's!!!  LOL!

1 hour ago, Ria said:

Maybe it all started with churn tampering and her bitter butter memories. ;)

She had lived with those bitter butter memories long enough.......

[ZuluQueenOfDwarves]

I hate, and I do mean HATE the Mangiacavallo Curse episode. Reasons:

 

1. The bride’s and bridesmaids’ dresses are UGLY, even by the standards of this show, and the 80’s/90’s in general. 

2. Blanche giving men away like sweaters and Dorothy getting mad because she can’t hand select the one she wants. WTF?!

3a. Rose needs to be babysat so she won’t cheat on Miles because she’s THAT horny. 

3b. Rose hops a plane to go jump Miles’ bones instead of cheating on him, and the others are impressed. 

4. Not only are Blanche and Rose invited to Dorothy’s goddaughter’s wedding, but Blanche at least has grown so close to this one off character who was an ADULT when Blanche met Dorothy that she merits being called “Aunt Blanche”. 

 

This list was was not written in order of importance. 

[legaleagle53]

2 hours ago, ZuluQueenOfDwarves said:

I hate, and I do mean HATE the Mangiacavallo Curse episode. Reasons:

 

1. The bride’s and bridesmaids’ dresses are UGLY, even by the standards of this show, and the 80’s/90’s in general. 

2. Blanche giving men away like sweaters and Dorothy getting mad because she can’t hand select the one she wants. WTF?!

3a. Rose needs to be babysat so she won’t cheat on Miles because she’s THAT horny. 

3b. Rose hops a plane to go jump Miles’ bones instead of cheating on him, and the others are impressed. 

4. Not only are Blanche and Rose invited to Dorothy’s goddaughter’s wedding, but Blanche at least has grown so close to this one off character who was an ADULT when Blanche met Dorothy that she merits being called “Aunt Blanche”. 

 

This list was was not written in order of importance. 

To say nothing of the fact that the so-called "A-lister" was a fat, balding unattractive schlub who didn't seem like he'd even remotely be Blanche's type, much less an "A-lister" -- and he turned out to be a Grade-A douchebag to boot.

Edited January 29, 2018 by legaleagle53

[Ria]

It always bugs me to see the grandfather has a key to the bridal suite and unlocks the door and lets Sophia in on the newlyweds without even a knock. Who would ever do that? 

[scarynikki12]

22 hours ago, legaleagle53 said:

To say nothing of the fact that the so-called "A-lister" was a fat, balding unattractive schlub who didn't seem like he'd even remotely be Blanche's type, much less an "A-lister" -- and he turned out to be a Grade-A douchebag to boot.

I think most of his appeal was that he was a judge.  He would get Blanche out of parking tickets, his position sounds impressive on her arm at an event, and surely has good stories.  The actor played him as cheerful so I can see him entertaining Blanche with crazy things he'd witnessed during his career.  And Dorothy was enjoying his company before shenanigans started happening.  He also must have been good in bed because Blanche would never give a man an A-list classification if he couldn't perform. 

22 hours ago, Ria said:

It always bugs me to see the grandfather has a key to the bridal suite and unlocks the door and lets Sophia in on the newlyweds without even a knock. Who would ever do that? 

I can buy that he would just open the door since he brought Sophia to fix the fight, and had no way of knowing that Dorothy had already provided some counsel, but I agree that he shouldn't have had a key in the first place. 

[MaggieG]

That episode did make me laugh when Sophia said Guissepe Mangiacavallo and then she spits. "May you be sterile and may all your offspring be sterile." There are definitly bad episodes but I think most of them have tiny moments like that. They make me laugh, even if the episode was awful.

[ButterQueen]

On 1/19/2018 at 8:36 PM, Ria said:

It was odd that the girls were coaching a boys football team when they had no children or grandchildren involved. Where were the parents? 

Rose not losing was at least one subject where continuity wasn’t tossed aside. Maybe it all started with churn tampering and her bitter butter memories. ;)

So true......??

[Mrs. Hanson]

17 hours ago, ButterQueen said:

So true......??

Make way for the Victors!  

Did you win?

No, we are all named Victor!

[Sun-Bun]

I dunno why, but I never liked Saul(was that his name?), that crusty old dude Sophia married. He just bugged me, and I hated the way he was such a shitty houseguest when he was living with the girls(the scene where he accidentally jumped in the shower with Dorothy while asking "Ready to play 'Connect the Freckle'?" and then stomping out bareass naked in front of all the gals still grosses me out---what a dick). 

And then they just flippantly agreed to not be married anymore, just like suddenly deciding not to order up a pizza? Just like that?? I kept wondering if they actually bothered to get divorced and/or anull the marriage even. That just felt like such an oddly random storyline for her that just fell flat...probably because he was such an asshole.

Speaking of which, even though she had some funny lines here and there, I always thought Sophia was an asshole---an abusively cruel asshole. The fact that she married a jerk like her did at least ring true with her overall character.

Edited February 11, 2018 by Sun-Bun

[Miss Chevious]

Sophia’s old, she’s supposed to be colorful.

And that crusty old dude she married was Max. Max Weinstock.

Edited February 12, 2018 by Miss Chevious
Added

[Ria]

2 hours ago, Sun-Bun said:

there, I always thought Sophia was an asshole---an abusively cruel asshole

I’m not much of a Sophia fan either. I also think  she was too often cruel. And while the show tried to depict her as all about family, she had horrible relationships with most of her family. And I don’t care how often the show claimed she and Dorothy were so close, most women I know have closer and  better relationships with their mothers. 

Edited February 12, 2018 by Ria

[msani19]

I also found Sophia to be brutally cruel especially to her family and friends. She sometimes could be funny but there are times that I watched and thought good grief WTF is wrong with this woman, she’s awful! She really was terribly mean to Dorothy. There are so many instances that I would need a few days to even list! 

[BookThief]

2 hours ago, Ria said:

I’m not much of a Sophia fan either. I also think  she was too often cruel. And while the show tried to depict her as all about family, she had horrible relationships with most of her family. And I don’t care how often the show claimed she and Dorothy were so close, most women I know have closer and  better relationships with their mothers. 

 

40 minutes ago, msani19 said:

I also found Sophia to be brutally cruel especially to her family and friends. She sometimes could be funny but there are times that I watched and thought good grief WTF is wrong with this woman, she’s awful! She really was terribly mean to Dorothy. There are so many instances that I would need a few days to even list! 

She had a stroke that eliminated her filter and left her, in Dorothy's semi-joking words to Clayton's husband, "a complete burden."

[ZuluQueenOfDwarves]

I thought Sophia was fine in the early seasons, but was flanderized to damn near borderline abusive in her jabs, especially towards Dorothy. But, that happened to all of them in the last couple of years. 

Dorothy: sensible school teacher who was unlucky in love to Hollywood dateless loser with no life. 

Blanche: unapologetically sexual Southern belle to man-hungry vamp dying for any scrap of attention any man deigned to throw her way. 

Rose: adorably naïve Midwestern housewife to daffy ditz that can’t do elementary level arithmetic. 

Sophia: wise Sicilian grandmother who did not suffer fools to vicious old lady who enjoyed other people’s pain. 

[Gothish520]

A couple of days ago I saw the two-parter where Dorothy almost remarried Stan. I really disliked Stan and I can't believe that after all that he put her through, she would fall "in love" with him again. The episodes themselves were ok, but just the thought that Dorothy would fall for that selfish, unattractive yutz for the hundreth time -  *shudder*.

[ShadowSixx]

I honestly don't know what Dorothy was thinking and did she say the sex was good because most of the time she said that Stan is lousy in bed. Dorothy was horrible when Stan was going to marry his new wife (forgot her name) and tried to stop the wedding. Dorothy falls for him whenever Stan shows his good qualities but his bad outweighs the good and IMO in a relationship when someone's cons outweigh the pros, it's a relationship not worth being in. 

Dorothy should have gotten the hint in the 1st season when her and Stan slept together and when she didn't want to pursue a relationship with him he quickly ran off to get back with Chrissy. 

Edited February 13, 2018 by ShadowSixx

[Ria]

I liked Stan as an occasional guest star but agree Dorothy was a fool to keep falling for him. 

But I think Blanche dated the most losers of the group. From the bigamist in the pilot, the jewel thief, the guy who cheated on her with Rose’s sister, Rob and Bob, the judge, the guy who refused to attend the awards dinner when she has the flu because she didn’t look perfect, the abusive jerk whose laundry she did, the guy who dumped her for a younger woman (the Sven episode), the married guy in the wheelchair to name a few.  She was an idiot for dumping Jake the caterer or having a problem with her soldier being a pharmacist. They were among the few decent guys she dated. 

Edited February 14, 2018 by Ria

[link417]

On 1/30/2018 at 4:32 PM, MaggieG said:

That episode did make me laugh when Sophia said Guissepe Mangiacavallo and then she spits. "May you be sterile and may all your offspring be sterile." There are definitly bad episodes but I think most of them have tiny moments like that. They make me laugh, even if the episode was awful.

I freaking love that line!! That is one of the lines I randomly think of every once in a while and it makes me smile. If anyone ever has the poor judgment to have me make a wedding toast, that will be my opening line.

My least favorite moment was finding out that Mamie and Big Daddy had an affair. I love Ruby Dee but felt this was a waste of a guest star with such a lazy "gotcha" plot twist. I also didn't like how easily Blanche forgave Mamie or how Mamie felt no remorse, even though she blamed it on "the times." But I think my main issue with it is that I prefer my fictional infidelity to be lighthearted and funny or it seems too real and I go to my judgmental place.

[ShadowSixx]

4 hours ago, Ria said:

I liked Stan as an occasional guest star but agree Dorothy was a fool to keep falling for him. 

But I think Blanche dated the most losers of the group. From the bigamist in the pilot, the jewel thief, the guy who cheated on her with Rose’s sister, Rob and Bob, the judge, the guy who refused to attend the awards dinner when she has the flu because she didn’t look perfect, the abusive jerk whose laundry she did, the guy who dumped her for a younger woman (the Sven episode), the married guy in the wheelchair to name a few.  She was an idiot for dumping Jake the caterer or having a problem with her soldier being a pharmacist. They were among the few decent guys she dated. 

Just like I thought Dorothy was an idiot for not pursuing a relationship with Al just because he was a cop. Yes his job was dangerous but danger is everywhere. I think she should have at least given him a chance since she was so crazy for him. 

I think Blanche knew she didn't pick real winners because in that episode where she gave Rose and Sophia advice on dating, Blanche told Rose that her advice work with the men she dates which are pretty much shallow men. She liked men that mostly liked her for her looks which is why she had a hard time dating John Quinn. I really wanted to see Blanche in at least one stable relationship on the show and John Quinn would have been perfect. That guy Blanche dated who had money and whisked her off in a jet and had two young kids, nothing wrong with his personality but he wasn't a looker either. Blanche only had Jake and John Q. who were worth having a lasting relationship with. Everyone else were duds. There was also the guy who wanted to take things slow and made her feel "like a lady". 

Speaking of Blanche's men when she thought she was gonna have a relationship with Dirk the young guy, when she went on a date with him, I thought she had on way too much make-up. The eyeshadow was a little too extra. To me she looked a little silly.

It also seemed Blanche didn't want a long lasting love because the pharmacist, she didn't like his career and wanted to date other people cause she didn't want to be tied down to him. Sad on her part because he seemed genuinely interested in her.

[ZuluQueenOfDwarves]

I was fine with Blanche’s relationships with Jake and Bill the pharmacist ending. Jake wanted to get married, even though Blanche felt they were incompatible because he was too blue collar. Bill wanted a commitment from her after one date. Dial down the thirst, dude. 

[ShadowSixx]

I think it was established that before Bill was shipped off he and Blanche were seeing each other and how Blanche said that when he returned they would start up again and only see each other and how he was also away they wouldn't date anyone. It was completely lost on Blanche however as she doesn't remember saying it. 

[Mrs. Hanson]

On 2/14/2018 at 12:28 AM, ShadowSixx said:

Just like I thought Dorothy was an idiot for not pursuing a relationship with Al just because he was a cop. Yes his job was dangerous but danger is everywhere. I think she should have at least given him a chance since she was so crazy for him. 

Loved Al the cop.  Bea Arthur and Joseph Campinella had some serious chemistry.  I agree she let him go too soon but then she had to be free to date others, right?

Per Blanche:  She did date a lot of losers, that is true!!  Rue explained it like this:  Blanche had the one true love of her life, and that was George.  After he died she spent the rest of her days looking for another perfect love.  (I am getting into the thought process of a character from a show that has been off the air since 1992.  I either get a medal or some therapy.)

[scarynikki12]

That makes sense.  Rue always played Blanche very differently when her love for George, and the pain of losing him, got focus.  Even her best love interests never warranted that level of emotion.  Rue always made me cry when she was given that stuff cause she killed it every time.  "I miss him so much" in her scene with Jamie encapsulated everything about her love for George and the hole in her life since his death.

Since this is the Worst thread, I always go with the lottery ticket episode.  The other bad episodes at least have entertaining B-plots, so I can just skip to those scenes, but the lottery ticket one has nothing else.  It's just awful from start to finish.

[ShadowSixx]

The fact that Blanche put the ticket in a jacket pocket instead of one of them keeping it in their purse or in their room made me roll my eyes. Also if Blanche had brought the receipt with her to prove that she purchased the jacket, there wouldn't have been an issue. Rose calling the lottery people with that story and can't believe they thought that the lottery people were just going to believe they had the winning ticket just because they said they did.

[Mrs. Hanson]

9 minutes ago, ShadowSixx said:

The fact that Blanche put the ticket in a jacket pocket instead of one of them keeping it in their purse or in their room made me roll my eyes. Also if Blanche had brought the receipt with her to prove that she purchased the jacket, there wouldn't have been an issue. Rose calling the lottery people with that story and can't believe they thought that the lottery people were just going to believe they had the winning ticket just because they said they did.

I hate hate HATE the lottery ticket episode, almost as much as I hate the Pigeon Drop one.  Blanche, you have the WINNING TICKET.  You put it in a VERY safe place like safety deposit box or, if in your house, a bright red or yellow envelope and put in in your ONLY purse or at least the one you use the most.  Or in your underwear drawer.  But loose in a JACKET?  I can't even.......

I can't get into the pigeon drop episode right now....my blood pressure meds are running low!!  LOL!  

[Ria]

The lottery ticket episode and the Empty Nest episodes are hands down my two most hated episodes. I pass on both when they air.

The one with Rose’s blind sister is on now. If the actress couldn’t portray a blind woman without keeping her eyes closed, couldn’t the director have at least put dark glasses on her? Because it actually makes it hard to watch her with her eyes closed throughout the whole episode. 

I always thought the writers missed out on a lot of comedic moments in having Rose’s visiting family so normal and not like Sven or the awards committee triplets. And it made Rose seem even dumber since the rest of her family were not the typical St Olafians she described in her stories. 

Edited February 18, 2018 by Ria

[ZuluQueenOfDwarves]

Well, it’s not that everyone there is an idiot. It’s just, per capita, they had more than their share. 

[Sun-Bun]

1 hour ago, Ria said:

The one with Rose’s blind sister is on now. If the actress couldn’t portray a blind woman without keeping her eyes closed, couldn’t the director have at least put dark glasses on her? Because it actually makes it hard to watch her with her eyes closed throughout the whole episode. 

Oh God, YES---I *loathe* that actress!!! Who in the Hell told her it was remotely believable, natural or acceptable to portray someone blind by keeping her eyes closed?? It really is annoying and weird, and with the character herself already being super annoying and needy, the eye-closed portrayal is just so irksome. 

[ShadowSixx]

On 2/17/2018 at 5:38 PM, Mrs. Hanson said:

I hate hate HATE the lottery ticket episode, almost as much as I hate the Pigeon Drop one.  Blanche, you have the WINNING TICKET.  You put it in a VERY safe place like safety deposit box or, if in your house, a bright red or yellow envelope and put in in your ONLY purse or at least the one you use the most.  Or in your underwear drawer.  But loose in a JACKET?  I can't even.......

I can't get into the pigeon drop episode right now....my blood pressure meds are running low!!  LOL!  

The pigeon drop was just ridiculous that Blanche and Sophia would put up $1000 of their money and put it into an account with a complete stranger and just because they get advice from a nun they actually do it. Sophia being wise, I thought this would be a red flag for her. Also doesn't make sense that Sophia says Dorothy's bank is over there and that Dorothy lets her draw from the account all the time. I find that hard to believe since Dorothy is tight with her money. Out of all the girls I always thought Dorothy was the smart one when it came to financials since what she been through with Stan over the years and the IRS.