Worst of Golden Girls: Your Least Favorite Moments

[Cancerchic44]

I always hate the over the top episodes in any series. Are we supposed to believe these average ladies would meet the Pope, the President, Bob Hope, Burt Reynolds, and be chosen for a Hollywood game show, and auditioned for Jeopardy? Not to mention being held at gun point numerous times, know someone in the witness protection program, and get arrested several times. All of those episodes were bad. Who maintains a job with shoplifting and prostitution arrests on their record? Just ridiculous.

[chessiegal]

10 hours ago, Cancerchic44 said:

I always hate the over the top episodes in any series. Are we supposed to believe these average ladies would meet the Pope, the President, Bob Hope, Burt Reynolds, and be chosen for a Hollywood game show, and auditioned for Jeopardy? Not to mention being held at gun point numerous times, know someone in the witness protection program, and get arrested several times. All of those episodes were bad. Who maintains a job with shoplifting and prostitution arrests on their record? Just ridiculous.

But isn't that kind of the point of a Sitcom? To take real life and exaggerate it for comedic effect? Take away the episodes you describe and you've reduced the series to about 1 season. When I think of Golden Girls, I think over the top nuttiness. I find it funny. 

[Cancerchic44]

10 hours ago, chessiegal said:

But isn't that kind of the point of a Sitcom? To take real life and exaggerate it for comedic effect? Take away the episodes you describe and you've reduced the series to about 1 season. When I think of Golden Girls, I think over the top nuttiness. I find it funny. 

I thought a lot of people had remarked they didn’t like the witness protection or Bob Hope storyline. I personally hated the Rose meeting the president episodes and Sophia stealing the Pope’s ring, but maybe that’s just me. I don’t think the series would be wiped out without those episodes, but to each his own.

[Ria]

2 minutes ago, Cancerchic44 said:

I thought a lot of people had remarked they didn’t like the witness protection or Bob Hope storyline. I personally hated the Rose meeting the president episodes and Sophia stealing the Pope’s ring, but maybe that’s just me. I don’t think the series would be wiped out without those episodes, but to each his own.

I hate the witness protection program story. It’s just ridiculous and completely pointless. And after the Cheeseman is arrested he goes back to being Miles (not Nick) the professor. How does an accountant become an English professor anyway? I’m pretty sure that’s not how the program works. The Bob Hope episode was just dumb. 

I think Sophia stealing the Pope’s ring is alright. It’s not as if the Pope came to their house and it has some funny lines. But I don’t like the subplot with the detective. 

[Blakeston]

On 4/23/2019 at 8:28 AM, BigBingerBro said:

I watched a random interview with Betty White where she said that the Rose character was not actually stupid but just VERY naive.  She took everything literally (like Ria's examples) which made her seem stupid.

That was the original concept for the character, and it was accurate in the beginning of the series. But eventually she was flat-out stupid in a way that went way beyond taking things literally. (Like asking why Mary and Joseph didn’t call ahead for reservations.)

On 5/8/2019 at 11:40 PM, Cancerchic44 said:

I always hate the over the top episodes in any series. Are we supposed to believe these average ladies would meet the Pope, the President, Bob Hope, Burt Reynolds, and be chosen for a Hollywood game show, and auditioned for Jeopardy? Not to mention being held at gun point numerous times, know someone in the witness protection program, and get arrested several times. All of those episodes were bad. Who maintains a job with shoplifting and prostitution arrests on their record? Just ridiculous.

Convictions are generally what get people fired, rather than arrests. And they wouldn’t have been convicted of anything.

i was fine with a certain amount of silliness (for example, IMO the Blanche of season one wasn’t nearly as funny as the even more delusional version from the later seasons). But things like Sophia’s date being Julio Iglesias, and Miles being in witness protection, crossed a certain line.

Edited May 10, 2019 by Blakeston

[MoistestCake]

On 5/10/2019 at 5:14 PM, Blakeston said:

Convictions are generally what get people fired, rather than arrests. And they wouldn’t have been convicted of anything.

Because they never went to trial. We never found out what happened after the arrest and bail. But I doubt they'd have been convicted. Surely being fully dressed in a dodgy hotel's lobby is not a crime - that arrest annoyed me. 

On 5/10/2019 at 5:14 PM, Blakeston said:

But things like Sophia’s date being Julio Iglesias, and Miles being in witness protection, crossed a certain line.

I never really like celebrities turning up as themselves in shows. It's always stupid. 

[Bastet]

33 minutes ago, MoistestCake said:

I never really like celebrities turning up as themselves in shows. It's always stupid. 

Unless it's Mr. Burt Reynolds.

Because I would be devastated, just devastated, if we didn't have that "Which one's the slut?"/"I am!" as all three raise their hands moment.

[fleurfairy]

The Bob Hope episode was defied logic. I have a feeling Bob Hope agreed to be in the show and they had to explain his presence (and stand up comedy act) in some capacity, but THAT was what the writers came up with??

[Irate Panda]

On 5/1/2019 at 4:20 PM, Ria said:

I never understood the problem with Dorothy dating Eddy the love machine. This was a woman who didn’t date much and had sex even less. Let her have some fun. When it ran its course, so be it. What was the problem that she had to dump him? And I hate Eddy’s line that the good ones always want more than sex. Maybe they’re just not that into you Eddy. 

Sophia irritated me in this episode.  God forbid Dorothy have some good sex, Sophia had no problem running her little ass around trying sleep with half the men she met. Tony, Fidel, Max, whatever the Japanese gardener ‘s name was.  Who cares if Dorothy would need or want more later on? Barring Miles, all the girls played hump and dump with most of the men they “dated” on the show anyway.

[MoistestCake]

8 hours ago, Irate Panda said:

... all the girls played hump and dump with most of the men they “dated” on the show anyway.

I have often wondered what happened to these guys. A few died (Fidel, Al Beatty) but most just vanished, like the Japanese gardner, the blind man Blanche dated, Arnie who took Rose on a cruise, the man who took Dorothy on a cruise and so many more. Some were clearly more than just a one off (I don't think they found them on Tinder). So where'd they go so abruptly? 

[Snow Apple]

17 hours ago, Irate Panda said:

Sophia irritated me in this episode.  God forbid Dorothy have some good sex, Sophia had no problem running her little ass around trying sleep with half the men she met. Tony, Fidel, Max, whatever the Japanese gardener ‘s name was.  Who cares if Dorothy would need or want more later on? Barring Miles, all the girls played hump and dump with most of the men they “dated” on the show anyway.

Sophia also didn't have a problem pimping Dorothy out to vendors to get discounts for a banquet. 

Dorothy knew exactly what the score was with Eddie so I don't know why Sophia is so high and mighty about two consenting adults just having a good time.

[Bastet]

The show liked to pat itself on the back for showing um, ya know, women can have casual sex and/or numerous partners (happily, not as an unhealthy means of coping with/compensating for something or as a reaction to male-induced trauma), but then the writers would pull shit like the Eddie storyline and that godsawful "like a lady" line and shoot themselves - and their characters - in the foot.

[Bastet]

12 hours ago, MoistestCake said:

I have often wondered what happened to these guys. A few died (Fidel, Al Beatty) but most just vanished, like the Japanese gardner, the blind man Blanche dated, Arnie who took Rose on a cruise, the man who took Dorothy on a cruise and so many more. Some were clearly more than just a one off (I don't think they found them on Tinder). So where'd they go so abruptly? 

Well, most dating relationships only last a short while, so that's pretty normal that we didn't see most of those men in more than one episode.  It's not really abrupt, just that between the last time we looked in on these folks (via an episode) and the next time, it had turned out that duo wasn't compatible for some reason and the relationship didn't progress.

[mmecorday]

Quote

So where'd they go so abruptly? 

To Connecticut, Rose!

[MoistestCake]

On 5/19/2019 at 7:27 PM, Bastet said:

and that godsawful "like a lady" line

Just watching that bit, omg it's horrible. 

Edited May 20, 2019 by MoistestCake

[Irate Panda]

On 5/17/2019 at 5:38 PM, fleurfairy said:

The Bob Hope episode was defied logic. I have a feeling Bob Hope agreed to be in the show and they had to explain his presence (and stand up comedy act) in some capacity, but THAT was what the writers came up with??

Even as a small child, I said Rose can't be that dumb after my grandma explain to me who Bob Hope was.

[OneWouldHope]

1 hour ago, Irate Panda said:

Even as a small child, I said Rose can't be that dumb after my grandma explain to me who Bob Hope was.

Well, Marilyn Monroe imagined she was Clark Gable’s daughter... It seemed a little plausible to me, that an orphan imagines fantasy parents. 🤗 I’m not saying this isn’t an annoying episode - I can’t believe Dorothy and Blanche don’t try for someone else after Rose tells them about “her father”, Bob Hope. 

Edited May 21, 2019 by OneWouldHope

[Irate Panda]

16 minutes ago, OneWouldHope said:

Well, Marilyn Monroe imagined she was Clark Gable’s daughter... It seemed a little plausible to me, that an orphan imagines fantasy parents. 🤗 I’m not saying this isn’t an annoying episode - I can’t believe Dorothy and Blanche don’t try for someone else after Rose tells them about “her father”, Bob Hope. 

I understood why a kid would think Bob Hope was her dad, but couldn’t understand how somebody my grandma’s age still believed it or thought she had this real connection with him.  I mean, as a kid, I got Rose was “dumb”/naive but my kid brain couldn’t understand why a “grownup” would think her pretend dad would almost magically appear (although I guess that’s what he did lol).

eta: I especially hated the part at the end when Rose stares off lovingly and says, “Thanks, Dad”.  Ugh....awful.

Edited May 21, 2019 by Irate Panda
ETA : Thanks, Dad

[mmecorday]

I think Season 5 of "The Golden Girls" is the weakest. Bea Arthur seems like she's starting to lose interest in playing Dorothy. Now, I understand her character was sick (and tired), but after the first two episodes of the season, her Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is never mentioned again.

Two of the worst episodes of the season were on Hallmark this morning -- "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "Mary Has a Little Lamb." In the first one, Stan's idea for a novelty toy fire truck for kids goes bust and his wife kicks him out, so he ends up at a homeless shelter (dressed as Santa) to have Christmas dinner. The girls just happen to be volunteering there. The "message" episodes never worked for me (see also "Brother, Can You Spare a Jacket"). In the second one, some rando teenage girl shows up and the girls are surprised to learn she's pregnant. To hear them talk, you'd think they practically raised that kid, but we've never seen her before and we never see her again.

[Ria]

2 hours ago, mmecorday said:

I think Season 5 of "The Golden Girls" is the weakest. Bea Arthur seems like she's starting to lose interest in playing Dorothy. Now, I understand her character was sick (and tired), but after the first two episodes of the season, her Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is never mentioned again.

Two of the worst episodes of the season were on Hallmark this morning -- "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "Mary Has a Little Lamb." In the first one, Stan's idea for a novelty toy fire truck for kids goes bust and his wife kicks him out, so he ends up at a homeless shelter (dressed as Santa) to have Christmas dinner. The girls just happen to be volunteering there. The "message" episodes never worked for me (see also "Brother, Can You Spare a Jacket"). In the second one, some rando teenage girl shows up and the girls are surprised to learn she's pregnant. To hear them talk, you'd think they practically raised that kid, but we've never seen her before and we never see her again.

The Christmas episode also has the stupid story of Stan supposedly convincing his kids one year Christmas was the 26th and finding a thrown out tree and decorating it with pull tabs and convincing them a Jim Thorpe movie was King of Kings. Even if they were this poor, and this is really poor, I can’t believe Sal and Sophia wouldn’t have made sure their grandkids had a tree and presents on Christmas or at least had them over to their house to celebrate. And King of Kings was made in the 1960s. Their kids should have been teens. Were they this stupid? 

[MoistestCake]

12 hours ago, mmecorday said:

... we've never seen her before and we never see her again.

Loads of events, people and issues disappear suddenly (chronic fatigue, Mary, Stan's wives, Michael and Lorraine's baby.....) and other appear out of nowhere like Rose's addiction and uncle Angelo. It's part of what I love about the show. I get 2 laughs for the price of 1, one from the comedy, one from the bad writing/continuity/logic. 

[fleurfairy]

In Season 5 they revisited quite a few themes and plots - "All Bets Off" and Dorothy's speech at the end about "never really being cured and taking it one day at a time" is exactly what Rose said in her pill addiction episode (Season 4). 

"Cheaters" was just a total re-hash of the earlier Glen O'Brien episode, albeit with the superior Jerry Orbach.

"Rose Fights Back" was exactly the same plot as a previous Season 1 Rose episode where she loses her job.

[Dr.OO7]

I hate that little part where Blanche is debating whether to date her aerobics instructor and tells Dorothy, "This is strictly off the record, but he's nearly five years younger than I am!"

First of all, "off the record", as is if this is going to be a huge shock to anyone. Then "nearly", as if she can't bear to admit that it might be more. And then "FIVE years", when a blind person could see that it's much more than that.

I didn't mind her being vain about her age or even lying about it, but I hate how downright delusional she could be. Like when she met her father's much younger fiancée and declared, "She's practically MY age!", when the woman had to be a good 20 years even younger than Blanche.

[Ria]

When Dorothy and Sophia place 2nd in the Shady Pine’s mother/daughter pageant, why does Rose announce to Blanche “make way for the winners of the mother/daughter beauty pageant”. I mean really, just why? 

[mmecorday]

Because they had already used the "Make way for the victors!" introduction in the episode about the kids football team?

[Gothish520]

On 4/4/2019 at 6:37 PM, andromeda331 said:

They really just threw his character under a bus for no reason didn't they? And for one episode. There was really no reason for it. They could have been in love but his parents refused or weren't allowed so they moved on and he married someone else. Or they were together after her mother died. Nope, they threw in the affair for no real reason.  

I always got the impression Big Daddy was a jerk. I don't remember one story that made me think he was likable guy.

[Gothish520]

On 4/26/2019 at 12:48 PM, mmecorday said:

The whole Cheeseman storyline drives me bonkers. The writers had to make Miles interesting by putting him in the Witness Protection Program. Otherwise he was just a college professor with an interest in dance and three-day-old pastries.

This has probably been mentioned before, but I didn't like the whole "Miles is cheap" storyline. Maybe because I am irked by cheap people who have no problem regularly reaping the benefits of someone else's generosity. There's frugal and there's embarrassing, and he crossed that line. If you don't have the money, then go for a walk and make pasta at home, instead of going out to restaurants and acting a fool.

[mmecorday]

Quote

This has probably been mentioned before, but I didn't like the whole "Miles is cheap" storyline. Maybe because I am irked by cheap people who have no problem regularly reaping the benefits of someone else's generosity. There's frugal and there's embarrassing, and he crossed that line. If you don't have the money, then go for a walk and make pasta at home, instead of going out to restaurants and acting a fool.

Yes! I totally agree! He wasn't so worried about money when he was having cosmetic surgery for crow's feet.

[Woopwoopkitty]

The calendar on the back of the swinging kitchen door never changes.

[mmecorday]

The batch of sparevueven krispies Rose whips up when she can't sleep is invisible. The girls are literally pantomiming that they're eating something stinky and delicious.

[scarynikki12]

4 hours ago, mmecorday said:

The batch of sparevueven krispies Rose whips up when she can't sleep is invisible. The girls are literally pantomiming that they're eating something stinky and delicious.

This reminds me of the episode where their neighbor's tree falls onto the lanai and refuses to move it. Dorothy goes down to the courthouse and gets a copy of the property map to show him that the tree is his responsibility to move (since he refused their generous offer to split the cost in the spirit of being neighborly). The map she shows him is a blank piece of white paper.

[Snow Apple]

The Trudy episode where she faked her death as a joke. Not only does it make no sense having a school reunion in Miami, but why would Trudy think her husband sleep with Dorothy when he knows Trudy was alive?

[Blakeston]

On 6/16/2019 at 11:50 AM, Snow Apple said:

but why would Trudy think her husband sleep with Dorothy when he knows Trudy was alive?

Maybe he's a convict who hasn't seen a woman in 25 years?

[BigBingerBro]

On 6/16/2019 at 11:50 AM, Snow Apple said:

...why would Trudy think her husband sleep with Dorothy when he knows Trudy was alive?

I don't think the writers expected anyone to think that much about it.  Viewing it casually, it makes sense that Dorothy would ask her husband to do a revenge trick on Trudy once he spilled the beans to Dorothy.  Regardless, Trudy was shocked and that was the intention.

[mmecorday]

I really hate the episode about The Mangiacavallo Curse. We've seen Rose at weddings before and none of them made her want to jump in bed with the first random Joe. Dorothy and Blanche both think Doug is quite a catch, but he looks like the first runner up in a Dick Cheney look alike contest. And Sophia was left at the alter by the bride's father, and this is the first time it's been mentioned? Also, the bride is a whiny bitch and her dress is awful even by 90s bridal standards.

Another crappy episode -- Dorothy's gambling problem. *groans* I'm just going to have to skip that one that next time it's on because it really gets on my nerves.

[Madding crowd]

I always wonder why any of the girls would be invited to the wedding of the granddaughter of the man who left Sophia at the altar. And how would the bride even know Blanche much less call her “Aunt Blanche”. I agree Doug was unattractive even if was a judge. 

Another unattractive one was Rose’s old high school boyfriend Buzz. Not only was he unattractive but he looked 20 years older than Rose. 

Edited June 26, 2019 by Madding crowd

[Snow Apple]

55 minutes ago, Madding crowd said:

I always wonder why any of the girls would be invited to the wedding of the granddaughter of the man who left Sophia at the altar. And how would the bride even know Blanche much less call her “Aunt Blanche”. 

Wasn't the bride Dorothy's goddaughter and she was marrying Magniacacallo's grandson?

I can see someone meeting and making friends with their godmother's friends but calling her Aunt Blanche doesn't make sense.

[Madding crowd]

You are probably right, I must have missed that. 

Edited June 26, 2019 by Madding crowd

[Snow Apple]

It's funny though how the members of the wedding all happen to end up in Florida since Dorothy and Sophia are from New York. Isn't *that* convenient. LOL 

[fleurfairy]

Oh yeah Buzz was a total dud. Even Dorothy acknowledges this when she says “Frankly Rose, I don’t get it. What is this hold Buzz has over you??” Rose had terrible taste in men. 

[Ria]

1 hour ago, fleurfairy said:

Oh yeah Buzz was a total dud. Even Dorothy acknowledges this when she says “Frankly Rose, I don’t get it. What is this hold Buzz has over you??” Rose had terrible taste in men. 

And terrible taste isn’t even an excuse for her going on a second date with John/Peter/Schlomo the freeway flasher. She learns he’s using multiple aliases while dating multiple women/men including getting one of his students pregnant and then dumping her and then getting arrested for flashing. Why did they end that story with Rose adding he wasn’t any better on their second date? I thought it cheapened her character. It wasn’t funny to have her say she went out with him again. It was degrading.  

[mmecorday]

I wonder what Charlie Nylund was really like. Rose made him out to be some sort of saint, but given her taste in men, he was probably a little on the yutz side too.

Blanche probably fared the best when it came to men. I wish we had seen more of George in flashback because he seemed like a decent guy and there was such a nice chemistry between the actors.

[Snow Apple]

5 minutes ago, mmecorday said:

I wonder what Charlie Nylund was really like. Rose made him out to be some sort of saint, but given her taste in men, he was probably a little on the yutz side too.

Wasn't he on the road a lot? Maybe distance is why they got along so well. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Although that contradicts her claim that they made love every night of their marriage.

[mishy]

1 hour ago, mmecorday said:

I wonder what Charlie Nylund was really like. Rose made him out to be some sort of saint, but given her taste in men, he was probably a little on the yutz side too.

Well in episode where Rose was comparing Charlie to Miles and saying he was boring and that she was never bored a day in her life with Charlie, she eventually amended that to say essentially that he could be boring too and she was only remembering the exciting stuff. Plus Charlie was cheap, just like Miles!

[mythoughtis]

4 hours ago, mmecorday said:

I wonder what Charlie Nylund was really like. Rose made him out to be some sort of saint, but given her taste in men, he was probably a little on the yutz side too.

Blanche probably fared the best when it came to men. I wish we had seen more of George in flashback because he seemed like a decent guy and there was such a nice chemistry between the actors.

Charlie wasn’t the success she portrayed him to be- hence the fact that she really didn’t have any savings. 

As for George, an adult son from an affair showed up in one of the episodes, and was never mentioned again. 

[Ria]

Blanche’s descriptions of George sound as if they came out of a romance novel. He was so handsome and smart and intellectual and successful, army captain decorated for bravery, top of his class at Vanderbilt. I find myself wondering how much is true and how much she’s exaggerating or remembering through rose colored glasses. If he was so smart and successful, why did she have to take in renters to pay the mortgage and not have enough money for a new roof? Not that she was destitute, but it doesn’t appear he left her all that much money. And he cheated on her and fathered a child he then ignored except for sending checks.

Her descriptions of Big Daddy were always over the top as well. Not to mention her opinion of her looks and being irresistible to men. I think there’s some fantasy mixed into her descriptions. 

[Eri]

9 hours ago, Ria said:

Blanche’s descriptions of George sound as if they came out of a romance novel. He was so handsome and smart and intellectual and successful, army captain decorated for bravery, top of his class at Vanderbilt. I find myself wondering how much is true and how much she’s exaggerating or remembering through rose colored glasses. If he was so smart and successful, why did she have to take in renters to pay the mortgage and not have enough money for a new roof? Not that she was destitute, but it doesn’t appear he left her all that much money. And he cheated on her and fathered a child he then ignored except for sending checks.

Her descriptions of Big Daddy were always over the top as well. Not to mention her opinion of her looks and being irresistible to men. I think there’s some fantasy mixed into her descriptions. 

A Sydney Sheldon novel perhaps? 😉

I agree though - Blanche's personality has always been one to add a little shading and colour to her tall tales in some form or another, it's a Southern tradition after all lol. I think she definitely exaggerated George's qualities to the Girls in the same way Rose did about Charlie. She looked up to Big Daddy in the same way - from the book burning to his bigotry, he could do no wrong in her eyes. 

Another theory is that since George died in a car accident and her last words/thoughts of him were "I hate you," she carried that guilt with her for years which is what made her move to Miami (despite her saying she raised kids in that house which I don't believe) and resolved only to remember the good things about him. Which is all the more depressing when the love child episode was revealed, because Blanche genuinely loved and was 100% dedicated to him and it shows in her commitment issues throughout the show.

[fleurfairy]

This is where the inconsistency of the writing comes into play. In one story, Blanche says a cop called her in the middle of the night to tell her George had been killed in a car accident (crunch, crunch). In another story, she was getting her nails done(?) when George was dying in the hospital. And then another story where she said her final thought of him was “I hate you”. I tend to believe George was everything Blanche claimed he was. However, I have no doubt Charlie Nylund was as big a yutz as Stan was, minus the cheating. 

[mmecorday]

I never thought Sophia really had any place to be critical of the "yutz parade" of men in the lives of her roommates. Sal never struck me as a prize.

[scarynikki12]

I think Sophia would have been more positive towards/about Stan if he hadn't gotten Dorothy pregnant in high school and had then respected his marriage vows. If they'd met in college, married after graduation, had kids as adults, and Stan remained faithful to Dorothy then I think she'd have been more accepting of his flaws. There'd still be snark because she's Sophia, but it would be in the same vein of how she snarks on everyone and everything.