The Truth Will Out

This is one of those episodes that has a lot of great one-liners so keep an ear out for them as you watch!

All the girls with Rose's daughter (Kirsten) and granddaughter (Charlie)

Rose's daughter (Kirsten) and granddaughter (Charlie) come for a visit! Kirsten is the daughter whom the audience hears about the most frequently of all of Rose's children. Kirsten is played by more than one actress as the seasons progress, but that sort of thing happens a lot on this show in terms of casting. Rose has great relationships with her children. I'd say that compared to the other 3 girls, Rose seems to have the best relationships with her children. However, it's difficult to be certain about that because it's undetermined how many children she really has! That is, you hear a few names over the course of the show, but not all of them are spoken of consistently. Blanche discusses a lot of children, too. While it's uncertain how many children Rose and Blanche have, Sophia and Dorothy definitely have 3 and 2 respectively (Sophia has Dorothy, Phil and Gloria. Dorothy has Michael and Kate). 

A bit of tension arises between Rose and her daughter when Rose reveals the family will to Kirsten. Rose had always told her children how wealthy and hard-working their father was when in fact he was not a good businessman at all! When Kirsten saw that there was not a lot of money in the family will, she was surprised. Rose lied to Kirsten again by telling her daughter that she had squandered the money away on get-rich-quick schemes. Kirsten was very upset, of course. Rose finally realizes that she has to tell Kirsten the truth--that her father was a wonderful, kind man, but a terrible businessman and not a wealthy man at all. 

Late night kitchen table chats! I love it! :)

Even though I am not a fan of lying (in fact, I detest it), I think it was very sweet and selfless of Rose to make herself look like the bad guy in order to make her late husband (Charlie) look like a successful man. She only confesses the truth once she decides that his memory is better honored by being honest about his character. I think she would have gone on letting her daughter hate her forever if she would have believed that to be the best way to honor his memory. That's a real testament to the selflessness of her character! I really think the love that Rose, Blanche and Sophia still carry for their deceased husbands is very beautiful. They always speak so fondly of each of their men and it's heartwarming to me! :)

I feel that Kirsten was a bit too hard on Rose on hearing the news of the family's will. Actually, I was surprised that Kirsten didn't find unfitting when Rose told her that she had squandered away the family fortune. You'd think that Kirsten would know her mother well enough to know that she's not an extravagant woman. However, Rose is also generally an honest woman, so perhaps Kirsten was taking Rose at her word? Things are always trickier when an honest man lies, I guess!

Closing observations:

-Sequin socks? Wow! I mean...not just with sequin frills but totally sequined from top to bottom! This isn't "A Journey Through Sequins and Shoulder Pads" for nothing!

-I agree 100% with Sophia when she says that insurance is a racket!!!

-I love watching the girls share their problems and secrets around the kitchen table late at night! This time they share the biggest lies they've ever told! Blanche's lie is my favorite! ;)

-Rose's granddaughter looks a little old to be having imaginary dates with imaginary princes...

***

Cheesecake count:1

St. Olaf vs. Sicily: 0 to 1

References: Frank Sinatra and Miss Piggy

Quote of the day:

Rose: A lie is like a snowball. You start out with one little harmless lie, and then you have to tell another one to cover up the first. And then another and another...and then before long you've got an entire snowman built out of lies.

As an additional treat for this week, I've linked a clip from the episode if you didn't see it yet! I am thinking about trying to make this dessert as an experiment and posting my experience to the blog as a supplement post! ;)

Maple syrup honey brown sugar molasses rice krispies log!

In A Bed of Rose's

Funny. I wouldn't have pegged Rose as the killing type!
It's only an accident, of course, but she seems to have a knack for killing people off this way. That is, for the second time in her life, a man dies of a heart attack in her bed! It's especially interesting because in a later season Rose gives a mean old lady (Frieda Claxton) a piece of her mind and the woman dies of a heart attack right there on the spot...just after Rose tells her to "drop dead." Apparently, you don't want to mess with Rose (particularly if you have a heart condition)!

Rose with her boyfriend Al Batey

I don't know how the writers make this one relatable. How many people can say that their lovers have died in their beds? (On second thought, don't answer that question. I'd rather not know the answer!) Regardless, many people can relate to experiencing something traumatic that keeps them from going on with their lives in a healthy, normal way. It can be challenging to get back into the swing of things after a difficult experience, and I think that constitutes the central theme for this episode. In fact, that's the gist of it in a nutshell. Rose's husband died of a heart attack while they were in bed and Rose's boyfriend in this episode (Al Batey) dies in the exact same way! Naturally, Rose is hesitant to get into another relationship, but in the end, she learns to be comfortable with the idea again. As far as breaking the episode down is concerned, I don't have much to add, but there are a few things that came to mind and a few inconsistencies as well. 

I love how Rose tries to be stealthy about having a boyfriend stay the night--and fails miserably at keeping her secret! This is what happens when honest people try to tell a fib. It rarely works out! Stick with what you know, Rose! Although, she probably was not expecting him to die post-coitus, so that may contribute to the difficulty in remaining secretive.

Rose and Mrs. Batey

Rose decides to call and notify Al's family of his demise, but learns that the woman whom Al claimed was his sister was actually his wife! It must have been a tough day for Rose to learn that her boyfriend is married and to discover that he's dead! Then poor Rose has to tell the woman that her husband was being unfaithful to her and then tell the woman that he's dead. Fortunately for Rose, Mrs. Batey has known Al to be a letch for the entirety of their marriage, so the infidelity factor does not come as a shock to her. Additionally, she seems to be a very sensible woman who treats Rose warmly and respectfully. That makes it somewhat easier for Rose to break the sad news! 

I think it's interesting that we see Rose involved in an affair in this episode while in the episode just before this we see her telling Dorothy how evil she is for having an affair with a married man. Granted, Rose doesn't know that Al is married when she is involved with him, but it's still a noteworthy juxtaposition. It also means that Blanche is the only one of the 3 younger generation girls who has never been with a married man. Remember, she told us in the previous episode that she had never had an affair and I believe her on this one. An important thing to know about Blanche is that she never lies to make herself sound less promiscuous--only more so! ;)

There are a few inconsistencies that I'd like to bring into the light. Blanche says that married men need not lie about having a spouse because women "will sleep with them anyway." However, as I just mentioned, she tells the girls that she has never been with a married man. I guess this qualifies as another one of her exaggerations rather than a genuine inconsistency, but these episodes are back to back. You'd think the writers could at least wait a bit before she starts contradicting herself again! Also, Blanche's story about how she learned of her late husband's death is inconsistent, too. In this episode, she tells the girls that she learned of his death over the phone and that she was very upset. In a later episode, she is said to have been sitting for a pedicure and to have been more concerned with finishing the pedicure than with George's passing. The writers are, however, consistent about Dorothy's knowledge of how Rose's husband died. If you recall from the episode "Heart Attack", we see Rose tell Dorothy the story of Charlie's death while Blanche is in the other room. Likewise, Blanche learns the story of Charlie's death for the first time in this episode. Kudos to the writers for their ability to remain consistent (for once)!

At the end of the episode, Rose is able to enter into physical relationships again because she rekindles her relationship with Arnie. This is the same individual that becomes Rose's 2nd lover (as seen in an earlier episode "Rose The Prude"). I know I've mentioned it before, but this is the same actor who plays Miles Weber, Rose's on again off again boyfriend throughout the series. Why they change his name to Miles and write him into the show in a different way, I have no idea. Then you learn that Miles isn't even his real name! I would say that they should have cast a different actor to play the part of Miles, but I actually think he does a great job. Ergo, while the name change is bothersome to me, I'll take it over changing out the actors. 

Finally, Rose calls Al's family to notify them of his death before she calls the authorities to report the dead body. I would have called the authorities first! Who wants a corpse lying in their bed all day? Yuck! 

***

Cheesecake count: 1


St. Olaf vs. Sicily: 0 to 1


Quote of the day:


Rose: I've never done anything like this! [To] tell a woman her husband's been seeing me!
Blanche: And she'll say, "Why, that dirty rat! I will kill him!" And you say, "Good news, darlin'! You don't have to! He's dead!"

That Was No Lady

I have a lot of opinions about this episode. It gets me pretty worked up, so brace yourself!

For those of you who have been following the blog for a while, you know by now that it's fairly common for the show to feature two plots in one epsiode: a main plot and a secondary plot. Well, this episode is no exception. I've decided to tackle the secondary plot first because it is far less convoluted than the main plot and it's not really comical enough to justify making it the theme of my closing commentary (I generally like to close on a lighter note when I can because I feel that this is more reflective of the ebb and flow of the show itself).

In the secondary plot, Blanche is trying to convince Rose to buy her old car so that Blanche can use the money to purchase a new car for herself. The car is in poor condition, but Blanche is planning to take advantage of Rose anyway. Although there are some funny aspects to this subplot, it's actually a little unsettling to me that Blanche is OK with deceiving one of her dearest and most trusting friends. It seems wrong to me. Of course, Blanche does the right thing in the end and confesses the truth to Rose, but in a real life situation, it would take me a while to truly trust Blanche again if I were in Rose's position. In fact, I think Rose is very forgiving of Blanche's little trick. Blanche is lucky that Rose is so generous in that way!

The main plot is more than just unsettling to me--it's upsetting and at times even infuriating. Dorothy is having an affair with a married man (Glenn). Initially, she was involved with him for 3 weeks before she learned that he was married, but she doesn't let that stop her from continuing to see him. The only person with whom I do not have a bone to pick in this episode is Sophia. All of the other characters disappoint me in some way or another during the course of the episode. In the interest of efficiency, I will address my issues with each character individually and in the reverse order of the gravity of their offences.

Rose (The least upsetting to me):
I think Rose could be a much better friend to Dorothy in this situation. While I fully agree with her that Dorothy should not be involved with a married man, I think that her approach is unnecessarily harsh. If one of my best friends said, "Evil is as evil does" to me, I would have terribly hurt feelings! Rose is condescending toward Dorothy in a very "holier than thou" style that just rubs me the wrong way. As one of her best friends, she should certainly encourage Dorothy to make the right decision, but her methodology is all wrong. Sophia is equally hard on Dorothy, but it's different when one's mother is harsh than when it's one's best friend. Mothers can get away with being harsh because it's their job. Friends should know better.

Blanche:
Blanche is enabling Dorothy and being a poor friend. For starters, Blanche's assertion that sometimes we have to "grab our happiness where we can get it" irks me in a major way. I can't approve of actively "grabbing your happiness" at the expense of another man's wife. It's selfish and cruel. Moreover, Blanche is supposed to be Dorothy's friend. A good friend wants the best for you, and I fail to see how being a married man's secret girlfriend constitutes the best possible relationship for Dorothy. Blanche should want Dorothy to be in a healthy, loving, trusting relationship with a man who is as good as his word. It's worth mentioning that Blanche has never had an affair with a married man even though they often imply otherwise in other episodes throughout the series.

Dorothy:
Dorothy knows better and I get very disappointed with her when she continues to see Glenn. People wouldn't cheat if they couldn't find such willing counter parts. It's one thing when Dorothy truly doesn't know that Glenn is marred, but once she learns of it, that should be the end right then and there. After all, her husband was unfaithful, too! She knows how much it hurts to be betrayed by someone whom you've come to love and respect and trust for so long. Even when she is with Glenn, she isn't happy. She feels guilty and ashamed of herself. That doesn't sound like happiness to me--nonetheless a relationship that could ever become something meaningful! I think Rose and Blanche represent different aspects of Dorothy's psyche as she struggles with her choices. Rose reflects the awful guilt that Dorothy is feeling and Blanche represents the rationalization of that guilt.

Glenn and Dorothy

Glenn (The jerk)
Here is a man who is an outright dirty liar and a selfish one at that! He starts out by lying to Dorothy and his wife simultaneously. Eventually, he tells Dorothy the truth, but not until she's so hooked that it's difficult for her to refuse him. All that crap about how he "loves her" is such a crock. If he really loved her, he would be with her. If his marriage with his wife was really over, it would be in the legal sense, too. Dorothy calls him out when she tells him that he just wants to have it both ways--and she is absolutely right! He wants the excitement of a new romance without giving up the life he's become comfortable living. Basically, I have very little respect for anyone who can look someone who loves and trusts them in the eyes and lie to them like it's nothing.

OK, stepping down from the soap box here, I do want to talk about the show's lovely ending. Naturally, Dorothy stops seeing Glenn, but the sweetest thing is how it goes over with the rest of the girls. Sophia and Dorothy have such an understanding and she handles Dorothy's final decision with such grace! Not one of the girls tries to scold Dorothy or congratulate her or anything--they just listen and act like supporting, loving friends! I think this really redeems them from earlier in the episode when they were busy enabling or being overly harsh. They are happy to sit and sulk with Dorothy if that's what she needs to feel better, and they are equally happy to get her out of the house and distract her if that's what she truly needs. I call that being a good friend! :)

One final note! When Rose is on the phone to Dorothy's boss at the the school (Mr. Yamamoto),  you get a glimpse into a few preconceived notions about Japanese people during the 1980's. She says, "I'd expect you to be fair, and polite, and good at math!" I just find it interesting because I feel that in 2011, that comment may be perceived as racist and offensive. Of course, Rose is almost always well-meaning, but it still stood out to me. Also, I like that she refers to the Tokyo Disneyland as Dinseyland and not Disney World. Too often people get those mixed up! There is only one Disney World, folks! All the other places are Disneyland. Let's keep it straight! ;)

***
Cheesecake count: 1

St. Olaf vs. Sicily: 0 to 1

References: The Amazing Kreskin, Jesse Owens

Quote of the day:

Dorothy: We spent the evening at a motel.

Rose: A motel? Dorothy! A cheap, tawdry, bare-balled den of iniquity?

Dorothy: We didn't drive to Sodom and Gomorrah, Rose!

A Little Romance

This is one of the funniest episodes of the show's first season! I love every episode (except for one...but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it!), however this is truly one of my favorites! In fact, with the exception of the dream scene, I think it's darn near perfect! I'm always impressed at the manner in which the writers are able to take humorous, even extraordinary plot lines and make them somehow relatable. In this particular instance, Rose is dating a little person. While I don't have many friends or acquaintances who have dated little people, I think the notion of being attracted to someone yet fearing judgement from others is very relatable! Height, weight, socio-economic standing, culture, intelligence, popularity--all of these characteristics can be an impediment (real or perceived) to forming a lasting relationship with another person.

Truthfully, there isn't a lot to break down about the episode in terms of plot themes. It's primarily comical in nature and the lesson is very simple: if you love someone, you accept him/her for who s/he is and you should not try to hide them. If you are ashamed of your partner, that is more of a reflection on you--and a poor one at that! Rose spent weeks hiding Jonathan from Dorothy and Blanche because she was ashamed of his size and feared other people's remarks. Of course, just when she finds the courage to date Jonathan openly he ends up dumping her for religious reasons--classic Golden Girls and a very funny way to end the episode! Additionally, Jonathan is so comfortable with himself and his size that it would be hard to imagine any woman being ashamed of him (if she were attracted to him in the first place, of course). It's hard to be ashamed of anyone who is so wonderfully confident, I think. 

I suppose the best thing for me to do is to direct you to the funniest parts of the episode so that you can keep your ears open for the best tidbits! For starters, Sophia's son (Phil) and his family are a running joke throughout the series. You never actually meet Phil, but you do meet his wife in one of the later seasons. Phil is a bit of a punchline for Sophia and you see a lot of that in this episode. Speaking of Sophia, the girls' faces when Sophia goes to introduce herself to Jonathan is easy to miss if you're not paying a lot of attention, but if you know Sophia, you know why the girls are so edgy in that moment! Haha! 

Don't expect a lot from the scene where Rose is dreaming. Jean Dixon is not a great actress as guest stars go and the little person that plays Rose's father isn't great either. The girls do their best to make the scene workable, though. It's my least favorite part of the episode, however.

Blanche is the funniest person in this episode hands down! She is so uncomfortable around Jonathan that she makes a fool of herself repeatedly. I found a clip of it for you if you would like to get a preview (or reminder as the case may be) of what to expect. Trust me...you want to see this. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1jvlIUJ2xU 

Actually, that is not even the funniest scene. All I'm going to tell you is to keep and ear out for the story of Blanche and Benjamin....

***
Cheesecake count: 1

St. Olaf v. Sicily: 0 to 1

References: Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Brooke Shields, Edward Kennedy, Jackie O.

Quote of the day:

Sophia: That guy over there. Is he a midget?

Dorothy: Yes.

Sophia: Thank God! I thought I was having another stroke!

The Custody Battle

One of the more brilliant phenomena of The Golden Girls is featured in the mother/daughter angle. Without the Sophia/Dorothy relationship, the show's themes could only be approached and evaluated through the lens of friendship. Having a mother and daughter pair allows the writers to examine some major (and albeit minor, too) life issues as seen from the perspective of a mother and her middle-aged daughter. No matter how old a woman gets, her mother will always nag her. Likewise, daughters will always roll their eyes at said nagging. It's simply the circle of life.

Dorothy and her sister Gloria

This time, Dorothy is fed up with Sophia nagging her about dating. Personally, I don't understand exactly why Sophia is so adamant about Dorothy finding someone to date. I'm sure Dorothy would be glad to find a good man to date if he came along. In fact, she even tells Sophia that when she finds someone worth dating--she will date him! Surely Sophia's harping on her to find a man isn't going to make Dorothy any more inspired to meet someone. The desire is already present. The problem is in the execution rather than the will. I can only suppose that Sophia's nagging isn't a product of her lack of reason, but a product of her desire for Dorothy to be happy.

Unfortunately, this little tiff for Dorothy and Sophia occurs just before Gloria (Dorothy's wealthy, widowed younger sister) arrives for a visit from California. Dorothy's relationship with Gloria isn't great, but it is a lot better than Blanche's relationship with Virginia and Charmagne or Rose's relationship with her sister Holly. Still, Gloria gets on my nerves. She definitely flaunts her wealth unabashedly and even has the audacity to ask Dorothy if her wealth, her children's success, and her happy marriage made Dorothy jealous or resentful. That would leave a bitter taste in my mouth if I were in Dorothy's place. Ultimately, Gloria offers to have Sophia move to California with her and Sophia accepts. Of course, Sophia ends up staying with the girls, but it's the reactions to this news that make the episode worth watching. It's cute how Blanche and Rose are so opposed to Sophia leaving. They all argue and tease each other all the time, but the way they love and value each other is truly precious!

Blanche and Rose heading out for a double date!

Dorothy and Gloria may squabble over who should get to live with Sophia, but it's nice that ultimately the sisters grow closer together in thinking that each was the favorite child. It's also touching when Gloria tells Dorothy that she in fact envies Dorothy's life. Gloria has money, but she is lonely and feels that she is unfulfilled. I think it takes a lot of humility to confess something like that, and while Gloria annoys me at the beginning of the episode, I definitely find her character more appealing after she and Dorothy talk things out. Additionally, Sophia's observation that many older people have children fighting over who has to house them rather than who gets to house them is a sad but relevant truth. She really is one of the lucky ones!

On to the minor notes that stood out to me. They are so random in nature that I'm simply going to put them in list format:

1. I think Sophia is too harsh toward Dorothy sometimes. If my mother told me not to expect a miracle when I went in for a makeover I would be in tears!

2. It's surprising that the writers chose Macbeth as the community theatre's play. Actors are so superstitious about that particular show! Some actors won't even call the play by name for fear of bad luck!

3. Rose claims to have 8 siblings! She is adopted, I wonder if any more of them are...off the top of my head, I am not sure. Maybe we will hear more in later episodes and I have simply forgotten?

4. There are many times in the series where the girls discuss marrying and moving out. I think this foreshadows the finale in a way.

5. Sophia is a kleptomaniac! So funny!

6. Gloria brings gifts for Sophia and Dorothy and wraps them, but she tells them what's inside each box. Why even wrap them (This is not my observation. Someone posted that comment on a YouTube video and I thought it was a very good point!)?

Blanche on hearing the news that Rose was cast as Lady Macbeth over her!

***
Cheesecake count: 1

St. Olaf v. Sicily: 0 to 1

References: Bert Convey, Michael Landon, Jane Pauley, Willard Scott

Quote of the day:

Rose: Sophia can't leave...What about us? Who's going to keep after us, make us linguine, and tell us stories about Sicily?


Dorothy: I don't know, Rose. Maybe Mary Poppins has an Italian cousin.