Guess Who's Coming To The Wedding?

Dorothy meeting Dennis, her daughter's fiance, for the first time.

Like "The Pilot", the second episode in The Golden Girls is wedding-themed. Dorothy's daughter Kate is preparing to marry a doctor named Dennis. Although I think the writers do a good job of addressing the difficulty of estranged relationships, there is actually a lot about this episode that I find frustrating. Before I delve into that, however, I want to quickly discuss Rand McNally.
     Often throughout the series, one of the girls (generally Dorothy since she is the most knowledgeable and the most well-read) will reference a pop icon or some other entity that has become a bit obscure or unfamiliar over the years. I will try to clear up any confusion about these references whenever possible. This episode didn't have too many references outside of Donny Osmond and Paul McCartney (both very recognizable figures), but apparently Rand McNally is a map publisher. Now when you watch the episode, the joke won't be over your head!

Stan...and his hair.

As I said before, there is a lot about this episode that bothers me. To begin with, Dorothy is a progressive, educated woman and yet she is so caught up in the fact that her daughter is marrying a doctor. Then, she discourages Kate from having her wedding in the Bahamas. Why shouldn't Kate and Dennis decide where they want to get married? The obsession with a man who can "provide" is evident here. You don't hear the story of how Kate and Dennis met or whether or not he is kind and affectionate toward her. Instead, his defining quality is that he is wealthy. Kate isn't exactly supportive of Dorothy's situation, either. Given that Dorothy's husband (Stan) left her on very bad terms, you would think Kate would try to be a bit more compassionate toward her mother--especially when Stan whips out the pictures of his new wife and himself and flaunts them in front of Dorothy! Kate ought to have said something like, "Oh, I'll look at those later, Dad!" The worst of all, though, is when Stan toasts to his daughter's wedding and makes the comment about how happy he is with his "new life mate." Dorothy's reaction is very funny and adds to the humor of the show, but Stan's comment is rude and ill-timed. If I were Kate I would have been angry on my mother's behalf. To Stan's credit, however, he does stay to hear Dorothy out when she lectures him about the way their marriage ended.

On to the things I liked! Dorothy's many sides are showcased. You see her as a loving (and somewhat obtrusive) mother, an angry ex-wife, and a fragile daughter all at once. This speaks to the diverse roles that a person plays in a lifetime. I especially like how Dorothy is able to toughen up and tolerate Stan's presence in the interest of pleasing her daughter but then turns right around and expresses her anger toward him, too. She throws the rice in his face, slams the door in his face, makes cracks about his hideous toupee, but she never makes a scene that would take away from her daughter's special day. I think it's a testament to parental love! :)

You don't get a lot of Blanche, Rose, and Sophia in this episode. Still, Sophia saves the day after she comforts Dorothy and the bit with Blanche holding Dorothy's hand is easily the funniest part of the episode to me! And don't even get me started on Dorothy's outfit for the wedding. No kidding this is a journey through shoulder pads! 

Cheese cake count: 0...beginning to wonder when I will start to see these cheese cakes!

Quote of the day:

"Anger is a lot like a piece of shredded wheat caught under your dentures. If you leave it there, you get a blister and you got to eat Jell-O all week. If you get rid of it, the sore heals and you feel better!"- Sophia Petrillo