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!"