The Golden Girls: My Favourite Episodes

A discussion by Kate O’Brien.

Lately I’ve been leaning into my favourite comfort show more often than usual. 

If you keep up with me on Instagram then you already know that I’m a huge fan of The Golden Girls. I began watching the show when I was very young with my grandmother. I ordered the entire seven series box set on DVD a few years ago and I was absolutely thrilled when the entire show became available on Disney +

I watch The Golden Girls all the time. I watch when I’m doing my makeup, I watch with a cup of tea in bed at night to relax. I watch when I’m travelling. I always download an entire season if I’m getting on a flight. It is a show that I know inside and out, one that I can throw on at any time. I find it relaxing. I always laugh. I think maybe it also reminds me of being with my own grandmother, which is lovely, and I especially find it helpful if I am feeling anxious. I enjoy knowing what is coming, I enjoy the stories each time, and I love that even though I know this show inside and out, I truly enjoy watching it every single time. It is funny, it is clever, it is poignant, and in so many ways it was ahead of its time. 

While I can appreciate that this discussion might be very niche and very self-indulgent, I want to talk about my favourite episodes anyway. There are so many episodes that I adore. Picking solid favourites is so difficult, but I have selected three that I would regard as my top three episodes. These are the episodes that I am going to talk about in this piece. There are many more that I really love, so there may also be an honourable mention or two. 

Please be aware that The Golden Girls discusses themes that some readers may find upsetting such as abuse, sickness, ageing, loss, and death. I will be touching on these themes and topics in this discussion. 

I want to begin with a serious episode. The Golden Girls did not shy away from dealing with heavy topics. One of my favourite episodes is Not Another Monday: Season 5, Episode 7. 

This episode is a perfect combination of comedy and poignancy. The A plot and the B plot are total opposites and yet they weave together beautifully to create one of the most touching episodes.  I believe this episode displays some of Estelle Getty’s (Sophia) best acting. 

In this episode Dorothy, Blanche, and Rose are reliving the days of early motherhood as they are babysitting for a local couple while Sophia is debating whether or not she can support her friend who wishes to take her own life. The babysitting portion of this episode features some of the funniest scenes in the show, scenes that are often listed in iconic moment countdowns etc. 

The girls try to get the baby to sleep by performing a fabulous rendition of “Mr. Sandman” in the living room, and Blanche hilariously tries to flirt with the doctor when the baby gets an ear infection due to teething. This clash of warm comedy right beside a very heavy, poignant discussion shouldn’t work in the same episode and yet it is perfectly done. I think this expertly weaved juxtaposition of light and dark is what makes this episode so well written. 

Sophia’s friend Martha is depressed, lonely, and frightened after she and Sophia attend the funeral of a mutual friend. Martha lives alone and she fears continuing as her health is declining. She decides she wants to die on her own terms. She plans to die due to an overdose. Determined that she does not want to die alone, she pleads with Sophia to be with her, and to hold her hand after she takes the pills. 

Sophia battles with what to do. She does not want to leave Martha alone, but she also does not want her to take her own life. While the other girls are babysitting, Sophia goes to Martha’s house. There she reminds Martha of the day they met in the hospital and how they both couldn’t wait to get out of hospital after their procedures because they wanted to live. Sophia asks her if she is sure about her plan. Martha hesitates. Sophia tells her she can’t go through with it if she isn’t sure, because she can’t take it back. Martha admits that the loneliness she feels is the driving force behind her choices, but she isn’t actually ready to die. Sophia swears she will be there, she will make sure she isn’t alone. The two toast to being best friends. 

In this scene, Estelle Getty delivers one of my favourite lines from the entire series. Martha states that she’s afraid of sickness and afraid of pain, and that their friend looked so peaceful at her wake. Determined, with tears in her eyes, and a hitch in her throat, Sophia says “We’re not in this life for peace.” Her point is that life is worth living, despite the many twists and turns that get thrown at us. It is a beautiful scene.

Later that evening, the girls are relieved when Sophia gets home and tells them that Martha didn’t go through with her plan, and they reflect on how lucky they are that they live together and not alone. Before the baby goes back to his parents, Sophia picks him up, rocks him, and tells him that he has a long life ahead of him and to enjoy all of life’s ups and downs. Despite the overall tone being heavy, the episode ends on a hopeful note. 

The major themes of this episode focus on the fear of growing older, the impact that loneliness can have on people, loss, grief, and ultimately hope. A huge emphasis is placed on remembering those who may live by themselves and making sure we make time for those who may wish they had more contact and connection in their lives. While it is one of the most serious episodes of the show, and while it makes me tear up every single time I watch it without fail, it is also an episode that always makes me feel better if I am having a hard time. 

I’d argue this episode is a masterclass in writing, and it features some incredible acting. 

It is a must watch in my opinion. 

The next episode I am going to talk about is The Actor: Season 2 Episode 14. This episode is completely different in tone, it is much lighter, and in my opinion this is one of the funniest episodes in the series. 

In this episode, Dorothy, Rose, and Blanche are getting ready for the local community theatre’s upcoming performance. The girls are thrilled when it is announced that Patrick Vaughn, a well-known professional actor will be coming to the theatre to star as the leading man. Swooning over his good looks, all three of the ladies are determined to get the lead so they can act opposite him, and they hope to score a date too. 

Shenanigans ensue when Patrick Vaughn dates all three of the ladies, insisting that the relationships must be kept a secret so that the press does not find out. A comedy of errors ensues when Dorothy, Rose, and Blanche find out on opening night that not only has Patrick been leading all three of them on, but he has been dating the entire female ensemble too. 

Furious, they expose him onstage as a cheat and a liar in a brilliantly funny way. They confront him in the play and when the commotion is over, they bow as though it was all part of the performance. This spoof (A spoof of Picnic) play also features Dorothy as the Sheriff. She steps in when another actor gets sick as she is the only one tall enough to wear the costume. (If you’ve never seen the show, Bea Arthur who plays Dorothy is an extremely tall, regal woman. Her height is often played for laughs, as is her deep voice.) Seeing Dorothy enter the stage in her Sheriff costume is one of the best moments, and her drawl as she interrogates the drifter “Biff” is some of the funniest dialogue in the show. 

Episodes that feature the ladies competing with each other are always very entertaining. The girls are competitive and not afraid to be petty. The hijinks that ensue are always brilliant. 

No matter how many times I see the episode, I still get the giggles whenever I watch. 

Returning to a more serious episode, I couldn’t talk about my favourite episodes without discussing Old Friends: Season 3, Episode 1. I debated choosing a different episode, as I didn’t want this discussion to be too serious overall. There are many, many wonderful and funny episodes of this show that I love, but I have to be honest in my reviews.

Old Friends is a classic. It is another Sophia focused episode and Estelle Getty is given another chance to shine. 

I truly love her portrayal of Sophia. She’s cheeky, wise, and wise-cracking. She’s serious when she needs to be without taking life too seriously. She’s the oldest of the group, and the mother figure. She may be Dorothy’s actual mother, but she plays a mother role to Rose and Blanche too. She’s spunky, quick-witted, and stubborn. Her moments of sensitivity and sentimentality are some of the best in the show. I love when we get to see Sophia’s softer side. It shines through in Old Friends. 

This is another episode that expertly mixes comedy and sadness. Blanche accidentally gives away a childhood teddy bear of Rose’s when she is having a yard sale. Hijinks ensue when she tries to get the bear back from Daisy, a supposedly sweet sunshine cadet (Scouts if you’re Irish). Blanche thinks this will be an easy task and Rose will never need to know, but Daisy spoils her plans when she holds the teddy bear hostage. Rue McClanahan is always brilliantly funny as Blanche, but her trying to negotiate with a little girl are some of her best scenes. 

While Blanche tries her best to get the bear back, Sophia is at the boardwalk where she meets Alvin. The two share a bench and chat while they look out at the sea. They become fast friends, spending day after day sitting together on the boardwalk and talking for hours. One day, Alvin is upset, erratic, and it appears he doesn’t know who Sophia is. It becomes apparent that he is suffering from Alzheimers and it is getting worse. His daughter tells Dorothy that he will have to move from Miami to Chicago so she can care for him, meaning that he and Sophia won’t see each other again. 

The episode is bittersweet. Sophia reflects on the time they spent together and how much she enjoyed his friendship, she tells Dorothy that she’ll always remember him even if soon he forgets her. She is knitting him a scarf and when it is finished she plans to send it to Chicago. 

The episode ends with Rose getting her bear back and Dorothy bringing Sophia home. As they leave the boardwalk, a man comes and sits in Alvin’s spot. Sophia gets upset and tells him that someone is sitting there. 

Again, this is another episode that touches on sickness and loneliness in old age. There is a very sad moment when Alvin remembers all over again that his beloved wife is gone and he misses her terribly. He cries for her all over again while Sophia comforts him, telling him that she misses her husband too and he can cry all he wants. It is a very touching scene. 

I do want to emphasise that while the episodes I’m discussing highlight some of the fears that come with growing older, this entire show is dedicated to illustrating that life does not stop when we turn thirty and that everyone, especially women, can go on to live full, vibrant, busy lives. Age is just a number and The Golden Girls was ahead of its time when it came to a show featuring older women as the leads. They weren’t the butt of the joke, they weren’t helpless, their lives were not dull. They weren’t just mothers and grandmothers, they were smart, funny, intelligent, vibrant women who lived full lives. Yes they were mothers and grandmothers who adored their families, but they also had work lives, friendships, and they dated. They did everything and anything that they wanted to do. The show covered all kinds of topics, talking about hugely important things while keeping humour and love intact too. 

The Golden Girls is an incredible show and I think everyone should watch at least one episode to see what they think. 

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What’s your go to comfort show? Let me know