Golden Girls: Classic or Dud?

That wasted triangle space in the middle of the house? Surely that wouldn't be up to code.

Someone needs to pull a Room 237 on the faulty floor plan of that house.

02. "Ebbtide's Revenge" (S6, E12) -- It's no secret that Sophia is my least favorite of the four main characters, but in this case her antagonism just makes the moment she lets the facade drop all the more powerful. Structurally, this is a replay of the "Good Times" episode when Florida seems to be refusing to cry for her dead husband, but this episode goes much deeper into the nature of grief beyond the denial stage. Even beyond the obviously touching GLAAD Award-ish affirmation of Phil's cross-dressing, the episode taps into that regret we feel about the feelings we withhold from people, only to realize too late that they were standing in the way of fully realized relationships. Rue McClanahan, Betty White and Bea Arthur were all consistently great in the show. But none of them ever delivered a moment as unexpected and raw as Estelle Getty's admission of parental shame. I've admittedly never been a "drama trumps comedy" personality, but that's about the only explanation I can think of why this heartbreaking episode didn't flat-out take first place.

Been sorta hoping to catch this one ever since Eric posted this, as I don't think I've seen it in twenty-some years. Estelle Getty's closing scene, the only thing I even remembered about the episode from the first time around, is indeed a heartbreaker. Better still, the episode makes up for years of treating the never-seen Phil as a punchline, even if the clear establishment of him as a heterosexual transvestite all along was an unexpectedly progressive gesture.

But the scene with the priest cracking wise at Phil's expense and eventually giving up on his sermon ("No charge") is rather shockingly mean, the kind of thing that suggests that the show still maintained a certain discomfort with the subject matter. Still, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that bits like this are in there to keep the episode from skewing too far astray of the sitcom format, particularly as its ramping up to that finale.

I saw this one last week! I swear to God I've seen them all at least 3x times now. I hadn't really thought about the priest bit but I guess it was kind of mean! I kind of wanted to see the teddy tbh.

Yeah, I agree that some of the jokes aimed at Phil were/are a little too barbed, but they at least serve a specific function in this episode -- to put Sophia's secret sense of mortification and responsibility into a legitimate social context.

Probably my biggest glitch with the episode is how the writers oversold what could've been the funniest punchline, when Blanche sees the guys from Phil's Thursday night poker game and says, "This is too funny. I have to get my camera from the car." The second line would've implied the first line, and the first line is so on-the-nose that it nearly kills the effect.

You know what's the best? Coming home from walking the dog and finding that the Patrick Vaughn episode is on.

"Sorry ... must be the heat."

"There's something rotten in the state of Denmark."

"It's their cheese."

"They refuse to use preservatives."

Rose, did any of your relatives star in Deliverance? sorry, i know it's not in that scene but i had to

"Help. The outlook is drear."

ftw

Waiting for the used price of the complete series on DVD to drop juuuuust a little bit (still over $60) and then I'm probably gonna get rid of my cable

lol <3

my friends newborn stops crying when she puts GG on

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWVCqV63krw

yesss.

even better http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pTGoe9KN97A#t=243

"This is the last drop of that perfume Big Daddy gave me on my 21st birthday. I want to see if it still has its fragrance. After all, that was 20 years ago."

"Oh, Blanche. If your 21st birthday was 20 years ago, you'd only be 41."

"That's right."

"Gee, you look terrible for your age."

haha. o god is that big daddy's little lady? one of my favorite episodes of all time

"Say hello to Big Mommy."

I deeply regret not putting that episode in my top 10. So much good stuff floating around in there.

I should attempt a top ten of my own one day. Right off the top of my head, Patrick Vaughn and Barbara Thorndyke ones would likely be close to the top, but I'd have to revisit quite a few episodes before assembling a list.

Another episode I regret I didn't give enough consideration to: "Flu Attack."

Dorothy's date to the banquet ("so after I threw up...") in that one always makes me laugh.

It always gets me that Rose tries to claim "I've been the worst" when they're all making amends. Nice try, Rose.

I'm sure this one's been done and I think I'm paraphrasing but

Rose: Is it possible to love two men at the same time?

Blanche: Set the scene, have we been drinking?

I deeply regret not putting that episode in my top 10. So much good stuff floating around in there.

― midnight outdoor nude frolic up north goes south (Eric H.), Monday, 30 September 2013 03:23 (4 days ago) Permalink

to be honest i was sure you had. priceless episode.

Why my face is smooth, my body's taut, and my gears are grindin'!

http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/LskAEKsXn.hHRlU1hgwQEA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTUyNztweW9mZj0wO3E9NzU7dz01NzA-/http://l.yimg.com/os/publish-images/tv/2013-10-28/748f8475-0986-48f2-a2ee-f4910b5aa395_01-golden-girls-LegoLadies-etsy.jpg

^ said photo newly making the rounds today.

https://scontent-b-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/1654407_605176536229236_496043476_n.jpg

that made me lol

That made me feel all warm and tingly. If you girls will excuse me, I think I'll slip under the covers and enjoy it.

http://www.avclub.com/article/golden-girls-made-aging-fabulous-202641

look where I was a couple weeks ago

http://www.offerstone.com/UpLoadFile/Product/201404/Flower%20Monument_MG0422_0DS.jpg

Funny you should revive this thread today because I'm so going to this tonight:

https://www.facebook.com/events/282454278581810/?ref_notif_type=plan_mall_activity&source=1

Estelle is a stone's throw from Mel Blanc and Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer. I stumbled upon her after I failed to locate Alfalfa. :(

Did you get a photo of Mel's? Best epitaph.

I did! Even though there is no shortage of them.

"That's all folks?"

(oh damn, it actually is!)

You should've taken another stab at Switzer's.

man

jesus i don't think i realized til now just how fucking young most of the little rascals died. spanky was a relative methuselah making it to 64. darla died at 47, buckwheat died at 49. froggy died at 16. petey lived to 119 in dog years.

I had a grave-rubbing of Mel's epitaph for a long time

the mel blanc coma story is one of the best stories i've ever heard

Tomorrow is Cheesecake Day!

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ls1g0dCLGP1r0xiug.gif

happy belated cheesecake day, y'all

I forgot to eat a cheesecake. I only looked at pictures of cheesecake.

http://rankings.gawker.com/golden-girls-episodes-ranked-1633984767

"the Actor" way too low at #80. "Fiddler on the Ropes" way too high at #142.

IKR. Gah, disqualifying clip eps and "Empty Nest," it seems pretty clear to me "Fiddler" is the show's lamest ep.

U guys