List of The Golden Girls episodes

The Golden Girls is a television comedy drama that ran on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. A total of 180 episodes were produced, including 11 one-hour episodes.

Series overview

Season		Episodes	Originally aired		Rank	Rating
Season		Episodes	First aired	Last aired	Rank	Rating
	1	25	September 14, 1985 (1985-09-14)	May 10, 1986 (1986-05-10)	#7	21.8
	2	26	September 27, 1986 (1986-09-27)	May 16, 1987 (1987-05-16)	#5	24.5
	3	25	September 19, 1987 (1987-09-19)	May 7, 1988 (1988-05-07)	#4	21.8
	4	26	October 8, 1988 (1988-10-08)	May 13, 1989 (1989-05-13)	#6	21.4
	5	26	September 23, 1989 (1989-09-23)	May 5, 1990 (1990-05-05)	#6	20.1
	6	26	September 22, 1990 (1990-09-22)	May 4, 1991 (1991-05-04)	#10	16.5
	7	26	September 21, 1991 (1991-09-21)	May 9, 1992 (1992-05-09)	#30	13.1

Episodes

Season 1 (1985–86)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Viewers (millions) [1]
1	1	"The Engagement"	Jay Sandrich	Susan Harris	September 14, 1985 (1985-09-14)	25.0
Widows Blanche Devereaux, an art museum administrator, and Rose Nylund, a grief counselor, and divorcee Dorothy Zbornak, a substitute teacher, share a house in Miami with gay housekeeper Coco. Blanche gets engaged to the man she has been dating, surprising Dorothy and raising Rose's suspicions. Dorothy's mother, widow Sophia Petrillo, a native of Sicily, comes to live in the house when the nursing home where she has been living burns down in a fire. The Engagement was the series premiere episode of The Golden Girls. The episode was directed by Jay Sandrich and written by co-executive producer Susan Harris. Guest stars: Charles Levin as Coco; Frank Aletter as Harry; Meshach Taylor as the cop; F. William Parker as the Minister. Notes: This is the only appearance of Coco, the gay cook/housekeeper. This episode won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Technical Direction/Camera/Video for a Series. The episode ranked as the highest-rated program of the week, bringing in a 25.0/43 rating/share.
2	2	"Guess Who's Coming to the Wedding?"	Paul Bogart	Winifred Hervey	September 21, 1985 (1985-09-21)	22.5
Dorothy's daughter, Kate, visits and announces she is marrying her boyfriend, setting up a confrontation between Dorothy and her ex-husband Stan, a novelty salesman, who cheated on Dorothy after 38 years of marriage. Guest stars: Herb Edelman as Stan Zbornak; Lisa Jane Persky as Kate; Dennis Drake as Dennis. Notes: Kate and Dennis reappeared in the second season played by Deena Freeman and Jonathan Perpich, respectively. This is Herb Edelman's first appearance as Stanley Zbornak.
3	3	"Rose the Prude"	Jim Drake	Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan	September 28, 1985 (1985-09-28)	19.0
Rose meets the first man she is romantically interested in since her husband died and is torn about what to do when he invites her on a cruise. Meanwhile, Dorothy and Sophia have a gin rummy marathon, with Dorothy hoping to end a 30-year losing streak. Guest star: Harold Gould as Arnie Peterson. Note: Harold Gould reappeared in later seasons in the recurring role of Rose's boyfriend Miles Weber.
4	4	"Transplant"	Paul Bogart	Susan Harris	October 5, 1985 (1985-10-05)	21.8
Blanche's sister Virginia comes to visit and reveals that she is dying from renal failure, and a kidney transplant is her best hope for survival. Guest star: Sheree North as Virginia Hollingsworth. Note: North reprised her role as Virginia in Season 5.
5	5	"The Triangle"	Jim Drake	Winifred Hervey	October 19, 1985 (1985-10-19)	18.6
Dorothy dates an attractive doctor who fails when he makes a pass at Blanche. When Blanche tells Dorothy the truth, Dorothy accuses her of being jealous and refuses to believe her. Guest star: Peter Hansen as Dr. Elliot Clayton.
6	6	"On Golden Girls"	Jim Drake	Liz Sage	October 26, 1985 (1985-10-26)	18.6
Blanche's grandson David visits while his parents try to repair their marriage on a second honeymoon and upsets the entire household with his obnoxious, rebellious attitude. Guest star: Billy Jacoby as David. Note: In real life, Billy Jacoby is the half-brother of Scott Jacoby, who played the recurring role of Dorothy's son Michael Zbornak.
7	7	"The Competition"	Jim Drake	Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan	November 2, 1985 (1985-11-02)	19.6
An old love interest of Sophia's, Augustine Bagatelli, visits from Sicily and the two enjoy each other's company to the point where he invites her back to Italy to visit her old friends, but Dorothy refuses to let her go. The girls all participate in a bowling tournament where Rose's competitiveness annoys the other girls and Dorothy and Sophia make a deal: if Sophia's team wins, she can go to Italy and if Dorothy's wins, she gets piece of her mother's jewelry. Guest star: Ralph Manza as Augustine Bagatelli.
8	8	"Break-In"	Paul Bogart	Susan Harris	November 9, 1985 (1985-11-09)	19.0
The girls return home after a Madonna concert and find their home has been burglarized. Rose is traumatized by the experience and eventually buys a gun to defend herself. Blanche obsesses over her stolen jewels. Guest stars: Christian Clemenson as The Salesman; Robert Rothwell as Lester.
9	9	"Blanche and the Younger Man"	Jim Drake	James Berg and Stan Zimmerman	November 16, 1985 (1985-11-16)	23.2
Rose's mother, Alma, visits and friction results when Rose coddles her too much. Blanche goes on an exercise frenzy when a young man in her Jazzercise class asks her out and is embarrassed when it turns out he is interested in her in a different way than she thinks. Guest stars: Jeanette Nolan as Alma Lindstrom; Charles Hill as Dirk.
10	10	"The Heart Attack"	Jim Drake	Susan Harris	November 23, 1985 (1985-11-23)	23.6
After a successful dinner party, Sophia, convinced she is having a heart attack, tries to put her affairs in order. The girls become very worried when the paramedics cannot get to them because of a major rain storm. Guest star: Ronald Hunter as Dr. Harris.
11	11	"Stan's Return"	Jim Drake	Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman	November 30, 1985 (1985-11-30)	23.2
Dorothy and Stan spend the night together, after he tells her Chrissy, the young woman he divorced Dorothy to marry, left him. Dorothy sees it as an isolated incident, but Stan thinks of it as the two of them starting their relationship over. Guest stars: Herb Edelman as Stan Zbornak, Simone Griffeth as Chrissy.
12	12	"The Custody Battle"	Terry Hughes	Winifred Hervey	December 7, 1985 (1985-12-07)	20.3
Dorothy becomes frustrated with Sophia's meddling in her love life, so when Dorothy's wealthy sister, Gloria visits and asks Sophia to move in with her, Sophia agrees. Blanche is furious with Rose when Rose wins the part of Lady Macbeth in a local production of Macbeth and Blanche is cast as a witch. Guest star: Doris Belack as Gloria. Note: Gloria was played by Dena Dietrich in Season 7.
13	13	"A Little Romance"	Terry Hughes	Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan	December 14, 1985 (1985-12-14)	21.9
Rose dates a psychiatrist at the grief counseling center, but is reluctant to introduce him to the other girls. When Blanche invites him over for dinner against Rose's wishes, they find out he is a dwarf. When he tells Rose he has something important to ask her, she thinks he is planning to propose to her and is conflicted about whether to accept. Guest stars: Brent Collins as Dr. Jonathan Newman; Billy Barty as Edgar Lindstrom; Tony Carreiro as The Waiter; Jeane Dixon as herself. Note: Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series for this episode. Tony Carreiro appears in a later season 1 episode as Tommy Cochrane and in a season 5 episode as The Doctor.
14	14	"That Was No Lady"	Jim Drake	Liz Sage	December 21, 1985 (1985-12-21)	19.3
Blanche, in need of the money for a new car, loans Rose her old car, promising to sell it to her if she likes it. Once Rose buys it, it begins breaking down and is eventually stolen. Dorothy falls head-over-heels in love with a gym teacher at the school where she is teaching and is devastated when he reveals he is married. Guest star: Alex Rocco as Glen O'Brien. Note: Glen O'Brien returned in Season 5, played by Jerry Orbach.
15	15	"In a Bed of Rose's"	Terry Hughes	Susan Harris	January 11, 1986 (1986-01-11)	24.0
Rose's date dies while they are having sex, and since her late husband Charlie also died during sex, she vows never to sleep with another man again. Guest stars: Richard Roat as Al Beatty; Priscilla Morrill as Lucille Beatty Notes: Betty White won the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series at the 1986 Emmy Awards for this episode. Richard Roat appeared in the seventh season as Kendall in the episode, "The Case of the Libertine Belle".
16	16	"The Truth Will Out"	Terry Hughes	Susan Beavers	January 18, 1986 (1986-01-18)	24.2
Rose's daughter Kirsten visits with her granddaughter to review estate papers and is furious with her mother when she finds Rose's late husband wasn't as much of a financial success as Rose led her to believe. Guest stars: Christine Belford as Kirsten; Bridgette Andersen as Charley. Note: Kirsten was played by Lee Garlington in Season 7.
17	17	"Nice and Easy"	Terry Hughes	Stuart Silverman	February 1, 1986 (1986-02-01)	22.8
Blanche's niece Lucy visits and reveals herself to be even more promiscuous than Blanche. A mouse in the kitchen scares Dorothy, but she eventually gets over her fear and the mouse leaves after Dorothy asks it politely, thrilling Rose at her ability to communicate with animals. Guest star: Hallie Todd as Lucy.
18	18	"The Operation"	Terry Hughes	Winifred Hervey	February 8, 1986 (1986-02-08)	21.5
Dorothy aggravates an old foot injury while practicing a tap dancing routine with Rose and Blanche and refuses to get an operation that will heal the problem because of a fear of hospitals. Eventually, a breast cancer patient convinces helps her realize how foolish she has been. Guest stars: Robert Picardo as Dr. Revell; Anne Haney as Bonnie.
19	19	"Second Motherhood"	Gary Shimokawa	Christopher Lloyd	February 15, 1986 (1986-02-15)	21.7
Blanche's accepts a marriage proposal from her wealthy businessman boyfriend, but is conflicted when she learns he has two young children who come second to his work. Dorothy and rose renovate the bathroom, despite Sophia's insistence that they hire a plumber for help. Guest stars: Kevin McCarthy as Richard; Alan Blumenfeld as Lou.
20	20	"Adult Education"	Jack Shea	James Berg and Stan Zimmerman	February 22, 1986 (1986-02-22)	25.2
Dorothy is determined to get tickets to an upcoming Frank Sinatra concert, but keeps getting thwarted. Blanche takes a psychology course to get a promotion at the museum where she works. When she fails the midterm exam, she asks the professor or help and he offers to give her an A if she will sleep with him. Guest Stars: Jerry Hardin as Professor Cooper; James Staley as Dean Tucker. Notes: Jerry Hardin appears in a season 4 episode as Gary Tucker. James Staley appears in a season 5 episode as Dr. Manning.
21	21	"The Flu"	Terry Hughes	James Berg and Stan Zimmerman	March 1, 1986 (1986-03-01)	24.6
Blanche, Dorothy, and Rose all come down with the flu and infuriate each other. When they each suspect that one of them has won a major award for their charity work, their competitiveness causes them all to attend despite their illness. Guest stars: Sharon Spelman as Dr. Richmond; William Cort as Dave; Ray Reinhardt as Harold; Marcelo Tubert as Raoul; Tony Carreiro as Tommy Cochrane; Dom Irrera as The Waiter; Silvana Gallardo as The Emcee. Notes: Dom Irrera appears in the final episode of season 1 as The Produce Clerk. Tony Carreiro appears in
22	22	"Job Hunting"	Paul Bogart	Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman	March 8, 1986 (1986-03-08)	22.3
The counseling center where Rose works closes and the girls become frustrated when people call the house at all hours for Rose's help. When they confront Rose about finding a new job, she says she has been a victim of age discrimination. Blanche gets a date with one of Rose's clients, but is dismayed to find out he only like fat women. Dorothy goes out with an old flame who turns out to be gay. Note: This episode was the second one to be produced, but was held over for later in the season.
23	23	"Blind Ambitions"	Terry Hughes	Bob Colleary	March 29, 1986 (1986-03-29)	21.8
Rose's blind sister Lily comes to visit and begs Rose to move in with her and take care of her. The girls hold a garage sale to raise money for a new television, but find they cannot part with what they are selling. Guest star: Polly Holliday as Lily.
24	24	"Big Daddy"	Terry Hughes	Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan	May 3, 1986 (1986-05-03)	21.7
Blanche's father, nicknamed Big Daddy, visits and shocks Blanche when he says he has sold their house to start a career as a country music singer. Dorothy feuds with the girls' next-door neighbor over storm damage. Guest stars: Murray Hamilton as Big Daddy Hollingsworth; Gordon Jump as Leonard Barton; Peggy Pope as Gladys Barton. Note: Big Daddy was played by David Wayne in the second season, after the death of Murray Hamilton.
25	25	"The Way We Met"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer, Terry Grossman, Winifred Hervey, Mort Nathan, and Barry Fanaro	May 10, 1986 (1986-05-10)	19.9
After watching the movie, Psycho, the girls reminisce about how they came to live together. Guest stars: Edan Gross as little boy; Dom Irrera as produce clerk.

Season 2 (1986–87)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Viewers (millions) [2]
26	1	"End of the Curse"	Terry Hughes	Susan Harris	September 27, 1986 (1986-09-27)	25.6
Blanche is depressed when she thinks she is pregnant, but is devastated when she finds out she is beginning menopause. Rose and Dorothy try their hands at mink-breeding with no success. Guest Stars: Philip Sterling as Dr. Barensfeld and Vince Cannon as Dr. Parks. Note: Philip Sterling appears in a Season 3 episode as Dr. Ashley
27	2	"Ladies of the Evening"	Terry Hughes	Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan	October 4, 1986 (1986-10-04)	27.3
Blanche wins three tickets to a premiere of Burt Reynolds's new movie and passes to the after-party, leaving Sophia angry about left out. The girls decide to make a weekend out of attending the premiere and get arrested when their hotel is raided for prostitution. Guest Stars: Peter Jason as The Policeman, Rhonda Aldrich as Meg, Ron Michaelson as Carl
28	3	"Take Him, He's Mine"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman	October 11, 1986 (1986-10-11)	24.6
Blanche takes Dorothy's ex-husband Stan out as a favor to Dorothy, but when Blanche says they hit it off, Dorothy becomes jealous. Rose and Sophia team up to sell sandwiches and end up threatened by the mob. Guest Stars: Herb Edelman as Stan; Lana Schwab as The Girl; Tom La Grua as Vinnie.
29	4	"It's a Miserable Life"	Terry Hughes	Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan	November 1, 1986 (1986-11-01)	25.0
The girls work on saving a 200-year-old oak tree in their neighborhood and become frustrated when the grouchy neighbor on whose property the tree is located, insists it be removed. At a local council meeting, Rose reaches her limit and yells at the woman, who then dies of a heart attack, leaving Rose feeling guilty. Guest Stars: Nan Martin as Frieda Claxton, Thom Sharp as Mr. Pfeiffer Note: Nan Martin would appear in a season 4 episode.
30	5	"Isn't It Romantic?"	Terry Hughes	Jeffrey Duteil	November 8, 1986 (1986-11-08)	27.3
Dorothy's lesbian friend Jean visits and develops feelings for Rose. Guest Star: Lois Nettleton as Jean.
31	6	"Big Daddy's Little Lady"	David Steinberg	Russell Marcus	November 15, 1986 (1986-11-15)	25.3
Blanche is thrilled when her father, Big Daddy, announces he is getting married, but quickly changes her attitude when she finds out how young the bride-to-be is. Dorothy and Rose enter a song-writing contest and creative differences almost come between them. Guest Stars: David Wayne as Big Daddy, Sondra Currie as Margaret Spencer
32	7	"Family Affair"	Terry Hughes	Winifred Hervey	November 22, 1986 (1986-11-22)	26.8
When Rose's daughter, Bridget, and Dorothy's musician son, Michael, both visit and sleep together, it prompts a vicious fight between their mothers. Guest Stars: Scott Jacoby as Michael, Marilyn Jones and Bridget
33	8	"Vacation"	Terry Hughes	Winifred Hervey	November 29, 1986 (1986-11-29)	25.0
Dorothy, Rose, and Blanche vacation in the Caribbean, but find the accommodations seriously not to their liking. Back in Miami, Sophia woos the girls' Japanese gardener. Guest Stars: Keye Luke as Toshiro Mitsumo, Tom Villard as Rick, Stephen Lee as Dwayne, Brett Porter as Winston Hardwick III, Stuart Pankin as Jacques DeCourville Note: Tom Villard appears in a season 7 episode as Randy.
34	9	"Joust Between Friends"	Terry Hughes	Scott Spencer Gordon	December 6, 1986 (1986-12-06)	23.6
Dorothy takes a job working with Blanche at the museum and things go well until Dorothy starts keeping secrets from Blanche. Guest Stars: Reid Shelton as Mr. Allen and Inky as the Stray Dog
35	10	"Love, Rose"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman	December 13, 1986 (1986-12-13)	23.8
With Rose feeling lonely, she takes Blanche's advice places an ad in the local newspaper's personals column. When she gets no response and feels even more depressed, Blanche sends her a response under the name Isaac Q. Newton. Their deception works until Rose invites Isaac to be her date at a formal banquet. Guest Stars: Paul Dooley as Isaac Q. Newton and Colin Drake as Wilfred Witley Cheswick Note: Paul Dooley appears in a later episode as George Corliss
36	11	"'Twas the Nightmare Before Christmas"	Terry Hughes	Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan	December 20, 1986 (1986-12-20)	23.5
A series of mishaps almost ruins the girls' Christmas. Guest stars: Terry Kiser as Santa Claus, Craig Richard Nelson as Thurber, Teddy Willson as Albert, Sam Anderson as Meyer, Buddy Daniels as Airport Mendicant
37	12	"The Sisters"	Terry Hughes	Christopher Lloyd	January 3, 1987 (1987-01-03)	27.0
Dorothy arranges for Sophia's sister, Angela, to fly from Sicily to Miami, as a surprise gift for Sophia's birthday, not realizing that Sophia and Angela have been feuding for decades, over what turns out to be a big misunderstanding. Guest Stars: Nancy Walker as Angela
38	13	"The Stan Who Came to Dinner"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman	January 10, 1987 (1987-01-10)	26.6
After major heart surgery, Stan temporarily moves in with the ladies, and quickly overstays his welcome. Guest Stars: Rod Sabbe as Rob, Odil Sabbe as Bob, Steve Kramer as Dr.
39	14	"The Actor"	Terry Hughes	Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan	January 17, 1987 (1987-01-17)	25.0
When a handsome actor comes to Miami to star in a play at the local community theater, he dates Blanche, Rose, and Dorothy simultaneously, leading each of them to believe he will marry them. Guest Stars: Lloyd Bochner as Patrick Vaughn, Janet Caroll as Phyllis Hammerow, Frank Birney as the Stage Manager
40	15	"Before and After"	Terry Hughes	Bob Rosenfarb	January 24, 1987 (1987-01-24)	26.4
After suffering an esophageal spasm, Rose decides to "live for the day", upsetting the other girls and eventually moving out. Guest Stars: Deborah May as Liz, Rosanna Huffman as Stephanie, Nat Bernstein as Dr. Wallerstein Note: Nat Bernstein appears in a later episode as Emily's father
41	16	"And Then There Was One"	Terry Hughes	Russell Marcus	January 31, 1987 (1987-01-31)	21.8
The girls volunteer to babysit the children of participants in a local marathon, in which Sophia participates, and become concerned when a baby boy's parents don't pick him up after the race. Guest Stars: Christopher Burton as Norman, Nat Bernstein as Emily's father, Ray Combs as Bob Henderson, Ariana Richards as Lisa
42	17	"Bedtime Story"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer, Terry Grossman, Mort Nathan, and Barry Fanaro	February 7, 1987 (1987-02-07)	24.1
Trying to decide on sleeping arrangements for visiting relatives, the ladies reminisce about places where they have previously slept, from a train station to Sophia's bed. Guest Stars: Randy Bennett as Stationmaster
43	18	"Forgive Me, Father"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman	February 14, 1987 (1987-02-14)	23.7
Dorothy has her eye on a handsome teacher colleague at the school where she has been working, but doesn't realize he is a priest. He further confuses her when he tells her he is thinking of "leaving the church." Guest Stars: John McMartin as Fr. Frank Leahy, and Barney McGeary as Father Callahan
44	19	"Long Day's Journey Into Marinara"	Terry Hughes	Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan	February 21, 1987 (1987-02-21)	24.5
When Sophia's sister Angela moves to Miami, Sophia quickly begins to think she is wants to take everything she has, including her boyfriend. Meanwhile, Rose, who has been babysitting a friend's piano-playing chicken, is horrified when it appears that Angela has killed the chicken and fried it up for dinner. Guest Stars: Nancy Walker as Angela and Joe Alfasa as Tony
45	20	"Whose Face Is This, Anyway?"	Terry Hughes	Winifred Hervey	February 28, 1987 (1987-02-28)	25.8
After attending her college sorority reunion and seeing that her sorority sisters have had plastic surgery and seeing how old she looks in a video Rose made for community college class, Blanche decides to have an aggressive amount of plastic surgery herself. Guest Stars: Joseph Whipp as Dr. Taylor
46	21	"Dorothy's Prized Pupil"	Terry Hughes	Christopher Lloyd	March 14, 1987 (1987-03-14)	23.8
Dorothy tutors a young Hispanic boy and enters an essay of his in a local contest where it not only wins first prize, but results in the discovery that he is an in the country illegally. Meanwhile, Rose decides that she must become Blanche's personal servant for a week to atone for losing a pair of Blanche's earrings, which it turns out that Blanche herself lost. Guest Stars: Mario Lopez as Mario, John Braden as Sam Burns
47	22	"Diamond in the Rough"	Terry Hughes	Jan Fischer and William Weidner	March 21, 1987 (1987-03-21)	23.3
Blanche dates a handsome caterer and shocks the other girls when she refuses to commit to a serious relationship with him. Guest Stars: Donnelly Rhodes as Jake Smollens, Howard Witt as Hunter McCoy
48	23	"Son-in-Law Dearest"	Terry Hughes	Patt Shea and Harriet Weiss	April 11, 1987 (1987-04-11)	23.0
Dorothy's daughter Kate visits and reveals that she has left her husband, Dennis, after he cheated on her. Dorothy is even more furious when Kate reconciles with him. Meanwhile, Blanche and Rose watch an I Love Lucy marathon on television. Guest Stars: Deena Freeman as Kate, Jonathan Perpich as Dennis
49	24	"To Catch a Neighbor"	Terry Hughes	Russell Marcus	May 2, 1987 (1987-05-02)	19.5
The girls allow two undercover cops (Joseph Campanella and George Clooney) to use their house as a base for spying on their neighbors, who are suspected of being jewel thieves. Guest Stars: Joseph Campanella as Al Mullins, George Clooney as Bobby Hopkins, Barbara Tarbuck as Martha McDowell.
50	25	"A Piece of Cake"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer, Terry Grossman, Mort Nathan, and Barry Fanaro	May 9, 1987 (1987-05-09)	19.2
The ladies recall other birthday celebrations while preparing a surprise birthday party for a friend. Guest Stars: Lynnie Greene (credited as Lyn Greene) as Younger Dorothy, Alan Blumenfeld as Mr. Ha Ha, Jeffrey Weber as Bobby Spina, Sid Melton as voice of Salvadore Petrillo. Note: Alan Blumenfeld appeared in an earlier episode as Lou
51	26	"Empty Nests"	Jay Sandrich	Susan Harris	May 16, 1987 (1987-05-16)	17.8
The girls' neighbor Renee feels lonely because her doctor husband, George, works constantly and their children have moved out. This episode was a backdoor pilot for the spinoff series Empty Nest, although the concept was retooled and recast before the series actually went to air. Guest Stars: Rita Moreno as Renee Corliss, Paul Dooley as Dr. George Corliss, David Leisure as Oliver, Jane Harnick as Jenny Corliss, and Geoffrey Lewis as Chuck/Mr. Fix-It.

Season 3 (1987–88)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Viewers (millions) [3]
52	1	"Old Friends"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman	September 19, 1987 (1987-09-19)	23.0
At a beach, Sophia meets an elderly man named Alvin. The two become friends and enjoy spending time together on a bench at the beach. However, as the friendship deepens, the old fellow's behavior becomes erratic, and she learns he has Alzheimer's Disease. At home, Blanche accidentally gives away Rose's cherished teddy bear to a little girl named Daisy, who is a Sunshine Cadet. When Blanche tries to get the bear back for Rose, the girl holds the teddy for ransom. Guest stars: Joe Seneca as Alvin Newcastle; Jenny Lewis as Daisy. Note: This episode won two Emmys: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Estelle Getty) and Outstanding Technical Direction/Camera/Video for a Series.
53	2	"One for the Money"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer, Terry Grossman, Barry Fanaro, Mort Nathan, and Winifred Hervey Stallworth	September 26, 1987 (1987-09-26)	22.3
The ladies recall their attempts to earn extra money, including starting a catering business. Guest stars: Sid Melton as Salvadore Petrillo; Lynnie Greene as young Dorothy Zbornak; Roy Stuart as Marty; Conrad Janis as dance announcer.
54	3	"Bringing Up Baby"	Terry Hughes	Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan	October 3, 1987 (1987-10-03)	24.4
When Rose's uncle dies, she learns that she will be inheriting a baby that she must raise. A man, on behalf of Rose’s uncle, brings the baby to the ladies' house. They are surprised to learn that Baby is actually the name of an elderly male pig that used to roam on the uncle's farm. Blanche and Dorothy initially decline to let the pig live in their house and to take care of it, until they learn that they will earn $100,000 upon Baby's death, which they can then split among themselves. Baby becomes ill, and Rose eventually learns from a veterinarian that Baby is homesick for the farm. Dorothy and Blanche persuade Rose to keep Baby with them, stating that the plane ride back home could kill him. Dorothy begins feeling guilty about keeping Baby away from the farm, and Blanche eventually realizes that the pig really is homesick. Baby is sent home, and Rose later receives a letter informing her of Baby's death on the farm shortly after arriving. Meanwhile, Sophia loses her eyeglasses. Guest star: Parley Baer as Chester T. Raney.
55	4	"The Housekeeper"	Terry Hughes	Winifred Hervey Stallworth	October 17, 1987 (1987-10-17)	20.3
While Sophia is away on vacation, the ladies hire a housekeeper, Marguerite, who charms them but is lousy at keeping the house clean. When they fire her, she storms out, telling the ladies they have made a big mistake. At first, the ladies think nothing of it until they all receive terrible luck and become convinced that Marguerite has placed a voodoo curse on them. They rehire Marguerite and behave very nicely towards her, giving her champagne, flowers, and a tiara. Sophia returns home and Dorothy explains to her why Marguerite is receiving such special treatment. Sophia questions Marguerite about the alleged curse, despite Dorothy's pleas not to do so. Marguerite denies placing a curse on the ladies, and although she appreciates being rehired, she declines the offer. Guest star: Paula Kelly as Marguerite Brown.
56	5	"Nothing to Fear But Fear Itself"	Terry Hughes	Christopher Lloyd	October 24, 1987 (1987-10-24)	24.2
When Rose's great-aunt dies, she must fly to the Bahamas to deliver the eulogy — and speaking in public is her greatest fear. She persuades Blanche and Dorothy to come along, where they end up facing their own fears onboard the plane. Dorothy has a fear of flying, while Blanche faces a nightmare that seems to be coming true: being on an airplane full of bald men that ultimately crashes. After encountering a storm, the plane is forced to turn around, unlike in Blanche's dream. Dorothy and Blanche convince Rose to deliver the eulogy to the plane occupants. At home, Sophia enters a cook-off for the Daughters of Sicily, Italy. Guest star: Meg Wyllie as Candy the stewardess; Paul Ross as Captain Lord (voice). Note: This was the first of four appearances by Meg Wylie.
57	6	"Letter to Gorbachev"	Terry Hughes	Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan	October 31, 1987 (1987-10-31)	18.9
Mikhail Gorbachev's U.S. representatives report that their leader was touched by Rose's letter pleading for nuclear disarmament and that he is eager to meet Rose — who, they all assume, must be a little girl, given her letter's naivete. As Blanche and Dorothy ponder how to break the news to Rose, Sophia tries to devise the perfect act for a talent show. Guest star: Allan Rich as Alexi. Note: Newscaster Edwin Newman appears as himself (uncredited).
58	7	"Strange Bedfellows"	Terry Hughes	Christopher Lloyd	November 7, 1987 (1987-11-07)	23.1
Gil Kessler, a political candidate for whom the ladies are campaigning tries to beef up his image by publicly claiming to have had an affair with Blanche. Blanche protests her innocence, but Rose and Dorothy do not believe her and end up not speaking to her. During a press conference, Gil finally comes clean, while also informing the public that he used to be a woman. Guest star: John Schuck as Gil Kessler.
59	8	"Brotherly Love"	Terry Hughes	Jeffrey Ferro and Fredric Weiss	November 14, 1987 (1987-11-14)	22.2
Stan's brother Ted, an attractive doctor, comes to town, and after dating Blanche, he ends up sleeping with Dorothy. Stan becomes convinced that Ted is going to ask Dorothy to marry him and tries to talk him out of it. However, it turns out that Ted has met a much younger woman and considers Dorothy a one-night stand. Dorothy gets revenge by informing everyone that Ted is in fact impotent. Meanwhile, Rose is dealing with a severe run of insomnia, which it turns out is caused by drinking caffeine-loaded tea. Guest star: McLean Stevenson as Dr. Theodore "Ted" Zbornak.
60	9	"A Visit from Little Sven"	Terry Hughes	David Nichols	November 21, 1987 (1987-11-21)	21.7
Rose's young, clueless cousin Sven arrives from Sweden on his way to St. Olaf, Minnesota, USA to meet his bride-to-be. Blanche uses him to make her cheating boyfriend jealous, causing Sven to fall in love with her. Meanwhile, Sophia is taking driving lessons from Dorothy in order to renew her licence, but after one trip, Dorothy refuses to get into a car with her again. At Rose's insistence, Blanche tries to defuse Sven's crush on her, but on meeting his bride, the young and beautiful Olga, he quickly ditches Blanche. Guest stars: Casey Sander as Sven; Chuck Walling as Floyd McCallum; Yvette Heyden as Olga.
61	10	"The Audit"	Terry Hughes	Winifred Hervey Stallworth	November 28, 1987 (1987-11-28)	22.9
Dorothy and Stan are audited by the IRS, and they may be in deep trouble due to Stan's extravagant spending. Meanwhile, Rose takes a Spanish class at night school to qualify for a promotion at work, and Blanche tags along because she figures that it will be a good way to meet smart men. Stan and Dorothy are told they have to pay up $2,500 each, which makes Dorothy furious. She cannot raise the money, so sells her diamond ring. Stan sells his Corvette and buys back the ring for her and they settle their bill. Guest stars: Tony Perez as Mr. Escobar; Richard Penn as Mr. Murray.
62	11	"Three on a Couch"	Terry Hughes	Jeffrey Ferro and Fredric Weiss	December 5, 1987 (1987-12-05)	23.7
Constant bickering leads the ladies to seek professional counseling from a psychiatrist. Guest stars: Philip Sterling as Dr. Ashley; Terry Wills as Carl; John C. Moskoff as Jerry. Note: Philip Sterling appeared in a season 2 episode also as a therapist, Dr. Barensfeld.
63	12	"Charlie's Buddy"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman	December 12, 1987 (1987-12-12)	21.0
A visitor announces he is an army buddy of Charlie, Rose's late husband. The two hit it off, to the point that Rose considers moving away with him, but Dorothy is suspicious. Guest star: Milo O'Shea as Buddy Rourke. The first scene is introduced with music that is typically played between scenes in the middle of the show, instead of the typical music played in the opening scene.
64	13	"The Artist"	Terry Hughes	Christopher Lloyd	December 19, 1987 (1987-12-19)	22.0
Suave, sexy artist Lazlo chooses Blanche as his nude model for a sculpture. When Blanche sneaks a peek at Lazlo's sketches, she is indignant: the pictures resemble Rose. Dorothy soon reveals that Lazlo asked her to pose, too, and the three bicker over which of them will be immortalized in stone. Guest stars: Tony Jay as Laszlo; Monte Landis as Victor.
65	14	"Blanche's Little Girl"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman	January 9, 1988 (1988-01-09)	23.8
Blanche wants to defend her daughter, whose boyfriend speaks to her abusively, but she is afraid that if she does, her daughter will resent her interference and they will again be estranged. Meanwhile, Sophia, now working at a fast-food restaurant, organizes a strike against her tyrannical boss: a pre-teen boy. Guest stars: Shawn Schepps as Rebecca Devereaux; Joe Regalbuto as Jeremy, Scott Menville as McCracken; Meg Wyllie as Edna. Note: The character of Rebecca would reappear in Seasons 5 and 6 played by Debra Engle.
66	15	"Dorothy's New Friend"	Terry Hughes	Robert Bruce and Martin Weiss	January 16, 1988 (1988-01-16)	23.8
Dorothy enjoys the intellectual stimulation of her friendship with new pal Barbara Thorndyke, a novelist, but Barbara's superior air and snobby ways rub Blanche and Rose the wrong way. Guest star: Bonnie Bartlett as Barbara Thorndyke.
67	16	"Grab That Dough"	Terry Hughes	Winifred Hervey Stallworth	January 23, 1988 (1988-01-23)	21.9
The girls visit Hollywood, California, to be on the game show, Grab that Dough. They are forced to travel cross-country the day before the show, and from there, everything goes wrong: the airline loses their luggage; their hotel has no vacant rooms and they are forced to sleep in the lobby; their purses are stolen; and when they finally get to the television station for the taping, Dorothy and Blanche end up pitting themselves against Rose and Sophia. Guest stars: Jim McKrell as Guy Corbin; Lucy Lee Flippin as Nancy.
68	17	"My Brother, My Father"	Terry Hughes	Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan	February 6, 1988 (1988-02-06)	24.6
While Rose and Blanche rehearse for their roles in The Sound of Music, Sophia has a request for Dorothy: pretend to be married to Stan for Angelo, her priest brother, who will be visiting. Guest stars: Herb Edelman as Stan Zbornak; Bill Dana as Uncle Angelo. Note: Bea Arthur won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for this episode.
69 70	18 19	"Golden Moments"	Terry Hughes	Story by : Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman Teleplay by : Mort Nathan and Barry Fanaro	February 13, 1988 (1988-02-13)	24.4
Sophia intends to move to New Jersey to live with her eccentric son, Phil. This prompts the girls to recall the years that they have spent together. Note: One-hour clip show.
71	20	"And Ma Makes Three"	Terry Hughes	Winifred Hervey Stallworth	February 20, 1988 (1988-02-20)	18.0
With all her friends either dying or moving away, Sophia becomes the "third wheel" in Dorothy's latest relationship, and acts as a chaperone on their dates. Guest stars: James Karen as Raymond, Steven M. Porter as waiter; Marte Boyle Slout as Charlotte; Frank Smith as Duncan.
72	21	"Larceny and Old Lace"	Terry Hughes	Story by : Jeffrey Ferro and Fredric Weiss Teleplay by : Robert Bruce and Martin Weiss	February 27, 1988 (1988-02-27)	18.2
Sophia's latest boyfriend, Rocco, claims to have been a mobster, so when the girls discover a bag of Rocco's with thousands of dollars in it, they assume he robbed a bank. Meanwhile, Dorothy and Blanche sneak a peak at Rose's diary, and discover what appear to be insulting things Rose has written about them. Guest star: Mickey Rooney as Rocco.
73	22	"Rose's Big Adventure"	Terry Hughes	Jeff Abugov	March 12, 1988 (1988-03-12)	21.4
Rose's newly-retired beau plans a cruise around the world — with Rose as his first mate. Meanwhile, the girls deal with remodeling the garage into a guest room. Guest stars: George Coe as Al, Vito Scotti as Vincenzo; Don Woodard as Ernie. Note: Vito Scotti would appear in a season 4 episode as Dominic Bosco.
74	23	"Mixed Blessings"	Terry Hughes	Christopher Lloyd	March 19, 1988 (1988-03-19)	22.5
Dorothy's son Michael plans to wed his older, African-American bandmate, Lorraine; they are 23 and 44, respectively. Dorothy complains of the age difference; Lorraine's mother and aunts also disapprove, but mainly because Michael is white. The families agree to try to stop the wedding, only to learn the couple have eloped; upon the revelation that Lorraine is pregnant, the mothers agree they must pretend to be happy. Rose and Blanche try to beautify themselves for a romantic cruise with twin brothers. Guest stars: Scott Jacoby as Michael Zbornak; Rosalind Cash as Lorraine; Virginia Capers as Greta; Lynn Hamilton as Trudy; Montrose Hagins as Libby; Hartley Silver as Justice of the Peace. Note: This episode was pulled from Hulu streaming service in 2020.
75	24	"Mister Terrific"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman	April 30, 1988 (1988-04-30)	20.5
Rose starts dating television superhero "Mr. Terrific." He gets Dorothy a job on his show, but Dorothy's recommendations to the producer get Mr. Terrific fired. Guest stars: Bob Dishy as Mr. Terrific; Lonny Price as Hastings; Jody Price as Jody; Don Woodard as Kolak; John Wheeler as patron; Jim Hudson as Freddy; Raf Mauro as bartender; Ron Kapra as stage manager.
76	25	"Mother's Day"	Terry Hughes	Story by : Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman Teleplay by : Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan	May 7, 1988 (1988-05-07)	21.2
Waiting for their children to call, the girls reminisce about previous Mother's Days: Dorothy remembers asking Stan's mother for money; Sophia remembers an incident involving her mother, played by Bea Arthur; Rose reminisces about a motherly lady she once met at a bus station, whose biological daughter died many years earlier; and Blanche remembers the last Mother's Day she spent with her mother. Guest stars: Geraldine Fitzgerald as Anna (the lady at the bus station); Alice Ghostley as Mrs. Zbornak; Sid Melton as Salvadore Petrillo, Lynnie Greene as young Dorothy Zbornak; Helen Kleeb as Elizabeth Hollingsworth; Wesley Mann as Jacob; Terrence Evans as police officer. Note: Geraldine Fitzgerald also appears in the Season 5 episode, "Not Another Monday" in the role of Sophia's friend Martha Lamont.

Season 4 (1988–89)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
77	1	"Yes, We Have No Havanas"	Terry Hughes	Mort Nathan and Barry Fanaro	October 8, 1988 (1988-10-08)
Blanche dates a senior citizen named Fidel Santiago, but gets a surprise when he starts seeing Sophia as well, and the two women soon bitterly fighting--only to get a surprise when Fidel unexpectedly dies. Dorothy teaches a history class for General Equivalency Diploma candidates, who include Rose.
78	2	"The Days and Nights of Sophia Petrillo"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman	October 22, 1988 (1988-10-22)
Sophia plans to go to the market and buy a nectarine, which she does every day. The other girls worry that she is too old and frail to enjoy life. However, the tables are turned: Sophia has a full, active day of rallying fellow seniors to fight return policies at a supermarket, leading a charity band on the boardwalk, and volunteering at a hospital, while the other girls sit around the kitchen table talking about how to pass the time.
79	3	"The One That Got Away"	Terry Hughes	Christopher Lloyd	October 29, 1988 (1988-10-29)
Blanche is expecting a visit from a high-school friend who, she claims, is the only man that ever rejected her. She becomes determined to seduce him to "perfect" her record - even when it turns out that he has grown fat and bald. Meanwhile, Rose claims to have seen a UFO and gets the Air Force involved.
80	4	"Yokel Hero"	Terry Hughes	Martin Weiss and Robert Bruce	November 5, 1988 (1988-11-05)
Rose is nominated to be St. Olaf, Minnesota's "Woman of the Year," but feels that her list of accomplishments is too bland to merit the prize. Blanche and Dorothy secretly change the list to make Rose sound more impressive, which wins her the award--and sends all four Girls on a lengthy trip to St. Olaf itself. Special Guest appearance by Richard Mulligan. This episode begins a crossover with Empty Nest that concludes on "Fatal Attraction".
81	5	"Bang the Drum, Stanley"	Terry Hughes	Robert Bruce and Martin Weiss	November 12, 1988 (1988-11-12)
Stan, hard-pressed for money, asks Dorothy and Sophia to a baseball game to butter up his ex-wife and get a loan. When Sophia is hit on the head by a ball at the game, Stan hatches a scheme to sue the ballpark, while Blanche and Rose prepare to be in a local musical production of Cats.
82	6	"Sophia's Wedding: Part 1"	Terry Hughes	Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan	November 19, 1988 (1988-11-19)
Sophia's dearest friend Esther Weinstock died, and must confront widower Max, who she has always blamed for causing his and Sophia's husband's Salvadore's pizza-knish stand to go out of business by betting a day's profits on a horse race. But at the repast, the truth comes out: Salvadore was the one who gambled the money away, and Max lied to save his marriage. This leads to Sophia to see Max in a new, romantic light, and the two eventually marry, much to Dorothy's frustration. Meanwhile, Rose and Blanche start an unofficial Elvis Presley Fan Club. Minor appearance by then unknown future director Quentin Tarantino as an Elvis impersonator.
83	7	"Sophia's Wedding: Part 2"	Terry Hughes	Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan	November 26, 1988 (1988-11-26)
Sophia and Max return from their honeymoon, and they try to resurrect Max and Salvador's old pizza-and-knish stand at the beach which unfortunately burned down. A stressed-out Dorothy starts smoking cigarettes again, 15 years after quitting.
84	8	"Brother, Can You Spare That Jacket?"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman	December 3, 1988 (1988-12-03)
Sophia accidentally donates Blache's jacket to a thrift shop, with a winning lottery ticket worth $10,000 in the pocket. The jacket is purchased for Michael Jackson, who donates it to a charity auction after wearing it during a performance; a congressman buys it and donates it to a homeless shelter. Blanche, Rose, Dorothy, and Sophia spend the night at the shelter, where each has a meaningful conversation with someone who sleeps there by necessity. Rose connects with former hotel porter Ben Wheaton, a fellow Minnesotan who found himself without marketable skills in middle age. Blanche feels maternal towards Kenny, a young alcoholic who holds a doctorate. Sophia and Dorothy learn that Sophia's friend Ida Perkins, formerly of Shady Pines, became unable to pay her bills after outliving her entire family. Blanche, Rose, and Dorothy search among the diverse homeless population; Blanche finds the ticket, and the women donate it to the shelter.
85	9	"Scared Straight"	Terry Hughes	Christopher Lloyd	December 10, 1988 (1988-12-10)
When Blanche's newly divorced brother, Clayton, comes to town, he confides to Rose that he is gay; scared to tell Blanche the truth, though, he pretends to have bedded Rose. With Blanche furious at her roommate, Clayton is eventually forced to reveal the truth, sending Blanche into a tailspin of confusion and anger.
86	10	"Stan Takes a Wife"	Terry Hughes	Winifred Hervey-Stallworth	January 7, 1989 (1989-01-07)
Stan breaks the news that he is engaged to be married for the third time. At first, Dorothy is thrilled at the prospect of getting him out of her life--but after Stan stays by her side when Sophia is hospitalized, old feelings start stirring. Rose and Blanche team up to keep Dorothy from interrupting the wedding, but a chance encounter with Stan's new bride Katharine eventually convinces Dorothy to do the right thing.
87	11	"The Auction"	Terry Hughes	Eric Cohen	January 14, 1989 (1989-01-14)
The Girls face a badly-leaking roof, but cannot afford to replace it. To get their minds off their troubles, they head to a gallery opening at Blanche's museum, where the obnoxious and rude Jasper DeKimmel is being feted. When hospital-volunteer Sophia reveals that DeKimmel is dying of a rare blood disease, Blanche hatches a scheme to purchase one of his paintings on the cheap and then sell it for a big profit after he passes away.
88	12	"Blind Date"	Terry Hughes	Christopher Lloyd	January 28, 1989 (1989-01-28)
After being dumped by her boyfriend, Blanche befriends a man at a bar and makes a date with him, not realizing that he is blind; Dorothy and Rose try their hands at coaching a children's football team.
89	13	"The Impotence of Being Ernest"	Steve Zuckerman	Story by : Kevin Abbott Teleplay by : Rick Copp and David A. Goodman	February 4, 1989 (1989-02-04)
Rose hits it off with new beau Ernest, but the two hit a snag when their relationship never quite gets physical. Meanwhile, Sophia fears a vendetta when she receives a black feather in the mail.
90	14	"Love Me Tender"	Terry Hughes	Richard Vaczy and Tracy Gamble	February 6, 1989 (1989-02-06)
Sophia objects to Dorothy's "completely physical" relationship with a nondescript new lover, Eddie (John Fiedler). Blanche and Rose become pals to two motherless girls, who also happen to be juvenile delinquents.
91	15	"Valentine's Day"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer, Terry Grossman, Barry Fanaro, and Mort Nathan	February 11, 1989 (1989-02-11)
The ladies remember the unique ways they have celebrated Valentine's Day in the past.
92	16	"Two Rode Together"	Terry Hughes	Robert Bruce and Martin Weiss	February 18, 1989 (1989-02-18)
Dorothy hopes to spend "quality time" with Sophia, while Sophia just wants to ride Space Mountain at Walt Disney World. Rose and Blanche collaborate to write a children's book. Special appearance by Freddie Jackson.
93	17	"You Gotta Have Hope"	Terry Hughes	Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan	February 25, 1989 (1989-02-25)
Dorothy is in charge of a talent show and things are not going her way: she cannot find any talent for the show and her emcee has just canceled. She only groans when Rose insists she can get Bob Hope to appear.
94	18	"Fiddler on the Ropes"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman	March 4, 1989 (1989-03-04)
Sophia invests the roommates' money in a prizefighter, but are surprised when they discover he also an aspiring violinist.
95	19	"Till Death Do We Volley"	Terry Hughes	Richard Vaczy and Tracy Gamble	March 18, 1989 (1989-03-18)
Dorothy is visited by high school friend Trudy (Anne Francis), whose friendship with her is based on competition and practical jokes. The competition gets out of hand when Trudy collapses and apparently dies during a game of tennis and Dorothy must break the news to their assembled classmates. Unfortunately, it was another prank.
96	20	"High Anxiety"	Terry Hughes	Martin Weiss and Robert Bruce	March 25, 1989 (1989-03-25)
After Sophia accidentally knocks a bottle of Rose's pills down the sink, the girls learn that Rose is addicted. She battles withdrawal. Meanwhile, Dorothy and Sophia are hired to be in a pizza commercial.
97	21	"Little Sister"	Terry Hughes	Christopher Lloyd	April 1, 1989 (1989-04-01)
Rose catches her visiting sister Holly with Blanche's boyfriend and tries to tell Blanche and Dorothy, who have been charmed by Holly and refuse to believe Rose. Meanwhile, Dorothy trusts Sophia to watch a dog.
98	22	"Sophia's Choice"	Terry Hughes	Richard Vaczy and Tracy Gamble	April 15, 1989 (1989-04-15)
Sophia's friend Lillian moves from Shady Pines to Sunny Pastures, a terrible facility. Sophia brings Lillian to stay at the house, where the women quickly realize Lillian requires full-time care they are unable to provide. Dorothy and Sophia try to force Sunny Pastures to provide better care, only to find that there is no malfeasance they can address; the facility operates at a loss with insufficient government funding, and the overworked administrator is genuinely open to ideas, though Sophia and Dorothy have none. Rose identifies a better place for Lillian to stay, but the monthly cost exceeds Lillian's benefits by $150. Blanche had been planning to use a work bonus for breast augmentation but decides to use it to pay for two years of Lillian's care. The women, realizing this solves only one person's problems, vow to stay together as they age.
99	23	"Rites of Spring"	Terry Hughes	Eric Cohen	April 29, 1989 (1989-04-29)
Sophia obsesses over regaining a lost pound, while the other women decide to lose weight before a friend's pool party. They recall previous self-improvement attempts: Rose, Blanche, and Dorothy joined a gym, where enthusiastic trainer Yvonne convinced Blanche and Dorothy to buy expensive workout accessories and then injured herself leading an aerobics class; Sophia convinced the other women to visit hair stylist Eduardo, an attractive man who passionately described wildly different concepts for each woman's makeover but then styled their hair identically to Sophia's; and the women rejected Stanley's invitation to join a guru's encounter group and ended up arguing over Dorothy identifying Sophia as her best friend. Sophia accepts her lower weight after Dorothy determines Sophia's height has shrunk. After learning the party is a day later than expected, the women devour Sophia's decadent cake.
100	24	"Foreign Exchange"	Terry Hughes	Harriet B. Helberg and Sandy Helberg	May 6, 1989 (1989-05-06)
101 102	25 26	"We're Outta Here"	Terry Hughes	Barry Fanaro, Mort Nathan, Kathy Speer, and Terry Grossman	May 13, 1989 (1989-05-13)
Blanche, Dorothy, and Rose return home from a play to discover Sophia in the midst of selling the house. A "For Sale" sign was accidentally placed on the front lawn, but Blanche considers going through with the sale after learning the amount that she has been offered.

Season 5 (1989–90)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
103	1	"Sick and Tired: Part 1"	Terry Hughes	Susan Harris	September 23, 1989 (1989-09-23)
104	2	"Sick and Tired: Part 2"	Terry Hughes	Susan Harris	September 30, 1989 (1989-09-30)
105	3	"Accurate Conception"	Terry Hughes	Gail Parent	October 14, 1989 (1989-10-14)
106	4	"Rose Fights Back"	Terry Hughes	Marc Sotkin	October 21, 1989 (1989-10-21)
107	5	"Love Under the Big Top"	Terry Hughes	Richard Vaczy and Tracy Gamble	October 28, 1989 (1989-10-28)
108	6	"Dancing in the Dark"	Terry Hughes	Phillip Jayson Lasker	November 4, 1989 (1989-11-04)
109	7	"Not Another Monday"	Terry Hughes	Gail Parent	November 11, 1989 (1989-11-11)
110	8	"That Old Feeling"	Terry Hughes	Tom Whedon	November 18, 1989 (1989-11-18)
111	9	"Comedy of Errors"	Terry Hughes	Don Reo	November 25, 1989 (1989-11-25)
112	10	"All That Jazz"	Terry Hughes	Robert Bruce and Martin Weiss	December 2, 1989 (1989-12-02)
113	11	"Ebb Tide"	Terry Hughes	Marc Sotkin	December 9, 1989 (1989-12-09)
114	12	"Have Yourself a Very Little Christmas"	Terry Hughes	Tom Whedon	December 16, 1989 (1989-12-16)
115	13	"Mary Has a Little Lamb"	Terry Hughes	Harold Apter	January 6, 1990 (1990-01-06)
116	14	"Great Expectations"	Terry Hughes	Robert Bruce and Martin Weiss	January 13, 1990 (1990-01-13)
117	15	"Triple Play"	Terry Hughes	Gail Parent	January 27, 1990 (1990-01-27)
118	16	"Clinton Avenue Memoirs"	Terry Hughes	Richard Vaczy & Tracy Gamble	February 3, 1990 (1990-02-03)
119	17	"Like the Beep Beep Beep of the Tom-Tom"	Terry Hughes	Phillip Jayson Lasker	February 10, 1990 (1990-02-10)
120	18	"An Illegitimate Concern"	Terry Hughes	Marc Cherry and Jamie Wooten	February 12, 1990 (1990-02-12)
121	19	"72 Hours"	Terry Hughes	Richard Vaczy and Tracy Gamble	February 17, 1990 (1990-02-17)
122	20	"Twice in a Lifetime"	Terry Hughes	Robert Bruce and Martin Weiss	February 24, 1990 (1990-02-24)
123	21	"Sisters and Other Strangers"	Terry Hughes	Marc Cherry and Jamie Wooten	March 3, 1990 (1990-03-03)
124	22	"Cheaters"	Terry Hughes	Tom Whedon	March 24, 1990 (1990-03-24)
125	23	"The Mangiacavallo Curse Makes a Lousy Wedding Present"	Terry Hughes	Phillip Jayson Lasker	March 31, 1990 (1990-03-31)
126	24	"All Bets Are Off"	Terry Hughes	Eugene B. Stein	April 28, 1990 (1990-04-28)
127 128	25 26	"The President's Coming! The President's Coming!"	Lex Passaris	Marc Sotkin, Gail Parent, Martin Weiss, Robert Bruce, Philip Jayson Lasker, Tom Whedon, Marc Cherry, and Jamie Wooten	May 5, 1990 (1990-05-05)

Season 6 (1990–91)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
129	1	"Blanche Delivers"	Matthew Diamond	Gail Parent and Jim Vallely	September 22, 1990 (1990-09-22)
130	2	"Once, in St. Olaf"	Matthew Diamond	Harold Apter	September 29, 1990 (1990-09-29)
131	3	"If at Last You Do Succeed"	Matthew Diamond	Robert Spina	October 6, 1990 (1990-10-06)
132	4	"Snap Out of It"	Matthew Diamond	Richard Vaczy and Tracy Gamble	October 13, 1990 (1990-10-13)
133	5	"Wham, Bam, Thank You, Mammy!"	Matthew Diamond	Marc Cherry and Jamie Wooten	October 20, 1990 (1990-10-20)
134	6	"Feelings"	Matthew Diamond	Don Seigel and Jerry Perzigian	October 27, 1990 (1990-10-27)
135	7	"Zborn Again"	Matthew Diamond	Mitchell Hurwitz	November 3, 1990 (1990-11-03)
136	8	"How Do You Solve a Problem Like Sophia?"	Matthew Diamond	Marc Cherry and Jamie Wooten	November 10, 1990 (1990-11-10)
137	9	"Mrs. George Devereaux"	Matthew Diamond	Richard Vaczy and Tracy Gamble	November 17, 1990 (1990-11-17)
138	10	"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun... Before They Die"	Matthew Diamond	Gail Parent and Jim Vallely	November 24, 1990 (1990-11-24)
139	11	"Stand by Your Man"	Matthew Diamond	Tom Whedon	December 1, 1990 (1990-12-01)
140	12	"Ebbtide's Revenge"	Matthew Diamond	Marc Sotkin	December 15, 1990 (1990-12-15)
141	13	"The Bloom Is Off the Rose"	Matthew Diamond	Phillip Jayson Lasker	January 5, 1991 (1991-01-05)
142	14	"Sister of the Bride"	Matthew Diamond	Marc Cherry and Jamie Wooten	January 12, 1991 (1991-01-12)
143	15	"Miles to Go"	Matthew Diamond	Don Seigel and Jerry Perzigian	January 19, 1991 (1991-01-19)
144	16	"There Goes the Bride: Part 1"	Matthew Diamond	Story by : Gail Parent, Jim Vallely, and Mitchell Hurwitz Teleplay by : Mitchell Hurwitz	February 2, 1991 (1991-02-02)
145	17	"There Goes the Bride: Part 2"	Matthew Diamond	Gail Parent and Jim Vallely	February 9, 1991 (1991-02-09)
146	18	"Older and Wiser"	Matthew Diamond	Richard Vaczy and Tracy Gamble	February 16, 1991 (1991-02-16)
147	19	"Melodrama"	Matthew Diamond	Robert Spina	February 16, 1991 (1991-02-16)
148	20	"Even Grandmas Get the Blues"	Robert Berlinger	Gail Parent and Jim Vallely	March 2, 1991 (1991-03-02)
149	21	"Witness"	Zane Buzby	Mitchell Hurwitz	March 9, 1991 (1991-03-09)
150	22	"What a Difference a Date Makes"	Lex Passaris	Marc Cherry and Jamie Wooten	March 23, 1991 (1991-03-23)
151	23	"Love for Sale"	Peter D. Beyt	Don Seigel and Jerry Perzigian	April 6, 1991 (1991-04-06)
152 153	24 25	"Never Yell Fire in a Crowded Retirement Home"	Matthew Diamond	Story by : Gail Parent Teleplay by: Tracy Gamble, Richard Vaczy, Tom Whedon, and Mitchell Hurwitz Story by: Jim Vallely Teleplay by : Richard Vaczy, Tracy Gamble, Don Seigel, and Jerry Perzigian	April 27, 1991 (1991-04-27)
154	26	"Henny Penny — Straight, No Chaser"	Judy Pioli	Tom Whedon	May 4, 1991 (1991-05-04)

Season 7 (1991–92)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
155	1	"Hey, Look Me Over"	Lex Passaris	Mitchell Hurwitz	September 21, 1991 (1991-09-21)
156	2	"The Case of the Libertine Belle"	Lex Passaris	Tom Whedon	September 28, 1991 (1991-09-28)
157	3	"Beauty and the Beast"	Lex Passaris	Marc Cherry and Jamie Wooten	October 5, 1991 (1991-10-05)
158	4	"That's for Me to Know"	Lex Passaris	Kevin Abbott	October 12, 1991 (1991-10-12)
159	5	"Where's Charlie?"	Lex Passaris	Gail Parent and Jim Vallely	October 19, 1991 (1991-10-19)
160	6	"Mother Load"	Lex Passaris	Don Seigel and Jerry Perzigian	October 26, 1991 (1991-10-26)
161	7	"Dateline: Miami"	Peter D. Beyt	Marc Cherry and Jamie Wooten	November 2, 1991 (1991-11-02)
162 163	8 9	"The Monkey Show"	Lex Passaris	Mitchell Hurwitz and Marc Sotkin	November 9, 1991 (1991-11-09)
164	10	"Ro$e Love$ Mile$"	Lex Passaris	Don Seigel, Jerry Perzigian, Richard Vaczy, and Tracy Gamble	November 16, 1991 (1991-11-16)
165	11	"Room 7"	Peter D. Beyt	Tracy Gamble and Richard Vaczy	November 23, 1991 (1991-11-23)
166	12	"From Here to the Pharmacy"	Lex Passaris	Gail Parent and Jim Vallely	December 7, 1991 (1991-12-07)
167	13	"The Pope's Ring"	Lex Passaris	Kevin Abbott	December 14, 1991 (1991-12-14)
168	14	"Old Boyfriends"	Peter D. Beyt	Jamie Wooten and Marc Cherry	January 4, 1992 (1992-01-04)
169	15	"Goodbye, Mr. Gordon"	Lex Passaris	Gail Parent and Jim Vallely	January 11, 1992 (1992-01-11)
170	16	"The Commitments"	Lex Passaris	Tracy Gamble and Richard Vaczy	January 25, 1992 (1992-01-25)
171	17	"Questions and Answers"	Lex Passaris	Don Seigel and Jerry Perzigian	February 8, 1992 (1992-02-08)
172	18	"Ebbtide VI: The Wrath of Stan"	Lex Passaris	Marc Sotkin	February 15, 1992 (1992-02-15)
173	19	"Journey to the Center of Attention"	Lex Passaris	Jamie Wooten and Marc Cherry	February 22, 1992 (1992-02-22)
174 175	20 21	"A Midwinter Night's Dream"	Lex Passaris	Kevin Abbott (Part 1) Tom Whedon (Part 2)	February 29, 1992 (1992-02-29)
176	22	"Rose: Portrait of a Woman"	Lex Passaris	Robert Spina	March 7, 1992 (1992-03-07)
177	23	"Home Again, Rose: Part 1"	Peter D. Beyt	Gail Parent	April 25, 1992 (1992-04-25)
178	24	"Home Again, Rose: Part 2"	Peter D. Beyt	Jim Vallely	May 2, 1992 (1992-05-02)
179 180	25 26	"One Flew Out of the Cuckoo's Nest"	Lex Passaris	Don Seigel and Jerry Perzigian (Part 1) Mitchell Hurwitz (Part 2)	May 9, 1992 (1992-05-09)

Television special

Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
The Golden Girls: Their Greatest Moments	Andrew Solt	Andrew Solt, Greg Vines	June 2, 2003 (2003-06-02)
Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan and Betty White host a Golden Girls retrospective featuring a montage of clips from their favorite episodes and musical moments from the show, never-before-seen bloopers and outtakes, as well as interviews with executive producers Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas, and creator/writer Susan Harris. Estelle Getty was unable to participate due to failing health. This special aired not on NBC, but on the Lifetime cable channel, which was running reruns of the series at the time.

References

"The Golden Girls (Season 1)". tvtango.com. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
"The Golden Girls (Season 2)". tvtango.com. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
"The Golden Girls (Season 3)". tvtango.com. Retrieved October 13, 2020.

External links

The Golden Girls at IMDb
The Golden Girls at epguides.com

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[1] "The Golden Girls (Season 1)". tvtango.com. Retrieved October 13, 2020.

[2] "The Golden Girls (Season 2)". tvtango.com. Retrieved October 13, 2020.

[3] "The Golden Girls (Season 3)". tvtango.com. Retrieved October 13, 2020.

The Golden Girls
Characters	Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur) Rose Nylund (Betty White) Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan) Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty)
Seasons	1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Spin-offs	Empty Nest (1988–95) Nurses (1991–94) The Golden Palace (1992–93)
Adaptations	Bnot HaZahav (Israel) Brighton Belles (UK) Golden Girls (Netherlands)
Related	Awards and nominations The Golden Girls: Their Greatest Moments "Thank You for Being a Friend" Hurricane Saturday Full Moon Over Miami The Earth Day Special
Category