The Golden Girls DVD

Rated: Not Rated
Genre: TV Series
Length: 620 minutes
Director: Various
Year: (1985-1986)

Britt Gillette's The Golden Girls DVD (Season 1) Review

Making its debut in the fall of 1985, The Golden Girls quickly established itself as a fixture of Saturday night prime time television. Following the lives of four older women living together as roommates in Miami, the show displayed a raw wit and a sharp humor. The women live in the house of Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan), a Southern belle who loves men of every kind and has dated every eligible bachelor in the Miami area. Her roommates are former high school teacher Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur) and St. Olaff housewife and widower Rose Nylund (Betty White). Rose loves to tell stories about her former hometown, much to the chagrin of the other girls.

When the series begins, the three girls are joined by Dorothy's mother, the firebrand Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty), a spunky Italian immigrant who always speaks her mind. In her early 80's, Sophia may walk at a measured pace, but the velocity of her sarcasm only increases with age.

In this Season 1 DVD of The Golden Girls, the girls must face a number of obstacles and various travails of life. Dorothy must learn to deal with her ex-husband Stanley, a loser who left her after nearly 40 years of marriage for a young bimbo who later dumped him. Blanche and Rose must deal with the various men in their lives - especially those who want to marry them. And Sophia just simply does her own thing, which is quite a lot for a young woman in her 80's.

Overall, this is a charming situation comedy with likeable characters who have certainly developed their own unique identities. Although some of the same aspects of the show tend to be used over and over again (such as the St. Olaff stories and Dorothy's reaction to them), The Golden Girls never seems to grow tiresome. With powerful performances from each of the cast members, viewers will find that Sophia steals the show…

The Golden Girls DVD (Season 1) episode guide:

Episode 1 (The Engagement): Air Date: 09-14-1985 (Golden Girls DVD)
When a fire burns down Shady Pines, the Miami retirement home where Sophia Petrillo lives, she moves in with her daughter Dorothy - a recently divorced retired school teacher living with two retired widows, Rose Nylund and Blanche Devereaux. Blanche's boyfriend Harry proposes marriage, but Rose has a funny feeling regarding their imminent vows.

Episode 2 (Guess Who's Coming To The Wedding?): Air Date: 09-21-1985 (Golden Girls DVD)
When Dorothy's daughter Kate announces her impending marriage to a podiatrist named Dennis, Dorothy is happy for her daughter. But Dorothy's mood is severely altered when she learns that Stanley Zbornak, her deadbeat ex-husband, will be attending the wedding. Still upset from their divorce (a result of Stanley's cheating) after 38 years of marriage, Dorothy is about to tell Stan off, and only Rose and Blanche can stop her from ruining her daughter's wedding.

Episode 3 (Rose The Prude): Air Date: 09-28-1985 (Golden Girls DVD)
Agreeing to participate in a blind date, Rose is apprehensive because it will be her first date since her husband passed away. When her date invites Rose to attend a cruise in which they will be sharing a bedroom, Rose gets advice from Dorothy and Blanche.

Episode 4 (Transplant): Air Date: 10-05-1985 (Golden Girls DVD)
Rose and Dorothy spend their time babysitting a newborn infant, while Blanche rekindles her relationship with her sister Virginia. Determined that Virginia has arrived in Miami to get something, Blanche finds out she's right. Virginia wants her kidney so she can have a transplant.

Episode 5 (The Triangle): Air Date: 10-19-1985 (Golden Girls DVD)
Dorothy is dating the charming Dr. Elliot Clayton, and things are going well between them. But while at the house one night, Elliot makes a play for Blanche who rejects him. When she tells Dorothy what happened, Dorothy claims she's jealous and refuses to listen. The entire affair nearly ruins their friendship when Blanche orders Dorothy to leave the house. But Rose tricks Elliot into revealing the truth, and when Dorothy overhears she gives him the boot and begs for Blanche's forgiveness.

Episode 6 (On Golden Girls): Air Date: 10-26-1985 (Golden Girls DVD)
When Blanche's grandson comes to visit her in Miami, he turns out to be quite a handful, having almost nothing in common with his grandmother and her friends. While Dorothy studies for her French final, Blanche decides what to do about her grandson.

Episode 7 (The Competition): Air Date: 11-02-1985 (Golden Girls DVD)
Competition between the girls becomes fierce as Dorothy and Blanche look down on Rose and Sophia's bowling abilities and the pair's odds of beating them in a head-to-head contest. Dorothy wagers a trip to Sicily for Sophia to visit a childhood love interest against Sophia's pair of antique earrings which Dorothy has always admired.

Episode 8 (Break-In): Air Date: 11-09-1985 (Golden Girls DVD)
After attending a concert, the girls come home and find that the house has been burglarized. In an effort to feel safe, they install a security system, buy a dog, and take other precautions. But Rose is especially upset. She purchases a handgun, and when she hears a noise late one night she comes out of her bedroom shooting and almost kills Blanche's date, instead hitting an antique vase which was a family heirloom. As a result, Blanche would've preferred that Rose hit the man instead.

Episode 9 (Blanche And The Younger Man): Air Date: 11-16-1985 (Golden Girls DVD)
Blanche is dating an aerobics instructor young enough to be her son, and she does everything she can to remain in top shape for her new boyfriend. When Rose's mother comes to visit, she gets angry at Rose's incessant mothering of her. She feels she's being treated like a child just because she's getting old.

Episode 10 (Heart Attack): Air Date: 11-23-1985 (Golden Girls DVD)
Following a dinner party, Sophia suffers an apparent heart attack, and the arrival of the paramedics is delayed by a heavy storm. Convinced she is on her deathbed, Sophia imparts some final words of wisdom to her daughter Dorothy. But in the end, it turns out she merely suffered from a gall bladder attack brought on by too much eating.

Episode 11 (The Return Of Dorothy's Ex): Air Date: 11-30-1985 (Golden Girls DVD)
Stanley shows up and convinces Dorothy to travel with him to unload a jointly-owned swamp property they purchased on their honeymoon. During the trip, Stan reveals that the woman he left Dorothy for has now left him. Stan and Dorothy end up spending the night together. Meanwhile, Rose and Blanche are planning a vacation trip of their own, and Sophia feels left out.

Episode 12 (The Custody Battle): Air Date: 12-07-1985 (Golden Girls DVD)
When Dorothy's sister Gloria visits Miami, she and Dorothy battle over who will keep their mother. At first, Sophia says she'll leave. But ultimately, Sophia chooses to stay with Dorothy. In the interim, Blanche becomes jealous when the local play director chooses Rose instead of her for the lead role.

Episode 13 (A Little Romance): Air Date: 12-14-1985 (Golden Girls DVD)
Rose is apprehensive about introducing her new boyfriend, Dr. Jonathan Newman, to the rest of the girls because he happens to be a midget. When they finally meet him, Sophia makes her usual comments, while Blanche unintentionally makes a fool of herself. When Jonathan wants to get married, it turns out that Rose is bothered by his height after all.

Episode 14 (That Was No Lady): Air Date: 12-21-1985 (Golden Girls DVD)
Dorothy's boyfriend Glen reveals that he's already married, but much to her surprise, Dorothy continues to sneak around to be with him - against the wishes of Sophia. Meanwhile, Blanche sells her old car to Rose in order to get a new one, but the transaction doesn't work out as planned. In the end, Dorothy breaks off her relationship with Glen because she doesn't want to be the "other woman" after the way Stan cheated on her.

Episode 15 (In A Bed Of Rose's): Air Date: 01-11-1986 (Golden Girls DVD)
Rose brings her date home one night, and he spends the night in her bedroom. But when she awakes in the morning, the man is dead. And to make matters worse, it turns out he was married.

Episode 16 (The Truth Will Out): Air Date: 01-18-1986 (Golden Girls DVD)
Rose is nervous about an impending visit from her daughter and granddaughter who have come to finalize the settlement of her husband Charlie's estate. Rose's daughter chastises her for spending all of Charlie's hard-earned money, but Rose reveals that Charlie had very little money. She didn't squander it, instead she had built up Charlie to be something he was not.

Episode 17 (Nice And Easy): Air Date: 02-01-1986 (Golden Girls DVD)
When Blanche's southern niece comes to stay with the girls, she surprises Blanche by going out with a different man every night. Blanche puts her foot down, but her niece runs away. The girls finally manage to hunt her down at a Miami policeman's house. The man models his life after Don Johnson and the Miami Vice cast. Blanche and her niece are reconciled.

Episode 18 (The Operation): Air Date: 02-08-1986 (Golden Girls DVD)
Dorothy, Blanche, and Rose establish a tap dance routine for a local dance recital. However, when Dorothy has to have emergency foot surgery, the girls must perform without her. Dorothy is feeling scared and sorry for herself, until she's inspired by her hospital roommate - a woman who's been through far worse. In the end, the girls perform their routine in the hospital for Dorothy.

Episode 19 (Second Motherhood): Air Date: 02-15-1986 (Golden Girls DVD)
Blanche's new boyfriend is filthy rich, and he wants nothing more than to marry Blanche. But while flying on his private jet, he reveals to her that he has several small children. When it becomes clear to her that all he wants is a mother for the children, Blanche breaks off their relationship. Meanwhile, Dorothy and Rose are committed to fixing the bathroom plumbing themselves.

Episode 20 (Adult Education): Air Date: 02-22-1986 (Golden Girls DVD)
Afraid that she will fail the upcoming final, Blanche seeks help from her psychology professor. But instead of academic advice, he offers her a deal. If she'll sleep with him, then he'll guarantee her an A. When Blanche complains to the administration, they say they can't do anything without evidence. So Blanche studies hard, determined to pass the test on her own. Meanwhile, the other three girls attempt to get a hold of tickets to a sold out Frank Sinatra concert.

Episode 21 (Flu Attack): Air Date: 03-01-1986 (Golden Girls DVD)
The week prior to an upcoming charity awards ceremony, Blanche, Dorothy, and Rose all develop an awful case of the flu, which leaves them immobile and at each other's throats. Only Sophia seems to be immune to the nasty bug. When the awards ceremony finally arrives, neither of the sick girls wins - but someone more deserving takes the award.

Episode 22 (Job Hunting): Air Date: 03-08-1986 (Golden Girls DVD)
Rose looses her job at the grief center, and she's determined to find another way to make some extra income. Meanwhile, Dorothy is beside herself when an old high school classmate, Barry Glick, who she had a crush on contacts her and asks her out.

Episode 23 (Blind Ambitions): Air Date: 03-29-1986 (Golden Girls DVD)
Rose's sister Lily visits Miami, but she's finding it really hard to cope with life in the aftermath of recently losing her sight. It takes some prodding by Rose before she learns to make it on her own. Meanwhile, the girls hold a garage sale so they can raise funds to buy a new TV, but none of them wants to part the items they put up for sale.

Episode 24 (Big Daddy): Air Date: 05-03-1986 (Golden Girls DVD)
Big Daddy, Blanche's larger than life father comes to Miami with good news. He's sold the family plantation and set out on the road to pursue his dream of becoming a country singer. Blanche is beside herself, in the end, she comes out in support of her father's dream. Meanwhile, an unfriendly neighbor is cursed by Sophia when he refuses to remove a tree of his which fell onto the girls' property.

Episode 25 (The Way We Met): Air Date: 05-10-1986 (Golden Girls DVD)
After watching a TV feature of Psycho late one evening, all the girls have trouble falling asleep. So they stay up late, eat cheesecake, and discuss how they all came to live with one another.

Britt Gillette

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The Golden Girls (Season 1)
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Posted on 26 January 2005