Sophia is feeling very ill lately. She's having chest pains. Blanche decides to call her doctor, but Dr. Harris has gotten stuck since trees are blocking the way after a storm.
Like any Golden Girls episode, this one contains a lot of sharp and witty dialogue between the girls. Sophia has always been my favorite of the four, and she gets some of the funniest material of the season despite the dark subject matter. In a way it's kind of inspiring. She's lying there terrified not knowing what is gonna happen, and still manages to have a sense of humor about the situation.
The writing also deserves credit for this. Sophia gets a really sweet little moment where she tells her daughter Dorothy that she was always her favorite. This is extremely significant since these two bicker with each other like hens most times we see them interact. Don't get me wrong, the love between them is always understood. It's not a seethingly toxic relationship. But hearing it in this context with her going so far as to say she's her favorite warms my heart.
You realize even more how much importance Dorothy has played in her life when she almost dreamily says she will meet her husband for the first time in thirty years. In classic Sophia fashion though she follows that up with wanting her hair to look good when they meet.
Rose and Blanche start to reflect on death themselves. Blanche has a very funny line when she talks about her dream funeral, which involves Arlington Cemetery because of all the men. When Rose points out that they are dead she quips back "So are the men I date!".
Rose recollects an awful memory of her late husband Charlie, revealing that he died of a heart attack while they were having sex. Interestingly the same thing would happen just a few episodes later. Poor Rose.
As someone who has lost two grandparents, this got uncomfortably close to home at points. Even though Sophia is humorous as usual she sounds and looks realistically sick. But through it all we see how much the girls love Sophia and consider her an essential part of their lives. After a while Dr. Harris finally arrives. It turns out it wasn't as bad as was previously thought. She was suffering a gallbladder attack due to eating so much food at a party. The fear was still real however, and we're relieved she made it through.
Dorothy is still flattered she's her mother's favorite, which results in a confused reaction. "Favorite? I thought I was dying!" I like to think that's just Sophia's incurable grouchiness talking. The sincerity with which she said those words was her vulnerable side slipping through, which she usually keeps covered like a hardered Italian cheese.
If someone asked me what makes The Golden Girls such a special show, this is the episode I would point them towards.
Like any Golden Girls episode, this one contains a lot of sharp and witty dialogue between the girls. Sophia has always been my favorite of the four, and she gets some of the funniest material of the season despite the dark subject matter. In a way it's kind of inspiring. She's lying there terrified not knowing what is gonna happen, and still manages to have a sense of humor about the situation.
The writing also deserves credit for this. Sophia gets a really sweet little moment where she tells her daughter Dorothy that she was always her favorite. This is extremely significant since these two bicker with each other like hens most times we see them interact. Don't get me wrong, the love between them is always understood. It's not a seethingly toxic relationship. But hearing it in this context with her going so far as to say she's her favorite warms my heart.
You realize even more how much importance Dorothy has played in her life when she almost dreamily says she will meet her husband for the first time in thirty years. In classic Sophia fashion though she follows that up with wanting her hair to look good when they meet.
Rose and Blanche start to reflect on death themselves. Blanche has a very funny line when she talks about her dream funeral, which involves Arlington Cemetery because of all the men. When Rose points out that they are dead she quips back "So are the men I date!".
Rose recollects an awful memory of her late husband Charlie, revealing that he died of a heart attack while they were having sex. Interestingly the same thing would happen just a few episodes later. Poor Rose.
As someone who has lost two grandparents, this got uncomfortably close to home at points. Even though Sophia is humorous as usual she sounds and looks realistically sick. But through it all we see how much the girls love Sophia and consider her an essential part of their lives. After a while Dr. Harris finally arrives. It turns out it wasn't as bad as was previously thought. She was suffering a gallbladder attack due to eating so much food at a party. The fear was still real however, and we're relieved she made it through.
Dorothy is still flattered she's her mother's favorite, which results in a confused reaction. "Favorite? I thought I was dying!" I like to think that's just Sophia's incurable grouchiness talking. The sincerity with which she said those words was her vulnerable side slipping through, which she usually keeps covered like a hardered Italian cheese.
If someone asked me what makes The Golden Girls such a special show, this is the episode I would point them towards.