Post by jasong on Oct 6, 2017 14:16:54 GMT
I, a few nights back was watching a few episodes of the Golden Girls, a few of them are pretty great to me, but they were a place where you could laugh at them and think nothing much of it at the time. But sometimes you'd watch the same episode again and see what you could take from it.
The first one was "Sophia's Choice"- The episode in itself was a comfort, because I had a grandma who was in a nursing home, a bad one. I remember watching the episode and crying as Rose said "What happens when there's only one of us left." and Sophia's reply being "I can take care of myself.", it was a line that my grandmother would say, to me often "You look after yourself, and you take care of you." we took her out of the home a few days a week, she had no idea who I was but she called me her "Bearded Son" or "Beardo" because of my beard. When she passed away and the funeral service was over I felt empty, but knowing her soul was with me I went home. When I got home I started to watch that episode, the episode was full of its trademark humour, but it's what I needed. Its a special episode because she was no longer in pain and she was the "only" one left of her friends, she took care of herself.
Another was "Old Friends" Being heartbreaking as it is when Dorothy tells Sophia that Alvin is going to New York for treatment, this episode to brings to light how dementia and Alzheimer's can effect not just that person but a whole family. This episode brought for me again comfort, as my grandma suffered from dementia. My favourite line was "Do you think he'll remember me?" "I don't know Ma.." "I'll remember him..".. Those quotes brought me to tears, because before my grandma had completely lost her memory that's the first thing I said "DO you think, she will remember me? Once the memory loss kicks in?" the doctor shook his head and said "She'll remember bits and pieces, but family will become harder to recognize.." as time went on I spoke with my grandma and said "Do you remember me?" she shook her head and said "No I don't. But you have a nice beard. And i'll remember that..." again tears.. but I watched that episode as well. I felt okay now knowing they would have those days where they would remember things. Again It was another episode I needed...
A lot of people will say, Golden Girls is just another show. but its not "just another show" to me. It was special as it addressed a lot of things, some shows would never touch. The 4 ladies on the show were very good at what they did, no doubt. As I have read in some articles, some episodes brought comfort to some knowing they weren't alone and that 'oh this happens to older people as well', things get better.
The first thing I remember after watching the Golden Girls Pilot was "This is a wonderful show. It will be great.." and indeed it was, it came out with some great scripts and some great quotes as well. like the "Shady Pines." quote from Dorothy and "Picture it" from Sophia, Roses' Saint Olaf stories and Blanche's endless sexcapades. my favourite quote(s) there are many the ones you see normally show up on my twitter.
For me, and many other people, Golden Girls was special and it always will be, with the legacy of the show and Betty still going, nothing can stop the Golden Girls from ever going away. It impact is bigger than most people realise and for a show that finished in 1992, it is watching if you are a young person or randomly watching a youtube video and come across a video of Dorothy being sarcastic.
-jasong
The first one was "Sophia's Choice"- The episode in itself was a comfort, because I had a grandma who was in a nursing home, a bad one. I remember watching the episode and crying as Rose said "What happens when there's only one of us left." and Sophia's reply being "I can take care of myself.", it was a line that my grandmother would say, to me often "You look after yourself, and you take care of you." we took her out of the home a few days a week, she had no idea who I was but she called me her "Bearded Son" or "Beardo" because of my beard. When she passed away and the funeral service was over I felt empty, but knowing her soul was with me I went home. When I got home I started to watch that episode, the episode was full of its trademark humour, but it's what I needed. Its a special episode because she was no longer in pain and she was the "only" one left of her friends, she took care of herself.
Another was "Old Friends" Being heartbreaking as it is when Dorothy tells Sophia that Alvin is going to New York for treatment, this episode to brings to light how dementia and Alzheimer's can effect not just that person but a whole family. This episode brought for me again comfort, as my grandma suffered from dementia. My favourite line was "Do you think he'll remember me?" "I don't know Ma.." "I'll remember him..".. Those quotes brought me to tears, because before my grandma had completely lost her memory that's the first thing I said "DO you think, she will remember me? Once the memory loss kicks in?" the doctor shook his head and said "She'll remember bits and pieces, but family will become harder to recognize.." as time went on I spoke with my grandma and said "Do you remember me?" she shook her head and said "No I don't. But you have a nice beard. And i'll remember that..." again tears.. but I watched that episode as well. I felt okay now knowing they would have those days where they would remember things. Again It was another episode I needed...
A lot of people will say, Golden Girls is just another show. but its not "just another show" to me. It was special as it addressed a lot of things, some shows would never touch. The 4 ladies on the show were very good at what they did, no doubt. As I have read in some articles, some episodes brought comfort to some knowing they weren't alone and that 'oh this happens to older people as well', things get better.
The first thing I remember after watching the Golden Girls Pilot was "This is a wonderful show. It will be great.." and indeed it was, it came out with some great scripts and some great quotes as well. like the "Shady Pines." quote from Dorothy and "Picture it" from Sophia, Roses' Saint Olaf stories and Blanche's endless sexcapades. my favourite quote(s) there are many the ones you see normally show up on my twitter.
For me, and many other people, Golden Girls was special and it always will be, with the legacy of the show and Betty still going, nothing can stop the Golden Girls from ever going away. It impact is bigger than most people realise and for a show that finished in 1992, it is watching if you are a young person or randomly watching a youtube video and come across a video of Dorothy being sarcastic.
-jasong