Golden Girls: How The Emotionality Made The Series Great
Apr 9, 2018 14:10:38 GMT
Douglas likes this
Post by jasong on Apr 9, 2018 14:10:38 GMT
Oh boy.. This.. This is gonna be a tough one. I'm teary eyed writing this, but for good reason, the emotional punches the show pulled from time to time really put life into perspective.
Can you name an episode of the Golden Girls where you felt like hugging a family member? I do. I really do remember and that's why the Golden Girls was good at conveying what everyone thought at the time and what people could feel. The emotional acting of all 4 of these ladies were amazing, you can't take the away from the show, and you can have your comedy moments, but you can also be gut punched and that gut punch is what wakes you up, it really does.
Discussing "Old Friends"-
I think I have discussed this in a previous post (After looking it up it was my 4th post on the forums..), it was one of deep thought about how much the episode "Old Friends" means to me. (As I lost my grandmother to dementia. she had no idea who I was but she called me her "Beardo" because of my beard. But just knowing her soul was with me I went home after her funeral.. 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.)
No one can say caring for someone with dementia or Alzheimer's is easy. In fact when a person forgets who you are it is devastating and it is hard for anyone who knows a family who is around someone who is losing who they are.
And this episode pulls the heart strings because Sophia befriends a man named Alvin, whom she doesn't know is suffering from the disease, and as the episode continues we see Alvin get worse and in the end his daughter can't look after him so they send him to New York, what was heartbreaking was Dorothy telling Sophia (and if you see Bea stroke Estelle's cheek you can see how good they were at their craft, Bea sitting and listening to Sophia and Bea nodding in agreement to everything Estelle says.) and Sophia saying life is cruel sometimes, and she's right it can "spit in your face" and it can make you feel grateful.. But I think what gets me more is the fact Sophia goes back to the boardwalk and Dorothy is standing there, she goes down and Sophia says "Do you think he'll remember me?" Dorothy says "I don't know.." Sophia replies "I'll remember him".
This episode puts in perspective that life is something the is precious and to make sure that you live every moment like it's your last, because one moment they are there and the next they are gone.
Discussing "Mrs George Devereaux"-
Another episode that does this is "Mrs George Devereaux", and why? Because Blanche is having dreams about her dead husband George and how he died (totally dead mam crunch crunch). Blanche is always seen as get up and go, but in this episode we see her as "What is going on" type of person. Because loss is a natural part of life and you do have dreams about people you love, granted sometimes you wish it wasn't like that, but it is what it is. The fact was that Blanche never stopped loving/missing George, George was her everything, she lost a true part of herself and knowing that she got to hug him before she woke up was closure for her. This is an episode you should see.
What gets me about this episode is how well Rue McClanahan performed in this episode. She performed so well, this episode writing for Rue was pure Golden Girls.
So why is this episode "Not just another episode"? Because its pure Golden Girls Emotions, the way it was intended, to be comedic as well as put in emotional moments, no one can ever forget this episode, nor should they forget how much this episode means to a lot of people who have suffered a loss and feel like they are empty.
Discussing "Sophia's Choice"-
Sophia comes in and said she tried to visit her friend at Shady Pines named Lillian, Blanche telling her that she got a call saying she was moved to "Sunny Pastures", with Dorothy saying it isn't so bad that she got moved there. But Sophia remarks that Sunny Pastures is the place they take old people when they can no longer afford a place like Shady Pines.
Rose spends the day going around the city and finding a place for Lillian to live, she eventually finds one, but the problem is that none of the girls can afford it with Dorothy being Dorothy and saying none of them can afford it, but in a moment of kindness from Blanche she gives up her dream of owning a new pair of bosoms she decides that helping out Lillian is better, which gives Lillian two years of possible care from the new retirement home.
And if this episode wasn't emotional enough, Blanche brings up a good point, that they are nearing the elderly status, and that no matter what they would always remain together even if they end up in a nursing home.
"I'm not smart enough to keep up"- Rose
"What happens when there's only one of us left?"- Rose
"I'm nobodies little girl anymore.."- Blanche
"If she dies, I'll be an orphan. Can you believe it? I'm over 50 years old, and I'll still feel like an orphan.
Oh, it doesn't matter. You lose a parent, you might as well be six. It's scary, and it pushes you right up to the head of the line.
"- Dorothy
"AIDS is not a bad persons disease Rose.. It is not God punishing people for their sins!"- Blanche
"You know, Dorothy, people think if you live to be my age, you should be grateful just to be alive. Well, that's not how it works. You need a reason to get up in the morning. And sometimes even after you find one, life can turn right around and spit in your face."
- Sophia
After the show debuted and ended the show's legacy has stayed with the show til this very day. Reruns, merch and twitter accounts (as I have stated MANY times the accounts tweeting out quotes, and art, podcasts etc), the legacy of the show is much better than many other shows, and with Betty White making the girls proud in 2018, I bet you they are watching over her, proud at how she is carrying on at the age of 96. The reason why it matters is because the show is a great show and it makes me proud at what people have done with the show and how far they have taken the show into the 21st century.
The show matters for so many reasons. The show matters because it was a show in 1985 that broke taboos, that made sure you had your emotions in check. The show dealt with menopause, illness, emotional abuse, love, loss, tragedy and funerals and for a show in the 1980s not many other shows did what the Golden Girls did and many shows now still can't do what this show did.
The emotions that were used from episode to episode were absolutely amazing, and how storylines changed. It is hard to watch some episodes such as Sophia's Choice, The Heart Attack, Mrs George Devereaux if you come into the series blind and don't know what those episodes are about, but if you watch the series from start to finish you can see why it won awards, and why it had such a huge fan base and why its so popular now. Emotions are used in many series and are often used for the viewing, and when you know what you are in for it can make you cry. (I've had that many times watching a show. Grey's Anatomy Denny anyone?)
My final say-
Golden Girls is great viewing no matter which episode you view. Start at the start, have popcorn handy and some tissues at the ready, but sometimes the humour beats out the tissues.. You're more likely going to be crying tears of laughter then sadness. But enjoy the series more knowing it has that humour.
Here is a video of emotional #GoldenGirls moments/quotes. I think you should watch it.
Can you name an episode of the Golden Girls where you felt like hugging a family member? I do. I really do remember and that's why the Golden Girls was good at conveying what everyone thought at the time and what people could feel. The emotional acting of all 4 of these ladies were amazing, you can't take the away from the show, and you can have your comedy moments, but you can also be gut punched and that gut punch is what wakes you up, it really does.
Discussing "Old Friends"-
I think I have discussed this in a previous post (After looking it up it was my 4th post on the forums..), it was one of deep thought about how much the episode "Old Friends" means to me. (As I lost my grandmother to dementia. she had no idea who I was but she called me her "Beardo" because of my beard. But just knowing her soul was with me I went home after her funeral.. 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.)
No one can say caring for someone with dementia or Alzheimer's is easy. In fact when a person forgets who you are it is devastating and it is hard for anyone who knows a family who is around someone who is losing who they are.
And this episode pulls the heart strings because Sophia befriends a man named Alvin, whom she doesn't know is suffering from the disease, and as the episode continues we see Alvin get worse and in the end his daughter can't look after him so they send him to New York, what was heartbreaking was Dorothy telling Sophia (and if you see Bea stroke Estelle's cheek you can see how good they were at their craft, Bea sitting and listening to Sophia and Bea nodding in agreement to everything Estelle says.) and Sophia saying life is cruel sometimes, and she's right it can "spit in your face" and it can make you feel grateful.. But I think what gets me more is the fact Sophia goes back to the boardwalk and Dorothy is standing there, she goes down and Sophia says "Do you think he'll remember me?" Dorothy says "I don't know.." Sophia replies "I'll remember him".
This episode puts in perspective that life is something the is precious and to make sure that you live every moment like it's your last, because one moment they are there and the next they are gone.
Discussing "Mrs George Devereaux"-
Another episode that does this is "Mrs George Devereaux", and why? Because Blanche is having dreams about her dead husband George and how he died (totally dead mam crunch crunch). Blanche is always seen as get up and go, but in this episode we see her as "What is going on" type of person. Because loss is a natural part of life and you do have dreams about people you love, granted sometimes you wish it wasn't like that, but it is what it is. The fact was that Blanche never stopped loving/missing George, George was her everything, she lost a true part of herself and knowing that she got to hug him before she woke up was closure for her. This is an episode you should see.
What gets me about this episode is how well Rue McClanahan performed in this episode. She performed so well, this episode writing for Rue was pure Golden Girls.
So why is this episode "Not just another episode"? Because its pure Golden Girls Emotions, the way it was intended, to be comedic as well as put in emotional moments, no one can ever forget this episode, nor should they forget how much this episode means to a lot of people who have suffered a loss and feel like they are empty.
Discussing "Sophia's Choice"-
Sophia comes in and said she tried to visit her friend at Shady Pines named Lillian, Blanche telling her that she got a call saying she was moved to "Sunny Pastures", with Dorothy saying it isn't so bad that she got moved there. But Sophia remarks that Sunny Pastures is the place they take old people when they can no longer afford a place like Shady Pines.
Rose spends the day going around the city and finding a place for Lillian to live, she eventually finds one, but the problem is that none of the girls can afford it with Dorothy being Dorothy and saying none of them can afford it, but in a moment of kindness from Blanche she gives up her dream of owning a new pair of bosoms she decides that helping out Lillian is better, which gives Lillian two years of possible care from the new retirement home.
And if this episode wasn't emotional enough, Blanche brings up a good point, that they are nearing the elderly status, and that no matter what they would always remain together even if they end up in a nursing home.
"I'm not smart enough to keep up"- Rose
"What happens when there's only one of us left?"- Rose
"I'm nobodies little girl anymore.."- Blanche
"If she dies, I'll be an orphan. Can you believe it? I'm over 50 years old, and I'll still feel like an orphan.
Oh, it doesn't matter. You lose a parent, you might as well be six. It's scary, and it pushes you right up to the head of the line.
"- Dorothy
"AIDS is not a bad persons disease Rose.. It is not God punishing people for their sins!"- Blanche
"You know, Dorothy, people think if you live to be my age, you should be grateful just to be alive. Well, that's not how it works. You need a reason to get up in the morning. And sometimes even after you find one, life can turn right around and spit in your face."
- Sophia
After the show debuted and ended the show's legacy has stayed with the show til this very day. Reruns, merch and twitter accounts (as I have stated MANY times the accounts tweeting out quotes, and art, podcasts etc), the legacy of the show is much better than many other shows, and with Betty White making the girls proud in 2018, I bet you they are watching over her, proud at how she is carrying on at the age of 96. The reason why it matters is because the show is a great show and it makes me proud at what people have done with the show and how far they have taken the show into the 21st century.
The show matters for so many reasons. The show matters because it was a show in 1985 that broke taboos, that made sure you had your emotions in check. The show dealt with menopause, illness, emotional abuse, love, loss, tragedy and funerals and for a show in the 1980s not many other shows did what the Golden Girls did and many shows now still can't do what this show did.
The emotions that were used from episode to episode were absolutely amazing, and how storylines changed. It is hard to watch some episodes such as Sophia's Choice, The Heart Attack, Mrs George Devereaux if you come into the series blind and don't know what those episodes are about, but if you watch the series from start to finish you can see why it won awards, and why it had such a huge fan base and why its so popular now. Emotions are used in many series and are often used for the viewing, and when you know what you are in for it can make you cry. (I've had that many times watching a show. Grey's Anatomy Denny anyone?)
My final say-
Golden Girls is great viewing no matter which episode you view. Start at the start, have popcorn handy and some tissues at the ready, but sometimes the humour beats out the tissues.. You're more likely going to be crying tears of laughter then sadness. But enjoy the series more knowing it has that humour.
Here is a video of emotional #GoldenGirls moments/quotes. I think you should watch it.