The Golden Girls Episode: The Days & Nights of Sophia Petrillo

"The Golden Girls" was a comedy series set in Miami, Florida (it wasn't filmed in Miami) and originally telecast on the NBC network from 1985 through 1992. The basic gist of the show is that four women, 3 widowed and 1 divorced, share a house together and develop such a strong family-like friendship, they deal with and overcome their differing personality conflicts, as they support each other in life's challenges, including that of aging.

 

This episode first aired in October 1988 on NBC.

 

Episode Cast: 

 

Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo

Bea Arthur as Dorothy Zbornak 

Betty White as Rose Nylund

Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux 

Frances Bay as Claire

Nick DeMauro as the store clerk

David Selburg as the store manager

Allen Bloomfield as Abe

Ellen Albertini Dow as Mrs. Leonard 

The Dixie Belles as the band members

Don Kokko Burnaby as Sam

Marian Wells as Wanda

  

As Dorothy, Rose and Blanche spend the day at home trying to decide what to do for the day, they initially decide to do some home chores. As Sophia comes into the kitchen, she tells them she's going to do what she does every day, she's going out to buy a nectarine. This seemingly simple, meaningless and unexciting task leaves the others wondering if Sophia is fully able to appreciate life at her age (when this episode was done, Sophia was in her early 80s). After Sophia leaves, the girls find a box of cookies they didn't know they had, and they delay doing the chores to enjoy their newly found treat.

 

Sophia goes to the supermarket to buy a nectarine, but she helps her elderly friend Claire get a refund for a lamb chop by arguing against the store's no refund policy. In the process, Sophia gets a good deal on a nectarine for herself; but not only that, she gets Claire to pay for the nectarine. After this, Sophia heads to the boardwalk where she directs a band of elderly women who play jazz to raise money for charity. When the band slacks off, the donations drop, so Sophia cracks the whip and the band's tempo increases, as do the donations from the gathering audience. Sophia then goes to the local hospital where she helps as a volunteer. One of the patients is a boy named Sam, who is convinced he will soon die from HIV infection, which he contracted from a blood transfusion. (Note: While HIV in not actually mentioned, the scene implies that is why Sam is in the hospital.) Sophia encourages Sam to stay hopeful, as she believes there will be a cure and she gives him the nectarine.

Back at the house, the girls eat the cookies, then order a pizza, then watch "Jeopardy" on television. They've been so "busy," they never change out of their night clothes. Sophia comes home and thinks the girls have simply gotten ready for bed. When they ask Sophia why she's been gone all day, she replies, "I bought a nectarine."  

 

Photo is of the 2006 Buena Vista Home Entertainment & Touchstone Television Fourth Season Set

WORD HISTORY:

Dragoon-This word was originally used for "a mounted infantryman equipped with a short musket, who often rode to a battle site, but usually dismounted to fight." The word comes from French "dragon," "the fire breathing lizard." The name was applied to the musket from the idea of it "breathing fire like a dragon;" remember, with the old muskets, the gunpowder ignited and flashed when the musket was fired. For the history of  'dragon,' here is the link:  https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2020/03/herbal-syrups-tarragon.html