Top 10 Golden Girls Moments

Ah, the drama of theater! When a famous actor comes to town for a local production, Blanche, Rose and Dorothy all try out to be his leading lady. This playboy really takes the audition process literally, as he secretly woos the three of them at the same time. After figuring it out during the performance, they show the audience some serious girl power by giving him a good tongue-lashing. And later, we get this dialogue that deftly mixes comedy and pathos, one of the things that the series did best. This wouldn’t even be the last time they competed for the same man, as later in the series they each hoped to become a sculptor’s muse. Clearly they share a weakness for creative types!

The ladies are delighted when they get tickets to be contestants on a game show, until every part of their last-minute trip to Hollywood goes wrong. To make matters worse, Dorothy is no longer her mother Sophia’s “Pussycat” when she and Blanche decide to team up with the other contestants instead of with Sophia and Rose. Big mistake! Rose might not always be the sharpest tool in the shed, but don’t underestimate her knowledge of trivia. Or Blanche’s libido. It’s funny stuff, and this entire episode is a gold mine of it. In a later season, Dorothy dreams about another game show, but we thought that the real-life competition between the housemates was a tad more exciting.

Rose is all excited when she lands a job as an associate producer on a local talk show, and her first assignment seems tailor-made for her roommates: women who live together! Blanche and Dorothy agree to be interviewed, not realizing that the live broadcast is actually about lesbian couples. Seeing the looks on their faces when they finally catch on is priceless enough, but Dorothy’s response to Sophia’s attempt to taunt her is downright hysterical. If looks could kill, the woman on the receiving end of that glare would be in serious trouble! A few short episodes later, Rose is making mistakes again, getting Dorothy arrested after accidentally outing her as a slumlord. Oh, Rose, will you ever learn?

After Rose misses her high school reunion, Blanche suggests that they all crash another one. It’s amusing when Rose picks an unlikely alias from the no-show table, but it’s no laughing matter when she has a heart attack a few minutes later. The others are terrified, and when they’re told by hospital staff and by Rose’s daughter Kirsten that they aren’t allowed to see her before her surgery because they’re not relatives, their anguish and frustration are palpable. After everything that we’ve seen these friends experience together, it’s absolutely painful to hear someone say they aren’t family. It’s not an easy moment to watch, but it certainly reinforces the special bond between the central characters.

Unfortunately for Rose, her heart attack wasn’t the only time that her health was at risk. Several seasons earlier, she was tested for HIV after receiving an infected blood transfusion. During an agonizing three-day wait for her results, Rose was beyond stressed and Sophia succumbed to an irrational fear of sharing household objects with her, even going so far as to label her coffee mug. Seeing a different side of Rose’s normally bubbly character was already enough to get our attention, but hearing Blanche tell her that AIDS doesn’t discriminate is what really guaranteed this intense moment a spot on our list. Despite being a sitcom, this show wasn’t afraid to tackle serious topics and social issues – and for that, we’ve gotta give them credit.

In this musical moment, Dorothy and Rose pen a number for a songwriting competition. After coming in second, they arrive home looking a bit glum, unwilling to relive the disappointment by performing it for the others. But with a little pleading from Blanche, they’re all-too-eager to sing their tune. Sophia sways adorably along to the music, then joins in with Blanche, getting everybody in on the action. There’s just something classic and sweet about a group of people gathered around a piano, and it’s fun to see all four women interacting like this. Later in the same season, three of the gals come back for an encore of sorts, but we decided to go with the full quartet.

When Blanche, Dorothy, and Rose all compete for the $1000 prize in a charity dance marathon, things get a little heated. After dancing for a whopping six hours, they’re tired and at each other’s throats, leading to this competition that culminates in Rose’s surprising acrobatics. There’s nothing like the thrill of a good dance-off! Okay, so the stunt double is pretty obvious, but that almost adds to the scene’s charm. The cherry on this sundae is when Dorothy and Rose lose their dates and partner up with each other for a stone-faced tango. Better friends than frenemies, right?

This gem occurs during a flashback episode, when the ladies reminisce about their most unforgettable Valentine’s Day. As they prepare to embark on a cruise with their beaus, Blanche realizes that they should bring “protection”. Although Dorothy catches on immediately, Rose is a little slow on the uptake, causing Dorothy to forget her inside voice. Not only is this scene hilarious, it’s also a perfect microcosm of the girls’ personalities and the dynamics between them: Dorothy’s sarcasm, Rose’s naiveté, and Blanche’s unflinching confidence in her sexuality, which she puts to excellent use with her rousing speech. Plus, it reminds us that while awkward experiences are unavoidable, they’re not so bad if you can laugh about them later with your friends.

In the pilot episode, Blanche gets engaged, leaving Rose wondering how that will affect their living situation. She also worries about how it will affect their friendship, leading to this poignant speech about loneliness. When her fiancé turns out to be a bigamist with six wives, a distressed Blanche doesn’t leave her room for weeks. But once she realizes that the other girls have truly become her family, it renews her lease on life. It’s a heartfelt moment, and it gives us the iconic opening credits image of them all nestled close together on the lanai. It also sets up the core relationship of the show and demonstrates the power of sisterhood.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

- Gonna Stuff a Chicken

- Rose the Badass

- Dorothy Zbornak: Plumber

- Sophia, Interrupting

- Russian Roulette

It’s a hen! It’s a goose! It’s…the Golden Girls dressed as farm animals? In a brave display of teacherly dedication, Dorothy acts like a giant turkey for the school play when her students fall ill. Blanche and Rose fill out the cast as Goosey Loosey and Henny Penny. Although this isn’t the first time they’ve worn costumes, these fair fowls are definitely our faves. Combining singing, dancing, and Dorothy’s low, deadpan voice was a stroke of comedic genius, and we can’t help but laugh out loud. An added bonus? Check out the legs on these ladies. Just because you’re a grandma doesn’t mean you can’t have great gams!

Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite moment from “The Golden Girls”? For more fabulous Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to MsMojo.