Top 10 Most Relatable Golden Girls Moments

Every Cheesecake Moment Late night gossip sessions with your besties are good for the soul, but only if there’s food involved. Almost every episode of “The Golden Girls” involves the main cast having deep, meaningful, and often naughty discussions over a midnight snack. Is your ex overstaying their welcome in your house? Have a piece of cheesecake. Are you wondering whether you should pay for your mean old neighbor’s funeral because you might have accidentally killed her? Cheesecake! In seven seasons, there wasn’t a stressful situation that eating dessert in the middle of the night couldn’t cure. It does leave us wondering just how many cheesecakes these ladies consumed. It must be a record.

“The Flu” A nasty illness can come at the worst time. Sometimes, though, you just have to power through. In this first season episode, Dorothy, Blanche, and Rose come down with a flu a few days before the social event of the season. The girls are determined to go, as they all expect to win a prestigious humanitarian award on the night. Sure, it’s not exactly advisable or responsible behavior, especially post-COVID. Still, who hasn’t had to power through an illness to do something they really wanted to do? As Dorothy reminds us, sometimes when you’re that sick, you just feel a little more selfish than usual.

“Blanche and the Younger Man” Okay, we’re all getting older. There’s no need to dwell on it. Blanche Devereaux, a self-proclaimed “devastatingly beautiful woman,” represents those of us who are in a little more denial about that than others. In this classic episode, Blanche begins a drastic lifestyle change to keep herself young. She fills herself with vitamins and bee pollen and adopts a punishing exercise regimen. She practically deludes herself into thinking she can stay young forever. The sad thing is Blanche is only doing this for a younger man’s attention. Luckily, her friends are there to bring her back to reality.

“The Operation” Self-proclaimed hypochondriac Dorothy Zbornak finds out she must undergo surgery to have a tumor removed from her foot. Having a fear of hospitals, she hems and haws until her mother, Sophia, guilts her into following doctors’ orders. No one likes surgery, and there is no such thing as just a little operation. We certainly can relate to her fear of going under the knife, even if we haven’t snuck out of the hospital in the middle of the night to avoid it. But in the usual “Golden Girls” style, the show offers a heartfelt reality check between the punchlines.

“Vacation” There’s nothing more frustrating than a bad vacation. You save up, you take time away from work, and for all that, you expect some good, old-fashioned rest and relaxation. In this season two episode, the girls decide to take a vacation to a lush tropical paradise, but end up in a rundown hotel with a less-than-accommodating staff. After a series of mishaps, the girls eventually end up stranded on what they think is a deserted island. When a trip turns out to be a dud, it’s not just disappointing. It’s frustrating. Not even a vibrating bed can make it worth it.

“Sick and Tired Pts. 1 & 2” Anyone who has ever had a chronic illness or a doctor who just wouldn’t listen to them might want to check out this two-part season five premiere. It follows Dorothy’s disheartening experience with several doctors, who write off her symptoms as psychosomatic. She’s finally vindicated by a diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. But her real moment of triumph comes when she confronts one of the high-profile doctors who brushed her off in the middle of a restaurant. The monologue is one of the show’s biggest fist pumping moments. It feels like payback for everyone who ever felt mistreated or misunderstood by a physician.

“My Brother, My Father” Miami is known for its warm climate. Luckily, Dorothy is here to provide the shade. Stan Zbornak is a guy who just can’t take a hint. When he and his ex-wife are forced, through some pretty wild circumstances, to share a bedroom for the first time in years, she doesn’t make it easy for him. Dig after delicious dig, Dorothy puts him in his place. Given their history, it’s hard not to root for her as she tells him he can’t sleep in her bed. Those of us with exes who we’d love to tell off get to live vicariously through her in these moments.

“It’s a Miserable Life” From jewel thieves to teddy bear kidnappers, the girls have had a lot of bad neighbors over the years. However, Freida Claxton is the quintessential neighborhood villain. She represents every bad neighbor who makes too much noise at night, who never has a nice word to say, and whose dog uses the bathroom in your yard. Terminally delightful Rose Nylund seems completely unable to accept that Claxton is simply a nasty person who hates people. For those of us who know what it’s like to live next to a “totally rotten human being,” it’s totally believable.

“The Heart Attack” After a health scare, the girls confront their mortality by spitting in the face of death and eating a chocolate cake. Dorothy’s story about a woman’s death in a freak accident is sad not because she died, but because her last meal was healthy and tasteless. Good health is necessary for a long life. While “The Golden Girls” have had their fair share of health crazes and diets, they never shy away from their love of good food. After all, what’s the point of living long if you don’t live well? Watching the girls rationalize eating dessert made us feel seen, but even the girls have their limits.

“Dorothy’s New Friend” Between the expertly-written jokes and fantastic performances of the four leads, there was always a sense that “The Golden Girls”’ heart was in the right place when it came to big issues. This is one of the best examples of that. Before the Internet comment section was invented, you had to tell a bigot about themselves right to their face. When she realizes her new friend Barbara Thorndyke is anti-semitic, Blanche and Rose’s concerns about the snobby author suddenly make sense to her. The final scene finds Dorothy telling the snooty woman exactly where she can go. Barbara’s exit is drowned out by the live audience’s rowdy and delighted reaction. In this classic moment, Dorothy Zbornak was all of us.