Top 10 Times Golden Girls Were Ahead of Their Time

This was a “very special episode” when it aired in 1989; but today, with the opioid crisis a prevalent health concern, it’s a timely reminder that drug dependency can consume anyone. Alarm bells sound when Rose’s mood swings take over her easy-going nature, and it doesn’t take long for Dorothy and Blanche to trace it back to her dependency on painkillers. When they confront her, she denies her addiction but is also reluctant to hand her pills over, coming up with every excuse in the book. She’s embarrassed to seek help and even lies to her roommates to keep her meds within reach. Luckily, with friends and confidantes like these, we know Rose will be fine.

Forget cheesecake on the lanai… In this episode the women eat a big ol’ slice of humble pie. After chasing a missing $10,000 winning lottery ticket to a homeless shelter, they get more than they bargained for when they end up bunking there for the night. Sophia is surprised to find an old friend who drops a heart-wrenching truth about the costs of aging, a problem that still rings very true today. The search for the ticket becomes all the more poignant when even Sophia’s optimism fails to bring any comfort to her friend.

As “The Golden Girls” followed a group of retirees living out their golden years in Miami, Florida, the show covered aging from almost every angle imaginable. In another episode that deals with the hardships of getting older, Sophia’s friend confesses her fears of aging and her shocking solution to avoid them. This revelation doesn’t sit well with Sophia’s joie de vivre attitude, but she decides to come through for her friend nevertheless. What follows is an impassioned and emotional speech where Sophia pleads with her friend to reconsider. She successfully saves her friend from suicide and promises to be there for her from now on, proving we could all use a friend like Sophia.

The friends are usually quite progressive in their opinions, but when Blanche’s daughter announces her plans to undergo artificial insemination, everyone struggles to hide their disgust. Sure, today, when women everywhere have plenty of different reproductive options, this reaction seems silly – but in the late-‘80s, it was different story. Blanche is angry and stubborn, refusing to support her daughter’s decision or to get her head around the idea that she’d willingly enter single parenthood. The others try to convince Blanche to be open-minded and supportive, but it’s not until the Southern belle realizes what she has the potential to lose that she decides to respect her daughter’s decision and stand by her.

When “The Golden Girls” was in production, mental health was less talked about, and doctors tended only to acknowledge illness if it was something they could see. While it’s much more common today for these issues to be discussed openly, the two-part episode “Sick and Tired” still strikes a chord. In fact, this storyline is autobiographical for producer Susan Harris, who uses Dorothy to relay her own grueling experience being diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Dorothy questions her sanity after being dismissed by several doctors until finally finding one who gives her a diagnosis and some much needed empathy and understanding. When Dorothy runs into one of her former doctors, she confronts him – and doesn’t hold back.

There was still a lot of stigma around homosexuality when this episode was new, which could explain why Blanche’s brother, Clayton, is so reluctant to come out to her. When he finally does, Blanche reacts with shock and denial, sadly proving his fears correct. After some reflecting, Blanche realizes that her love for her brother trumps everything and the pair finds common ground. Blanche could have learned a thing or two from Sophia, two seasons earlier, when she explains to Dorothy the real strength of a parent’s unconditional love – no exceptions.

Lately, barely a day goes by that we don’t hear about immigration, but “The Golden Girls” were tackling the subject way before it hit today’s headlines. Dorothy’s star student, played by Mario Lopez, writes an essay about living in America, but when it wins a prize, the INS comes looking for the teen, who seems to be in the country illegally. Understandably, he’s frightened, but with Dorothy by his side, he faces the authorities. Sadly, in an end to the storyline that hits a little too close to home these days, the results are heartbreaking both for the audience and for Dorothy, who vows to fight for him.

Long before the #MeToo movement, women faced sexual harassment – yes, even “The Golden Girls.” In a storyline that tackles the topic accurately and respectfully, Blanche’s teacher offers to pass her in exchange for sex and the authorities prove to be absolutely useless when she tries to report him. This wasn’t even the last time harassment was addressed on the show: in a later season, Rose stands up for herself and all women when she faces her dentist who tries to take advantage of her while she’s in the chair. However, we’re focusing on the empowering moment where Blanche confronts her teacher with a speech that he’ll never forget.

You wouldn’t think a show about four older ladies would need to address the AIDS epidemic, but in 1990 “The Golden Girls” faced it head on. The episode “72 Hours” boldly strode toward this taboo topic by addressing the stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS. Rose receives a letter telling her that she may have contracted HIV during a blood transfusion years earlier, which sends her into a frenzy. The normally rational Sophia goes overboard to make sure she can’t ‘catch’ the disease from Rose, but the moment that stands out most in this episode is when Rose spews out so many misconceptions about the disease that Blanche decides to sets her straight.

Before we unveil our number one pick, here are some honorable mentions:
- When Blanche Catfished Rose
“Love, Rose”

- When Dorothy Confronted Her Anti-Semitic Friend
“Dorothy’s New Friend”

- When Dorothy Gave the Sexist Plumber the Boot
“Second Motherhood”

It’s an age-old trope that women above a certain age aren’t seen as sexual beings, but these four friends prove that is simply not true. Throughout the series, all of the women have active dating and sex lives and they’re not afraid to shout it from the rooftop… Or, in their case, at the pharmacy when Dorothy, Blanche and Rose decide to buy some protection for their Valentine’s Day cruise. Though they may throw shade sometimes, the ladies refuse to feel ashamed and show everyone that sex is nothing to be embarrassed by whether you’re 18 or 80. Sex positivity for the win!