Isn't It Romantic

is the fifth episode of Season 2 of The Golden Girls, also the 30th overall series episode. Directed by Terry Hughes and written by Jeffrey Duteil, the episode first aired on NBC-TV on November 8, 1986.

Plot
Dorothy has a visitor named Jean. She has never told Blanche and Rose that Jean is a lesbian and Sophia tells her to speak to Jean beforehand. Jean arrives, Dorothy and Sophia tell her their problem and while she's happy to be out it's Dorothy's choice, upon seeing the childlike desserts Rose has made for them she decides to keep quiet.

The next day Jean and Rose hit it off, but Blanche keeps suggesting that they go to pick up guys thinking a year is too long to abstain. However as the days go by Jean decides to leave early, she tells Dorothy that she's thinks she's in love with Rose. That night, Dorothy tells Sophia who thinks it's funny, it wakes Blanche who they tell the truth, she's fine with Jean being gay and knowing Rose promises to keep silent about Jean's feelings.

That night Sophia has a nasty cold for going to rent dirty movies, Dorothy decides to let Sophia sleep in her own room and Jean room with her. However, Jean and Rose spent a few hours card playing and talking so Rose tells her to share her room. While Rose is near to sleep, Jean confesses her feelings, Rose in shock pretends to snore after repeating her.

That morning, she speaks to Dorothy private, she reveals what happened and she is shocked about what to do, Jean comes in ready to leave and Rose speaks to her. She admits she's still confused about her feelings after losing Pat, Rose admits that while she isn't gay, she knows what grief is like and so she thanks her for it and offers Jean to stay if she accepts their friendship which she does.

Guest Cast
Lois Nettleton as Jean

Quotes

 * Dorothy: Not Lebanese, Blanche. Lesbian
 * Blanche: Lesbian. Lesbian. Lesbian? Isn't that where one woman and another...
 * Dorothy: We already know what it means.


 * Sophia: Jean thinks she's in love with Rose!
 * Blanche: Rose? Jean has the hots for Rose? I don't believe it! I do not believe it!
 * Dorothy: I was pretty surprised myself!
 * Blanche: Well, I bet! To think Jean would prefer Rose over me, that's ridiculous!


 * Blanche: Does Rose know?
 * Dorothy: No.
 * Blanche: Oh, good. I don't think you ought a tell her. After all, she's not as worldly and sophisticated about these things as I am.
 * Sophia: Absolutely. If she finds out Danny Thomas is a lesbian, it'll break her heart.

Trivia/Goofs/Mistakes

 * What happened to the large chest Dorothy has in her bedroom that can be seen in Guess Who's Coming to the Wedding?? In this episode, it's just a bare wall to the right of her window.


 * When Rose is in bed at about 2:15 in the morning, the close ups show that she's still wearing eyeshadow and makeup, this happened frequently.


 * When Dorothy tries to turn off the dirty movie, she accidentally presses fast-forward and the sound can be heard going much faster. However, most VHS players don't play the sound while fast-forwarding.


 * Terry Hughes won the Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for this episode, and Jeffrey Duteil was nominated for the Emmy in Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for this episode.


 * The episode ranked #4 in the Nielsen ratings for the week, with a 27.3/45 rating/share, tying with Ladies of the Evening as the most watched episode of the series.


 * The background shot during the closing credits show Dorothy, Rose, and Jean at the table eating breakfast, as Blanche looks on from the refrigerator.