Bedtime Story

 was the 17th episode of Season 2 of The Golden Girls, also the 42nd overall series episode. Directed by Terry Hughes, and written by Kathy Speer & Terry Grossman, the episode premiered on NBC-TV on February 7, 1987.

Summary
As the girls figure out how they plan to accommodate some upcoming guests, they recall other unusual sleeping arrangements they've had to endure in the past.

Synopsis
As Sophia cooks a midnight snack for all of them (save Rose who is making Chipped Beef), Dorothy reveals that an Uncle is coming, however, Rose reveals that her Cousin is coming in the same week. As they describe both Rose's and Dorothy's flaws in bed. Sophia reminds them of a cold snap when the heating broke as well. They all ended up in Sophia's bed as she had an electric blanket. They were fussing over the sides of the bed, and then Rose wanted to say her prayers. While the prayer was very heartfelt, Dorothy pretended to be God to get Rose to sleep.

As they cooked the food, they plated it up with Dorothy as an act of kindness while having some of Rose's Chipped Beef. As a storm begins Blanche remembers the night Rose came to her room in fear and refuses to leave, having heard that some killers have escaped (states away). So, Blanche lets her sleep in her bed only for her to want a story, so Blanche tells a scary one that has Rose sleeping in the wardrobe.

Dorothy has hardly touched the Chipped Beef which has Rose asking her to have more, just then a quick power cut has Dorothy throwing it in Sophia's purse and not wanting to draw notice reminds the girls that the still need to work out sleeping arrangements, Dorothy of course wants to share with Sophia as it has always worked, only time it didn't work is when Dorothy was sick, when she had Bronchitis, Sophia reflects on how she has always been a bad patient. Dorothy remembers the treatment she used to have as a child and how Sophia would put it on Dorothy's rag doll to show her it didn't hurt.

The last story has the girls talking about returning from Edna McCartney's funeral. They end up in a station, which has strange ideas including the trains leaving early. They try to sleep only for the next train to arrive, one with circus people on board, but despite Rose's requests, the clown is uninterested. Without a resolve for their relatives, Blanche suggests that they pay for them to stay at the local Holiday Inn, which the girls agree with, and Sophia reveals the Chipped Beef in her purse which she has improved.

Scene excerpts
(Dorothy has just told the story of how Sophia had fallen asleep in her bed whilst nursing her through Bronchitis)
 * Quotes


 * Sophia: I wasn't asleep. I was just resting my eyes so you'd leave me alone. I used to do that with your father. It only worked about half of the time. Asleep, awake - didn't matter to him!
 * Dorothy: Please, Ma. You slept like a baby. I know becasues I spent the whole night awake in that chair.
 * Blanche: Well, it couldn't be any worse than trying to sleep on a hard wooden bench in the middle of a railway station!
 * Sophia: Boy, you do it any place, don't you, Blanche?
 * Rose: Blanche is talking about coming home from Edna McCarthy's funeral.
 * Sophia: Edna McCarthy is dead? Oh my God, that's terrible. I just sent her a chain letter. There's a dollar I'll never see!


 * Rose: Why don't we wait outside on the platform? The train will be along in a few minutes.
 * Stationmaster: The 9:15 to Miami left at 8:45.
 * Rose: You have a town seal? Can he play a song on those little horns?
 * Blanche: This is like a Twilight Zone... somehow we got on a that ended up inside Rose's mind.
 * Dorothy: Yeah, uh, when is the next train to Miami?
 * Stationmaster: Well, we've got one scheduled to leave at 6 AM tomorrow morning.
 * Rose: Does that mean it'll actually leave at 5:30?
 * Stationmaster: Welcome to Appalappichobee!

[Dorothy, Blanche and Rose are stranded overnight at a railway station]
 * Dorothy: I don't believe this. I mean this has to be the most depressing day of my life. First Edna McCarthy's funeral now this.
 * Blanche: Y' know, being at her funeral today made me start thinking about how quiclky life can pass you by. Maybe I oughta do something more adventurous in my life.
 * Dorothy: More adventurous! The Kama Sutra had to publish a supplement because of you!
 * Blanche: I'm not talking about men. I'm talking about things I've always wanted to do but never got around to trying. Dorothy, didn't you have something you wanted to do? Some kind of secret desire you always kept on the back burner?
 * Dorothy: Mm-hm. I awlays wanted to try a nudist camp.
 * Stationmaster:[overhearing] Some big pots belong on the back burner.
 * Dorothy: (to stationmaster] Uh, don't you have a cousin you should be dating?

Goofs

 * Continuity

On the first flashback when all four are in the same bed, Blanche says she needs to be on the right side. Rose says she needs to be on the left. On the next flashback where Rose and Blanche are in Blanche's bed, Blanche, without complaint goes to the left side of the bed and Rose without complaint goes on the right side of the bed.

Guest starring

 * Randy Bennett as Stationmaster
 * Charles Bouvier as Clown (uncredited)