One for the Money

 was the second episode of Season 3 of The Golden Girls, also the 53rd overall episode of the series.

Summary
As Sophia reveals her plan to get more money, the girls reflect on other times they tried to make money.

Plot
As Dorothy, Rose and Blanche prepare to have takeout pizza for dinner, Sophia interrupts and have the girls try her water, asking about its quality and if they would buy it. When the girls say the water tastes good, Sophia is ecstatic, claiming that she can get rich selling the water because it simply came out of the hose from the back. When the girls rebuke Sophia for having another get-rich-quick scheme, she retorts that she's not the only one who tried to make money, and reminds them about their attempt at starting a catering business.

The Night Before the Wedding
In a flashback to the past, the girls started a catering business named "Miami Moms Catering." As they worked late into the night preparing chicken for a wedding reception, the bride, Priscilla, arrives at their house. She is distraught, and came to tell the girls she is calling off her wedding after discovering her fiancé, Ramone, had slept with her best friend. Not wanting to lose their business, the girls urge Priscilla to reconsider. Ramone then calls the house looking for Priscilla to apologize, and the girls push Priscilla to speak with him. After a very brief conversation, Priscilla happily tells the girls that not only did she forgive Ramone, they want to be wed immediately and are heading off to Las Vegas to do so. Dorothy happily congratulates Priscilla, and sends her off with her best crystal vase as a wedding present. The rest of girls are incredulous at Dorothy's behavior, and wonders why she would be happy now that they are still losing the business they would have had from Priscilla's wedding. Dorothy, however, immediately calls the police to report that Priscilla has stolen her crystal vase.

Back in the present, Rose asks Sophia why she is so set on trying to make extra money. Sophia explains that she wants her own TV set in her room, and Dorothy is reminded of a previous time when Sophia was trying to buy a TV set.

Picture It: Brooklyn, April 1954
Dorothy, as a young mother, walks in on a middle-aged Sophia sewing while bickering with her husband Salvadore. Dorothy asks Sophia if she could help watch her children twice a week while she takes up a part-time job so she could buy a TV set. Surprisingly, Sophia refuses, despite having shown earlier that she enjoys the children visiting. Sophia argues that Dorothy should not have to earn extra money to make up for her husband Stan's failure as a salesman. At this, Dorothy threatens to ask Stan's mother to look after her children instead, which offends Sophia. Tired of their fighting, Salvadore yells from the other room for Sophia to explain herself to Dorothy. Sophia then admits that she had taken up sewing and making alterations to clothes so that she could make enough money to buy Dorothy a TV set for her 10th anniversary with Stan, and is the reason why she did not want Dorothy to work. Dorothy then admits that she, too, hid the truth, and wanted to buy a TV set for Salvadore for his upcoming birthday and not for herself. The two make up, and Sophia agrees to watching the children so they can proceed with their plans.

Back in the present again, the girls are finishing up their dinner and decide to split the last slice of pizza. Sophia is offended that she wasn't offered the pizza, and despite taking a bite out of the last slice, throws it away immediately into the sink. Dorothy asks why Sophia even wanted the pizza in the first place, knowing Sophia preferred homemade to takeout pizza. Sophia answers that it's about the principle of not being included, and reminds the girls of the time they didn't include her in a dance marathon contest.

The Hospital Dance Marathon
At the 13th Annual Jefferson Hospital Heart Charity Dance Marathon, the girls discover one by one that they had entered the competition without telling each other in order to win the $1000 grand prize for themselves. The girls are each confident they could win over the other. As the competition goes on, their rivalries get heated as they try to outdo each other in dancing, with Rose stunning Dorothy and Blanche by performing a flashy display of cartwheels and splits. The girls make it into the thirteenth hour of the marathon as part of the final four couples, but each face problems as their respective partners drop out. Blanche first loses her partner as he quits to fatigue, but Blanche recovers by stealing another woman's partner by promising to do something she could only whisper to him. Dorothy then loses her partner when he complains of a severe charley horse. Soon after, Rose's partner explains he must leave because his wife has arrived and did not want to have himself be seen with Rose. Just as it looks like Blanche is part of the only couple left to win, she looks on in disbelief when Dorothy and Rose re-enter the contest partnered with each other.

Back in the present for the last time, the girls reminisce about the conclusion of that night: Dorothy and Rose were disqualified as a couple and Blanche won the prize money, only splitting a paltry $10 to share with Dorothy. Sophia then asks about her own looks, since she is thinking about putting her face on jars of tomato sauce to sell, much like Paul Newman's brand. When Dorothy asks if Sophia herself would rather buy a jar of sauce with Paul Newman or Sophia's face on it, Sophia resigns and simply remarks, "Back to square one."

Quotes
 Rose: Let me give you a little friendly advice. You're wasting your time. 'Cause that thousand dollar prize is gonna be mine. When I was younger, I was known as the dancing fool. Dorothy: How old were you when they dropped the "dancing" part?  Blanche: Who on earth could that be at 3 o'clock in the morning? Dorothy: Maybe it's a Jehovah's Witness with a caffeine problem.

Trivia

 * First Physical Appearance of Sid Melton as Sal. His voice was only heard in A Piece of Cake.
 * If Dorothy's 10th Wedding Anniversary was in 1954, that would suggest Stan served in World War II, not the Korean War as mentioned in the episode Job Hunting.
 * Sophia's obsession with money to buy a TV would reappear in Ebb Tide. It had previously been used in Blind Ambitions, but if From Here to the Pharmacy is to be believed, the money was always there.