Rose Nylund

ROSE MARIE LINDSTROM-NYLUND aka ROSE NYLUND
"Back in St. Olaf..."

- Yes, Rose's most commonly mentioned catchphrase.

Written by: Jessica Renee

Edited by: Avalon Cupid and Niki Poplin

Originally written: March 2020; Edited in May/June 2022

Rose Marie Lindstrom-Nylund (née/maiden name, Lindstrom) is a main, fictional character featured on the widely-acclaimed and popular 1980s situation-comedy/sit-com, The Golden Girls and its spin-off, The Golden Palace, also appearing in Empty Nest as well as Nurses.

She was portrayed by the veteran television celebrity and "America's Golden Girl", the late Betty White, for 8 years of a total of 7 seasons of The Golden Girls as well as a total of 1 season and 24 episodes of The Golden Palace - 208 glorious episodes.

Betty White Co-Starred with Rue McClanahan
Furthermore, it is also true that Betty White co-starred with Rue McClanahan as the secondary main characters in two seasons of the 1983-1985 hit TV series of Mama's Family.

Rue played the role of an uptight, sarcastic, sharp-tongued character, Aunt Frances Crowley (for a total of 24 episodes in the first 2 seasons).

Betty White played the role of a snobbish, wealthy, yet assertive character of Mary Ellen Harper-Jackson (for a total of 16 episodes in the first 2 seasons). (Mama's Family, IMBd, 2020).

Betty White was Supposed to Play Blanche Devereaux; Rue McClanahan was Supposed to Play Rose Nylund. Here is the Story:
The character of Rose Nylund was supposed to be portrayed by Rue McClanahan initially as per the producers, Jay Sandrich and Tony Thomas, plus the producers/creators, Paul Junger Witt and Susan Harris, of The Golden Girls. Furthermore, the character of Blanche Devereaux was supposed to be portrayed by Betty White initially. The story goes:

Television TV show producer, Jay Sandrich, who directed the TV hit series from 1972-1978 of The Mary Tyler Moore Show with television celebrity, Betty White, wanted to cast roles for the up-and-coming, The Golden Girls. After the producers, Jay Sandrich and Tony Thomas, as well as the producer/creators, Paul Junger Witt and Susan Harris (who were married to one another), gathered together, discussed, scrutinized, analyzed, and finally selected the first Golden Girl: Estelle Getty - they needed to cast the other remaining three main roles.... and quickly.

Estelle Getty was the first Golden Girl selected by the producers/creators, Paul Junger Witt and Susan Harris as well as the producers, Jay Sandrich and Tony Thomas, after they bore witness to Estelle's marvelous display of her character, Mrs. Anne Beckoff. The Torch Song Trilogy was Getty's latest stage performance in New York in early 1982. Estelle did several stage plays throughout the course of her lifetime following university, but never once landed a role for a television series or a film/movie prior to 1985. When Estelle Getty was called to rehearse for the first time, ever, for a television series, she was beyond terrified and enthralled. Alas, Estelle Getty suffered from stage fright.

That fateful day on February 8, 1985, Estelle Getty landed the grand opportunity of her lifetime - her first, potential role for a television series. (Colucci, 2016).

[To read more regarding Estelle Getty's audition as to how she became the first Golden Girl, please visit Sophia Petrillo's biography page]

The next two individuals, selected out of the many auditions by other skilled actresses, finally narrowed down to veteran television celebrities, Betty White and Rue McClanahan.

Talk about luck of the draw and competition...

Betty White previously played the role of a sarcastic, promiscuous, man-hungry character, Susan Ann Nivens, in the 1973-1977 hit TV series, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Paul Junger Witt described it as, "She (Betty) had played that part brilliantly on Mary, and so we knew she could play Blanche. We didn't know if she could do the Southern thing. But, we had to assume she could do anything. She's so good." (Colucci, 2016).

On the other hand, Rue McClanahan previously portrayed the role of a naïve, empty-headed, and scatterbrained character of Vivian Cavender-Harmon in the 1972-1978 hit TV series, Maude. However, it was said that Rue McClanahan was just too tired of playing a pea-brained character throughout the years of the character of Vivian Cavender-Harmon in Maude for seven years.

Producer/creator, Paul Junger Witt mentioned, "The casting team zeroed in on Rue for Rose, realizing that even if the role was not as deeply written, Rue was someone who had always worked well in great ensembles and always carved out a really unique territory for herself." (Colucci, 2016).

Rue was nominated to play the part of Rose Nylund and not Blanche Devereaux.

Betty was nominated to play the part of Blanche Devereaux and not Rose Nylund.

However, when the script arrived in the mail to both Betty White and Rue McClanahan, both were in for the shock of their lives. Rue mentioned to her agent for The Golden Girls, "My agent told me that they had Betty White in mind for Blanche. How could I go to work every day playing Rose? I knew instinctively that I was just too right for Blanche." However, much to Rue's surprise, the agent hollered back and snapped, "Well, it's either that, or you don't do the series at all." .... (Colucci, 2016).

On the day of the rehearsal for Betty White to play the part of Blanche Devereaux and for Rue McClanahan to play the part of Rose Nylund, the producer, Jay Sandrich, blurted out something towards Rue McClanahan that would modify the very course of the casting of The Golden Girls entirely, "I'm going to do something unorthodox. Would you mind reading Blanche for me?" (Colucci, 2016).

Rue answered briefly, "If you insist."

Then, Jay Sandrich turned to Betty White, and asked her, "She (Betty) can get a laugh doing anything. Can you read Rose?" (Colucci, 2016).

Betty White turned to Rue McClanahan, and the two exchanged shocked expressions.

So, Rue McClanahan and Betty White did as they were instructed.

It was said in Betty White's autobiography, 'Here We Go Again: My Life in Television ', regarding the character switch as she wrote:"'From the script we had read, we knew the strong character of Dorothy, and her brutally frank mother, Sophia. We understand the lustful Blanche. But, I hadn't a clue who Rose was.'"The production crew and the cast members all remembered this day of the producer, Jay Sandrich, announcing the modified turnover.

Rather than having Betty White play yet another promiscuous, man-hungry character of Blanche Devereaux after the character of Susan Ann Nivens, Jay Sandrich just could not fathom that to occur a second time for Betty White. Nor could Jay Sandrich fathom the same fate for Rue McClanahan to play a second time of a spacey-headed character of Rose Nylund after the character of Vivian Cavender-Harmon.

Betty White mentioned, "But, the more I looked at Rose, the more I was okay with it, and I gave Jay Sandrich full credit for helping me make it work. He said Rose doesn't have a sarcastic bone in her body - that she isn't witty or hip at all. She takes every single word literally and puts them all together and it makes perfect sense for her - and when he said that, it made sense to me." (Colucci, 2016).

Little did everyone know, and even Jay Sandrich himself, that the switch would not be any more predictively correct and a historically monumental success!

Furthermore, "It was a perfect switch, in hindsight." Betty White said in an interview with wildaboutmovies.com in 2004.

Rue McClanahan mentioned shortly that day following Betty White selected to play as Rose Nylund, "Betty was hysterical as Rose. Her eyes went wide and stayed that way for seven years. I used to call them her Little Orphan Annie eyes - white ovals with nothing in them. The irony is that she's such and incredibly brilliant woman." (Colucci, 2016).

In addition, Betty White mentioned as well to Rue McClanahan regarding the historic switch, "And Rue took Blanche and went with he where I never would have had the guts to go. So, it just worked out beautifully." (Colucci, 2016).

There you have it, folks: Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux and Betty White as Rose Nylund.

And, yes, the switch of the two character roles was very much real.

Written by: Jessica Renee

Edited by: Avalon Cupid and Niki Poplin

Originally written: March 2020; Edited in May/June 2022

Synopsis
Rose was portrayed, on a comical standpoint, as a super innocent, naïve, simple-minded, yet arguably an exceptionally kind-hearted woman. It can be imagined that a good number of Golden Girls fans of Rose Nylund will agree wholeheartedly that indeed Rose is the sweetest of naivety with her unwavering cheerful disposition overall. She was best known for her rambling of somewhat nonsensical stories of her bizarre hometown village of St. Olaf, Minnesota. Many times, her housemates, Dorothy and Blanche as well as Dorothy's mother, Sophia, often endured Rose's St. Olaf's stories with exasperated silence, disbelief, and the occasional muttering of insults.

However, at the same time, Rose can also very well be mistaken as the most deadly out of the four girls. To repeat, being that Rose is the most friendly, most easy-going, most naïve, most innocent, most kind-hearted, most loyal, most faithful woman, and - my gosh, essentially almost saint-like of a woman - she may be the more morally reprehensible of the four of The Golden Girls.

Written by: Jessica Renee

Edited by: Avalon Cupid and Niki Poplin

Originally written: March 2020; Edited in May/June 2022

Rose's Family and Earlier Life
Rose Nylund was born into a Norwegian-American family on about March 12th, 1930 (1985-1930 so Rose is about the age of 55 upon the debut of the first episode of The Golden Girls) out of wedlock to her father, a monastery monk, named Big Brother/Brother Martin and his wife of Ingrid Kerklavoner. Ingrid Kerklavoner worked as the lead chef at The St. Olaf Monastery. Unfortunately, Rose's biological mother, Ingrid Kerklavoner, passed away giving birth to Rose. Rose was an only child to her biological father and biological mother. Subsequent to Rose's birth, her biological father, Big Brother/Brother Martin returned to practice at the monastery. Thus, Rose's biological father, Big Brother/Brother Martin, gave Rose up at the young and tender years as an infant to an orphanage.

Rose's first eight years of life were spent in an orphanage called The St. Olaf's Orphanage. During this time, she developed a rather deep conviction that her biological father was indeed Bob Hope - a belief she would retain steadfastly and unrelentingly, until Rose met her real, biological father, Big Brother/Brother Martin, towards the end of the TV series in Season 6, Episode 2,  'Once in St. Olaf' (aired nationally on September, 29th, 1990).

Eventually, Rose was rescued from the horrors of the orphanage and adopted by unconditionally-loving father, Gunter Lindstrom and mother, Alma Lindstrom. The Lindstrom Family then raised Rose and eight other children lovingly on a dairy farm in a very small and humble town of St. Olaf, Minnesota - a fully 100% Norwegian-heritage populated farming settlement. She is a Lutheran.

Rose had a total of eight other siblings (two of whom were sisters and also named after flowers: Holly Lindstrom and Lily Lindstrom and six of whom were brothers). Truly, The Lindstrom Family grew up all rather happily. Her parents loved all nine of the children genuinely and unconditionally, including Rose. All nine children were so loved equally at the finest levels of what is observed by humankind as the ideal family.

Since Rose was growing up on a farm, she spent a good deal of time with the many, various farm animals. This fondness and bond to animals in close proximity to her gave rise to Rose's deep love, affection, understanding, and almost companionship for various farm animals. "Rose Nylund: “Heaven is full of cows, chickens, horses and pigs…”"Her closest childhood friend and best friend, while growing up in the village of St. Olaf, Minnesota, was named Ingrid. The two would often meet up to chat or play in a treehouse together several times per week consistently till Rose got engaged to a well-dowed, strong, and faithful Charlie in year 1946 (at this time, Rose turned 26) and married Charlie in year 1948 (Rose turned 28). Here is a quote as to Rose and Ingrid: In Season 4, Episode 4,  'Yokel Hero' (aired nationally on November 5th, 1988): Rose Nylund: "Look! There's the old tree house. Gee, when I was a kid, my best friend, Ingrid, and I used to go up there all the time. Oh, gosh, I miss her. I haven't talked to her in ages."

Blanche Devereaux: "Well. Why don't you give her a call?"

Rose Nylund: "Maybe, I will."

Blanche Devereaux: "Sure."

Rose Nylund: [yells loudly] "Hey, Ingrid!"

Woman in the distance (Ingrid): "Is that you, Rose? Well, how are you?"

Rose Nylund: "Fine, Ingrid! How are you?"

Ingrid: "Oh, fine. Well, nice talking to you. Bye, Rose."

Rose Nylund: "Bye, Ingrid!" [normally] '"Oh, boy, thank you, Blanche. That was a great idea."

Sophia Petrillo: "It's great bringing two idiots closer together." Rose’s teenage years were somewhat of a mystery. It was stated in Season 4, Episode 1,  'Yes, We Have No Havanas', (that aired nationally on October 8th, 1988), that she was valedictorian in her high school graduation (specifically, the fourth out of a total of nineteen graduating class, and was chosen valedictorian because she drew the longest straw from a hat).

In Season 2, Episode 2, "Ladies of the Evening", (that aired nationally on October 4th, 1986)Rose stated she lost The St. Olaf Butter Queen Pageant as a teenager due to a case of '"churn tampering". Rose Nylund: "Well, Butter Queen was our town's highest honor. From the time I was born my folks groomed me for it. Singing lessons, dancing lessons, junior butter pageants. For 16 years, my entire life revolved around butter." Dorothy Zbornak: "You were very fortunate. So many of us wasted our youth."

Rose Nylund: "When the time came for the pageant, I was incredible. I showed poise in the evening-gown competition. I was brilliant in the oral butter quiz. They couldn't even trip me up with a trick margarine question. That evening butter was spelt R-O-S-E."

Dorothy Zbornak: "Rose, you're embarrassing yourself. Please, don't go on."

Rose Nylund: "I have to, Dorothy. I've kept these bitter butter memories too long. As the pageant drew to its frenzied finale, there I was, alongside the other two finalists, churning my guts out. When all of a sudden, for no apparent reason, my churn jammed."

Dorothy Zbornak and Blanche Devereaux: "No!"

Rose Nylund: "Yes. And just like that, it was over. I'd lost. It was the biggest disappointment in my life. It was small consolation to find out. Years later, there had been churn-tampering involved." Rose's adopted parents did not allow her to date without her parent's awareness until she was a high school senior. However, to her parent's lack of awareness and knowledge, between quite possibly Rose's middle school days up to her wedding day, she had fifty-six (56) boyfriends. Blanche Devereaux: [on learning that Rose had 56 boyfriends during her senior year of high school] "If that were true Rose, then that would mean you were... a slut."

Dorothy Zbornak: "Oh, come on, Blanche. How can you say that? So, the woman had fifty-six boyfriends in one year. She's not a slut."

Rose Nylund: "Thank you, Dorothy."

Dorothy Zbornak: "She is The Slut! She is the Grand Poobah of Slutdom! She is the easiest woman in this room!"

Blanche Devereaux: "Dorothy Zbornak, you take that back!"

Dorothy Zbornak: [indicating to Blanche and then to Rose] "The Slut is dead! Long live The Slut!"

Blanche Devereaux: [to herself, under her breath, enviously] "... I'm the biggest slut!" Rose claims she has never partook in activities of losing her virginity to either of 55 of those boyfriends during the course of that time - all except for one lucky man - and that lucky man was no other but Charles 'Charlie' Nylund, Sr., a World War II veteran. Rose knew Charles ever since they were young kids at around seven years of age (When Charles was seven, he went around the local town of tiny St. Olaf with his red wagon trailing behind him, selling auto insurance). Charlie and Rose fell in love when spending an evening at a local community concert featuring the local St. Olaf boys, Dick Singleton and The Single Tones singing Glenn Miller's music. Through some brief time, the two were engaged in 1946 (when Rose was age 26) and married in 1948 (when Rose was age 28). It was said, supposedly, Rose was a virgin on her wedding night with Charlie.

However, Rose was somewhat educated and respectively attended St. Paul's Business School where she majored in business management - Rockport Community College where she majored in general studies - as well as St. Gustaf University where she majored in... well, Pig Latin.

Yet, strangely, it is also said that Rose never graduated from high school (due to having a case of Mono or Infectious Mononucleosis, otherwise known as 'the kissing disease', often appearing symptoms of flu-like symptoms in individuals who share the same drink or share from the same plate of food). Dorothy Zbornak: [taking roll call in the night class she's teaching, Dorothy discovers that Rose is on the list] "Rose Nylund? Rose, what are you doing here?"

Rose Nylund: "Dorothy, I have a confession to make. I slipped through the cracks of the St. Olaf school system."

Dorothy Zbornak: [mockingly]  "That's very hard to believe. I've seen you almost complete a TV Guide crossword puzzle."

Rose Nylund: "It's true. You're looking at a woman without a sheepskin." Charlie and Rose had a relatively long and happy marriage of a total of 22 years and had a total of five children - three daughters: Bridget Nylund, Gunilla Nylund (pronounced "Janella"), Kirsten Adams Nylund, and two sons: Adam Nylund and Charlie Nylund, Jr.

Charley Adams was Rose's granddaughter Rose's daughter's (Kirsten) daughter. She was named after Kirsten's father, Charley's grandfather, Charlie. Of her children, only Bridget and Kirsten appeared on the TV series (although, Kirsten was played by two different actresses).

Unexpectedly, Charlie passed away in year 1970. It was mentioned in the very first episode, Season 1, Episode 1, 1985 pilot episode that Charlie had been dead for 15 years. 1985 - 15 = 1970. However, due to the scriptwriter's many inconsistencies throughout the TV series, it was mentioned once on Season 1, Episode 22, Job Hunting, (that aired nationally on March 8th, 1986), that Rose had been a housewife for 32 years. Ah. Of course, inconsistency after inconsistency of these scriptwriters yet again, is it true? Well, we suppose 'The Pilot' episode reference may be more believable. Evidently, Charlie passed away because he sustained a heart attack when he and Rose were sleeping together one evening. Realizing her faithful husband and loyal father to her five birth children, Charlie, passed away due to an act of sexual intimacy, Rose lived the next handful of years in a state of fear of ever sleeping with another man.... Ever. Rose mentions this was due to the confusion caused by her husband's final words before he dropped dead,  'Rose, I'm going, I'm going!'

Subsequent to Charlie passing away, Rose continued her days without him and stayed in St. Olaf for quite a while. However, through the harsh winter weather and house-full of fond memories, Rose was prompted to sell her house in the year of 1976. Rose endured six (6) years by herself in that house following the passing of her Charlie. Ultimately, yes, Rose decided to pursue a new life and journey in a more vibrant city of Miami, Florida. St. Olaf home sold soon enough. She took the funds from selling her home and moved to Miami. Rose stayed and lived in an apartment in Miami prior to Rose moving into Blanche Devereaux's ranch home.

Written by: Jessica Renee

Edited by: Avalon Cupid and Niki Poplin

Originally written: March 2020; Edited in May/June 2022

Rose's Career and Odd Jobs
Soon after moving and somewhat settling into Miami, Rose found work as a full-time advisor at a grief counselling center. (Not using her university degree of business management from St. John's Business School for this opportunity working at the grief counselling center...) However, Rose not very good at the advisor job. She was unable to handle working with people who were moderately-to-severely depressed and even suicidal. The type of work took a toll on Rose's mental and moral compass. Rose had to 'man the fort', so to speak, at the suicide hotline. Rose even stated in an episode, ' I have the highest suicide rate at the center!' How is this so? Rose must have communicated wrongly to her clients soon taking their lives from depression or feelings of suicide following their visits with Rose as the main advisor to the center. If you think about it, imagine being the gatekeeper between yourself and a highly depressed and suicidal patient who is about to snap and lose it. Imagine if your advising did not help prevent one's untimely death. Well, it is one hell of a great moral burden with immense pressure upon the shoulder's of one person who could truly wake up a deeply depressed individual - that was what Rose did as her full-time professional path. Yet, this is all up for speculation from the audience to draw their own conclusions as to Rose's overall demeanor and personality while also working as the full-time gatekeeper between herself and near suicidal and horribly depressed individuals coming from various backgrounds, heritages, ages, socioeconomic levels, and personalities.

Written by: Jessica Renee

Edited by: Avalon Cupid and Niki Poplin

Originally written: March 2020; Edited in May/June 2022

The Time We Met
Shortly before the TV series began, Rose was thrown out of her apartment for violating her lease (she found a stray cat and kept it as a pet; in a continuity error, it is revealed in a later episode that Rose is allergic to cats). Well, speculation goes to show that despite having allergies to cats, Rose will go out of her way to help a fellow animal in need of finding affection, love, comfort, and having a decent quality of life. (Betty White was the same way towards animals of various types in real life as was Rue McClanahan). Rose will make any sacrifices necessary to help a fellow animal in need. (Remember, Rose once lived on a dairy farm with many, various animals for a number of her childhood to her young adult years when at St. Olaf, Minnesota.)

One, fateful day, Rose went to the town's local supermarket and went up to the community bulletin board in search for any advertisements or personals for a new place to rent. This was Season 1, Episode 25,  'The Way We Met', (that aired nationally on May 10th, 1986). It was as told by fate, Rose would stumble across an advertisement from Blanche Devereaux there at the supermarket at the right place and the right time that year in 1986. While in the supermarket, Rose is seen holding a medium-haired greyish/black cat, Mr. Peepers, in her arms while searching for any advertisement that would offer housing rental. Blanche was not quite fond of the spacey-headed Rose as soon as Blanche first observed Rose at the supermarket.

Nevertheless, Rose is next seen giving her greyish-black cat, Mr. Peepers to the little boy (played by Edan Gross) just like that at the supermarket. Shocked and stunned out of her wits by this feat, Blanche is moved by the kindness of Rose's acts. Blanche goes up to Rose quickly and offers Rose to consider moving in with her to her Miami ranch home. Rose - taken aback by Blanche's gesture - agrees, of course.

Moreover, to go off to a bit of tangent, we Golden Girls fanatics cannot forget the famous scene that occurred moments later following the flashback of the supermarket memory in this episode. Rose tells her epic story relating to The Great Herring War: Rose Nylund: This is exactly what happened during The Great Herring War.

Blanche Devereaux: The Great Herring War?

Rose Nylund: Yes, between the Lindstroms and the Johanssons.

Dorothy Zbornak: Oh, THAT Great Herring War!

Rose Nylund: The two families controlled the most fertile herring waters off the coast of Norway, so naturally, it seemed like it would be in their best interest to band together. Oh, boy, was that a mistake. You see, they couldn't agree on what to do with the herring.

Dorothy Zbornak: ''Oh, well that's understandable. I mean, the possibilities are overwhelming.''

Rose Nylund: ''Exactly. The Johanssons wanted to pickle the herring, and the Lindstroms wanted to train them for the circus.''

Blanche Devereaux: Weren't they kind of hard to see riding on the elephants?

Rose Nylund: Oh, not that kind of circus. A herring circus. Sort of like Sea World, only smaller... Much, much smaller. But, bigger than a flea circus. (Blanche is seen laughing hysterically to herself at the thought)

Dorothy Zbornak: Uh, tell me, Rose, um... Ah ha ha ha! Did they ever shoot a herring out of a cannon? (Blanche is seen exploding into full yet silent laughter. Dorothy soon follows and laughs silently to herself)

Rose Nylund: Only once. But, they shot him into a tree. After that, no other herring would do it. Years later, another boyfriend, Al Beatty (played by Richard Roat) also passed away in a similar fashion of a sudden heart attack while in a state of sexual intimacy with Rose. Rose was absolutely horrified. Al Beatty was the second man, after Charlie, who Rose actually had sexual encounters with... and died from such.

In the late 1st season, episode 22, Job Hunting, Dorothy states that Rose is 55 years old in 1986, which would put her birth year in 1930 or 1931. This makes Rose about age 54 or 55 (when Betty White was age 63 at the time) when the series first begins and age 62 or 63 (and Betty White was about age 70) when the final season of The Golden Palace goes off the air in May 1993.

Written by: Jessica Renee

Edited by: Avalon Cupid and Niki Poplin

Originally written: March 2020; Edited in May/June 2022

1985-1993 Tidbits
In the year of 1984 some time in October, Rose tried to call the Third Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. Yet, Indira Gandhi did not take that phone call from Rose Nylund. Rose claims in the debut episode, Season 1, Episode 1, he Engagement/The Pilot, (that aired nationally September 14th, 1985''.), Indira Gandhi would still be alive if she only answered her phone call that one, fateful day. Evidently, the Third Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, was assassinated by insider-job in October 1984.

It is observed Rose was laid off from her full-time job as an advisor at the grief counselling center in 1986, Season 1, Episode 22, Job Hunting, (that aired nationally on March 8th, 1986).'' Furthermore, Rose looked through the Classified Section of the local newspaper to then find a part-time position as a minimum-wage waitress at a coffee shop only to then be re-hired at the grief counselling center full-time.

In December 1987, Rose briefly considered leaving Miami for Boston to move in with an old wartime friend of Charlie’s named Buddy Rourke. Rose was beginning to fall for this Buddy guy. However, Dorothy Zbornak found out through her suspicions and assumptions that Rourke was a fraud, who repeatedly conned army wives out of their money. Dorothy feared of hurting Rose and held from telling Rose how she felt. However, Dorothy also wanted to tell Rose the truth about Buddy Rourke. It was Sophia who convinced Dorothy not to do so. Sophia stated, 'If Rose is happy and there’s no harm done, let her have that.' As it turned out, through the turn of events, Rose turned down Buddy's offer. Although Rose enjoyed reminiscing and being with him, she did not love him. Rose felt it within her heart and thanked Buddy for rekindling her ever-fond memories of Charlie and the two said goodbye. It was true after all. Buddy was to never be heard of ever again throughout the TV series or in Rose's life.

One time in November 1988, Season 4, Episode 4, Yokel Hero, (aired nationally on November 5th, 1988),'' Rose won St. Olaf’s highest and most honorable award: 'Woman of the Year.' Unbeknownst to Rose, Dorothy and Blanche altered, or as Dorothy puts it, 'embellished' her list of achievements so that the situation would make it nearly impossible for Rose to lose the nomination. The four wonderful girls make it a journey indeed traveling from Miami to St. Olaf by crummy aircraft then by train and then by horse carriage. However, it was to Dorothy's good-girl morality to tell Rose the truth straightforwardly, Blanche also chimed in and added that Dorothy and herself altered Rose's list of achievements. When Rose hears this, she refuses to accept the reward disappointedly. Rose makes a decision for the four to return immediately back to Miami without ever stepping foot anywhere near St. Olaf. Upon returning to Miami, in due time, the town of St. Olaf still named Rose Nylund as the 'Woman of the Year.' The reason was because Rose exhibited the principles for which the award stands (and because the runner-up, who would have won the award instead of her, was disqualified for 'having a skeleton in her closet.' This being St. Olaf - it was a literal skeleton, her husband's).

In October 1989, the company once belonging to Charlie went bankrupt. Ultimately, in due time, Rose also eliminated Charlie's pension plan. As a result, Rose was forced to look for a higher-paying job to keep her afloat. She eventually found one, as a personal assistant at a local TV news station. Later that year, Rose began dating college professor Miles Webber, her first significant relationship since Charlie’s passing.

Although Rose had known she was adopted since she was a little girl, she did not know the identity of her birth parents (and had come to believe that Bob Hope was indeed her father) up until September 1990, Season 6, Episode 2, Once in St. Olaf (aired nationally on September 29th, 1990)'' when Rose's actual, birth father was a patient in the hospital at which she volunteered. Although she was initially angry with her father for never wanting to meet her through the many years, she forgave him quickly. Like most of the main characters’ relatives, Rose’s birth father was never again seen nor mentioned on the show.

In January 1991, Season 7, Episode 9,  'Ro$e Love$ Mile$' (aired nationally on November 16th, 1991), Rose found out that Miles was actually an accountant from Chicago named Nicholas Carbone, and had been placed in the Witness Protection Program due to his involvement with the mafia. After one of the mobsters in the mafia died, Miles was able to leave witness protection and go back to Chicago. Rose eventually realized that she still loved Miles, and decided to move to Chicago with him. But, Rose did not leave to Chicago quite yet. When it was revealed that the mobster had faked his death, Miles was forced to re-enter the Witness Protection Program and said goodbye to Rose. However, he returned again to Miami in March 1991 because he missed Rose too much. By then, Rose had begun dating a man named Karl. Karl reveals himself to be the mobster who is after Miles - talk about strange coincidences - but, soon is rearrested, leaving Miles free to stay with Rose in Miami. Rose and Miles briefly considered marriage in 1992, Season 7, Episode 20,  'Rose: Portrait of a Woman', (aired nationally on March 7th, 1992). However, they both decided against it.

In May 1992, Season 7, Episode 23, 'One Flew Out of the Cuckoo's Nest' (aired nationally on May 9th, 1992), on the eve of Dorothy’s second marriage to Blanche’s uncle, Lucas Hollingsworth, Rose initially decided to move in with her daughter Kirsten. However, Rose changed her mind when she realized she would not quite be needed there. Moreover, she could not stand leaving Blanche and Sophia alone after all they went through together in the last seven years and the fact that Dorothy also just left. Rose could not find it in her heart to go against her two best friends now that Dorothy left. Besides, Rose felt as if she may get in the way of her daughter's family life and change the dynamics within Kirsten's family life. Rose already knew the dynamics and how to play out each character of Blanche and Sophia. They already have such a special, unique kinship and fondness with one another.

Thus, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia continue to remain in the Miami ranch home together even after Dorothy’s wedding and parting. On September 18th, 1992, Season 1, Episode 1, The Pilot of The Golden Palace], Blanche uses the money earned from selling her Miami ranch home to then purchase The Golden Palace Hotel completely in-full in Downtown Miami. It is presumed that the three girls remaining now live in The Golden Palace. Rose was in charge of housekeeping for The Golden Palace. While at the Golden Palace, perhaps because of the absence of Dorothy's authoritative and voice of reason presence, Rose became more confident and assertive in her words and actions. Her biting barbs at Blanche's 'slutty' promiscuity became more overt and frequent. Well, and so did Sophia's. Frequently, Rose stood up for causes she believed in (such as not allowing obvious adulterers to check into the hotel.) [[Pilot

Rose also appeared in three episodes of Empty Nest, entitled Strange Bedfellows, Rambo of Neiman Marcus & Dr. Watson and Mr. Hyde, and one episode of Nurses, entitled Begone with the Wind.

Written by: Jessica Renee

Edited by: Avalon Cupid and Niki Poplin

Originally written: March 2020; Edited in May/June 2022

The History of St. Olaf
During the show's seven-year run, St. Olaf was only seen twice in flashbacks and once when the girls visited during an episode in which Rose was nominated for St Olaf's 'Woman of the Year' honorable award, ultimately winning a gold trophy - or rather, a milk chocolate trophy wrapped in gold-coloured foil.

According to Rose, St. Olaf is a Norwegian farming settlement located, specifically, in northern Minnesota. It is known on local license plates as "Big Statue Country.". According to Dorothy, however, St. Olaf is "the cradle of idiocy."

The town was, nevertheless, referred to in almost every episode through Rose's protracted and comic (yet entirely irrelevant) anecdotes about its eccentric Norwegian inhabitants, bizarre lifestyles and customs, and a rather peculiar history. Men named Hans, Lars, Ingmar, Sven, various experiences with herring, Viking imagery, and a stunning lack of common sense displayed by the townspeople - figured into many stories. For example, Rose was the one to bring back the idiom,  'don't you have enough sense to come in out of the rain?' after visiting, St. Olaf's rival city, St. Gustaf (known as 'the city that never naps'). One of St. Olaf's chief attractions or sites is a giant blackhole or a sink hole, which the townspeople enjoyed standing around and looking at - which prompted Dorothy to refer to St. Olaf sarcastically as the real "entertainment capital of the world."

Written by: Jessica Renee

Edited by: Avalon Cupid and Niki Poplin

Originally written: March 2020; Edited in May/June 2022

Rose's Interests and Hobbies
Although all four women volunteered their time, Rose was arguably the most involved in charity work. She drove a bookmobile, was a candy striper at a hospital, and helped organize a charity talent show, as well as among other things. She listed cheese-making as a hobby on her resume as well. She was a perennial runner up for a 'Volunteer of the Year' award, even coming in second to a woman who was already dead. According to the episode in Season 1, Episode 17,  'Nice and Easy' (that aired nationally on February 1, 1986), Rose was also a fan of the hit television series, Miami Vice.

Rose is also seen as quite creative and artistic. She enjoys playing piano and songwriting/singing. Rose has also been shown molding clay in the Season 2, Episode, ' And Then There Was One' (that aired nationally on January 31st, 1987) as well as being a skilled painter, skilled enough to have four paintings offered to be hung within a museum. Rose also displays her creativity in her baking, giving her food smiley faces or cutting them into cute shape. Like Sophia, Rose is often seen sewing or knitting, illustrating her interest in textile arts as well as fine arts. Further along this note, Rose is also crafty and handy. She installed a brand new toilet with the help of Dorothy, and even installed a house alarm system all on her own for Blanche's house - and the products all worked and functioned flawlessly as if a professional had done so.

Rose is also quite domestic. She is seen often cooking or preparing food just as much as Sophia is. Whereas, Sophia tends to cook more savory Italian dishes that require a great deal of preparation work, conscientiousness, and tenacity. Rose, on the other hand, is more skilled at simple cooking and baking. She is often whipping up a Scandinavian dessert from pies, to cookies to cakes and even Sparehooven Krispies. Her love for baked goods stems from her sweet tooth that she mentioned she had in the Season 1 Finale of ', but it could also be from living on a dairy farm, as dairy is a key ingredient in many baked items.

Rose is also shown on many occasions to be an animal lover. Whether it’s dogs and cats or cows and chickens, Rose loves all creatures big or small. In fact, she even claims to understand animals communicating with a mouse that found its way into the house back in season 1. Her love for animals can be at the cost of her friend’s annoyance since Rose often shelters animals without warning Blanche and Dorothy.

Written by: Jessica Renee

Edited by: Avalon Cupid and Niki Poplin

Originally written: March 2020; Edited in May/June 2022

Rose's Personality
Of course, Rose is portrayed as a naïve, simple-minded yokel. While this is largely true, there are occasionally other sides to her personality as well. She has a nasty competitive streak, which is featured prominently in a November 1985 episode involving a bowling tournament, and a January 1989 episode, in which she coaches a children's football team. She also stated that she once had to change schools because of a "nasty field hockey incident." She also shows a surprising skill in practical tasks, on one occasion putting in all-new plumbing in the bathroom virtually single-handed.

Another example of her craftiness is shown in the episode Vacation, where the girls are shipwrecked on an island, with 3 boys who they were forced to share the room in a really bad hotel. After nearly drowning, Blanche, Dorothy and the boys argue and bicker, blaming each other for the situation, Rose ultimately raises her voice and takes charge. "Everybody now shut the hell up, I am in charge here, if you want to make it alive out of this, you better listen to me." She claimed to be the most decorated scout in all of northern Minnesota, who could start a fire with rocks, build a 100-foot rope bridge, and filter seawater to freshwater (although she later admitted that she lacked the right tools for it, but said it anyway in the heat of the moment). Rose aggressively takes charge, instructing the boys to scout for water, while instructing Blanche and Dorothy to start breaking up the boat for firewood. Her changed stance intimidates even Blanche and Dorothy, who meekly follow her orders. Later they are shown to have a bonfire burning. Which shows that she was indeed competent in her claims.

Rose has a tendency to become scared and almost paranoid easily, as illustrated in a November 1985 episode, in which Blanche's house was robbed. Rose cares so genuinely and so deeply for her good friends and family, as well as for all animals. She is also surprisingly agile for a woman of her age; more than once, she has demonstrated her strong dancing skills, including her ability to do almost perfect cartwheels and even splits on the floor. She also seems to be an accomplished pianist, as she once came up with the St. Olaf High school fight song as well as supposedly playing the piano (which Betty White does not play the piano in real life). She is also seen playing songs on the piano along to major big-name songs such as, ' I Got You, Babe'  as well as Rose's and Dorothy's own written song,  'Miami, Miami, You've Got Style.'

In Season 2, Episode 4, ' It's a Miserable Life' (that aired nationally on November 1st, 1986), Rose also tried to be as nice as possible to a mean old lady and a neighbor who lives relatively nearby to the Miami ranch home, named Frieda Claxton (played by Nan Martin). Gosh, golly, Frieda just about hated everybody. She was, in fact, so hated by others in return, that on one Halloween evening, all the neighbourhood kids wore hand-made Frieda Claxton costumes - according to Dorothy.) Mrs. Claxton had aroused the ire of the neighbourhood when she wanted a 200-year-old tree, one of the great symbols of the community, cut down and removed from her property. The situation escalated when Mrs. Claxton and most of the residents within the neighbourhood, including Dorothy, Blanche, Sophia, and Rose, faced-off in court. Rose made a final plea to Mrs. Claxton to change her mind to cut the tree down and even asked her how she could hate a living thing - since the tree is a living thing, and Rose has zero segregation from an animal to an insect to a living plant to the actual earth itself. Mrs. Claxton responded by saying, nonchalantly, "Ah, I hate you.'  This proved to be the last straw for Rose, who simply lost her temper and verbally berated Mrs. Claxton for being so cruel and selfish. Mrs. Claxton was so shocked at Rose's words because no one had ever spoken to her that way or that tone before. Rose finally stomper over towards Mrs. Claxton in the court room just a handful of feet away from her, told her to sit still and shut up while she and the rest of the neighbourhood had their say about the tree. Furthermore, Rose continued on that if Mrs. Claxton did not like it, then she could just drop dead. Seconds later, Mrs. Claxton actually did  'drop dead'. Rose believes she is responsible for Mrs. Claxton's death, and that she wished horribly for Mrs. Claxton to actually die upon verbal stimulus. Rose and the other girls decide to pay their respects at Mrs. Claxton's funeral. Due to a mix-up at the funeral home that had Mrs. Claxton's body was cremated by mistake, plus the fact that Mrs Claxton had no living relatives, Rose took her Mrs. Claxton's ashes and spread them onto the 200-year-old community tree. To the community's committee, Rose mentions solemnly,  'you cannot disturb someone's final resting place', thereby, saving the 200-year-old tree to remain as the community's symbol.

Rose is something a bit of a pushover, who rarely stands up for herself. On one occasion, her blind sister, Lily, tried to guilt Rose into moving to Chicago to take care of her. At Dorothy's many urgings to Rose to reconsider, Rose said no to Lily, which forced Lily to learn how to care for herself. Without Dorothy being the voice of reason, many times to Rose, Rose would have said yes and been the pushover being that Rose is simply so kind-hearted.

Written by: Jessica Renee

Edited by: Avalon Cupid and Niki Poplin

Originally written: March 2020; Edited in May/June 2022

Rose's Health Concerns in Comparison to the Other Girls
In January 1987, Rose had an esophageal spasm that caused a near-death experience. In March 1989, she came clean about a decades-long addiction to prescription painkillers. Rose also endured an AIDS scare in February 1990, when she was alerted that a blood transfusion she had received during an operation several years before may have been tainted with HIV. In late April/early May 1992, Rose suffered a major heart attack and had to have triple bypass surgery.

Written by: Jessica Renee

Edited by: Avalon Cupid and Niki Poplin

Originally written: March 2020; Edited in May/June 2022

Gallery
Rose Nylund