To Catch a Neighbor

 was the 24th episode of Season 2 of The Golden Girls, also the 49th overall series episode. Directed by Terry Hughes and written by Russell Marcus, the episode premiered on NBC-TV, first airing on May 2, 1987.

Synopsis
Undercover detectives stake-out at the ladies' house to capture jewel thieves.

Plot
The girls invite their new neighbors the McDowells over for dinner but later after they leave, Two police detectives Al Mullins and Bobby Hopkins arrive with some unsettling news. The girls' new neighbors are really dealers in stolen gems. After some debate, the girls decide to let the two detectives move for a stakeout.

The officers share the kitchen and are bugging the phones, however, it's clear that Dorothy is attracted to Al and Rose tries to help but is told to stop as they are dealing with dangerous people.

Later Martha McDowell comes in, Sophia manages to convince the neighbor that the officers are her son and grandson. Martha invites them for dinner after she leaves Al and Bobby request that one of the girls' plants a transmitter in the house Dorothy decides to do it partly for her feelings for Al.

After the dinner, the transmitter is working fine and Al tries to ask Dorothy out. That night Blanche admits she has a motherly feeling for Bobby and since his mother is far away he asks if he can visit which Blanche agrees with. That night the deal goes down and the officers go to confront them, the girls listen for sounds and hear gunshots after Al returns they find out that Bobby has been shot.

Later on, Bobby is in hospital fine and Al reveals the McDowells are jailed. As the girls' except for Dorothy go with Bobby, Al admits his feelings for Dorothy but after she realized that she's too scared to date him as the next time he left the house he might die, they decide to become friends.

Guest Cast

 * Joe Campanella as Al Mullins
 * George Clooney as Bobby Hopkins
 * Barbara Tarbuck as Martha McDowell