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"It's like we say in St. Olaf, Christmas without fruitcake is like St. Sigmund's Day without the headless boy."

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Isn't It Romantic is the fifth episode of the second season of The Golden Girls and the thirtieth episode overall. Directed by Terry Hughes and written by Jeffrey Duteil, the episode premiered on NBC-TV on November 8th, 1986.

Summary[]

Dorothy's lesbian friend Jean visits and develops feelings for Rose.

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.[1]

Cast[]

Main Cast[]

Guest Stars[]

  • Lois Nettleton as Jean

Notes[]

  • The background shot during the closing credits show Dorothy, Rose, and Jean at the table eating breakfast, as Blanche looks on from the refrigerator.
  • This is director Terry Hughes's favorite episode of the series.

Production[]

  • 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 character name Jean used by Lois Nettleton as a tribute to Jean Shepherd, author of the book that was the basis for A Christmas Story.
  • 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. Lois Nettleton was also nominated for an Emmy for her performance in this episode.

Cultural references[]

  • The title is derived from the song "Isn't It Romantic?" composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart.

Goofs[]

  • 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.
  • When Rose is in bed at about 2:15 in the morning, the close ups show that she's still wearing eyeshadow and makeup.
  • The large chest Dorothy has in her bedroom is missing in this episode.

Site Navigation[]

V - E - H List of The Golden Girls episodes
Season 1 The EngagementGuess Who's Coming to the WeddingRose the PrudeTransplantThe TriangleOn Golden GirlsThe CompetitionBreak-InBlanche and the Younger ManThe Heart AttackThe Return of Dorothy's ExThe Custody BattleA Little RomanceThat Was No LadyIn a Bed of Rose'sThe Truth Will OutNice and EasyThe OperationSecond MotherhoodAdult EducationThe FluJob HuntingBlind AmbitionsBig DaddyThe Way We Met
Season 2 End of the CurseLadies of the EveningTake Him, He's MineIt's a Miserable LifeIsn't It RomanticBig Daddy's Little LadyFamily AffairVacationJoust Between FriendsLove, Rose'Twas The Nightmare Before ChristmasThe SistersThe Stan Who Came to DinnerThe ActorBefore and AfterAnd Then There Was OneBedtime StoryForgive Me, FatherLong Day's Journey into MarinaraWhose Face is This, Anyway?Dorothy's Prized PupilDiamond in the RoughSon-in-Law DearestTo Catch a NeighborA Piece of CakeEmpty Nests
Season 3 Old FriendsOne for the MoneyBringing Up BabyThe HousekeeperNothing to Fear But Fear ItselfLetter to GorbachevStrange BedfellowsBrotherly LoveA Visit from Little SvenThe AuditThree on a CouchCharlie's BuddyThe ArtistBlanche's Little GirlDorothy's New FriendGrab That DoughMy Brother, My FatherGolden Moments, Part 1Golden Moments, Part 2And Ma Makes ThreeLarceny and Old LaceRose's Big AdventureMixed BlessingsMister TerrificMother's Day
Season 4 Yes, We Have No HavanasThe Days and Nights of Sophia PetrilloThe One That Got AwayYokel HeroBang the Drum, StanleySophia's Wedding, Part 1Sophia's Wedding, Part 2Brother, Can You Spare That JacketScared StraightStan Takes a WifeThe AuctionBlind DateThe Impotence of Being ErnestLove Me TenderValentine's DayTwo Rode TogetherYou Gotta Have HopeFiddler On the RopesTill Death Do We VolleyHigh AnxietyLittle SisterSophia's ChoiceRites of SpringForeign ExchangeWe're Outta Here, Part 1We're Outta Here, Part 2
Season 5 Sick and Tired, Part 1Sick and Tired, Part 2The Accurate ConceptionRose Fights BackLove Under the Big TopDancing in the DarkNot Another MondayThat Old FeelingComedy of ErrorsAll That JazzEbb TideHave Yourself a Very Little ChristmasMary Has a Little LambTriple PlayClinton Avenue MemoirsLike the Beep Beep Beep of the Tom-TomAn Illegitimate Concern72 HoursTwice In a LifetimeSisters and Other StrangersCheatersThe Mangiacavallo Curse Makes a Lousy Wedding PresentAll Bets Are OffThe President's Coming! The President's Coming!, Part 1The President's Coming! The President's Coming!, Part 2
Season 6 Blanche DeliversOnce, In St. OlafIf At Last You Do SucceedSnap Out Of ItWham, Bam, Thank You MammyFeelingsZborn AgainHow Do You Solve a Problem Like Sophia?Mrs. George DevereauxGirls Just Wanna Have Fun... Before They DieStand By Your ManEbbtide's RevengeThe Bloom Is Off the RoseSisters of the BrideMiles to GoThere Goes the Bride, Part 1There Goes the Bride, Part 2Older and WiserMelodramaEven Grandmas Get the BluesWitnessWhat a Difference a Date MakesLove for SaleNever Yell Fire in a Crowded Retirement Home, Part 1Never Yell Fire in a Crowded Retirement Home, Part 2Henny Penny — Straight, No Chaser
Season 7 Hey, Look Me OverThe Case of the Libertine BelleBeauty and the BeastThat's For Me to KnowWhere's Charlie?Mother LoadDateline: MiamiThe Monkey Show, Part 1The Monkey Show, Part 2Ro$e Love$ Mile$Room SevenFrom Here to the PharmacyThe Pope's RingOld BoyfriendsGoodbye, Mr. GordonThe CommitmentsQuestions and AnswersEbbtide VI: The Wrath of StanJourney to the Center of AttentionA Midwinter Night's Dream, Part 1A Midwinter Night's Dream, Part 2Rose: Portrait of a WomanHome Again, Rose, Part 1Home Again, Rose, Part 2One Flew Out of the Cuckoo's Nest, Part 1One Flew Out of the Cuckoo's Nest, Part 2

References[]

  1. The Golden Girls, Season 2, Episode 5, "Isn't It Romantic". Duteil, Jeffery (writer) & Hughes, Terry (director) (November 8th, 1986)
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