 |
Empty Nest Article
|
 |
"It's like we say in St. Olaf, Christmas without fruitcake is like St. Sigmund's Day without the headless boy." This article is incomplete. You can help the Golden Girls Wiki by expanding it. |
Elizabeth "Libby" Weston is a major unseen character in the 1988 NBC sitcom Empty Nest. She is the late wife of Harry Weston, and the mother of Carol, Barbara and Emily Weston.
Libby is referred to many times throughout Empty Nest, but never makes a physical appearance. In the series finale, Libby's ghost is portrayed by Judith-Marie Bergan.
Personality and Characteristics[]
Libby never physically appeared in the show, so her personality can only be put together through stories that other characters have told about her.
Libby didn't like going to the doctor, and would fight with her husband every time she had to go for her yearly physical.[1]
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Libby met Harry when the latter was in medical school. When Harry decided to propose to her, the only thing he could afford to do was take her to a free ice-skating rink. He tipped the rink's organist a dollar to play romantic music for them, but as Harry got down on his knee to propose, the organist began to play "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?". Libby laughed so hard that she began to slip and slide on the ice, but managed to accept through her laughter. Harry jumped up and hugged her, and their embrace ended up causing a twenty-five skater pileup. Instead of kissing Libby, Harry accidentally kissed a man from New Jersey.[2]
Harry married Libby after his graduation from Bedford in 1959, but since they couldn't afford a traditional wedding, they were married at a courthouse.[3]
Married Life[]
- “Dear baby, I've been sitting here at the kitchen table waiting for you to arrive. I wish you'd hurry. I can't wait to see what you look like, and your father, Dr. Please-Libby-I'm-A-Professional, is a nervous wreck. I wasn't nervous, I was eager. Okay, I was an eager wreck. We haven't met yet, but I feel closer to you than I ever knew was possible. I can't remember when it happened, but somehow, magically, you were no longer this thing growing inside my body, but my very own beautiful baby. And now I love you so much it makes me cry.”
- — Libby's letter to the then-unborn Carol the day before she was born; "Diary of a Mad Housewife" (1993)
Harry and Libby lived in the suburbs of Miami, Florida. During Harry's internship in 1958, Libby became pregnant and became a nervous wreck as she wasn't read for a baby. Libby quit her job after she became pregnant, but as the day of the birth grew closer, Libby became more and more excited at the idea of having a baby. The day before her daughter was born, Libby wrote a letter to her in her diary, saying how she couldn't wait to meet her. Libby gave birth to her daughter, Carol, on July 14th.[4]
Four and a half years later, Libby became pregnant again and gave birth to another daughter, Barbara.
Before Emily was born, Harry and Libby went to a fancy restaurant, and halfway through their lobster, Libby told Harry she wanted another baby. After convincing him to check into a nearby motel as Dr. Smith (while Libby checked in as "a bimbo" named Mitzi), Harry was halfway through the check-in process when he realized that Libby had let him get all the way to the motel without taking off his lobster bib.[5]
On December 24th, 1969, Harry was almost unable to make it home for Christmas because he was busy with a very sick patient at the hospital. Despite Harry's best efforts, the patient passed away, becoming the first casualty of his medical career. Harry returned home from the hospital early the next morning and told Libby what had happened. When their daughters came downstairs, he announced to that he was taking the family on a two-week road trip. For the first week, they went to visit the girls' grandparents in Atlanta, Georgia, and the second week they went to Disney World. One night in the hotel, Libby and Harry talked about the deceased patient, and Libby told him that there was nothing more he could've done and he couldn't run away forever. Unknown to them, the eleven year-old Carol was listening at the door.[6]
When the Westons first met Charley Dietz, Libby began inviting him over and letting him hang out at their house. According to Harry, Libby recognized that Charley hadn't had the best life and believed that he could become a better person with love and compassion.[1]
Golden years[]
Libby was diagnosed with an unknown chronic illness sometime prior to 1987, and she had routine yearly physicals with internist Dr. Stewart Carson at St. Vincent's Hospital. Libby hated going to see the doctor and always fought with Harry when the time came for her physical towards the end of June. They would break the china during the fight, and Harry would buy new china every July.[1]
Death[]
When the time came for Libby's physical in 1987, Libby and Harry once again fought about her going to Dr. Carson. This time, a defeated Harry refused to fight about it and didn't make her go. When Libby finally went to see Dr. Carson in July, it was discovered that her illness had gotten to the point where it was untreatable. Libby was taken to St. Vincent's Hospital soon after, and died from her illness at the hospital.[1]
Legacy[]
When Harry has an angina attack, Carol goes to visit Libby's grave and tries to ask her spirit for support.[7]
In the series finale, Harry is "visited" by the ghost of Libby. She asks him why he turned down the teaching job in Vermont, offers him advice, and reminisces on old times.[8]
Relationships[]
To be added.
Family tree[]
Template:Westonfam
Appearances[]
Empty Nest (1988-1992)[]
| Season 1 | |||||
| 1. "Pilot": | Mentioned | 12. "Full Nest": | Mentioned | ||
| 2. "The Check Isn't in The Mail": | Mentioned | 13. "Here's A Howdy-Do": | Absent | ||
| 3. "Barbara Gets A Shot": | Absent | 14."Strange Bedfellows": | Absent | ||
| 4. "Fatal Attraction": | Mentioned | 15. "Tears of a Clown": | Absent | ||
| 5. "Father of the Bride": | Mentioned | 16. "Blame It on the Moon": | Absent | ||
| 6. "Harry's Vacation": | Absent | 17. "Dumped": | Absent | ||
| 7. "Tinker to Evers to Tucson": | Absent | 18. "The More Things Change": | Absent | ||
| 8. "What's a Father to Do?": | Mentioned | 19. "Man of the Year": | Mentioned | ||
| 9. "Harry's Friend": | Absent | 20. "Cyrano de Weston": | Absent | ||
| 10. "Libby's Gift": | Mentioned | 21. "My Sister, My Friend": | Absent | ||
| 11. "The First Time, Again": | Mentioned | 22. "A Life in the Day": | Absent | ||
| Season 2 | |||||
| 1. "Settling": | Absent | 13. "Harry's Choice": | Absent | ||
| 2. "Harry Snubs Laverne": | Absent | 14. "Complainin' in the Rain": | Absent | ||
| 3. "On The Interpretation of Dreams": | Mentioned | 15."M.D., P.O.V.": | Mentioned | ||
| 4. "Between a Cop and a Hard Place": | Absent | 16. "Everything But Love": | Absent | ||
| 5. "Just You And My Kid": | Absent | 17. "Timing": | Absent | ||
| 6. "Rambo of Neiman Marcus": | Absent | 18. "It Happened Two Nights, Four Costume Changes": | Absent | ||
| 7. "You Are 16 Going on 17 and I'm Not": | Absent | 19. "Love Is Blind": | Absent | ||
| 8. "The R.N. Who Came to Dinner": | Absent | 20. "Goodbye, Mr. Dietz": | Absent | ||
| 9. "Green Eggs and Harry": | Absent | 21. "Lessons": | Absent | ||
| 10. "Overdue for a Job": | Absent | 22. "Take My Mom, Please": | Absent | ||
| 11. "A Christmas Story": | Mentioned | 23. "Did You Ever See a Dream Dying?": | Absent | ||
| 12. "Change of Heart": | Mentioned | 24. "Still Growing After All These Years": | Absent | ||
| Season 3 | |||||
| 1. "A Flaw is Born": | Absent | 13. "A Shot in the Dark": | Absent | ||
| 2. "Harry's Excellent Adventure": | Absent | 14. "Sucking Up Is Hard to Do": | Absent | ||
| 3. "There's No Accounting": | Absent | 15."The Man That Got Away": | Absent | ||
| 4. "Barbara the Mom": | Absent | 16. "The Mentor": | Absent | ||
| 5. "The Tortoise and The Harry": | Mentioned | 17. "The Dog That Knew Too Much": | Absent | ||
| 6. "Mad About the Boy": | Absent | 18. "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?": | Absent | ||
| 7. "Honey, I Shrunk Laverne": | Absent | 19. "All About Harry": | Absent | ||
| 8. "The Boy Next Door": | Absent | 20. "Drive, He Said": | Absent | ||
| 9. "A Family Affair": | Absent | 21. "The Last Temptation of Laverne": | Absent | ||
| 10. "Someone to Watch Over Me": | Absent | 22. "What's Eating You?": | Absent | ||
| 11. "Harry Knows Best": | Absent | 23. "The Cruise": | Absent | ||
| 12. "Whenever I Feel Afraid": | Absent | 24. "The Way We Are": | Absent | ||
| Season 4 | |||||
| 1. "50 Million Men and a Baby": | Absent | 13. "The Son of a Preacherman": | Absent | ||
| 2. "Almost Like Being in Love": | Absent | 14. "Ex-Appeal": | Absent | ||
| 3. "Her Cheatin' Heart": | Absent | 15. "The Great Escape": | Absent | ||
| 4. "Food for Thought": | Absent | 16."The Mismatchmaker": | Absent | ||
| 5. "Harry's Got a Gun": | Absent | 17. "The Return of Aunt Susan": | Absent | ||
| 6. "The Dreyfuss Affair": | Absent | 18. "The Unimportance of Being Charley": | Absent | ||
| 7. "Country Weston": | Absent | 19. "Sayonara": | Absent | ||
| 8. "Windy": | Absent | 20. "Dr. Weston and Mr. Hyde": | Absent | ||
| 9. "Talk, Talk, Talk": | Absent | 21. "Charley for President": | Absent | ||
| 10. "Lonely Are the Brave]]": | Absent | 22. "Good Neighbor Harry": | Absent | ||
| 11. "If You Knew Andy Like I Know...": | Absent | 23. "Final Analysis": | Absent | ||
| 12. "My Nurse Is Back and There's Gonna Be Trouble...: | Absent | 24. "Roots": | Absent | ||
Template:ENSeason5Appearances
Template:ENSeason6Appearances
Template:ENSeason7Appearances
Casting and Development[]
Libby is likely based off of Renee Corliss, the female protagonist of the original Empty Nest pilot. In the pilot, Renee feels neglected as her husband George is always working at the hospital and her daughter Jenny has gone off to college.[9]
Trivia[]
- Libby's actress, Judith Marie Bergen, appeared in two other Empty Nest episodes before appearing as Libby. She appeared in Season 1 as Janet,[10] and in Season 3 as Paula.[11]
[]
| V - E - H Empty Nest characters
| |
|---|---|
| Main Cast | Barbara Weston • Carol Weston • Charley Dietz • Dreyfuss Harry Weston • Laverne Todd • Maxine Douglas • Sophia Petrillo |
| Recurring Cast | Ben Braxton • Doris • Emily Weston • Fred Dietz • Jeffrey Millstein • Kevin Millen • Lurlene Moss • Matt Kane • Miss Bingham • Mr. Garrison • Nick Todd • Patrick Arcola • Scotty Weston • Ursula Dietz |
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Empty Nest, Season 2, Episode 3, “On The Interpretation of Dreams”. Jacobs, Gary (writer) & Zuckerman, Steve (director) (October 21st, 1989)
- ↑ Empty Nest, Season 1, Episode 10, “Libby's Gift”. LaZebnik, Rob and Sacks, David (writers) & Cooper, Hal (director) (December 17th, 1988)
- ↑ Empty Nest, Season 1, Episode 5, “Father of the Bride”. Harris, Susan (writer) & Cooper, Hal (director) (November 12th, 1988)
- ↑ Empty Nest, Season 6, Episode 6, “Diary of a Mad Housewife”. Tischler, Bob (writer) & Zuckerman, Steve (director) (October 30th, 1993)
- ↑ Empty Nest, Season 1, Episode 8, “What's a Father to Do?”. Cooper, Rod (writer) & Cooper, Hal (director) (December 3rd, 1988)
- ↑ Empty Nest, Season 2, Episode 15, “M.D., P.O.V.”. King, David Tyron and LaZebnik, Rob and Sacks, David (writers) & Zuckerman, Steve (director) (February 3rd, 1990)
- ↑ Empty Nest, Season 2, Episode 12, “Change of Heart”. Beavers, Susan (writer) & Cardiff, Andy (director) (January 6th, 1990)
- ↑ Empty Nest, Season 7, Episode 22, “Life Goes On, Part 2”. Price, Paul B.; Snee, Dennis; Sullivan, Steven and Ziegler, Ursula (writers) & Zuckerman, Steve (director) (April 29th, 1995)
- ↑ The Golden Girls, Season 2, Episode 26, “Empty Nests”. Harris, Susan (writer) & Sandrich, Jay (director) (May 16th, 1987)
- ↑ Empty Nest, Season 1, Episode 13, “Here's a Howdy-Do”. Hill, Kim (writer) & Cooper, Hal (director) (January 28th, 1989)
- ↑ Empty Nest, Season 3, Episode 11, “Harry Knows Best”. Sacks, David (writer) & Zuckerman, Steve (director) (December 8th, 1990)