The Custody Battle is the twelfth episode of the first season of The Golden Girls and the twelfth episode overall. Directed by Terry Hughes and written by Winifred Hervey, it premiered on NBC-TV on December 7th, 1985.
Sophia is faced with a new living decision when her other daughter Gloria arrives in town and wants her to move to California with her. Sophia agrees, which puts her relationship with Dorothy under more tension than it already is.
Plot[]
Dorothy and Sophia are trying to get the house ready for a visit from Dorothy's sister, Gloria, but Sophia's making trouble, Blanche and Rose are double dating for Blanche to get the part of Lady Macbeth, Sophia then gives Dorothy a date but Dorothy tells her to stop this and give her space. Afterwards Sophia won't stop talking about Dorothy's space.
Gloria comes, planning to stay at a hotel but Sophia twists her arm and she stays in Dorothy's room. Dorothy and Gloria talk about their childhood, then about their small feud due to Gloria marrying into money and Dorothy's bad luck with love. She reveals she wants Dorothy visit her as Sophia has agreed to move to California. Dorothy the next morning speaks to Sophia who feels due to their argument it might be for the best.
Dorothy then goes to tell Blanche, who beforehand learns she has been cast as one of the witches and Rose is playing Lady Macbeth, then Dorothy reveals Sophia's decision which upsets them all. However that night Dorothy confronts Gloria about being the favorite taking Sophia away, but Gloria reveals that Sophia has always made Dorothy the favorite and that thought out their childhood Sophia made her the one in charge as she was the strong independent sibling, Gloria could only marry money and the final clue being the fact she lived in Miami.
Dorothy tells Sophia she needs her as much as she crosses her, so Sophia agrees that she has her space as well which Dorothy agrees and she, Gloria and Sophia have a great time together. However, afterwards Sophia gifts them things that she did in fact steal from them.[1]
Tall Tales[]
Back in St. Olaf...[]
Rose talks about how her family would spend Christmases together when they were young.
Tales from the Old South[]
Blanche complains that her parents liked hersisters more than her because at their childhood birthday parties her sisters had magicians, tons of presents, and clowns, but Blanche didn't get a clown until she was “much older.”
Rue McClanahan starred as a mock-up version of Lady Macbeth in the off-Broadway play Macbird!.
This is the first episode showcasing the new kitchen wallpaper. From the pilot episode to "The Return of Dorothy's Ex", the kitchen had mustard-yellow diamond-patterned wallpaper. From "The Custody Battle" onward, it switches to a softer gold color with white printed palm leaves.
Gloria mentions to Dorothy that Bert Convy shops at Gloria's grocery store. Convy and Betty White, who plays Rose, have actually met each other several times on Super Password with Convy as host and White as one of the celebrity players. Additionally, Bea Arthur and Bert Convy were cast members in the original Broadway cast of Fiddler on the Roof.
Production[]
This is Terry Hughes's first episode as director of The Golden Girls. Hughes eventually became the show's top director, and would go on to direct over 100 episodes throughout the first five seasons.
When Gloria returned in the two-part episode "The Monkey Show", she was recast and she was made to look like Dorothy.
Goofs[]
When Gloria is telling Dorothy about Bert Convy, Dorothy is "reading" a book, but the pages are clearly blank.