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Four Southern Florida seniors share a house, their dreams, and a whole lot of cheesecake. Bright, promiscuous, clueless and hilarious, these lovely, mismatched ladies form the perfect circle of friends.
“Meet four outrageous women who know when it comes to a good laugh, there's nothing like experience!”
Bea Arthur
Dorothy Zbornak
Betty White
Rose Nylund
Rue McClanahan
Blanche Devereaux
Estelle Getty
Sophia Petrillo
1987
Sophia befriends an old man on the boardwalk whom she becomes quick friends with. However, his strange behavior signals that he has a medical condition, Alzheimer's disease. Meanwhile, Blanche accidentally gives away Rose's teddy bear at a garage sale.
Sophia's latest get rich quick scheme prompts the girls to recall other various get rich quick schemes they've had over the years including, catering, a dance marathon and a memory of Sophia's from 1954.
Rose is shocked to learn that in her late-uncle's will he left her his ""Baby"". However she is quickly delighted to learn the ""baby"" is a pig but delighted is not a word to describe Dorothy, Blanche and Sophia, at least not until they learn that when Baby dies Rose gets a large sum of money.
The girls' search for a housekeeper ends when they hire Marguerite, a woman who appears to have mystical powers. However, when they fire her, a string of bizarre events convince the girls that Marguerite has placed a curse on them.
When Rose must give a eulogy at her aunt's funeral, Rose must try to get over her biggest fear in the world, giving speeches. This also brings up Dorothy and Blanche's biggest fears, Dorothy's of flying and Blanche's of a recurring dream.
Rose becomes concerned about nuclear war when girls in her cadet troop draw pictures of a bleak future. This prompts her to write letters to Gorbachev and Reagan. She's stunned when she gets a response and learns that Gorbechev would like to meet her.
The girls try to help in a campaign to get Gil Kessler elected as local official. To his advantage, his chances of winning are boosted when reporters snap photos of Blanche entering his home one evening while his wife was away.
Blanche makes a move at Ted, Stan's brother the minute she learns he's a neurosurgeon. She is furious when she discovers the only woman Ted is apparently interested in is Dorothy. Meanwhile, Rose is suffering from insomnia.
Rose's cousin Sven, arrives in Miami for a visit just prior to him being married by arrangement. However, when Blanche plays a trick on her latest beau, which involves Sven, the naive groom falls for her. Meanwhile, Sophia tries to renew her driver's license.
Dorothy is stunned to learn that Stan's tax problems are her tax problems since Stan is being audited for a number of years when they were still married. Meanwhile, Blanche and Rose take a Spanish class, each for different reasons.
Constant bickering, causes the girls to seek help from a therapist. This prompts the girls to reminisce about times they didn't get along. The therapist's conclusion, they should not live with one another.
A wartime buddy of Rose's late husband arrives in Miami to see Rose, however he has more in mind than just a friendly visit. Meanwhile, Dorothy and Blanche haggle over the same dress to wear to a social event.
Dorothy, Blanche and Rose each secretly pose nude for a Hungarian sculptor who will unveil the statue at an art show opening at a museum. Meanwhile, Sophia brushes up on practical jokes to get back a prankster at the Senior Citizens Center.
Blanche is thrilled by a visit from her daughter, Rebecca, an ex-model who has now gained quite a bit of weight. Also visiting with Rebecca is her oafish beau who constantly puts down her weight. The kicker: she's thinking of marrying him.
Dorothy befriends a novelist, Barbara Thorndyke and she quickly infringes on Dorothy's relationship with Blanche and Rose who think Barbara is nothing but a stuck up snob.
Sophia got the girls a chance to appear on a hit game show Grab that Dough in California. At the hotel, they miss their reservations and they must sleep in the lobby...as a result, all their personal belongings are stolen. Sophia still has the tickets but once they arrive to the game, the girls fight and split into two separate competing teams.
Sophia's brother, Angelo, a priest, is coming to Miami for a visit and he doesn't know Dorothy and Stan are divorced. So in order to spare his feelings, Sophia convinces Dorothy and Stan to pretend to be married. Meanwhile, Rose and Blanche prepare to star in a play, The Sound of Music.
Sophia announces her intentions of moving out and in with her son Phil. This prompts the girls to reminisce about the good times and the bad times they've had together.
As Sophia makes up her mind on whether or not to move in with her son, the girls continue to reminisce about the years they've shared together.
Feeling sorry for a lonely Sophia, Dorothy allows her to come along on a date with her and Dorothy's latest beau. However, pretty soon Sophia begins tagging along on every date which puts a rift in Dorothy's romantic plans.
Sophia's latest boyfriend, Rocco claims to have been involved in the mob, so when the girls discover a bag of Rocco's with thousands of dollars in it, they assume he robbed a bank. Meanwhile, Dorothy and Blanche sneak a peak at Rose's diary.
Rose's latest boyfriend has just retired and she is ready to spend a whole lot more time with him but his retirement quickly turns him into a couch potato. Meanwhile, the girls deal with remodeling the garage into a guest room.
Dorothy's son, Michael pays another visit to Miami and this time he has an announcement, he's engaged. However, Dorothy has two more surprises in store, her future daughter-in-law is also black and twenty years older than Michael.
Rose begins to date "Mr. Terrific," a kiddie show host, who gets fired when Dorothy gets a part-time job as a consultant on the show, a job he helped her get.
While waiting for phone calls from their children wishing them a happy Mother's day, the girls reminisce about past Mother's days.
1988
Blanche's latest boyfriend is a charming Cuban whom sweeps Blanche off her feet but she's not the only one when Blanche discovers he's been dating Sophia behind her back. Meanwhile, Rose takes a course taught by Dorothy in order to get a high school diploma.
This episode does a study in contrast, Sophia's busy day to Blanche, Dorothy and Rose's lazy day. While Sophia, organizes a band to raise money, volunteers at the hospital and battles return policies at the supermarket, Blanche, Dorothy and Rose sit around discussing what they should do that's constructive.
Blanche is determined to sleep with the one man who has refused her once in the past. Meanwhile, Rose claims to have seen a UFO and gets the Air Force involved.
Rose is running for St. Olaf Woman of the Year and with a little help from Blanche and Dorothy, altering her list of qualifications on the entry form, she's a sure winner. Meanwhile, a heat wave strikes Miami and the girls' air conditioning goes out.
At a baseball game, Sophia gets beaned. This prompts Stan to talk her into filing a lawsuit for payment for her severe injuries, which he gets her to fake. Meanwhile, Blanche and Rose prepare for roles in the play Cats.
The death of a close friend, Esther Weinstock, brings Sophia face to face with Esther's husband a man whom she vowed never to speak to again due to things that happened in the past. However, when Dorothy prompts them to make up they get a little to close and wind up in bed together. Soon after, they announce their engagement, something that Dorothy is totally against. Meanwhile, Blanche and Rose begin a Elvis Presley fan club.
Sophia and Max come back from their honeymoon with no place to stay so Blanche, Dorothy and Rose put them up until they can find a place. Meanwhile, Sophia and Max decide to restart the old business Max had with Sophia's late husband, a pizza knish stand. However, Dorothy begins smoking again!
The search is on for the missing winning lottery ticket that would give the girls $10,000. The girls had put it in the pocket of an aviator jacket, which Sophia mistook as an item to go to a thrift shop. The search leads the girls to the thrift shop then to a celebrity auction and finally to a homeless shelter.
Blanche's brother, Clayton comes to Miami for a visit and Blanche goes all out fixing him up on blind dates. However, Rose learns the truth, Clayton is gay and is afraid to tell Blanche the truth about himself.
Stan breaks the news that he's engaged to be married something Dorothy at first seems to accept. However, after Sophia falls ill, Stan comforts Dorothy which sparks old feelings in her and she contemplates trying to get back together with Stan.
The girls try to cough up enough money to pay for a new roof. Meanwhile, Sophia's volunteer job at the hospital is what brings the girls a piece of inside information that could give them enough money for a new roof and money left to spare. The info is that a famous artist is dying, so the girls head to an auction to bid on one of his paintings.
After being dumped by her boyfriend, Blanche befriends a man at a bar and makes a date with him unknown to her he's blind. Meanwhile, Dorothy and Rose try their hand at coaching a kids' football team.
Rose is crazy about her latest boyfriend, Ernie, but can't understand why he doesn't approach the subject of sex, so when she forces the subject she learns the truth - he's impotent.
When Sophia sets Dorothy up on a blind date, Dorothy secretly falls for the seemingly simple man, claiming "he's the greatest lover she ever had." Meanwhile, Blanche and Rose join the "Be a Pal" and become pals to two motherless girls.
It's Valentine's Day, and the girls are all excited until each one of their dates cancel at the last minute. This leaves them to reminisce about Valentine's Day past.
Dorothy wants to spend some "quality" time with Sophia so she takes Sophia away for the weekend to the Florida Keys. However, her attempts fail when a fed up Sophia storms out. Meanwhile, Rose and Blanche try their hand at writing children's stories.
Dorothy is in charge of a hospital charity show and things aren't going her way. She can't find any talent for the talent show and her emcee has just cancelled. Rose's solution for her problem makes things worse when the girls scour Miami in hopes of getting Bob Hope to perform in the show.
Without the consent of the other girls, Sophia sinks their life savings in, Pepe, a prize fighter. However, on the eve of the fight, the girls discover Pepe missing and make a shocking discovery.
Dorothy's old friend, Trudy comes for a visit and this revives their old rivalry between each other. However, the visit turns tragic when Trudy suddenly dies and Dorothy blames herself.
After Sophia accidentally knocks a bottle of Rose's pills down the sink, it is discovered, she is addicted to them. She then must battle withdrawal when she can't get a hold of another bottle. Meanwhile, Dorothy and Sophia are hired to be in a pizza commercial.
Rose's sister, Holly comes for a visit and becomes quick friends with Dorothy and Blanche, and leaves Rose out in the cold. However, when Rose catches Holly with Blanche's boyfriend and tries to tell Blanche, Dorothy and Blanche refuse to believe her.
Sophia goes into action to break her friend, Lillian out of ""the worst nursing home in the city."" However, Lillian proves to be too much of a handful for Sophia to handle. Meanwhile, Blanche considers having her breasts enlarged.
A week prior to a friend's annual party, the girls debate on what they should do to improve their appearance. This leads the girls to reminisce about previous attempts to improve their looks.
Sophia's old friends, Philomena and Dominic, come to Miami from Sicily, for a visit and have shocking news for Dorothy. Philomena and Sophia had met in the hospital when they were giving birth and now Philomena and Dominic claim that there was a mix-up and Dorothy was switched at birth. Meanwhile, Blanche and Rose take ""dirty dancing"" lessons.
Blanche, Dorothy and Rose return home from a play to discover Sophia in the midst of selling the house. It's later discovered a for sale sign was accidentally placed on the front lawn but Blanche begins to consider it after seeing the amount that she's offered.
Blanche debates on whether or not to sell the house as her and the rest of the girls recall times they have spent together (via flashbacks).
1989
Dorothy is feeling rundown, tired all the time and has a lack of energy. She is sure she is ill, but all of the doctors she visits tell her she's fine. Meanwhile, Blanche decides to write a romance novel.
Dorothy continues to seek medical advice and turns to Harry Weston for help. Meanwhile, Blanche goes on a writing binge resulting in a novel that is less than enthralling.
Blanche's daughter, Rebecca has some wonderful news. She's going to become a mother, through artificial insemination. However, Blanche is less than thrilled, she's totally against the entire thing.
When the company that Rose's husband worked for, cuts off their pension plan, Rose must face the fact that she's going to get a new job, one that pays more. However, she quickly finds herself dealing with something she never expected, age discrimination. Meanwhile, Sophia goes wild buying things in quantity at a Shopper's Warehouse.
Dorothy is in a serious relationship with a lawyer and jumps to the conclusion that he's on the verge of proposing. However, his announcement is a shocker, he's leaving law to become a circus clown. Meanwhile, Rose and Blanche put together a protest to save some dolphins.
Rose has been dating Miles Webber, a college professor, but the only thing they seem to have in common is the dance floor. When Miles invites her to a party, Rose feels like a fish out of water being surrounded by all his intelligent friends. Meanwhile, Blanche battles a dating slump.
Sophia's friend has come up with an idea that will change her life. She wants to commit suicide and she wants Sophia there to hold her hand. Meanwhile, Blanche, Rose and Dorothy become singing nursemaids to a sick baby that they are taking care of for the weekend.
Blanche is visited by her brother in-law and is taken back by his resemblence to her deceased husband. She quickly finds herself falling in love with hopes of marriage.
Dorothy finds a list of things that she wanted to accomplish before a certain age and finds that she hasn't accomplished many of them. So she decides to go after one of them, entertaining people. This leads her to sign up to do a stand up routine at a nightclub. Meanwhile, Blanche finds herself battling the IRS.
Dorothy's son, Michael, shows up on her doorstep with news that he's separated with his wife and needs a place to stay. However, Dorothy quickly gets tired of his freeloading and dumps him on Stan. Meanwhile, Rose's stress is getting terrible and is reluctant to talk to her boss about cutting back on her "things-to-do" list.
Blanche is shattered after her father, Big Daddy, passes away. However, when she goes back to her childhood home, she gets into a big argument with her sister, Virginia and decides not to attend the funeral.
It's the Christmas season and the girls are fed up with Christmas shopping in a heat wave. So they decide to buy gifts for the one person they pick from a hat. Later, the girls decide to serve Christmas dinner for the homeless, including a recently homeless Stan.
The girls take in a 15 year old girl who has just found out she's pregnant and scared to tell her father. Meanwhile, Blanche's prison pen pal has just been released and is looking for her.
Rose joins a positive thinking group and tries to get a pessimistic Dorothy to join. Meanwhile, Blanche is scared to get serious with her latest boyfriend especially after he has a heart attack.
Blanche tries to lure men by placing a fake ad in the paper trying to sell a Mercedes. Meanwhile, Rose has to deal with meeting Miles's daughter who makes it clear she wants their relationship to be no more and Dorothy discovers Sophia is hoarding Social Security money, thanks to a computer error.
Dorothy becomes alarmed when Sophia forgets the date of her wedding anniversary. This leads Dorothy to face the fact that Sophia is becoming more and more forgetful with age. After visiting a doctor, Sophia decides to regain some of the memories she has lost and decides to take a trip to Brooklyn and their old apartment.
After visiting the doctor, Blanche learns that he wants to put a pacemaker in her. However, after the operation, Blanche is so scared of intimacy that she decides to give up sex.
Blanche is stunned when a man comes to the front door and claims to be the illegitimate son of her late husband. Meanwhile, Dorothy and Sophia enter a mother-daughter pageant at Shady Pines.
Rose discovers that she may be carrying the HIV virus after learning the blood they used in her gallbladder operation may have contained HIV antibodies. What really gets to her though is the 72 hours she must wait before hearing the test results. Meanwhile, Dorothy organizes a Save the Swamplands charity.
Rose must decide between her boyfriend, Miles or an old boyfriend who has just come to town and asks her to go to Europe with him. Meanwhile, fed up with Dorothy's rules, Sophia decides to move out.
Blanche and her sister, Charmaine, reconcile after a life-long rivalry. However, the reconciliation does not last long after Blanche reads her recently published book and realizes the heroine is based on her. Meanwhile, Dorothy becomes fed up with Stan's visiting cousin.
The married man whom Dorothy once dated re-enters her life and has news that he's now divorced and would like to reconcile with Dorothy. Meanwhile, Blanche and Sophia become the victims of a con game.
The girls attend the wedding of Dorothy's niece who's father was once engaged to Sophia. Sophia thinks that the wedding reception is the perfect spot for revenge after supposedly putting a curse on him years ago.
Dorothy's gambling problem re-surfaces after a visit to the race track and quickly begins falling in to debt and gaining an apathy to her job. Meanwhile, Rose takes up painting and Blanche is insulted after a man she works with rejects her advances.
An FBI agent investigates the girls' life's for a possible visit from President Bush. This leads the girls to reminisce about times they have spent together.
When the FBI agent announces that George Bush will make a visit to their home, the girls continue to reminisce and Dorothy quickly readies a list of points she wants to make to the president.
1986
Blanche is mortified after taking a pregnancy test which indicates she's pregnant. Then after visiting her doctor, she learns the truth, she's beginning menopause. Meanwhile, Dorothy, Rose and Sophia go into the mink breeding business.
The house is fumigated and the girls move into a Miami Beach hotel. Previously, Blanche had won three tickets to see the opening of Burt Reynolds new movie and passes to the party held afterwards where they could meet him. However, on the evening of the opening, the hotel is raided and, mistaken as prostitutes, Dorothy, Blanche and Rose are dragged off to jail.
Dorothy dumps a depressed Stan on Blanche but then becomes incredibly jealous when Blanche and Stan hit it off. Meanwhile, Sophia and Rose begin selling sandwiches on the Boardwalk but they inadvertently make an enemy of another vendor, "Johnny No Thumbs".
The girls circulate a petition to save a 200 year old oak tree which is located on the property of the most hated woman in the neighborhood, Frieda Claxton, who wants the tree cut down.
Dorothy's old friend, Jean comes to Miami for a visit and Dorothy decides not to tell Blanche and Rose that Jean is a lesbian. Then, after spending time with Rose, Jean begins to fall for her. Meanwhile, a new VCR, prompts Sophia to rent ""dirty movies.""
Blanche's father comes to Miami for a visit and has an announcement he's engaged to be married. Blanche is thrilled until she meets his fiancee who happens to be younger than herself. Meanwhile, Dorothy and Rose enter a song writing contest.
Dorothy's son, Michael, and Rose's daughter, Bridget, each come to Miami for a visit and each of them become a little too friendly for Dorothy and Rose's liking. Meanwhile, Blanche hurts her back in aerobics class.
The girls' dream vacation in the Caribbean turns out to be far from what was advertised in the brochure. While the girls are away, Sophia romances the gardener.
Laid off from work, Dorothy searches for part-time work which leads to Blanche getting her a job at the museum. Then fur flies when Dorothy is handed the job of organizing a banquet, the duty Blanche was hoping for. Meanwhile, Rose finds a stray dog at the supermarket.
Rose places an ad in the personals column and she is let down when she doesn't hear an immediate response. This leads Blanche and Dorothy to begin responding under the name Isaac Newton.
The girls each plan to spend Christmas with their families but a series of strange occurrences lead them to spend Christmas together in Miami.
For Sophia's birthday, Dorothy flies in her sister, Angela from Sicily as a surprise. However, Dorothy's the one whose surprised when Sophia's reaction is that of disgust.
Dorothy feels sympathy for Stan when he tells her he's going to have open heart surgery. However that sympathy fades when she learns of his many infidelities while they were married.
Dorothy, Blanche and Rose each vie for the attention of an actor in the local community theatre, who on the sly begins romancing each of them.
Rose is convinced she died during a throat spasm. This leads her to live her life to the hilt, totally disrupting the other girls lives. Then, when the girls complain about her new lifestyle, Rose moves out.
Sophia readies herself for participating in a walkathon. Meanwhile, Dorothy, Blanche and Rose babysit for the walkathon participants children but when the event is over, a baby is left unclaimed.
When the girls learn that a number of relatives are going to be visiting, they reminisce about times they've had to share a bed and strange places they've had to sleep, including a train station.
Blanche and Rose plan a nice dinner at the house for Dorothy and her new boyfriend whom she later learns is a priest. She later gets another shock when she learns he plans to leave the church.
Sophia's sister, Angela arrives in Miami for a visit and decides to move there but while she's looking for an apartment Dorothy invites her to stay with the girls. This ticks off Sophia since she thinks that Angela is after everything that she has.
Blanche is convinced that her beauty is fading after attending her high school reunion and discovers many of classmates have had face lifts. Meanwhile, Rose is making a home movie for class she's taking.
Dorothy feels that it's her fault when her prized pupil wins a writing contest which inadvertently signals the INS that he's an illegal alien.
While Dorothy and Rose are planning a hospital charity banquet, Blanche falls for Jake, the caterer hired for the event. She quickly learns he's more blue jeans than a black tie which prompts her to foolishly put a stop to their romance.
Dorothy's daughter, Kate is coming for a visit and has a big announcement. Dorothy is excited when she thinks the announcement is going to be that Kate is pregnant. However, when Kate arrives, her announcement is far from exciting. Meanwhile, Blanche and Rose stay up and watch an "I Love Lucy" marathon.
Two police detectives stake out the girls' home to investigate the neighbors who are believed to be dealers in stolen gems.
While preparing for a friend's birthday party, the girls recall past birthdays, including Rose's surprise birthday party for Dorothy, a surprise birthday party for Blanche and a memory of Sophia's birthday involving her late-husband Sal.
In this pilot for another series (Empty Nest, obviously the concept was retooled), the girls' friend Renee is feeling depressed and lonely with her children grown up and moved out and her husband's workaholic habits.
1985
In the Pilot, Sophia arrives after her retirement home burns down and Blanche prepares to get married.
Dorothy's daughter, Kate, comes to Miami with an announcement. She's engaged to a podiatrist named Dennis. Dorothy is thrilled but her happiness quickly turns to anger when she realizes that ex-husband, Stan, is going to be invited. After 38 years of marriage, Stan had left Dorothy for a woman half her age. Dorothy threatens to make a scene at the reception which places Rose and Blanche in the role of peacemaker.
Having not dated since her husband died, Rose reluctantly agrees to go on a blind date. This date turns into a serious relationship when she is invited on a cruise which would involve sharing a stateroom.
Blanche's sister, Virginia, comes to Miami for a visit and Blanche is convinced she's after something. Later, while out to dinner, she learns just what Virginia is after, Blanche's kidney. Meanwhile, Rose and Dorothy babysit for an infant.
A doctor Dorothy dates makes a pass at Blanche. But when Blanche tells Dorothy about it, Dorothy doesn't believe her. Dorothy accuses her of being a slut and when Blanche can't take no more she orders Dorothy to move out.
Blanche's 14-year old grandson comes to Miami for a visit and brings a new meaning to the term "generation gap." Meanwhile, Dorothy studies for her French final.
In a bowling competition, it's Dorothy and Blanche verses Rose and Sophia. If Sophia and Rose win, Dorothy will allow Sophia to go back to Sicily for a visit with an old beau and if Dorothy and Blanche win Sophia will give her a pair of antique earrings.
After a Madonna concert, the girls arrive home to discover their house has been broken into. This leads the girls to seek out means to protect themselves, including a security system, guard dog and mace. Meanwhile, Rose becomes so paranoid that the robbers will come back she goes so far as to purchase a gun.
Blanche goes all out to try to look good for her latest beau, her aerobics instructor half her age. Meanwhile, Rose's dynamic mother comes for a visit and gets fed up with Rose's ""mothering"" ways.
After a dinner party, Sophia suffers an apparent heart attack with a heavy storm delaying the paramedics.
Dorothy's ex-husband, Stan shows up to settle a piece of land they bought on their honeymoon. This leads to Dorothy and Stan spending the night together. Meanwhile, Rose and Blanche plan a vacation that Sophia is not invited on.
Dorothy's sister, Gloria, comes to Miami for a visit and asks Sophia to come live with her in California. Meanwhile, Blanche is furious when Rose is cast as Lady Macbeth, in a local play, and not her.
Rose has been dating Dr. Jonathan Newman and begins to think their relationship is leading to the altar. However she begins to have second thoughts especially since he's a midget.
Dorothy latest boyfriend Glen gives her a shock when he tells her that he's married. She surprises herself when she finds herself sneaking around to be with him. Meanwhile, Blanche unloads her old car on Rose in order to buy a new one.
Late one evening, Rose brings a man home and they spend the night together. However, in the morning she finds that he has passed away. Even worse, she later discovers he was married.
Rose is apprehensive about a visit from her daughter and granddaughter, since their reason for coming is to settle Rose's late-husband's will. Meanwhile, Blanche gets caught up in the tabloids of a society murder.
Blanche's visiting niece is a chip right off the old block when she dates a different man all night every night. Meanwhile, Dorothy does battle with a mouse living in the house.
Dorothy is hesitant about having foot surgery just as she was scheduled to tap dance with Blanche and Rose at a dance recital.
Blanche is romanced by a wealthy suitor who she learns has several small children. This fact dampens his proposal of marriage. Meanwhile, Dorothy and Rose go to bat with the bathroom plumbing.
Blanche's psychology professor sexually harasses her when she goes to him for help on a difficult test. Blanche's professor makes her an harassing deal: If she has sex with him, he'll give her an "A" for the exam. Meanwhile, Dorothy, Rose and Sophia each try to get a hold of tickets for a sold out Frank Sinatra concert.
A week before an awards ceremony, Blanche, Dorothy and Rose each come down with a nasty flu, which compounds their arguing over who will win a prestigious award.
When Rose loses her job at the grief center, she begins searching for other sources of work. Meanwhile, Blanche tries to lose a few pounds and Dorothy is excited when a man she once had a crush on, contacts her and asks her out.
Rose's sister, Lily must deal with life as a blind person after recently losing her sight. Meanwhile, the girls hold a garage sale in order to buy a new TV but find it hard to part with things.
Blanche's father, Big Daddy, comes to Miami for a visit, with an announcement, he's sold the family plantation and is setting out to become a country singer. Meanwhile, Sophia places a curse on a neighbor who refuses to remove his tree that fell over onto the lanai during a storm.
One night after watching Psycho, the girls find it hard to sleep so they stay up and reminisce about how they all came to live with one another.
1990
Blanche's daughter wants to give birth in a birthing center while Blanche is preoccupied by the possibility of Rebecca delivering in a local hospital. Blanche doesn't want to be embarrassed by the fact that her daughter was artificially inseminated.
Rose makes a stunning discovery while admitting a patient at the hospital. Meanwhile, Sophia has to have surgery but a mix-up occurs after the operation and Sophia becomes lost in the hospital.
Stan has finally hit it big with a new invention but still Dorothy can't be happy for him. Meanwhile, Rose and Blanche fight over some war bonds that if cashed could bankrupt St. Olaf.
Dorothy decides to help Sophia with the Meals on Wheels program and runs across a reclusive man who hasn't stepped out of his apartment since the 1960's. Meanwhile, Blanche's birthday is coming up and Rose becomes determined to find out her real age.
Blanche gets an unexpected visit from her childhood "mammy" (nanny) but Blanche is reluctant to even speak to her since she deserted her when she was a child. Meanwhile, Sophia hires a matchmaker for Dorothy who experiences a date with a convict.
Dorothy receives threats after failing a football star which means he can't play in an upcoming football game. Meanwhile, Rose must deal with her dentist who she thinks fondled her during her last visit.
Dorothy finds herself being wooed by Stan and it seems her old feelings for him are resurfacing. Meanwhile, Rose has to deal with an annoying co-worker.
After the death of a friend, who had been a nun, Sophia decides she would like to become one. So she joins a convent and moves out. Meanwhile, Blanche gets into a car accident with Rose's car which leaves Rose with a lawsuit.
Blanche has a secret admirer and is shocked when she meets him, her supposedly dead husband, George. Meanwhile, Dorothy is being wooed by two men, Sonny Bono and Lyle Waggoner.
Both Sophia and Rose take advice from Blanche that lands each of them in hot water. Due to a drought in St. Olaf, Rose swears to be celibate and Blanche advises her not to tell Miles the truth. While Sophia takes Blanche's tips to lure a man to bed but when she tells him she loves him, he doesn't respond with what she hoped.
Blanche meets a man at the library and only after they make a date does she realizes he's in a wheelchair. Meanwhile, Rose wants to keep one of the puppies from Dreyfuss' litter despite Blanche's feelings.
Dorothy must give the eulogy at her brother (a cross dresser), Phil's funeral. Meanwhile, a feud between Sophia and Phil's widow reaches a peak leading Sophia to reveal her hidden feelings about her son's alternative lifestyle.
Rose wants more adventure in her relationship with Miles, so she signs them up for skydiving lessons. Meanwhile, Blanche's relationship with an abusive man causes Dorothy to speak her feelings.
Blanche's gay brother Clayton, makes a visit to Miami with a surprise, he has found the right person to make a commitment to, but Blanche still can't get over Clayton's sexual orientation. Meanwhile, Rose expects to win a Volunteer of the Year award.
After hearing that a mobster has died, Miles reveals that he has been in a witness protection program. However, when it is revealed that the mobster faked his death, Miles must leave Miami and go into hiding.
Dorothy has been sneaking around so that Sophia doesn't discover that she's been dating Stan. However, when Stan proposes, Dorothy must reveal the truth to Sophia.
Totally against Dorothy and Stan's impending nuptials, Sophia vows to not let the ceremony go off. Meanwhile, Blanche begins interviewing for a new roommate since Dorothy is planning to move out.
Wanting someone to watch after Sophia during the day, Dorothy gets Sophia a job under false pretenses. Meanwhile, Blanche and Rose are all excited about being hired as models for a Penny Saver.
Blanche wants to intensify her relationship with her infamous one night stand man, Mel Bushman. Meanwhile, Rose tries her hand at TV reporting, her assignment, a dog show.
While babysitting for her granddaughter, a man mistakes Blanche as being the baby's mother and Blanche does nothing to set him straight. Meanwhile, Sophia gets ready for the Festival of the Dancing Virgins, a celebration of mothers and daughters but Dorothy wants no part of it.
Rose has a new man, Carl, in her life but suddenly out of the blue Miles returns, still undercover in the Witness Protection Program. However, things get hairy when Carl reveals himself to be the mobster that is after Miles. Meanwhile, Sophia loses her glasses.
The man who stood Dorothy up for her senior prom contacts her and they make a date. After learning why he stood her up, Dorothy unleashes her wrath on the person at fault, Sophia.
The girls prepare for the Children's Hospital Bachelorette Auction and a reluctant Dorothy decides to participate. She is in for a quick surprise when Stan walks in and begins bidding. Meanwhile, Sophia's brother, Angelo, comes to Miami, broke and with no place to live.
The deathbed confession of an ex-patient at Shady Pines, means bad news for Sophia, since in her confession she stated that Sophia and her stated the 1985 Shady Pines fire.
Sophia cannot recall the events that lead to the Shady Pines fire.
Dorothy is in charge of directing a school play, Henny Penny, but when the cast is quarantined, she gets Rose, Blanche and herself to perform as the leads. But when Rose reads the ending, she wants no part in the play.
1991
Rose discovers an old camera of Charlie's with some undeveloped film still in it. After getting it developed, Rose is stunned when one of the pictures shows Charlie in bed with Blanche. Meanwhile, Dorothy tries to get Sophia to have her hearing checked.
The girls participate in a murder mystery weekend and Dorothy has a ball when she solves a mystery. However, when Blanche is accused committing a real murder, Dorothy will have to use all her keen detective skills to find the real murderer.
Blanche is visited by her granddaughter, Melissa, and the only thing that Blanche has on her mind is Melissa winning a Little Miss Beauty Contest. Meanwhile, Dorothy hires a nurse to look after a recuperating Sophia
Blanche learns from a city inspector that she either has to lose a renter or make modifications to her home which would cost $10,000. Meanwhile, Dorothy demands to know who the groom is in a hidden wedding picture of Sophia's.
After Miles gives Rose a friendship ring, Rose becomes convinced Charlie is trying to contact her from the grave with the message that he disproves of her relationship with Miles. Meanwhile, Blanche begins coaching her new baseball player boyfriend.
Blanche begins dating a newscaster who has another woman interfering in his life, his mother. Meanwhile, Stan asks Dorothy to attend a counseling session with him. Once there, Stan begins begging Dorothy to take him back.
A Saturday night and Dorothy being the only one with a date, prompts the other girls to reminisce about some of the worst dates they have ever had.
A hurricane is brewing and it's not just outside after Dorothy gets a visit first from Stan with news that he's over her and moving on with his life. Dorothy quickly discovers who he's moving on with, her sister, Gloria. Meanwhile, Blanche and Rose hold a telethon to save a lighthouse.
Dorothy discovering Gloria sleeping with Stan just adds to their sibling rivalry and Sophia has had it so she leaves just prior the the hurricane hitting.
Rose has had it with Miles' penny pinching ways and decides to take Blanche's advice and go out with her and some big spenders. Meanwhile, Blanche has been left in charge of Sophia while Dorothy is away, and Sophia decides this would be the best time to take a trip to Sicily.
Sophia has an after-life experience, seeing her late husband in heaven, while choking on a piece of candy. Meanwhile, Blanche is distraught over the demolition of her grandmother's plantation, so the girls travel to Atlanta. Once there, Blanche handcuffs herself to the radiator.
A man Blanche has no memory of returns from the Persian Gulf in hopes of fulfilling the promise she supposedly made to him before he left, that she will be his and only his. Meanwhile, Sophia has Rose help her write up her will.
The Pope's in town and Sophia goes to his mass. When she goes to kiss his ring, it slips off into hers. Meanwhile, Rose is convinced Miles is hiding something from her, so as a birthday gift, Blanche gives Rose a detective to spy on Miles.
Sophia's attempts at trying to find a man go awry when a man she meets through the personals, as a shadow, his sister. Meanwhile, Rose meets with an old boyfriend from St. Olaf, one whom she can't remember.
Dorothy is contacted by a high school teacher she once had a crush on. They quickly begin seeing each other and Dorothy is convinced his feelings are genuine. Meanwhile, Rose puts together a talk show.
Dorothy gets wrapped up in "Beatlemania" and begins dating a Beatle impersonator. Meanwhile, Blanche begins to worry about her looks after she pulls out all the stops to get a certain man into bed, but to no avail.
Dorothy is all excited when she learns that "Jeopardy" is having tryouts in Miami. This leads her to begin cramming for the audition test and later proves to be an annoyance to everyone at the audition.
It is the annual Buy Sophia New Shoes day, and Dorothy is forced to take her. Blanche also tags along, mentioning that it might be fun. Meanwhile, Uncle Angelo drops by and Rose is there. Since she is trying to find a good story to report on, she is more than happy to hear Angelo's story. Apparently, his apartment building is infested with huge bugs. When the ladies watch the news, Rose insists they watch the news story about the bugs. Dorothy then tells Rose she and Stan are the landlords. Rose then tells her she didn't realize there was a family side to the story. She won't give up on the story, and a minute later, the cops show up to arrest Dorothy. They have a trial, and Stan drops his attorney for a younger woman who knows nothing. The defense lawyer is unbeatable by giving compliments to the witnesses which makes them vulnerable to his advantage. Stan and Dorothy end up losing and are forced to live in a sleasy apartment building for a while.
Blanche brings a lonely, Dorothy down to the Rusty Anchor for a night of excitement. However, Blanche, had no intention of being pushed off her thrown by Dorothy, who begins singing and instantly becomes the center of attention.
A full moon on Leap Year, prompts Blanche to throw a Moonlight Madness Party. However, her plans of being ogled by men go drastically awry when Dorothy gets all of the attention. Meanwhile, Rose contemplates marrying Miles after winning a free honeymoon to Paris.
The full moon and festivities prompt strange happenings including Blanche's jewelry being swiped, Sophia trying to break a curse and Dorothy and Miles sharing a passionate kiss.
It's Miles birthday and Rose is planning on giving him a golf club. However, Blanche gives her an idea that would spice up her relationship, naughty pictures. Meanwhile, Dorothy begins a new job.
Rose is upset when she has missed her high school reunion due to being sick, so Blanche convinces her, Dorothy and Sophia to crash a reunion held in Miami, posing as absentees from that school. Dorothy goes as the lame prom queen Cindy Lou Peoples, Blanche is the seemingly slutty Susan, Rose is the Korean exchange student Kim FongToi and Sophia is Mrs. Gonzales. With that, the girls mingle with their "former" classmates, only to realize that their counterparts lives are as dull as theirs, however, when the girls are found out by the guests...Rose has a heart attack!
While Rose undergoes severe surgery, the girls try to entertain themselves with fond memories and laughter, only for Rose's daughter Kirsten to walk in on them enjoying themselves! Kirsten is spiteful of them and does not allow them to visit Rose. Kirsten visits Rose, who is near knocked out, and try to have a conversation...very comically as poor Rose is not altogether. With Rose going into surgery, Kirsten reconciles with the worried girls. At last, Rose is released and they all throw a surprise welcome home party for our lovable St. Olafian!
Blanche's uncle Lucas Hollingsworth is visiting but, to no surprise, Blanche is busy with a date. In order to be rid of his intrusion, Blanche tells Dorothy that he desperately wants to meet a woman of her intelligence. Dorothy agrees to see him but they both later learn that Blanche just lied to get rid of them and decide to get revenge by acting as though they're getting married, much to the dismay of Blanche. As a result, Rose decides she should move on to live with her daughter Kirsten to be the "Sophia of the household" as Blanche finally comes to terms with their idea to wed. Just as Lucas is about to reveal the truth, he decides to pop the question to Dorothy for real...
Dorothy accepts Lucas' proposal. The two plan to tie the knot two months later and on the way to the chapel, Dorothy takes a limo. However, this limo is driven by none other than Stanley Zbornak. The two share a rather comical but nonetheless touching moment together before arriving at the chapel. Down the aisle, along with Sophia, the girls think to themselves about the beautiful friendship they shared. Rose, Blanche and Sophia decide that the three of them should not depart and allow Dorothy on her way to Atlanta but she doesn't leave without sharing some final words with the girls...
