The Golden Girls season 4

The Golden Girls
Season 4
DVD cover
No. of episodes	26
Release
Original network	NBC
Original release	October 8, 1988 (1988-10-08) – May 13, 1989 (1989-05-13)
Season chronology

The fourth season of The Golden Girls premiered on NBC on October 8, 1988, and concluded on May 13, 1989. The season consisted of 26 episodes.

Broadcast history

The season originally aired Saturdays at 9:00-9:30 pm (EST) on NBC from October 8, 1988, to May 13, 1989.^[1][2]

Episodes

See also: List of The Golden Girls episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	U.S. viewers (millions)
77	1	"Yes, We Have No Havanas"	Terry Hughes	Mort Nathan and Barry Fanaro	October 8, 1988 (1988-10-08)	078	32.6[3]
Blanche dates an older man named Fidel Santiago (Henry Darrow), but gets a surprise when he starts seeing Sophia as well, starting a feud between the two women—only to get a surprise when Fidel unexpectedly dies. Dorothy teaches a history class for GED candidates…including Rose. Guest stars: Henry Darrow as Fidel Santiago; Ralph Ahn as Jim Shu; Magda Harout as Woman Note: Rue McClanahan was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for this episode.
78	2	"The Days and Nights of Sophia Petrillo"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman	October 22, 1988 (1988-10-22)	077	28.7[4]
Sophia plans to go to the market and buy a nectarine, which she does every day. The other girls worry that she is too old and frail to enjoy life. However, the tables are turned: Sophia has a full, active day of rallying fellow seniors to fight return policies at a supermarket, leading a charity band on the boardwalk, and volunteering at a hospital, while the other girls sit around the kitchen table talking about how to pass the time. Guest stars: Frances Bay as Claire; Nick DeMauro as Clerk; David Selburg as Store Manager
79	3	"The One That Got Away"	Terry Hughes	Christopher Lloyd	October 29, 1988 (1988-10-29)	080	31.3[5]
Blanche is expecting a visit from a high-school friend (John Harkins) who, she claims, is the only man that ever rejected her. She becomes determined to seduce him to "perfect" her record—even when it turns out that he has grown fat and bald. However, it turns out Blanche's sister Virginia posed as her and slept with the man first, which was a less than memorable night. Meanwhile, Rose claims to have seen a UFO and gets the Air Force involved. Guest stars: John Harkins as Ham Lushbough; Tom Dahlgern as Major Barker; Nick Toth as Walter
80	4	"Yokel Hero"	Terry Hughes	Martin Weiss and Robert Bruce	November 5, 1988 (1988-11-05)	081	34.5[6]
Rose is nominated to be St. Olaf, Minnesota's "Woman of the Year," but feels that her list of accomplishments is too bland to merit the prize. Blanche and Dorothy secretly change the list to make Rose sound more impressive, which wins her the award—and sends all four Girls on a lengthy trip to St. Olaf itself. Special Guest appearance: Richard Mulligan as Dr. Harry Weston. Guest stars: Jim Doughan as Ben; Doug Cox as Sven; John Moody as Len; James Lashley as The Driver; Valente Rodriguez as Fred Note: This episode begins a crossover with Empty Nest that concludes on "Fatal Attraction".
81	5	"Bang the Drum, Stanley"	Terry Hughes	Robert Bruce and Martin Weiss	November 12, 1988 (1988-11-12)	079	33.1[7]
Stan, hard-pressed for money, asks Dorothy and Sophia to a baseball game to butter up his ex-wife and get a loan. When Sophia is hit on the head by a fly ball at the game, Stan hatches a scheme to sue the ballpark, while Blanche and Rose prepare to be in a local musical production of Cats. Special Guest Star: Herb Edelman as Stanley Guest stars: Ben Rawnsley as Dr. Jerry
82	6	"Sophia's Wedding: Part 1"	Terry Hughes	Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan	November 19, 1988 (1988-11-19)	082	35.7[9]
Sophia's dearest friend, Esther Weinstock, has died, and Sophia must confront her friend’s widower, Max (Jack Gilford), whom she has always blamed for causing the pizza-knish stand owned by Max and Sophia’s husband, Salvadore (Sid Melton), to go out of business by betting a day's profits on a horse race. But at the repast, the truth comes out: Salvadore gambled the money away, and Max lied to save his marriage. This leads to Sophia to see Max in a new, romantic light, and the two eventually marry, much to Dorothy's frustration. Meanwhile, Rose and Blanche start an unofficial Elvis Presley Fan Club. Guest stars: Jack Gilford as Max Weinstock; Raye Birk as Caterer, Sid Melton as Salvadore Note: Minor appearance by then unknown future director Quentin Tarantino as an Elvis impersonator.[8]
83	7	"Sophia's Wedding: Part 2"	Terry Hughes	Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan	November 26, 1988 (1988-11-26)	083	38.2[10]
A stressed-out Dorothy starts smoking cigarettes again, 15 years after quitting. Sophia and Max return from their honeymoon, and they try to resurrect Max and Salvadore's old pizza-and-knish stand at the beach which unfortunately burns down due to an electrical fault. Realizing that they're not as destined to be together as they were with their previous spouses, Sophia and Max have their marriage annulled, leading to Dorothy successfully quitting smoking again. Guest stars: Jack Gilford as Max Weinstock Note: Estelle Getty was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and Jack Gilford was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for this episode.
84	8	"Brother, Can You Spare That Jacket?"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman	December 3, 1988 (1988-12-03)	084	34.5[11]
Sophia accidentally donates Blanche's jacket to a thrift shop, with a winning lottery ticket worth $10,000 in the pocket. The jacket is purchased for Michael Jackson, who donates it to a charity auction after wearing it during a performance; a congressman buys it and donates it to a homeless shelter. Blanche, Rose, Dorothy, and Sophia spend the night at the shelter, where each has a meaningful conversation with someone who sleeps there by necessity. Rose connects with former hotel porter Ben Wheaton, a fellow Minnesotan who found himself without marketable skills in middle age. Blanche feels maternal towards Kenny, a young alcoholic who holds a doctorate. Sophia and Dorothy learn that Sophia's friend Ida Perkins, formerly of Shady Pines, became unable to pay her bills after outliving her entire family. Blanche, Rose, and Dorothy search among the diverse homeless population; Blanche finds the ticket, and the women donate the money to the shelter. Guest stars: Karl Wiedergott as Kenny; Matthew Faison as Father Campbell; Herta Ware as Ida; Teddy Wilson as Ben Note: Terry Hughes was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for this episode.
85	9	"Scared Straight"	Terry Hughes	Christopher Lloyd	December 10, 1988 (1988-12-10)	086	34.2[12]
When Blanche's newly divorced brother, Clayton (Monte Markham), comes to town, he confides to Rose that he is gay; scared to tell Blanche the truth, though, he pretends to have bedded Rose. With Blanche furious at her roommate, Clayton is eventually forced to reveal the truth, sending Blanche into a tailspin of confusion and anger. Guest stars: Monte Markham as Clayton
86	10	"Stan Takes a Wife"	Terry Hughes	Winifred Hervey-Stallworth	January 7, 1989 (1989-01-07)	087	35.2[13]
Stan breaks the news that he is engaged to be married for the third time. At first, Dorothy is thrilled at the prospect of getting him out of her life—but after Stan stays by her side when Sophia is hospitalized with a virus, old feelings start stirring. Rose and Blanche team up to keep Dorothy from interrupting the wedding, but a chance encounter with Stan's new bride Katherine (Elinor Donahue) eventually convinces Dorothy to do the right thing. Special Guest Star: Herb Edelman as Stan Guest stars: Elinor Donahue as Katherine
87	11	"The Auction"	Terry Hughes	Eric Cohen	January 14, 1989 (1989-01-14)	085	33.5[14]
The girls face a badly-leaking roof, but cannot afford to replace it. To get their minds off their troubles, they head to a gallery opening at Blanche's museum, where the obnoxious and rude Jasper DeKimmel (Tony Steedman) is being feted. When hospital-volunteer Sophia reveals that DeKimmel is dying of a rare blood disease, Blanche hatches a scheme to purchase one of his paintings on the cheap and then sell it for a big profit after he passes away. Guest stars: Tony Steedman as Jasper DeKimmel; Michael McManus as Sid LaBass; Colin Hamilton as Auctioneer; Renata Scott as Woman; Derek Loughran as Mime
88	12	"Blind Date"	Terry Hughes	Christopher Lloyd	January 28, 1989 (1989-01-28)	089	32.8[15]
After being dumped by her boyfriend, Blanche befriends a man at a bar and makes a date with him, not realizing that he is blind; Dorothy and Rose try their hands at coaching a children's football team. Guest stars: Ed Winter as John Quinn
89	13	"The Impotence of Being Ernest"	Steve Zuckerman	Story by : Kevin Abbott Teleplay by : Rick Copp and David A. Goodman	February 4, 1989 (1989-02-04)	090	36.3[16]
Rose hits it off with new beau Ernest (Richard Herd), but the two hit a snag when their relationship never quite gets physical. Meanwhile, Sophia fears a vendetta when she receives a black feather in the mail. Guest stars: Richard Herd as Ernie
90	14	"Love Me Tender"	Terry Hughes	Richard Vaczy and Tracy Gamble	February 6, 1989 (1989-02-06)	088	34.8[17]
Sophia objects to Dorothy's "completely physical" relationship with a nondescript new lover, Eddie (John Fiedler). Blanche and Rose become pals to two motherless girls, who also happen to be juvenile delinquents. Guest stars: John Fiedler as Eddie; Stefanie Ridel as Jackie; Shana S. Washington as Marla Note: Bea Arthur was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for this episode.
91	15	"Valentine's Day"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer, Terry Grossman, Barry Fanaro, and Mort Nathan	February 11, 1989 (1989-02-11)	101	36.0[17]
The ladies remember the unique ways they have celebrated Valentine's Day in the past. Special guest star: Bill Dana as Papa Angelo Special Appearance by: Julio Iglesias as himself Guest stars: Sid Melton as Salvadore; Pat McCormick as Clerk; Tom Isbell as Young Man
92	16	"Two Rode Together"	Terry Hughes	Robert Bruce and Martin Weiss	February 18, 1989 (1989-02-18)	091	34.9[18]
Dorothy hopes to spend "quality time" with Sophia, while Sophia just wants to ride Space Mountain at Walt Disney World. Rose and Blanche collaborate to write a children's book. Special Appearance by: Freddie Jackson as Sam
93	17	"You Gotta Have Hope"	Terry Hughes	Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan	February 25, 1989 (1989-02-25)	092	34.9[19]
Dorothy is in charge of a talent show and things are not going her way: she cannot find any talent for the show and her emcee has just canceled. She only groans when Rose insists she can get (Bob Hope) to appear. Special guest star: Bob Hope as himself Guest stars: Douglas Seale as Seymour; Del Rubio triplets as The Donatello Triplets
94	18	"Fiddler on the Ropes"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman	March 4, 1989 (1989-03-04)	093	35.9[20]
Sophia invests the girls' money in prizefighter Pepe (Chick Vennera), and are surprised to discover he also an aspiring violinist. Guest stars: Chick Vennera as Pepe, Alfred Dennis as Charley, Pamela Kosh as Woman and Victor Contreras as Gonzales (voice).
95	19	"Till Death Do We Volley"	Terry Hughes	Richard Vaczy and Tracy Gamble	March 18, 1989 (1989-03-18)	096	30.8[21]
Dorothy is visited by high school friend Trudy (Anne Francis), whose friendship with her is based on competition and practical jokes. The competition gets out of hand when Trudy collapses and apparently dies during a game of tennis and Dorothy must break the news to their assembled classmates. Fortunately, it turns out to be another prank. Guest stars: Anne Francis as Trudy; Robert King as Jack
96	20	"High Anxiety"	Terry Hughes	Martin Weiss and Robert Bruce	March 25, 1989 (1989-03-25)	097	31.1[22]
After Sophia accidentally knocks a bottle of Rose's pills down the sink, the girls learn that Rose is addicted. She battles withdrawal. Meanwhile, Dorothy and Sophia are hired to be in a pizza commercial. Guest stars: Jay Thomas as Sy Ferber Note: Betty White was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for this episode.
97	21	"Little Sister"	Terry Hughes	Christopher Lloyd	April 1, 1989 (1989-04-01)	098	30.7[23]
Rose catches her visiting sister Holly (Inga Swenson) with Blanche's boyfriend and tries to tell Blanche and Dorothy, who have been charmed by Holly and refuse to believe Rose. Meanwhile, Dorothy trusts Sophia to watch Dr. Harry Weston's dog, Dreyfuss. Guest stars: Inga Swenson as Holly; Jerry Hardin as Gary Tucker Note: This episode is a crossover with Empty Nest, as Sophia takes care of the Weston's dog, Dreyfuss.
98	22	"Sophia's Choice"	Terry Hughes	Richard Vaczy and Tracy Gamble	April 15, 1989 (1989-04-15)	099	29.7[24]
Sophia's friend Lillian (Ellen Albertini Dow) moves from Shady Pines to Sunny Pastures, a terrible facility. Sophia brings Lillian to stay at the house, where the women quickly realize Lillian requires full-time care they are unable to provide. Dorothy and Sophia try to force Sunny Pastures to provide better care, only to find that there is no malfeasance they can address; the facility operates at a loss with insufficient government funding, and the overworked administrator is genuinely open to ideas, though Sophia and Dorothy have none. Rose identifies a better place for Lillian to stay, but the monthly cost exceeds Lillian's benefits by $150. Blanche had been planning to use a work bonus for breast augmentation but decides to use it to pay for two years of Lillian's care. The women, realizing this solves only one person's problems, vow to stay together as they age. Guest stars: Ellen Albertini Dow as Lillian; Ron Orbach as Dan Cummings
99	23	"Rites of Spring"	Terry Hughes	Eric Cohen	April 29, 1989 (1989-04-29)	102	27.8[25]
Sophia obsesses over regaining a lost pound, while the other women decide to lose weight before a friend's pool party. They recall previous self-improvement attempts: Rose, Blanche, and Dorothy joined a gym, where enthusiastic trainer Yvonne (Hilary Shepard) convinced Blanche and Dorothy to buy expensive workout accessories and then injured herself leading an aerobics class; Sophia convinced the other women to visit hair stylist Eduardo (Lloyd Bochner), an attractive man who passionately described wildly different concepts for each woman's makeover but then styled their hair identically to Sophia's; and the women rejected Stanley's invitation to join a guru's encounter group and ended up arguing over Dorothy identifying Sophia as her best friend. Sophia accepts her lower weight after Dorothy determines Sophia's height has shrunk. After learning the party is a day later than expected, the women devour Sophia's decadent cake. Special guest star: Herb Edelman as Stan Guest stars: Lloyd Bochner as Hairdresser; Hilary Shepard as Yvonne
100	24	"Foreign Exchange"	Terry Hughes	Harriet B. Helberg and Sandy Helberg	May 6, 1989 (1989-05-06)	100	29.3[26]
Sophia's old friends come to Miami from Sicily, Italy for a visit and have shocking news for Dorothy: they believe she is theirs, switched at birth with the daughter they raised. Meanwhile, Blanche and Rose take "dirty dancing" lessons; uncharacteristically, Blanche is not any good at it, while Rose is a quick study. Guest stars: Vito Scotti as Dominic Bosco; Nan Martin as Philomena Bosco
101	25	"We're Outta Here"	Terry Hughes	Barry Fanaro, Mort Nathan, Kathy Speer, and Terry Grossman	May 13, 1989 (1989-05-13)	094	30.2[27]
102	26					095
Blanche, Dorothy, and Rose return home from a play to discover Sophia in the midst of selling the house. A "For Sale" sign was accidentally placed on the front lawn, but Blanche considers going through with the sale after learning the amount that she has been offered. Special guest star: Herb Edelman as Stan

Awards and nominations

41st Primetime Emmy Awards

• Nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series
• Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Beatrice Arthur) (Episode: "Love Me Tender")
• Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Rue McClanahan) (Episode: "Yes, We Have No Havanas")
• Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Betty White) (Episode: "High Anxiety")
• Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Estelle Getty) (Episode: "Sophia's Wedding")
• Nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series (Jack Gilford) (Episode: "Sophia's Wedding")
• Nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (Terry Hughes) (Episode: "Brother Can You Spare That Jacket")

46th Golden Globe Awards

• Nomination for Best Comedy Series
• Nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy Series (Beatrice Arthur)
• Nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy Series (Betty White)

References

1. TV Listings for October 8, 1988
2. TV Listings for May 13, 1989
3. "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. October 12, 1988. p. 3D. ProQuest 306106992.
4. "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. October 26, 1988. p. 3D. ProQuest 306102053.
5. "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. November 2, 1988. p. 3D. ProQuest 306129406.
6. "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. November 9, 1988. p. 3D. ProQuest 306136856.
7. "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. November 16, 1988. p. 3D. ProQuest 306140699.
8. Schaffstall, Katherine (January 9, 2020). "Quentin Tarantino Reveals How 'Golden Girls' Guest Spot Helped Him Make 'Reservoir Dogs'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
9. "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. November 23, 1988. p. 3D. ProQuest 306124674.
10. "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. November 30, 1988. p. 3D. ProQuest 306106502.
11. "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. December 7, 1988. p. 3D. ProQuest 306146398.
12. "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. December 14, 1988. p. 3D. ProQuest 306143538.
13. "NBC, laughing all the way". Life. USA Today. January 11, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306165080.
14. "NBC clinches season's ratings title". Life. USA Today. January 18, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306171627.
15. "Midseason entries boost NBC". Life. USA Today. February 1, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306144802.
16. "Comedies sweep up for NBC". Life. USA Today. February 8, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306179902.
17. "CBS gallops to a tie with NBC". Life. USA Today. February 15, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306163263.
18. "NBC's back alone on top". Life. USA Today. February 22, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306175741.
19. "CBS up despite Grammy drop". Life. USA Today. March 1, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306152931.
20. "Hit-and-miss program changes". Life. USA Today. March 8, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306184202.
21. "Glad tidings for all networks". Life. USA Today. March 22, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306198820.
22. "A 'Brewster' boost for ABC". Life. USA Today. March 29, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306173300.
23. "ABC's roller-coaster week". Life. USA Today. April 5, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306171172.
24. "CBS squeaks by into second". Life. USA Today. April 19, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306176608.
25. "We loved CBS' 'Lucy' tribute". Life. USA Today. May 3, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306197470.
26. "Bright spots for No. 3 ABC". Life. USA Today. May 10, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306210811.
27. "NBC sweeps top 11 spots". Life. USA Today. May 17, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306203436.

External links