1. ‘Isn’t It Romantic’
Season 2, Episode 5
The series’s best episode is also one of its most daring. When Dorothy’s friend Jean (Best Comedy Guest Actress-nominee Lois Nettleton) comes for a visit after the death of her partner, she strikes up a friendship with Rose, who is completely unaware of Jean’s sexual orientation. The friendship becomes awkward after Jean develops romantic feelings for Rose. That an 80’s sitcom would even tackle this subject matter is daring enough, but the show also handles it with sensitivty and a lot of humor, particularly when Blanche becomes upset that Jean isn’t in love with her.
The episode also won the Emmy for Best Comedy Director for Terry Hughes, who directed more than 100 episodes of the series.
2. ‘Old Friends’
Season 3, Episode 1
In the third season-opener, Rose is desparate after a devious member of her cadet troop holds her teddy bear for ransom. But the heart of the episode is a friendship that develops between Sophia and a black man named Alvin (Joe Seneca). After Alvin starts behaving erratically, Sophia learns that he has Alzheimer’s disease.
The episode strikes a brilliant balance between the absurd and the heartbreaking. It also was Estelle Getty’s winning Emmy submission in 1988.
3. ‘A Little Romance’
Season 1, Episode 13
Rose begins dating a little person, a fact she hides from Dorothy and Blanche. After an initially awkward dinner with the girls, Rose confesses that her diminutive suitor intends to propose. While much of this episode would hardly be considered politically correct for modern audiences, every moment is a gem, from Blanche’s hilarious attempts to hide her discomfort, to an over-the-top dream sequence featuring a cameo by famed psychic Jeane Dixon.
The episode won the Emmy for Best Comdey Writing in 1986.
4. ‘In a Bed of Rose’s’
Season 1, Episode 15
Rose is horrified after a man she’s brought home dies after they spend the night together. The situation turns more awkward after Rose finds herself revaling the affair and the death to the dead man’s husband. White won the Emmy for Best Comedy Lead Actress in 1986 for this episode, and it’s easy to see why. White dominates the episode, and her horror at the situation is mined for comic gold.
5. ‘It’s a Miserable Life’
Season 2, Episode 4
Rose tries to convince the local crank, Mrs. Claxton (Nan Martin) to save an old oak tree on her property. Rose ends up blaming herself after Mrs. Claxton drops dead at the town council. Death has rarely been funnier than in this episode, where Rose seeks to give Mrs. Claxton an honorable burial, which results in a classic scene with an unfotunately-named funeral director.
