The Golden Girls season 2

The Golden Girls
Season 2
DVD cover
No. of episodes	26
Release
Original network	NBC
Original release	September 27, 1986 (1986-09-27) – May 16, 1987 (1987-05-16)
Season chronology
← Previous Season 1 Next → Season 3
List of episodes

The second season of The Golden Girls premiered on NBC on September 27, 1986, and concluded on May 16, 1987. The season consisted of 26 episodes.

Broadcast history

The season originally aired Saturdays at 9:00-9:30 pm (EST) on NBC from September 27, 1986, to May 16, 1987. ^{[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	Rating/share (households)
26	1	"End of the Curse"	Terry Hughes	Susan Harris	September 27, 1986 (1986-09-27)	026	25.6/45 [3]
Blanche is depressed when she thinks she is pregnant, but is devastated when she finds out she is beginning menopause. Rose and Dorothy try their hands at mink-breeding with no success. Guest Stars: Philip Sterling as Dr. Barensfeld and Vince Cannon as Dr. Parks. Note: Rue McClanahan won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy for this episode. Philip Sterling appears in a Season 3 episode as Dr. Ashley
27	2	"Ladies of the Evening"	Terry Hughes	Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan	October 4, 1986 (1986-10-04)	027	27.3/47 [4]
Blanche wins three tickets to a premiere of Burt Reynolds's new movie and passes to the after-party, leaving Sophia angry about being left out. The girls decide to make a weekend out of attending the premiere and get arrested when their hotel is raided for prostitution. Sophia then gets revenge by claiming the tickets and passes and going to the premiere alone, leaving the others in jail. However, the story has a happy ending when Burt stops by the house to take Sophia up on a dinner offer and the roommates get to meet him after all. Guest Stars: Peter Jason as The Policeman, Rhonda Aldrich as Meg, Ron Michaelson as Carl, Phil Rubenstein as the exterminator, Tony Swartz as John. [5]
28	3	"Take Him, He's Mine"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman	October 11, 1986 (1986-10-11)	028	24.6/40 [6]
Blanche takes Dorothy's ex-husband Stan out as a favor to Dorothy, but when Blanche says they hit it off, Dorothy becomes jealous. Rose and Sophia team up to sell sandwiches and end up threatened by the mob. Guest Stars: Herb Edelman as Stan; Lana Schwab as The Girl; Tom La Grua as Vinnie.
29	4	"It's a Miserable Life"	Terry Hughes	Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan	November 1, 1986 (1986-11-01)	034	25.0/43 [7]
The girls work on saving a 200-year-old oak tree in their neighborhood and become frustrated when the grouchy neighbor on whose property the tree is located does not object to it being removed and actually encourages it. At a local council meeting, Rose reaches her limit and yells at the woman, who then dies of a heart attack, leaving Rose feeling guilty. Guest Stars: Nan Martin as Frieda Claxton, Thom Sharp as Mr. Pfeiffer Note: Nan Martin would appear in a season 4 episode.
30	5	"Isn't It Romantic?"	Terry Hughes	Jeffrey Duteil	November 8, 1986 (1986-11-08)	029	27.3/45 [8]
Dorothy's lesbian friend Jean visits and develops feelings for Rose. Guest Star: Lois Nettleton as Jean. Note: Betty White was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy for this episode. Lois Nettleton was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series for this episode. Terry Hughes won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series and a DGA Award for Outstanding Director for a Comedy Series for this episode. Jeffrey Duteil was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for this episode.
31	6	"Big Daddy's Little Lady"	David Steinberg	Russell Marcus	November 15, 1986 (1986-11-15)	035	25.3/42 [9]
Blanche is thrilled when her father, Big Daddy, announces he is getting married, but quickly changes her attitude when she finds out how young the bride-to-be is. Dorothy and Rose enter a song-writing contest and creative differences almost come between them. Guest Stars: David Wayne as Big Daddy, Sondra Currie as Margaret Spencer
32	7	"Family Affair"	Terry Hughes	Winifred Hervey	November 22, 1986 (1986-11-22)	036	26.8/43 [10]
When Rose's daughter, Bridget, and Dorothy's musician son, Michael, both visit and sleep together, it prompts a vicious fight between their mothers. Guest Stars: Scott Jacoby as Michael and Marilyn Jones as Bridget
33	8	"Vacation"	Terry Hughes	Winifred Hervey	November 29, 1986 (1986-11-29)	030	25.0/41 [11]
Dorothy, Rose, and Blanche vacation in the Caribbean, but find the accommodations seriously not to their liking. Back in Miami, Sophia woos the girls' Japanese gardener. Guest Stars: Keye Luke as Toshiro Mitsumo, Tom Villard as Rick, Stephen Lee as Dwayne, Brett Porter as Winston Hardwick III, Stuart Pankin as Jacques DeCourville Paul Rodriguez Note: Tom Villard appears in a season 7 episode as Randy.
34	9	"Joust Between Friends"	Terry Hughes	Scott Spencer Gordon	December 6, 1986 (1986-12-06)	031	23.6/39 [12]
Dorothy takes a job working with Blanche at the museum and things go well until Dorothy starts keeping secrets from Blanche. Guest Stars: Reid Shelton as Mr. Allen and Inky as the Stray Dog
35	10	"Love, Rose"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman	December 13, 1986 (1986-12-13)	037	23.8/40 [13]
With Rose feeling lonely, she takes Blanche's advice and places an ad in the local newspaper's personals column. When she gets no response and feels even more depressed, Blanche sends her a response under the name Isaac Q. Newton. Their deception works until Rose invites Isaac to be her date at a formal banquet, and Issac turns out to be a real person who contradicts the imaginary one in every way. Blanche and Dorothy are forced to confess when Rose starts accusing Issac of lying. Meanwhile, Sophia is stalked by an elderly gentleman and ends up going to the banquet with him, only to discover his actions are because he mistakenly believes she is rich. Guest Stars: Paul Dooley as Isaac Q. Newton and Colin Drake as Wilfred Witley Cheswick Note: Paul Dooley appears in a later episode as George Corliss
36	11	"'Twas the Nightmare Before Christmas"	Terry Hughes	Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan	December 20, 1986 (1986-12-20)	038	23.5/41 [14]
A series of mishaps almost ruins the girls' Christmas. They plan to fly home to visit their families, but are taken hostage at Rose's office by a lonely man dressed as Santa Claus. Sophia defuses the situation, but their flights are subsequently cancelled due to the weather, and they have to spend Christmas Eve in a roadside diner. Guest stars: Terry Kiser as Santa Claus, Craig Richard Nelson as Thurber, Teddy Willson as Albert, Sam Anderson as Meyer, Buddy Daniels as Airport Mendicant Note: Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan won the WGA Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for this episode.
37	12	"The Sisters"	Terry Hughes	Christopher Lloyd	January 3, 1987 (1987-01-03)	039	27.0/41 [15]
Dorothy arranges for Sophia's sister, Angela, to fly from Sicily to Miami, as a surprise gift for Sophia's birthday, not realizing that Sophia and Angela have been feuding for decades, over what turns out to be a big misunderstanding. Guest Stars: Nancy Walker as Angela
38	13	"The Stan Who Came to Dinner"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman	January 10, 1987 (1987-01-10)	041	26.6/41 [16]
After a major heart surgery, Stan temporarily moves in with the ladies, and quickly overstays his welcome. Guest Stars: Rod Sabbe as Rob, Odil Sabbe as Bob, Steve Kramer as Dr. Stephen Deutsch Note: Beatrice Arthur was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy for this episode. Herb Edelman was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series for this episode.
39	14	"The Actor"	Terry Hughes	Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan	January 17, 1987 (1987-01-17)	040	25.0/40 [17]
When a handsome actor comes to Miami to star in a play at the local community theater, he dates Blanche, Rose, and Dorothy simultaneously, leading each of them to believe he will marry them. Guest Stars: Lloyd Bochner as Patrick Vaughn, Janet Carroll as Phyllis Hammerow, Frank Birney as the Stage Manager
40	15	"Before and After"	Terry Hughes	Bob Rosenfarb	January 24, 1987 (1987-01-24)	032	26.4/42 [18]
After suffering an esophageal spasm, Rose decides to "live for the day", upsetting the other girls and eventually moving out. Guest Stars: Deborah May as Liz, Rosanna Huffman as Stephanie, Nat Bernstein as Dr. Wallerstein Note: Nat Bernstein appears in the following episode as Emily's father
41	16	"And Then There Was One"	Terry Hughes	Russell Marcus	January 31, 1987 (1987-01-31)	042	21.8/35 [19]
The girls volunteer to babysit the children of participants in a local marathon, in which Sophia participates, and become concerned when a baby girl's parents don't come to pick her up after the race. It turns out the girl's mother went into labor and Sophia forgot to give the girls the message. Guest Stars: Christopher Burton as Norman, Nat Bernstein as Emily's father, Ray Combs as Bob Henderson, Ariana Richards as Lisa
42	17	"Bedtime Story"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer, Terry Grossman, Mort Nathan, and Barry Fanaro	February 7, 1987 (1987-02-07)	043	24.1/39 [20]
Trying to decide on sleeping arrangements for visiting relatives, the ladies reminisce about places where they have previously slept, from a train station to Sophia's bed. Guest Stars: Randy Bennett as Stationmaster
43	18	"Forgive Me, Father"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman	February 14, 1987 (1987-02-14)	045	23.7/38 [21]
Dorothy has her eye on a handsome teacher colleague at the school where she has been working, but doesn't realize he is a priest. He further confuses her when he tells her he is thinking of "leaving the church." Guest Stars: John McMartin as Fr. Frank Leahy, and Barney McGeary as Father Callahan
44	19	"Long Day's Journey Into Marinara"	Terry Hughes	Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan	February 21, 1987 (1987-02-21)	046	24.5/41 [22]
When Sophia's sister Angela moves to Miami, Sophia quickly begins to think she wants to take everything she has, including her boyfriend. Meanwhile, Rose, who has been babysitting a friend's piano-playing chicken, is horrified when it appears that Angela has killed the chicken and fried it up for dinner. Guest Stars: Nancy Walker as Angela and Joe Alfasa as Tony Note: Nancy Walker was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy for this episode.
45	20	"Whose Face Is This, Anyway?"	Terry Hughes	Winifred Hervey	February 28, 1987 (1987-02-28)	044	25.8/43 [23]
After attending her college sorority reunion and seeing that her sorority sisters have had plastic surgery and seeing how old she looks in a video Rose made for community college class, Blanche decides to have an aggressive amount of plastic surgery herself. Guest Stars: Joseph Whipp as Dr. Taylor
46	21	"Dorothy's Prized Pupil"	Terry Hughes	Christopher Lloyd	March 14, 1987 (1987-03-14)	033	23.8/38 [24]
Dorothy tutors a young Hispanic boy and enters an essay of his in a local contest where it not only wins first prize, but results in the discovery that he is in the country illegally. Dorothy feels at fault and convinces Mario to fight to stay in America. Mario shows up after the hearing to tell Dorothy he is being deported, but will be able to undergo the procedures to legally return, much to Dorothy's relief. Meanwhile, Rose decides that she must become Blanche's personal servant for a week to atone for losing a pair of Blanche's earrings, which it turns out Blanche herself lost. Guest Stars: Mario Lopez as Mario, John Braden as Sam Burns
47	22	"Diamond in the Rough"	Terry Hughes	Jan Fischer and William Weidner	March 21, 1987 (1987-03-21)	047	23.3/39 [25]
Blanche dates a handsome caterer and shocks the other girls when she refuses to commit to a serious relationship with him. Guest Stars: Donnelly Rhodes as Jake Smollens, Howard Witt as Hunter McCoy
48	23	"Son-in-Law Dearest"	Terry Hughes	Patt Shea and Harriet Weiss	April 11, 1987 (1987-04-11)	048	23.0/38 [26]
Dorothy's daughter Kate visits (as well as Stan) and reveals that she has left her husband, Dennis, after he cheated on her. Dorothy is even more furious when Kate reconciles with him. Meanwhile, Blanche and Rose watch an I Love Lucy marathon on television. Guest Stars: Deena Freeman as Kate, Jonathan Perpich as Dennis
49	24	"To Catch a Neighbor"	Terry Hughes	Russell Marcus	May 2, 1987 (1987-05-02)	049	19.5/36 [27]
The girls allow two undercover cops (Joseph Campanella and George Clooney) to use their house as a base for spying on their new neighbors, who are suspected of being jewel thieves. Dorothy develops a crush on the senior detective and Sophia takes advantage of this. In the middle of the night, the neighbors' house is raided as they try to sell the diamonds and they are arrested, but the junior cop is shot in the process, discouraging Dorothy's notions of a relationship. Guest Stars: Joseph Campanella as Al Mullins, George Clooney as Bobby Hopkins, Barbara Tarbuck as Martha McDowell.
50	25	"A Piece of Cake"	Terry Hughes	Kathy Speer, Terry Grossman, Mort Nathan, and Barry Fanaro	May 9, 1987 (1987-05-09)	050	19.2/37 [28]
The ladies recall other birthday celebrations while preparing a surprise birthday party for a friend. Dorothy recalls Rose taking her to a children's restaurant, Rose recalls her first birthday following her husband's death, Sophia recalls her 50th birthday in 1955, when she fought with her husband as he pointed out an error on her birth certificate that made her think she was 48, forcing Dorothy to defuse the situation, and Blanche recalls her first birthday after the girls started living together, when she used to hate celebrating her birthday until the others throw her a surprise party with all the men from her address book. It turns out the party in the present is for Blanche as well, and the women celebrate by joining a conga line made up of the men from Blanche's past party. Guest Stars: Lynnie Greene (credited as Lyn Greene) as Younger Dorothy, Alan Blumenfeld as Mr. Ha Ha, Jeffrey Weber as Bobby Spina, Sid Melton as voice of Salvadore Petrillo. Note: Alan Blumenfeld appeared in an earlier episode as Lou. Note: The writers of this episode were nominated for a WGA Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for this episode.
51	26	"Empty Nests"	Jay Sandrich	Susan Harris	May 16, 1987 (1987-05-16)	051	17.8/34 [29]
The girls' neighbor Renee feels lonely because her doctor husband, George, works constantly and their children have moved out. Guest Stars: Rita Moreno as Renee Corliss, Paul Dooley as Dr. George Corliss, David Leisure as Oliver, Jane Harnick as Jenny Corliss, and Geoffrey Lewis as Chuck/Mr. Fix-It. Note: This episode was a backdoor pilot for the spinoff series Empty Nest , although the concept was retooled and recast before the series actually went to air.

Awards and nominations

39th Primetime Emmy Awards

• Award for Outstanding Comedy Series
• Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Beatrice Arthur) (Episode: "The Stan Who Came to Dinner")
• Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Rue McClanahan) (Episode: "End of the Curse")
• Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Betty White) (Episode: "Isn't It Romantic?")
• Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Estelle Getty)
• Nomination for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series (Herb Edelman) (Episode: "The Stan Who Came to Dinner")
• Nomination for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series (Lois Nettleton) (Episode: "Isn't It Romantic?")
• Nomination for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series (Nancy Walker) (Episode: "A Long Days Journey Into Marinara")
• Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (Terry Hughes) (Episode: "Isn't It Romantic?")
• Nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (Jeffrey Duteil) (Episode: "Isn't It Romantic?")

44th Golden Globe Awards

• Award for Best Comedy Series
• Nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy Series (Beatrice Arthur)
• Nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy Series (Estelle Getty)
• Nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy Series (Rue McClanahan)
• Nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy Series (Betty White)

Writers Guild of America Awards

• Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (Barry Fanaro, Mort Nathan) (Episode: "'Twas the Nightmare Before Christmas")
• Nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (Kathy Speer, Terry Grossman, Barry Fanaro, Mort Nathan) (Episode: "A Piece of Cake")

Directors Guild of America Awards

• Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (Terry Hughes) (Episode: "Isn't It Romantic?")

Home media

The Region 1, 2 and 4 DVDs were respectively released on May 17, August 1 and September 21, 2005.

References

1. TV Listings for September 27, 1986
2. TV Listings for May 16, 1987
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4. "NBC goes 2 for 2 in prime time". Broadcasting . Vol. 111, no. 15. October 13, 1986. p. 64. ProQuest   1016915015.
5. The Golden Girls: Ladies of the Evening
6. "NBC keeps on rolling". Broadcasting . Vol. 111, no. 16. October 20, 1986. p. 38. ProQuest   1014736998.
7. "Game seven, 'Cosby' lift NBC to victory". Broadcasting . Vol. 111, no. 19. November 10, 1986. p. 73. ProQuest   1016910246.
8. "NBC rolls a lucky seven". Broadcasting . Vol. 111, no. 20. November 17, 1986. p. 52. ProQuest   1285762482.
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18. "Super Bowl was super for CBS". Broadcasting . Vol. 112, no. 5. February 2, 1987. p. 70. ProQuest   1016913996.
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27. "No prime time summer slump for NBC". Broadcasting . Vol. 112, no. 19. May 11, 1987. p. 78. ProQuest   1016918442.
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