Without a doubt, The Golden Girls is one of TV’s funniest sitcoms. Whether it’s Sophia’s snide remarks or Rose’s inane observations, the girls have never failed to elicit a titter, guffaw, or belly laugh from their audience. Yet, not everything in the girls’ lives was smiles and sunshine. In many cases, their lives were marked with tragedy and saddening setbacks.
Despite her strong character and bellicose nature, Dorothy was not immune to sad events occurring in her life. However, like the rest of the girls, she had the strength of character to see them through, coming out stronger for the experience.
It’s not uncommon for people to get divorced, but the way in which Dorothy found out her marriage was ending was lamentable. Having been married to Stanley Zbornak for thirty-eight years, she not only had to suffer the indignity of being left for a younger woman, but of having her husband’s lawyer, of all people, inform her that her marriage was ending.
However, Dorothy didn’t let her divorce get her down for long. She quickly put her life back together and gained a new lease on life through her friendship and adventures with her new roommates.
The circumstances surrounding Dorothy’s marriage to Stan were also rather sad. Having just been jilted by someone she had feelings for, Dorothy accepted a date with Stan because she felt she couldn’t do any better. On that date, she and Stan had sex and Dorothy got pregnant. As befit the times and her upbringing, Dorothy was expected to marry a man she didn’t really love.
Dorothy came to love her husband very much, standing by him through his business failures, health issues, and early infidelities. Dorothy was also a fantastic mother, both loving and supporting.
The root of some of Dorothy’s insecurities may have come from being stood up at the prom. Dorothy was scheduled to attend the prom with John Neretti, the high school “bad boy.” However, when he showed up at the house to pick her up, Sophia sent him away, aghast at his attire and attitude.
Thinking John had stood her up, Dorothy never knew what her mother had done until she met with John years later. Although that encounter with Sophia had set him on the right path, it was extremely traumatic to Dorothy and sent her on that fateful date with Stanley Zbornak.
The actress who portrayed Dorothy Zbornak, Bea Arthur, was rather tall and had austere features. Although unwarranted, she was occasionally lampooned for her appearance by comedians, late-night talk show hosts, and sketch shows.
Similarly and throughout the series, Dorothy was routinely mocked for her appearance, voice, gait, and perceived unattractiveness, even by her roommates. Shockingly, her harshest critic was her mother, Sophia, who oftentimes unloaded her trademark biting sarcasm and wit on her daughter. Although no slouch in the insult department herself, it’s sad that despite knowing her mother truly loved her, Dorothy would routinely have to suffer such criticism from a parent.
Dorothy always had the reputation for being the strongest of The Golden Girls, both physically and mentally. This was perhaps most evident when, in jail, she stood up to a young prostitute who was ready to beat Blanche to a pulp.
Logical and pragmatic, Dorothy also had a reputation for being The Golden Girl who was most organized, reliable, and who “had it all together.” This also happened to be the trait that most annoyed her roommates, as they revealed when they went to a group counseling session to address their issues living together.
However, the series eventually revealed that there was one area Dorothy had trouble with: gambling. Although she had managed to keep it under wraps for the majority of her life, a flare-up in her later years almost caused irreparable damage to her friendship with the girls.
Dorothy was the first of three Petrillo children, followed by her sister Gloria and her brother, Phil. Although Gloria appeared on the show on several occasions, Phil never did. However, he was mentioned frequently as a free-loading cross-dresser with a heart of gold. Unfortunately, Phil died of an off-camera heart attack in season six of the series.
Aside from dealing with the sadness of having lost her brother, Dorothy had to give the eulogy at his funeral; an unenviable task for any sibling. If that wasn’t bad enough, she also had to try to reconcile Sophia with her sister-in-law.
Unlucky In Love
For seven years of the series, viewers watched the girls pursue romance with a cavalcade of suitors Sophia colorfully referred to as a “yutz parade.” Yet, until Dorothy found love with Blanche’s uncle Lucas, she seemed the most unlucky in romance. Despite finding several men who seemed promising partners, something always happened to ruin the relationship.
For example, there was Al, the cop she was interested in but couldn’t see because of the dangers of his work, and Elliott, the doctor who also put the moves on Blanche and caused a huge rift between the two. Perhaps most gut-wrenching and sad for her was her relationship with Glen, the Phys. Ed teacher she fell head over heels for but couldn’t continue seeing because he was married.
Financial Woes
Financial viability is a difficult thing for many to achieve, especially by the time one hits their golden years. The girls were not immune to that phenomenon—in fact, being able to make ends meet is what led them to live together as roommates.
However, Dorothy always seemed to be the one who was occasionally bereft of funds. This was especially true when, due to Stan’s lopsided attempt at tax evasion, she was audited by the IRS. Through no fault of her own, Dorothy had to cough up two thousand five hundred dollars she simply did not have to avoid possible incarceration.
