The Golden Girls was a great sitcom not only because it was hilarious, but because it went a long way to show its audience that life truly does begin at 50. The Girls lived full and vibrant lives furthering their careers, taking vacations, and of course, having active love lives.
Neither divorce nor the deaths of their husbands deterred them from searching for a partner to spend the rest of their lives with. The Girls dated many men over the course of seven seasons, but some of their romantic partners and relationships proved to be more significant than others.
Rose – Arnie Peterson
It’s no secret to fans of the show that Rose idolized her late husband Charlie. She often spoke of him so highly that by her own admittance, she believed that when he died, the part of her life that was focused on romance was over.
Rose’s relationship with Arnie Peterson was significant in that he was the first person she had dated and had sex with after her husband’s death. Feeling pangs of guilt and trepidation at starting a new relationship, those feelings were exacerbated when Arnie asked her to go on a cruise. Her acceptance paved the way for Rose to rejoin the dating world.
Sophia – Augustine Bagatelli
Sophia loved her late husband Salvadore very much, but he wasn’t the only man in her life she was engaged to. In the first-season episode “The Competition,” it is revealed that Sophia once had a fiancé named Augustine Bagatelli, who disappeared in the confusion of World War II.
When they met up again years later, the sparks flew, and Augustine asked Sophia to go back to Sicily with him for a visit. Of course, Sophia had to win her seat on the plane from Dorothy in a bowling tournament first, but the time she spent with Augustine brought back fond memories and reinvigorated her spirit.
Blanche – Jake Smollens
She had a deep love and respect for her husband George but Blanche also enjoyed the company of numerous suitors in the years following his death. She also narrowly avoided getting married several times on the show, most notably in the pilot episode to a polygamist and later in the series to a wealthy industrialist who couldn’t make time for her.
She had a third opportunity to wed caterer Jake Smollens when he proposed, but her focus on his blue-collar-demeanor and their overall differences forced her to refuse. She later regretted her decision, as the loss of Jake wounded Blanche deeply.
Dorothy – Glen O’Brien
Dorothy was notorious for having bad luck when it came to men and dating, as her mother and roommates frequently reminded her. Audiences first saw glimpses of this when they learned that her divorce from ex-husband Stanley Zbornak came after 38 years of marriage and with no prior warning- only a cold call from Stan’s lawyer.
The trend continued when Dorothy met and fell head over heels for Phys-Ed teacher Glen O’Brien. Finding out he was married, Dorothy tried to break it off but ended up continuing the relationship for a time. Finally realizing she couldn’t continue seeing Glen almost crushed her, and her relationship with him remains one of the most passionate and significant she’s had.
Rose – Al Beatty
Rose’s relationship history has somewhat of a tragic backstory, as her late husband died of a heart attack while they were having sex. Understandably, Rose was traumatized by the event, believing herself responsible in some way for the events that happened that fateful evening.
When Rose started dating again, those feelings of guilt were sublimated, until she met and had sex with Al Beatty, who died of a heart attack shortly after the encounter. Rose had to work through all those feelings of guilt and trauma again, and although she managed to do so successfully, it took a tremendous emotional toll.
Sophia – Max Weinstock
Max and Sophia’s story has roots in the past, as Max was Sophia’s best friend’s husband and her husband Salvadore’s business partner. The relationship soured when Max took the blame for the failure of his and Salvadore’s business, even though it was Sal who had gambled their profits away.
The truth came out at Max’s wife’s funeral, and Sophia and Max reconciled, but also fell in love. They decided to get married and reopen the business in Miami, but came to realize that the relationship they had was based more on a love of their memories than each other. They amicably agreed to separate, but not divorce, technically leaving Sophia married for the rest of the series.
Blanche – Mel Bushman
Even serial daters like Blanche have their off nights, and in those instances when the dating pool has dried up or someone has canceled at the last minute, it’s good to have a steady back-up you can rely on. Blanche’s “Old Faithful” was Mel Bushman, who at the drop of a hat would show up at Blanche’s door with his trademark line, “Bushman awaits!”
However, when Blanche thought Mel had died when he was actually away on a trip, she suddenly realized how much she felt for him. When he returned, they tried to solidify their relationship, but realized they were more comfortable with their previous arrangement.
Dorothy – Stanley Zbornak
There has never been a more storied relationship on The Golden Girls than that between Dorothy and her ex-husband, Stan. For the most part, their relationship has been antagonistic, with Dorothy constantly putting Stan down for being a failure as a father, businessman, husband, and overall human being.
Occasionally, the two have flirted with the idea of a reconciliation, either temporarily or permanently. Aside from the odd dalliance in the bedroom, the couple’s most serious attempt at getting back together came in Season Six, when they decided to get remarried. It almost happened too until Stan asked his faithful and long-suffering ex-wife of 38 years to sign a prenuptial agreement.
Rose – Miles Webber
Aside from Charlie, Rose’s single-most significant relationship was with Miles Webber, a university professor she dated for the last two seasons of The Golden Girls and the only season of the spin-off series, The Golden Palace.
Played by actor Harold Gould (who also played Arnie Peterson) Miles was different than Charlie in that he was more buttoned-down and intellectual, whereas Charlie was more adventurous and… was from St. Olaf. Miles wasn’t without his secrets, however, as it was revealed that he was actually Nicholas Carbone, a Chicago accountant placed in the Witness Relocation Program after turning evidence against his mobster boss.
Dorothy – Lucas Hollingsworth
Dorothy’s string of bad luck in relationships came to an end when she met, fell in love with, and married Lucas Hollingsworth, Blanche’s uncle. Played by Leslie Nielsen of The Naked Gun fame, their relationship started as a blind date, but quickly escalated from there.
Lucas’ sometimes goofiness balanced Dorothy’s no-nonsense outlook and they complimented each other nicely. Ultimately, she and Lucas tied the knot in the series’ final episode, and moved to Georgia to live their lives in wedded bliss.
