#episode: i'll stand by you | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

mulders-too-large-shirt · 4 months ago

Text

s3 episode 11 thoughts

dare i say it… new favorite episode?

whatever expectations i had, they were blown away. usually the episode after a two episode arc feels weird and stiff, but this? this hit every box on a checklist i didn’t even know i had.

i’m bouncing off the walls right now. i'm pacing my room and mumbling to myself while gesticulating wildly. i am filled with an energy that caffeine has not ONCE given me. and it's called "your character, that is so near and dear to you, got an episode dedicated just to exploring their inner life and workings and belief system and faith in God and the world". try it if you get a chance.

so let us begin. let me give you my verbatim notes, so you can watch the excitement grow.

oh boy! oh boy oh boy! i am excited! and i know by now to not expect any real continuation from the last episode, but i’m still excited because the last two were so good! and this one is like… good omens? with a kid that can start the end of the world?

wow. never have i thought to myself, how would mulder and scully handle biblical revelations? but here i am. wondering it.

hope the kid is chill. hope he has good vibes. mulder will like him anyway because he’s actually a huge softie but still better if he’s got good vibes.

we open on a sermon. the priest or pastor- depending on the denomination- whatever his title is, he is talking about faith. saying that miracles are real. and now he’s shaking and moaning. is this one of those churches?

OH HE’S BLEEDING from between his knuckles like some sort of blood wolverine. people are looking at him, thinking, what is going on? and this is something i am also wondering. maybe it was fake though…. little capsules in his hands, maybe???

he’s dabbing off his makeup now. as a man enters his dressing room. saying that some people really do believe. but he’s being weird.

and then this guy escalates to murder. and when he touches this pastor he’s burning up??? huh??? a firebender?? in pennsylvania??

THE INTRO WAS DIFFERENT AGAIN THIS TIME. WHY DOES IT CHANGE. i have come to know these beats VERY well!! they are like a heartbeat to me. you cannot simply alter them as you see fit!

scully looking at the body of the dead pastor/priest, talking about how it looks like rope burns around his neck. mulder crouching VERY close by.

HEHEHEHEHE mulder is like “he was bleeding from his hands like the crucifixion” and scully goes “stigmata?” heheheheheeeee i’m blushing

(talking about belief systems is apparently a way to my heart? like c'mon, tell me how you understand the universe and which elements you surrender to knowing that you will never comprehend. you look cute while doing it)

no wounds on the hands, though… so mulder licks the blood. and i froze JUST as scully makes this horrified face... i’m CRYING. yes, it is fake blood, and yes, he has some on his lips and teeth, and yes, its adorable. but what a risky move!

ohhh he was wearing a sugar pump sort of thing! yum yum. couldn't be me, i'd be slurping that.

so mulder has been tracking religious murders related to stigmatics (excellent word!)

scully’s talking about how certain people believe at any given time there are 12 stigmatics in the world. and they represent the 12 apostles. and i’m blushing terribly.

nods solemnly. i am learning a lot about myself through this show.

scully you are so preeeeetty.

okay, cut to elementary school in ohio. kevin is blowing spitballs. his teacher is bullying him into doing math on the board. when all of a sudden, his hands start bleeding!! and we see that he has the holes!!!

he’s in the nurse’s office still when mulder and scully show up. damn how did they get to ohio that fast… OHHH they had put out an FBI alert and maybe this happened more than once. yes, this is exactly what is explained mere moments after i made the initial comment.

so it happened BEFORE, and they assumed it was an incident of abuse, but it wasn’t proven. still, his dad was institutionalized after saying Kevin was chosen by God. okay! things escalated.

scully is talking to the boy. she feels his forehead and says he feels feverish. okay doctor!! and she says he is very brave. queen. smart and kind.

mulder is meeting kevin’s mom. explaining that he might be in danger from a religious fanatic.

oh! the thermometer in his mouth broke. straight up exploded. hope that was fake mercury in there.

they’re going to put kevin back “into the shelter” which i feel like would make him an easier target for a serial killer?? but on the off chance it WAS his mom, it would make him safer. so mixed feelings here.

mom yells at the teacher, teacher says she loves her job, and mulder has this excellent smile. then waves scully out to leave. it was kinda funny to me for some reason, the waving her out. quite domestic.

mulder thinks the kid did the cuts to himself to get his father back. hmm. not buying it. so they go to talk to kevin's dad.

dad claims the forces of darkness have been watching kevin. in the great war between good and evil. he’s really talking to scully and he says they just “come full circle to find the truth”. she says dude idk what that means?? and he says “you will” okay... i’m creeped out a bit!!!

kevin is back at the children’s home. telling a bunch of other kids scary stories. and he seems to be explaining a scary guy who is walking into the building as the storytelling goes on. just as the scary guy enters, all the kids leave. scary guy is looking at the wounds on kevin’s hands!

soon after, mulder is with the group of children who saw the guy. we learn here that mulder is 6 foot 1. which is very funny.

kevin was abducted by the fellow it seems he was describing before his arrival!!! and his mom seems to blame scully. she looks really upset.

they see the drawing that they think does not look like a real person, and kevin’s mom is like it’s owen, who did the yard work.

so it’s owen time. he’s carved noah’s ark and he has kevin. but he says he can’t let him go home. because it isn’t safe. he refers to himself as kevin’s guardian angel. hmm. that makes me suspicious.

owen grabs a shotgun when a car pulls up. but the agents get him to put it down and scully is on a quest to find the little dude. and he was there… but now he isn’t?

so owen says God asked him to protect kevin.

OH ANGRY MULDER IS GONNA QUOTE SCRIPTURE AT YOU!!!!! now give him some DAMN ANSWERS!

owen is like, well YOU believe, don’t you scully, because you have that necklace on. he’s calling her a BAD CHRISTIAN??? the audacity….

then owen gets up and JUMPS OUT THE WINDOW??? and runs away??? somehow??

(mulder jumped down from the porch to chase owen, and his big coat floated around him like a cape... i giggled)

now where did this dude go...?

kevin made it home!!! he’s yelling for his mom. she doesn’t seem to be there, but someone rang the doorbell. and we only see a quick glance but it LOOKS like the killer!!!

who burns off the doorknob with his firebending!!! so yes, it is the og killer from the start of the episode! he comes in and asks for kevin. saying he knows he’s here.

mom, now would be a good time to roll up with a gun.

he picks up a family photo and sees kevin in a picture then checks the closet to see if he’s in there but kevin is in the hamper. and the hamper is bleeding!!! dead giveaway.

but owen rolls up just as the firebender guy opens the hamper, and starts fighting for him!! so kevin is making a break for it!!!

he runs and runs and RUNS INTO MULDER!!!! scully is telling him that he will be okay.

they only find dead owen. no firebender.

and kevin asks scully if she was sent to protect him… she does not seem to know what to say because. do you mean like by the government... or jesus?

autopsy time!!!! she’s talking into the voice recorder like always. it always gives vlog energy. anyway, his body looks very much alive. despite the very much dead thing.

mulder interrupts this. and scully asks him to SMELL the dude. he obliges. with only a smirk!

scully says he smells a bit… floral.

OMG!! OMG I RECOGNIZE WHAT IS GOING ON HERE. they talk about it in the brothers karamazov, how a holy body is said to stay intact and even smell good when it ought to be decomposing. so the real question is: is she imagining it?

i mean, she is the body expert. so i’d want to say no. but also, this dude was playing with her head. so it’s hard to say. i'd think she would identify the body correctly no matter what, but a little smell hallucination thanks to the power of suggestion cannot be ruled out in any situation.

AND SHE TALKS ABOUT IT!! apparently it is something you learn in catechism. okay, well i just picked it up from that summer i got through that book, but we all learn somewhere. mulder is like “you’re serious?” and i feel he should be encouraging this open discussion rather than ridiculing it. AND SHE STARTS NAMING SAINTS IT HAPPENED TO!

mulder is saying that those things didn’t really happen, and i’m not taking this from alien man.

mulder has transitioned into listening mode now. OH! SCULLY! she says:

“isn’t a saint or a holy person just another term for someone who’s abnormal?”

“do you really believe that?”

“i… believe in the idea that God’s hand can be witnessed. i believe he can create miracles, yes”

“even if science can’t explain them?”

“maybe that’s just what faith is”

YES! YES I AM CHEERING AND JUMPING UP AND DOWN. we were owed a scully-centric episode, and never did i even THINK we would get something so aligned with my interests that we’d start exploring her religious beliefs and how that intertwines with her faith in science and her work. that sounds like something i’d write a fic for because it’s hyper specific to my interests. but no. this is CANON!

mulder is saying that she shouldn’t get swept up in these things (and how ironic that the roles are reversed! it’s exquisite. we’ve found his weak point, he’ll believe in anything but a Christian God)

scully is lost in thought. taking a deep breath. steeling herself.

pause. it’s a scene change. but mulder has a pencil in his teeth. it’s adorable, really. he takes it out to write something.

they pulled prints from owen’s neck!! burned right onto the skin. and they found who did it!! the man i was previously calling the firebender, his real name is simon gates, one of the south’s wealthiest men, arrested 3 years ago on a DUI.

so then he went to israel, and this is how i learned of something called “jerusalem syndrome”, where people come back from the holy land with religious delusions. i have not heard of this before. but it could be a motive. except for the whole burning fingerprints into necks thing. i'm unfamiliar with any sort of place turning you into prince zuko.

okay, so someone saw kevin with his mom the same time he was seen with a social worker??? doubles?? twins??? ghosts??

kevin and his mom are on the side of the road with a broken down car, when who pulls up but SIMON!!

she asks what he wants and he says “i think you know”, then kevin makes a break for it.

now. can an old man outrun a child? children have small legs, but boundless energy.

BUT HE’S RUNNING?? AND ANOTHER KEVIN GETS OUT OF THE CAR??? to talk to his injured mom. then running kevin DISAPPEARED!!! AND MOM HITS THE DUDE WITH A CAR!!!

sadly, it wasn’t out of excellent aim that she hit him, but rather because she had her face smacked into the ground by simon and was concussed or something similar. she drove into a ditch.

NO!!! KEVIN IS SAYING SHE DIED BECAUSE OF HIM. DEATH??? I JUST THOUGHT WE WERE DEALING WITH CONCUSSION HERE?

i guess it can be a quick trip from one to the next. but i'm sad for poor kevin.

scully is near him, telling him she promises she won’t let simon hurt kevin. OH LORD, YOU GOT HER PROMISING THINGS, SMALL CHILD.

he doesn’t want to go back to the shelter. and she says he doesn’t have to. are they going to take this small child for a bit….?

she avoids mulder’s gaze when telling him she wants kevin to come with them, saying she is not getting personally involved, but like mulder is gonna complain having a kid around.

(he actually didn't seem to have his typical instincts kick in today. how curious...)

and turns out simon rented the car under the name of one of the devil’s disciples. yikes!

so creepy simon is watching this go down despite being hit by a car.

back to the motel. scully is running kevin a bath and sees he has a big scratch on his side. from the crash… or?

mulder is fake pouting. “you never draw my bath” JCHDJSBJSND

she’s freaked out because she knows that cut was NOT there before. OH? is it the jesus spear thing??

she is busting out her theological training- he could be in two places at once, like st. ignatius! and mulder is talking about how it was all a metaphor, that bible. mulder, if you are dismissive ONE more time...

OH, I GASPED AT THIS NEXT PART. HOLD ON I NEED TO WRITE THIS DOWN:

“how is it that you’re able to go out on a limb whenever you see a light in the sky, but you’re unwilling to accept the possibility of a miracle, even when it’s right in front of you?”

“i wait for a miracle every day, but what i’ve seen here has only tested my patience, not my faith”

“well, what about what i’ve seen?”

UGH. how PERFECT is that dialogue!!! how brilliant is that exchange!!! why is what she has seen less believable than his x files and aliens and beasts? he spends so long looking to his own stars that he’s forgotten others can form constellations as well. and how often does the narrative favor him, his thoughts running like a prey animal, chasing and chasing any sort of lead. why can’t she have something that cuts her to the quick just as deeply?

sure, science is great, science is the building block of her reality. but you can’t change the way you grew up, either, the pattern recognition, the fear of the divine. and she’s never had trouble balancing the two, we just haven’t had a reason to see them interact before, because she generally compartmentalizes the day to day world and the spiritual- and how many of us can say we do the same? probably most, if we believe in anything at all. but then it comes straight to a head- and after she has been through so much as well, losing her dad, her kidnapping, her coma, losing mulder and her job (which luckily came back), losing her sister forever- is it selfish to want there to be a caring force out in the universe?

but on the flip side, that means that there is real and genuine evil, forces of the devil and hell- unless you think it’s poetry, like mulder does. but wouldn’t that explain all the suffering she’s been through? the horrific things this job has showed her? and wouldn’t it be worth it in the end to go through that all if you know it was to be defeated?

okay i just spend so long typing that up the screen went dark. SORRY SORRY I’M COMING BACK I PROMISE!!! I JUST GET EMOTIONAL.

NOOO! a weird noise was heard, so mulder kicks down the now locked door where kevin was supposed to be taking a bath. AND THE WINDOW WAS MELTED OPEN!! so scully basically comes face to face with the evil that must be real if miracles are as well. oh! i’m eating this up.

but she promised him he would be safe! so this is not looking good!

she wants to go talk to his father again. and mulder doesn’t want to, but she is NOT taking no for an answer.

kevin’s father is not coming up with an answer. the doctors have increased his meds and he’s very foggy.

she asks again about the full circle to find the truth thing. and she runs out, in a daze.

mulder gets a call that there has been a simon spotting, but she doesn’t hear; she’s pointing at a recycling bin, saying that it’s arrows that form a circle. she thinks he’s at a recycling plant; he thinks he’s at the airport.

mulder asks if she thinks she’s the one that was chosen to protect him. and she says she doesn’t know; her voice cracks as she says that if she’s wrong, she’ll meet him at the airport. OH! religious burdens, the divine pressure of fate. he watches her leave, looking troubled.

at the recycling plant- and simon IS there, saying kevin has to die, for everyone, so the new age will come. and his hands are bleeding again. all the others were false.

SCULLY AMBUSH!!! but simon is taking him into a recycling chopper. AND HE DROPS HIM IN!!! we see chopping occur!!! but it was SIMON AND NOT KEVIN THAT WAS CHOPPED!!! kevin caught himself on the ledge!!!! she pulls him up.

he says he knew she’d come, and they hug so so so tight, and she places a kiss on his head when she’s holding him, and i’m gonna cry like a baby

when they’re getting him around to leave, she says that maybe she’ll see him again sometime, and he says that she will.

and scully looks like she’s crying- i don’t think she is, but she puts her head in her hand- mulder comes in and asks if she’s okay. she says she thinks so, and he holds out her jacket to put on. it might have been the most tender thing i have ever seen. he says they need to go make a statement; she asks him to do it alone, she has to go run an errand.

again, she mostly avoids his eyes. but he agrees, and goes to make the statement alone. he doesn't press.

AND SHE GOES TO CONFESSION???? FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 6 YEARS??? she starts talking about not being able to discuss something with mulder. she asks about miracles; if she was seeing things when it comes to saving kevin, or if she was imagining them.

she doubts herself because mulder didn’t believe them!!!!!!!!!!! and usually he believes without question!!!

maybe they weren’t meant for him, maybe they were meant for YOU, he says. and she asks if this was to bring her back; he says “sometimes we must come full circle to find the truth”

and it makes her afraid!!!! that god is speaking but no one is listening!!!!

WHO THE HELL WROTE THIS EPISODE. NO. NO, HOLD ON I’M GONNA LOOK THIS UP.

KIM NEWTON. KIM. YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON WHO GETS ME ON THIS PLANET. NO ONE ELSE DOES.

wow okay. i’m going to be pacing my room about this for 100 years. there are going to be think pieces about this, from me, for the foreseeable future. i’m losing my MIND.

i don’t think i could have cooked up a more perfect episode if i had tried. something centered on scully entirely (mulder has had his fair share of attention), something about faith, something where she questions what she holds close and why she holds it close and what it means that she does so at all. what it means for there to be human good and human evil and divine good and divine evil. how god speaks to people and how we listen. or hear things that he didn’t say, like simon did.

holy FUCK i literally could not think of anything better. and i have SO much to say. i already SAID SO MUCH, too. like i’m seriously bouncing off the walls right now. whatever love i had for scully before just quadrupled- and who knew this was even possible??

for things to be reversed, for mulder to try and talk her out of a belief, how bizarre that must have felt to him, and how cold it felt. how he just couldn’t see it, how his not being able to see it drove her to doubt herself, how she must doubt herself already, but that sprung everything to the surface. how she doubts that god would use her. and use her for good.

but still, despite his lack of understanding, despite his trying to get her to think rationally- he is there for her, even if he doesn't get it, even if he could have done better. the way he held her jacket while she processed everything, the way he didn't question her needing time for herself. somethings are best left unspoken.

lord, i’m gonna have to stop there because if i don’t. i just might never shut up ever ever ever. and i still need to proofread all my raw notes, and i’m sure i’ll think of something else to say.

i started this episode AN HOUR AND A HALF AGO LMAOOOO i just had SO much to pause and observe and say which is NOT a complaint in the slightest.

wow. new fave episode i think. i’ll have to add it to the list.

please let me know what you thought- are there any other scully truthers out there who lost their minds over this? did you like the episode? is it disliked and i'm strange for going on such a ramble? did you have trouble reconciling faith scully and science scully? personally i don't, but i could see how some people might. did you find mulder too dismissive? or did you think he was trying his best? some combination of both? did scully protecting that kid make you emotional? please, spill EVERYTHING. i always want you to spill everything, but now so even more than usual.

#so here we are a full two hours since i started the episode and i still have a million things to say #but my laptop is gonna die soon so maybe that's a sign #ugh mulder was so puzzling to me in this episode. he pushed back on her but i think he realized he had overstepped when she said #“what about the things i've seen” i think that put things into perspective for him #i think he realized that this is a two way street when it comes to convictions #and honestly he probably hadn't given any thought into her beliefs before beyond the necklace and the science and the #sort of “it's best not to ask” mentality. he doesn't seem like he chats about personal philosophy. philosophy yes but not personal #i do think he learned a lesson here. not to invalidate her emotions and experiences and upbringing #at least i hope so. it seems like he was trying at the end even if he was confused #and you don't HAVE to get it. you never have to get it. you just have to see that something is important to someone you love #and that is enough to know something is worth respecting #man. i tired myself out with this one but i'm sure i'll think of a million other things to add when i fall asleep #ah well. i can make many posts on one subject!#my day was otherwise pretty unremarkable so good to have something to stand out about it #juni's x files liveblog #the x files #txf

24 notes · View notes

the-eclectic-wonderer · 4 months ago

Note

You always have such insightful posts! Thank you!

I was wondering what you thought the ten best golden wives episodes are and why

Oh, my goodness, thank you so much!! That's so sweet!! I’m really glad you enjoy reading my thoughts :)

And that's an... impossible question, oh my god. You might as well be asking me to count the stars in the sky 😂 Honestly, any episode could do -- their love for each other (whether you think it's platonic or romantic, whichever colour you want to give it) is just so woven in the way they talk, the way they move, the way they're affectionate with each other... I'm fairly sure that I could find at least one Golden Wives moment for every episode (with the possible exception of S2E26 Empty Nests, but I'm not willing to watch it again to find out).

That being said, there are some episodes that feature a specific focus on the relationship between the three of them. Through a lot of deliberation, I managed to narrow the list down to these, which you can count as my favourite 10 (in no particular order) -- under the cut, because of course I have a lot to say about them:

S1E5 The Triangle

An absolute banger. The fight between Blanche and Dorothy is harsh (they're both really hurt!!), but Rose gets to show off her abilities as she works to bring them back together (which is the literal expression she uses!!! she wants to 'get Dorothy and Blanche back together'!!!). And I mean -- that final reconciliatory hug?? The way Dorothy and Blanche look at each other?? Them yanking Rose into their hug??? Hello???? Wives behaviour????

S3E15 Dorothy's New Friend

I think my appreciation for this episode is renowned, at this point. Blanche and Rose working in tandem are adorable; I love that they do their best to warn Dorothy about Barbara, but they also try to get along with her, despite her treatment of them, because, well -- if Dorothy likes her, she can't be that bad, can she? And I love that, despite her anger and objections, Dorothy is really worried about the way Blanche and Rose feel! She says out loud that she values Barbara's friendship, and that's why she feels like she can ask her advice on someone as important to her as Blanche and Rose. Besides, I love the casual intimacy they throw in there! This is really a constant in the show, but it's so nice when it takes the spotlight like this. When speaking about Rose's masquerade ball, Blanche says: "Since when do we have to say we're going? We've gone for the past five years. We may hate it, but we always go." It's so obvious that they're going, because this is important to Rose, that they don't even have to say it. You get what I mean?

S6E12 Ebbtide's Revenge

Hear me out for a minute. This is, of course, an episode centered on Sophia and her grief for the death of her son, and it's excellent at that. But let's not forget that Phil was also Dorothy's "kid brother", and while her pain may take second stage (except for her beautiful, heartbreaking eulogy) while Sophia's is in the spotlight, it's still very obviously there. And what does she do to face the immense, unthinkable pain of losing a sibling? She turns to her wives, that's what. Rewatch this episode and pay attention to just how much Dorothy physically leans on Rose and Blanche, whether it's reaching for them, holding their hands, touching their arms and shoulders... Dorothy is always very physical with the two of them, but I feel like it's especially meaningful in this one. And, for their part, Blanche and Rose act exactly as two people with a grieving spouse would (or, at least, should) do; they support Dorothy (and Sophia) as best they can, they take care of practical things (like preparing snacks), they mostly stay out of the feud but they (especially Rose) try to offer another point of view when they think it's going to make a difference.

Also, this quote from Dorothy to Rose:

"Honey, you've been more than a help. I wouldn't have gotten through the past few days without you. I mean it."

Yeah.

S5E19 72 Hours

This is (unsurprisingly) one of my favourite episodes in the series, and it's especially good from a Golden Wives lens as well. I've been meaning to take a detailed look at this episode and examine Dorothy and Blanche's support of Rose, and how it shows a) how much they love her and b) how well they know her (which might actually be the same thing, now that I think about it). And Rose, of course, relies on them to an incredible degree; it takes her a little while, but eventually she allows herself to be openly angry and dejected, to lose her happy-go-lucky attitude with them, which is something she only does when she's at the end of her rope. And she's right to, because they hold her up. Look at what she says when she finally gets the good news:

"You guys were terrific. Thank you for being there for me. And thank you for making me feel you'd always be there for me, no matter what happened."

I could go on, but I'd like to make a post specifically on this episode as soon as I get the time (and some brain power...), so I'll postpone any additional observations for now.

S1E22 Job Hunting

This fills the same 'niche' as 72 Hours, in that it's an episode where Rose has a serious problem and Dorothy and Blanche give her the support (both practical and emotional) she needs to get out of it. It takes a spot of its own because it's REALLY heavy on the physical affection, even by Golden Girls standards. There's LOTS of hand/arm holding, hugging, laying next to each other in bed, sitting close, plus a cheek AND a forehead kiss. It's a delightful little gem.

S2E1 End Of The Curse

The whole mink business would be enough for me to consider putting this one on the list. Dorothy and Rose working together on a silly thing like this always warms my heart; they're a delight to watch. Of course, though, the reason why this is here is because of Blanche's situation. As always happens when one of the Girls has a problem, there's lots of physical and emotional support (Dorothy and Rose literally run after Blanche through the house to try and comfort her -- two times!!), but the real kicker is all the baby stuff!! I'm not a big fan of children, but it's impossible not to be endeared by Dorothy and Rose acting like proud moms ("the baby will have three mothers!") before the pregnancy is even confirmed, splitting up chores and bickering about the college he'll go to, while at the same time showing Blanche their unconditional support. And -- Blanche loves them for that, of course. She goes through a lot of emotional distress in this episode, but she comes out on top, and it's because of the Girls:

"It was you girls. Yes, you just let me carry on and be crazy and you were right there through it all. [...] You were caring and supportive and I wanna thank you for it -- I'm really lucky to have friends like you."

To be honest, I like her similar speech in the pilot just a bit better, but between the two this is the episode I prefer overall (if only because their characters are well settled at this point!).

S3E3 Bringing Up Baby

This is such a comfort episode for me. First of all, we get the whole raising a baby theme again (with both Rose and Blanche going from scared/unwilling to enthusiastic participants as soon as they figure out that they're going to raise the baby together!!). Dorothy and Blanche are all over each other, even more than usual -- they barely ever stop touching, like, hello?? Find a room, girls?? And Blanche's sheer glee at the thought of getting a Mercedes for all of them -- her "Don't you just love it? It's ours!" lives in my mind rent free!! And then, of course, the nose kiss. I melt out of sheer adorableness every time I watch this one. The kiss itself is super cute, but it's just the whole scene -- Blanche and Dorothy getting each other's intentions with a single look, the way Blanche smiles as she leans in and then boop's Rose's nose on top of the kiss, Rose immediately dissolving into giggles, Dorothy hugging them super tight, I love them so much oh my God 😭

S2E10 Love, Rose

Do I even have to explain this one? Blanche and Dorothy writing Rose letters? Love letters (as in explicitly romantic letters!!)? Complete with poetry? And they write them so convincingly that Rose gets the biggest crush on the author of the letters?

"It was so nice. It was so important to me that someone cared about me as much as the person who wrote those letters. It meant so much to have somebody like that in my life."

"You do, Rose, honey! You have us!"

"We're the ones who wrote those letters, Rose, and we meant every word."

Are you reading this?? Are you?? Oh my God?????

S7E4 That's For Me To Know

I adore this one and I'm not sure I can explain why in just a few lines, but I'll do my best. The way the Girls handle the major conflict of the episode (the threat that they can't all live together anymore) is so so sweet. They squabble, but they apologize and reconcile quickly; they 'vote' Dorothy out and are immediately heartbroken about it; Rose decides to sacrifice her happiness and move out herself, so the other Girls can keep living together, and she's so clearly devastated about it. I've already noted down Dorothy's speech a couple of times on my blog, but I just have to share it again, because it perfectly sums up the reason why this show works so well, imho:

"I'm afraid that no one's leaving. You see, we're a family here. Well, not the conventional one, but we love each other and [...] It's real love, Mr. Benson. It's an honest love. And, yes, we might have secrets that we stubbornly try to hide from each other [...] But we're a family nonetheless, and you can't break us up."

You see? You get why I go feral over this one? And then -- AND THEN -- Blanche decides to make them co-owners. I have no words to explain how monumental this is. This is the house she lived in with her beloved George for years, and she decides to sell part of it because she can't bear the thought of separating from her Girls. "That way you'll have equity and nobody can make you leave." It's the wonderfully poetic conclusion to the beginning of their journey; they met as landlady/renters, each alone in her own way, each hurting in her own way; here they become co-owners, equal and together, each a part of a single tight-knit unit. It's the closing of a circle. You get what I mean? Oh, I love this one so so much.

S7E23-24 Home Again, Rose

I cannot be coherent about this one. I cannot be coherent about this one. It's just. I should do a play by play of literally every second of this episode to explain why I love it so much. If I had to pick a favourite, it would be this one. It's the family of it all, the fear and then the desperation and then the joy, the casual expressions of love, it's Dorothy screaming and begging for help as soon as she realizes Rose really has fainted, it's Rose asking Kirsten to take care of the Girls while she's going under for open heart surgery, it's Blanche saying that's what house mortgages are for as if it's obvious, because to her, to them, it is. Of course they're going to help Rose with everything they have. Of course they’re going to take care of her, of course they wait for her in the hospital even if they can’t see her, of course they pray for her, of course they promise to freeze their heads for her, because they love her and she loves them. Love is stored in Rose, Blanche, and Dorothy holding each other's hands as if they’re keeping each other above water. If it’s not like that, then I don’t want it. (Coincidentally, this is also one of the best episodes when it comes to the bond between Sophia and the wives. The way she greets Rose with ‘Welcome back, baby!’ when she finally returns home lives in my mind rent-free.)

I need you to know that it took me a good couple of days to compile this list. I haven't stopped thinking about it ever since I read your ask. I wrote down about five different versions before settling on this one, and so, I think I've earned the right to mention some special runner-ups:

S1E25 The Way We Met: come on. The Great Herring War? One of the best scenes in the show -- and an incredible demonstration of chemistry from the Golden Wives.

S1E8 Break In / S4E20 High Anxiety / S5E1-2 Sick And Tired / S5E11 Ebb Tide / S6E9 Mrs George Devereaux: for when you need to scratch that hurt/comfort itch.

S3E21 Larceny And Old Lace / S4E4 Yokel Hero: I'm always a slut for the times when Dorothy and Blanche need to earn Rose's forgiveness (and get it immediately, because she can't stay mad at them).

S2E21 Dorothy's Prized Pupil / S5E23 The Mangiacavallo Curse Makes A Lousy Wedding Present / S5E24 All Bets Are Off / S7E19 Journey To The Center Of Attention: all super cute, involve a conflict and a beautiful resolution, great watches. They lose a couple of points in this context because you asked specifically about Golden Wives episodes, and these highlight a couple within the Girls (Rose/Blanche, Dorothy/Blanche, Dorothy/Rose, Dorothy/Blanche again).

Thank you so much for your ask -- answering it was hard, but I had a great time going through the episodes and picking the ones that stood out! If you'd like to share your top10, I'd love to read it :)

#same goes for everyone else btw! i love reading what everyone thinks about this kind of stuff!! :)#compiling this list was so funny in retrospect. i was like 'oh i'll go down the episode list and mark the ones that stand out to me'#and by the end i'd marked something like 30 episodes LMAO #i briefly considered putting the series finale in this list bc it *does* fit. it's got some incredible golden wives moments.#but it's so depressing... i just couldn't...#note that there's plenty of scenes in other episodes that could fit in here!! the two dance scenes for example!!!#dorothy and rose composing that song?? my babies???#blanche kissing dorothy's cheek in s2e22 ;-; so soft #rose & blanche reconciling at the end of scared straight agh they're so sweet and funny!!!#BUT if i keep talking i'll just quote the whole show lmao it really is like that #anyway hope you had a good time reading!!!#i had a great time thinking about this :) thank you for your ask #and for the compliments!! i'm really honoured!!! <3<3<3 (and i love your takes too btw!!!)#the golden girls #golden wives #ask

8 notes · View notes