The Golden Girls - The Engagement (Pilot Episode)

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There's a new cozy mystery novel in town! Murder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery, by Rachel Ekstrom Courage, was released earlier this year. It's based on the characters in the beloved sitcom that started in the 1980s, The Golden Girls. This series ran from 1985-1992 and it continues to be a fan favorite through reruns. While I've seen bits and pieces of this show, I had never watched an entire episode. Since I want to eventually read Murder by Cheesecake, I decided it was finally time to dive into the television series. I started with the pilot, which I recorded from The Hallmark Channel where it airs almost daily. 

In the pilot episode, Blanche announces that her boyfriend, someone she's been dating for just a short period of time, has asked her to marry him. Not all of the ladies are on board with this, especially since her decision could affect their living arrangements. If you aren't familiar with this episode or the series, you'll have to watch it to find out how this turned out.

The pilot of any sitcom has the challenge of introducing us to the characters, while moving the plot along. The Engagement episode accomplished this with much success. We learn a lot about Blanche (Rue McClanahan), Dorothy (Bea Arthur), Rose (Betty White), and Sophia (Estelle Getty). We get to know their personalities and their backgrounds, and we find out how they end up living together. We are also introduced to their butler, Coco (Charles Levin) in a few scenes. He felt out of place to me and I think the right decision was made to eliminate this character after the pilot. The women, all main characters in their 50s, except for Sophia (Dorothy's mother) who was older, were clearly quite capable of carrying the show on their own.

I loved all of the main characters, but I thought Rose could have been tweaked a bit. She's very kind, and in some ways she's very perceptive. That's why when she shows moments of being extremely naive it felt off to me. I'm hoping as the series continues, her character is more fine-tuned.

What surprised me the most about this episode (and I assume it will be the same moving forward) was how much it made me laugh out loud. In particular, the character of Dorothy made me laugh the most. I love when show writers can find that perfect blend of heart of humor. While not all of the jokes have stood the test of time, this show has that blend. They joke with each other, but it's also obvious how much they all care about each other.

I don't exactly need another television show in my life, but I'm so happy to have discovered how much I loved the pilot episode of The Golden Girls. I will definitely be continuing the series. It felt like a warm and cozy hug, much like the feeling I often get from Hallmark movies. Each episode is just over 20 minutes long, so it's a good filler when I don't have a lot of time. It's light-hearted and fun, and full of heart - my favorite kind of entertainment.