I don't dislike the ending of Golden Girls - but I also am not enamored with it. I always felt if any of the girls were to get married again, it would have been Blanche.

So using Blanche instead of Dorothy, I came up with a alternate ending to the series that ties back to the first season.

If you remember, in the season one episode Second Motherhood, Blanche is briefly engaged to a guy named Richard (played by Kevin McCarthy). Unfortunately, his life is consumed by work and his young children. Blanche realizes that she will always be third on his list and that's something she can't accept.

The relationship ends amicably with both discussing the potential of marriage down the line.

That is the last we hear from Richard throughout the series' run.

Now imagine if, similarly to how the series ended originally, instead of Uncle Lucas making an appearance, Richard returns. It's been a few years now, he's officially retired and his kids are at the point where they're not babies anymore (they would've been 13 & 14).

So the two rekindle their relationship, Richard proposes again and this time Blanche accepts and the two wed. Just like the ending of the real series, but with Blanche and Richard instead of Dorothy and Lucas.

The twist, of course, would be that Blanche is the one who moves out (since Richard is rich and owns his own mansion) and leaves the girls the house.

So Dorothy, Rose and Sophia all stay together - while Blanche remains in Miami (instead of Dorothy moving off to Atlanta).

The end.

Of course, that wouldn't have worked with The Golden Palace, since it was Bea who ultimately ended the series on her own and was not really part of The Golden Palace - but let's just ignore that spin off, okay?

So what do you think? Would that ending have satisfied?

You see, I think the ending was brilliant. Dorothy was the one who always suffered romantically...she was the one that her marriage was ended in divorce, not death (like Blanche, Rose and Sophia). She finally met her true love and left for a happy new life.

I can see where you're coming from on that one. I would say, though, that Blanche suffered through the most heartache, even if she lost George through death and not divorce.

You've got to remember she was engaged twice throughout the series (oddly enough, both in season one) and in each instance, the engagement fell apart (her engagement to Harry was called off after she found out he was a bigamist; the second I mentioned above).

Blanche also seemed to be the most active girl in trying to find a man to spend the rest of her life with. Dorothy might've pined for that relationship, but she was more accepting of her lot in life and because of it, relationships came and went without any real sustainability.

Just my take, anyway!

Thanks for the reply. :wave:

You see, I think the ending was brilliant. Dorothy was the one who always suffered romantically...she was the one that her marriage was ended in divorce, not death (like Blanche, Rose and Sophia). She finally met her true love and left for a happy new life.I agree, that's what I thought too. The other women all had happy marriages, while Dorothy did not.

Interesting scenario. There are a number of stories I would not have minded seeing revisited. After all, Glenn O'Brien resurfaced (albeit with a different actor playing him). It just seemed that Blanche went through some men who had potential (Mr. Jhn Quinn, for one) and that was the end of it.

It was obvious the only reason that they had Dorothy be the one who got married at the end of the series was because Bea Arthur was done with the show and was ready to move on.
However, though it would have been a nice to see Blanche get married at the end I think it would have been really nice if Rose and Miles had gotten married in the last episode of the series because they were engaged it seemed.

However, though it would have been a nice to see Blanche get married at the end I think it would have been really nice if Rose and Miles had gotten married in the last episode of the series because they were engaged it seemed.

Wasn't it discovered later on (in Golden Palace) that Miles was cheating on Rose practically the whole time they were together?

Wasn't it discovered later on (in Golden Palace) that Miles was cheating on Rose practically the whole time they were together?

It has been around seven years since I last saw the episode on Lifetime so I don't know. All I remember is that the girls were catering a wedding that was suppose to happen at the hotel and Rose discovers that it is for Miles and is heartbroken. He does explain how it all happened, but I don't remember if he had said he had been cheating on her the whole time. I will have to look that up.