The Golden Girls (TV Series) Old Friends (1987) User Reviews

Old Friends (#3.1)

[ComedyFan2010 · 10/10 · 16 January 2014]

Sophia meets a man at a park and comes to see him on a daily basis. They really get along until one day he behaves weirdly. When Dorothy comes to check on them she meets his daughter who tells her that he has Alzheimer's disease and may have to leave the city soon. Blanche by mistake gives Rose's Teddy to a girl away who becomes really nasty and refuses to give it back.

Golden Girls at their best. Sophia's story is heart wrenching. I had tears in my eyes a lot. Alzheimer's disease is a sad thing.And the acting was wonderful, with so many sweet moments.

Rose's Teddy story was great as well. This girl was so nasty I wished someone could punch her! And it ended greatly, who else could we be alright with doing it to a child, but Rose who is sweeter and more innocent than most children?

Top notch

[antoniocassone2013 · 10/10 · 2 October 2022]

Just saw this gem of an episode for like the 50th time. The Golden Girls really did tackle sensitive subjects (Alzheimer's in this case) with love, care, grace and a lot of heart - laughs too. Beautifully acted, especially by Estelle Getty and guest star Mr. Seneca. Of course, the rest of the cast delivered the laughs with Rose trying to get her Teddy Bear back. I miss them all, as they gave so much to Pop Culture over the decades, but with Hallmark channel, CMT and so many others re-running the series, we have all the memories and, again, the laughs. This episode just really spoke to me. Bravo!

One of Best Episodes

[DonBaydrTheSecond · 10/10 · 7 July 2022]

This is a very touching episode. I can relate to it because my father, who died from Parkinson's disease, had episodes of forgetfulness days before he passed away. The last scene with nuanced piano music showing Sophia and Dorothy as they leave the empty beach bench, the spot where Sophia and Alvin (the man with Alzheimer's disease) used to hang out together, sent me bawling.

An incredible episode.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 26 April 2023]

Blanche inadvertently gives Rose's beloved teddy bear Fernando to Sunshine cadet Daisy, who refuses to hand it back over, Sophia befriends a chap on a bench, who sadly has dementia.

Wow, just wow, what an incredible start to series three, a mix of magically heart warming and agonisingly heart breaking.

I'll start with the standout scene, that moment where Sophia learns that Alvin can't put the pieces together, and breaks down, I broke down too, it was heart breaking, such a powerful moment.

The hilarious scenes, the ransom demand, and the scene where Rose interacts with Daisy.

It's up there as a contender for the shoes best episode, it made me sob, it made me laugh out loud, what a powerful, winning combination.

10/10.

Leaves you stunned.

[ronniactor · 10/10 · 22 September 2023]

I've always loved this episode of The Golden Girls, but I understand it even more having lost my Father to Dementia.

Joe Seneca plays the role of Alvin with heartbreaking accuracy. A truly stunning performance. The good old Golden Girls comedy still surrounds this devastating storyline, but I now find this a very difficult episode to watch.

This show was always well ahead of its time, dealing with very serious issues whilst still giving us belly laughs. But this episode will stay with me for the rest of my life. I miss my Dad terribly, and I remember him through the tears that this episode never fails to produce.

This is everything a sitcom should be. I don't think this episode could ever be topped by any other show. Superb.

How do they write something so touching and sad and yet have lots of humour? It's magic!

[reb-warrior · 10/10 · 30 December 2023]

This is such a touching and sad episode. Sophia befriends a man down on the boardwalk on the beach. They meet up all the time and have a beautiful friendship.

It's so sad to realize that something is wrong and that Alvin has Alzheimer's. Estelle Getty hit all the right emotions and expressions. Sophia's conversation with Dorothy is so touching as she realizes what Dorothy is trying to tell her, tho she could tell something isn't right. How sad was it to see Sophia sitting on the bench alone at the end. Teary eyes.

I love seeing Dorothy look out for her mother. I mean she does it all the time but a lot of that is laced with humour.

Then we have some hilarious stuff with Rose, Blanche, and Dorothy. A little girl is holding Rose's bear, Fernando, hostage. Lol. This was so hilarious. I love how Rose got her bear back.

Anyway, I was left wondering how an episode so touching and sad could also have a lot of humour too. It's the magic of talented writing and great performances. 10/10.

Sophia gets to show off her big heart and Rose shows off her quick instincts.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 29 September 2019]

Now that's a sentence that you don't hear every day.

Dorothy learns that Sophia's daily beach buddy (Joe Seneca) is suffering from Alzheimer's and helps her prepare for the inevitable while Rose demands that the girls get back her teddy bear from the bratty sunshine girl (Jenny Lewis) whom Blanche gave to her by mistake. Fortunately the second plot wraps up quickly to focus on the sadder and more touching dramatic plotline. Joe Seneca is excellent as he goes through major mood swings, and young Lewis is deliciously obnoxious. However, Rose gets her really good and shows the girls that she can be surprisingly clever. Sophia, in spite of her smart mouth and cynical attitude, shows that when she has to, she can be really sweet. For a topical episode, this shows that the mixture of comedy and serious issues can make for classic television.