Sitcoms are defined by resolving comedic situations with sharp wit and tight writing. But sometimes an episode will defy comedy and step into darker territory. When this happens, the results vary from a painfully obvious statement to indescribable surrealism. There’s something interesting about a typically upbeat show going dark. That’s what this series is about. Once Upon A Dark Episode… The Golden Girls – 72 Hours
Created by Susan Harris in 1984, The Golden Girls was a comedy about four friends living together in Miami Florida. What set the show apart from others of the era was the main characters were older women. Not only did this appeal to a mature audience but it gave writers the freedom to tell stories about an often-overlooked segment of the population. Throughout the 7 seasons of The Golden Girls, most of the situations the ladies found themselves in were breezy and humorous. But there is one particular episode where things take a serious turn. In the 1990 season 5 episode 72 Hours, Rose gets tested for AIDS.
From the moment of its discovery in early 1981, AIDS has been one of the most polarizing epidemics in recorded history.
What was thought to be a mutated type of cancer early on, the lack of cohesive research and resources lead scientists to believe HIV/AIDS was exclusive to gay men. This along with the cultural stigma of homosexuality in America lead the media to unfairly label the deadly disease the gay plague. It’s difficult to fathom but the White House didn’t even publicly acknowledge the epidemic until September 1985, after the death toll already reached nearly 6000.
A situation comedy about older women doesn’t seem like prime real estate for a story based on a deadly disease. But that only adds to the surreal nature of the episode.
In 72 Hours, Rose receives a letter stating she may have contracted HIV through a blood transfusion a few years before. She can’t even bring herself to say ‘HIV’ while reading the letter much less wrapping her head around the possibility of having it. Later, Dorothy, Blanche, and Sophia accompany Rose to the hospital where she gets tested. Already frantic, Rose nearly loses her mind when she finds out she has to wait 3 days for the results.
As if addressing the AIDS epidemic wasn’t surreal enough, the darkest aspect of 72 Hours is the depiction of stigma and tolerance through the main characters.
It’s astonishing how the writers forced the characters to play against their respective types. The Golden Girls had a very simple formula. Dorothy is usually the straight-laced character grounded with dry wit. Blanche the flamboyant narcissist, Sophia’s infamous sassiness. And of course, Rose’s dimwitted naivety is usually the bottom of every joke. The episode turns the formula on its head and represents the worst of human behavior during a crisis.
A small subplot revolves around Sophia refusing to use the same bathroom as Rose as well as writing ‘R’ on each glass she drinks from in the house. Dorothy is quick to call her out on it but Sophia still struggles with her own behavior. “I know intellectually there’s no way I can catch it. But now that it’s so close to home, it’s scary!” she laments. While it’s sort of played for laughs, it’s quite heartbreaking when you think about it. Paranoia-fed ignorance keeping a friend from getting the support when she needs it the most.
On the other side of the spectrum, Blanche constantly reassures Rose to the point where it becomes inadvertently condescending.
When Rose’s nerves get the better of her, she lashes out at Blanche by saying “I don’t feel like ‘taking it easy’! I may have AIDS and that scares the hell out of me! Every time I open my mouth to talk about it someone says ‘there-there Rose, take it easy.”. This is something many of us do unintentionally in real life. Plus, it an interesting meta moment for a sitcom to address the very thing they’re made to do: make light of a bad situation.
After leveling with each other, Rose’s transparency leads to one of the most-applauded moments of the entire series. While Rose has Blanche’s undivided attention, she vents all her frustrations and it goes from revealing her insecurities to judgmental ignorance. “Why is this happening to me!? I’m a good person! I’m a Goody-Two-Shoes.” Rose cries. Visibly insulted, Blanch sets Rose straight. “AIDS isn’t a bad person’s disease Rose. It is not God punishing people for their sins!”.
Adding to the surrealism of 72 Hours, each character has a valid point in their behavior regardless of how ignorant.
Despite being an epidemic throughout the previous decade, the stigma and misinformed ignorance surrounding AIDS was still common. In 1990 when this episode aired, the known AIDS-related deaths reached nearly 17,000. More women tested HIV positive than men. Ronald Reagan made a public apology for his neglect of the epidemic when he was President. If the ladies of The Golden Girls were real, they would’ve been hearing about AIDS for nearly a decade. The only thing they knew for certain, AIDS was a death sentence.
In generic sitcom fashion, Rose’s test comes back negative and they all learn the importance of friendship. For all the progressive writing and juxtaposition, the networks hadn’t the guts to have a well-established main character have a life-threatening disease. But watching the characters display various degrees of ignorance, is just as impactful today as it was back then. It’s difficult to say how you would handle such a crisis. We’re quick to say we’d be a Blanche in this situation, but how many of us would be a Sophia? Could we be a Dorothy and be willing to call out our own mothers for xenophobic behavior? Or like Rose, would we honestly believe we were too good to have a disease?
These questions reveal a darker side of the episode the writers probably didn’t even realize we’d still be exploring 30 years later.
72 Hours wasn’t the only time Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia explored surreal themes throughout their television adventures. From sexual harassment, deportation, racism, and even assisted-suicide, The Golden Girls was certainly ahead of its time. It’s worth noting, Estelle Getty (Sophia) was an advocate for AIDS awareness. Not long before this episode aired she opened a rehabilitation center in her nephew’s honor who battled the disease. With this in mind, I’m sure the actress was adamant about portraying her character with the worst behavior.
Not a single episode in The Golden Girls‘ 7-season run pointed the finger at the viewer quite like 72 Hours. There are still a few laughs but none diminish the impact of HIV/AIDS or make fun of anyone battling it. Aside from a doctor and a few nurses, the story is set up, performed, and resolved by the 4 main characters. Playing it close to home added a subtle sense of both intimacy and urgency needed for the topic. 72 Hours may be dark but the candid realism makes it easily one of the most interesting sitcom episodes to ever address the issue.
The Golden Girls is currently streaming on Hulu.