Ep 9. Good Luck Faking the Goiter

Four Los Angeles women, formerly of the Midwest, find themselves living together in a Cleveland house to make ends meet. Betty White stars as the caretaker of the property, and Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, and Wendy Malick play the three friends. In Season 1 Episode 9, titled "Good Luck Faking the Goiter," the ladies set their sights on wooing a handsome doctor named Charlie (played by Tim Daly).

As the episode begins, the women are gathered around the kitchen table discussing their dating lives. Victoria (Malick) has been seeing a wealthy man who wants her to sign a prenuptial agreement before they get married, while Joy (Leeves) laments that her love life has been non-existent since moving to Cleveland. Elka (White) suggests they focus on finding a doctor to date, as they tend to be well-off and have good health insurance.

Their attention turns to Charlie, a new doctor in town who recently treated Victoria's dog. They devise a plan to all schedule appointments with him and try to win him over with their charm. However, things don't go as planned when Melanie (Bertinelli) discovers a lump on her neck and decides to fake a goiter in an attempt to garner sympathy from Charlie.

The women hilariously try to help Melanie fake her way through the appointment, with Elka suggesting she carry around a jar of pickles to make her appear pregnant and Victoria coaching her on how to fake an accent to sound more exotic. Joy even joins in by pretending to be Melanie's sister and adding to the deception.

Meanwhile, Victoria continues to struggle with the prenuptial agreement and seeks legal advice from a hilariously incompetent lawyer. She is advised to be creative with what she puts in the agreement, leading to an entertaining montage of her brainstorming bizarre clauses such as "if we divorce, you have to legally change your name to Quackers" and "you must always wear a tutu."

In the end, the women realize that their attempts at deception are unnecessary and they should just be themselves. Charlie proves to be a genuinely nice guy, and while he ultimately doesn't end up dating any of them, they each leave the appointment feeling good about themselves and their friendship with each other.

Overall, Hot In Cleveland's Season 1 Episode 9 "Good Luck Faking the Goiter" is a fun and lighthearted episode that showcases the chemistry and comedic talents of the show's talented cast. With its blend of heart and humor, the show is a must-see for fans of classic sitcoms.