Ep 10. Stan Takes a Wife

Stan Takes a Wife is the 10th episode of the 4th season of the classic American sitcom The Golden Girls. The series follows the lives of four older women who live together in a Miami, Florida, bungalow: Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur), Rose Nylund (Betty White), Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan), and Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty).

In this episode, Stan (Herb Edelman), Dorothy's ex-husband, comes to visit. He announces that he is getting married to a much younger woman named Chrissy (Linda Gillen), which shocks and worries Dorothy. She fears that Stan's new marriage could affect their friendship and that he could possibly try to win her back.

Blanche, on the other hand, is thrilled to see Stan again and immediately starts to flirt with him, which angers Dorothy. As the episode continues, the conflict between Dorothy and Blanche over Stan's visit leads to a rift in their friendship, and they both become distant with each other.

Meanwhile, Sophia is worried about her health after having a "bizarre" dream where she was visited by her deceased husband and he tells her that she has only a week left to live. Rose tries to calm her down and assures her that it was just a dream, but Sophia remains anxious.

Adding to the drama, Chrissy visits the ladies and tries to bond with them. However, they are skeptical of her intentions, and Dorothy is particularly hostile towards her. Later, when the ladies attend Chrissy and Stan's engagement party, Dorothy and Blanche have a heated argument that leads to them temporarily parting ways.

In the end, things begin to fall into place as they should. Dorothy comes to the realization that she still has feelings for Stan and that she wants him back, but she decides to let him go for good as she realizes it's the right thing to do. She also makes peace with Blanche.

Sophia decides to face her fears and goes to the doctor, who tells her that she is entirely healthy, and there was no need to worry at all.

The episode ends with Blanche finding a new man to date, while Dorothy reflects on her past with Stan and comes to terms with the fact that their relationship is over for good.

Overall, Stan Takes a Wife is an episode that deals with themes of love, jealousy, aging, and mortality. It touches upon the complexity of relationships and the insecurities that come with getting older. The script is well-crafted, with sharp dialogue and comedic timing, making it one of the standout episodes of the series.