S04-E12 has competitive Rose seeking Dorothy's help in coaching pee-wee football; meanwhile, Blanche keeps getting the brush from her current beau, which leads to her meeting a new man who is...wait for it...blind. Penned by series mainstay Christopher Lloyd (but, more likely, written by committee, with a tableful of writers throwing ideas at a blackboard), this episode seems to have been created by people who've never watched the show before. There are the usual funny, acidic asides, but the characters are like strangers. Whose idea was it to turn Betty White's lovable ditz Rose into a competitive shark? I once had a co-worker who told me, "I never believed that character arc." Indeed, it seems as if they gave this to White to give her something to play, but her overzealous need to win doesn't match up right with the Rose we all know. The same can nearly be said of Blanche, who kowtows to her literal blind date after cancelling on him one night, stands aside when he meets his new lady-friend for drinks (a shapely blonde)--and even offers to treat on their next date together! Who are these Golden Girls? Sighted actor Edward Winter plays John Quinn, and he's fine but completely the wrong type for Blanche--and why doesn't he tell Blanche he's blind when they first meet? Instead, he shows up at the house and asks her, "Was there something about me you didn't notice the other night?" Blind is one thing, rude is another.
Review of Blind Date
