Blanche dates a young aerobics instructor; Rose's mother (Jeanette Nolan) teaches her an important lesson. Original airdate, November 16, 1985.
Tropes:
- Blatant Lies: Blanche's lies about her age and the age gap between her and her lover Dirk.Blanche: Momentarily. This is strictly off the record but - Dirk's nearly five years younger than I am.Dorothy: In what Blanche, dog years?
- Children Raise You: The episode handles this between Rose and her mother, Alma, but more seriously and less Played for Laughs. Rose is overbearing and smothering toward her mother out of fear of losing her, and Alma chafes at Rose's overprotective behaviors. At one point, Sophia even tells Dorothy she's grateful that Dorothy doesn't treat her the way Rose treats Alma.
- Freudian Excuse: Rose's excuse for worrying about her mother is due to losing both her father and her husband in early, untimely deaths.
Harsher in Hindsight sets in when later episodes not only reveal that Alma is Rose’s adoptive mother, but also that Rose’s biological mother died giving birth to her, making Rose’s worry more justified. - I Need a Freaking Drink: After Blanche learns that Dirk sees her as more of a mother figure than a lover, Blanche changes her order to orange duck with a Jack Daniels on the rocks.
- Like Parent, Like Spouse: Dirk says that Blanche reminds him of his mother.
- Love-Obstructing Parents: Rose is appalled to learn her mother dated a younger man who served time in prison.
- May–December Romance: Blanche briefly dates her much younger aerobic instructor, only to find out that he really is searching for a mother figure rather than a lover.
- Moment Killer: Dirk to Blanche: "You remind me of my mother."
- My Beloved Smother: Inverted. Rose is the one constantly smothering her mother and refusing to let her have fun. Her mother calls her out on it.
- Vague Age: In this episode, it's revealed Blanche is older than the age of 50. A Characterization Click Moment as well, since it would mark the start of the Running Gag of Blanche going to great lengths to hide her true age (culminating in it being removed from Georgia state records by order of the Governor).
