Rose is concerned about nuclear war, so she writes letters to both Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev and US President Ronald Reagan expressing her fears. Thinking it to be a heartfelt letter from a little girl, a Soviet emissary is so touched by the letter that he arranges a press conference to have "little Rose" read it publicly.
Tropes:
- Dream Sequence: The episode features one where Rose and the girls are invited to speak in Russia's Red Square after a letter Rose sent to Mikhail Gorbachev about nuclear war leaves a positive impression on him.
- Very Special Episode: The main plot is about the Cold War and the nuclear arms race.
- Wham Line: Rose writes letters to the leaders of the United States and Russia, asking them to disarm their nuclear weapons. The Russians set up a press conference and wish to meet Rose, thinking she's a child because of the simple innocence of her letter. They learn she's a grown woman and call off the conference, and Rose is deeply embarrassed. The situation, along with nuclear war in general, is mostly Played for Laughs throughout the episode. At the end, Blanche offers to read Rose's letter aloud, and her expression visibly darkens when she reads, "It scares the girls in my cadet troop, too. They talk about what they want to be if they grow up, not when they grow up."
