Sophia's Wedding – Part 1 S4E6

Synopsis: Sophia gets married to an old friend Max Weinstock to Dorothy's dismay; Blanche and Rose start a local chapter of the Hunka Hunka Burnin' Love Elvis Fan Club.

Let's Get Political

Rose: “We're sorry Dorothy, but the bylaws clearly state that any derogatory remarks about the King are grounds for immediate expulsion.”

Blanche: “Maybe you ought to join an organization that is a little less fanatical in its devotion.”

Dorothy: “Like what, Blanche? The PLO?”

Crazy Continuity

After Sophia and Max announce they're getting married Dorothy faints. When she wakes up Rose says she's never fainted before. But Rose did faint in “End of the Curse” when she thought Blanche was pregnant.

Musical Moments

The Elvis impersonators sing “Hawaiian Wedding Song” for Sophia and Max.

St. Olaf Vocab

“Keflectoflafen flafenflurfen, potetaflingin faflafen.” - Scandinavian wedding blessing

That’s What She Said

Max: “Nice to see you again Dorothy.”

Dorothy: “You too Mr. Weinstock, when did you get in?”

Take Me Out to the Ballgame, Stanley

Rose: “Is that you, Sophia?”

Sophia: “No, it's Merlin Olsen. I'm watering my forget-me-not bouquet.”

Lewd Ladies

Blanche: “Do you know what I hate doing most after a party?”

Rose: “Trying to find your underwear in the big pile?”

Blanche: “Cleaning up the dirty dishes. You twit.”

Zbornak Zingers

Blanche: “Dorothy, if you were picking out an Elvis impersonator, how would you pick a good one?”

Dorothy: “I'd thump on his belly and see if he's ripe.”

Insult Watch

Dorothy: “'Dear Rose Nylund, your application to start an unauthorized chapter of the Elvis Presley Hunka Hunka Burnin' Love Fan Club in your neighborhood and/or trailer park has been accepted.'”

Rose: “This is the happiest, most fulfilling day of my life!”

Sophia: “Which makes you the most pathetic human being on this planet.”

Product Placement

Dorothy: “Ma, this is the biggest mistake you have ever made in your life!”

Sophia: “Fine! Don't come to the wedding! Who wants you?! But just remember one thing! If you wanna send us a gift, we're registered at Jordan Marsh.”

Sassy Sophia

Dorothy: “I'll pay for both tickets.”

Sophia: “Book business class. If I have to sit through the 'Three Amigos,' I'll need champagne.”

Back in St. Olaf

Rose: “My Charlie asked me to marry him ten minutes after we met. Course, we were only seven at the time. My mother was so cute when I told her. She said, 'Rose, honey, you're just a little girl. You have your entire life before you, and the whole world to see. Now, you wait until you grow up and get sophisticated, and marry at 15 like your sisters.'”

Blanche: “But you didn't.”

Rose: “No, I was always kind of the gypsy of the family. The rebel. I wanted to see the world. So after high school, I went to St. Gustave University to study Latin. I didn't know you studied Latin. First in my class, Orothyday.”

Best of B.E.D.

Dorothy: “How about you, Blanche?”

Blanche: “Oh, ab-so-lute-leh! If the right man ever came along. Course, he'd have to have the body of a Mr. Mel Gibson, the personality of a Mr. Johnny Carson, and the financial resources of Mr. Donald Trump.”

Sweet, Single-Digit-IQ Rose

Sophia: “Esther Weinstock is dead. We grew up together. She was my best friend.”

Dorothy: “Oh, I'm so sorry. What happened?”

Sophia: “She was fighting an oil rig fire in the Gulf of Mexico. She was 88!”

Rose: “Well, it's great that she was able to work right up to the end.”

Reel References

Caterer: “Now, look here, Stretch. I have a hundred cheese puffs and a sensitive assistant both on the verge of collapse. Whatever the problem is, overlook it. My mother did with my marriage. And if you say something smart, I'll slap you silly.”

Dorothy: “Listen, this is a private moment, so butt out, Rambo!”

The Boob Tube

Rose: “Uh-oh. Either I mixed the Elvis list with the wedding list, or everyone in Max's family appeared on 'The Ed Sullivan Show.'”

Golden Quotes

Blanche: “I hope you're not too upset over this, Dorothy.”

Dorothy: “I've just been thrown out of an unauthorized Elvis fan club. I'll try to pick up the pieces and go on with my life. I mean, there must be a support group for people like me.”

and

Sophia: “Dorothy, I love you, but if you ruin my happiness, I will put a Sicilian curse on you that will be like hell on earth!”

Dorothy: “Ma, you can't put a Sicilian curse on your eldest daughter if the mother is marrying a man under five foot, seven! You're not the only one with Aunt Regina's phone number.”

Sophia: “Damn MCI.”

and

Caterer: “This is more moving than Susan Hayward's climactic speech in I Want To Live.”

Blanche: “You're ready to fly right outta here, aren't you?”

Caterer: “Well, excuse me for living, Anita Bryant.”

Critique: Sophia gets another standout story line in “Sophia's Wedding” in which she starts banging the guy who's she's hated for the past 40 years. And his wife dies and then he just flies down to Miami. Yeah sure. But I digress. The B story involving the Elvis fan club is a hotbed of classic GG lines. I'm not sure why Rose seems to all of a sudden be a huge Elvis Presley fan but whatevah. The Elvis story seems to have nothing to do with anything until Rose's delightful mix-up when dozens of Elvis impersonators show up at Sophia and Max's wedding. Were they surprised that they got no RSVPs? And how did none of them answer the door to let them in? So many questions but who cares I'm on my way to see Burt Reynolds!! And yes that is Academy Award-winning writer/director Quentin Tarantino in an early role as one of the Elvis impersonators. GRADE: A