Snap Out of It S6E4

Synopsis: Dorothy assists Sophia with Meals on Wheels and then helps an agoraphobic hippie named Jimmy; Rose tries to find out Blanche’s real age and plan her a surprise birthday party.

Crazy Continuity

How do they not know when Blanche’s birthday is? They already threw Blanche a surprise party in the Season 2 episode “A Piece of Cake.”

Musical Moments

Jimmy: “Hey, let's celebrate. Party time. [singing] The answer, my friend/Is blowin' in the wind.”

Dorothy: “Jimmy. Look, why don't we just save this as sort of a treat for later on, hmm?”

Sophia: “Pussycat, you're out of your league. There are some people you just can't help. It's like the Good Lord said - ‘You gotta know when to hold 'em. Know when to fold 'em. Know when to walk away.’”

Dorothy: “Ma, that's not the Good Lord, that's Kenny Rogers.”

Sophia: “God, Kenny Rogers. Tomato, tomah-to.”

That’s What She Said

Sophia: “There are only two things I look forward to each day, and both of them involve yankin' a chain.”

Animal Alert

Sophia: “This is Mrs. Taylor. You'll get along with her just fine. Two things: one, compliment her cat, and two, Jews control the planet.”

Dorothy: “Got it.”

Sophia: “Oh, hi, Fluffy. Lookin' good!”

Zbornak Zingers

Rose: “I have to figure out which of the traditional St. Olaf party games to play at Blanche's party-”

Blanche: “Party?? Is that why you've been sneaking around trying to find out my age? A party? I forbid it!”

Rose: “Blanche, a party is a celebration of life, and it's not just for you, but for your friends who love you.”

Blanche: “No!”

Rose: “Stop being so vain. You can't stay 42 forever.”

Blanche: “Yes, you can. If you eat right, exercise regularly, and live with women who look a lot older than you.”

Dorothy: “Tell me, Rose, is, uh, ‘Kill the Bitch’ a traditional St. Olaf party game?”

Insult Watch

Dorothy: “I have a date.”

Sophia: “You call that a date? Thyroid Freddie? His eyes bug right out of his head. He looks like he's being choked.”

Dorothy: “Now stop it. Freddie is a fine man. You know when he was younger, he could've been an astronaut, except for, well, you know, that eye thing.”

Sophia: “I've been working for this Meals on Wheels program, and I need a driver. Please?”

Dorothy: “Oh, all right, Ma. I'll cancel Banjo Eyes.”

Tales from the Old South

Blanche: “The '60s were an emotional time for all of us. I can still see Big Daddy sitting on the porch swing, swilling down home brew, picking off peaceniks with his BB gun. Oh, God, I miss that man.”

Dorothy: “Come on, honey. I'm sure Grand Dragon - I mean, uh, Big Daddy is always with you.”

Product Placement

Blanche: “It was one of the best birthdays I have ever had. I did some soul-searching, and it occurred to me that I'm a vibrant energetic woman. I mean I must still have some life left in me if I can make Mel Bushman's head snap back like that.”

Rose: “You mean Old Pez Head?”

Sassy Sophia

Rose: “Has anybody seen Blanche? She had a date last night, and this morning her bed's all made and she's not even there.”

Sophia: “Wait a minute. Here's our walking playground now. Boy, it must be true love. This guy is slowing down to 5 miles an hour.”

Back in St. Olaf

Dorothy: “Oh, I wish I could believe you, but, Rose, I have been there. I mean after a while you feel you're just in this gigantic black hole.”

Rose: “We had a gigantic black hole back in St. Olaf.”

Sophia: “Oh, God.”

Rose: “On Main Street, right in front of the courthouse where Charlie and I got our marriage license and our permit to have kids. Oh, it was a lovely hole. Everybody in town would stand around and look in it.”

Dorothy: “And they say Hollywood is the entertainment capital of the world.”

Rose: “Well, we didn't just look in it. Sometimes we'd point, too. Or spit and time it. Then there was always that wise guy who'd have a couple of drinks and unzip himself and...”

Dorothy: “It's official. I hate her.”

Best of B.E.D.

Rose: “You haven't drowned yourself in young men since this time last year, when you brought those twins home from the Jimmy Smits look-alike contest.”

Blanche: “Oh yeah, Jorge and Esteban. Romantic, passionate, and virtually interchangeable.”

Sweet, Single-Digit-IQ Rose

Rose: “I can't believe it. After all these years, we're finally gonna know. We're gonna know the true age of Blanche Devereaux. ‘Deleted by authority of the governor.’ Oh, they - These are all like that.”

Dorothy: “Rose, you know what this means?”

Rose: “Yeah. She must have really jumped on this guy's bandwagon.”

Dorothy: “You almost got it, Rose.”

What, We Can't Learn From History?

Dorothy: “Jimmy, I just wanna make sure that you're OK. Do I have to play hardball? David Dellinger.”

Jimmy: “Don't do this to me.”

Dorothy: “Bobby Seale.”

Jimmy: “It's getting warm in here.”

Dorothy: “Tom Hayden.”

Jimmy: “Oh, God, you're good.”

Dorothy: “Abbbbie...”

Dorothy Zbornak is My Spirit Animal

Dorothy: “Just a minute. You're not old, you're not ill. You're... no slave to fashion. Why are you taking this food?”

Jimmy: “Well, I'm hungry and I'm on the list. Who do you think you are?”

Dorothy: “Sergeant Zbornak, Food Police!”

Literary Intelligentsia

Sophia: “You're not a shrink. Be careful. Don't let your ego get involved.”

Dorothy: “My ego is not involved. Look, I'm nobody special, Ma. I'm just an average citizen. I saw another citizen, and I reached out. A man changed his life, and I'm just somebody who helped him do it. Me, Dorothy Zbornak - Miracle Worker.”

Reel References

Blanche: “You know, Sophia, this birthday thing kinda has me depressed as well. You think you could help me, too?”

Sophia: “Sure. No matter how bad things get, remember these sage words: you're old, you sag, get over it.”

Blanche: “Sophia!”

Sophia: “So what if you knew Jesus personally? Wake up and smell the coffee, you fossil.”

Blanche: “My mistake. I thought since you looked like Yoda, you were also wise.”

The Boob Tube

Sophia: “No Mrs Taylor, it’s Flintstone not Flintstein.”

Golden Quotes

Sophia: “My heart! My heart! Everything has gone black. I'm coming to you, Sallie!”

Dorothy: “Ma! Oh, God! Oh, God. Oh, God! Hang on, Ma! Oh, please, please, hang on!”

Sophia: “All right, but you have to do me a favor.”

Dorothy: “To the moon, Ma!”

Dorothy: “Blanche, what is going on? I mean, that guy's a little young, even for you.”

Blanche: “What are you talkin' about? He's a mature young man with his own business. Now, who wants to help me pick out five magazines?”

Dorothy: “You know, I actually feel sorry for Blanche. Don't you, Ma?”

Sophia: “Who's Ma? Who are you?”

Dorothy: “Just ask the damn favor.”

Jimmy: “Get away! Go over there. Move!”

Sophia: “OK, OK. Take it easy. [to Dorothy] Who's the macadamia?”

Dorothy: “How pathetic a person could live their life totally alone, devoid of companionship or love. I wish I could do something.”

Sophia: “Start a club.”

Dorothy: “I'm sorry, Mrs. Ferguson. No, I didn't happen to see Ed Sullivan last night, but I'm sure it was a good one. [slams door] She's ready, God.”

Jimmy: “Boy, I'll bet you've broken hundreds of hearts in your day, huh? Thousands?”

Dorothy: “Well, yes I have.”

Jimmy: “I mean, wherever you go, I bet you torment and tease and tantalize every man you meet.”

Dorothy: “You're right again.”

Blanche: “All that birthday nonsense was just an exercise in vanity. And so today, for the very first time, Blanche Devereaux is gonna reveal her true and accurate age. Right after you tell me your weight.”

Rose: “119.”

Blanche: “42.”

Rose: “Coffee?”

Blanche: “Please.”

Dorothy: “What's wrong?? I'll tell you what's wrong. I single-handedly ruined a man's life today.”

Rose: “Which hand?”

Dorothy: “THIS HAND.”

Critique:

Sgt. Zbornak. Food. Police. It doesn't get much better than that, but I digress. Sometimes you just forget how jam-packed full of outstanding lines an episode can be. I’ve always enjoyed this episode even if the story is a tad orthodox. Bea is particularly strong here as Dorothy gets so many great moments. Martin Mull (you recognize him as Col. Mustard from “Clue”) plays off Bea Arthur extremely well. When she’s huskily listing off the Chicago Seven at his door, it’s simply delightful. Sure it’s sort of weird that Jimmy’s storyline takes such center stage to the point where Blanche and Rose feel sidelined throughout the episode. Rose trying to throw Blanche a party feels shoehorned in until the final moment when Jimmy unknowingly walks into a surprise party. It’s a really fun and inventive way to bring the two stories together. But let’s have a little fun and think about some of the more ridiculously elements of this episode. Like, what the hell kind of small supermarket has a “one millionth costumer” promotion with a trip to mardi gras? I’ve never even seen a grocery story with a turnstile. Was that guy with the microphone just sitting there for days waiting for the millionth customer to walk through the door? And how exactly did Jimmy know where to find Dorothy? I assume his phone book was from the 60s. But I digress. This is a great Dorothy-centered episode though everyone gets a moment to really shine. And finally, despite what you think the title of this episode references, Cher is nowhere to be found. GRADE: A-