Strange Bedfellows S3E7

Synopsis: The girls help out with the campaign for local politician Gil Kessler, but Blanche gets caught possibly having an affair with him. Sophia has a hunch.

80s Flashback

Dorothy: “Ma, you said you’d stay in your room until the meeting was over.”

Sophia: “Who am I, Alf?”

Let’s Get Political

Rose: “I haven’t had this much fun since I worked on the Dewey campaign.”

Dorothy: “Rose, you worked for Thomas Dewey?”

Rose, “No, Melvil Dewey, the founder of the Dewey Decimal System.”

Insult Watch

Blanche: “My backside is spread all across the front page, how could they do that!?”

Sophia: “They probably used a wide-angle lens.”

Picture It

Sophia: “Picture this. Sicily, 1922. The village is in a terrible wine crisis. It's the peak of the wine season. All our grape stompers are ravaged by an outbreak of athlete's foot. Soon the Chianti has a green hue and tastes like Desenex. They call in Sicily's foremost podiatrist, Bruno Bonofiglio. He's the one who prescribed arch supports for Mussolini… I take one look at him, and I have a hunch he's trouble. But nobody believes me. So what happens? He cures everybody and wine sales skyrocket... Now, everyone is living high on the hog and eating rich foods. The next thing you know, there's a gout epidemic. Nobody can stomp grapes. And Bruno makes a killing selling orthopedic sandals.”

Dorothy: “Now don't tell me. He went to America, and changed his name to Dr. Scholl?”

Sophia: “No. Actually, he developed a foot fetish and suffocated when he shoved his head in a lady's rubber boot.”

Zbornak Zingers

Dorothy: “Wait a minute, that looks like Blanche's red dress.”

Sophia: “And those look like Blanche's red shoes.”

Dorothy: “And aren't they her diamond earrings and gold bracelet?”

Rose: “That little floozy stole Blanche's clothes!”

Dorothy: “It's like having Agatha Christie right here in our kitchen.”

Product Placement

Sophia, on the phone: “Hello? I need the number for People magazine. The department that buys stories about politicians who sleep with sleazy broads. [looking at Blanche] Don't worry, it's not about you.”

That’s What She Said

Sophia: “I can't put my finger on it. But if I could, I would have to wash it.”

Oh Shut Up, Rose!

Blanche: “Can you give me one good reason why I would lie to you?”

Dorothy: “You're embarrassed because you seduced him. You're scared, and you're guilty because you've ruined his campaign.”

Rose: “Three good reasons.”

Blanche & Dorothy: “Oh, shut up Rose!”

Sassy Sophia

Dorothy: “Oh, come on, Ma. Remember your hunch about your nephew, Angelo? You said one day he'd be Pope.”

Sophia: “Dorothy, you gotta pay attention. I said one day, he'd sell dope. What do you think he went to Attica for, the volleyball program?”

Sweet, Single-Digit-IQ Rose

Rose: “Then why does it say, 'The explosion was so great, it shattered windows in the building next door??'”

Dorothy: "Rose, that's an article about an earthquake in Guatemala!”

Best of B.E.D.

Blanche: “Are you trying to tell me that people like you better now because they think you went to bed with a gorgeous, intelligent woman??”

Reel References

Dorothy: “Now look, Blanche, we're in public now. There's no reason to be hostile.”

Blanche: “Oh yes there is. I don't like you.”

Dorothy: “And horizontal stripes make you look like Roger Ebert.”

The Boob Tube

Dorothy: “I just wanna forget the whole incident. It's been a terrible night and I am very upset.”

Rose: “You mean because Gil dropped out of the election and Blanche hates us.”

Dorothy: “No, I’m upset because they haven’t rerun The Facts of Life Goes to Australia.”

Golden Quotes

Rose, referring to the newspaper: “Blanche it's you!”

Blanche, pointing to Sophia: “Oh, you're getting so good at that Rose, now who's that over there?”

and of course,

Rose: “I'm still confused about the operation Gil Kessler had. Is the man asleep during it?”

Dorothy: “I think so, Rose.”

Rose: “And what about the parts they put on? Do they test them first?”

Dorothy: “Of course Rose, you know, like windshield wipers.”

Rose: “What are they made of??”

Dorothy: “SILLY PUTTY ROSE!”

Critique: I'm fascinated by how big of a deal a political race for city councilman in Miami could possibly be. Like why would photographers be waiting in bushes outside Gil Kessler's house? But I digress. Season Three has been overall fantastic but “Strange Bedfellows” is not one of my all-time favorite episodes. It nonetheless offers a few key decent moments (including Dorothy's quick quip “That's an article about an earthquake in Guatemala!”) and a nice twist ending that doesn’t feel forced. Rue is really good in this episode, and Bea has too many good lines to quote here (but I'll do it anyway: “It sounded like Jim and Tammy Faye on Nightline!”) I love how obsessed the writers were with Tammy Baker. I don't really believe that Dorothy wouldn't believe Blanche as is the case in many of these episodes, but it allows for the insults to come fast and loose (that's what she said): “Indian Giver!!” Also it must be said that this is one of the very few representations of trans people on American television. Looking through a modern-day lens, and speaking as a cisgender person, it's troublesome to me that Gil's revelation is portrayed as being dishonest and deceiving. But I sort of have to commend the fact that he isn't really turned into the butt of a joke even if Rose makes uninformed jokes about his genitalia. B