You can never go wrong with an episode of “The Golden Girls”. Especially a Christmas episode.

The Florida heat has gotten to everyone and nobody wants to shop any longer, putting everyone (except Rose) in a foul mood. To make matters worse, Stan, Dorothy’s ex-husband, shows up looking for a handout to jumpstart his new “business”, a “research and development lab”. He just needs $1000 from each of the ladies. Of course they say no and send Stan packing.

Dorothy then suggests that because of the intense heat and fact it’s only two days until Christmas, instead of each of them going shopping for each other, they just each pick a name and buy for that one person. Of course Rose asks who’s names they will be picking and Dorothy sarcastically replies “The Oak Ridge Boys”. Blanche isn’t keen on choosing names because she doesn’t like Rose’s gifts. But exchange names they do and to her displeasure, Blanche’s gift giver is Rose.

Surprisingly on Christmas morning Blanche is surprised with her gift from Rose.

Blanche: “It’s a beautiful blouse.”

Rose: “I hope it’s alright. Dorothy said you’d like something crotchless.”

Rose then announces that she has to get ready to go to the church to help serve dinner to the homeless. The other offer to volunteer, although Sophia does seem perturbed to be missing out on watching “Scarface”.

While serving the food, a man dressed as Santa Claus approaches Dorothy. It turns out to be Stan.

Dorothy later confides in Stan as he’s eating and asks him what he’s doing there. She learns that Stan has hit hard times, that he was just trying to swindle money out of them with his “research and development lab” story and his wife has thrown him out of the house. He mentions how he was relying on a shipment of toy firetrucks from Germany to come through for the holidays and they had just arrived the day before so he had no means of selling them in time.

Dorothy becomes angry at Stan for lying to her and for being the jerk that he’s always been. Then while she’s dishing out pie with Blanche, Sophia comes in and tells Dorothy how Stan is out there bringing everyone else down. Dorothy goes and talks to him, they reminisce about old times and she reminds him how he’s always been an innovator. In the end, Stan comes in as Santa with his sack full of the fire engines he no longer has any means for and passes them out to the children that are there.