There are many memorable characters in The Golden Girls. Apart from the Golden Girls themselves, they have romantic relationships, family relatives, and for Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur), she has her ex-husband, Stanley Zbornak (Herbert Edelman).
Audiences have a love-hate relationship with Stan. He cheated on Dorothy and he always shows up at the house during the most inopportune moments, especially with his signature phrase, “Hi, it’s me, Stan.” He’s a jerk, but there are some occasions where he redeems himself.
Overall, Stan is an important character to the show, representing Dorothy’s sad and frustrating past. The show wouldn’t have been the same without him.
Jerk: Dorothy's Pregnancy
Throughout the show, Dorothy mentions how she got pregnant on her first date at a drive-in movie with Stanley when she was in high school. At the time, he claimed he was being sent to fight in Korea the next day. This wasn’t true, but he convinced Dorothy to sleep with him.
In the season five episode “The Accurate Conception,” Dorothy mentions how she wasn’t aware of what was happening during her date. She was unconscious, which means that Stan raped her. By getting pregnant as a result of this date, Dorothy was essentially trapped in her relationship with Stan. This is one of many flaws in the show that fans often overlooked.
Redeemed Himself: When He Has Heart Surgery
In the season two episode “The Stan Who Came to Dinner,” Stan has unfortunate news: he needs an important heart surgery to possibly save his life. He’s scared to have the operation and Dorothy allows him to stay with the girls during his recovery.
While he quickly becomes annoying and overstays his welcome, Stan is vulnerable in this episode. He worries about his health and he has a serious conversation with Dorothy. Even though she usually slams the door in his face, Dorothy still cares for Stan. When he’s sick, she still takes care of him.
Jerk: Cheating On Dorothy
Before the show’s timeline begins, Dorothy divorced Stan after finding out he cheated on her during their marriage. He had multiple affairs with secretaries and one-night stands. He finally left her after having an affair with a flight attendant.
Being the coward he is, he didn’t even tell her goodbye. She received the news from their divorce attorney. He didn’t even have the guts to tell her about his infidelity. After 38 years of marriage, Dorothy deserved more from Stan.
Redeemed Himself: Realizing His Past Mistakes
Throughout the show, Stan references how he made a mistake when he threw away his marriage to Dorothy. He knows this and he has to live with the biggest regret of his life. While he has many relationships during the course of the show, Stan has a soft spot in his heart for Dorothy.
No matter what happens in his life, including many financial troubles, Stan knows that Dorothy was the one good thing that ever happened to him. Nothing would ever compare to the marriage he had with her.
Jerk: Being Selfish At A Homeless Shelter
The season five episode, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” was ahead of its time for its social commentary. The girls volunteer at a homeless shelter in Miami. While there, Dorothy is surprised to find Stan at the shelter. All of his businesses were failing and his wife had kicked him out of the house for infidelity.
Stan starts to act selfish, wallowing in his own problems without thinking that things could be worse. Dorothy reminds him that there are children at the shelter who won’t have a happy Christmas. Stan needs to stop being selfish and realize he isn’t alone in his situation. At the time, Stan refuses to believe that he’s not the only one in the world who is broke and homeless on Christmas.
Redeemed Himself: Surprising The Kids At The Homeless Shelter
In “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” Stan eventually realizes that Dorothy was right. He has been acting selfishly. After Dorothy reminds him of how he cheered up their children on a past Christmas when they were poor, Stan changes. Dressed as Santa Claus, he surprises all of the children at the homeless shelter with presents.
In fact, Stan plans to put his life back together again with new business plans and an attempt to repair his marriage. Stan went from being selfish and negative to an optimistic man who realizes he is more privileged than he thought.
Jerk: When He Was Audited
When Stan visits Dorothy, it’s never a good sign. He doesn’t bring happy news. In the season three episode, “The Audit,” Stan reveals to Dorothy that the IRS is going to audit both of them due to his extravagant spending while they were still married. At the same time, Dorothy finds out that Stan secretly bought a Corvette while they were married. Stan just loved to keep secrets from Dorothy.
To make matters even worse, Stan tries to influence the IRS auditor, but it backfires. Whenever Stan tries to solve problems, he only causes more complications. He doesn’t listen to Dorothy’s advice (or threats), and she often has to pay for his mistakes.
Redeemed Himself: When He Comforted Dorothy
In the season four episode “Stan Takes a Wife,” Dorothy’s mother, Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty), is hospitalized with pneumonia. Dorothy is obviously worried about her mom because they have a close relationship, and Stan surprises her by comforting her at the hospital. He stays with her for as long as she needs, and he even demands answers about Sophia’s condition when the doctor doesn’t address Dorothy’s concerns.
For once, Stan rises to the occasion and becomes Dorothy’s rock. She realizes that she still loves him, even though she shouldn’t. He might have been sweet during this episode, but he’s more often a jerk.
Jerk: When He Wanted Dorothy To Sign A Prenup
During the show’s sixth season, Dorothy and Stan start dating each other again. This time, they’re very serious and they’re planning on remarrying. Dorothy seems happy, but it won’t last long.
Immediately before the wedding ceremony, Stan surprises Dorothy when he recommends that they sign a prenuptial agreement. She gets angry and said the trust she had in him was now gone. She calls off the wedding to prevent making the same mistake again. No one can blame as he should have discussed this with her before they were about to get married.
Redeemed Himself: When He Drove Dorothy To Her Wedding
In the show’s series finale, Dorothy marries Blanche’s uncle, Lucas Hollingsworth (Leslie Nielsen). On her way to the church, the limousine driver stops the car. It turns out to be Stan in disguise. He asks if she truly loves Lucas, wanting to make sure she is marrying the right person for her. He confesses that he will always love her.
Stan grew up in this episode. He decides to drive Dorothy to church “in style” in a way she deserves. Stan knows that his place in her life is about to change, but he’s okay with this. They can both move on from the past.