Designing Women: Complete Fourth Season [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

PROXY PIG AND GREAT PRETENDERS (September 18, 1989) When Suzanne's pig runs away, Charlene and Anthony become her new pets. Mary Jo uses an out-of-town client's home to make an old rival believe she's wealthy.

ONE NIGHT WITH YOU (September 25, 1989) A dying man wants to spend a night with Julia, his high school crush.

THERE SHE IS (October 9, 1989) Suzanne's Miss Georgia crown is in jeopardy when a voting error is discovered fifteen years later.

NIGHTMARE FROM HEE HAW (October 16, 1989) The ladies vacation to the mountains is ruined by a family of hillbillies.

THE GIRLFRIEND (October 23, 1989) The ladies aren't impressed with Anthony's new girlfriend.

THE ROWDY GIRLS (October 30, 1989) Charlene's cousin Mavis helps the ladies prepare to play the Supremes in the Decorative Arts Center Talent Show, but Charlene is devastated to accidentally discover that her beloved childhood companion is the victim of spousal abuse.

BERNICE'S SANITY HEARING (November 13, 1989) When Bernice's niece Phyllis announces that she plans to have her declared incompetent and put in a nursing home, the ladies jump to her defense -- not realizing that they appear to the judge to be the root of Bernice's problems.

JULIA GETS HER HEAD STUCK IN A FENCE (November 20, 1989) Julia gets her head stuck in the staircase of the Governor's mansion just hours before the Governor's Ball.

JULIA AND SUZANNE'S BIG ADVENTURE (November 27, 1989) Juia and Suzanne's trip to Japan is interrupted when they are robbed.

MANHUNT (December 4, 1989) Mary Jo buys a book on trapping a man and enlists Suzanne's expert advice to help her end her dating dry-spell.

THEY SHOOT FAT WOMEN, DON'T THEY? (December 11, 1989) Suzanne's image of herself is tainted by remarks made about her weigh gain at a class reunion. .

YOU GOT TO HAVE FRIENDS (December 18, 1989) Mary Jo takes a job at a fast food restaurant to make ends meet.

THE FIRST DAY OF THE LAST DECADE OF THE ENTIRE TWENTIETH CENTURY (January 1, 1990) It's New Year's Eve, and a blizzard snows-in Atlanta as Charlene goes into labor with Bill stranded in Mississippi. Dolly Parton has a guest appearance.

THE MISTRESS (January 8, 1990) A wealthy, married Atlanta stockbroker hires Sugarbakers to redecorate his house and condominium, but Suzanne bets that Julia will not be able to complete the job after they discover that the condominium belongs to his mistress.

THE FUR FLIES (January 15, 1990) Suzanne models a mink jacket at a fashion show and becomes the victim of animal rights activists.

OH, WHAT A FEELING (January 29, 1990) Anthony gets stranded on the road with a disgruntled client when the Sugarbakers' delivery van breaks down.

ANTHONY AND VANESSA (February 5, 1990) Anthony gets girlfriend Vanessa a job at Sugarbakers, where Suzanne coaches her on techniques to win Anthony away from his pushy girlfriend Lita.

PAYNE GROWS UP (February 19, 1990) Julia is thrilled that her son is getting married, but -- having mixed emotions to the news that she is also going to be a grandmother -- ties one on at the reception and wakes up in the bed of one of Payne's frat brothers.

TORNADO WATCH (February 26, 1990) A tornado warning traps the ladies with a hillbilly who tries to win over Bernice.

TOUGH ENOUGH (March 12, 1990) The ladies compete with a group of sexist male decorators and end up in a bowling competition with them.

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (March 19, 1990) Charlene fears that Bill is having an affair with his new female co-pilot.

SUZANNE GOES LOOKING FOR A FRIEND (April 9, 1990) Suzanne is shocked to discover that a former pageant friend is a lesbian.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS (April 30, 1990) Suzanne bribes Anthony into posing as Consuela for immigration officials when her maid's work permit expires and she is forced to take a citizenship test.

HAVE FAITH (May 7, 1990) Mary Jo feels guilty over being sexually attracted to a minister, even though they are dating.

THEIR FINEST HOUR (May 10, 1990) Highlights of outstanding moments from the first four seasons.

ANTHONY'S GRADUATION (May 14, 1990) Anthony faces numerous complications (including being shot by Suzanne) as he prepares for his junior college graduation.

LA PLACE SANS SOUCI (May 21, 1990) Suzanne treats everyone to a weekend at an expensive health spa.

The great people at Shout! Factory rescued "Designing Women" from the Sony vaults in May 2009 when they began releasing long-overdue season sets.

Although I have a special fondness for Seasons 5, 6 and 7 of "Designing Women" since those are the years I discovered the series in prime time, I have come to realize that Season 4 is the pinnacle of the series in terms of writing and acting.

Special mention goes to "The First Day of the Last Decade of the Entire Twentieth Century", in which Charlene gives birth to baby Olivia on the first day of the new decade.

The writing in this episode is exquisite, and one memorable scene shows that even death can be beautiful as the Sugarbaker ladies watch a 102-year-old lady pass on right after sharing her wisdom with them. Julia and Mary Jo's reactions in the scene are stunning. Completing the circle of life, Charlene brings a new life into the world at the same time as the woman dies.

As if this outstanding episode needed a gimmick, Dolly Parton, then red-hot off her success in "Steel Magnolias" makes a delightful cameo appearance. Always a class act, Dolly seems right at home on this show and it's wonderful to have her in this beautiful, poignant installment.

Conversely, "Foreign Affairs" is one the series' funniest episodes a little later in the season. Suzanne uses cash to convince Anthony to impersonate her maid Consuela in taking a citizenship test to prevent her from being deported. This entry features some of the snappiest dialogue ever; Charlene is especially sassy in this; Mary Jo makes her usual dry comments while frolicking on a giant waterbed (don't ask); Julia shakes her head, powerless to stop the insanity that surrounds her. If I had been able to attend a live taping of "Designing Women", I would have wanted it to be this one. Everything is so perfect, you can feel the electricity crackle.

The well-known episode "They Shoot Fat Women, Don't They?" is on this set, in which former beauty-queen Suzanne is forced to confront her weight issues.

The episodes in the last-half of the season are somewhat funnier when Suzanne switches to the shorter bubble-cut hairdo from the modified page-boy she wore when the season began, such as when Suzanne accidentally consumes some of Charlene's breast milk.

We need to support this release so Shout! will continue to release the final three years of the show. Otherwise, they will just rot in the Sony vaults, and this show is just too well-crafted to let that happen.

My only quibble is that Shout! used a Season Two pic for the cover art, but I love this series so much, I'd buy it in a brown paper wrapper!

With the passing of Dixie Carter, watching my favorite show is somewhat bittersweet. It will always be a classic. Julia will forever be the terminator, Susanne will always be the beauty queen, Mary Jo will always be the nuturing earth mother and Charlene will always be sweet and sassy.