Martha McDowell (The Golden Girls)

Martha McDowell (Barbara Tarbuck; 1942-2016) is the villainess of "To Catch a Neighbor", episode 2.24 of The Golden Girls (airdate May 2, 1987). She and her husband, Rod McDowell, were the new neighbors of the series' main protagonists (Dorothy Zbornak, Sophia Petrillo, Rose Nylund, and Blance Devereaux). The episode opened with the women inviting Martha and Rod over for dinner to welcome them to the neighborhood, with the McDowells coming across as ideal neighbors. Soon after the couple went home, police officers Al Mullins and Bobby Hopkins came and made a shocking revelation about the McDowells: they were suspected of being jewel thieves/dealers. Despite initial reluctance, the women agreed to let Al and Bobby use their home as a stakeout location to catch the McDowells in the act. During their stay, Martha McDowell came over to the house and was greeted by Rose, much to her shock. After pointing out how she'd seen Rose following her at the grocery store (having been trying to act as an aid to the detectives), Martha invited the girls over to dinner, with Al and Bobby asking the women to use this as an opportunity to plant a bug inside the McDowell house so they could find evidence to arrest the couple with. The bug was successfully planted in the house, which allowed for Martha to begin her villainous reveal when Rose heard Martha refer to her as "the noodle head in the red dress". Later that night, Al and Bobby rushed to the McDowell house, having heard over the bug that an exchange was happening. The confrontation resulted in a shootout, during which Bobby was shot (non-fatally) in the shoulder. It was later revealed by Al as he came to visit Bobby in the hospital with the girls that Martha and Rod had been arraigned in court and were expected to serve a long prison sentence.Category:1980s
Category:Blonde
Category:Conspirator
Category:Greedy
Category:Hero's Friend
Category:Live Action Villainess
Category:Thief
Category:Villainous Reveal
Category:Villain's Lover
Category:Fate: Guilty