Ep 7. Perky's Visit

Set in Atlanta, Georgia, Designing Women is a classic American sitcom that revolves around the lives of four women and the design firm they run. Julia Sugarbaker, Mary Jo Shively, Charlene Frazier-Stillfield, and Suzanne Sugarbaker are four very different women with very different personalities, but they share a passion for design and a love for each other. In season one episode seven titled Perky's Visit, we find the women preparing themselves for the arrival of their eccentric cousin, Perky Sugarbaker.

The episode opens with the women gathered around the conference table, dreading the arrival of Perky. Julia, the firm's founder, tells the other women about Perky's extensive travels and her love for adventure. Charlene, the sweet southern belle, worries that Perky's flamboyant personality might be too much for her to handle. Suzanne, the former beauty queen, is more concerned about her social standing being affected. And Mary Jo, the down-to-earth divorcee, simply cannot understand why everyone is so worked up about Perky's visit.

As the women argue about Perky's personality traits, they are interrupted by Anthony, the ex-convict handyman. Anthony shares his experience of having met Perky at a bar years ago and describes her as "crazy" and "wild". He tells the women to brace themselves for a wild ride. The women are alarmed by his descriptions and try to come up with a plan to make Perky behave.

Meanwhile, Perky arrives in Atlanta unannounced and heads straight to her cousin's design firm. She bursts into the conference room, announcing her arrival with a loud cheer. Her entrance is met with awkward silence from the other women, who are taken aback by her loud personality. Perky, oblivious to the women's feelings, continues to act her usual self, cracking loud jokes and dancing around the office.

Throughout the episode, the women struggle to adapt to Perky's wild personality. Suzanne, in particular, is very conscious of her social image and tries to distance herself from Perky at every opportunity. Charlene, on the other hand, finds herself becoming a bit more adventurous and begins to enjoy Perky's company.

As the day goes on, the women become increasingly frustrated with Perky's wild behavior. They begin to wonder how they can make her leave without hurting her feelings. Julia suggests that they stage a fake crisis at the office and pretend that they need to leave urgently. The plan backfires when Perky insists on joining them, saying that she'll help take care of the crisis.

The crisis turns out to be a small fire caused by a cigarette butt in the trash can. As the women rush to put out the fire, Perky takes charge, using her extensive knowledge of fire-fighting to extinguish the flames. The women are amazed by her bravery and expertise and begin to see her in a different light.

As the episode draws to a close, the women say goodbye to Perky with a newfound appreciation for her eccentric personality. Julia tells her how proud she is of her and how much she admires her adventurous spirit. Charlene hugs her tightly and thanks her for inspiring her to be more adventurous. Suzanne, the most surprised of the group, tells her that she's her new hero.

Perky leaves the office, saying goodbye to the women with a smile on her face. She heads off into the sunset, ready for her next adventure. The episode shows that while the women may have been hesitant to embrace Perky's personality at first, they learned to see the value in her unique approach to life. Overall, Designing Women season one episode seven, Perky's Visit, is a heartwarming story about the importance of embracing diversity and appreciating the people in our lives who challenge us to be better.