next-door neighbor who expressed a disdain for Italians). She had threatened to cast a curse on Dorothy (before she found out that it was prohibited by another arcane custom), and on Stan Zbornak. In the final season, Sophia spent two episodes doing odd tasks in order to save Dorothy from an ancient curse from a Sicilian strega, or witch. In the series finale of The Golden Girls, Sophia, after initially deciding to follow the now-married Dorothy out of the house, turned back and decided to stay with Rose and Blanche, which set up the transition to The Golden Palace. The Golden Palace (1992-93) When Rose, Blanche, and Sophia invested in a hotel, Sophia was installed as one of the two chefs, specializing in Italian cuisine while the hotel's previous chef, Chuy Castillos (Cheech Marin), handled Mexican food. Sophia began to show signs of senile dementia, usually in comical situations (for instance, she is shown to be standing still and apparently unconscious while attempting to operate a vacuum cleaner), and her bluntness was toned down to a certain extent. (In reality, Getty would later be diagnosed with Lewy body dementia herself; however, in The Golden Palace, her acting and ability to remember lines had improved compared to on The Golden Girls, during which she had struggled to remember her lines.) In the episode "One Angry Stan" Sophia was the only one to witness Stanley Zbornak after he had faked his death to avoid tax troubles; the fact that no one else saw Stan in these episodes (he ducks out of sight whenever someone else enters the room), coupled with Sophia's increased senility, made it unclear whether or not Stan was really alive, or if Sophia was hallucinating. Empty Nest (Seasons 6 & 7, 1993-95) After the events of The Golden Palace (which ended without a series finale), Sophia returned to the Shady Pines nursing home, joining the cast of the Golden Girls spin-off, Empty Nest for its last two seasons. She had previously made a guest appearance in Season 1 and Season 4. Relationships and characteristics Sophia is best known for her wisecracks, put-downs and brazen remarks, often commenting on Dorothy's unmarried state, Blanche's promiscuity, and Rose's cluelessness. However, despite her sharp criticism of her daughter and roommates, she loves and cares for them deeply; she even sees Rose and Blanche as surrogate daughters. The other women usually seek Sophia out