Dr. Harry Weston

His nest doesn’t stay empty for long, though, for two of his daughters soon move back home. Having spent the majority of his adult life building his medical career, Harry sees this as his chance to be a real father to the girls. He soon learns to play the fatherly role well and becomes a constant source of support and security for each of his children. Harry is a bit overprotective at times, fretting and fussing over the girls’ lives, but it’s all out of love. He often finds the most sympathetic ear from his enormous dog, Dreyfuss. 

Without realizing it, Harry, now one of Miami’s most eligible bachelors, soon finds himself thrust back into the dating game. For a while he is a little reluctant at starting a new relationship, feeling that it is too soon after Libby’s death. He even manages to ward off man-hungry neighbor Blanche Devereaux (The Golden Girls). Over time, though, Harry does become comfortable with the idea of dating and before long has new dates frequently. Unfortunately, he never can seem to find that perfect lady. 

Harry’s fatherly instincts also extend to his office at the Community Medical Center. He cares very deeply for each of his patients and doesn’t hesitate to go out of his way to help any of them (which includes buying one lonely patient a pet and offering to take another to her school dance). Of course his superb medical skills haven’t necessarily added to his organizational skills, for Nurse Laverne Todd views Harry has a sloppy, disorganized mess. No matter how hard he tries to prove her wrong, Laverne knows she’s the one who runs things at the office. 

Harry sells his practice in the show’s sixth season with plans to retire – plans that are thwarted, though, when he is sent to evaluate an inner-city clinic in downtown Miami. He decides to put his retirement on hold and join Dr. Maxine Douglas in running the place, which he does for two years until, in the series finale, he is offered a teaching job in Vermont.

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Barbara Weston

The first season establishes Barbara, Harry’s middle child, as a perky, upbeat, carefree cop who is great at her job but can’t seem to manage her finances. When Harry finds out that she is thousands of dollars in debt (her system of paying off one credit card with another backfires), he insists she move back in with him. But her fast-paced lifestyle isn’t exactly what he was expecting.

Barbara definitely likes to have fun, a characteristic displayed by her various relationships over the years. She isn’t necessarily looking for any long-term commitments, but instead just goes out with guys she thinks she’d have a good time with. She basically has her pick of any man she’d like, which doesn’t please her sister, Carol. “Every man you’ve wanted your whole life has wanted you,” Carol tells her. “Many of the men I’ve wanted in my life have wanted you.” These two siblings definitely don’t see eye to eye and their arguments (often evolving into physical fights) are the focus of many episodes. 

Barbara seems to have a pretty good handle on who she is. Some things she calls “Barbara Things” include chili dogs, Bruce Springsteen music, and police work, which is the “definitive” Barbara Thing. She takes her job very seriously and is a dedicated police officer. It’s a job Harry often wishes she didn’t have, for various undercover assignments tend to put her in dangerous situations. She is often seen wearing unusual undercover disguises, dressed as anything from a nun to a prostitute. Her hard work and determination pay off during season four when she is promoted to sergeant. 

At times, Barbara does tire of being perky and upbeat. She admits to feeling sad and lonely at times, but she isn’t sure how her father and sister would react to seeing her that way. As the series progresses, Barbara does become more mature and responsible, such as when she decides she is ready to be a mother and considers artificial insemination, although she opts instead to focus on her career.

Near the start of season five, Kristy McNichol left the series unexpectedly for health reasons, leaving no time for a send-off episode for Barbara. For a short while she is said to be out of town and afterward has apparently moved to Tucson, Arizona. During the final episode, Barbara returns home to pack up her things when Harry sells the house.

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Carol Weston

At the start of the series, Harry’s oldest daughter Carol is a lonely, neurotic divorcee who, tired of living alone, moves back home. Still bitter over her mockery of a marriage to cheating husband Gary, she starts out as a somewhat stern mother hen-type character who takes care of the house and drives her sister and father crazy not only with her emotional problems but also her bran, fiber and other health foods. She’s a bit more loosened up by season three, when the neurotic side of Carol becomes the focal point of the character.

Almost every episode finds Carol with some new off-the-wall problem to annoy her sister and father. She tends to crave attention and acceptance, often trying to be the center of Harry’s attention. Years of therapy (she’s seen every psychiatrist in Miami) have only made Carol more needy and neurotic. Barbara, a constant source of irritation for Carol, views her sister as a “big nut,” as do many of the people who come in contact with her, including Charley, who loves to drop in and insult her. Having a tendency to wildly overreact in the smallest situation, Carol spends a lot of her time off the deep end, so to speak. However, as needy, whiney, dependent and just plain crazy as she is, Carol is also strong-willed and self-confident when need be. 

Carol is very intelligent, with interests in such things as literature and psychology. She even mentions having a master’s degree in philosophy. She has trouble settling on a career, though. She quits a series of jobs for trivial reasons, but finally finds a job in a university library during season two, where she works throughout that season and the next. At the start of season four, she buys her own catering company, called the Elegant Epicure. She does that for a few years and, in the final season, embarks on a promising journalism career as a reporter at the Dade County Crier. 

Romance is where Carol strikes out most. On the rare occasion that she gets a date, the man ends up being crazier than she is (like the guy who claims to make contact with aliens) or they dump her, which happens very often. “Stanely is the third man in a row to dump me,” she says. “And I mean DUMP. There’s a stiff fine now for leaving me by the roadside.” Over the years she does manage to have a couple worthwhile relationships. She almost finds true love during season five, when sprinkler man/artist Patrick Arcola becomes her live-in boyfriend, converting the Westons’ garage into an apartment and art studio. The relationship lasts about a year, but Carol realizes that Patrick is never going to grow up and accept some responsibility so she throws him out, only to discover that she is pregnant with his child. Their final stab at a relationship falters, and Carol decides to raise the baby on her own. During season six, Carol gives birth to her son Scotty (actually F. Scotty, after Fitzgerald) while at the opera. 

In the end Carol does find her Mr. Right. She meets airline pilot Kevin Millen in an art gallery during the final season. They hit it off and, after overcoming a few obstacles, become engaged. The couple wed in the series finale, and Carol finally leaves the nest.

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Charley Dietz

Charley spends the majority of his time chasing women and pursuing meaningless relationships. A frequent visitor to places such as Crotch Dusters and Stiffy’s, his sleezy tactics and lack of respect for women often land him in hot water.  He occasionally receives death threats and once even a voodoo doll likeness of himself. None of this, though, puts a damper on his sex drive, for he never fails to find a willing date somewhere. And if he does happen to find himself in a dating slump, he’ll try out new off-the-wall techniques to pick up women. Some of these include posing as a doctor, putting subliminal messages onto cassette tapes, adopting a foreign accent, posing nude for an art class and even using Dreyfuss as a ladies magnet. A few times, Charley does show a softer side and even falls in love. Unfortunately, every time this happens, the relationship somehow comes to an end. 

Charley works on a cruise ship called the Ocean Queen, although he rarely seems to be away. No one is exactly sure what he does on the ship, but his duties do include carrying around keys and passing out shuffleboard pucks. Over the years, he attempts a couple career changes. He takes a job as a pirate at Pirate World, becomes a television weatherman, works with his brother at a used car lot and even tries stand-up comedy, which leads to an appearance on Evening at the Improv. When these career changes falter, he somehow ends up back at his cruise ship job. “I just showed up,” he says. “They never knew I was gone.” 

The product of an unloving family (his parents don’t hide the fact that they favor his younger brother Deiter), Charley sees the Westons as his family and Harry as a father figure. At times a mature, responsible Charley does surface. He even proposes to Carol when she gets pregnant without a husband. During season seven, Charley finds out that he is the father of a 17-year-old boy. Of course, at first he parties with the boy but soon sees the error of his ways and shapes up. Alas, these responsible spells are only temporary, and he’s soon up to his old tricks again. 

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Nurse Laverne Todd

Laverne Todd is Harry’s hard-edged, opinionated nurse who never hesitates to speak her mind. She’s stubborn, bossy and must be in complete control of every aspect of her life. Her “always right” attitude is a constant source of irritation to Harry, who despite being Laverne’s boss is never really the one in charge at the office. 

Laverne runs everything around the office, from organizing the books to signing her own paychecks. According to Harry, it’s like it’s her office, and she lets him stop by and practice a little medicine. She may be tough as nails, but Laverne is without a doubt a dedicated nurse who’ll do anything to make sure that her employer is happy. Harry and Laverne talk tough, but everyone knows better. Here and there, a soft side of Laverne does break through, such as when she is afraid to leave her house after getting mugged. But she always bounces back as strong as ever.

Born and raised in the small town of Hickory, Arkansas, Laverne possesses a sly Southern wit, as well as a thick Southern accent. Much to the chagrin of those around her, Laverne often tells off-the-wall stories about the eccentric folks of Hickory, everyone from Tater Norton to the Horseless Headman. Despite their strangeness, her anecdotes almost always contain some profound life lesson. 

At series start, Laverne is happily married to minor league baseball player Nick Todd. As is normal in a sitcom, the relationship does have its ups and downs but remains usually solid. That is until Nick is traded to a Japanese team, where he meets another woman and leaves Laverne. This is another instance in which her vulnerable side takes over. It takes her a little time to adjust to being a single woman, but before long she’s back in the dating game. During the last season, Laverne begins a relationship with her childhood friend, Matt Kane, a successful doctor in her hometown. The couple marry in the series finale and move back to Hickory, with Laverne planning to work with Matt as his nurse.

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Patrick Arcola

Struggling artist Patrick Arcola is introduced at the start of season five as the Westons’ sprinkler man. Harry, who is annoyed by Patrick right from the start, isn’t thrilled when Patrick announces that he and Carol are dating. When his apartment is condemned, Carol persuades Harry to let her new boyfriend move into the garage, which becomes his new home and art studio.

With his hole-filled jeans and faded T-shirts, Patrick appears to be the opposite of Carol. But with his eccentric wisdom, deep insights and profound sculptures, it isn’t hard to see the compatibility between the two. The relationship does have its problems, most of which are caused by the overreactions of neurotic Carol. At times the two make a hilarious team, most notably when Carol persuades Patrick to go along with her unusual ideas, such as attending a Halloween party dressed as Madame Curie and Radium, with Patrick in a skin-tight neon green suit. 

Harry, who always sees Patrick as a good-for-nothing bum, is ever hopeful that Carol will dump him. His wish comes true at the start of season six when she realizes that Patrick is never going to grow up. But after throwing him out, she discovers that she is pregnant with his child. Their final attempt to make things work falters, and Carol decides to end the relationship for good and raise the baby by herself. Patrick packs his bags for Paris and isn’t seen again.

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Emily Weston

Harry’s youngest daughter, Emily, is a free-spirited wanderer who spends the bulk of the series away at college before returning home for a while during season five. She is quickly established as an adventurous globe-trotter who has traveled all over the world. Stopping by the house after a stay in Vietnam, Harry persuades her to stick around.

If one word would describe Emily, it would be independent. She isn’t too quick to conform to Harry’s fatherly ways when arriving, and he is somewhat surprised at the 23-year-old’s actions yet respects her right to make her own decisions. No matter what she does (staying out until 4 a.m. or even putting college on hold and going to Vietnam without alerting the family), Emily always manages to stay on Harry’s good side and can almost get away with anything. Harry even finds it cute when she calls him by his first name instead of “Daddy.”

Despite being a little mischievous, Emily does have a level head on her shoulders. She is a sort of mix between her two sisters: fun and free-spirited like Barbara and intelligent like Carol. Her worldy travels have given her an ability to speak several languages.

Emily’s cheerful disposition and seemingly perfect life tend to depress Carol, who calls Emily the “personal pet project of God.” Carol looks down on Emily’s fun-loving lifestyle, saying that she is the baby of the family and doesn’t know any better, and often tries to instill in her a higher sense of maturity. But self-assured Emily isn’t thwarted by her big sister’s nagging. Emily’s brief time on the show doesn’t give the character a chance to truly develop. By the start of season six, she is off to school again.

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Dr. Maxine Douglas

Dr. Maxine Douglas makes her debut at the start of season six. With her struggling inner-city clinic on the verge of bankruptcy, Harry teams up with Maxine to keep the place open. A native of the Bronx, she has a tough persona and ever-present grumpiness, but is a dedicated doctor and a perfectionist when it comes to health care.

As for her personal life, Maxine has her ups and downs. Some prominent men she gets involved with include a successful doctor, an African cultural attache and a local television weatherman. Of course, when not invovled, we get the impression that Maxine has no life. When a psychic predicts her future, it’s a pretty dull picture that stretches out over the horizon: “work, TV, sleep, work, TV, sleep, work, TV…”

After meeting her stubborn and critical mother, who is quick to point out her daughter’s shortcomings, we see why Maxine tends to be a little on the grumpy side and perhaps why she has no intention of becoming a mother herself. “I’m not a kid person,” she says. “Even when I was five, I didn’t hang out with kids. I used to take naps just to get away from them.” Of course, it may not happen often, but a soft side of Maxine does sneak through on occasion, such as when she is forced to rely on her maternal instincts while caring for a patient’s children. 

You’d never hear Maxine admit it, but in ways she is a lot like Laverne, with whom some of her funniest moments are shared. The two characters sort of become a comedy team. The juxtaposition of Laverne’s down-home wit against Maxine’s New York sarcasm is hilarious. In an ironic twist, Maxine, always annoyed by Laverne’s Hickory anecdotes, falls in love with the small town while visiting in the final episode.

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Sophia Petrillo

Sicilian spitfire Sophia Petrillo of The Golden Girls joins the Empty Nest cast at the start of season 6. After the short-lived spinoff The Golden Palace, Sophia pops up at Harry’s door. Having missed the old neighborhood, she has decided to move back into nearby retirement home Shady Pines.

Used mainly for background and shock value, Sophia doesn’t do a whole lot on Nest, except stroll in and out of the Weston house firing off one-liners and offering words of wisdom to the gang. Playing mother and grandmother to the Westons, she offers her worldly advice to Harry and Carol whenever they are in need of help and often serves as Scotty’s babysitter.

We hear a lot about Shady Pines whenever Sophia drops by and actually get to see it a time or two. She is often rushing back to the home for the latest social activity, which is usually something outrageous like a wheelchair demolition derby or a safe-sex seminar. She even wanders into the Weston living room carrying a chainsaw for lumberjack night. 

Adding to the shock value trend, Sophia is seen in an array of costumes throughout the final two seasons. She becomes Laverne’s biker boyfriend’s new riding partner, strolling in clad in black leather, and attends a Shady Pines square dance with Harry dressed as a cute cowgirl.  

There are a couple episodes that actually revolve around Sophia and don’t just have her servicing the larger plotline or wandering in and out with jokes. When Laverne begins volunteering at Shady Pines, Sophia’s boyfriend makes a pass at her. Sophia sees them together and assumes Laverne is trying to steal her man, which prompts her to put a curse on the nurse.  

In another episode, Sophia gets fed up with the strict rules of the Shady Pines manager and moves in with Harry. Her constant mothering and garlic fetish drive Harry to the verge of insanity, but he can’t bear to tell Sophia to leave.  

The addition of Sophia was a good idea to fill the void left by the absence of Kristy McNichol and Lisa Rieffel, if only she had been used more for storylines instead of background. There’s the occasional mention of daughter Dorothy, but nothing about Rose or Blanche, and none of the The Golden Girls cast members appear during Sophia’s time on Nest. Despite all that, seeing her familiar face and hearing the occasional “Picture it, Sicily” story makes her addition to the show a fun move.