A Different World (TV Series)

[Eric83]

Jaleesa had the baby while the results from Byron's election were coming in.

I loved that hurricane episode though and the ones where Phylicia Rashad guest starred.

[SFK]

This is one of my and my friends' favorite episodes!

Whitley: Look at Kim lookin' like Millie Jackson!

Kim: Sha-ka-ka-ka-KA-KA!

Freddie:

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Did Cree Summer join the show because she was BFF's with Lisa Bonet? I know Bonet was off the show by the time Cree joined, but I wonder if Lisa put in a word for her.

I know she annoyed many, but Freddie was my favourite character. I loved how she stayed true to her convictions and never backed down. She was unique and proud of it.

Does anyone remember the Mammy episode where Kim was the only one offended because she was teased as a child for looking like a mammy?

Edited April 24, 2010 by Y&RWorldTurner

[Eric83]

I just rewatched the episodes where Dwayne and Whitley tell everyone about their honeymoon in LA during the riots and some of those comments were totally eyeroll worthy.

Lena said something along the lines that the problem is white people who don't understand and dont want to understand blacks. And that black people should have their own nation. The show overdid it with the preachiness ESPECIALLY in season 6.

[Eric83]

I love that Mammy episode one of my favorites. The best scene is when she breaks down and told Mr. Gaines the whole story.

This is also the episode where Whitley found out her family owned slaves. She tried to call one of the descendants of her familys slaves and they hung up.

[SFK]

Lena was rather strident. She was never my favorite, though I love this fake laugh take she does when Ron is giving a group of folks some dozens, "Yo momma so dumb, she sold the car for gas money!"

Y&R, I totally remember that Mammy episode, I can't remember who it was who was setting all of those glass Mammy figurines out though, was it Nettie? They were "celebrating" their cultural heritage in America or something, I dunno, if memory serves they were trying too hard to sell folks on the idea that the Mammy memorabilia was okay when it's perfectly legitimate to take issue with that stuff.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I think it was Whitley's exhibit and her idea to celebrate the Mammy aspect.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I loved the scenes between Freddie and Whitley on Whitley's wedding day. Those two could never be friends, and mainly just tolerated each other, but you could tell deep down there was some mutual respect and understanding there. That scene was so tender, and the way Freddie told Whitley, "You look beautiful, my sister."

[SFK]

Gina: Oh win da sainnnnts, Go marchin' eeeenn, Go marchin' eeeenn, Not OUT but eeeenn, oh right on eeeenn!!

And of course there was the episode where her boyfriend beat her ass. There were lots of "Very Special" episodes.

[dragonflies]

Couldn't stand Jaleesa. One of my favorite episodes was the one after Dwayne and Whitley got married, they were on their honeymoon and if I remember right it was during the LA riots.

I liked the first season theme song the best, the Aretha Franklin version

[SFK]

I liked Freddie but didn't care for her when she tamed the hair to go all professional lawyer (Message! [/Keenen Ivory Wayans]) and got with Ron. Didn't like her with Ron at all. Actually, she lost her V to Ron during the storm in the radio station, as a matter of fact I think people "heard" because he'd left the mic on.

[DRW50]

The first season was the Phoebe Snow version (which was OK, but I'm glad they changed it).

I liked Freddie until she became too one-note, which I thought she was around seasons 4 and 5. Before then she had a certain sweetness which she lost as time went on. They'd have her very shrilly champion a cause and then have various people talk about how shrill she was, which just made it even worse. They started treating her as a joke. I liked when they had her change because I didn't think there was anywhere else the character could go. I think they did have her go back to her natural hair a few times, although they could have done it more often.

I liked the last season because I thought they were trying something different, and while there was a more confrontational edge to the humor, I thought that was almost necessary, in a way, with the huge racial confrontations going on in America around this time. I didn't care for some of the "Listen to me, woman," turn the Whitley/Dwayne relationship took, but overall I thought they took the older characters in more interesting story directions. I didn't care for most of the new people but some of them had potential. I wish they'd let Jada Pinkett have a little more warmth. Jada Pinkett in all her work I've seen has tried to have a tough edge but she's better suited to some sweetness. Lauryn Hill was more believable in that tough role...but then she went on to lose her mind.

Edited April 25, 2010 by CarlD2

[DeeeDee]

Not at all.

+1.

[DeeeDee]

So?

That was LENA's opinion.

The episode also acknowledged both Freddie's Mom & Brad's ex-wife were white without any negativity.

[Eric83]

That isn't the only example. Most of the time they portrayed whites as racist, ignorant, and evil which seemed to me as they were pushing an agenda that whites are horrible people with no respect for blacks. While I had no major problems with it, I just seemed like they were overdoing it. I enjoyed most of the episodes where they taught us a lesson, but the show got too preachy. In season 6 they dealt with the LA riots, the 92 election, Whitley working at a school with underpriviliged kids, Dwayne mentoring two gang members, Lena's friends visiting Hillman and accusing her of selling out, Terel bringing a gun to school after someone ran him and Charmaine down, Gina's abusive boyfriend returning, etc. It was just too much, but as a whole Season 6 is one of the better seasons.

I think the only white people who weren't racist were Maggie and Freddie's cousin Matthew (?).

I also liked that episode where Billy Dee Williams guest starred. It was at the end of season 6 so it was only a one time thing. It would have been cool if he had became a recurring character and was integrated into the Hillman campus as a professor or something.