Thoughts On A Different World Season Six

[Franko]

Episodes 140-144:
— A Different World ends its run with a batch of slightly messy episodes. I imagine the actors and creative team were certain the show was going to be cancelled. To everyone’s credit, it feels like there’s just enough life in the show should a miracle renewal have occurred. At the same time, there’s an unmistakable sense of most storylines firmly concluding.
—We begin with “Homey, Don’t Ya Know Me?,” written by Kadeem Hardison and Ron Moseley, with Hardison directing. Expecting a visit from old friends Yolanda (Monica Calhoun) and Champ (Shaun Baker), Lena is surprised that her ex-boyfriend Piccolo (Tupac Shakur) came with them. Dorian and Piccolo, “Richie Cunningham” and “Santa’s Helper” according to their wardrobe, are immediately rivals. Meanwhile, in the most uncomfortable aspect of the episode, Yolanda and Champ really don’t get that Terrell and Gina aren’t into them. Champ literally chases Gina like out of an old-time movie.
— Things have changed for Lena. Her first name isn’t “Ho” and her last name isn’t “Tel.” The guys and girls share rooms, but nobody’s bonding. Piccolo’s going to steal Lena away from Dorian, while Dorian dances especially close to Lena. Piccolo’s cleaned up his life and wants Lena back, but she realizes it’s not a life for them. It’s his life with her in it. The guys get into a fight, Lena learns not to let her past interfere with her future, she parts amicably with her old crew and the Lena and Dorian relationship is as strong as ever.
— Next up is “A Rock, a River, a Lena,” an episode I just wasn’t feeling. Written by Glenn Berenbeim and directed by David Blackwell, it’s a famous person as themselves episode. Lena Horne visits Hillman to establish a scholarship for her grandmother. Lena’s a special person in many of the cast’s lives. Lena James, of course, is named after her her. Dean Dorothy Dandridge Davenport was inspired by her screen presence while growing up in “Chitlin’ Switch, Alabama.” Mr. Gaines, who’s unappreciated by Whitley, is proud that there’s another still vital elderly person out there.
— It’s not that the Whitley and Mr. Gaines storyline is bad, but it feels overheated. I can understand Whitley getting carried away in trying to impress Lena Horne, but she seems unnecessarily nasty to Mr. Gaines. It’s like an odd reoccurrence of behavior she’d have in the first half of the series. Ah well, Jenifer Lewis gets to go out in style with the running gag of Dean Davenport singing “Stormy Weather.”
— After that is “College Kid,” written by Gina Prince-Bythewood and directed by Debbie Allen. Focusing on the underclassmen, plus a softening ex-baseball player (Billy Dee Williams) and his renewed flame, a sociology professor (Leslie Uggams), it feels like a backdoor pilot with at least one too many storylines.
— Ready to live off-campus, the quintet find a farmhouse that’s not too bad. Even if the jacuzzi is just a kiddy pool and a leaf blower. The living room and kitchen set certainly looks more homey than Height Hall, Anyway, Mr. Paige is fearsome, but Gina’s got bigger problems. Dion is violating his court order and trying to reach out to her. Mr. Paige, who observed Gina and Dion, later bonds with her, Terrell and Charmaine.
— It turns out he’s Langston “Sweet Knuckles” Paige, who played especially well when he was mad. Reclusive since his retirement, Mr. Paige considers going back to school. A discussion on womanism results in he and Dr. Redding getting awkwardly personal. “You don’t need a king in order to be a queen.” It’s not too late for the pair, but it’s more than over for Dion and Gina. He’s still controlling, but Mr. Paige scares him off by posing as Gina’s father. Not exactly the ending I’d want, but it works. And it is cute seeing the youth share a dinner of peanut butter, Ritz crackers and water.
— Finally, we have “When One Door Closes …,” a one-hour episode with two writers (Karen Kennedy for Part I and Susan Fales for Part II) and two directors (David Blackwell for Part 1 and Debbie Allen for Part II). Since “College Kid” resolved the young people’s goings-on, this one takes care of The Newlyweds, The Lovers and best of all, The Friends.
— Dwayne and Whitley’s money woes continue, with Ron even lending them $200 to pay the phone bill. Things look up, though, when Ron and Dwayne are inspired by the concepts of teaching grammar and having a baseball-centric video game. Whitley, who thinks she’s allergic to children, discovers she’s pregnant. It’s nice that she got to share the moment with Kim.
— Anyway, Kinishiewa loves Grammar Boy, but Dwayne doesn’t love the idea of being business partners with Ron. The two men get into a long-overdue fight about who carries who, past and present success and whatnot. If that wasn’t enough events for Dwayne’s day, Whitley reveals her pregnancy to him. There’s one more surprise: Kinishiewa is offering him an $80,000 per year job. In Tokyo.
—The Lovers: Kim’s turned down at least 20 marriage proposals from Spencer, finally accepting near the end of “Part I.” It’s unsure if she’s going to continue her medical schooling in Jamaica. Meanwhile, Freddie maintains her personal integrity and gets published in the Hillman Law Review (“Clarence Thomas: He’s Just No Thurgood.”), the first step on her journey to the Supreme Court. Briefly fighting with Ron regarding his plans to sue Dwayne*, Freddie ends the episode with back in love with him.
*Aww, Cree did her Elmyra voice while teasing Darryl.
—Man, The Pit was the place to be for big announcements as “Part II” begins. Whitley’s pregnancy, Kim and Spencer’s engagement, the moves to Japan and Jamaica … you’d think somebody would have fainted. Adele Wayne and Marion Gilbert are also brought up to speed, resulting in gentle bickering over the move and how active Whitley should be during her pregnancy. It’s resolved by the ladies getting drunk. An upset Whitley runs into Ron. He calms her down, they share a few memories. After Ron leaves — he’s not ready to speak to Dwayne — the Gilbert-Waynes admit they’re scared. Still, it’s time to move on.
—The farewell party scenes are nice, with just about everyone getting in a memorable moment. There’s earnest comments about how Dwayne needs to eventually come and give back to the community, the importance of Kim and Whitley’s friendship, how Whitley grew up and how Dwayne gained a family. I would have maybe lost the “End of the Road” singalong, though. Ron, who skipped the party, ends up reuniting with Dwayne just as he and Whitley are leaving for the airport. Whitley and Dwayne’s speeches were nice, but there’s something so simple and beautiful about Ron and Dwayne ending the show as more or less equals. “Off to a different world.”
— Continuity Corner: I might be hearing the dialogue wrong, but Gina and Dion were apparently together for a year (“College”). The quintet, who’ve been dining on crackers, can afford a summer vacation in Jamaica (“Door, Part I”)? Assuming Dwayne & Whitley’s kid did go to Hillman, he or she would be a fifth-year nearing graduation in 2019 (“Door, Part II”). Whitley’s speech has a possible blooper. She mentions six years of friendship, but it should actually be seven, as Whitley was a sophomore in Season One (“Door, Part II”). Then again, who knows how she spent the 1986-87 school year?
— Fanservice Junction: Charmaine in a bra and shorts getting ready for the club (“Homey”).
— Hey, It’s the Early ‘90s!: I had no idea “bootylicious” (Champ’s description of Charmaine) was a term in 1993. Later in “Homey,” Piccolo makes fun of Dorian’s gentleman status, comparing him to Michael Jackson (who used the term to not answer if he was a virgin). Michael gets a shoutout in “Lena,” as she and Whitley’s students chat about current music and how everything new came from everything that was.
— Ratings Roundup: “When One Door Closes …” aired on Saturday, May 8. In theory, it wasn’t the worst place for the finale. Saturdays weren’t yet abandoned by the networks. However, ADW went up against Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman and lost. While Jane Seymour and company won the hour and evening, the Hillman regulars came in ninth place, tied with Cops.

 

Final Thoughts:
At its best, A Different World offered viewers exactly that. I enjoyed the mix of progressive storytelling, strong characters and being just plain funny. This reached a height, in my opinion, during seasons three and four, but it never really went away. I’ve criticized the over-reliance on the Dwayne and Whitley relationship, which tended to overwhelm later seasons, but I can’t deny Hardison and Guy’s chemistry. Overall, I’d saw ADW deserves much more than my initial write-off as a “sandwich show.”

 

My Top 12
“Rudy and the Snow Queen”
“If Only for One Night”
“It Happened One Night”
“It’s Greek to Me”
“Forever Hold Your Peace”
“Here’s to Old Friends”
“War and Peace”
“If I Should Die Before I Wake”
“Cats in the Cradle”
“Save the Best for Last, Part II”
“The Little Mister”
“When One Door Closes, Part II”