Episode
A Different World: Strangers on a Plane
Overview
Dwayne and Whitley run into each other on a flight back to school. Whitley finds that Dwayne has changed over the summer, as he is dressed in an expensive suit and seems to have matured during his successful internship at Kinishewa. Dwayne comforts Whitley when the plane experiences turbulence. Whitley kisses Dwayne in front of her entire dorm, prompting much teasing from her friends. Each insists that they are only friends. Whitley goes to Dwayne's apartment to see him, but is turned off when she finds him dancing like an idiot at a party. The residents of Gilbert Hall struggle to adjust to the fact that the dorm is now coed. Walter is the resident director, with Jaleesa as resident assistant.
Details
- Series
- A Different World
- Season
- Season 3
- Episode
- Episode 1
- Air date
- 1989-09-21
- Runtime
- 30 min
Episode context
Strangers on a Plane is Episode 1 in Season 3 of A Different World. It aired on 1989-09-21. The runtime is 30 min.
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More episodes from this season
Episode 3: The Hat Makes the Man
Walter and Jaleesa celebrate the anniversary of their first date, but are distracted by conflicts over dorm discipline. Walter allows a shy male student to let his girlfriend stay overnight before she ships out with the Navy. When Jaleesa disagrees and recommends that Quincy be punished, Walter pulls rank on her. They argue during their anniversary dinner, and she winds up storming out of the restaurant. The girls accuse Walter of a double standard; they refuse to vacate Quincy's room until Walter either punishes him or agrees to let them have guys stay over. Whitley demands only the return of her high-powered hair dryer, which has been blamed for many power outages. Walter orders Quincy to appear before the dorm council, and establishes measures to prevent further instances of sexism. Dwayne and Freddie take procrastination to a new level while collaborating on a research paper.
Episode 4: To Have and Have Not
Walter convinces many of the students to volunteer at a community center. Whitley teaches ballet to the children and becomes friends with a young boy named Dion, who claims to be dirt poor. Whitley's wallet is stolen, and she is stunned to learn that Dion was the culprit. He exaggerated the extent of his poverty and took advantage of Whitley's kindness. Whitley does not want to return to the center, but Walter insists that the kids need a positive influence if they are to escape from the streets. Whitley continues with her teaching, and refuses to give up on Dion. Walter's duties keep him away from his bowling team, so Col. Taylor agrees to step in. When he turns out to be terrible, Mr. Gaines and the other team members try to find a way to oust him.
Episode 5: Forever Hold Your Peace
Dwayne drives Whitley to New York for her father's wedding. He drops in on the Huxtables, hoping to rekindle his relationship with Denise and convince her to return to Hillman. Denise sends him reeling with the news that she married a Naval lieutenant during a sojourn to Africa, and is the stepmother of a three-year-old girl. Whitley becomes depressed about her father's marriage. She believes that he will forget her as he starts a family with his new wife. Dwayne and Whitley compare notes about their personal crises. They get caught in a blizzard, and Whitley's car suffers a flat tire. She and Dwayne huddle in the back seat and continue to comfort each other. They begin kissing, but are jarred back to reality by the tow truck's arrival.
Episode 6: Delusions of Daddyhood
Ron takes a liking to his study partner, Elizabeth; and is surprised to learn that she has a 13-month-old son. He is unsure about getting involved, but quickly bonds with the child. Believing that the boy needs a positive male role model, Ron tries a little too hard to step in and become a father figure. Dwayne arranges a performance by his old friends Heavy D & the Boyz for a charity concert. Whitley, who had hoped to bring in an opera company, organizes an anti-rap protest. She makes a fool of herself by espousing her views to Heavy D, unaware of his identity. Heavy eventually wins Whitley over, and the gang joins him onstage to dance during the show.
Episode 7: Wedding Bells From Hell
Walter wins a free Hawaiian honeymoon from a car wash, so he asks Jaleesa to marry him. Although she is uncertain, she eventually says yes. They plan to wed in two weeks. Jaleesa fears they are rushing and wants to call the whole thing off, but Walter reassures her. During the ceremony, they simultaneously announce that they don't want to get married; Jaleesa believes their interests are too different, while Walter can't fathom a lifetime commitment. They promise to remain friends, even though they will no longer date. Whitley enlists Dwayne's help in planning the wedding. She changes the subject whenever he tries to confess his attraction to her. Dwayne finally pulls Whitley into a kiss, which nearly causes her to faint. He asks her out after the wedding, but she is not ready for a relationship.
Episode 8: Great Expectations
Kim and Freddie plan to spend homecoming weekend at Freaknic, a music festival in Washington, D.C. Kim's policeman father calls and forbids her to go to the concert. Kim decides to go anyway, and Whitley has to distract her father when he arrives unexpectedly. When Kim returns, Mr. Reese yells at her and threatens to make her transfer to a hometown school. She insists that she is a responsible 19-year-old who should be allowed to make her own decisions, but her father restricts her to the house for the rest of her vacations. Whitley tries to convince Kim that she is lucky to have someone who cares enough to yell at her, as Whitley seldom received attention from her parents as a child. Ron and Dwayne face a dilemma when each brings a girl back to the apartment.
Episode 9: Answered Prayers
Kim learns that her father has been shot in the line of duty. Whitley drives her to Ohio to see him, with Dwayne and Freddie along for moral support. Kim visits her father's hospital room and makes peace with him. After Mr. Reese begins to recover, Whitley, Dwayne and Freddie have to race back to campus for midterms. Freddie reveals that she had been unsure of the existence of God until she prayed at Kim's request; having her prayer answered was a life-changing experience. She questions her newfound faith after Mr. Reese experiences complications and is left paralyzed from the waist down.
Episode 10: For Whom the Jingle Bell Tolls
Whitley is in a foul mood during the holiday season, especially when her mother insists that they fly to the south of France instead of spending a quiet Christmas at home. She coldly rejects Freddie's offer to spend Christmas with her, and refuses to attend the gang's tree-trimming party. Whitley's mother appears to her in a dream and warns that she is headed for the same lonely, isolated existence as Marion. Whitley is visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future (who bear an uncanny resemblance to Mr. Gaines, Walter and Jaleesa). She learns that Freddie will end up staying with Dwayne for the holidays, leading to a romance between the two. Whitley discovers that Dwayne and Freddie will marry, while she will spend her entire life alone. Whitley suddenly gets into the holiday spirit, decorates everything in sight, and asks Freddie to come along to France. However, Marion shows up at the dorm and tells her daughter that she wants to spend Christmas in Richmond. She settle
Episode 11: Under One Roof
Dean Hughes asks Whitley to spend the weekend at her house and co-host the annual freshman tea. Whitley considers this a great honor until Freddie is named the other co-host. Whitley hopes to convince Dean Hughes to send her to Europe as Hillman's student recruiter. The dean does not believe that Whitley possesses the necessary skill and discipline for this position. A hurt Whitley insults Freddie and tries to leave, but admits to the dean that she lacks direction. Dean Hughes cheers up the girls and manages to convince Whitley to relax a little. Ron allows a classmate to crash at the guys' place, and the man keeps coming up with reasons to stay. He keeps Dwayne and Ron happy by cooking, cleaning and fixing the toilet. Walter tells them that Earl is a scam artist who flunked out of school. Before they can confront him, Mr. Gaines hires Earl as the building superintendant.
Episode 12: Here's to Old Friends
Dwayne's old friend Milt comes for a visit. He believes that Hillman is holding Dwayne back, and encourages him to transfer to the University of Pennsylvania. Milt also recommends that Dwayne distance himself from ""dead weight"" like Ron. Dwayne considers his friend's words, until a talk with Whitley helps remind him of Ron's good qualities and the feeling of family that Hillman holds for its students. He defends the school's academic reputation to Milt. Col. Taylor and Mr. Gaines attend a reunion for U.S. servicemen. Col. Taylor tries to start a romance with a nurse he knew in Vietnam, only to discover that she is a complete mess.