Episode
A Different World: I'm Dreaming of a Wayne Christmas
Overview
Dwayne takes Whitley and Ron to his parents' house for Christmas. Whitley is desperate to impress Dwayne's mother. She sneaks out before dinner to buy an expensive present for Mrs. Wayne. After she misses the subway, a panhandler dressed as Santa Claus accosts her and steals the gift. Whitley stops the thief with some help from the police, but the gift is broken. Mrs. Wayne apologizes for giving Whitley a rough time and urges her not to try so hard. Ron's father punishes him for refusing to work at the dealership by cutting him out of the family's Hawaiian vacation. Ron seeks solace by stuffing his face with Mrs. Wayne's cooking until his father offers him a reprieve.
Details
- Series
- A Different World
- Season
- Season 4
- Episode
- Episode 11
- Air date
- 1990-12-13
- Runtime
- 30 min
Episode context
I'm Dreaming of a Wayne Christmas is Episode 11 in Season 4 of A Different World. It aired on 1990-12-13. The runtime is 30 min.
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Episode 10: The Apple Doesn't Fall
Ron's father sends him a car to officially welcome him into the family car dealership. Ron cannot stand the business and wishes to become a professional drummer. Whitley warns Ron not to alienate his father, while Dwayne believes that he should pursue his dreams. Ron tries to share his decision with his father, but is too vague. Mr. Johnson shows up with a sports car for Ron and is shocked to learn his son's plans. Terrence disagrees with his father's decision to become the first black member of a country club. Col. Taylor reconsiders after discovering that the club must integrate in order to be eligible to host the PGA Championship. Although the head of membership insists that he has tried to break down the barriers for years, Col. Taylor doesn't feel the timing is right.
Episode 12: War and Peace
Dwayne's good friend Zelmer comes to visit and stuns him by announcing that his Army Reserve unit has been called to the Persian Gulf. Ron promises to show Zelmer a good time over the weekend before he has to ship out on Monday. Dwayne is confused by Zelmer's cavalier attitude, and expresses disappointment at the fact that his friend won't open up to him. Ron annoys the girls by barring them from his send-off party for Zelmer. Whitley, Jaleesa and Kim crash the party and perform a musical number. Freddie, who is opposed to U.S. involvement in the Gulf, cannot bring herself to share her objections with Zelmer. Whitley tries to console a shaken Dwayne; he and Zelmer dreamed of changing the world with their minds, not fighting in a war. Dwayne now worries that the same thing could happen to him. Zelmer confesses his fears to Col. Taylor, who tries to help him remain strong.
More episodes from this season
Episode 9: Time Keeps on Slippin'
Whitley thrives academically after she begins dating Dwayne, while he gets the first C of his life because he spends all his time fawning over her instead of studying. He dreams that the C is the beginning of a downward spiral; and that he will end up a fat, lazy slob whom Whitley eventually dumps. Whitley wakes him up and offers him cookies, and Dwayne starts yelling and throws her out of the apartment. Crushed, she throws herself into her role as director of Ron and Freddie's video time capsule. Dwayne dreams that he devotes himself to science at the expense of everything else. He wins the Nobel Prize, but is devastated to find that Whitley married someone else. Dwayne apologizes to Whitley and explains his problem.
Episode 13: Ex-Communication
Whitley receives a phone call from Julian and agrees to have dinner with him. She is shocked to discover that he is engaged to a runway model turned translator who speaks six languages. The couple is to live in Paris. Whitley cannot come to grips with this news, and begins to pine for the life of luxury that she gave up when she dumped Julian. A frustrated Dwayne comes to believe that nothing he does will ever be good enough for her. Whitley goes to see a shrink, who recommends that she seek closure with Julian and do whatever she can to win back Dwayne. Dwayne refuses to accept Whitley's apology, even after she begs for forgiveness. He assures Ron that he isn't breaking up with her; he simply wants to watch a basketball game in peace. Jaleesa goes all out to secure the account of a potential client who is obsessed with sports.
Episode 8: Love Thy Neighbor
Dwayne helps Whitley with her marketing project, but turns her down when she offers to take him to dinner. Ron tells Dwayne that he is being stupid and warns that he will lose Whitley unless he lets go of the past. Dwayne surprises Whitley by showing up at her apartment with dinner (while she is cleaning the oven in sweats and a jheri curl cap). Dwayne asks her to explain some of her actions, such as refusing to answer his letters during the summer and kissing Ron right in front of him. He is still unsure about whether he should trust her. Whitley concedes that she was wrong to play games; she says that she has come to appreciate everything Dwayne has done for her, and just wants the chance to be with him. She admits that she is in love with him. They are beset by a constant series of interruptions, and must finally seek refuge on the fire escape. Dwayne tells Whitley that he loves her, and they celebrate their new relationship with a kiss. During history class, Ron derides the homeles
Episode 14: Risk Around the Dollar
Whitley has to cut into the tuition check from her father to cover her share of the rent. She looks for a job, but turns down every offer. She is especially repulsed by the possibility of working at a mortuary with Kim. Whitley helps Ron organize a party (with cover charge) at a local warehouse. The event is a huge success, but the fire marshal shuts it down and fines Ron and Whitley for exceeding capacity. Although Dwayne sells his computer to pay the tuition, Jaleesa warns Whitley that he may eventually get tired of bailing her out. Whitley hocks some jewelry, takes the mortuary job, and repurchases Dwayne's computer. Terrence returns from a weekend trip to Washington, D.C. and proclaims himself a Muslim. His father isn't sure that he has given his decision enough thought, and doubts that Terrence can maintain a commitment to the religion.
Episode 7: Good Help Is Hard to Fire
Dwayne falls apart in the aftermath of his kiss with Whitley. He cannot sleep due to recurring nightmares, and lets the apartment turn into a pig pen. Kinu becomes extremely bossy and territorial; she argues with Ron (who is tired of her constant presence at the apartment), then tries to bar Whitley from a party honoring Dwayne's and her six-month anniversary. Ron, hoping to drive Kinu over the edge, hires cash-poor Whitley as a housekeeper. Dwayne's mother arrives in the midst of the women's sniping because she had sensed that something was wrong with her ""chipmunk."" Mrs. Wayne doesn't like Kinu any more than she does Whitley, so Whitley tries to take advantage of the situation by buttering her up. Kinu finally snaps and takes it upon herself to fire Whitley. Dwayne admits to Kinu that he cannot shake his feelings for Whitley. They decide to break up.
Episode 15: Love, Hillman-Style
As her marketing project, Whitley organizes a ""Men of Hillman"" calendar. Dwayne is offended when she doesn't ask him to participate; she doesn't consider him brawny enough. She finally lets him pose for the calendar, but superimposes his face on someone else's body. Ron finds himself juggling three Valentine's dates, as one of his girlfriends gets the night off from work and another returns early from an out-of-town trip. When he comes clean with the girl he likes the most, she is not as understanding as he had hoped. Jaleesa and Col. Taylor spend Valentine's Day together, until his bad back cuts the evening short. Matthew hopes to ease Kim's discomfort about being seen with him in public. Mr. Gaines tries to placate his wife, who complains that he is not as amorous as he was at one time. Freddie raves about a secret admirer, and is disappointed to find that it is Terrence.
Episode 6: Tales From the Exam Zone
Walter narrates a Twilight Zone-style look at the students' struggles during midterms. Whitley must complete a report for her somewhat sadistic accounting professor by the following day. She struggles to find a quiet place to work after Jaleesa and a date kick her out of the apartment. Dwayne, working as a teaching assistant for Col. Taylor, cannot keep Terrence from skipping class. Col. Taylor discovers the truth, leaving Dwayne with just 24 hours to get Terrence ready for the midterm or lose his grad school recommendations. Freddie begins hearing voices that shake her confidence before her midterm in Professor Randolph's class.
Episode 16: A Word in Edgewise
Matthew arranges for some friends from the National Theatre of the Deaf to perform for the children from the community center outreach program. Kim feels embarrassed by Matthew's free-spirited behavior, which she considers too silly. Matthew insists that his passion for acting is as great as Kim's devotion to medicine, and offers the opinion that art is just as important as science. Kim cares about Matthew, but is uncertain about their relationship. She observes Dwayne and Whitley's example and decides that they can learn to appreciate each other's differences. Everyone teases Whitley about her tendency to run off at the mouth. Dwayne bets that she cannot go a full day without speaking.
Episode 5: The Goodwill Games
Whitley decides to try out for the academic decathlon, as the winning team will receive $1500. Although Dwayne and Ron make fun of her, Whitley proves to be quite knowledgable and makes the team. She and Dwayne are disgusted to learn that they must be partners. During a late-night practice, they start wrestling and fooling around and end up kissing passionately. Whitley overhears Dwayne assuring a jealous Kinu that he has no interest in Whitley. Whitley files her nails during the game, leaving Dwayne to carry the team singlehandedly. Dwayne apologizes and convinces her to play, but they barely lose to Kinu's team. After Dwayne and Kinu leave to celebrate, Whitley declares, ""You may have won the prize, but I will get the man."" Kim turns down a date from Matthew, telling Freddie that he is strange and she isn't strong enough to deal with an interracial relationship. Freddie argues that Kim doesn't want a social life because it might interfere with her routine. Kim asks Matthew out for co
Episode 17: Ms. Understanding
Shazza Zulu, a student in his sixth year of undergraduate work, publishes a book discussing the sexist behavior of men at Hillman. The women take his words to heart; they get really worked up and decide to boycott all men. The men respond with a boycott of their own. Everyone gets upset with Dwayne and Whitley for refusing to take part, and Whitley's friends try to convince her that Dwayne is fooling around with the female students he tutors. After a food fight breaks out at the campus movie theater, Dean Hughes calls a summit to get the two sides to work out their differences. The students turn against Shazza, who insists that he is trying to promote harmony. He singles out Kim as someone who has turned against her race by dating a white man. She tells him off and storms out. Ron, who had earlier expressed a similar sentiment, apologizes to Kim and admits that he was jealous.