Episode
A Different World: Good Help Is Hard to Fire
Overview
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.
Details
- Series
- A Different World
- Season
- Season 4
- Episode
- Episode 7
- Air date
- 1990-11-08
- Runtime
- 30 min
Episode context
Good Help Is Hard to Fire is Episode 7 in Season 4 of A Different World. It aired on 1990-11-08. The runtime is 30 min.
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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 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
More episodes from this season
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 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 4: Whitley's Last Supper
Whitley's father comes to town and takes her to dinner. He announces that he is fed up with her exorbitant spending habits and takes away her credit cards. He will now only cover her tuition and basic living expenses. Whitley begs Jaleesa to let her continue living in her apartment, although she cannot quite cover her share of the rent and utilities. Whitley bemoans her plight and claims that everyone has abandoned her. Kinu catches Dwayne trying to console her. Freddie believes that Kim is studying too hard for the practice medical school boards. She tricks Kim into taking a break and coming to Ron's frat party. Kim plays a practical joke on Freddie; she pretends that she bombed the test because of exhaustion, then reveals that she actually scored 88 out of 90.
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 3: Blues for Nobody's Child
Freddie befriends Alex, an eight-year-old foster child who attends the community center. She is horrified after visiting an adoption fair and watching all of the potential parents ignore Alex in favor of infants and toddlers. Professor Randolph speaks out on the plight of foster children, but Freddie accuses him of hypocrisy when he says that he and his wife would only adopt a baby. A disheartened Alex runs away from the adoption center and finds Freddie at Ron and Dwayne's place. Whitley tries to bond with the boy to make herself look good in front of Dwayne. Walter finally shows up to retrieve Alex, after Whitley and Freddie try their best to hide him. Mr. Gaines, Walter and Col. Taylor all wish to apply for adoption, but are told that they need to take more time to think it over. Professor Randolph and his wife decide to begin the process of adopting Alex; although Freddie's comments were out of line, the professor realized that she was right.
Episode 11: I'm Dreaming of a Wayne Christmas
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.
Episode 2: How Bittersweet It Is
Whitley accepts a date with the persistent Ron in the hopes of making Dwayne jealous. She leaves a series of answering machine messages in which she repeats the time and location of the date, believing that Dwayne will show up. Ron ignores Dwayne's warning and insists that Whitley really likes him. After they have a good time at a club, Whitley feels guilty and admits that she was trying to get to Dwayne. Ron accepts her apology and says that he is happy to help, as he cannot stand Kinu. Ron pleads for a kiss at the end of the evening, and Whitley pecks him on the cheek. When Dwayne comes out of his apartment, she pulls Ron into a long liplock. Freddie hopes to get into a class taught by Professor Randolph, a respected authority on African American history. Professor Randolph asks students to write an essay explaining why they would like to enroll, but Freddie impresses him with a performance art piece. Freddie's cousin Matthew, who is white, comes over from Avery College to take the c
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.
Episode 1: Everything Must Change
Whitley thrills her friends by announcing that she has finally decided that Dwayne is the right man for her. Although she answered his love letters during the summer, she chose not to send her replies because she wanted to leave him begging for more. When she goes to Dwayne's apartment to share her feelings, she discovers that he met someone during his summer in Japan. He introduces her to girlfriend Kinu, a beautiful Japanese American who attends nearby Avery College. In addition to her emotional turmoil, Whitley does not have a place to live because she lost her apartment by failing to pay the security deposit. Jaleesa reluctantly allows her to temporarily stay at her apartment (across the hall from Dwayne's). Whitley vows that she will not screw up if she gets another chance with Dwayne. Col. Taylor's son Terrence enrolls at Hillman. His overzealous behavior around women earns him the nickname ""Pee Wee Hormone.""
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.