Episode
A Different World: Almost Working Girl
Overview
E.H. Wright needs a new secretary, so Whitley recommends Jaleesa's temp agency. Unfortunately, the company needs to fill the position immediately, and the only person available is Freddie. Freddie overhears the head of personnel say that she does not believe in affirmative action; she feels that she earned her job on merit, and wants others to do the same. Freddie lights into the woman and tells her that she has a duty to her race. Freddie gets fired, making both Jaleesa and Whitley look very bad. Jaleesa agrees with Freddie's stance and isn't sure she wants to do business with E.H. Wright. Col. Taylor angers his wife by pointing out that attacking one's boss because she holds a different point of view is not very smart. Freddie realizes that her behavior was inappropriate, and she and Jaleesa both apologize. Lena has difficulty understanding Shakespeare because of the language barrier. She delves into the spirit of the work and translates it into more modern terms.
Details
- Series
- A Different World
- Season
- Season 5
- Episode
- Episode 4
- Air date
- 1991-10-10
- Runtime
- 30 min
Episode context
Almost Working Girl is Episode 4 in Season 5 of A Different World. It aired on 1991-10-10. The runtime is 30 min.
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Episode 3: Home Is Where the Fire Is
A student's decision to drop out of school allows Lena to move into her own room, much to Whitley's relief. Whitley tries to dump all of the dorm duties onto resident assistant Kim. Kim discovers that Lena is cooking in her room. Before she can do anything about it, Kim has to go break up a fight. Lena sells her gumbo to the other students. She inadvertently starts a fire. The dean wants to suspend her, but Whitley and Kim come to her defense. Lena has to take a job at the Pit to pay for the fire damage to her room. Terrence moves back in with Jaleesa and Col. Taylor.
Episode 5: In the Eye of the Storm
A hurricane approaches Hillman, forcing Dwayne and Whitley to cancel plans to spend their anniversary in Washington, D.C. Several dozen people seek refuge in the Pit after the storm washes out the roads and prevents them from being shipped to a shelter. Jaleesa begins to panic and winds up getting drunk. Kim grows tired of everyone asking her questions and expecting her to take charge of the situation. Col. Taylor continually refuses Terrence's offer to help with preparations. He later comes to realize that he has underestimated his son. Ron shows up at the radio station and tries to get Freddie to play his band's demo tape. They start sniping at each other, and argue for so long that they get trapped inside the studio. They eventually call a truce and try to comfort each other. Freddie apparently loses her virginity to Ron during the storm. They promise to keep this a secret, but everyone hears them talking about it on the radio.
More episodes from this season
Episode 2: The Dwayne Mutiny
Dwayne gives his calculus class a graded quiz on the first day of the year, even though he hasn't taught them anything yet. He plans to give a test every day, and asks the students to sign contracts promising to work extra hours every week. Lena tears up her contract and leads a walk-out. Col. Taylor warns Dwayne that he will be fired unless he comes to a compromise with the students. Dwayne agrees to set more reasonable standards. He explains that he will hold high expectations because he wants the class to accomplish great things. Ron attends the funeral of a professor he didn't know in order to buy Washington Bullets season tickets from the widow. Dwayne infuriates Whitley by cutting into his share of their joint account for a ticket. Col. Taylor advises Jaleesa to set up her new temp agency at the house. Freddie asks for a job, but has trouble finding anything that meets her moral standards.
Episode 6: Rule Number One
Dwayne agrees to provide Lena with free tutoring to help her bring up her calculus grade. They bond over their mutual love of basketball and become friends. Whitley insists that Lena has a crush on Dwayne. Dwayne refuses to believe this until Lena leaves an answering machine message in which she raps about her romantic interest in him. Dwayne pushes her away, but fears that he acted insensitively. Whitley shows a surprising level of tolerance for Lena's behavior. She realizes that Lena is homesick and lonely, and offers to serve as her confidante. Ron enlists Kim's help in marketing a line of beauty products (supposedly) designed for African American women.
Episode 1: We've Only Just Begun
Dwayne and Whitley prepare for the coming school year at Hillman. He will teach classes, and she will serve as director of a new dormitory. She accepted his proposal and only kept the New York job for the summer. Dwayne asks Ron to pick up Whitley's engagement ring while he is stuck in a meeting. Ron somehow does not realize that the 2.5 carat ring the jeweler gives him is not the one that Dwayne purchased. Street-smart freshman Lena James tries to find housing after the computer fails to give her a room. She manipulates Whitley into letting her stay in her extra bedroom. Col. Taylor and Jaleesa shock everyone by revealing that they eloped. Terrence has trouble getting used to the idea of having a stepmother.
Episode 7: Baby, I'm a Star
The club owner fires Ron's band, X-Pression, because the group is not bringing in any customers. Dwayne suggests that Ron hire a vocalist. Kim agrees to take the job, and her singing ability brings acclaim to the group. However, she quickly begins to overshadow the rest of the band, and lets the attention go to her head. She turns into a complete diva and alienates her friends. Ron tries to fire her, but Kim smugly points out that they will lose the gig without her. Ron and the band respond to Kim's antics by stopping in the middle of a song and walking out. Kim realizes that she is out of control. She apologizes and agrees to tone down her behavior. Col. Taylor fears that he is too old to keep up with Jaleesa. He buys a Harley and takes up dancing in an attempt to impress her, but ends up hurting himself. Jaleesa puts him at ease by revealing that she is pregnant.
Episode 8: Liza Who-Little
Whitley's aunt offers her a lucrative job as an art buyer for her hotel chain. However, she expects Whitley to look after her golddigging cousin Liza during a weekend visit to Hillman. Liza befriends Lena and turns to her for fashion advice. Liza pursues virtually every man on the campus before finally setting her sights on Ron. Kim becomes extremely jealous. Whitley and Kim hide in a closet and overhear Liza talking on the phone with her mother. She advises her mother not to give Whitley the job. Whitley no longer has a reason to put up with Liza's antics, so she aids Kim with a plan to pry Ron from her clutches. Kim bursts in during a dinner date and makes a scene as she pretends that she is the mother of Ron's four children. Her outburst successfully drives Liza away. Meanwhile, Whitley decides to stop speaking to Dwayne because she feels he spends too much time playing or attending sports with his friends. Dwayne warns her not to play games.
Episode 9: To Tell the Truth
Whitley panics about wedding preparations--particularly the upcoming engagement party, in which her parents are to see each other for the first time since their divorce. She complains about everything and acts very demanding toward Dwayne. Dwayne admits to Ron that he isn't sure if he is ready to get married. Dwayne accidentally spills a drink on Whitley during a faculty party, and she screams at him and runs out. He spends the rest of the evening talking with a charming science professor from Avery. Although Ron warns that he is throwing everything away, Dwayne goes out to dinner with the woman, claiming that they are only friends. Kim goes to the restaurant with some classmates and sees Dwayne and Lisa holding hands. Kim confronts Dwayne, but promises to keep the information a secret. Dwayne confesses the truth to Whitley. Freddie becomes romantically involved with Shazza, who she insists has changed since a summer pilgrimage to Africa. She tries to hide the relationship from Kim, wh
Episode 10: Do You Take This Woman?
Before Dwayne and Whitley can deal with the repercussions of his revelation, her mother arrives for the engagement party. Dwayne's parents come to town, and Adele and Marion instantly despise each other. They clash over preparations for the party and wedding, and end up getting into a scuffle and throwing flowers all over the dorm lounge. Dwayne tells Whitley that he is feeling trapped; he fears that they are rushing into marriage. Dwayne has a talk with his father, who insists that it is common to have cold feet. Mrs. Gilbert and Mrs. Wayne establish an uneasy truce during the party. Each of the parents makes a touching toast to the couple and its future. Whitley announces that she is calling off the wedding and runs out. Dwayne follows her and pleads that he still loves her. He points out that his father said that everyone has doubts. ""Doubts, Dwayne. Not dates,"" she replies. Whitley tells Dwayne that she wants to be with him for the rest of her life, and asks if he can say the same.
Episode 11: Mammy Dearest
Dwayne seeks a friendship with Whitley, but she doesn't feel like hearing him out. She throws herself into organizing her dorm's official dedication ceremony. Kim and others object when she includes images of ""mammies"" (black nursemaids in the past, particularly during times of slavery) with the art exhibit. Whitley, Freddie and Mr. Gaines insist that it is important to remember these women's role in history. Kim wants no part of the display and announces that she will not participate in the ceremony. She tearfully confides in Mr. Gaines about a traumatic incident from her childhood. Whitley recommends that Lena learn more about her heritage by reading slave journals and other information at the Gilbert Library. Lena's research uncovers the fact that Whitley's family owned slaves. Whitley is shocked and overcome with guilt. Mr. Gaines advises her to let it go, as she cannot change the past. Kim, Freddie, Lena and Gina organize a performance art piece about the evolution of the African
Episode 12: Twelve Steps of Christmas
Col. Taylor, Jaleesa and Terrence argue about preparations for their first Christmas as a family. Jaleesa asks Whitley to join them for Christmas dinner. Dwayne's plans to go skiing fall through when his date dumps him for constantly talking about Whitley. Col. Taylor invites him to dinner, unaware that Whitley was already coming. Whitley goes to see her shrink, and is surprised to find that the Taylors are the next appointment. Dr. Langhorne accepts a Christmas dinner invitation from the Taylors in order to avoid her pushy mother-in-law. She tries to mediate everyone's disputes, and gets Dwayne and Whitley to consider becoming friends again. Meanwhile, everyone scrambles to avoid getting stuck with a homemade fruitcake sent by Whitley's aunt.
Episode 13: Just Another Four-Letter Word
After graduating, Ron elects to work on his music full-time. Dwayne complains about his inability to pay his share of the bills. Ron insists that X-Pression will win a record contract through a talent competition. The group loses to a talented but smart-alecky adolescent singing group (which taunts them after the contest). The other band members grow frustrated at their lack of financial success and decide to quit. Dwayne picks that moment to throw Ron out of the apartment. Ron finally takes another job, so Dwayne agrees to cover for him for a few more months. Freddie neglects her friends, job and studies as she becomes completely obsessed with Shazza. Even Shazza begins to grow tired of her constant fawning. Whitley, Kim and Lena conduct a sort of intervention to discuss her behavior.