A Different World is a spin-off of The Cosby Show, following Lisa Bonet’s character Denise Huxtable to college – predominantly black Hillman college. The actress leaves the show after the first season, but most of the other characters continued their education at Hillman college, and am I glad they did. A Different wold is not only entertaining, but it’s full of life lessons you can’t learn in school.
Since there are six seasons, I decided to make a list of the best episodes and break it down. Here goes my lift of the best episodes of the first two seasons, stay tuned for the others because the show only gets better as the episodes go on.
Season 1:
Episode 1. Reconcilable Differences.
It’s the first episode, you gotta watch it. Even though to be honest, not much happens in the first season, but aside from Denise, pretty much everyone sticks around (with the exception of maybe about two more). You get introduced to D’Wayne Wayne, who is personally my favorite character on the show (possibly my favorite character on any show) Whitley Gilbert, who you kinda learn to love, and Jaleesa Vinson, Denise’s older, more mature, divorced roommate – which this episode revolves around Denise and Jaleesa not being the best of friends right away.
Episode 2. Pilot.
This episode introduces, Maggie Lauten, Denise and Jaleesa’s new roommate who is a journalist major, who along with Denise also leaves the show after the first season. Hillman is a predominantly black school, and Maggie is kind of like the token white character. But even though it’s something that you take notice too, the show never bothers pointing it out. The episode focuses on Denise learning about how important it is to be responsible with your money.
Episode 5. War Of The Words
When Whitley suggests that a woman can’t work and be happily married, it starts a debate, with Maggie and Denise on the opposite end of the argument, where Denise informs everyone that if they love someone that the idea isn’t sacrifice, they should love you enough to compromise.
Episode 6. Rudy and The Snow Queen
Denise’s little sister Rudy comes to Hillman for the weekend to visit her sister, the reason I like this episode is because seeing Denise and Rudy together on screen is satisfying. When she gets there she took an immediate like to Whitley, making her sister upset but stays silent so that her sister will be happy, and the usually selfish Whitley delicately directs Rudy back to her sister, teaching her the importance of a good bond with your sister. Also, Rudy instantly recognizes D’Wayne immediately because of his glasses alone.
Episode 19. Clair’s Last Stand
The famous Clair Huxtable comes back to pay her daughter a visit, and to shut her down when Denise thinks that she’s going to Europe for the summer. Denise was waiting for the perfect moment to ask her mom to pay for her trip, but Clair wasted no time telling her she needs to get a job.
Season 2:
Episode 11. It Happened One Night
Kim, who is a new character to the show, has a pregnancy scare. This episode kind of talks about abortion without actually saying so, but more importantly they talk about being responsible. Which is important. Because you know, we get it you’re in college and things happen, but at least be careful about it. If you struggle to pay for books, you’re definitely going to struggle to pay for a child.
Episode 12. I’ve Got The Muse In Me
D’wayne and Ron host a party, and not so wisely decide to spike the juice bowl. Freddie, also a new character introduced this season, keeps on drinking, and comes to believe that her writers block is gone, so she takes a personal bottle for herself thinking that this was her cure. She gets drunk to the point where she falls off a ladder (don’t worry, D’Wayne catches her) and has to be carried back to her dorm. So from this episode you can learn maybe drinking is a bad idea, or at least not more than you can handle.
Episode 13. Risky Business
I didn’t mean to choose episodes that we’re back to back, but that’s just what happened. In this episode Vanessa and Mrs. Huxtable pay a visit to Hillman. While Clair takes on the task of helping D’Wayne get the internship of his dreams, Vanessa who immediately has a crush on him pretends to be an exchange student so that he doesn’t know she’s Denise’s little sister.
Episode 18. High Anxiety
Kim just takes on too much, she’s trying to juggle sports, activities, class, and work, to the point she just completely burns out. As college students, we can learn a lot from this. We shouldn’t take on more than we can handle, just because we managed eight classes in high school, doesn’t mean we can do it in college.
Episode 20. No Means No
Probably one of the most important episodes. Sexual assault isn’t always something anyone wants to talk about, but we still kind of should. Walter gives D’Wayne a lesson that every guy should be taught, and when asked why he brought it up D’wayne says “guys need to talk about this stuff too,” see why D’Wayne is my favorite? When a baseball player tries to take advantage of Freddie, D’Wayne comes and saves the situation before things get bad after he had been warning her all week not to go out with him.