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The Best Episodes of A Different World

Every episode of A Different World ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of A Different World!

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A Different World is a spin-off series from The Cosby Show and originally centered on Denise Huxtable and the life of students at Hillman College, a fictional mixed but historically black college in the state

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    A Different World Season 5 Episode 14 - Cats in the Cradle
    8.9/10(140 votes)

    S5:E14

    Dwayne becomes jealous of Whitley's new beau, particularly after she leads him to believe they are sleeping together. Ron promises to take Dwayne's mind off the situation by taking him to the big football game between Hillman and Virginia A Ron then sells his ticket to a scalper and spends the game in his car. Three white students from A walk by, and one of them decides to start trouble. Ron bets them on the outcome of the game, declining to mention that their quarterback is out with the flu. With Hillman winning in a rout early in the fourth quarter, the guys come out and pay Ron without an argument. Ron taunts them and says that their team needs to recruit more black players. One of the guys wants to let it go, but his friends begin to spray paint a racial slur on Ron's car. Ron starts to fight them, and Dwayne comes out and jumps into the fray. They are all held by campus security, who threatens to have them arrested unless they explain what happened. Ron and an A student giv

    Director:Peter Werner
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. A Different World Season 2 Episode 20 - No Means No
    8.7/10(109 votes)

    S2:E20

    Freddie falls for Garth Parks, a handsome and intelligent baseball star. Teammate Dwayne backs out of a date to the dance with Freddie so that she can go with Garth. However, Dwayne is disturbed when Garth shares details of a past incident with a woman. Dwayne describes the story to Walter, who confirms that it should be considered date rape. When Dwayne tries to dissuade Freddie from dating Garth, she accuses him of jealousy. Garth takes Freddie to an observation point and tries to force himself on her, but Dwayne comes to the rescue. Freddie and the other victim make statements to the police and help put Garth behind bars.

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. A Different World Season 4 Episode 23 - If I Should Die Before I Wake
    8.6/10(97 votes)

    S4:E23

    Whitley plans to sleep with Dwayne for the first time on his birthday. The public speaking professor assigns the students to write their own eulogies. A young woman named Josie stuns everyone with her speech, in which she reveals that she contracted AIDS through unprotected sex in high school. Gina and Terrence display their ignorance about the disease and are afraid to be around Josie. Kim and Mr. Gaines defend her and advise the duo to become more informed. Ron worries that he could fall victim to AIDS because of his history of casual sex. He and Dwayne decide to undergo HIV testing. Whitley, still shaken by the news of Josie's illness, decides that she just isn't ready for sex.

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. A Different World Season 5 Episode 24 - Save the Best for Last (1)
    8.5/10(95 votes)

    S5:E24

    The day before her wedding, Whitley frets about details until Byron is able to bring her back to reality. Kim volunteers to return to campus and retrieve a special pair of earrings that Whitley had left behind. She pays Ron a visit, and frets over the realization that the wedding is probably going to take place. Ron suggests that she intervene, but Kim is hesitant. Ron surprises Kim by giving her a stethoscope, and they share a kiss. The girls enjoy a wild bachelorette party, while a depressed Dwayne walks out on Byron's bachelor party. Late that night, Kim suggests that Whitley may not be completely over Dwayne. Whitley angrily denies this. Dwayne shows up on Whitley's doorstep and asks for the chance to talk with her. They take a walk in the garden, and Dwayne apologizes for the mistakes he has made. She concedes that she placed too much pressure on him, but Dwayne insists that he simply wasn't strong enough for a commitment at the time. He recalls a time when he was a geeky freshman

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Yvette Lee Bowser

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  5. A Different World Season 5 Episode 25 - Save the Best for Last (2)
    8.5/10(141 votes)

    S5:E25

    As she awakens on her wedding day, Whitley is so flustered by her conversation with Dwayne that she can barely remember where she is or the name of her future husband. Her mother chastises her for talking about Dwayne and emphasizes that Byron will give her a much better life. Dwayne decides that he cannot bring himself to attend the wedding. Whitley becomes extremely nervous as she awaits the beginning of the ceremony. Kim starts to give her some advice, but thinks better of it. Dwayne shows up in the middle of the ceremony, and Ron tries to convince him to break up the wedding. During her wedding vows, Whitley freezes up as she sees Dwayne's face everywhere. When she refuses to respond for over a minute, Dwayne realizes that she is far from certain about marrying Byron. He suddenly jumps up and charges down the aisle, pleading with her to marry him. Whitley accepts Dwayne's proposal and runs into his arms. Byron and his family are disgusted, but leave peacefully. The minister marries

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Yvette Lee Bowser

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  6. A Different World Season 2 Episode 7 - A Stepping Stone
    8.4/10(90 votes)

    S2:E7

    Whitley choreographs Gilbert Hall's step routine for a competition during homecoming festivities. She annoys everyone with her pushy attitude, and team captain Jaleesa throws her off the squad for insulting the rhythmless Freddie. Whitley reconsiders her behavior following a meeting with her childhood idol, a respected 92-year-old alumnus who never married and is completely friendless. Walter blackmails Dwayne into tutoring the football team's star offensive lineman, ""The Meat Locker,"" for a math test that he must pass to remain eligible for the big game.

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Unknown

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of A Different World

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  7. A Different World Season 4 Episode 7 - Good Help Is Hard to Fire
    8.4/10(85 votes)

    S4:E7

    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.

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. A Different World Season 6 Episode 8 - Baby, It's Cold Outside
    8.4/10(67 votes)

    S6:E8

    Whitley catches Ron sneaking Freddie out of his apartment at six o'clock in the morning. Dwayne and Whitley cannot find any time together because he is working three jobs in an effort to support her. Dwayne expresses his frustration to Kim. Kim tries to convince Whitley to talk things out with Dwayne, but she hangs up on her. Whitley calls Montel Williams' talk show and confesses that she and Dwayne have not been having sex. She does not realize that Gina is addicted to the show and has organized a dorm-wide viewing party in the lounge. All of the girls come over to Whitley's house and offer advice. Lena, Gina and Charmaine suggest a girls' night out to take her mind off things. Whitley, Kim and Freddie go to a club alone because the others are under the drinking age. Freddie confesses to Kim about her attraction to Ron. Kim already knew what was going on, but thanks her for her honesty. Kim dances with Spencer, her lab partner. Whitley goes home to find Dwayne waiting for her, and the

    Director:Glynn Turman
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. A Different World Season 2 Episode 5 - Three Girls Three
    8.3/10(101 votes)

    S2:E5

    Whitley and Jaleesa team up for an audition to sing backup at an upcoming Gladys Knight concert on campus. They ask Angela, an aspiring opera singer, to join them. After Whitley and Jaleesa improve Angela's stage presence and teach her how to sing popular music, she turns into an insufferable diva. They throw her out of the group, but she forms her own trio and wins the audition. Whitley goes nuts and tries to attack Angela, embarrassing herself in front of Gladys Knight in the process. Jaleesa and Whitley realize they should have followed their instincts and tried out as a duo. They imagine what it might have been like to sing with Gladys. Meanwhile, Freddie tries to work up the nerve to ask Dwayne to the concert.

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Jeffrey Duteil

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  10. A Different World Season 5 Episode 11 - Mammy Dearest
    8.3/10(82 votes)

    S5:E11

    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

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. A Different World Season 5 Episode 22 - Love Taps
    8.3/10(85 votes)

    S5:E22

    Gina's rapper boyfriend Dion (a.k.a. I'm Down) prepares to give a concert for his peers. He hires Ron as his promoter. Freddie reveals that she saw a man beating his girlfriend, but could not make out their faces in the darkness. She does not realize that the couple involved was Dion and Gina. He apologizes to Gina, but quickly flies off the handle and hits her again. Lena sees Gina's black eye and figures out what is going on. She decides that she cannot keep this a secret. Dion experiences a tremendous backlash from fellow students who are disgusted by his behavior. Ron quits his job and tries to fight Dion, who ignores Dwayne's recommendation that he seek counseling. Whitley urges Gina to get out of the relationship. Terrence calls the police on Dion and expresses disappointment in his one-time idol. Gina agrees to press charges.

    Director:Kadeem Hardison
    Writer:Reggie Rock Bythewood

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  12. A Different World Season 2 Episode 4 - Dream Lover
    8.2/10(83 votes)

    S2:E4

    During a party celebrating the end of midterms, Dwayne finds himself attracted to Whitley. She agrees to dance with him, but runs out after he grabs her ass. Whitley is disturbed by an erotic dream about Dwayne, for which Kim teases her mercilessly. Whitley daydreams about Dwayne in the computer lab. After he helps her retrieve a file, she kisses him without thinking. Dwayne believes that Whitley is the secret admirer who sent him brownies and a poetry book; he becomes convinced that she wants him. Kim saves him from humiliation by revealing that Freddie sent the gifts. Whitley confesses to Lettie that she is a virgin. Lettie assures her that she has no reason to be embarrassed, and says that she shouldn't read too much into dreams. When Freddie offers to bow out, Whitley melodramatically declares that she will step aside and let Freddie have Dwayne.

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. A Different World Season 6 Episode 24 - A Rock, a River, a Lena
    8.2/10(68 votes)

    S6:E24

    Lena Horne travels to Hillman to dedicate a scholarship in her grandmother's memory.

    Director:David Blackwell
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. A Different World Season 2 Episode 6 - If You Like Pilgrim Coladas
    8.1/10(78 votes)

    S2:E6

    Whitley and Kim stay at the dorm for Thanksgiving. Depressed by the thought of Thanksgiving dinner at the Pit, they decide to go out. Kim uses a fake ID to get them into a club. Whitley does not realize that the waiter served them non-alcoholic drinks; she ends up performing a number and dancing on the bar. Kim spots Col. Taylor in the crowd and tries to warn Whitley. Col. Taylor helps Whitley fight off an overzealous admirer. Although he confiscates Kim's fake ID, he doesn't report them to Lettie because he feels there is no harm in blowing off a little steam. Walter hopes to get closer to Jaleesa as he drives her home for Thanksgiving. His plans are thwarted when Freddie and Dwayne join them in the car, but Jaleesa later gives him the good news that she broke up with her boyfriend.

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. A Different World Season 3 Episode 16 - A World Alike
    8.1/10(74 votes)

    S3:E16

    Whitley meets Julian, an attractive exchange student from Georgetown who is part of Hillman's anti-apartheid group. Kim receives a scholarship that will solve her financial problems and allow her to gain work experience in a lab, rather than flipping burgers at the Pit. Unfortunately, Freddie discovers that the company funding the scholarship is a subsidiary of a corporation with investments in South Africa. Julian proposes a boycott; he angers Whitley by recommending that Hillman cut all financial ties with the corporation, as this would cost Kim her scholarship. Due to her father's health problems, Kim would have to work two jobs to stay in school. A young man from South Africa argues against the termination of scholarships, because he feels that the success of African American students serves as a beacon of hope to black South Africans mired in poverty and oppression. Kim decides to turn down the scholarship anyway. Whitley accepts a date with Julian.

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. A Different World Season 4 Episode 8 - Love Thy Neighbor
    8.1/10(75 votes)

    S4:E8

    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

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Yvette Lee Bowser

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  17. A Different World Season 6 Episode 9 - Faith, Hope and Charity (1)
    8.1/10(68 votes)

    S6:E9

    Whitley's mother surprises Whitley and Dwayne by coming to visit for Thanksgiving. Whitley is too ashamed to admit that she is unemployed and that the couple was recently robbed. Marion stuns Whitley by introducing her fiancé, Malik, a much younger man who sells oils and poetry for a living. Although Dwayne believes that Whitley should let her mother live her own life, she fears that Malik is a golddigger. She asks Kim to come over and flirt with Malik in the hopes of driving the couple apart. Just when it seems that things can't get any worse, Dwayne's mother (who has not spoken to him since he married Whitley) shows up on the Waynes' doorstep. Freddie tries to avoid Ron and re-commit to her relationship with Shazza. She even dons her old ""earthy"" look for a rally on behalf of Haitian refugees, but a law school assignment conflicts with the protest.

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. A Different World Season 6 Episode 15 - Happy Birthday to Moi
    8.1/10(64 votes)

    S6:E15

    Dwayne discovers that Whitley has goaded Kim into letting her assist in the planning of her own surprise birthday party. Dwayne takes Whitley to a cheap dinner and tells her that he scrapped the party. She feels that she deserves a nice birthday after her rough year, while he insists that she should have trusted him to plan the party on his own. Dwayne sends Whitley into the kitchen, then sneaks all of their friends into the living room to surprise her. Charmaine and Terrell struggle badly in French class. They refuse to accept help from prize pupil Gina, and all other tutors dismiss them as a lost cause. Terrified at the prospect of having their perfect grade point averages ruined, they hide a baby monitor in Gina's bag in an attempt to learn the contents of the oral midterm. Charmaine and Terrell get caught and automatically fail the midterm, leaving Charmaine humiliated. She admits that she wouldn't have been so desperate to get a good grade if Gina hadn't taunted her about her str

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. A Different World Season 6 Episode 25 - Great X-Pectations
    8.1/10(72 votes)

    S6:E25

    Dean Davenport expels Terrell for packing a gun; Spencer aims to marry Kim, but she keeps shooting him down.

    Director:Glynn Turman
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. A Different World Season 3 Episode 1 - Strangers on a Plane
    8.0/10(76 votes)

    S3:E1

    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.

    Director:Christopher Hibler
    Writer:Thad Mumford

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  21. A Different World Season 3 Episode 5 - Forever Hold Your Peace
    8.0/10(83 votes)

    S3:E5

    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.

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. A Different World Season 5 Episode 18 - Kiss You Back
    8.0/10(67 votes)

    S5:E18

    Whitley turns down the opportunity to spend a weekend in Washington, D.C. with Byron. She is distressed by the fact that Dwayne does not seem jealous of her relationship with Byron. Kim suggests that Whitley clear the air with Dwayne so that she can move on. He turns down an invitation to come over and talk. He later shows up anyway, and they argue about the way their relationship ended. They eventually soften after Dwayne admits that he'll always think of Whitley as his girl. Whitley tries to return all gifts and mementos that remind her of Dwayne, as she cannot handle the pain. Dwayne kisses her passionately and spends the night. As Dwayne eats breakfast in Whitley's robe the next morning, Byron knocks on the door. Kim agrees to a date with Ron. He can only afford to take her to a small diner, where they encounter three of his ex-girlfriends in ten minutes. Kim declares that Ron cannot give up his womanizing ways overnight, and walks out.

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Yvette Lee Bowser

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  23. A Different World Season 5 Episode 19 - Conflict of Interest
    8.0/10(65 votes)

    S5:E19

    Whitley convinces Dwayne to hide while she talks to Byron. Dwayne tells Ron about his night with Whitley and admits that he still loves her. Although Whitley seems willing to take him back, Dwayne chickens out and says, ""It was just one night."" Byron senses that something is going on and confronts Dwayne, who spills the beans. Whitley comes clean with Byron and insists that she no longer loves Dwayne. Byron forgives her, and they decide to start a relationship. Ron promises to prove himself to Kim. A talkative prospective freshman and her cocky boyfriend tour the Hillman campus. Lance tries to get himself moved off of the waiting list, and upsets Charmaine with his roving eye. Freddie and Shazza annoy everyone with their new policy of total, brutal honesty.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. A Different World Season 6 Episode 4 - Somebody Say Ho!
    8.0/10(75 votes)

    S6:E4

    Charmaine annoys the other students with her pushy attitude in Dwayne's statistics class. Someone tapes a sign to her back that reads ""digit ho."" She assumes that Terrell is responsible, and he refuses to apologize. She calls him a hood, and they nearly get into a fight. Charmaine feels that Terrell humiliated her by publicly calling her a whore. She files a formal complaint. Although she finds his behavior deplorable, Freddie offers to represent Terrell in student court. She defends his right to free expression, points out that he was joking, and gets Charmaine to admit that she had also insulted students. Freddie finally realizes that Gina was actually the one who taped the sign on Charmaine's back. Terrell explains why he didn't deny the charges. He didn't think anyone would believe him because they had already assumed that he was a thug. Charmaine and Terrell make peace, and Gina is placed on academic probation.

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Reggie Rock Bythewood

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  25. A Different World Season 6 Episode 21 - Cabin in the Sky
    8.0/10(149 votes)

    S6:E21

    Mr. Gaines leaves his son in charge of the Pit when he and Velma join Whitley and Dwayne for a weekend getaway.

    Director:Henry Chan
    Writer:Reggie Rock Bythewood

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Best Episodes Summary

"Cats in the Cradle" is the best rated episode of "A Different World". It scored 8.9/10 based on 140 votes. Directed by Peter Werner and written by Unknown, it aired on 1/16/1992. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "No Means No".