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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(133 votes)

    #1 - Cats in the Cradle

    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
    8.8/10(92 votes)

    #2 - No Means No

    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(90 votes)

    #3 - If I Should Die Before I Wake

    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(87 votes)

    #4 - Save the Best for Last (1)

    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(132 votes)

    #5 - Save the Best for Last (2)

    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 4 Episode 7 - Good Help Is Hard to Fire
    8.4/10(76 votes)

    #6 - Good Help Is Hard to Fire

    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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    The 20 WORST Episodes of A Different World

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  7. A Different World Season 2 Episode 5 - Three Girls Three
    8.3/10(92 votes)

    #7 - Three Girls Three

    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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  8. A Different World Season 2 Episode 7 - A Stepping Stone
    8.3/10(82 votes)

    #8 - A Stepping Stone

    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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  9. A Different World Season 6 Episode 8 - Baby, It's Cold Outside
    8.3/10(61 votes)

    #9 - Baby, It's Cold Outside

    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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  10. A Different World Season 5 Episode 11 - Mammy Dearest
    8.2/10(76 votes)

    #10 - Mammy Dearest

    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
    8.2/10(77 votes)

    #11 - Love Taps

    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
    8.1/10(76 votes)

    #12 - Dream Lover

    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 3 Episode 23 - Getaway (1)
    8.1/10(69 votes)

    #13 - Getaway (1)

    S3:E23

    Dwayne, Ron, Kim, Freddie and Ernest head to Devil's Island, South Carolina for spring break. Whitley joins them at the last minute after Julian has to cancel their vacation due to a job interview. Ernest has big plans for Freddie, but passes out drunk. Ron tries to put the moves on Kim. A pair of murderous drug dealers searches the gang's van for a missing duffel bag. Dwayne and Ron discover money and drugs in the bag and try to go the police. Freddie and Kim meet the drug dealers on the beach and flirt with them, unaware that they are criminals. Dwayne and Ron return to the house after missing the ferry. Dwayne overhears the men threatening to kill him and tries to make a break for it.

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. A Different World Season 3 Episode 24 - Getaway (2)
    8.1/10(68 votes)

    #14 - Getaway (2)

    S3:E24

    Julian shows up to surprise Whitley, who wants nothing to do with him. Dwayne and Ron dress like women to get past the drug dealers and onto the ferry. They arrive at the police station to discover that they accidentally brought Julian's bag instead of the one with the drugs and cash. Paul and Eric search the house, failing to recognize Dwayne and Ron (who are still disguised as ""Diana"" and ""Rhonda""). They promise to return that night. The gang fears that the police will not make it in time because a storm has cancelled all ferry service. Kim, Freddie, Ron and Mandy head out in search of help. Whitley decides to sleep with Julian, but he doesn't think the timing is right. Dwayne hears the dealers coming and bursts into Whitley and Julian's room. Whitley gets into an argument with Dwayne after telling him that she is a virgin. As she opens the door to get him to leave, she gestures with a candlestick holder and cracks Eric over the head. The trio struggles with the men until Walter and

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. A Different World Season 2 Episode 6 - If You Like Pilgrim Coladas
    8.0/10(68 votes)

    #15 - If You Like Pilgrim Coladas

    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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  16. A Different World Season 3 Episode 14 - Pride and Prejudice
    8.0/10(57 votes)

    #16 - Pride and Prejudice

    S3:E14

    Whitley goes to a jewelry store to buy a birthday present for her father. Freddie tags along because she enjoys watching Whitley ""power shop."" The clerk ignores them and is reluctant to open the display case. She also suggests a cheap watch, as she doesn't think that Whitley can afford any of the high-end merchandise. Freddie believes that the clerk is a racist and decides to leave. Whitley argues that the clerk probably thought they were poor because of their manner of dress. (Whitley had not changed after her tennis game.) Whitley spends a fortune to prove herself, but her friends argue that this only gives the clerk a fat commission. Whitley returns everything and tells off the clerk, getting the woman in hot water with her manager. The ROTC holds a retreat to teach civilians about life in the Army. Walter makes a fool of himself and loses a bet to Col. Taylor. Dwayne ignores Ron's instructions during a flag capture game. He gets lost in the mountains and comes in contact with poiso

    Director:John Whitesell
    Writer:Yvette Lee Bowser

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  17. A Different World Season 3 Episode 16 - A World Alike
    8.0/10(65 votes)

    #17 - A World Alike

    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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  18. A Different World Season 6 Episode 9 - Faith, Hope and Charity (1)
    8.0/10(62 votes)

    #18 - Faith, Hope and Charity (1)

    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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  19. A Different World Season 6 Episode 21 - Cabin in the Sky
    8.0/10(148 votes)

    #19 - Cabin in the Sky

    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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  20. A Different World Season 6 Episode 24 - A Rock, a River, a Lena
    8.0/10(60 votes)

    #20 - A Rock, a River, a Lena

    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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  21. A Different World Season 6 Episode 25 - Great X-Pectations
    8.0/10(64 votes)

    #21 - Great X-Pectations

    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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  22. A Different World Season 3 Episode 1 - Strangers on a Plane
    7.9/10(64 votes)

    #22 - Strangers on a Plane

    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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  23. A Different World Season 3 Episode 5 - Forever Hold Your Peace
    7.9/10(76 votes)

    #23 - Forever Hold Your Peace

    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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  24. A Different World Season 3 Episode 7 - Wedding Bells From Hell
    7.9/10(61 votes)

    #24 - Wedding Bells From Hell

    S3:E7

    Walter wins a free Hawaiian honeymoon from a car wash, so he asks Jaleesa to marry him. Although she is uncertain, she eventually says yes. They plan to wed in two weeks. Jaleesa fears they are rushing and wants to call the whole thing off, but Walter reassures her. During the ceremony, they simultaneously announce that they don't want to get married; Jaleesa believes their interests are too different, while Walter can't fathom a lifetime commitment. They promise to remain friends, even though they will no longer date. Whitley enlists Dwayne's help in planning the wedding. She changes the subject whenever he tries to confess his attraction to her. Dwayne finally pulls Whitley into a kiss, which nearly causes her to faint. He asks her out after the wedding, but she is not ready for a relationship.

    Director:Debbie Allen
    Writer:Adriana Trigiani

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  25. A Different World Season 4 Episode 8 - Love Thy Neighbor
    7.9/10(69 votes)

    #25 - Love Thy Neighbor

    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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Best Episodes Summary

"Cats in the Cradle" is the best rated episode of "A Different World". It scored 8.9/10 based on 133 votes. Directed by Peter Werner and written by Unknown, it aired on 1/16/1992. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "No Means No".