While Dwayne is out of town, Whitley buys a $700 business suit for a job interview. She fails to get the job, and accidentally stains the suit, which she had planned to return the next day. Freddie recommends that Whitley file for unemployment. Whitley irritates a claims officer with her self-important attitude and ignorance about the workings of the unemployment office. Whitley grows tired of being given the run-around and decides to get the money on her own. She sells several appliances and takes a phone sales job. The girls discuss Terry McMillan's Waiting to Exhale in their women's literature group. Dorian impresses Lena when he crashes the group meeting with Terrell. Charmaine constantly brags about her relationship with Lance and mocks her friends for not having boyfriends. However, Lena comforts Charmaine after Lance chickens out of a visit and breaks up with her over the phone. Ron and Freddie struggle to find time alone together.

Occupational Hazards

Jasmine Guy

Darryl M. Bell

Kadeem Hardison

Cree Summer

Charnele Brown

Lou Myers

Glynn Turman

Ajai Sanders

Karen Malina White

Jada Pinkett Smith

White Christmas

Original Teacher

Whitley and Dwayne recall their fateful honeymoon in L.A.

Honeymoon in L.A. (1)

Conclusion. Whitley and Dwayne are separated by the '92 L.A. riots, which they recall for everyone back home.

Honeymoon in L.A. (2)

Whitley and Dwayne argue about which furniture should be kept for their new house. Freddie and Ron admit that they cannot stop thinking about each other, and nearly kiss again. Freddie, fearing that they will not be able to control themselves, recommends that he find somewhere else to stay. Ron feels uncomfortable about seeing Shazza with Freddie and decides to go. Kim snaps at Freddie; she believes that she forced Ron to leave because she hates him. Ron temporarily stays on the Waynes' couch, then rents a basement apartment from the eccentric landlord. As compensation for having to live with Ron, Dwayne agrees to let Whitley keep whatever she wants. Lena does not want to participate in Height Hall's coed stepping routine because she wishes to focus on her writing. Charmaine and Gina suggest incorporating her poetry into the routine. She agrees after learning that Dorian has joined the team.

Interior Desecration

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.

Somebody Say Ho!

Ron becomes jealous when Freddie leaves for a weekend camping trip with Shazza. He decides to prepare a candlelight dinner for Kim. Kim has problems dissecting her first cadaver in anatomy class. She throws up on the professor. She is too depressed to eat Ron's dinner, but decides to sleep with him. Kim's partner, Spencer, helps restore her confidence. The professor marvels at her work. Spencer comes over to celebrate, interrupting Kim's romantic evening with Ron. Dwayne sees Whitley's weekend business trip as a chance to enjoy his freedom. However, he soon becomes desperate for companionship. Charmaine annoys Lena after getting a job at the Pit.

Really Gross Anatomy

Charmaine observes Whitley in the office as a sociology project. Whitley is dismayed to learn that her company has put a hold on all purchases until a merger is completed. Determined to hold onto one of the paintings, she convinces Dwayne to invest in it with her. The merger falls through, and Whitley (along with her entire department) is laid off. Dwayne promises to find a way to keep them afloat until she gets a new job. He takes Whitley to dinner to console her. They return to discover that they have been cleaned out by burglars. Kim and Freddie invite Ron and Shazza for dinner in the hopes that they can all make peace. Ron and Freddie cannot stand to see one another with other mates. They alternately flirt and act jealous, and everyone gets into a huge argument. Kim realizes that she and Ron have no chemistry, so they decide to break up. Ron stops short of telling her about his feelings for Freddie.

Don't Count Your Chickens Before They're Axed

During their Halloween party, a drunken Dwayne responds sarcastically when Whitley and friends discuss women's rights and the ""Year of the Woman."" He falls asleep on the couch after the party, and dreams that all of the candidates in the upcoming presidential election are women (including incumbent Georgia Mush and eccentric Texas billionaire Rose Godot, who can't decide whether or not she is in the race). Whitley is the philandering Jill Blinton, who frustrates husband Hilliard (Dwayne) with her lying and infidelity. Hilliard agonizes over the fact that no one--including his own wife--has any respect for his opinions. Dwayne wakes up and apologizes to Whitley for his sexist comments.

The Little Mister

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

Baby, It's Cold Outside

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 fiancÃ©, 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.

Faith, Hope and Charity (1)

Marion and Adele clash over preparations for Thanksgiving dinner and throw food all over the kitchen. Marion takes Malik to task for paying too much attention to Kim. However, he is not her fiancÃ©, but rather an actor whom she hired to break up Dwayne and Whitley. Malik backs out of the deal and joins the rally for the Haitians. Adele and Marion are mistaken for protesters and hauled into jail. When they wonder why they haven't been bailed out, Freddie breaks the news that Dwayne and Whitley are broke. Adele and Marion seem to bond over their disdain for their children's marriage. After returning to the house, Adele admits to Dwayne that she is mostly upset because she didn't get to see his wedding. Whitley assures her mother that she is happy, and everyone makes up. Shazza tells Freddie that he is aware of her dalliances with Ron. She admits that she can't decide which man she wants, so they end the relationship.

Faith, Hope and Charity (2)

Freddie organizes a mentorship program for teenagers detained at juvenile hall. They can receive parole by completing a week-long project. Dwayne is assigned two young gang members, who continually fight after learning that they are from rival sets. Much of the tension stems from the fact that members of one boy's gang killed the other's cousin. Dwayne tries to get the boys to turn away from violence and set some goals, but they don't think they have anything to live for. He tries to talk to their parents, with disastrous results. Billy's proud but violent father does not appreciate Dwayne's interference; he shoves him around and threatens him. Dwayne again emphasizes the fact that the boys can have futures; he tells them that they should not place limits on themselves because of the environment around them. Dwayne eventually gets through to them, as they perform a rap song that preaches for an end to violence. Billy's father listens to his son's performance and seems somewhat impresse

Freddie's free-spirited mother visits, and annoys her daughter by spending all of her time counseling Freddie's friends. She exposes the bitterness that Kim is harboring over Freddie's relationship with Ron. Joni's appearance leaves Freddie confused about her life and stirs old feelings in Shazza. Ron spies Shazza kissing Freddie outside the Pit. Whitley takes a job at the International Cottage of Flapjacks to earn money for Dwayne's Christmas present. She finds herself completely overwhelmed, and gets no help from the owner's lazy daughter. Freddie confronts her mother at ICOF and demands advice. Joni explains that she lets her daughter make her own choices because she does not want to follow in the footsteps of Freddie's grandmother, who condemned Joni for having an interracial relationship. Ron appears and asks Freddie to make up her mind. She runs into his arms, as Whitley loudly launches into ""Joy to the World."" Whitley gets fired on her first day, but Dwayne consoles her with a p

Whitley takes a job substitute teaching for an unruly remedial class at a run-down junior high school. The students are completely out of control the first day, then suddenly behave themselves perfectly. Whitley discovers that they all purposely failed their tests. She considers giving up, but instead challenges the students to prove their intelligence. At the principal's suggestion, she uses her own background to cover the material left out of the outdated textbooks. Dorian finally asks Lena on a date. He stuns her by revealing that he does not believe in pre-marital sex. She decides that she is still interested in having a relationship with him.

To Whit, With Love

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

Happy Birthday to Moi

Members of En Vogue play dowdy choristers whom Ron and Charmaine must make over into a nightclub act for the Blue Dog.

Mind Your Own Business

Whitley discovers she's pregnant; Dwayne's computer-baseball game is a hit with Kinishewa Corp., which wants him to move to Tokyo.

When One Door Closes... (1)

Marion and Adele's interference causes tension between Dwayne and Whitley; Ron considers suing Dwayne.

When One Door Closes... (2)

Dwayne yens for a summer job, but he might get burned when his old flame conducts the interview.

Lean on Me

Whitley tries to remake a tomboy; Ron helps Freddie put on a benefit dance for a worthy cause.

Dancing Machines

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

Cabin in the Sky

Lena's friends from the old neighborhood and her ex-boyfriend Piccolo visit Hillman.

Homie, Don't Ya Know Me?

Lena, Dorian, Gina, Charmaine and Terrell move into an old farmhouse with a grumpy landlord.

College Kid

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

A Rock, a River, a Lena

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

Great X-Pectations

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 of Virginia. After Bonet's departure in the first season, the remainder of the series primarily focused more on Southern belle Whitley Gilbert and mathematics whiz Dwayne Wayne. The series frequently depicted members of the major historically black fraternities and sororities.

Occupational Hazards

Seasons6

Season 6 Episodes25

Cast10

Crew1

Discussion

Episode Summary