A Different World (1987)
Season 4
TV-PG
A group of students at a historically Black university struggle to make it through college.
Where to Watch A Different World (1987) • Season 4
25 Episodes
- Everything Must Change
E1Everything Must ChangeWhitley finally decides to hook up with Dwayne when she finds out that he did not just bring a souvenir for her back from Japan, but he also brought himself a souvenir, one that is a living human being, and it's female. Meanwhile, Whitley also decides to bunk with Jaleesa. - How Bittersweet It IsE2
How Bittersweet It IsWhitley uses Ron as a pawn in her love match with Dwayne. Whitley accepts a date with Ron to make Dwayne jealous, while Ron hopes to change her feelings. The students vie for coveted spots in a history class. Freddie tries historics and dramatics to get into a history class. - Time Keeps on Slippin'E9
Time Keeps on Slippin'As Whitley and Dwayne's romance grows, they start to study together and it affects their academic life differently. Dwayne and Whitley have a hard time balancing a relationship and their studies, Freddie and Ron are in charge of the 1990 Hillman time capsule. - I'm Dreaming of a Wayne ChristmasE11
I'm Dreaming of a Wayne ChristmasWhitley joins Dwayne in Brooklyn for his family's Christmas. Whitley visits Dwayne's family for Christmas, determined to impress his mother. An unexpected subway encounter makes the job harder. However she runs into trouble with a crooked Santa while shopping for a gift for Dwayne's mother. - Love, Hillman-Style
E15Love, Hillman-StyleAs her marketing project, Whitley organizes a ""Men of Hillman"" calendar. Dwayne is offended when she doesn't ask him to participate; she doesn't consider him brawny enough. She finally lets him pose for the calendar, but superimposes his face on someone else's body. Ron finds himself juggling three Valentine's dates, as one of his girlfriends gets the night off from work and another returns early from an out-of-town trip. When he comes clean with the girl he likes the most, she is not as understanding as he had hoped. Jaleesa and Col. Taylor spend Valentine's Day together, until his bad back cuts the evening short. Matthew hopes to ease Kim's discomfort about being seen with him in public. Mr. Gaines tries to placate his wife, who complains that he is not as amorous as he was at one time. Freddie raves about a secret admirer, and is disappointed to find that it is Terrence. - The Cash Isn't Always GreenerE18
The Cash Isn't Always GreenerDwayne receives an incredible job offer from Kinishewa. Although Whitley and Ron insist that he should jump at the offer, Dwayne is torn between the job and grad school. He finally accepts, only to change his mind after his words of wisdom dissuade Terrence from dropping out of school. He decides to attend grad school and keep teaching, as he believes the job will always be available if he needs it. Jaleesa's visiting sister, a homemaker who is bored with her life, marvels at her independence. She wishes to emulate her, and Jaleesa must convince her that she can go back to school without leaving her husband. - How Great Thou ArtE19
How Great Thou ArtWhitley gets a job as an assistant art buyer for E.H. Wright Industries. She attends an auction in Washington, D.C. as an observer. When her boss steps out to take a phone call, Whitley disobeys her wishes by bidding on a painting from a promising young artist. Whitley fears that she will lose her job, but the painting turns out to be a great investment. Although her boss disagrees with her tactics, she applauds Whitley's intuition and enthusiasm. Freddie's new philosophical radio call-in show fails to attract interest because no one has any idea what she is talking about. She becomes a big hit after she assumes the persona of Jamaican-born ""Mother Eartha"" and distributes advice to her listeners. - It's Showtime at HillmanE20
It's Showtime at HillmanThe community outreach program loses funding after a corporate buyout, so Walter organizes a three-hour telethon to raise the $15,000 it needs to remain in operation. Jaleesa, Kim and Kinu sing, and Mr. Gaines tap dances (with musical accompaniment from Col. Taylor). Whitley's tribute to Josephine Baker falls apart when her male dance partners begin fighting over her. Dwayne begs for a chance to perform stand-up comedy, but suffers from stage fright. Although the telethon enjoys some initial success, the phones stop ringing during the final hour. The program only raises about $7000. Walter assures the children that he will find a way to come up with the rest of the money. - Sister to Sister, SisterE21
Sister to Sister, SisterWhitley is placed in charge of pledges for her sorority. She lets the power go to her head, and is especially hard on Kim. Kim leads a revolt and gets all of the pledges to walk out on Whitley. News of Whitley's humiliation spreads across the campus, so she becomes furious and challenges Kim to a fight. They eventually settle their differences, and Kim and the other pledges are accepted to the sorority. Ron also handles the pledges for his fraternity. He devises a way to convince show-off Terrence to think more about the interests of his brothers. - Monet Is the Root of All Evil
E22Monet Is the Root of All EvilWhitley organizes an exhibit to display the artwork of Hillman students. Mr. Gaines shows her some sketches drawn by Novian Winters, a young man who pays for meals with art when he is short on cash. Impressed, she struggles to convince him to take part in the show. The gallery owner orders Whitley to remove Novian's painting because he considers it sacrilegious. Whitley fails to back Novian because she does not want to hurt the other artists by canceling the show. Jaleesa and Freddie accusing her of selling out Novian to further her own career. She moves the show to the Pit so that he can take part. Walter is outraged when his visiting niece gets too friendly with Ron. - Never Can Say GoodbyeE24
Never Can Say GoodbyeWalter announces that he is leaving Hillman to take a job at a community center in Philadelphia. A roast is organized to give everyone a chance to say goodbye to him. Ron learns that he cannot graduate because he failed to take a European history course. Walter lobbies the dean on his behalf and convinces him to let Ron take the final. Although his friends help him cram for the test, Ron cannot learn enough in one night to pass the difficult exam. He wants to drop out of school, until Walter reminds him of his father's probable reaction. Kim receives a grant to study medicine in London over the summer. She and Matthew must head their separate ways, as he is going to spend the summer with an acting company in Seattle. - To Be ContinuedE25
To Be ContinuedRon tries to keep his father from discovering that he did not graduate. He dons a cap and gown and takes part in the ceremony. When his father decides to stay an extra day, Ron finally tells him the truth. Mr. Johnson believes that Ron has been treated unfairly and tries (unsuccessfully) to plead his son's case to the dean. Whitley's boss offers her a transfer to the company's main office in New York. Although Whitley doesn't want to leave Dwayne and her friends, he believes that she must take advantage of this career opportunity. They decide to try a long-distance relationship, but Whitley overhears the depressed Dwayne tell Ron that it might be better to end things before they drift apart. She steps away from the window and does not hear him vow to not give up on the relationship. Before boarding her flight, Whitley tells Dwayne that they should break up. Dwayne chases after her and asks her to marry him.
