A Different World
Season 5 Episode 24
“Save The Best For Last Part 1 & 2”
Thursday May 14, 1992
THIS IS THE ONLY ONE OF THESE THAT WILL BE RECAPPING WHOLE EPISODES. THE REST ARE ALL JUST ONE SCENE OR PART OF AN EPISODE. THIS WEDDING IS WORTHY OF IT.
A Different World was exactly what the title suggested to me. A college full of nothing but black people learning about what it means to be black to them was definitely a different world compared to other shows I watched as a child. That’s not to say that black people weren’t on the television screen. I regularly lived off of reruns of Good Times and The Jeffersons. I religiously watched Thursday nights on Fox (Martin, Living Single, NY Undercover). I never missed a single episode of In Living Color. There were options out here from Family Matters to Fresh Prince. None of them were A Different World for me.
I had been watching this show literally for as long as I could remember. I debuted when I was 3 years old. I don’t know what age I started watching it in syndication, but whenever I did it was every weekday afternoon. It was the OG binge watch, and I was caught up by season 5. I had seen all of its crossovers with its parent show “The {Redacted} Show” starring Bill {Redacted} as Dr. {Redacted}xable. I had seen its reboot as an all-black school after the first season (bye Marisa Tomei). I had seen the exit of Sinbad. I was current with the episodes, and I was invested in what I would call a top 5 tv relationship of all time. Dwayne Wayne and Whitley Gilbert.
I had seen their unlikely encounter in a car trapped in a blizzard. I had seen their love blossom. I had seen them break up (damn you Kinu!!!!!). I had seen them get back together. I had seen them break up again. Now it was super bad though. She was engaged to a man named Byron Douglas.
Before I watched so much tv that I could predict just about any twist of a plot made for network programming, this was a devastating day in black history. Dwayne and Whitley were meant to be together, and no matter who she married this fact would always be true. This wedding must be stopped. Lets revisit a two part tv wedding event from 1992.
They open with a very quick exposition gaff between Kim, Freddie and Gina about their friend Whitley getting married. I don’t remember Gina being that close to Whitley but I guess they needed to round out the wedding party with as many familiar female faces as possible so this matches up. Also, I would like to state for the record I was always been Team Freddie growing up. If we are not including Denise (Lisa Bonnet) in this conversation of the baddest Hillman women, Cree Summers has always been first place to me. It probably didn’t hurt that I had been hearing her voice come out of random cartoon characters my whole life. There has to be some lesson about subliminal messages to be learned here.
A random annoying family member character is introduced quickly. She’s a non-factor to this tale of love conquering all so I will not likely address her again.
Here come Whitley with her new fiancé Byron AKA The Inventor of Skynet & The Death of Modern Mankind. If you were an actor from the 80’s or 90’s that plays a character I don’t like, this what I do to you. I lock you in a role forever and sometimes never even bother to learn your real name. The sad part is I have no reason to dislike Byron besides his insistence on delaying the undying love of the Gilbert-Wayne’s. If anything, he might be the most innocent victim of this entire saga… Too bad. You were the inventor of Skynet and inadvertently created Terminators. Between that and attempting to marry Whitley you name will never be learned.
Whitley is rich. Servants are everywhere. Cooks and butlers are moving at a fast pace and from what I can tell none of them were hired for the weekend. These are live in servants. I never got a clear handle on what Whitley’s parents do, but whatever it is has them fucking up some commas. This also matches with the fact that the Gilberts at some point literally owned slaves (this not a joke, it was a very special episode).
Freddie is an environmentalist so she is asking Whitley not to throw rice because they are a choking hazard for birds. Not to jump to conclusions, but you don’t get a house this size full of the help worrying about the Earth.
Byron’s mom is here but Whitley mistakes her for the wedding planner that is running late. She’s played by the lady from Amen (Barbara Montgomery). I just had a revelation that I will not skip over!!!!! One of Whitley’s maids is Mrs. Jerry from Martin!!!!
Her famous quote from my childhood is “I’mma bust you over the head with this bag of nickels.” I’m now realizing that she also showed up in season 6 of A Different World as a waitress that sang a song I’m still tickled by to this day.
“Happy Easter, Happy 4th of July,
I hope you’re Happy with your Birthday Bean pie”
To which she followed by lighting a whole cigarette off the candle on the bean pie. PURE COMEDY
She doesn’t have a line in these episodes though, and seems to be in a very bad wig. Its alright though. Just knowing she’s there is enough for me.
Byron’s mom is prone to cry at the drop of a hat. This will be referenced at least 3 more times in these episodes. It’s a fine early 90’s sitcom joke.
Orlando Jones was casted as Byron’s brother Troy. This is pre-MadTV, pre-7Up guy, pre-Drumline Orlando Jones. I wouldn’t miss those eyes anywhere. I’m pretty sure this is only one of two times he speaks between these two episodes either. I’m starting to realize that maybe there weren’t as many show options as I remember, cause three actors from 3 different shows have already shown up in this one episode and it hasn’t even been four minutes yet.
Whitley forgot her grandmother’s earrings so the Kim volunteers to go get them from her apartment back on campus. It’s a 45 minute drive but Kim is okay with going. Any other episode this might be seen as typical selfish Whitley behavior but during her wedding weekend it is acceptable…. It’s also unnecessary with all of the friends they have on campus but the show must go on. Kim is a good friend, but not good enough to stop this wedding apparently.
Now we are hit with a side story so small its barely worth mentioning. It pays off with one really big joke during a bachelor that even I understood at the time. Lena (played by Jada Pinkett-Smith) is about to babysit a newborn for Jaleesa (Dawn Lewis). This is notable because Dawn Lewis had been on the show since it’s first episode, and after this finale her character would disappear (along with her step-son’s character) to never been seen again. Written off into oblivion has to be the worst way to be let go from a show. She did however costar in the first season of Hangin’ Wit’ Mr. Cooper the next year…. She got written out of that show too. Will they ever give one of her characters closure?
No black sitcom is complete without a seemingly shifty pastor. Reverend Salms is looking around for Whitley’s mom, whom he just described as “delicious”. Really, bruh? MY MOMS!!!!!
Whitley is distracted making sure things are ready for her wedding day and she just said one of the blackest and most 90’s things that I have ever heard. “The photographers from Jet Magazine will be here….”
Kim stops by Ron’s apartment to talk to him about the wedding and I am flashed back to two things that I truly believed as a child.
1. Whenever I get an apartment, I’m going to paint streaks on the wall diagonal across everything, even the doors, cause it looks cool.
2. This shirt is awesome.
Both of these statements are in fact wrong on many levels. I always thought I was more like Dwayne than Ron, so I saw him for exactly what he was used for in later seasons, impulsive comic relief. I will say that in this moment he is the only one saying the things I would’ve been saying. Maybe I am more Ron than I thought.
Now we are getting both a bachelor and bachelorette party. In the 90’s the move seemed to be a muscular man dressed as at least one Village person. This construction worker is dutty wining his way through the party. I guess he got his dough up front cause I don’t see a single dollar bill in this mansion.
The guys however seem to be posted up smoking cigars indoors and watching what appears to be a porno on a television screen… was this a thing? I know a strip club might be over the top when it comes to an early 90’s sitcom, but men don’t sit around and do this. Not the night before a wedding, or any other occasion. Meanwhile Dwayne is seriously sucking up to the man that’s about to steal his woman for eternity. Maybe I am more Ron than I thought.
Oh, and for the record, all these guys are drinking breast milk Pina Caladas!!!!!!
Dwayne stops by Whitley’s house in the middle of the night and decides he wants one last convo with the woman that he loved for so long….And here is where we get into points of view. As Byron I would definitely be calling Dwayne all kinds of bitch ass for this. As Dwayne I would definitely say, if you are worried about one conversation alone then she ain’t really your girl…. Whitley ain't really Byron’s girl.
Listen. The type of heart to heart these two have not only shouldn’t be possible on the night before a wedding. This type of conversation shouldn’t be allowed unless you are already married. This is Drake "Marvin’s Room" levels of ridiculous. Dwayne basically shoots a last minute shot with no follow through. He does all but run off with her in the middle of the night right then and there. My faith in love is restored, but I would murder a man that tries to pull this before my wedding.
PT2
Dianne Carol is here as Whitley’s mom and her absence was a big deal in the first episode. They kept saying she was at a spa, and I kept saying she didn’t get paid for two episodes. Either way she’s here now and every bit of her uppitiness has arrived.
Dwayne decides that he can’t go to the wedding. I guess watching his soulmate marry another man finally became too much for him. I personally think he should stay home because of his suit. Ron should probably rethink his wardrobe as well. I don’t care what year it is, if you are deciding to go to a wedding in a purple suit or a pumpkin spice latte suit, stay your ass at home for the sake of your friendships.
Shazza Zule is here AKA the Lighteyed Guy from CSI. I didn’t know the last part rhymed until I typed it but it’s a keeper. Between him smashing Freddie for 2.5 seasons, and pulling that chain up from below Janet Jackson’s Again video, he was living the best life of a black actor that I can think of. It’s him, Blair Underwood, and Denzel.
Reverend Salms is back and he’s putting in his bid to be smashing Whitley’s mom after the ceremony, and it seems to be working. Why? I don’t know. Maybe he runs a mega church. She doesn’t seem like the type to be having one night stands with the riff-raff. He must have money.
Well it’s the moment of truth. It’s going down. The vail is on. The music is about to play and nobody is gonna stop it. This wedding is happening and young me is STRESSED!!!!!!
I’m not gonna talk about how they had a opera singer and harp player for the wedding party. I’m not gonna talk about the amount of black decadence happening. I’m not gonna talk about the Reverend telling stories about the young bride. We getting straight to the shits. This is the greatest act of love I’ve ever seen on television to this day.
I’ve never been at a wedding that actually had an objector, but I imagine it would be just as nerve racking as what I see on this screen. He was so scared to speak he just did the cough interruption. I guess I am more like Dwayne than I thought.
Now Whitley is having second thoughts and everybody around her is suddenly replaced with Dwayne’s face. This produced one of the funniest images of the entire run of this series. It’s Dwayne playing Dianne Carol. Its amazing.
She hesitated on “I Do”, and this is when I know that A Different World would never ruin a young child’s idea of what love is. They would never break these two up forever.
The hesitation is just what Dewayne needed. It is just what black love needed. It is just what America needed. The transcript of this is an example of what love is.
Dwayne: Will you!?!?
Shazza: Blessed are those that ask the questions brother.
Dwayne: Whitley, I love you and if you’ll have me, I want you to be my wife.”
****loud screams from the female studio audience as he fights his way through grown man ushers****
Byron: What the hell are you doing!?!?!?
Dewayne: I’m sorry Byron. I love her!
Ms. Gilbert: Die!!!! Just Die!!!
Dewayne: Will you have me Dewayne as your lawfully wedded husband from this day forth, to have and told, for richer or poorer, BABY PLEASE!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!
Baby please as a pickup line in the 90’s was a joke. Baby please as a confession of love in front of an entire wedding party in the 90’s was a power move. He would’ve never said it if it wasn’t true. He would’ve never screamed it if it wasn’t real. He would’ve never ended his vows with it if it wasn’t forever.
Whitley: I do.
After a brief apology to the guy that she’s literally still holding hands with, she runs to the arms of the one she belongs.
Was this the greatest episode of my childhood? Quite possibly. Was it the act that defined what love was for me as a young child? Yes it was. Did it have highly problematic patches. Of course. And through all of that love prevailed.
There isn’t a better wedding scene than this, in a movie or on a show. There isn’t an objection to a wedding that I believed in more than this one. Fuck you Skynet and everything you stand for.
At the time A Different World was actually surpassing the Cosby Show amongst black audiences in ratings, so there was no doubt that they were coming back the next season. And as good as the following season was, this could’ve served as the perfect finale. All is now right with the world. This episode actually makes me realize how much they fight in the final season even though we know they will never break up. You don’t have a wedding like this and not stay together. It’s a part of the rule book.
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