Good Times

J.J.s painting of a Black Jesus, becomes the familys good luck charm after a string of success hits each family member. However, Florida refuses to entertain the notion that the painting had anything to do with the recent string of ""good times"".

An old friend of James, who is now a shady televangilist, stops by the Evans apartment and offers James a job that would pay $100 a day. James is set to take it, however, Florida is dead set against James accepting the job, believeing the job goes against his morals and values.

Florida finds what she believes to be a dirty story called, ""Sexual Behavior in the Ghetto"". Assuming it to be J.J.s, Florida confronts him, but shes in for a surprise when Thelma claims it and has an even bigger surprise when she learns it belongs to Thelmas latest boyfriend.

Florida and James are worried that J.J. wont pass into the 12th grade but when he gets his report card he did indeed pass but the grades seem to be a far cry from what they should be. This leads James and Florida to do a little investigating on their part.

Florida is running in a cleanest apartment competition and is sure she will win. However, her chances are dashed when Michael tries to help someone in need and brings home Ned the Wino.

Florida and the kids become concerned about Jamess health after reading an article in a magazine about hypertension. When he learns about their concerns, he goes through the roof and refuses to go in for a check up.

Floridas strange behavior has the family and Willona wondering whats wrong with her. Michael thinks shes beginning menopause while Willona believes shes fed up with the boredom that comes with being a housewife.

J.J. is taken down to the police station for questioning in the liquor store robbery. The family gathers there and tries to think up ways to raise enough money for J.J.s bail and ultimately consider taking money from a loan shark.

Michael must write an essay on the person whom he most admires. He first picks Florida for her strength and effort in keeping the family together. However, Florida points out that James may be the best person. However, James recent actions in applying for a new job leave little to be admired.

Michael, one of the brightest boys in his class, comes home with the news that he scored the lowest out of his whole class on an I.Q. test.

J.J. secretly has become a member of the Satans Knights, a gang who are in the midst of a gang war with the Warlords. Two members and the leader of the Satans Knights arrive at the Evans home to escort a scared J.J. to a meeting place where the two gangs are to tangle. However, on the way there they run into James and Florida and a scuffle ensues leaving J.J. shot.

A wedding has Florida realizing that Willona is the only friend of hers left that isnt married. So this leads Florida to try her hand at matchmaking, and matches her with a friend of James.

Cousin Naomi is visiting the Evans for the Christmas season. However, her visit is not a happy one for Thelma, who discovers that Naomi is hiding a serious drinking problem.

Florida is going to night school hoping to achieve a High School Equivalency diploma, but her working in the daytime and going to school at night puts a strain on her relationship with James.

Realizing his mechanical skills, Florida suggests that James open a fix-it shop but when they go to the bank, theyre turned down for a loan. This leads James to set up shop right in the apartment, despite a clause in the lease.

An elderly resident of the projects appears to be living on pet food after Michael takes out her garbage. The Evans familys attempt to do something for her is complicated when she brings a meat loaf to dinner and the kids suspect it is made from dog food.

The Evans familys joy at finally getting to meet J.J.s girl Henrietta is shrouded by J.J.s declaration that his immediate future could include Henrietta and matrimony.

Thelma has a chance at winning a scholarship to an exclusive boarding school in Michigan. However, even before she knows she won, a snobby girl from a fraternity comes around wanting Thelma to join and quickly discovers they just want her because shes black.

After taking some courses at a trade school, James has a chance of getting a good paying job. However, when he is finally offered one, there is one catch, its in Alaska.

Florida has had a pain in her side for the last two weeks but doesnt want to see a doctor out of fear of the cost. However, when James learns of her dilemma he decides to pay any cost for Floridas treatment, even after he learns she has to have a gallbladder operation.

Florida plans on borrowing money from her cousin to help pay some unexpected bills. Jamess pride stands in the way causing him to storm out to a bar, leaving Florida to learn about the shocking news about her seemingly wealthy cousin by herself.

Florida and the kids throw a baby shower for a friend, Loretta. However, the joyous occasion is dampened when Loretta announces her plans of giving the baby up for adoption.

A feud erupts in the Evans household when James and J.J. take the side of Alderman Fred Davis during his attempt at a re-election while Florida, Thelma and Willona take the side of his young opponent.

Florida and James become outraged when the kids get a touch of food poisoning after eating meat from the local supermarket. She organizes a group of concerned citizens and they boycott the market. The protest gets effective results, but not before Florida experiences her first trip to jail.

Thelma brings home a friend of hers and instantly J.J. is smitten. However, when she rejects him he quickly loses all of his confidence and slips into a depression.

Thelma researches her family tree for a school project and discovers Jamess father is very much alive and living in the Chicago area. However, when James learns that Thelma has invited him as a surprise for his birthday, he refuses to see him.

J.J. and his girlfriend, Diana, are getting serious and the topic of marriage comes up, something which both J.J. and Diana both want. However, both of their parents are totally against the notion. Meanwhile, Diana is secretly hiding a drug problem.

J.J. has been commissioned by a numbers runner, Sweet Daddy Williams, to paint the portrait of his girlfriend, Savannah. In return, J.J. will get his own art display.

When the children are left at home for the weekend, J.J. receives bad news that he has given VD to an ex-girlfriend. This leads an embarrassed J.J. to debate on whether or not to visit a free clinic for treatment.

Thelmas fiancees idea of romance is taking her to a basketball game but that is the least of her worries after he gets a big break in California leaving her with two options, stay with her family in Chicago or move to California with her fiancee.

The family is getting ready to move to Mississippi which is where James has gotten a promising new job. However, the family is waiting for the right time to tell Bookman the news. Later, Willona throws a going-away party but the happiness is interrupted by heartbreaking news that James has been killed in a car accident.

Thelma invites her favorite teacher to the apartment and while she is there she is fascinated with JJs artwork. She and JJ soon develop an instant attraction to each other, which disturbs Florida, who cant accept her oldest son carrying on with a woman who is fifteen years older.

Michael is in love with Yvonne but every time hes around her he freezes. When Yvonne meets J.J. she instantly falls for him thus creating a sibling rivalry between Michael and J.J.

After loosing his job, J.J. tries his best to find a job. However, when Bookman serves the Evans family with an eviction notice due to late rent, J.J. decides to take a job offer from a couple of his shady friends. Meanwhile, Thelma contemplates dropping out of college to get a full time job and help the family out.

Florida and the children are excitedly anticipating the arrival of Grandpa Evans. However, he arrives with a loud companion in tow.

The kids feel Florida has been spending too much time alone and they decide to cancel their plans and spend an evening with her. But Florida surprises them all and goes out with Willona. Willona takes her to a local night spot where they have an exciting evening.

J.J. borrows money from a loan shark to back his talented new comedian. However, within days, two thugs come to collect their money, money that J.J. doesnt have.

The cafeteria at Thelmas college is in disrepair. Thelma and her friends picket the college. She meets Ibe, an African exchange student. They date, and he asks her to move in with him. Thelma is suspended from college because of the picket.

Willona gets a surprise for her birthday, a visit from her womanizing ex-husband, Ray. Ray does his best at convincing Willona that hes changed and she decides to try to start over with him. However, quickly his old ways surface and he begins making passes at Thelma.

Florida is horrified to learn that Michael is harboring atheist attitudes planted by his boss. This leads Florida to confront Michaels boss and get to the bottom of the situation.

J.J. is all excited about taking Michael to a father-son dinner but when Michael breaks the news that he invited Carl to take him, J.J. storms out.

Florida and Carls relationship has gotten quite serious and Carl breaks the news to J.J., Thelma and Michael that hes planning on proposing marriage to Florida. However, after a visit to his doctor, Carl decides to break off the relationship, since hes been diagnosed with lung cancer.

When a young girl, Penny Gordon follows J.J. home, she quickly insinuates herself into the Evans household and makes up stories about her life, including forgetting to mention she has an abusive mother.

Willona and the Evans kids are stunned to discover that Penny and her mother have moved. They are equally stunned when they discover Penny hiding the Evans apartment. Later, Pennys abusive mother abandons her leaving Willona to ponder adopting the battered youth.

Fed up with having no privacy and being burdened by two brothers, Thelma decides to move out and into an apartment that is shared by three other roommates.

J.J. and his friends become partners in the ownership of car, a car that they foolishly bought from Bookman. However, the quality of the car is minor compared to the constant fighting over who gets to use it.

The conditions in the building become to much for Willona, Penny and the Evans kids to bare so they decide to circulate a petition that would terminate Bookman as the superintendet. However, Bookman and his wife, hatch a plan to save his job.

Fishbone, a wino, complains that he has no friends and quickly discovers he has many when a vagrant steals his wallet and is later killed in a car accident. Everyone assumes, Fishbone is the one that was killed and they hold a wake.

Michaels apathetic behavior towards household chores and homework leads J.J. to put his foot down and to step in as a father figure. He really comes down hard when Michael and Penny are arrested for being in a stolen vehicle.

J.J. is given a sexy assistant, one whom he makes a play for immediately. However, later when he learns that shes the bosss daughter, he continues to go out with her thinking that it will give him special privileges with his boss.

J.J. wants a promotion at work but a co-worker convinces him that the promotion will only go to a white man. This leads J.J. to have a crazy dream where he gets to experience being white.

J.J.s latest relationship with a woman, Barbara, whos currently married but plans on divorcing her husband, results with him coming down with an ulcer. The situation is compounded when J.J. learns that her husband and her still share an apartment.

Grandpa Evans visits and has plans of becoming rich thanks to his new invention. Meanwhile, Lena, Grandpas fiancee gets tired of being ignored and decides to leave him.

Thelma has written a full length play and is ecstatic when it is chosen to be produced as the local theaters latest production. Thelma quickly realizes a few changes to her manuscript may be needed, but it soon feels like almost everything will need to be changed to please the theater owner.

The Evans children and Willona are pleasantly shocked to learn that Thelma has been dating the nationally renowned football player Keith Anderson, a Heisman Trophy candidate currently negotiating a 1,000,000 dollar professional contract with the Chicago Bears. When Keith proposes it only remains for Thelma to phone her mother in Arizona to ask her blessing.

After losing his job, J.J. takes out a $1,000 loan from Sweet Daddy Williams, to pay for Thelmas wedding. The wedding finally goes off without a hitch, but after the ceremony the couples exit down the aisle ends with Keith breaking his leg.

Both Florida and J.J. are looking for work but neither are having any luck. One ad, in the newspaper, for part-time work as a school bus driver sparks Floridas attention, but when Alderman Fred Davis becomes involved, it appears Florida may not have a chance, because one of his relatives is also applying for the position.

J.J.s student has to deal with a violent father who ademently refuses to allow his son to take art lessons from J.J., even though J.J. offers to give them for free.

JJs former girlfriend Vanessa is back in town, and she still has expensive taste. JJ does not want to tell her that he is out of work and cannot afford to take her out all the time. Bookmans assistant is interested in JJ.

A snowstorm hits Chicago and Florida gets stuck in it with her school bus. This leads her and the kids on the bus to take refuge in an abandoned building to keep warm.

The Evans family has found the perfect home to move into and plan on taking out a loan to pay for it. However, they quickly find, as usual, that thats easier said then done, when they run into trouble trying to perusade the banker.

After a near fatal accident, Larrys mother finally realizes that Larry has a hearing problem. Unable to take him to the doctor because she has to work, Mrs. Baker allows Florida to take him to the doctor, which is where Larry makes the announcement that he plans on running away from home.

When Willona goes out of town, she leaves Penny in Floridas care. Shortly after, Penny comes down with a virus and Florida takes her down to the free clinic to be examined. Florida quickly comes face to face with the hardnosed doctor whos out of touch with the people in the ghetto and whos also planning to leave, right in the middle of what seems to be an epidemic.

Florida discovers she must take and pass a physical examination to keep her bus driving job. However, the night before her physical is utter chaos ending with Michael landing in jail.

Keiths search for a job results in strange behavior that everyone plainly points out is not just frustration, but rather a bigger problem. Little does anyone know, Keith has developed a serious drinking problem.

Florida gets a surprise visit from her cousin, Raymond, who has hit it big and gives each member of the family an expensive gift. However, Florida is reluctant to accept her gift of an expensive three room apartment, when she learns just how Raymond makes his money.