Good Times (1974–1979): Season 6, Episode 8 - Michael's Decision - full transcript

♪ Good times ♪

♪ Anytime you meet a payment ♪

♪ Good times ♪
♪ Anytime you need a friend ♪

♪ Good times ♪ ♪ Anytime
you're out from under ♪

♪ Not gettin' hassled
Not gettin' hustled ♪

♪ Keepin' your
head above water ♪

♪ Makin' a wave when you can ♪

♪ Temporary layoffs ♪
♪ Good times ♪

♪ Easy credit rip-offs ♪
♪ Good times ♪

♪ Scratchin' and survivin' ♪
♪ Good times ♪

♪ Hangin' in a chow line ♪
♪ Good times ♪



♪ Ain't we lucky we got 'em ♪

♪ Good times ♪♪

[Both Snoring]

[Door Opens, Closes]

J.J.? Michael?
It's time to get up.

Oh, no. Will you
look at the time?

I gotta cram for an exam today.

Uh-uh, brother-in-law. Thelma's
in the bathroom, and I'm second.

I got a job interview
today. Okay.

Hey, J.J. I go in before you,
man. I gotta get to class today.

You mean, I gotta use the
bathroom in the gas station again?

Come on, everybody.
To the table.

Food's ready.

Thank the Lord
for instant oatmeal.



Thelma!

Good morning, baby. Hi, babe.

♪♪ [Whistling]

Hey!

J.J., how far to
the gas station?

About two miles down
on the left. Uh-huh.

Good morning, Ma. Good
morning, J.J. Good morning.

Hey, Thelma, you gotta stop using
that bathroom as a Girl Scout camp.

Well, I had to put on my face.

Huh. You should
try putting it on again.

'Cause you got it
on upside down.

Sit down in that chair
and stop botherin' me.

You're the one that has your ugly,
old face. My face is not the problem.

Is this bickering
ever gonna end?

Get out of there. Whoo.

Can't we have one
single breakfast...

without everybody
snapping at each other?

Thelma! I'm sorry, Mommy.

Yeah, you should be sorry, 'cause
you know you ruinin' my appetite, girl.

My goodness. I can't believe it.

He eats like a horse,

but he has a body like an eel.

Here we go again.

Enough's enough!

What's happening to us?

I think we're suffering
from claustrophobia.

Well, maybe, but we just should be
glad we've got a roof over our heads.

Right.

[Screams]

The roof over our heads...

is quickly becoming the roof
on our heads. [Keith] Mm-hmm.

Bookman is supposed to come
up here and take care of that.

But let's face facts.
We need a bigger place.

Yeah. [Chuckles] We could
always sleep in Bookman's pajamas.

Or in J.J.'s head.

That's always vacant.

Oh, for the peace and quiet
of screaming kids on my bus.

You know, it's getting
so cramped up in here...

that I gotta pick a
number in order to breathe.

I can't study. I can't sleep.

I never have any privacy. And
I got college to worry about too.

The truth of the matter is, this
apartment is not made of elastic.

I can't stretch it
to make it bigger.

Well, Mama, if we
can't make it bigger,

then maybe we should make
the amount of people smaller.

Hey, look, we'll get out of here
as soon as we can afford to.

I don't like this any
more than you do...

Especially since I'm beginning
to feel like a freeloader.

Oh, now, Keith, don't
you start thinking that way.

You're up every
morning looking for a job.

See that, Michael?
You made Keith feel bad.

[Scoffs] You shouldn't be
making him feel like a freeloader.

You should say
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

Don't tell me you're
sorry. Tell the freeloader.

J.J.!

[Knocking]

Now look. That may be Bookman.

Don't start teasing him...

At least, not until he does
something about the ceiling.

Come in. [Knocking]

[Keith] Hey, Bookman.

How ya doing? How
ya doing, Bookman?

Three cheers for our
super. Hippo, hippo, hurrah.

- Huh? What was that?
- Nothing.

Mr. Bookman, I asked
you up here to see...

if you wouldn't do something
about this falling plaster.

I don't see no plaster falling.

Oh, yeah? Watch this.

Hey, J.J., that's a good
trick, man. [Laughs]

Man, if brains were dynamite,
that man still couldn't blow his nose.

What? What'd he say? He said,

"With the rains, it may
blow holes in the place."

So you had better
hurry and do something...

about all this plaster
that's falling on the floor.

Hey, no sweat. That's
what I get paid for.

Take care of that right away.

"Order one broom, and
charge it to the Evans family."

You see, it's getting
so crowded here,

we just need a bigger place.

I just thought that if there was
a bigger apartment available,

you'd know about
it, wouldn't you?

Yeah, I'd be the first to know.

As a matter of fact, the Martins on
the third floor are moving out this month.

It's a three-bedroom.
That sounds perfect.

How much more is
the rent? About $10.

- [Chattering]
- Do you think we have
a chance of getting it?

No! Not unless I put
you on my waiting list.

And I ain't gonna
put you on the list...

until you apologize for
those insults yesterday.

Which insults? Uh, I
mean, what insults?

Mrs. Evans, Michael called
me "the Incredible Bulk."

Oh.

No. He didn't say that.

What he said was,

it's incredible how
much bulk you've lost.

[J.J.] Oh, yeah. Definitely.

Without a doubt, you lost
more weight than Don Knotts.

You could wear some of
my clothes now, Bookman.

Well, I guess...

I guess I did lose a
little weight. [Chuckles]

Okay, there you go.

Now I got you down
on my waiting list.

You guys are number 572.

What? 572? Oh!

Whoo-ooh! Is Flo back yet?

- No, no, no. She'll be back in a minute.
- Oh, darn it.

What's the matter, you got a little bit
of gossip burning a hole in your tongue?

Gossip? Me? Gossip?

Keith, I'll have you know
that I'm one of the most...

anti-gossiping
people in this project.

That is why I dedicated
my entire life...

to getting the story straight
before anybody else heard about it.

I hate gossip.

Willona, if it's that important,
you know you can tell us.

Honey, listen. You know
Moose-face Mary? Yeah.

The girl that walks like she's
caught up in the wind? Yeah.

Even when there ain't
no wind blowing? Uh-huh.

Well, here's the word.
She is going to be a mother.

Hey, that's
fantastic. All right!

Hey, wait a minute. Ain't she the one
that's got the husband in the service?

Mm-hmm. Been stationed in
Germany for the last year and a half?

What's she gonna tell him?

It's a test-tube baby that
she's carrying for a friend.

[Chattering]

Whoo! Flo, wait till you
hear what I got to tell you.

Willona, can't it wait?
I had a rough day.

Oh, girl, gimme
your coat. Thank you.

Is Michael home yet?

No, Ma. He's
almost an hour late.

[Groans] I'm worried
about that boy.

He told me he'd study
in the park if he had to,

rather than put up with
the distractions around here.

Hi, everybody. How was your day?

It was just fine,
Michael. How was yours?

Fine. Fine.

Just fine.

How fine is "just fine"?

Fine.

His needle seems to be stuck.

- I'm moving out.
- You're what?

I'm moving into an apartment.

It's right near campus. It's
the perfect place to study.

It's small, and most
of all, it's private.

No. No, you're not.

You're not old enough
to move out on your own.

Mama, I'm 17 years
old. That's too young.

How come you're always telling me I'm
old enough to make my own decisions?

You pick a fine time to
listen to everything I say.

Michael, how do you
expect to pay for this place?

I have a roommate, and we're
gonna share the expenses.

[Chuckles] Well, I'm glad you
got a place of your own now...

A place where I can come
boogie down with my chicks.

Gramps, how'd you
find the apartment?

I read on the bulletin board a notice
that was advertising for a roommate.

- Good. You might find
a nice roommate...
- Hey, wait a minute.

Nothing is settled.
I'm still against it.

You are too young to be
moving out on your own,

especially with
somebody I don't know.

I'm moving out. I have to. I can't
take it here no more. [Knocking]

There are too many people in
here for me. Ah, well, hey, you know.

[Scoffs] Hi. Is this
the Evans apartment?

Yes, it am. Come right in.

Hi, Michael. You forgot these
folders, so I thought I'd drop 'em by.

Hey, thanks, Cindy. That
was very brave of you.

Hey, I'll show you
to the elevator.

Michael? Aren't you
going to introduce us?

Oh. Excuse my rudeness.

Folks, this is Cindy Crebbins...

My new roommate.

Cindy, I'd like you
to meet my family.

My sister Thelma.
Her husband Keith.

Our very good friend
Willona Woods. How are you?

My brother J.J. Charmed.

And this is my mama.

My mother, Mrs. Florida Evans.

But... But...

Excuse me, y'all. I
need some water.

Uh, Cindy, I bet
you were surprised...

when Michael
answered your ad, huh?

Well, yes. I thought it would take
much longer before I got any feelers.

Approaches.

Calls.

Well, about the apartment...
How many bedrooms do you have?

- One.
- One.

And, er, uh, how many beds...

in this, uh, apartment? One.

Excuse me, y'all. I gotta
have some more water.

Flo, don't worry about it.

They're just innocent
kids. Don't worry about it.

Hey, hey, look, everybody. I will be
sleeping on the couch in the living room.

It's perfect. The apartment is
walking distance from campus.

We can do our homework together.
We've got some of the same courses. Yeah.

Uh, let me guess... biology.

Cool it, J.J., all right?

Cindy and I... We can help each
other out. She's also an "A" student.

I bet ya she knows
her P's and Q's too.

Well, uh, I'd better be going.

It was very nice meeting you
all. I'll show you to the door.

I think I hear Penny
calling me, honey.

I got to go. Ooh! She
forgot her book, Flo.

Oh, nice little title.

"Contemporary Attitudes
Toward Sexual Behavior."

Uh, Ma, you sure you wouldn't
like another glass of wa-wa?

No!

Wait, wait. Look,
everybody, now.

We are reading that book for
a research project in sociology.

The whole class is doin' it...

Readin' the book, that is.

Listen now. This is just
a business arrangement.

Cindy and I are not romantically
involved. We are just friends.

[All] Mm-hmm.

Michael. Yeah?

You and me gonna
have a little talk.

All right then. Talk.

Can't you all find
something to do?

Oh. Yeah, Mom. Oh, yes.

Mama, I know what you're
gonna say... That's funny. I don't.

Well, you're gonna say
that you're not old-fashioned,

and that you've got nothing
against the new morality.

Wrong. Because I
am old-fashioned.

And as for this
"new morality"...

It may be new, but there
is nothing moral about it,

and nobody is
gonna sell me on that,

including my
still-wet-behind-the-ears son.

Mama,

are you sure that it's not prejudice
that's giving you the trouble?

The only prejudice I
have is a boy and girl...

living together when
they're not married...

And I don't care whether they
are yellow, green, blue or brown.

Mama, I already told you.

Mama, we are not
involved. [Phone Rings]

I have said... I can't stay here
anymore. I gotta get out of here.

Y'all just keep on,
right on arguing.

It's fine by me.

I'll handle this. [Laughs]

"Chello?"

Yeah, this is the Evans
household. [Arguing]

Oh, tone it down, y'all.
It's Cindy's parents.

Yeah. This is J.J.

Yeah, J.J. the Cool.

Yeah, brother of
Michael the Hot.

Yeah. They say they want to come
over here tonight. Yeah, come on over.

About 8:00 or 9:00?
Yeah, that's fine with us.

All right. See you there
or be square. Later.

Well, Ma and Pa
Crebbins are coming over.

The whole clan.

I mean, the whole
family. [Chuckles]

Now, Mama... Mama, I
know what you're gonna say.

You can just lay it
on me, but no matter

what you say, it's not
gonna change my mind.

This is my decision.

Michael, I don't think
I have to say anything.

I think the Crebbins
will say it all.

Mm-hmm.

Ma, how can you be so calm?

Who knows what the
Crebbins are gonna say?

- Or gonna do.
- I'll tell you
what they're gonna do.

They're gonna show
your kid brother...

that life is a lot trickier
than he ever imagined.

- Where you going, J.J.?
- Oh, I'm sorry to leave
the combat zone, Ma,

but I got myself a date
with Olivia the Octopus.

I got a few of my own
entanglements planned for the evening.

[Chuckles]

Uh! Oh, uh, I was just leaving.

I just came over to visit their
eldest son, J.J., but he wasn't in town.

Ah, come right in. Make
yourselves feel right at "t'home."

[J.J.] Oh, yes.

I'm Florida Evans.

- Which one is Michael?
- I am.

Before we get into this
Michael-Cindy business, I'd like to say...

We think it's just
absolutely terrific.

- Say what?
- Right on, mama.

Tell it like it T-I-Z.

Say, Michael, it is
really great to meet you.

Looks like you're gonna be
practically part of the family, huh?

Right on, man.

Well... [Chuckles] this is my sister
Thelma and her husband Keith.

- Hello.
- Hey, hey, Keith.

Thelma? Little Thelma, huh?

Why don't we just
wave from a distance?

Won't you sit down?

I hope you'll excuse us for being
so nervous when we first walked in,

but this is our first
time in a real ghetto.

Cindy didn't tell us that
Michael lived in the ghetto.

Do you know, we thought we
saw a real street gang out front?

Man, that was something.
Oh, they were just "juving."

"Jiving," dear.

Please, uh, let me
understand this.

You have no concern about
Michael and Cindy living together?

Why? We've always
tried to raise Cindy...

to be liberal and
open, just like we are.

I've always believed in T.C.R.

Dear, that's "T.C.B."

"Taking care of business."
You know that one?

Oh, yes. Lot of my
friends are white.

Right on, mama.

We think it's cool, Cindy
and Michael living together.

- But they're not married.
- Married?

Hey, wait a minute now. Y'all are way off
the track. We're talking about education.

Look. Let me understand this.

You're not concerned about...

your 17-year-old daughter
living with my son?

Of course not.

And we don't even
mind that he's black.

We've taught ourselves
to be color-blind.

Must get a mess
of traffic tickets.

Let me get this straight.

You're not concerned with your
daughter living with a black man.

You're not worried about
her living with any man.

Is there anything
that does bother you?

Well, quite frankly, we were
worried about her living alone.

But now with Michael there
with her, I'll be so relieved.

I mean, if an intruder comes in,

Michael will know
how to handle him.

Right on.

See, we white,

middle-class live such...
Such sheltered lives,

but this great experience
living down here in the ghetto...

really prepares you
for handling intruders.

We just run from 'em.

Actually, we call the police.

And when the trouble is
over, they usually come.

Well, we know she'll be safe...

in the hands of Michael.

Fulani, right? I
beg your pardon?

Your roots, your tribe.

I'll bet you're a Fulani.

That was a great warrior class.

See, you can tell by
the bone structure.

See how the forehead slopes?

And over here, how
the nostrils flare?

Oh, I wonder how many
lions your ancestors killed.

You have traced your
roots, haven't you?

Oh, yes, but right now
we're more concerned...

about where we're going
than where we came from.

[Chuckles]

You black people have such
a marvelous sense of humor.

Yeah, you really do
have great humor.

Can I get you anything to eat?

Oh, yes, yes. We
just love soul food.

Well, I was thinking
more of a cheese dip.

- Michael, will you get it,
please?
- Right on, Mama. Yeah.

I'll go with you.
Yeah, you come on.

You know, I read
Roots three times.

I canceled all my
business appointments...

and stayed home to
watch it on TV every night.

I felt it was the
least I could do.

Yes, and I'd like to
take this opportunity to...

apologize for what
we did to Kunta Kinte.

Well, that's cool,
mama, that's cool.

'Cause you see, he makin'
more money than all of us now.

Hey, wait a minute.

Keith... Keith...

Keith Anderson the
football player, right?

I knew I recognized you.

Hey, baby, lay five over me.

This is all the way
live. Right on, brother.

Actually, I did play football, but
I spent my summers at Oxford,

and I find it rather banal, all this
excessive use of the idiomatic jargon.

I feel we blacks have
progressed far beyond...

the primitive use of semantics.

However, if I may regress...

Keith.

Here you go.

Thank you, Michael.
Anyone for dip?

Oh, I'm sorry, but
we don't have time.

Sweet Mama and I are due at
our group encounter meeting.

We're christening the
new communal hot tub.

Cindy, we'll drop
you at the college.

Uh, Dad, Mom, could you
wait for me downstairs?

I'd like to talk to
Michael for a minute.

Oh, of course, dear.

Michael, we'll be seeing
a lot of you from now on.

Big Daddy and I will be dropping
in on you and Cindy quite often.

Oh, and I want to thank
you for your hospitality.

I've admired every minute of it.

Good-bye.

Uh, later.

Or is it "earlier"?

Michael, you don't
look very happy.

I'm not. You know, Cindy, uh...

I don't think I could take your parents
coming over to the apartment all the time.

- Oh?
- I'm sorry.

I don't think it'll work.
I'm better off staying here.

- But they seemed to like you.
- They didn't like me.

They just like the
fact that I'm black.

Well, at times they can be
pretty hard to take. Yeah.

Michael, we'll still
see each other around.

Hey, no problem on that.
We can still study in the library.

Yeah. Well, it was
nice seeing you both,

and thank you,
Mrs. Evans, for...

Oh, there's no need to thank me.

You're a lovely girl, Cindy.

Well, bye.

Bye-bye. See you
at school. Yeah.

Well, Michael, it
was your decision.

I'm proud of you, son.

Gimme five.

You got it, Mama.

♪ Keepin' your
head above water ♪

♪ Makin' a wave when you can ♪

♪ Temporary layoffs ♪
♪ Good times ♪

♪ Easy credit rip-offs ♪
♪ Good times ♪

♪ Ain't we lucky we got 'em ♪

♪ Good times ♪♪ Good Times was
videotaped before a studio audience.