User Reviews

'Black Jesus' is the second episode of the first season of the CBS- TV American sitcom 'Good Times', which centers on the poor but proud African-American Evans family of whom make the best of things within their current living situations amidst the Chicago housing projects with love and laughter, despite what life has dealt them. The program, especially in this episode, introduces us to a taste of each main character's persona as to what to expect from their identities regarding the shows the followed: James Evans, Sr. (John Amos) as the strict, short-tempered father, Florida (Esther Rolle) as the firm but religious gap-toothed mother, the tall, lanky oldest Evans child and ghetto artiste James "J.J." (Dy-no-MITE!) Evans, Jr. (Jimmie Walker), voice-of- reason middle child daughter Thelma (Bern Nadette Stanis) and their youngest and preadolescent black activist son Michael (Ralph Carter).

The program originally aired from February 8, 1974, until August 8, 1979. Created by Eric Monte (who has a cameo in 'Black Jesus' as Runner to deliver James some money when his number is hit) and Mike Evans (who based the show around his childhood, had the youngest member of the Evan's clan named after him, and of whom also starred as Lionel Jefferson in 'All in the Family' and 'The Jeffersons'). The program was also developed by Norman Lear, of whom served as the series' primary executive producer and developer/creator/producer of the prior shows just mentioned. 'Good Times' is a spin off of 'Maude' (in which Esther Rolle plays the eponymous character's housekeeper Florida), which is itself a spin off of 'All in the Family' (in where the no-nonsense Maude Finlay (Bea Arthur) first appears as Edith's cousin in S02E12 to take care of the flu-ridden Bunker household). Whereas 'All in the Family' and 'Maude' take place in New York, the setting for 'Good Times' was based in an apartment complex in the Chicago ghetto, though all three shows were filmed in California.

When Michael discovers a portrait of a black man resembling a similar image to that of Christ in the closet that his older brother J.J. had painted, he tells him that it is really Ned the Wino. After Michael hangs it up on the living room wall, taking down and replacing it from a real picture of Jesus already on display, this action does not sit well with the very devout Florida. Flo's vexation escalates even further as she refuses to entertain the notion that the painting had anything to do with the recent "miraculous" happenstances of fortunate circumstances and coincidences when each family member, as well as their gossiping, fashion-savvy flibbertigibbet neighbor Wilona Woods (Ja'net Du Bois), begin experiencing a wave of unexplained good fortune. Whether it is a lucky break or something more divine that intervenes, the Evans family soon learns that a string of "good times" pales in comparison to Whom should have been hanging on their wall the entire time and what He could truly provide for them in His perfect time. In the end, Florida allows J.J. to hang Black Jesus on the wall upon his return from him losing at the local art exhibition alongside the actual one, saying how their family could use all the help they could get.

Directed by John Rich and Bob LaHendro, and written by John Donley and Kurt Taylor, 'Black Jesus' aired on February 15, 1974. This was the first episode in which Ned the Wino is referred to. He would later be a recurring character played by Raymond Allen, who also played Aunt Esther's husband Woody on 'Sanford and Son'. This was also the first episode in which street hustler Sweet Daddy Williams is mentioned, as we see J.J. painting a portrait of him in the opening scene. He would later become a semi-regular character on the show portrayed by Theodore Wilson. When Thelma announces that she has a date, the name of the boy she is going out to an Isaac Hayes concert with is named Larry. This could possibly the same Larry who would eventually become her fiancée, although Keith Anderson (Ben Powers) would end up marrying Thelma during the sixth and final season of the show. When Wilona enters the Evan's home, she says, "Hi, I'm Wilona. Fly Me." The "Fly Me" line was a reference to the 1960's and 1970's when National Airlines began a "Fly Me" campaign using attractive stewardesses with taglines such as "I'm Lorraine. Fly me to Orlando."

Though this episode was chosen for number eighty-three spot for TV Guide's '100 Greatest Episodes of All Time' list, I feel a more robust episode could have been chosen to do justice even more so regarding the Evans family and their current surroundings than in this one. In later seasons the show has delved into more heavier issues and subjects such as drinking, heroine, gang violence, child abuse (in which we are introduced to a young Janet Jackson as Penny) and so on. But I believe 'Black Jesus' was selected because it introduced us to the Evans family as real people with real hopes and dreams; a family, while some of them wanted to admit/believe it or not, indeed needed Someone to watch over them to provide the good times that came with the hardships and struggles of life.