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| Season 5, Episode 1 (1a) Number (#86) in series (133 episodes) | ||||
| Tape date | August 11, 1977 | |||
| Air date: | September 21, 1977 | |||
| Network/Country: | CBS-TV / United States | |||
| Written by: | Austin Kalish & Irma Kalish | |||
| Directed by: | Gerren Keith | |||
| Production code: | 501 (501a) | |||
 IMDB
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The Evans Get Involved: Part 1 (a.k.a. Meet Penny) | |||
| Cast Information | ||||
| Starring: | Jimmie Walker Ja'net Dubois Janet Jackson Bern Nadette Stanis Ralph Carter Johnny Brown | |||
| Guest starring: | Chip Fields Ronalda Douglas | |||
| Episode guide | ||||
| Episode chronology | ||||
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"The Evans Get Involved: Part 2" | |||
| List of Good Times seasons/episodes | ||||
The Evans Get Involved: Part 1 is the first episode of Season 5 of Good Times, and the eighty-sixth overall; it is part of a season opening four-episode story arc. Written by Austin and Irma Kalish, the episode, which was directed by Gerren Keith, premiered on CBS-TV, originally airing on September 21, 1977.
Synopsis[]
When a cute little girl follows J.J. to his home, she tells the story of a happy home life which couldn't be further from the truth. Meanwhile, the newly remarried Florida & Carl have moved to Arizona for their honeymoon (as Esther Rolle departed the series at the end of the fourth season) as well as for Carl's cancer treatments in his battle with lung cancer.
Storyline[]
Willona and the Evans family meet and befriend a new neighbor, a 10-year-old girl named Penny Gordon. Later, they discover a horrifying secret - that Penny is viciously abused by her own mother.
Plot summary[]
Season five of Good Times opens with a multipart story, which introduces future music superstar Janet Jackson as the newest cast member, along with Johnny Brown, who is upgraded from a recurring cast member to a series regular.
In part one, J.J. (Jimmie Walker) discovers that he has been followed home by a 10-year-old girl named Penny Gordon (Janet Jackson), who immediately takes a liking to him and even falls in love with him. After she meets the Evans family and Willona (Ja'net Dubois), Penny feels right at home with them and doesn't want to leave. The girl arouses the family's suspicions with her highly fanciful -- and obviously self-protective -- stories of her own home life. Then Bookman (Johnny Brown) shows up at the apartment to tell them that a new tenant, recently moving into the apartment complex, reported a child missing. Penny tries to hide behind J.J. but Bookman spots her, realizing that she's been busted. J.J. offers to take Penny back to her apartment where her mother, Linella Gordon, is seen ironing a shirt when she begins to berate the little girl but quickly changes her tone to portray herself as a concerned, relieved parent when she sees J.J. and introduces herself (after Penny told the family that she was her aunt). After J.J. leaves, Linella begins to scold Penny for disobeying her and warns her about what happens to children who disobey their mothers, realizing what is about to happen, Penny frantically runs off and tries to hide in her bedroom only to discover that her mother locked the door, knowing that would be the first place the girl would hide when she unplugs the iron and aims it in Penny's direction as the frantic girl cries and pleads for her mother's forgiveness.
The next day, Thelma (Bern Nadette Stanis) reveals to Willona about J.J. telling her about Penny acting strangely around her mother, in addition to all the made-up stories and is hesitant on whether or not they should get involved. Penny then shows back up at the Evans apartment, with her favorite doll named Celeste, and asks for J.J., who is getting ready for a date. While J.J. waits for his date to arrive, Penny asks him to play house with her and to sing a lullaby to her doll, Celeste. J.J. reluctantly agrees as he sings (badly) while Thelma watches with amusement. After J.J.'s date arrives, he tries to leave but Penny doesn't want him to and begs him to stay. Willona and Thelma then discover a bandage on Penny's left arm as the girl says that she fell against the stove and that a pot of hot chocolate had spilled on her arm, causing the burn. J.J. breaks off his date and stays with Penny, telling her how special she is as Willona and Thelma gasp in horror after they discover the severe burns on the girl's back (due to the hot iron from the day before). Willona then sits Penny down and wants the girl to tell her the truth on who is abusing her. Penny is scared to reveal the truth when her mother, Linella, arrives at the apartment to take her home as J.J., Willona and Thelma immediately become suspicious of her (as she frantically tries to cover up the burnt scars on Penny's back).
(Part one of "The Evans Get Involved" originally aired as a 60-minute "special" episode, which has since been re-edited into two separate half-hours for syndication purposes)
Guest starring[]
- Chip Fields as Mrs. Gordon, Penny's mother
- Ronalda Douglas as Charlene