James (John Amos) is excited because he is sure that he is going to get a high paying job. However, at the interview, he learns that he is too old to join the company's union. Meanwhile, Florida (Esther Rolle) and the children (BernNadette Stanis, Jimmie Walker, and Ralph Carter) get ahead of themselves and throw a celebration party for James unaware that he was rejected.

J.J.'s painting of a Black Jesus, becomes the family's good luck charm after a string of success for each family member. However, Florida refuses to entertain the notion that the painting had anything to do with the recent string of "good times". Creator Eric Monte appears as Numbers Runner.

Note: This episode was taped after the pilot to add additional characters and to provide background for those in the pilot episode.

With an eviction notice over their heads, the Evans family scrambles to come up with $74 needed for their rent. Despite Florida's opinion, James goes down to the pool hall to try to hustle some money; J.J. comes up with a scheme of his own and Florida and Willona go down to the welfare office.

J.J. is sure he is bound to make it big when he finds a patron in Leroy Jackson (Ed Cambridge), who begins providing him with all the supplies he needs. However, when James discovers who the patron is, he forbids J.J. to be associated with him and J.J. responds by moving out. This leads to a confrontation at J.J.'s new apartment between James and Leroy.

A popular girl wants J.J. to paint her portrait and J.J. mistakenly assumes that they will become more serious when he makes plans to ask her to go steady. However, Florida and Thelma smell a rat.

Florida's strange behavior has the family and Willona wondering what is wrong with her. Michael thinks that she is beginning menopause, while Willona believes that she is fed up with the boredom that comes with being a housewife.

To avoid being bused to a white neighborhood, Michael forges his parents' names on a questionnaire. His principal (Ron Glass) arrives to question Florida and James about their responses.

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. Infuriated at first, Florida and James hear Michael out and realize that I.Q. tests are designed for certain demographics and in this case exclude black people. Meanwhile, J.J. prepares for a wild date with his latest girl, Henrietta.

J.J. has secretly become a member of the Satan's Knights, a gang who are in the midst of a gang war with the Warlords. Two members and the leader of the Satan's Knights arrive at the Evans' home to escort a scared J.J. to a meeting place where the two gangs are to meet. However, on the way there they run into James and Florida and an altercation leaves J.J. shot.

J.J. is recovering after being shot by Mad Dog, which turned out to be only a flesh wound. Meanwhile, a vengeful James presses charges against Mad Dog but a worried Florida is afraid that James's anger will take over before the law does.

James is sure that he is going to get a sales position at a department store but when he brings Florida along to the interview he is in for a big surprise – the supervisor would rather hire Florida than him. It seems the supervisor would "kill two birds with one stone" hiring an African American woman.

A woman, known in the projects as the "Wiggler" (Betty Bridges), asks J.J. to paint a nude portrait of her as a birthday gift for her husband (Carl Weathers). However, Florida has a hard time understanding why a woman would pose in the nude and why she has to pose in the Evans' apartment. Meanwhile, Florida is also not too happy that James is taking such a liking to "the Wiggler".

• Ja'net DuBois does not appear in the episode
• Bridges is also known for being the mother of Diff'rent Strokes star Todd Bridges

J.J. is enchanted with his new girlfriend, Clarissa (Rosanne Katon), and is all set to take her to a ritzy debutante ball. However, Clarissa has come to the Evans' apartment with some bad news – her parents will not let her go with J.J., saying that they think she is too good for him.

Florida thinks it is strange that she has never met the often talked about Henrietta, J.J.'s girlfriend (Tina Andrews). So when she calls the Evans home, Florida invites her over for dinner. Meanwhile, J.J. announces that he has been thinking of asking Henrietta to marry him. This sends shock waves through the Evans household, but things really get touchy when Henrietta shows up at the door, pregnant.

While Florida is away in Cleveland for a family funeral, the Evans' family is hit with a double dose of unemployment after both James and J.J. lose their jobs. James' boss at Brady's puts him on a temporary lay-off and the movie theater where J.J. works is closing down. Wanting to support his family, J.J. decides to join the U.S. Army. Esther Rolle and Ja'net DuBois does not appear in the episode.

A small-fry extortionist named Eddie (Douglas Grant of The Electric Company) bullies Michael into handing over his lunch and milk money on a daily basis. When the rest of the family finds out, turmoil erupts as they argue about how Michael should deal with his bully of a classmate.

While James is out of town, Florida and the children throw a baby shower for a friend, Loretta (Mary Alice). However, the joyous occasion is dampened when Loretta announces her plans of giving the baby up for adoption. Meanwhile, while Florida, Thelma and Willona go out shopping, Loretta goes into labor, leaving J.J. and Michael panicking.

While James is out of town, Florida and her brother Wilbert are left to deal with a troubled Michael. Cutting classes, getting into fights at school, and low grades are all warning signs that lead Florida to make an appointment to see Michael's teacher.

John Amos does not appear in this episode.

A feud erupts in the Evans' household when James and J.J. take the side of Alderman Fred Davis during his attempt at re-election while Florida, Thelma and Willona take the side of his young opponent. It seems Davis is a shyster who gets nothing done in the neighborhood, which is why she cannot believe James would back such a loser.

An elderly man who Michael befriended stops by the Evans' apartment just prior to the New Year's celebration and knowing that he only has a little time left, decides that this would be the best place to die, surrounded by a loving family and friends. Meanwhile, James is out of town while taking a temporary job and becomes snowbound, causing him to miss the New Years festivities.

After their parents sternly refuse the notion of J.J. and Diana marrying, Diana decides to run off to Indiana and elope with J.J. Meanwhile, back in Chicago, Thelma makes two shocking discoveries. First, while at the prom she realizes that J.J. and Diana never showed up and, second, she somehow switched purses with Diana and discovers that she has a drug problem and number for the supplier.

J.J. has been commissioned by a numbers runner, Sweet Daddy Williams (Theodore Wilson), to paint the portrait of his girlfriend, Savannah. In return, J.J. will get his own "one man show". However, Sweet Daddy's influence soon becomes too much for Florida and James to take and try to encourage J.J. to turn Sweet Daddy's offers down. But things take a turn, when Savannah sees J.J.'s painting of her.

The family is being investigated by the FBI because they are suspected to be security risks due to Michael doing research about and communicating with a Communist country for a term paper. However, the investigation leads to James losing his job and J.J. suspects this is also the reason why he got fired from his job at the Chicken Shack.

When James and Florida go out of town for a family wedding, the children are left at home alone and J.J. soon begins acting like a dictator. And Thelma and Michael argue at J.J and Wilona stop them for argue. However, J.J. is in for a shock when he receives bad news that he has given VD to an ex-girlfriend. This leads an embarrassed J.J. to debate whether or not to visit a free clinic for treatment. Esther Rolle and John Amos do not appear in the episode. Guest star: Jay Leno as a clinic patron

Thelma's fiance's 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 fiancé. Florida tries to calm a furious James and insists that it is time to let Thelma make her own decisions.

While J.J. is in St. Louis at an art show, the Evans family decides to hold a rent party to help out Wanda (Helen Martin), a neighbor in the building, whose electricity has just been turned off. However, the party may come to a quick halt when the heartless building superintendent, Nathan Bookman, catches wind of it. Meanwhile, Michael, Thelma, Willona and Florida all prepare to provide entertainment during the party.

Note: This is the final appearance of John Amos as James Evans, Sr.

Florida, Willona, J.J., Thelma and Michael are all excited, having each purchased lottery tickets for the state lottery. Good luck strikes the family when J.J. wins the lottery, a total of $2500. However, the luck does not last long, as Thelma's friend Edna shows up with her sister, Rozzie,both wielding pistols and demanding the winning money.

J.J. is managing Michael's singing group and gets them a gig at a local tavern. When Florida learns that Michael may be performing in a tavern, she hits the roof and storms down there to put a stop to it, thus breaking up the act. While there, J.J. comes across Judith Cohen, an act whom he knows will hit it big, given the right exposure.

Thelma and her college friends are having a meeting to decide what to do about the school cafeteria, but things come to a head when the African exchange student, Ibe, starts making sexist remarks about "woman's work". They finally agree to have a picket, but on the day of the picket, the assistant dean ends up then suspending Thelma. Meanwhile, Thelma and Ibe begin seeing each other, resulting in Ibe asking her to move in with him. Florida hits the roof when Thelma announces her plans of moving in with Ibe. However, things begin moving a little bit too fast when Ibe asks her to marry him and move to Nigeria. At first Thelma is all for it, despite Florida insisting that she take time and go slow, but when Thelma discovers she may become part of a harem, she has second thoughts.

When Florida's away for the weekend, J.J., Thelma and Michael throw a wild party and try to keep it from Willona, who is keeping an eye on them while their mother is away. However, the party gets even wilder than they had dreamed of when one of the guests takes an overdose of sleeping pills and J.J. has to keep him from falling asleep to save his life.

J.J., with the help of Carl, opens a greeting card business and has the entire family help with creating thoughtful greeting card sayings. However, when an accountant comes into look over the books, J.J. is in for a rude awakening, for he only has $68 in the bank. He finds this out just as he gets a huge order, which will cost him $2000. J.J. soon discovers that getting a loan is not going to be an easy task.

After Carl calls off his relationship with Florida, a furious J.J. confronts Carl, who makes up an excuse that a war injury in the groin is the reason why he is breaking up with Florida. Later, a drunken J.J. stays out all night with a drunken Carl, worrying Florida to death. Later, Carl reveals the truth to Florida and he proposes marriage and she readily accepts. Meanwhile, Bookman tries his best to get the Evans apartment re-painted, with the not-so helpful assistance of two lazy painters.

When young Penny Gordon follows J.J. home, she tells the Evanses tall tales about her life without mentioning her abusive mother (Chip Fields). But when Penny changes into a dress, a stunned Willona and Thelma discover the girl's badly bruised back. Willona and the Evans children are convinced that Penny is being abused and discover that she has an injured arm, caused by her abusive mother, but the doctor who treats Penny refuses to believe that she is a victim of child abuse.

Note: This is the first appearance of Penny, played by Janet Jackson.

Willona's new job in department-store security requires that she spy on changing rooms through a one-way mirror.

J.J., Willona and Michael suspect that Thelma's new boyfriend is married, but find that he is a former bigamist doing time in a halfway house.

When local wino Fishbone (Robert Guillaume) is mistakenly believed to have been killed, he attends his own wake dressed in drag as a mourner.

When Penny steals a necklace from a department store, Willona faces the possibility of losing custody of the girl.

J.J. assumes the role of father figure when Michael starts to slack off, prohibiting his brother from attending an awards dinner.

J.J. dates his sexy new assistant, who is also the boss's daughter.

With a hole burned into a couch cushion, the Evans kids each flash back to their versions of how it happened.

Afraid he will be passed over for a promotion in favor of a white man, J.J. has a crazy dream in which he experiences being white.

With J.J. out of town, the Evanses put on a talent show to save a local daycare center.

The day after the wedding tragedy, Keith blames J.J. for injuring his knee. Florida rallies the family together while Sweet Daddy Williams comes calling for his payment.

Florida competes with a relative of Alderman Davis for a job as a school-bus driver.

Michael plans to move in with a white female roommate whose parents' attitudes make him reconsider.

Vanessa Blake (Sheryl Lee Ralph) is back in town. She and J.J. used to be an item, and he can't seem to break the news to Vanessa that he lost his job. Meanwhile, Bookman has a new assistant named Teresa a/k/a T.C. (Bever-Leigh Banfield), who he constantly mistreats. She falls for J.J., but he only has Vanessa on his mind.

J.J. is the only witness to a terrible car accident involving a taxi cab and Savannah Morgan, Sweet Daddy Williams' girlfriend. Sweet Daddy shows up and pressures J.J. into saying that the accident was the taxi cab's fault. Things take a very serious turn when he finds out that Keith was the driver of the taxi cab and Savannah hit the cab.

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.

Jimmie Walker does not appear in this episode.

Sweet Daddy Williams sends his hoods to snatch J.J. from his home and bring him to the hospital. His reasons: J.J. is the only person they could find that matches Sweet Daddy's blood type and Sweet Daddy is in dire need of a blood transfusion.

A tomboy who has been helping out Bookman, wants J.J. to ask her to a dance. However, J.J. thinks of her as just one of the guys, that is until he has an encounter with her at a seedy pick-up bar.

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.

Willona's latest boyfriend, Jeffrey, has been showering her and Penny with extravagant gifts even though they've only been seeing one another for a couple months. Little does Willona know, that he is part of a plan to make Willona look like an unfit mother, a plan engineered by Penny's scheming birth mother. Mrs. Gordon, who had married into a wealthy family, supposedly busts Willona in giving a disorderly party in front of a minor, but she herself gets busted when Penny accidentally records Mrs. Gordon's voice admitting that it was all a set up to take Penny back. However, a tearful Penny outright rejects her birth mother and remains with her real mother, Willona.

Keith's 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.

J.J. is teaching art classes and one of his students, Emily, has great promise and skill with her paintings. It seems that J.J.'s painting is selected for a contest, and J.J. makes this mistake of asking Bookman to take it downtown for him but he takes Emily's painting to the contest by mistake! J.J. wins first prize for the painting and soon must decide whether or not to take credit for something he did not do.

Florida has a surprise visit from her cousin, Raymond (Calvin Lockhart), 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.