r/adifferentworldfans

didn’t Freddie and Ron kiss sometime earlier in the series during a hurricane or some kind of natural disaster? I remember this happening and they never mentioned it again. they act like the two of them were out of left field

As many, I really enjoy the season 2 intro of A Different World. Obviously because they took the exact theme song from season 1 and remixed it into something soulful and somehow sexy sounding (Aretha is a legend, of course). As a kid, I liked this version the best but I didn't really pay attention to what each visual component in the intro meant. Most of it is probably self explanatory but I just wanted to dissect it for fun. The continuous scroll from left-to-right, covers several "rooms" with different themes relating to commonly known aspects of college and the Black college experience.

I looked at it recently and it starts with a group that I'll affectionately refer to as "The No-Name Crew" (or NNC) - Five or so no-name characters who could be classified as the archetypes: Science Guy, "It" girl, ROTC guy, Party Girl, and Athlete. Their speicific classifications don't truly matter that much because their roles intertwine depending on the room which they appear. But it helps to remember their archetypes because they signify the themes being conveyed. Along with the no-name characters in each room, the stars of the show (Whitley, Freddie, Kim, Dwayne, Ron, Walter Jaleesa, Letty etc.) are the focal points.

The first theme has 3 different rooms and seems to focus on distractions.

DISTRACTIONS

Room 2: Girls with vanity and trying to attract men. (As demostrated by a classically narcisstic but always prim & proper, Whitley - featuring "Party Girl")

Room 3 (For good students): Balancing a focus on studies and fun. (Portrayed by Jaleesa - and kudos to her for taking a much needed break and dancing to the funky beats of the marching band! Featuring The No-Name Crew)

Room 4: Boys dealing with sexual desire and trying to attract women. (Illustrated by a h*rny Dwayne Wayne who just wanted some play. - Featuring " 'It' Girl ")

Room 5, the most uneventful room in the intro, has Ms. Letty by her lonesome, representing the university's staff. And this may be a conincidence or by design to show how serious we're expected to be and how detached from the youth most of us become as we get older.

STAFF: Tasked with assiting young adults and keeping them in check. We see a slightly amused Ms. Letty looking at Dwayne's Room 3 and then rolling her eyes up to the sky as if to say, "I swear these kids need an OFF button!"

The next few rooms show activities that are common in college, especially in a HBCU or otherwise majority Black college experience.

Team Building and Responsibilities:

• Room 6: Basketball and Football (Ron and Walter being their goofy selves)

• Room 7: Stepping (Kim getting down with The No-Name Crew)

• Room 8: Parties (Feddie dancing with The NNC, while on the phone for some reason)

• ROTC-type training and overall discipline (My favorite room probably because The NNC and Col. Taylor look badass)

• A group science lab project/experiment (The NNC are having a heated disagreement but they'll work it out. This room likely also ecompasses homework, tests, etc.)

As our intro comes to a close, we need The NNC twice more to show what they've accomplished.

END GOAL:

• Built into ready professionals (Here we see our well-polished NNC looking good, on time, and ready to take on the world.)

• Which leaves nothing left but Graduation!

Hope you enjoyed this rundown!

🎵Ooo, ooowoowoo...then where you come FROM!!🎵 🎓🎓🎓🎓🎓

I’m currently rewatching a different world on Netflix and I’m not really sure but it seems like the episodes are very out of order. Season 1 was already not my favorite plot wise but now these episodes seem so out of place. Is this just me?

Dwayne C. Wayne
Whitley M. Gilbert-Wayne
And the Hillman College Class of 1991
Sorry Jaleesa. I just discovered this subreddit this year.