It was recently announced that “A Different World” has been renewed for season two (as I write this, it’s been like an hour since the announcement). I feel like Netflix already knew it was renewing the show, but wanted to make us suffer. I don’t know what the numbers look like on the original, but I know 50% of whatever the numbers are are from my household because the original is always on repeat.
With that being said, I promised you all a solid review of the entire season. If you don’t know because you’ve been MIA, I have been doing episode breakdowns and will continue to do that in season two. Should be more complicated in season two because there will be callbacks to the first season AND the original show. I have tried to keep my overall thoughts in this review and not in the breakdowns.
Felicia Pride DO NOT BLOCK ME but…this show does not have the same rewatch-ability that the original show does. I also feel like because it was branded as a sequel INSTEAD of a continuation that it had a lot of pressure to be what it once was and it didn’t hit that mark. BUT AND HOWEVER, I adore the show…it just aggravated me in a way makes me not want to rewatch the show until they announce season two. Here’s what I mean.
Branding this as a continuation gives this show it’s own start. Sure, you can still have Shaquille as Ron’s son and Deborah as the Wayne’s daughter BUT it’s more of they happen to be their parents and they happened to pick this school. Then, we can double down on legacy. THAT’s the more compelling and complicated story for me versus picking up where we left off in season six of the original run.
Why do I say this you may ask? I’ll tell you. With it being a sequel, there was a lot that just didn’t make sense to me. The Wayne’s being separated and no one gave a clear answer that was new. You married the lady that was too much. You married the man that was brilliant and sweet. This isn’t new. What else made you decide to separate? That irritated me. What I think should have happened was that the Wayne’s decided to separate or are on the verge of separation due to stress on their marriage that you actually explained and THAT’S what effects Deborah while she’s in school. In addition to the Shaquille and Ellington drama. In addition to having ADHD. In addition to being the support system for her friends or arguing with them. There in lies the push and pull! Also, Whitley being a beauty mogul when her whole identity was formed around art in the original season is not it and “Glitter by Gilbert” is a terrible name. Have a scene where she fires her marketing team. Lean being in Congress is a bit weird, too, because Lena never seemed like someone who enjoyed bureaucracy, playing by the rules, or even playing well with others. That was kind of out of left field. We don’t get too much backstory on Ron and what he does. He couldn’t have always been his son’s manager, and what happened to the family business? What happened to him being a musician and a business man? He is a business man but he seems so far from who he was which happens when you have kids but I mean…no.
Another thing that irritated me was these young adults. Sure, I know they are freshman in college and will make terrible decisions. We’ve seen that in so many shows, but it often felt like instead of digging deep into a topic that was meaningful we just went for overcrafted mess. We all hated Kinu in the original season. Not because of who she was but because she was in the way of our Dwayne and Whitley! We loved Bryon BUT he was not Dwayne. People have thoughts and feelings about Ron and Freddie but I like them together. Anyway, what I’m saying is the drama was crafted in a way that made you roll your eyes but you couldn’t wait to see how it played out. It wasn’t over the top like the drama in this series. Yes, I know this is for people younger than me, but this was my show first! I’m going to critique it because I care! The thing that made the original series unique was that it really dug into related and serious topics. The Rodney King episode was what pissed NBC off and made them decide to end the show. We’re in 2026. We can go WAY beyond what we did in the original series. I don’t want a casual discussion of sexuality. I don’t want a brief talk about STDs and condoms. I want some consequences and some real talk. All we got was the bomb threat and even that was light.
Now, here’s where the review will hit a turn. THEY LISTENED! We asked for Bryan and Bryan we got! The screamed that I screamed in my room when I heard Papa Pope might have made my neighbors call me to see if I was alright. I had to pause the TV and go get another snack! Then, the writers had the nerve to keep him around! This is the type of drama we want! Also, what’s happening with Officer Boo-Boo and Coach Coles? You threw that in there and then ran away from it. Teedra is hilarious. I saw her twice. Unacceptable, but in season two? More Boo-Boo. More Teedra. More football because I like looking at Method Man.
The main cast will be just like the original cast. The way I want Maleah and Cornell to be dating in real life is insane. I feel like we had this same energy back in the 90’s for Jasmine and Kadeem. This cast is SUPERB. Kim Coleman was the casting director and let me tell you the shows this incredible woman has casted. “American Crime,” “She’s Gotta Have It,” “Dear White People,” “Greenleaf,” and “Lovecraft Country.” Yes, the show that should have had a million seasons. Anyway, give this lady a raise! She did one hell of a job with this cast and this chemistry.
Now, for my biggest critique of this show and what HAS to be seen in the next season is the city of Richmond. Now, I don’t mean we have to actually have them here in Virginia, but I want to hear some go-go. I want them in a hole in the wall bar somewhere that they say is Shockoe Bottom. I want them in DC for something. I want them to drive to Philly for Broccoli fest. I want them at the Cousinz fest. I want them at the beach. I want someone to be talking about Allen Iverson. I want them to be hanging out with people from other colleges nearby. Give me some atmosphere other than Hillman. They will be sophomores next season so we have to see them off campus….just saying.
Overall, I am invested in this show. I’m excited to see what season two brings, but I want to leave you with one thing. Lisa Bonet is not coming back to this show. I don’t know why that was the cliffhanger at the end of this season because unless God comes down and tells her himself, she will not be back. There is WAY too much trauma that she and every other cast member that worked with her at that time expressed. We will not see her. We also shouldn’t see Phylicia Rashad or Raven Symone. Why? Too close to Cosby and we’ve done such a good time distancing this show from him which is why it’s thriving. Don’t bring those cast members into the fold. I don’t care who Ellington is. Leave him by himself at this school.
