Aw man, when the Evans are having a GOOD TIME, tragedy often followed. :(

[Janice Johnson]

No pun intended with GOOD TIME.

The Rent Party was a fun episode and the final episode of Season 3. James died as the fourth Season Opener.

The Big Move, 99 percent of the episode was filled with good vibes and a festive attitude. The Evans were moving to Mississippi for a better life. And at the very end, Florida gets a telegram informing her that James was killed in an automotive accident! The mood instantly turns somber and heartbreaking after being 99 percent fun.

Florida and James dance happily after JJ's party. Then Thelma comes in and announced that JJ has just been arrested because Cops think he robbed a liquor store! On his 18th birthday, that's a REALLY messed up ending to a good birthday. Poor JJ even lost the good job he wanted because of the arrest going on his record, and he didn't even rob the liquor store!

Keith and Thelma get married, and literally about a minute after the wedding, Keith trips over JJ's knee and has a broken leg and lost his chance to be a professional Football Player, which would have been a $50,000 Contract ($50,000 is seen as laughable in 2023, but in 1978, this was REALLY big money) and ended up being a broke joke when he was just about to be REALLY successful and REALLY wealthy.

JJ wins the Lottery and the Evans and Willona celebrate wildly in front of Edna who soon looks resentful. The next day, Edna and Roz pull two guns on The Evans(Florida looks confused, Thelma looks shocked) Roz forces Florida to withdraw the $2,500 at gunpoint while Edna holds JJ, Thelma, and Michael at gunpoint in the apartment. uckily, JJ, Thelma, and Michael trick Roz into thinking Edna said she was going to screw over Roz's half of the money, they fight, and JJ slaps the money out of Roz and Edna's hands, and Willona pulls the gun on Roz and Edna instead and Thelma calls the police on them!

Thelma, JJ, and Diana are happy to go to prom and the other Evans and Diana's Parents are happy too. Thelma leaves separately from JJ and Diana. Thelma comes back in a couple of minutes however and reveals that Diana is a drug addict. Thelma and Diana had the same exact type of purse, so Thelma took Diana's purse and Diana took Thelma's purse and revealed Diana's Heroin paraphernalia. The Evans were shocked and so were Diana's parents. Her Mother screaming,"No!" Is truly heartbreaking. At the end of Part two, Diana abandoned JJ to go look for drugs. Truly a sad ending for something that started off as so happy.

[TheLittleFaerie]

Good Times seems to be a sarcastic name for the show lol Or else it means just finding and appreciating the small pleasures in life

[rusty spike]

I think the tragedy after triumph is borrowed from the A Raisin in the Sun, which has similar themes.

[TVFactFan]

Rent party was not part of season 4. You mean they were having a good time in part 1 of Big Move and then found out James was killed

Rent party was in season 3

[Janice Johnson]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

Rent party was not part of season 4. You mean they were having a good time in part 1 of Big Move and then found out James was killed

Rent party was in season 3

I said that Rent Party was the final episode of Season 3 in my OP.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Janice Johnson

I said that Rent Party was the final episode of Season 3 in my OP.

But it has nothing to do with the thread topic. it was a fun episode from start to finish

[Janice Johnson]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

But it has nothing to do with the thread topic. it was a fun episode from start to finish

I meant that The Rent Party was a good time episode, and the very next episode was James' sudden death.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Janice Johnson

I meant that The Rent Party was a good time episode, and the very next episode was James' sudden death.

It wasnt a next episode, it was the last episode of the season

[Janice Johnson]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

It wasnt a next episode, it was the last episode of the season

The Rent Party was the last episode of Season 3 and The Big Move is the first episode of Season 4. So, The Big Move is the next episode.

[hch]

Originally Posted by Janice Johnson

No pun intended with GOOD TIME.

The Rent Party was a fun episode and the final episode of Season 3. James died as the fourth Season Opener.

The Big Move, 99 percent of the episode was filled with good vibes and a festive attitude. The Evans were moving to Mississippi for a better life. And at the very end, Florida gets a telegram informing her that James was killed in an automotive accident! The mood instantly turns somber and heartbreaking after being 99 percent fun.

Florida and James dance happily after JJ's party. Then Thelma comes in and announced that JJ has just been arrested because Cops think he robbed a liquor store! On his 18th birthday, that's a REALLY messed up ending to a good birthday. Poor JJ even lost the good job he wanted because of the arrest going on his record, and he didn't even rob the liquor store!

Keith and Thelma get married, and literally about a minute after the wedding, Keith trips over JJ's knee and has a broken leg and lost his chance to be a professional Football Player, which would have been a $50,000 Contract ($50,000 is seen as laughable in 2023, but in 1978, this was REALLY big money) and ended up being a broke joke when he was just about to be REALLY successful and REALLY wealthy.

JJ wins the Lottery and the Evans and Willona celebrate wildly in front of Edna who soon looks resentful. The next day, Edna and Roz pull two guns on The Evans(Florida looks confused, Thelma looks shocked) Roz forces Florida to withdraw the $2,500 at gunpoint while Edna holds JJ, Thelma, and Michael at gunpoint in the apartment. uckily, JJ, Thelma, and Michael trick Roz into thinking Edna said she was going to screw over Roz's half of the money, they fight, and JJ slaps the money out of Roz and Edna's hands, and Willona pulls the gun on Roz and Edna instead and Thelma calls the police on them!

Thelma, JJ, and Diana are happy to go to prom and the other Evans and Diana's Parents are happy too. Thelma leaves separately from JJ and Diana. Thelma comes back in a couple of minutes however and reveals that Diana is a drug addict. Thelma and Diana had the same exact type of purse, so Thelma took Diana's purse and Diana took Thelma's purse and revealed Diana's Heroin paraphernalia. The Evans were shocked and so were Diana's parents. Her Mother screaming,"No!" Is truly heartbreaking. At the end of Part two, Diana abandoned JJ to go look for drugs. Truly a sad ending for something that started off as so happy.

Don't forget these moments:

1) the old man dying right in the middle of his own celebration on New Years

2) the youn g dude who overdosed on pills and J.J. trying to keep him moving until paramedics arrived

3) Poor Naomi who fell out drunk at the Christmas party.

4) the family celebrating their move to the new house only to have that banker come in to tell them that the place they wanted was being razed. They just felt bad but the banker was the one who ended up sobbing!

5) Cousin Raymond- need I say more?